Gasparilla Island Grill -- Lunch -- Quick Service -- Grand Floridian

*This dining experience took place in June 2018. 

Lunch at Gasparilla Island Grill

Gasparilla Island Grill is a quick service restaurant located in Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Recently, I stopped by here for lunch with my family while they were staying at the resort's DVC rooms during a weekend visit. It has been three years since I have eaten lunch or dinner at Gasparilla Island Grill, so I was looking forward to checking it out and seeing what options were currently available.

Atmosphere

Like a lot of the theming at the Grand Floridian Resort, Gasparilla Island Grill has a turn-of-the-century Victorian theme to it.Though it has a vintage look, everything is done with a modern twist, making the restaurant very comfortable to dine in.There's also more seating than you might expect from a resort quick service restaurant. And, I always tend to gravitate towards the cozy booths in the back of the restaurant for a quiet and low-key meal.Typically, once you have ordered your meal, you will be given a card with a number on it for your table. A cast member will then bring out your freshly prepared meal directly to your table. This is always helpful, especially with a special dietary need, so that you're not waiting in the ordering area for a long time.

The Food

Gasparilla Island Grill does carry an Allergy-Friendly Lunch and Dinner Menu. I was pretty impressed by the amount of choices I had available to me.I decided to order the Roasted Turkey with Florida Orange Vinaigrette and Pickled Onions. This is marked both gluten free and dairy free on the allergy-friendly menu. I also had the option of house-made chips or French fries -- both of which I was told were made in dedicated fryers.As you can see by this close-up of my sandwich, it came with a hearty portion of carved turkey breast. No deli meat here!I have to say that this was an excellent sandwich. And, I was so glad I ordered it. The roasted turkey was very flavorful. But, the real star of the sandwich was the Florida orange vinaigrette. It added a super bright pop of flavors to the sandwich and was very refreshing on a hot day (which is was). The pickled onions also added a nice bit of flavor.The sandwich was served on Ener-G bread, which was pretty surprising. I was honestly expecting Udi's Gluten Free bread which is often the bread I'm served the most at Disney. The cast member asked if I wanted the bread toasted. And, I confirmed before they did so that they had a dedicated allergy toaster, which they do. They did say it would take a bit longer. But, I am glad I waited. The toasting made the Ener-G bread perfect!Although I didn't pick any up, I did notice that Gasparilla Island Grill did carry OMG...It's Gluten Free Chocolate Chips Cookies and Fudge Brownies.They also carried Rocky Mountain Caramel Corn and Lundberg Rice Chips. These are all nice grab and go options for gluten free guests (and many of them are also dairy free).

Overall

I was pretty impressed by my lunch experience at Gasparilla Island Grill. Though I'm not often at the resort, it's definitely a spot I wouldn't hesitate to visit again for lunch or dinner. I appreciated that they had a good amount of variety. Plus, they also offer a vegan menu and carry dairy free cheeses for guests who want pizza options too.Have you been to Gasparilla Island Grill? What did you think of their special dietary needs options? 

Gasparilla Island Grill -- Dinner -- Quick Service -- Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

*This dining experience took place in December 2014.Gasparailla Island Grill is located in Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa on the first floor. If you've ever been to the Grand Floridian Cafe, which serves a nice breakfast, you'll find this quick service location nearby with a quick trip outside the building. I've been at this quick service restaurant a few times, but never really ordered dinner there. Our family wanted to check out the holiday decorations and also visit the famous gingerbread display at the resort, so it was the perfect spot to grab a bite to eat.The menu itself has some standard quick service offerings and a few unique items. One of the things that you don't always see at quick service locations is house-made chips. I was curious to see if these were going to be safe for gluten free diners.When I spoke to the manager, he said that much of the menu can be easily altered for gluten free diners but that many items were out for me as options because of the dairy. I ended up ordering the Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwich which came with grilled chicken, ham, cheese (mine was made without), lettuce, and a choice of house-made chips, fries or a cucumber salad. Of course, I got the house-made chips, since I was told they are made in a dedicated fryer.The manager gave me a table stand with a number on it for the table and said he'd bring it out to me when my food was ready. Meanwhile, I grabbed a beverage and relaxed in the comfy booths found in the restaurant.The sandwich itself was pretty good. It came on a Local Oven bun which was nicely toasted. The chicken was flavorful, and the ham added a nice variation. For me, the winner was the house-made chips. They were nice and thick and really tasty. I will definitely have to head back to Gasparilla Island Grill.Overall, I enjoyed my meal at Gasparilla Island Grill. I found the options for gluten free & dairy free diners to be good, and the manager who assisted me that day was really helpful.Have you been to Gasparilla Island Grill? What did you order there?