Liberty Tree Tavern Dinner Review
Liberty Tree Tavern, located in the Magic Kingdom, is a table service restaurant that serves Thanksgiving-style meals year-round. Recently, Brandon and I went to Liberty Tree Tavern just before Thanksgiving to celebrate the season with a holiday meal we didn't have to cook ourselves.
*This gluten free dining review took place in November 2019. It includes information about dairy free, fish/shellfish free, peanut free, hazelnut free, cabbage free, and chicken & turkey free options too.
Dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern
Liberty Tree Tavern, located in the Magic Kingdom, is a table service restaurant that serves Thanksgiving-style meals year-round. Recently, Brandon and I went to Liberty Tree Tavern just before Thanksgiving to celebrate the season with a holiday meal we didn't have to cook ourselves.
Atmosphere
Because Liberty Tree Tavern is located in Liberty Square, the restaurant's theme is based on a colonial inn. The restaurant serves both lunch and dinner, with lunch including a la carte options and dinner serving an all-you-care-to-enjoy Pilgrim's platter.
Liberty Tree Tavern Sign / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
I absolutely love the charm of Liberty Tree Tavern. It's been a restaurant that my family has been going to since 2003, and it holds a lot of nostalgia for me. I especially love that the colonial theme has pretty much stayed the same since the first time I visited the restaurant.
Liberty Tree Tavern Lobby / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
When you enter the restaurant, you'll notice a classical colonial scene, including a fireplace and lots of decor by the hearth.
Liberty Tree Tavern - Holiday Tree / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
During the holiday season, they also have a lot of colonial themed holiday decor. I really loved this Christmas tree which featured lots of fruit and hand woven decorations.
Liberty Tree Tavern - Seating / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
The restaurant's dining rooms are themed to represent important figures from American history. This includes:
Benjamin Franklin
Thomas Jefferson
John Paul Jones
Paul Revere
Betsy Ross
George Washington
Liberty Tree Tavern - Jefferson Room / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
On this visit, we dined in the Thomas Jefferson room. On our previous visit, we dined in the Betsy Ross room, which I think might have been a bit better themed. But, the Jefferson room was quite charming. I especially loved the fireplace lined in toile designed tiles.
Liberty Tree Tavern - Seating / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
The seating area in the Jefferson room was fairly standard -- though we both felt the seating was a little close together. Still, you can see that the cozy room was filled with dark wooden decor, adding to the colonial theme.
The Food
Of course, the main reason we dine at Liberty Tree Tavern is the Thanksgiving-style food. Over the years, the menu has changed some, with different options being featured on the all-you-care-to-enjoy menu. The past several years has included allergy-friendly stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy -- definitely a big reason why we visit the restaurant!
Like most Disney owned restaurants, Liberty Tree Tavern offers an allergy-friendly menu. Guests with special dietary needs can also speak directly to a chef about options too. On this occasion, we looked at both the menu and talked to a chef directly too, as we had a lot of questions related to Brandon's special dietary needs.
Liberty Tree Tavern / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
As we started our meal, the chef brought Brandon and I the Declaration Salad to share. This is served family style, and our version was gluten free, dairy free, fish/shellfish free, peanut free, cabbage free, hazelnut free, and chicken & turkey free.
The salad dressing was a honey shallot vinaigrette that was very mild but tasty. We both liked it a lot, though I thought it could have used just a bit more vinaigrette. You can, of course, always ask the chef and your server for additional vinaigrette if you need it.
Liberty Tree Tavern / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Both Brandon and I were served our own platters, rather than sharing them. This is because we both have very different special dietary needs, and the chef wanted to ensure we both had a lot of options.
For my platter, I was served a Pilgrim's platter that included: roasted turkey breast, pot roast, oven roasted pork, mashed potatoes, herb rice stuffing, seasonal vegetables, and gluten free gravy. Everything on this platter was gluten free and dairy free.
I am a huge fan of Thanksgiving-style food, so I always love the Pilgrim's platter at Liberty Tree Tavern. My only slight complaint this year was the gluten free stuffing. I have been a pretty big fan of it in year's past. But, this year, I found the texture to be really gummy. The flavor was still good, but the texture was just a bit off. They also used different bread it seemed, and the stuffing was much chunkier than it had been before too. I'm not saying I wouldn't eat it again, but it definitely wasn't my favorite version of this stuffing. Everything else was fantastic as usual.
Liberty Tree Tavern / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
I had heard from blog readers that if you ask at Liberty Tree Tavern that you can get gluten free mac & cheese. I did ask our chef about this, and he brought me a plate of Amy's GF mac & cheese.
I wouldn't say this was anything to write home about, but it was nice that they offer this to gluten free guests. (Note that this version does contain dairy, and I do not believe they offer the gluten free & dairy free version of Amy's at this time.)
Liberty Tree Tavern / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
For Brandon's Pilgrim's Platter, they brought out a similar but slightly different version. Because he cannot have chicken & turkey, he couldn't have the roasted turkey, herb stuffing, or gravy. Generally, Brandon isn't a stuffing or gravy fan, so he was pretty OK with those omissions. His platter was fish/shellfish free, cabbage free, peanut free, hazelnut free, and chicken & turkey free.
Both Brandon and I really enjoyed our platters, and we both said we thought the pot roast was the best part of the meal. You'll also notice from the photos that Brandon's meal has two allergy picks on the platter. The chef made sure to mark my food with one pick and Brandon's with two so that he could ensure neither of our food got switched in any way. That was a nice touch and definitely something I hadn't seen before.
Liberty Tree Tavern / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Brandon was also served mac & cheese, but he got the regular gluten-filled version. Like mine, he said his wasn't anything to write home about. We both liked having it as an option but it wasn't the best part of the meal by any means.
Liberty Tree Tavern / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
As you can see by this photo Brandon took of me, we were served a ridiculous amount of food. It definitely lived up to the Pilgrim's platter name. And, if you're still hungry after round one, you can actually order more of anything you like. We both opted to have small second helpings of our favorites like the pot roast and mashed potatoes.
Liberty Tree Tavern / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
For dessert, the chef brought me a gluten free brownie. This was the Sweet Street brand, which is one of the newer brands now served at Disney. Unfortunately, it does contain dairy.
Dessert really isn't the reason I come to Liberty Tree Tavern, and I'm usually way too full by the time we get to dessert. On this trip, I did eat a bit of this but only a few bites. The chef did bring me a side cup of raspberry sorbet too, which was gluten free and dairy free.
Liberty Tree Tavern / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
One of the things that we noticed on the allergy-friendly menu was that the dessert options listed the gluten free brownie and Oooey Gooey Toffee Cake as safe for peanut allergies. I knew that the Sweet Street brand GF brownie had a peanut cross-contamination warning, and as we confirmed with the chef neither of the dessert options were safe for peanut allergies -- despite being listed safe on the allergy-friendly menu. Because of this Brandon was served pre-packaged Enjoy Life Foods Cookies and raspberry sorbet.
If you have any type of nut allergy, I would highly recommend double-checking with a chef, as we were both pretty sure before talking to him that neither dessert was an option. Unfortunately, allergy-friendly menus aren't always accurate and can sometimes have misinformation, especially if the restaurant makes a product change.
Overall
While the dessert component wasn't great, the rest of the meal we had at Liberty Tree Tavern was. We both really enjoyed getting a Thanksgiving-style meal that was perfectly customized for both of our special dietary needs. And, I'm always really excited when I get to eat a restaurant that serves gluten free stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy! It's definitely become a yearly tradition to eat at Liberty Tree Tavern during the holiday season, but it's a great option year-round too.
Have you been to Liberty Tree Tavern? What did you enjoy when you dined there?
Liberty Tree Tavern Dinner Review
*This gluten free dining experience took place in November 2018. It includes notes about dairy free options and modifications.
Dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern
Liberty Tree Tavern, located in Liberty Square in the Magic Kingdom, is a table service restaurant that serves classic Thanksgiving-style meals in a setting inspired by colonial America. Recently, we had dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern before Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party to enjoy a meal that made us think of the holidays. I've been to Liberty Tree Tavern quite a few times over the years. But, this was Brandon's first visit, and I was looking forward to hearing what he thought of the all-you-care-to-enjoy meal there.
Atmosphere
Liberty Tree Tavern - Sign / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Liberty Tree Tavern - Fireplace / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Liberty Tree Tavern - Christmas Tree / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Liberty Tree Tavern - Seating / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Liberty Tree Tavern is set to resemble a colonial style inn. And, you can see touches of this theme as soon as you approach the restaurant.Once you step inside the restaurant, you'll find lots of colonial style touches, including a large fireplace when you first enter the building.Although the fireplace isn't functional, it does really add to the theming of the restaurant. I also love all the other touches, like colonial style cookware and china.During the holiday season, Liberty Tree Tavern has simple, but festive decor, including this charming Christmas tree.You'll dine in one of 6 themed rooms that represent important figures from American history. This includes: Benjamin Franklin
Thomas Jefferson
John Paul Jones
Paul Revere
Betsy Ross
George Washington
Liberty Tree Tavern Betsy Ross Room / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Liberty Tree Tavern Interior / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
While you can request specific rooms, depending on when you visit request may not be able to be accommodated due to how busy it is.On this visit, we were seated in the Betsy Ross Room. Because Betsy Ross was credited with making the first American flag, you'll see touches of this throughout the room. That includes several flags and sewing tools.There is a ton of detail in every dining room in Liberty Tree Tavern. So, I definitely encourage you to take a look around after your meal to check it all out.
The Food
Of course, we were there for the Thanksgiving-style food. We were both starving and definitely ready for a hearty meal. And, we were definitely not disappointed with our experience at Liberty Tree Tavern. If you have a special dietary need, you'll be given an allergy-friendly menu before ordering. Everything at the restaurant is served family style. Depending on your special dietary need and those dining with you, you may be brought platters to share or your own platter. On this occasion, our server noted that we would each be given our own plates to ensure safety.
Liberty Tree Tavern - Allergy Friendly Rolls / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Up first, I was brought Deanna's Gluten Free brand rolls. These are my favorite on Disney property. And, they were well heated at Liberty Tree Tavern. The rolls are gluten free and dairy free. If you are also dairy free, be sure to ask for Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Spread, which the restaurant has on hand. If you can have dairy, you will be served butter with your rolls.
Liberty Tree Tavern - Salad / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Next up was a platter of Declaration Salad which is safe for gluten/wheat, egg, fish/shellfish, milk, peanut/tree nut, and soy allergies. I was a bit sad when I learned that the salad dressing was no longer a strawberry vinaigrette -- which Liberty Tree Tavern has been serving for years -- and is not instead a honey-shallot vinaigrette. While the salad was just OK, I found the honey-shallot vinaigrette to be pretty bland, especially when compared to the original vinaigrette served here. Neither one of us ate that much salad, as were weren't that impressed with the dressing, and we were saving room for the rest of the meal.
Liberty Tree Tavern - Dinner Plate / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
The great part about Liberty Tree Tavern is that you can get an entire Thanksgiving-style meal gluten free and even dairy free. That's because the restaurant has made easy modifications to prepare dishes that are safe for a variety of special dietary needs. On this visit, I was served a plate that included gluten free mashed potatoes, green beans with garlic, stuffing, cranberry sauce, turkey, roast pork, pot roast, and gravy. The only component on my plate that contained dairy were the mashed potatoes. But, if you're dairy free, you'll be able to get a dairy free version of the mashed potatoes too.
In terms of the meal quality, I was super impressed. Both Brandon and I agreed that the mashed potatoes were excellent and that all of the meats were really good too. Of the meat, we both thought the pot roast was the most flavorful. The turkey was also good. We both liked the roast pork the least, and I think that's primarily due to the sauce that was on it. It was some type of spicy mojo sauce that did not fit in at all with the meal or the theme of the restaurant. I really do miss the days when they had ham on the menu. My favorite parts of the meal had to be the gluten free (and dairy free) stuffing and gravy. Goodness gracious I could eat both of these everyday. I also have to have to give Liberty Tree Tavern credit for making really flavorful green beans too.
Liberty Tree Tavern - Dinner Plate / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
One of the benefits of an all-you-care-to-enjoy restaurant is that you can order as much as you want. I did end up getting a second plate with turkey, pot roast, gravy, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. I'm not gonna lie, I was plain stuffed from all the stuffing I ate at this meal!
Liberty Tree Tavern - Gluten Free Brownie / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
For dessert, I was served a gluten free brownie with ice cream. If you're dairy free, you can get allergy-friendly cookies or sorbet for dessert as an option, which I've had in the past. I have to admit that I probably should have asked for sorbet because I was so full. But, Brandon and I ended up splitting the brownie as he actually preferred it to the Ooeey Gooey Toffee Cake that he was served. I believe they used the OMG It's Gluten Free brand brownie, and we both thought it was delicious, especially because it was nice and warm. Next time, I would probably just order the sorbet or the brownie minus the ice cream.
Overall
Both Brandon and I thoroughly enjoyed Liberty Tree Tavern for dinner. We both thought the meal was very tasty and extremely filling. Although we both agreed that this is a restaurant that we wouldn't go to all the time, we love the idea of dining here during the holiday season for a holiday inspired meal. It was absolutely perfect for as our dinner before Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. If you're interested in going to Liberty Tree Tavern but don't want the all-you-care-to-enjoy dinner, you can also dine here a la carte for lunch. That's definitely a much lighter way to enjoy Thanksgiving-style food.
Have you been to Liberty Tree Tavern? What did you enjoy when you dined there?
Liberty Tree Tavern -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Magic Kingdom
*This dining experience took place in March 2017.
Dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern
Hear ye! Hear ye! Liberty Tree Tavern, located in Liberty Square at the Magic Kingdom is a table service restaurant that offers a la carte offerings and a family-style all-you-care-to-eat dinner. I've always enjoyed my meals at Liberty Tree Tavern because it's like getting Thanksgiving style food any time of the year. Plus, where else can you get gluten free and dairy free stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy?! The last time I visited was at lunch-time, where you can get a version of their dinner Pilgrim's Feast. I haven't been to dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern in at least a good year & 1/2, so I was excited to go when my family made reservations to dine there.
Atmosphere
Liberty Tree Tavern's theme reflects the colonial times in America. It's rustic and homey. Just like you'd expect from an inn if you stopped by for a meal after a long day's journey. The outside has nice benches where you can sit and relax while you wait to be seated. It's generally very relaxing there!
Once inside, you'll find the rustic theme keeps going. You'll find a fireplace in the main lobby and every inch of Liberty Tree Tavern is decorated in a colonial fashion. You just about expect George Washington to join you for dinner.
Even more lucky, you can dine in the cozy rooms, including the George & Martha Washington room, where we ate. The room is filled with paintings and knickknacks and is quite charming.
And pro tip. It's the only room in the restaurant with a hidden Mickey. It's in this picture, though it might be hard to find unless you are there in person.Overall, you'll find the theming of Liberty Tree Tavern to be perfectly matched with the comforting food.
The Food
I love Liberty Tree Tavern for its simple and delicious food. I admit, I miss the days when they served carved ham instead of roasted pork and offered two seasonal vegetables instead of one. But, you really still can't go wrong with a meal from Liberty Tree Tavern.
To start your bill of fare, you'll be served the Declaration Salad which is pretty simple but comes tossed in a strawberry vinaigrette. It's really light and super yummy. Our entire group, gluten and gluten free eaters shared the same salad bowl, but you can ask for a separate one too, if you are concerned about cross-contamination if you're family is enjoying rolls with their meal.
On this visit, I was served Ener-G brand allergy friendly rolls (they are also vegan) along with Earth Balance vegan buttery spread. I'm not sure what the chef did to these rolls, but they were actually well-heated and tasted quite good. Usually, I find the Ener-G rolls to be poorly heated and a bit like styrofoam, so this was a welcome change.
But, the real star of the meal is the Pilgrim's Feast. Served family style it includes roasted pork, roast beef, roast turkey breast, seasonal vegetables, mashed potatoes, gravy, and stuffing. On some visits, I've had this served communally where everyone can eat the vegetables and meats, while I've been given separate platters for gluten free and dairy free stuffing and mashed potatoes. But, on this visit, I got my own platter.For my preferences, the roast turkey is the best meat offered. I found the beef to be too rare and very fatty. We actually asked to get some more well-cooked beef at the table, and we received a plate of microwaved beef. It both looked gross and tasted terrible too. The roasted pork was good, but I don't think it fits well with the meal theme. The pork actually had cumin in it, which was good, but it really did not go in any way with a "Thanksgiving" type dinner. I know that they share a kitchen with the Skipper Canteen, so I half wondered if the pork is there so it can be used for both restaurants. Either way, it just wasn't my favorite.The stars of my meal were the gluten free and dairy free stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy. I loved them all. Getting gluten free and dairy free stuffing anywhere besides home is such a rarity. So, it's nice to see Liberty Tree Tavern add this to their menu. The same goes for dairy free mashed potatoes too. These were quite good.And even better?I got a whole gravy bowl of gluten free and dairy free gravy to enjoy. It's so good that my family actually prefers it over Liberty Tree's regular gluten-filled version. So, we usually get gluten free gravy for the whole table.
For dessert options that are gluten free and dairy free, your only options are fruit and sorbet (or both). I do wish they had some better dessert options like they used to have. A few years ago, Chef Alfonso created a gluten free & dairy free waffle with non-dairy ice cream and cranberry compote. It was SO good, and I wish they still had this for special diets guests.Of course, I was really full after my meal, so sorbet wasn't a bad option when you're stuffed to the brim with gluten free & dairy free stuffing!
Overall
Liberty Tree Tavern is a great place to have dinner. It's comfort food and holiday food, perfect for just about any day of the year. Plus, the fact that they offer gluten free and dairy free stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy is a huge bonus. It's a restaurant that has solid options and will satisfy your holiday meal cravings for sure.Have you been to Liberty Tree Tavern? What did you like when you dined there?
Liberty Tree Tavern -- Lunch -- Table Service -- Magic Kingdom
*This dining experience took place in January 2016. 
Hear ye, hear ye! Liberty Tree Tavern, located in Liberty Square in the Magic Kingdom, finally re-opened a few months ago after a lengthy refurbishment to accommodate for the newly opened (and shared kitchen space for) Skipper Canteen in Adventureland. Having missed out on Liberty Tree Tavern during the holiday season (a family tradition), I finally got a chance to get in my Disney turkey dinner cravings.Liberty Tree Tavern offers an a la carte lunch and family style all-you-care-to-eat dinner. Typically, my family dines here during dinner, which offers a full Pilgrim's Feast with all the trimmings; however, on this occasion, we chose to grab lunch. Though no allergy friendly menu is given for dinner, guests will receive an allergy friendly menu when they dine a la carte for lunch. In looking at the menu, I was glad to see some options, including the New England Pot Roast with mashed potatoes which can be served gluten and dairy free.Our server did ask several times if I preferred to speak to a chef or order directly from the allergy friendly menu. Having dined at Liberty Tree Tavern numerous times and ordering the Pilgrim's Feast, I felt comfortable ordering without speaking with a chef.Typically, I do still speak to a chef but since the dishes were completely gluten free and dairy free without modifications (and the server wrote my order on the yellow food allergy notification pad), I felt OK ordering straight from the menu. Of course, if you ever dine at a Disney location and don't feel comfortable with the options or allergy friendly menu, you can always talk to a Disney chef. Just ask your server!
First on my order was the traditional house salad served with a strawberry vinaigrette. It's a classic Liberty Tree Tavern dish, and a must order for me. I did ask for an extra side of vinaigrette as in previous years (and on this visit), the salad was woefully under-dressed.
I also inquired about gluten free and dairy free rolls and Earth Balance Vegan Margarine. Unfortunately, I was given Ener-G rolls, which I don't really enjoy. Last year when I dined here, I was given GNI brand rolls which I love, but Ener-G gets very dry and has a Styrofoam texture that is very unappealing. Though I appreciated the offering, I didn't eat much of them. Sadly, not even dipping it in their gluten free and dairy free gravy could save these rolls.
For my entree, I chose the Pilgrim's Feast which is a lighter version of the dinner offering. It only comes with turkey instead of three meats, but this was fine with me. Accompanying the turkey were dairy free mashed potatoes, green beans, and gluten free and dairy free stuffing and gravy.The turkey was super moist and delicious and the mashed potatoes were outstanding. Is it wrong that I get that excited over a dairy free mashed potato? It's a rarity in restaurants, but seriously so easy to make. To add to this is Liberty Tree's gluten free gravy, which I adore. My whole family also prefers it to the regular gluten-filled version of gravy that is served in the restaurant. It's probably because we grew up eating holiday gravy based in cornstarch instead of flour, and this version tastes very similar to what we have always served at home.The green beans were nothing spectacular. Just a plain steamed veg.The gluten free and dairy free stuffing was just OK on this visit. The taste was great but the texture was off. I'm not sure if they are using a different type of bread or if they just added too much liquid to the mixture. The texture was very mushy and almost a bit gritty. When I went last November, I had this and absolutely loved it. It was the perfect texture and taste. This time, it just wasn't as good as it was the year before. That being said, I'd definitely give it a try again.Overall, Liberty Tree Tavern consistently serves up holiday inspired fare, making it the perfect holiday season restaurant. It's not one I'd dine at all the time, but during Thanksgiving and Christmas it's an absolute must-do for me. There's really no other restaurant around that can serve up gluten free and dairy free stuffing, gravy, and mashed potatoes!Have you been to Liberty Tree Tavern? What did you think of their allergy friendly offerings?
Liberty Tree Tavern -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Magic Kingdom
*This dining experience took place in November 2014.
Liberty Tree Tavern located in Liberty Square at the Magic Kingdom is one of my family's favorite seasonal places to dine during the holidays. We almost always eat at this restaurant for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. Something about the turkey dinner reminds us all of the holidays.On this particular visit, I was joined by blog reader Laurie as we enjoyed a meal before the Food Allergy & Celiac Convention held at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort on November 22nd. It was the perfect meal in the few days before the event, as I needed all the fuel I could get while setting up and getting ready for guests.One of the things I love about Liberty Tree Tavern is the holiday decorations during the winter season. I love the Christmas trees with touches that are inspired by colonial times.
Liberty Tree Tavern's menu is an all-you-care-to-eat feast that includes all the fixins' and have included dairy free mashed potatoes (upon request) and gluten free gravy for many years now.I also really adore the mugs that they serve dinner with (of course, I miss the days when the mugs were actual glass and not made of plastic).
One thing that has always alluded me was stuffing. I crave that traditional stuffing every time I go there, and as I learned recently from Gluten Free in Orlando, they were now carrying a gluten free version. My hope was that it was also dairy free, and luckily I was not disappointed!We were greeted by Chef Alfonso, who said he would take good care of us. Laurie is just gluten free, but he asked if he could make the entire meal gluten free & dairy free and that worked for her (which was awesome).
First up, came GNI brand rolls along with some Earth Balance vegan margarine. The rolls were heated well and tasted great with a bit of the Earth Balance.
Next up came the house salad with strawberry vinaigrette. The last few times I've visited, I've found the dressing to be very underwhelming both in flavor and seasoning but this time I found it to be spot on. They had a huge container of it on the side, which was great for adding as much or as little as we wanted. 
As you can imagine, I was pretty excited about the prospect of stuffing. In fact, I think it was the thing I was looking forward to most! The meal came with turkey, roasted pork and roast beef, along with dairy free mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, and sweet potatoes.The turkey is by far my favorite meat served at Liberty Tree. I like the roasted pork but do really miss the ham that they used to serve here. I never eat the roast beef, but Laurie said it was good. The mashed potatoes were excellent but the star along with the gluten free gravy was the stuffing. I'm a sucker for stuffing of all types, and this one was fantastic. Very moist and full of traditional stuffing flavor, it really made my meal complete.
The steamed green beans were probably my least favorite dish, mostly because it's just plain steamed green beans. They're good, but really nothing special.
The seasonal vegetable at Liberty Tree is always an interesting one. Sometimes it's great -- like sauteed squash and zucchini and sometimes it's not the best match for the locale - like sauteed broccoli rabe. This time, it was sweet potatoes in brown sugar.These were quite yummy, and I'm partial to sweet potatoes. They were a bit overcooked though and the texture was just slightly off. Overall though I found these to be a welcome addition, as the last few visits I haven't enjoyed the seasonal vegetable much (due to overseasoning or overcooking)
After our main meal, Chef Alfonso came out and shared with us the recipe to his stuffing, which I'll share soon here on the site! It's made with Udi's Gluten Free Bread and classic stuffing ingredients. You could tell he was really proud and dedicated to making offerings that are safe for multiple special dietary needs.For dessert, Liberty Tree Tavern typically carries sorbet with fruit for gluten free and dairy free diners; however, Chef Alfonso said he was going to create something special for our meal. I was a bit surprised with with he came up with!
For dessert, Chef Alfonso created something really unique and very nicely themed for the restaurant. It included homemade gluten free & dairy free waffles along with a cranberry compote and Tofutti ice cream. It was definitely a wow moment for the meal, as neither of us were expecting this kind of dessert.I really enjoyed the waffle which paired well with the cranberry compote. The compote was tart, as you would expect cranberries to be which combined with the ice cream was a great combo. Of course, despite being really full from the meal, I managed to make my way through almost all of my dessert. It was too great to pass up!Overall, I was really pleased with my visit to Liberty Tree Tavern and loved what Chef Alfonso is doing with the special dietary options. He really went above and beyond to make a great meal for us, and everything was really well prepared.The last few visits I've had, I've haven't enjoyed as much but this visit totally redeemed my love for Liberty Tree Tavern. It's a staple in my family's holiday traditions and I look forward to keeping it that for years to come.Have you been to Liberty Tree Tavern? Are you looking forward to trying the gluten free and dairy free stuffing?
Liberty Tree Tavern -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Magic Kingdom
*This dining experience took place in September 2013.
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Hear ye, Hear ye! Liberty Tree Tavern located in Disney's Magic Kingdom provides traditional American fare in a colonial setting. With a rustic setting, you'll feel like you've settled into colonial New England. One of the terrific things about this location is that gluten free & dairy free diners can enjoy a Pilgrim's Feast of their own complete with gluten free gravy and dairy free mashed potatoes.On this particular visit, I was attending the 2013 Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, and our tradition involves eating at Liberty Tree Tavern. For us, it's convenient for the party (our family always makes an early dinner reservation, so we have plenty of time to enjoy MNSSHP) and filling. In fact, it's my family's go-to spot for both the Halloween party & Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. It's also a terrific location for Thanksgiving celebrations.Our server said he was very familiar with GF/DF guests and that the chef would come out to assist. We did have a rather lengthy wait, and during that time our server brought over salad and said, "I know this is safe, so I'm bringing it to the table." Now, Disney protocol does typically mean that the servers do not bring over food until a chef has cleared it. This guy seemed a wee bit bossy about the whole thing, and I just smiled & waited for the chef. I was pretty confident that they had not changed the salad dressing and that it would be safe, but I like to play it safe and wait to confirm with the chef. Once the chef came out, he did confirm that it was indeed safe. He also told me that they had the dairy free mashed potatoes ready, as well as the gluten free gravy. Our table actually asked for only gluten free gravy because they prefer it over the glutenous version! Chalk one up for GF gravy! He also said they had a variety of seasonal vegetables which they would also bring over.
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| GNI Brand rolls with Earth Balance |
First up, though were the salads and the GNI brand rolls. The rolls were heated fairly properly, so they weren't bad. Of course, I smother them in Earth Balance & dip them in gravy. I'm fairly convinced the gravy would make anything taste good! But, really, these weren't bad at all.
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| Salad with strawberry vinaigrette |
I have to say that the strawberry vinaigrette dressing here used to be amazing. It's really declined in quality over the past few years--primarily seasoning and flavor-wise. It seems like the strawberry is very muted now and the flavors are just very bland. I wish they would just brighten this dressing back up to where it used to be.
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| Gluten free gravy |
The gravy, of course, is the hit of the table. It's great topped on dairy free mashed potatoes and even the turkey. For me, it's the big winner in this meal. I like the dairy free mashed potatoes, but they always seem to lack salt. The gravy does wonders for it!
In terms of offerings, gluten free & dairy free diners get the dairy free mashed potatoes, steamed green beans, seasonal vegetables (more on that in a minute), and roast pork, roast turkey, and roast beef. I don't eat the beef, but it does always seem a little rare and usually is the least eaten thing at our table. The roast pork is not bad - this version had a slightly rosemary seasoned taste to it - though I have to say I do miss the ham. The roast turkey breast is the big winner at our table as always, and it is very moist and flavorful.
And now onto those seasonal veggies. I've been saying how most of the meal was under-seasoned, well this was the one exception. It was totally and utterly over-seasoned. Really salty and weirdly seasoned with some sort of almost Italian seasonings. It didn't match the flavor profiles of any of the other components to the deal and was almost aggressively in its flavor. And I was so disappointed too because I adore squash and zucchini and had had an amazing version at a prior visit in the fall 2012. This was not my favorite. I'd like to see the simple sauteed version of this again. I also have to say Liberty Tree has a penchant for odd sides. The last visit, they had broccoli rabe with the meal. Broccoli rabe?! Totally doesn't fit the theme! I'll give the chefs kudos for branching out but not so much on the execution of these dishes.
Dessert at Liberty Tree is always raspberry sorbet with fresh fruit for me. I don't hate it, and I actually don't mind it at the end of this meal because I'm always usually really full. But just once, in a dream world, I'd love to have a GF/DF cranberry Johnny Appleseed Cake!Overall, I'd give this experience a 7 out of 10. While it has some nice offerings for GF/DF diners, there are a few things I'd love to see improved upon. Of course, it will always remain our holiday tradition at Disney but I do hope that they can work to make the options here just a little more special. That gluten free gravy though is the hands down winner of the meal!
Liberty Tree Tavern -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Magic Kingdom
*This dining experience took place in December 2012.This is a brief, updated review of Liberty Tree Tavern. You can read more detailed reviews from dinner September 2012 or lunch August 2012.
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| Lobby of Liberty Tree Tavern decorated for the holidays |
As many of you know, I often visit Liberty Tree Tavern for the seasonal holiday parties. It's my "go-to" location for dinner before the Halloween & Christmas parties. It's become sort of a tradition, and I've been coming here for almost 10 years! I actually kind of miss the days when it used to be a character meal and the characters got "dressed up" for Halloween!I do still love the Christmas decorations they have in the lobby--especially the trees and the gingerbread village. Too cute!
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| Holiday trees in Liberty Tree Tavern |
For our yearly visit to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, we headed to an early dinner. I must say, this year was quite a bit less busy, so that made for a nice low-key dinner. Nothing seemed to change from the meal offerings, except for the vegetables. The last trip (in September 2012), they offered a really tasty sauteed squash. I really enjoyed this one a lot (so much so that I chose to it this over the steamed green beans and cauliflower) and I was hoping that they would have this one again. Alas, they had changed up the veggie offerings. The chef told me that they had roasted root vegetables and sauteed broccoli rabe. I enjoy both of these, so I was hopeful they would be really good. However, I was met with crunchy roasted veggies and extremely (beyond normal) bitter broccoli rabe. I think it was actually burnt, as the garlic tasted burnt. Not a big hit. Thankfully, there were other meal options available so I didn't go hungry.They served GNI brand rolls, and in the past they were not heated well here and became very crumbly and mealy. This time, they were properly heated (and much more soft) and were ok with the Earth Balance vegan margarine.
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| GNI brand rolls & Earth Balance |
The salad was the traditional tossed salad with the house strawberry vinaigrette. I will say the last few times the dressing has seemed a bit bland and not as strong in terms of the strawberry flavor.
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| Salad with strawberry vinaigrette |
The main entrees with roasted turkey, roasted pork and roast beef are all quite good. I never eat the beef, but I found the turkey and pork to still be quite tasty this visit. The dairy free mashed potatoes were also another staple that I enjoy. And of course, the gravy is gluten free and also very good. In fact, our table asked for only GF gravy because my family prefers it to the "regular" gravy.
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| Can you tell I like gravy?! |
Dessert was the standard raspberry sorbet with fresh fruit. Nothing spectacular, but no complaints either.
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| Raspberry sorbet |
Overall, I find Liberty Tree Tavern to be an OK meal. It's filling, but not the best meal I've had on property. I do feel like the quality is starting to slip a bit, unfortunately, and I do hope that in the future, they will improve the veggie choices (sorry guys but broccoli rabe with turkey dinner?!). I'll still visit here for the holiday parties, but probably won't make any other ADRs until next year's parties.I'd give this a 7 out of 10 for ability to accommodate, but lackluster food.
Liberty Tree Tavern -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Magic Kingdom
*This dining experience took place in September 2012.
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I was just recently at Liberty Tree Tavern for lunch, and here we are just a month later for dinner. Liberty Tree is my go-to place for all of the holiday parties. I always get ADRs to eat here and then it's off to party! This year was no different for the Halloween Party. Of course, I was curious to see if there were any new changes to the rolls, as had heard there were some switches from Udi's rolls (which oddly are the only Udi's product that I'm not that excited about) to GNI brand rolls. I wanted to see if that had taken place. Plus, it's been a while since I've had the full dinner there.Upon arrival, I was greeted by the chef who gave me the rundown. Essentially, nothing had changed. I could have all of the meats (though I don't eat beef), steamed vegetables, dairy free mashed potatoes, the salad without modifications, GF/DF rolls, Earth Balance vegan margarine and raspberry sorbet with fruit for dessert. Pretty standard, and I've eaten here enough that I knew the drill.Up first was the salad and rolls. I was a bit underwhelmed by the salad, which I usually like a lot. I love the strawberry vinaigrette, but this time it wasn't that great. It seemed like the salad was overly dressed and the dressing was under-seasoned.
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| Not the best version of this salad--usually one of my favs! |
Then the chef came out and dropped off the rolls, before I could even ask him what they were, he had high-tailed it out of there. Um, guess they were busy! I knew right away they weren't Udi's. They looked totally different, and had been heated up too. The texture seemed a little weird just by touching them. Upon adding the Earth Balance to it, I took a taste. I must say, the taste wasn't terrible (sort of a sweet, brown rice flavored roll), but the texture was just plain weird. It was an odd mix of spongy (almost Ener-G like texture), but totally crumbly. Weird. I gave my mom a bite because she tends to really like GF/DF breads, but she really really did not like this. I didn't think it was quite as bad as she did, but she hated the texture. Overall, it was OK, but not great. And the rolls sort of turned to hockey pucks as soon as they cooled down. Interesting. I haven't encountered these rolls anywhere else, so I'll be curious to see where they pop up and what others think. If it is GNI brand there is some cross contamination issues that are potential, but I didn't hear any reports of this from the chefs. So, probably something to consider.
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| New rolls on property probably GNI Brand |
Then it was on to the main meal. As usual, nothing spectacular, but it was good. I liked the turkey and this year, they seemed to have changed the pork loin for the better. Last year, it had a cinnamonny sweet flavor, and a fruit compote. Not my favorite. This year, it was sage rubbed and much more appealing to me. The mashed potatoes were also very good this time. The steamed green beans were pretty boring, but the winner of this meal was the sauteed zucchini and squash. Wow, this was really good. I ate like half of our table's plate (this was safe for everyone). Very very good. Thank you for adding this one LTT! The gravy was a good batch that night--sometimes it's not as seasoned as it could be. Good enough in fact, that my family had to eat that instead of the "regular" gravy. We went through 2 gravy boats!
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| Thanksgiving dinner on a plate |
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| Sauteed zucchini and squash--my favorite of the meal! |
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| Dairy free mashed potatoes |
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| One of these gravy boats is not like the other! The one filled to the brim is the "regular" gravy and the two empty ones are the GF gravy! Can you tell which one our table preferred? |
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| Raspberry sorbet with fresh fruit |
For dessert, I had the sorbet (they don't have another GF/DF option). Overall, I found it to be pretty good. I like the sorbets they have on property, and quite frankly after a big meal, this is a nice dessert option.Overall, I like LTT, but I'm glad I only go here a few times out of the year. I wish they could make a GF/DF dressing/stuffing, that I think would be a nice addition to this Thanksgiving-like meal. And bring the ham you guys! I miss it!!A 8 out of 10.
Liberty Tree Tavern -- Lunch -- Table Service -- Magic Kingdom
Hear ye, hear ye! Here is my most recent review of Liberty Tree Tavern. This was my first time eating at Liberty Tree Tavern during the lunch time when they have an a-la-carte menu. Usually, I head to dinner for their Pilgrim's Feast of turkey, ham/pork loin, roast beef, mashed potatoes, veggies, and gluten free gravy! But this time, we decided to head their for lunch to check out the a-la-carte options, of course I ended up with the Pilgrim's Feast lunch version anyway, but at least I tried!Lunch seems a lot less crowded than dinner here. In fact, it was fairly slow (of course it was late afternoon), which was nice. It was a hot August day, so perhaps not the best choice for summer, but at least it was all filling food.The chef greeted me, and I had been debating between the Colony Salad (which sounded very good and easily modifiable) or the Pilgrim's Feast (i.e. turkey dinner) and I ended up not asking about the salad because I thought it might disturb my Crohn's a little (as many of us with Crohn's know sometimes cruciferous vegetables can be hurtful to the stomach). So, the chef really didn't give me options, I basically just asked if they had the dairy free mashed potatoes (they did) and the gluten free gravy (they did) and gluten free/dairy free Udi's rolls (they did) and then Earth Balance (another yes). So, it was all fairly simple. Since I'm well versed in what they offer, that made it easy, but if you haven't been here before definitely ask. This particular chef wasn't very forthcoming in info. He did offer to make me steamed veggies and some roasted veggies too. That seemed like a good idea since the roasted veggies might be more done (see my above statement about crunchy veggies).Well, I have to say, the food came out fast here! They must keep dairy free mashed potatoes and gluten free gravy on hand all the time because I didn't give them any real advance notice (i.e. I made the ADR the night before, but did note all allergies) and because of the swiftness with which the food came out.
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| GlutenFree/Dairy Free rolls from Udi's with Earth Balance vegan margarine |
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| Pilgrim's Feast...i.e. turkey dinner! |
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| Dairy free mashed potatoes, turkey, steamed carrots and green beans, and roasted veggies |
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| Gluten free gravy! Best part of the meal! |
The turkey dinner essentially tasted just the same as it always does here. Mild, filling, and homey. It's a great ode to turkey dinners. I miss stuffing/dressing, of course, but I make a good version at home, so it's not a huge loss. The mashed potatoes are OK here. I find them to be very under-seasoned most of the time. I wish they would at least add some more salt! The turkey is nice and moist. The steamed vegetables are ok. Nothing spectacular. The roasted veggies were actually very flavorful. I liked them a lot; the carrots were nice and roasted and mushy--the way my tummy likes them! However, the other roasted veggies were crunchy, so I mostly picked through to eat the carrots. The gravy is the best here. It's not overly seasoned, but I actually like the nice mild flavor of the brothy gravy. It makes for great dunking. Just add a little more salt and pepper and you're good to go. The rolls were good, though not my favorite Udi's product. Is it weird that I'd rather have one of their buns here instead? Of course, add Earth Balance and gravy and it pretty much didn't matter what the roll tasted like :)Overall, I found the meal to be OK. Nothing spectacular. Nothing to rave about, but good. I'm eating here for the Halloween and Christmas parties (it's my party go-to-place), although I'm highly tempted to try to get the new Be Our Guest Restaurant for the Christmas party when the ADRs open up!I'd say a 7 out of 10 for a solid and safe meal.
Liberty Tree Tavern -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Magic Kingdom
This report is a mash-up--one of what I received at Liberty Tree Tavern in October 2011 just before the vendor changes and one in December 2011 just after the changes. I suspect when I go back again for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party (yes, it's my tradition to go there for the parties), it might be different again. The only difference was the rolls. Essentially, they said they were changing and the rolls they were changing to were not dairy free (they were gluten free), but they said they had a few Ener-G rolls left, so they gave me some in December before they ran out. Other than the note about the rolls by the chef, everything else was the same.I like Liberty Tree Tavern a lot. I actually kind of miss the character meal days when the characters got into the theme of things (especially at the Halloween party!) and when the CMs called your party by your name and location, "Here ye, Here ye...now seating the Smith party from the great state of Michigan!" But I digress. I still like it for it's hominess and the fact that they actually have mashed potatoes and gravy. I love gravy!
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| Salad with strawberry vinaigrette |
I also love their salad dressing. There salad is probably one of my top favorite salads on property (Ohana's honey lime dressing and Cape May's salad with citrus vinaigrette, cranberries, and candied walnuts are my other top favs). I just love the strawberry vinaigrette! Of course, I always have to watch out as far as portions on fresh salad (because of my Crohn's) but I always sample some. Yum!
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| Ener-G Rolls with Earth Balance (not Soy Free version) prior to vendor change |
I admit, now that I'm used to the Udi's rolls, I'm spoiled. I don't ever want to go back to the Ener-G rolls days. I feel bad because I know that Udi's rolls have eggs in them and can't accommodate to everyone. But they taste so darn good. I love them (and buy them at home now). The problem that I've had with Ener-G rolls is that they kind of turn into hockey pucks after they cool down. You really have to eat them warm or they are kinda yucky.
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| Turkey, pork tenderloin with a cranberry compote, green beans and cauliflower (mashed potatoes are somewhere under there) |
The thing I like about Liberty Tree is that the meal is always comforting, homey food. I like the mashed potatoes here (and the gravy!) and the roast turkey. They used to have ham, but now that has been replaced with pork tenderloin. I actually preferred the ham, but that's just me. I really didn't like the cranberry compote. Yuck. Sorry, just not my thing.
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| Raspberry sorbet with fruit |
Dessert at Liberty Tree consists of raspberry sorbet with fruit. This has been the same for the past three years. I actually like it a lot. It's refreshing. And I usually eat too much turkey, so I can go for the sorbet by the end.Liberty Tree Tavern is a really consistent restaurant. I will be curious to see if they offer Udi's rolls there when I go in September for the Halloween party. Stay tuned....A solid 8 out of 10 for this one for consistency and accommodation of food allergies (but bring back the ham guys!!!)
Liberty Tree Tavern -- Magic Kingdom -- Table Service
Hear ye, hear ye! It's a tradition in my family to eat at Liberty Tree Tavern whenever we attend one of the Magic Kingdom holiday parties. It's been a staple, and we all love the homey goodness of the food that is served at the LTT (although I sure wish the "Hear ye, now welcoming the Norris party from the great state of Michigan"--I wish they still did this!). I'd heard good things about the dietary offerings here, and I was pretty excited. I try to avoid yeast, so I wasn't really eating any of the Ener-G rolls all week, but I made a vow that I was getting gravy and rolls! However, my stomach went into serious overdrive and my Crohn's was starting to flare--NOT GOOD! I was having a fair amount of pain, so I knew it was key to take it easy--no fair, I wanted to eat a salad and my rolls! Uggg. Well, I knew that the meal itself was a good choice for mild food to help ease the tummy troubles (which went away after that night, so problem solved!).
When we got there, the chef came out to the table. The restaurant was pretty slammed, so he seemed a bit frazzled, but accommodating. He explained that my food would be brought out on a separate platter, and that I'd have the veggie (green beans), salad (which I could eat safely with everyone else), turkey, ham, potatoes, roast beef, and gravy. He also said he'd bring out some rolls. I did decide to try a small portion of the salad--which has a lovely strawberry vinaigrette--and is one of my favorite salads on property. Still tasty as usual!
Yum!
A Turkey platter fit for a pilgrim!
Although I didn't eat as much as I normally would, I did eat a fair amount, and then there was dessert! They told me that I could only have sorbet, which was fine. It was actually a nice refreshing choice after a big meal and also gentle on the tummy. I have to say too after all of the servings of sorbet I had this was the most nicely "decorated." They added fresh berries which was a nice touch. I've had this exact sorbet at other places, but I find the raspberry sorbet to be very tasty, and I like the alternative to brownies and rice dream ice cream. YUM!
Very tasty raspberry sorbet
Overall, I'd give this an 8 out of 10--a very enjoyable meal--good food and service! and Earth Balance "butter" as an added bonus!