The Wave Breakfast Review
*This gluten free dining experience took place in August 2018. Notes about dairy free options and modifications are included in this post.
Breakfast at The Wave
The Wave is a table service restaurant at Disney's Contemporary Resort that serves classic American fare with an emphasis on local and sustainable foods in a relaxed setting. It has quickly become one of our favorite places for a delicious and low-key meal. And, lately, I've been here for breakfast a few times. I recently had breakfast here with my brother before we went to the Magic Kingdom for a hearty breakfast to fuel us for some park touring.
Atmosphere
I've written about the atmosphere at the Wave in a lot of detail in one of my dinner posts. On this visit, I forgot to take a lot of photos because I was all about breakfast. But, as you can see, the restaurant has a large seating area with tables and booths and a strong theme of "waves" throughout.
The Wave - Seating Area / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
One of the things I like most about the Wave is that the décor is simple, yet reflects its theme well. I love the touches of "waves" even in the chairs.
The Food
The Wave serves both an a la carte breakfast and a breakfast buffet. Guests have the option to choose and are presented with both an a la carte allergy-friendly breakfast menu and a breakfast buffet allergen guide. If you choose the buffet, a chef will walk you through the options if you like and prepare you foods in the kitchen to avoid any potential cross-contamination risks. On this visit, I decided to try the breakfast buffet instead of ordering a la carte.
The Wave - Buffet Plate / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
The chef pointed out several dishes that were options for me on the breakfast buffet. And, I did try a few things directly from the buffet. This included fresh fruit salad, cheese and bacon grits, bacon, sausage, and deviled eggs. Of these, the cheese and bacon grits were by far my favorite. These are gluten free but do contain dairy and cannot be modified. The same is true for the deviled eggs, which had some cream cheese type topping on them.
The Wave - Gluten Free Breakfast / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
The buffet includes eggs to order, although there are eggs on the buffet. And, I ordered a custom omelet with ham, cheese, and onion. I also asked for a side of gluten free (and dairy free) toast, and breakfast potatoes. The breakfast potatoes served on the buffet were more like a hash brown casserole with lots of dairy in them. I prefer the roasted potatoes that are typically served with allergy-friendly meals which are both gluten free and dairy free. I was able to get those from the kitchen upon request.
The gluten free bread currently being served at the Wave is Ener-G brand bread. I have to admit that it's really grown on me lately, as more and more restaurants are serving it. For those who are dairy free or vegan, you can also order Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Spread for your toast.
The Wave - Custom Omelet / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
The omelet wasn't quite as good as the one I had at the Wave on my last visit for breakfast. But, it was still very tasty. The breakfast potatoes here are always a winner. You can ask for them to be served without the peppers and onions if they bother you, as they are simply topped on the potatoes rather than being cooked with them.
The Wave - Gluten Free Sweet Potato Pancakes / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Probably the biggest reason I decided to get the breakfast buffet on this visit were the gluten free and dairy free Sweet Potato Pancakes. These are a must-do and a signature Wave breakfast item. You do need to ask the chef if they have the right batter available and ready to go as sometimes they do run out. Essentially, they add sweet potato puree to the allergy-friendly pancake and waffle batter. Thankfully, they did have it on this visit, though it took quite a bit of time to get them. Unfortunately, these pancakes are a little tricky to work with, and I found out later that they had to make them 4 times in order to get them to the texture and consistency they wanted! I really appreciated the chef's efforts to make these for me.
One important note about these pancakes. They are a bit mushy. That's partially due to the moisture from the sweet potato. So, if you prefer a pancake that's a bit more classic in texture, you might want to avoid these. I personally love the for something a bit different. But, I wouldn't want them all the time either. Still, topped with some 100% pure maple syrup, and you have a real breakfast winner!
Overall
The Wave continues to be a good go-to restaurant for a solid meal, great special diets offerings, and a low-key atmosphere. When my brother and I went, it was busier than normal. But, it's usually fairly quite, making it a nice place to dine and not feel rushed. Overall, I think I prefer the a la carte breakfast menu options over the buffet as a whole. But, there's lots to enjoy when you dine at the Wave.
Have you been to the Wave? What did you order when you dined there?