Maya Grill: Paleo, Keto, and Gluten-Free Dining
The night before my Passholder preview to Galaxy’s Edge, I had the pleasure of meeting and dining with Sarah from Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW. Little did they know before we arrived at the Maya Grill at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort that they were getting two reviews of their restaurant that night. My goal was to get as much information about their menu as possible, covering paleo, keto, gluten-free, and dairy-free dining. For those who love La Hacienda de San Angel in Epcot, the Maya Grill is owned and operated by the same restaurant group.
The Maya Grill is located in the original part of the resort, not in the new tower. Since neither Sarah nor I had dined here before, we figured it would be a great place to meet. Having previously lived in Texas, I love the Southwestern feel of the resort. The intricate details in the restaurant design are worth spending some time enjoying.
There are places to sit and wait outside the restaurant; however, we had a 5 pm reservation, so we were seated as soon as they opened. The Maya Grill is not a Disney-owned establishment, which can be a concern to some people with food allergies. However, there is no reason to worry here as they take allergies and other dietary issues very seriously.
As you enter the restaurant, the main portion of the menu is posted on the wall, so you can look it over before you sit down.
The theming of the Maya Grill continues as you walk inside.
Make sure you take a good look around at all the small details. I almost missed this display near the entrance.
As much as I might have thought about it, I did not sneak that Maestro Dobel Tequila box from the display below out the door with me.
The Maya Grill is a large restaurant with multiple seating areas, so you do not feel on top of other diners.
We had a seat near one of the many windows, in a quiet spot so that we could speak with a chef. The atmosphere here is extremely relaxed, making it an excellent choice for anyone staying at the resort.
Maya Grill Menus
Unlike many Disney-owned restaurants, Maya Grill does not have a separate allergy-friendly menu. That is not a problem because the chef will happily come out and discuss the options before you order. Our amazing server, Tanya, was extremely attentive throughout the meal. The many healthy selections are easy to customize to meet the needs of any food allergies or special diets. The Maya Grill menu features Starters, Soups & Salads, Chef’s Specialties, Entrees, and Sides.
Turn the menu over, and you have Desserts, Dessert Shots, Hand Crafted Cocktails, Tequilas, and Wines Selection.
For the Maya Grill Starters, the Guacamole and Chips and Salsa are both gluten-free, and neither contain sugar. The house-made corn tortillas are non-GMO and made in a dedicated fryer that is free of the top 8 allergens. For the Queso Fundido, you can substitute corn instead of flour tortillas. Vegetable crudité is available for paleo and keto diners. The pork chorizo contains numerous spices and herbs. The Tlayuda features a white corn tortilla, so that is also fine for people looking for gluten-friendly options. Although many items include cheese, they can always omit that if you are dairy-free.
For Soups & Salads, the Sopa De Tortilla is gluten-friendly, but since it contains chicken broth, it is not for vegetarians and vegans. The Ensalada Yucatan is an option for paleo and keto dieters as it is naturally gluten-friendly. The Oregano Vinaigrette contains balsamic vinegar, honey, and canola oil. You can ask for it to be made fresh for you with extra virgin olive oil instead of canola. They can also make a dressing for you if you want to order the Ensalada Cesar and omit certain ingredients, such as canola oil, egg yolks, or anchovies, all ingredients in the dressing.
There are 2 Chef’s Specialties that serve two people and require two dining credits. One is land-based, featuring NY Strip steak, Organic Chicken Breast, and Chorizo. The other is sea-based, featuring Grilled Shrimp, Seasonal Fish, and Scallops. I am extremely impressed with the serving of organic chicken at the Maya Grill. The third item under Chef’s Specialties is a 24-ounce Hand Cut Ribeye. Fresh seasonal vegetables and Esquites come with all three meals. All seafood is prepared on a separate grill, which avoids cross-contamination for those who have seafood allergies. The potatoes that accompany the ribeye do contain heavy cream, so omit that if you are dairy-free.
Entrees provided many options, making it hard for us to decide what to get. The Carnitas De Puerco could be fried in any oil. The Beef Short Ribs are braised for three hours and are not gluten-friendly. If you are GF, you can substitute the Mexican Beer Tempura Battered Shrimp in the Tacos De Camarones for grilled shrimp and switch the flour tortillas to corn tortillas. The Pescado A La Veracruzana features fresh snapper (it arrives every two days) in a vegan sauce that contains no sugar, making it another paleo and keto option if you swap the rice for vegetables.
Continuing with the entrees at the Maya Grill, the Enchiladas do not contain canola oil, and are an excellent option for gluten-free diners, but not for paleo or keto diets. What was surprising was the chef, the amazing Chef Felipe, offered that the crispy onions could be prepared with corn starch for gluten-free diets. The Alambre De Res, which is served fajita style in a skillet, typically comes with flour tortillas. In their place, you could substitute corn tortillas or another side. The Pollo A Las Rajas is a grilled dish that is gluten-free, although the sauce (which you can omit) does contain dairy.
For the sides, you have Chipotle Brussel Sprouts that contain agave, bacon, cheese, and salt. The Roasted Poblano Potatoes contain dairy, and, of course, the Yucca Fries are a deep-fried option that are gluten-free and dairy-free, as well. The sauce is mayonnaise-based, and, if you want to avoid the deep-fried oil, they can prepare the yucca fries in EVOO. The Esquites contain corn, lemon, salt, onions, and chilis.
Dessert is always a difficult issue when you are on a paleo or keto diet. Sure, many Disney restaurants have gluten-free options, but they are often loaded in sugar. Imagine my surprise that both the lemon and mango sorbets are sweetened with monk fruit. The Coconut Flan contains both condensed and evaporated milk, as well as coconut cream. Unfortunately, the chocolate in the Chocolate Panna Cotta contains gluten. Finally, the Chili Ancho Crème Brulee contains egg yolks, heavy cream, and sugar.
There are also some Dessert Shots that may be gluten-free – the Peanut Butter Parfait and the Gran Marnier Berries N’ Cream come to mind. By the time we reached this part of the menu, I could tell the restaurant was getting busy, and I wanted to let Chef Felipe get back to work.
Our Gluten-Free Maya Grill Dinner
You are probably wondering what Sarah and I decided to order. We began with the Guacamole, adding grilled pineapple, bacon, and Chicharrones (which I have never tried). In addition to the house-made tortilla chips, I also asked for some veggies on the side for my guacamole. You can see the presentation of what we received in the photo below. There were plenty of vegetables to dip into the guacamole. I just wish the zucchini slices had been cut wider to hold the fresh and tasty salsa and guacamole.
Speaking of the salsa, it was flavorful and not too spicy. I really enjoyed it, especially since it had no sugar added. That is literally my only complaint with Frontera Cocina Mexicana – all their salsas contain sugar.
I was surprised by the size of the portions provided. The basket of chips would have been plenty for a table of four. Sarah enjoyed them but said the ones at Frontera Cocina Mexicana at Disney Springs are better.
The presentation of the guacamole was beautiful, and it was very tasty. However, once you have tried the guac at Frontera Cocina Mexicana, nothing else quite compares. We both agreed on that fact. The additional toppings we added provided a nice contrast to the avocado.
As far as the Chicharrones, a naturally keto item, I am not a huge fan. They were interesting, and Sarah enjoyed them.
We decided to share two different entrees and selected the Carnitas De Puerco and the Alambre De Res. The Carnitas features slow-cooked pork shoulder prepared with sea salt and lime juice. If you are on a paleo diet, you can omit the Cotija cheese and pickled onions (they contain sugar). You could also swap the yucca fries for another side – however, Sarah was looking forward to trying them. The roll of corn tortillas and the guacamole you see on the plate are actually from the Alambre De Res. Having never liked yucca, I decided to taste it when Sarah said they were good.
As Sarah said in her review (which you can access through the link at the top of this page), WOW! First, the pork was so tender and flavorful that it literally melted in our mouths. They cook the pork first in a water bath, and then it is fried. I will say that the yucca fries surprised me – it is the first time I have ever tried yucca and liked it. My favorite part was the Mezcal Aioli sauce on them – although Sarah felt the tequila flavor was a bit strong. We both agreed that this was a dish we would get again.
Our other entrée was the Alambre De Res, consisting of seared flank steak, bacon, and poblano peppers. If you are on a paleo or dairy-free diet, omit the Monterey Jack cheese. Both dishes came with salsa verde, which was also delicious. The guacamole and tortillas (corn substituted for flour) were placed on the other plate since I asked for a side of seasonal veggies with this entrée. The meat was very flavorful, especially with the flavor from the bacon. However, although it was excellent, the Carnitas won our hearts and taste buds, hands down.
We were also provided with a side of gluten-free, dairy-free rice and beans, and the beans were extremely tasty. Legumes are one of the hardest things for me to give up on a paleo diet.
The sautéed veggies consisted of squash, zucchini, and red peppers in extra virgin olive oil.
We had so much food that neither of us had much room for dessert. However, for the sake of reviewing for all you keto dieters, I did ask for a combination serving of the lemon and mango sorbets. After all, you are never too full for sorbet.
I was brought a parfait, with a berry sauce on top. I did not have the chance to ask the chef what was in it, so I am not sure if it contained sugar. I would hope not since that was something I kept discussing. Of course, after asking what is in it, you could always omit the sauce and stick with the sorbets. Were they good? No, they were amazing! If only Disney would follow suit and make sorbets with monk fruit. Believe me, since this dinner; I keep requesting it, so hopefully, it will happen sooner rather than later.
All in all, our Maya Grill dinner was excellent. While I would still choose Frontera Cocina Mexicana at Disney Springs as my favorite, I will be back to try some of the other entrees here. And, of course, get more of that keto-friendly sorbet!