Olivia's Cafe is not a very well known restaurant in Walt Disney World. This may be because it's hidden away in Old Key West, a resort primarily for Disney Vacation Club members, but no matter what the reason, it seems to be quite an easy place to get a reservation. My family and I were heading back to Tampa from a trip to the Carolinas, and had previously made reservations for the Conch Republic themed restaurant.
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| Wall-to-wall nautical items |
The restaurant was almost completely empty when we arrived around 5 o'clock, quite a bit early for our reservations, but with the sun beating down on us during our very brief stop over at the Downtown Disney area, we were tired and ready for a bite to eat. The restaurant is fairly heavily nautical in its theming, with a few Key West inspired signs dotted here and there. In the entryway to the restaurant, the Disney Vacation Club has put up hundreds of framed family photos, completely covering the walls. This area reminded me of some of the restaurants in Key West, as it was a bit more thrown together and less orderly than the rest of the restaurant. We were promptly seated and took a look at our menus.
Between the regular entree section and the cheeseburger and sandwich area, there were quite the number of selections, which made deciding on a meal a little more challenging (not that I ever complain about too many options). My mother has a seafood allergy, so we informed the server, who brought out a chef, who essentially informed my mother that the only things she'd not recommend ordering were any obvious seafood dishes or anything deep fried, as the fryer was shared between seafood and everything else. She did offer to fry anything in a slightly more shallow fryer that they had available, as the restaurant was slow at the time and it wouldn't interfere with cooking anything else. We ordered two appetizers: conch fritters and onion rings.
While the conch fritters may look like the portion is a little less generous than the onion rings, there were enough of them to go around between four people as an appetizer. The fritters came with key lime mustard, which added a nice tangy note to the fried gems, and remoulade, which had a nice, rich flavor that also complimented the fritters well. The fritters themselves were quite good - fried dough with chopped conch and vegetables, as you would expect, the seafood flavor came through very nicely, though there weren't enough chunks of conch for my liking, though, as I said, the flavor was good. The onion rings were largely what you would expect - nice and crunchy, with key lime mustard and mango ketchup on the side, both of which complimented the rings nicely. With appetizers behind us, we placed our orders for dinner, as well as a couple of drinks to imbibe.
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| Plantation Key Pork Chop |
My mother and I both ordered the Plantation Key Pork Chop - a cooked-to-order chop with a smoked gouda fondue, broccolini, and multigrain pilaf. We both ordered ours at the minimum degree of doneness available: medium. The very edge of the pork chop was cooked a little too much for my particular liking, though the creamy, rich fondue complimented the light seasoning of the chop very well. As I got closer to the bone, however, the meat was extremely juicy and flavorful resulting in me finishing off the meat by picking it up and eating it caveman style to ensure I didn't waste any goodness. The broccolini was also good, and the pilaf a bit on the salty side for my liking, but the natural nuttiness and variety of texture in the grains definitely added to the plate.
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| Island Barbecue Pork Ribs |
My dad ordered the Island Barbecue Pork Ribs. The chipotle barbecue sauce was a very good balance of heat, sweetness, and smokiness - though for the more faint of heart, it may have been a little on the spicy side (or, at least, that's what our server warned us. The members of my family are quite resilient when it comes to spicy food) The ribs were fall off the bone tender and delicious. The cole slaw and fries were fairly standard fare, not much to praise or complain about.
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| Chicken Pasta Cayo Hueso |
Though this pasta dish, ordered by my brother, pays tribute to the original Spanish name of the island (Cayo Hueso - "Bone Cay"), the chicken is entirely boneless and there is no Spanish influence on the dish. Containing roasted garlic, arugula, roasted peppers, grape tomatoes, and olive oil over fettuccine in a tomato brother, this pasta item had a nice, spicy flavor. The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente and was a very enjoyable dish over all.
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| Seven Mile Sea Scallops |
My sister's order was of the Seven Mile Sea Scallops, scallops accompanied by polenta, seasonal vegetables (asparagus, on this outing), a prosciutto crisp, and drizzled with a roasted tomato sauce. This may have been my favorite item of the meal. The scallops were perfectly tender and sweet, with a lovely bit of savory complexity added by the tomato sauce. The polenta was creamy, sweet, and delicious, and the asparagus was cooked very nicely and added a bit of green to the plate (and covered the vegetable portion of the food pyramid well).
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| Sultry Seahorse |
For drinks, my dad and I ordered a couple of Key West Sunset Ales, which had a very nice, malty flavor and went well with the meat dishes we ordered. My mom decided to go the cocktail route and ordered a Sultry Seahorse, a lovely tropical drink consisting of Diaronne Original amaretto, Creme de Banana, pineapple and orange juices, and a float of cherry brandy for a nice mingling of colors. If you enjoy fruity drinks (which, I admit, I do) this is definitely up your alley. A perfect dessert-type drink.
Of course, one does not simply go to a Disney restaurant and order a drink for dessert. After finishing off our entrees, we requested a dessert menu, and after a very brief and agonizing perusal, where we convinced ourselves that we could not just order everything, we came up with our orders.
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| Chocolate Milkshake |
My sister went with an old standard: the chocolate milkshake. There's not a lot to say here, it's pretty much what it says on the tin. A nice, creamy, chocolatey concoction that'll satisfy, if shakes are your particular craving at the time of your visit.
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| Banana Bread Pudding Sundae |
My mom and dad ordered the Banana Bread Pudding Sundae, which consisted of a warm, moist banana bread pudding, topped with vanilla ice cream and bananas foster sauce. This was a very good dessert, rich, but not so rich that it was difficult to polish off. This bread pudding is still trailing behind 'Ohana bread pudding, but that's definitely going to be a hard item to top.
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| Flourless Chocolate Cake |
My brother ordered the Flourless Chocolate Cake, which was accompanied by a mango sauce and seasonal berries. As you would expect from a flourless cake, it was rich and fudgy, definitely an item for chocolate lovers.
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| Key Lime Tart |
Being the traditionalist, I ordered the Key Lime Tart. If you are a fan of key lime pie, the filling of this item will definitely please you - very tart and creamy. The crust was a little soft for my liking, reminding me of a cake more than the traditional crunchy graham cracker crust I would have expected, and the meringue topping definitely added nicely to the experience. The mango and raspberry sauces on the side were good, though really only there to add color to the plate.
In the end, Olivia's Cafe is definitely a good hidden gem - though by the time we left, it was clear that it wasn't too hidden, as it was filling up with families coming back from their days at the park. If you want a meal in a casual, friendly environment this is definitely a place to check out, though if you're looking for unique cuisine, you may be a bit disappointed. If you're just looking for American restaurant basics, kicked up with a fair helping of Key West flair, this is most certainly the place for you.
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