Steakhouse 71 Lunch Review
*This gluten free dining experience took place in April 2024. It includes information about dairy free options, as well as fish/shellfish, peanut/tree nut, chicken/turkey & cabbage allergies.
Lunch at Steakhouse 71
Steakhouse 71, located at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, is one of our go-to spots for table service lunch at Disney World. We always find the options to be plentiful for our special dietary needs, the prices reasonable (for Disney!), and low-key vibes, which we always appreciate. On this occasion, we decided to stop by Steakhouse 71 for lunch to get our favorite Stack Burgers and try out a new gluten free and dairy free dessert.
Atmosphere
Steakhouse 71’s design elements are inspired by 1970s and Disney’s Contemporary Resort’s theming back when it was originally built. This restaurant was previously, The Wave (RIP), but now has a decidedly retro vibe to it.
Steakhouse 71 Restaurant Entrance / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
The entrance includes lots of photos from concept art to construction photos. It definitely sets the tone and brings in the theme from the recently rethemed Contemporary Resort lobby area.
Steakhouse 71 Lobby Area / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Both Brandon and I especially love all of the concept art in the lobby. We both always say that we’d love to have versions of these at our house. They are gorgeous and remind us of all things 1970s.
Steakhouse 71 Seating Area / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Inside the restaurant itself, the theming is a bit more understated. The seats are comfortable, and the décor is bright and inviting. That being said, it won’t win any awards for strong theming compared to some other restaurants on Disney property. We do the pretty monorail mural on one side of the restaurant though!
Steakhouse 71 Booth / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Around the restaurant area a large set of booths, meant for bigger parties. We’ve only sat at these a few times, when we dined with multiple family members. We do always like the booths as they feel a bit removed from the chaos of a busy restaurant.
The Food
Of course, what we love most about Steakhouse 71 is the food. This restaurant is owned and operated by Disney, so it does have an allergy-friendly menu. The lunch menu is different than the dinner menu, which is more reflective of a steakhouse. The lunch is much more low-key and includes lots of sandwiches and lighter bites.
Steakhouse 71 - Gluten Free Bacon & Eggs Appetizer / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Any time we go to Steakhouse 71, we have to order the Bacon & Eggs appetizer. This is one of Brandon’s favorite dishes, and it’s a great starter for those who can have dairy. It is marked Gluten Free and safe for Fish/Shellfish, Peanut/Tree Nut, Sesame, and Soy Allergies.
The overall flavors of this appetizer are incredible. The pork belly is always so well cooked and has a beautiful sweet and salty flavor combination with a maple lacquered top and maple glaze. The grits are some of the best, if not the best, on Disney property — and the perfectly sous vided egg on top adds some richness to the dish too.
Steakhouse 71 - Gluten Free & Plant-Based Stack Burger / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
For my entrée, I ordered the plant-based Stack Burger, which is not listed on the menu but is available upon request. This is a secret menu item that I can 100% get behind. I love that you can make this gluten free along with it being dairy free and vegan. The only modification needed is to swap out the bun for the GF vegan one (if the regular bun is currently dairy free & vegan).
One thing that we have noticed at Steakhouse 71 is that they seem to often have supply issues. On a previous visit, they didn’t have any safe gluten free fries, so I ended up with potato wedges for my side. Another time, I had gluten free bread instead of a bun. So, your mileage may vary on what your dish looks like.
On this occasion, I had the standard version — though we did find out that they baked our fries instead of fried them due to Brandon’s allergies and an issue with cross-contamination for him with the GF fryer. We do always recommend talking to a chef for questions.
Overall, I was so happy with the plant-based stack burger. The flavors, the cook of the IMPOSSIBLE burger, and even the melty Follow Your Heart vegan cheese is a bit of magic. Both Brandon and I love this version. We usually rotate whether we get this version of the beef burger version. This is a high recommend and a great GFDF option.
Steakhouse 71 Stack Burger (NOT Gluten Free) / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
For Brandon’s entrée, he ordered the regular Stack Burger on the menu, which includes beef patties and pork belly, along with all the other accompaniments that I had on the plant-based version. This version can be made Gluten Free by swapping the bun and is marked Fish/Shellfish, Peanut/Tree Nut, and Sesame Allergies on the allergy-friendly menu. If you’re dairy free, you can also swap the cheese out for Follow Your Heart cheese, which I recommend!
As always, Brandon raved about the burger. We both think it’s one of the best burgers on Disney property. It’s everything you want in a smash style burger. I have had the GF version of this and can also say that it’s a winner.
Steakhouse 71 - Gluten Free & Plant-Based Banana Cream Pie / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
For dessert, I had to try their new gluten free AND dairy free dessert — The Chocolate Banana Cream Pie. This dish comes with Milk Chocolate Mousse, Caramelized Banana, Vanilla Wafer, Macadamia Nut Crumble, Caramel Sauce, and Vanilla Bean Chantilly. It is marked Gluten Free and safe for Egg, Fish/Shellfish, Milk, Peanut, Sesame Allergies.
Wow, was this a great dessert. The presentation was very unexpected from the description of the dish, but the flavors were all outstanding. I really liked the chocolate mousse and the caramelized banana inside was very tasty. If you do not like banana flavor, you’ll probably want to skip this dish, but if you like banana, it’s a must order. I also loved the macadamia nut crumble and the vegan caramel sauce.
This dessert is a bit on the sweet side, so I do wish Brandon could eat it (he’s allergic to nuts, so it’s not an option for him) as it seems like a good sharing dessert. But, I would definitely order this again.
If you want to hear more about our experience at Steakhouse 71, check out the vlog we did for our YouTube channel for more information.
Overall
Steakhouse 71 continues to be one of our favorite lunch spots at Disney. Between the low-key vibes and the excellent options, we always feel really happy that we chose to eat there. The food is consistently good (even if some of the preparations aren’t), and that is a sign of a restaurant that’s one to go to. You can’t go wrong with either version of the stack burgers, and those are high recommends from us. With the new dessert, I think Steakhouse 71 has upped its game on GFDF options and a solid place to dine for lunch or breakfast or dinner. We always look forward to going back to Steakhouse 71 again.
Have you been to Steakhouse 71 for lunch? What was your experience dining there?