50’s Prime Time Café Gluten-Friendly Lunch
On a recent trip to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, we decided to check out 50’s Prime Time Café gluten-friendly lunch options to see what they had. Much to our surprise, the list of items was pretty extensive. The allergy menu is shown in the next section. Below you will find the regular menu as well as the beverages offered “From Dad’s Liquor Cabinet.”
Before we get into our in-depth look at the allergy-friendly menu and what we selected – a warning! Eating at the 50’s Prime Time Café is like being back in “your mom’s kitchen” in the 1950s. Be prepared to be told to get your elbows off the table, sit up straight, and to eat all your vegetables before you get dessert. The rhetoric is part of the fun at this restaurant.
With televisions showing clips of old shows at or near most of the tables, it really is a blast back into the past.
Now, I was not sure if our server was joking or serious when I asked to speak with a chef, and she told me they do not do it anymore. It is hard to tell what is real and what is “part of the act” at this restaurant. However, I did insist, and the amazingly wonderful Chef Miguel came out to talk with us. We saw him again later at a nearby table, so I am guessing it is all in good fun.
50’s Prime Time Café Gluten-Friendly Lunch and Dinner Menu
My big mistake at this restaurant was focusing solely on the 50’s Prime Time Café gluten-friendly lunch entrees. Had I looked at the appetizers, I would have seen that Grandpa’s Crab Cake was suitable for gluten-friendly diets. Remember, Disney uses the term gluten-friendly rather than gluten-free. While I could have focused on sticking with a paleo or keto diet at every restaurant on this trip, I decided to review some options as strictly gluten-friendly. My lunch at Be Our Guest and dinner at the Plaza Restaurant kept to a strict paleo diet.
As you can see on the allergy-friendly menu below, my options included Dad’s Stuffed Pork Chop, Chicken Pot Pie (REALLY!?!), Chicken Caesar Salad, Mom’s Meatless Meatballs, and Cousin Megan’s Traditional Meatloaf. Each of these dishes is also safe for peanut and tree nut allergies; some are also fine for people with soy, egg, or dairy allergies.
Now, here is the really exciting option that is not listed – you can get GLUTEN-FRIENDLY FRIED CHICKEN!!! It comes coated in a crispy rice flour batter and is the greatest fried chicken you will ever eat. Forget about the standard gluten-friendly chicken tenders you get throughout the resort: this is the real deal. Four pieces (one-half chicken) of the crispiest, juiciest, tastiest fried chicken ever! But, more on that later.
Know that you can swap out any item on the menu for something that will fit your dietary needs and palette. We were leaning towards Dad’s Stuffed Pork Chop as it would have met the requirements for a keto diet as it is stuffed with Gouda cheese, apples, and herbs. The chef would have cooked it with extra virgin olive oil and swapped out the roasted potatoes for green beans, broccoli, carrots, or corn, depending on your preference.
The Chicken Pot Pie was tempting, made with potato starch as the flour base. However, my dining companion was not interested in that, and as we were sharing two dishes, I wanted to choose things we both would like.
Mom’s Meatless Meatballs sounded great until Chef Miguel mentioned that they use corn pasta. Since I do not eat corn products, that was an immediate no-go. The meatballs are made with mushrooms, and I can only hope that they get some rice pasta in the future as I would love to try this dish.
Onto Cousin Megan’s Traditional Meatloaf, a blend of 80 percent beef and 20 percent pork. The meatloaf also contains celery and carrots. The tomato glaze which contains sugar can be left off or served on the side.
Our Gluten-Friendly Lunch Selections from 50’s Prime Time Café
You have probably guessed by now that we got the GF fried chicken. I actually dream about this dish at night and cannot wait until my gluten-free son comes to visit from California. I think he is getting tired of me telling him about this dish. I am sure my daughter, who is studying in England right now, is also saying hey, what about me! Not to worry, I foresee a 50’s Prime Time Café gluten-friendly visit for lunch or dinner in her future.
As you can see, our fried chicken looks as crispy as it was. It came with green beans and carrots sautéed in extra virgin olive oil, some garlic, and just the right amount of salt and pepper. Did I mention I still dream about this dish?
My dining companion loves potatoes, so Chef Miguel made us a fresh batch of roasted potatoes in extra virgin olive oil. Again, they were seasoned to perfection.
We also opted to try the meatloaf, with the tomato sauce on the side. We choose broccoli and green beans for this dish. The carrot strands added some color to the plate. My only complaint here is that I could have eaten three times the amount of meatloaf – it was that good. Seriously, they cook better than mom!
The allergy-friendly menu also features two dessert selections that accommodate numerous allergies, including for those who are gluten-free. We decided to try the S’mores, because, hey, we are back in the 50s and it just seemed right. The restaurant uses an Enjoy Life chocolate bar, Enjoy Life cookies, and Kraft marshmallows to make this dish. Yes, I know, there is corn starch in the marshmallows. Shh, if you do not tell anyone I cheated, I will not either. Of course, I only ate a few bites before pushing the plate to my dining companion. I simply wanted a taste to report to you that it is as good as it looks.
There you have it – my 50’s Prime Time Café gluten-friendly review of my new favorite restaurant. Oh, that fried chicken. It is worth the trip for that alone. Pleasant eating.