T-Rex Cafe Lunch Review
T-Rex Cafe, located in Disney Springs, is a restaurant owned and operated by Landry's. Recently, I had lunch at T-Rex Cafe with my family while they were here on vacation at Walt Disney World. My nephew loves dinosaurs, so we knew this would be a fun place to have a meal with the whole family.
*This gluten free dining review took place in December 2019. It also includes information about dairy free options.
Lunch at T-Rex Cafe
T-Rex Cafe, located in Disney Springs, is a restaurant owned and operated by Landry's. Recently, I had lunch at T-Rex Cafe with my family while they were here on vacation at Walt Disney World. My nephew loves dinosaurs, so we knew this would be a fun place to have a meal with the whole family.
Atmosphere
Like Rainforest Cafe, T-Rex Cafe has a pretty impressive theme. T-Rex Cafe is entirely dinosaur themed, so you'll see lots of giant dinosaur animatronics throughout the restaurant.
T-Rex Cafe - Interior / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
I didn't get a chance to take many photos, but as you can see from the few I took here, the restaurant is massive. I loved all the bright colors and fun theme. My nephew and niece, in particular, really loved this, so it's great for kiddos.
The restaurant does have a "show" about every 20 minutes or so, with a big meteor shower. The kiddos in our party were a little nervous about it at first, but after a while, they were having a blast with the animatronics and the meteor showers.
T-Rex Cafe - Ice Cave / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
In addition to the main area, there's a really cool section called the Ice Cave. This was a super cool area, and I hope to eat in there one day.
The Food
Like Rainforest Cafe, I wouldn't say the food at T-Rex Cafe is going to high-end by any means. But, the restaurant does have quite a few options, with a good amount of variety for guests who are gluten free and dairy free. Because it is not owned and operated by Disney, T-Rex Cafe doesn't have an allergy-friendly menu. But, Landry's restaurants at Disney, like Yak & Yeti, have been quite good at accommodating special dietary needs.
I did speak with a chef directly, and he told me that I could have a variety of options from sandwiches to steaks and salads. The restaurant does carry gluten free pasta and allergy-friendly buns (in this case, Udi's brand), though the restaurant does not have an allergy-friendly fryer.
T-Rex Cafe / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
On this visit, I opted to get the Paleozoic Chicken Sandwich. Served on a gluten free & dairy free bun, it came with marinated chicken breast, candied applewood smoked bacon, swiss cheese (which is lactose free), lettuce, tomato, and mayo. The sandwich was gluten free, and I could have made it dairy free by omitting the cheese.
Because there is no dedicated fryer, I couldn't have the fries. But, there were a variety of sides I could get, like mashed potatoes, coleslaw, and seasonal vegetables. I opted for coleslaw since we were dining at lunch, and I didn't want something super heavy.
Overall, I was very pleasantly surprised by this sandwich. The portion was huge (enough to feed a dinosaur!), and the flavors were excellent. I really loved the candied bacon, and the chicken was perfectly cooked. I would definitely get this sandwich again.
Overall
With a fun theme and decent special diets options, T-Rex Cafe makes for a great family-friendly choice for a meal in Disney Springs. My family, especially my nephew and niece, really loved it. And, I definitely enjoyed my meal. While it's not a restaurant I'd go to all the time, I was pleasantly surprised at how good the food was at T-Rex Cafe. As Landry's Select Club members, Brandon and I may have to go here a bit more in the future.
Have you been to T-Rex Cafe? What did you think of the special diets options?