La Hacienda de San Angel Dinner Paleo, Keto, and Gluten-Free
We recently dined at La Hacienda de San Angel in the Mexico Pavilion at Epcot. Since reopening after Covid-19 closures, all restaurants operate with limited menus. That can seem daunting for people with food allergies or on special diets. As usual, when we dine at Walt Disney World, we try and cover paleo, keto, and gluten-free options.
One of my favorite features of this restaurant is that it is right on the water, which makes it the perfect place to dine and watch the nighttime spectaculars at Epcot, which we hope will return again soon.
The interior is warm and inviting, and I love the starburst chandeliers hanging throughout the dining room.
No matter where you sit, indoors or out, you get a great view. The booths hold various size parties and are very comfortable. Check out the design overhead from the reflection of the lights.
La Hacienda de San Angel Menu Options
While there is no separate allergy menu, the chef happily comes to your table to discuss your dietary needs. As with most table service restaurants at Walt Disney World, La Hacienda de San Angel is very gluten-friendly. Soybean oil is used for cooking, so if you have a soy allergy, make certain to discuss this with the chef. Our amazing and very knowledgeable chef this evening was Chef Karina.
One of the nice things about dining at La Hacienda de San Angel is that they have three different fryers:
- Gluten-free items
- Fish and shrimp
- Chicken tenders and empanadas
For those who desire, shrimp can also be grilled rather than fried.
Currently, the menu features four starters that can all accommodate gluten-free people:
- Guacamole with Mango – which contains onion, cilantro, and serrano peppers. For those who do not eat corn chips, you can get slices of yellow squash and zucchini.
- Ensalada de la Hacienda – the house salad is a spring mix with cheese, beets, and pistachios, dried chili vinaigrette and guajillo peppers.
- Queso Fundido – this melted cheese with chorizo, peppers, and onions can be served with corn rather than flour tortillas to make it gluten-friendly.
- Tlayuda “Giant Tostada” – an Oaxacan tostada with barbacoa beef, chipotle black beans, chorizo, Mexican sour cream, and pickled onions.
There are six different entrees on the menu, many of which fit into a paleo or keto diet:
- Costillas en Salsa de Chile – braised beef over potato puree and cilantro chimichurri. The potato puree contains garlic and butter. The guajillo sauce does contain peppers, onions, and canola oil.
- Pollo al Pastor – adobe marinated chicken breast with chile de arbol glaze, pineapple relish, and grilled vegetables. The chile glaze contains cornstarch and can be left off for those who do not eat corn. The pineapple relish contains red pepper, cilantro, and serrano peppers. The grilled vegetables are made with canola oil. They can also be steam stir-fried in a pan. The adobe marinated chicken breast is made with al pastor, pineapple juice, and guajillo peppers.
- Alambre de Res – flank steak, bacon, poblano, and bell peppers with Monterey Jack cheese, lime, and salsa verde, served with flour tortillas. (can substitute corn tortillas)
- Tacos de Camaron – fried shrimp, chipotle-lime aioli, cabbage, and salsa verde in flour tortillas. (can substitute corn tortillas)
- Enchiladas de Vegetales – corn tortillas filled with mixed vegetables (squash, zucchini, peppers, and onions, topped with melted cheese and ranchero salsa (tomato, tomatillo, jalapeno, cilantro).
- Baja Tacos de Pescado – Beer battered fried cod, shredded cabbage, chipotle-lime aioli, and pineapple relish in flour tortillas. (can substitute corn tortillas)
Our La Hacienda de San Angel Dinner
If you wish or can have it on your diet, your meal at La Hacienda de San Angel begins with chips and salsa. The salsa was more sweet than spicy, and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
One of us also tried the Blood Orange Margarita, featuring a Tajin chile-lime powder rim. It had quite the kick.
All entrees come with rice, beans, and fresh, homemade corn tortillas.
However, since one of us follows a paleo diet, and the other a gluten-free diet, only one person chose to go the standard route. The other selected a side salad with some homemade guacamole. As you can see in the photo below, the guacamole had some nice chunks of avocado in it and was quite delicious.
For the paleo meal, I chose the Pollo al Pastor with the steam stir-fried vegetables. The veggies were so good that it was hard to keep my daughter’s fork out of my plate.
The chicken had amazing flavor, and this was a healthy, yet extremely tasty dish that I highly recommend.
On the side, I received a bowl of refreshing pineapple relish that completed this fantastic dish.
My daughter ordered the Costillas en Salsa de Chile – the braised beef. Every bite of this dish melted in your mouth.
I had to taste the meat and sauce, and I must say, this is one of the best dishes I have ever had.
Amazing Sides
The side of beans was also out of this world, made with garlic, onion, carrots, and a mushroom base that gives it amazing flavor. The beans were nice and thick and not runny at all. Just the way I like them, so yes, I did sneak a bite or two. I am a sucker for good beans.
The side of rice is made with chicken stock and carrots and is also delicious. I will say this – the photos do not do justice to the portion sizes. There was so much food, it was a shame that we could not take the leftovers with us as we dined early and had hours of fun ahead of us.
I cannot say enough about the wonderful food and service at La Hacienda de San Angel, and highly recommend it to anyone on a paleo or keto diet as there are enough options to satisfy your cravings.