After four days at Disney World, our stomaches began to revolt against the typical lunch of a burger and fries. So, when I heard of that the home of the most famous fried seafood in Disney - that offered gluten free options - existed in Magic Kingdom, I knew exactly where I wanted to eat.
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| The Columbia Harbor House! |
We hit the Columbia Harbor house a few minutes after it opened at 10:30. I already read the gluten free options online, but after I told the cashier about our food allergies, she handed us an allergen menu. For a restaurant that specializes in fries food, Columbia offers tons of gluten free options, including salmon and steamed veggies, Mac and cheese, a bun-less lobster roll, a chicken salad and gluten free chicken tenders and fries in a dedicated fryer. Though I try to eat healthy and the salmon tempted me, the chicken tenders won Mom and I over in the end. It would be a crime to leave Disney World without tasting one of their famous gluten free chicken tenders!
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| The special dietary menu |
The cashier seemed less than thrilled at dealing with allergy customers right at the opening, but the manager appeared quickly and was very accommodating. When she heard about our desire for the chicken tenders, she even showed us the ingredient book. She warned us that the food would be delayed because the separate fryer needed to warm up, but the wait ended up only being around 20-30 minutes, probably because we arrived so early.
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| Our bill - the two tender servings didn't charge for GF |
I can't describe the absolute delicious perfection of these chicken tenders and fries! I read online that these are the best GF tenders in the park, and ours definitely fit their reputation. First of all, they were piping hot. The best part, though, was the contrast between the crunch of the crust and the juiciness of the chicken. I didn't believe it was possible to achieve such a uniform, crunchy texture with gluten free mix until I bit into these tenders! Even better, neither the fries nor the tenders tasted at all greasy. Instead, all my tongue detected was fresh, home-style good cooking.
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| The amazing, mouth-watering chicken tenders and fries! |
The portion size was also perfect, with mom and I receiving four decent sized fingers and enough fries on one plate for mom and I to happily split. My dad and sister also greatly enjoyed their fried fish, chicken, and shrimp platters and we loved the quiet, sea-inspired atmosphere provided by the second floor dining area.
So if you're in search of a different kind of gluten free bite, the best GF chicken tenders in Disney World or just a quiet place to chow down, Columbia Harbor House is the perfect solution. I give it a solid 10/10! And there's nothing fishy about that!
Do you like gluten free chicken tenders? What's your favorite GF fried dish? Comment below!
OMG. I want to go to Disney, just to EAT! These posts all have me drooling! I am so glad you had an awesome trip!
ReplyDeleteSounds like they really understand the problem (at least at the manager/chef level) at DisneyWorld. I'd love to have some local places that were as good at providing GF food as they seem to be.
ReplyDeleteMy wife and I just got back from Honolulu (great escape from Chicago area weather); while there we ate at Keo's Thai restaurant three times, and particularly enjoyed their crispy calamari, which we had each time. Almost all of their stuff is gluten free, except for the dishes that are prepared with soy sauce or sauces that contain it. (Sorry, can't have Pad Thai.) But they do a great job with the calamari. The crispy coating is probably rice and/or tapioca based, and they manage to get it very crispy without overcooking the calamari.
I'd have to say this is my favorite GF fried dish, at least in recent memory.
Their fresh fish chunks with vegetables in spicy basil sauce were also great. The fish is dredged in something like rice flour before being cooked, so it has a nice coating. The vegetables are onions, green onions, bamboo shoots, snow peas, and lots of straw mushrooms (the little ones that look like they came out of a Disney cartoon). Again, excellent. And in three meals at the place, I didn't get glutened.
So if you ever get to Waikiki, try Keo's-- you'd probably like it almost as well as you obviously liked DisneyWorld.
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