On my last weekend trip to Walt Disney World, I decided on the out-of-the-way Olivia’s Cafe at Disney’s Old Key West Resort as our dinner destination prior to attending Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in the Magic Kingdom.
My family was looking for a place to relax and fill up on a good meal, and somewhere that we could get a last minute Advance Dining Reservation.
While this resort exudes comfort and a family-friendly atmosphere for Disney Vacation Club (DVC) members, we found the service equally welcoming for non-guests of the hotel. Since we had our own vehicle, transportation to the restaurant was simple. (And our teen son, who traveled from a theme park, had no trouble taking a bus there. He even got there early!) We used our MagicBand to show our reservation at the entrance gate and then proceeded to a parking area very close to the restaurant.
Entrance to the resort
Parking was very near the porte-cochère
Covered walkway
Nautical elements evoke a seaside atmosphere at the entrance to Olivia’s.
Outside the restaurant’s main entrance
The lighting and ocean colors give a sense of calm.
Olivia’s Entrance
The floral arrangements and plants give some color to the tropical-themed resort.
This is the tropics!
If you arrive early, peruse the menu. While this place is a hidden gem, it’s often quite busy!
Menu Display
Sign near entrance
Inside the very small waiting area (actually just a hallway between the restaurant, restrooms, and the Conch Flats General Store), you’ll find your first glimpse of Disney Vacation Club member photographs.
Family pictures hang on the walls
DVC Members call Disney’s Old Key West home
Pictures in unique frames highlight DVC families
Plus, a reminder of the restaurant’s hours!
Daily Hours Sign
If you like to dine al fresco, patio seating is also available.
Atmosphere
Inside the wide-open dining room, a nautical theme made the place seem cozy.
At entrance to dining room
The light and airy color scheme and many windows give off a casual beach atmosphere. I love the two different colors of napkins for the table setting!
Dining Room Table
Knickknacks, lighting, and ceiling fans further the intimate setting. Yes, this feels like island life!
Lighting and Fans
Eats
Olivia’s specialties include seafood and home-style eats with Florida Keys accents. There’s even Key Lime!
Olivia’s menu, October 2015.
Olivia’s Beverage Menu
The hubs ordered the Key West Sunset Ale and thought it was a really good beer (Thanks to Reader Sarah for pointing out that this beverage is a red not a pale ale!!). Cheers!
Key West Sunset Ale
While my dining companions enjoyed the bread — Pineapple Coconut, it wasn’t my favorite. I did appreciate the softness of the inner bread and the crunchy exterior.
Bread
We skipped appetizers and dessert for this meal as we were anxious to get to the Party; and of course, we had to leave stomach space for the specialty treats.
So, we got down to business. My son and I ordered the Southernmost Buttermilk Chicken and my husband had the New York Strip.
Southernmost Buttermilk Chicken
The chicken was just the way that I like it – boneless, moist, and fork tender.
Love this comfort food!
But the buttermilk gravy was THE STAR of the show. Oh, my goodness. Both of us agreed that we could have had a soup bowl full of it. It was perfect over the chicken and mashed potatoes. And there was plenty of it. No skimping on gravy here! By the way, those mashed potatoes were creamy and would have been delicious on their own.
Plenty of buttermilk gravy!
And you know how sometimes the vegetables can just be a huge disappointment? Well, not this time. These were cooked perfectly! So perfect that the teen even commented on how good they were. Whoa, now those are some good veggies. 😉
Carrots and Green Beans
On to the New York Strip. My husband thought this entree was delicious. He said it was cooked correctly and was tender, and juicy.
Grilled New York Strip
And he really enjoyed the the ragout of mushrooms, tomatoes, and onion. Apparently, this made the dish a real stand-out!
Mushrooms, Tomatoes, and Onions
As steaks go at Walt Disney World, the husband said it wasn’t the best he’s ever had but definitely on his list of dishes to have again. (By the way, the top steak he’s ever had was at Narcoossee’s, followed by the steak at California Grill. Of course, those are pricier, too!)
Yes, that Banana Bread Pudding Sundae was calling my name, but alas, I had to save room for the Party sweets. Next time, I’m not going to be so sensible!
Overall
Go ahead and make your way to Olivia’s Cafe! While the food is not signature gourmet, the home-cooked flavors are still worthy of your time. And there is always a daily special that might surprise you.
This is the place to unwind after a long day in the parks, before a late night in the parks, or just when you need some good ol’ vacation down time. It’s also great for breakfast!
What’s your favorite dish at Olivia’s Cafe? Have you ventured to this restaurant? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
Oh my Goodness, this post gave me major nostalgia, even though I’ve never been to Olivia’s. Back in 09 for my wish trip, my family stayed at the Old Key West Resort. We never got the chance to go to Olivia’s, but I peeked inside it when passing the gift shop. I loved Old Key West and miss it so much. I’m sad we never got to dine at Olivia’s (we always ate in the parks) and it is def on my TO DINE AT list for our possible future trip(s)!
Thanks for the sort of trip down memory lane lol!!
Thanks for the review! We are DVC members and OKW is one of our home resorts (and one of our favourite places to stay). So we always eat our first dinner here every trip. And if we time our flights correctly, also our last big, tasty breakfast before we go home. The food is always great. They offer specials that change too, like meatloaf and pot roast, that aren’t on the normal menu, and these are always satisfying. And you’re right, the food might not be “fancy”, but it’s always excellent.
Crysta – I’m happy to hear that you were transported down memory lane and back to Old Key West!!
Claire Gregory – OKW is absolutely charming! I’ll have to check out breakfast on one of my future trips. 😉
our favorite place to eat at disney!!
It looks lovely; I love anything with an ocean or beach theme and colors. The chicken looks so crispy and crunchy. I’d love to have that, but I wouldn’t want the gravy. If we were there at the same time, I’d give my gravy to you to enjoy, Kim! Good review.
We’re DVC members – whilst OKW isn’t our home resort we’ve stayed a few times but even when we haven’t we occasionally pop along to Olivia’s. Love the comfort food and it’s nice to eat somewhere ‘homely’ that doesn’t also involve a server heckling you for having your elbows on the table 😉 (50’s Prime Time).
Essie — I’m with you on enjoying beach themes! And… I would gladly accept your gravy. 😉
That is a red ale, not a pale ale. You can tell because red ales are so much more delicious (and also by the color).
Sarah – Thanks for the observation. Apparently my hubby needs to keep reading the book on beer that he recently received as a gift. Ha! I’ll make a note in the review. Appreciate the help!! 😉
We were just there Friday night. It was terrific! Even though I miss the shrimp and grits, the food was still great. And possibly some of the best service in the World. If you are there and the soup of the day is the Chicken Curry – give it a shot it was delicious. And I am not a normal curry fan.
I went to Olivia’s last June by myself (I was in Orlando for a conference) and the servers made me feel very comfortable despite being alone. It wasn’t overly crowded and nobody seemed to be in a rush. The food was also great and the whole experience left me wanting to spend more time at OKW.
Just started going to Olivia’s recently. I love it. That fried chicken dish is delicious. I also love the conch fritters. To top it off, they have a great staff and a nice relaxed atmosphere. We were there in the madness of the holiday season and escaping here for dinner was perfect. I really don’t like the snooty pretentious feel of some of the other Disney restaurants (artist’s point, flying fish) so going to Olivia’s is always near the top of my list.
Place is great! Just don’t get the waiter named “Dino” he is very rude .
We made reservations! Horrible wait time! They let people wait for 45 mins and more. When we got in, 4 empty tables were available and still let people wait that long. Unbelievable amount of time we had to spend for food. They keep on saying 5 more minutes and we still end up waiting in vain. The employees were just ehhh. Very unhappy and very disappointed with the whole experience. I had doubts coming in, but we didn’t have any choice coz we are staying at Old Key west. Disney has to do something with this place!
The manager Scott came and apologize – SO LATE DUDE! Very FAKE! Coz they know, and i let them know that i am UPSET! That is a rude move from a manager!
The chicken? Yes i agree with another person who made a comment about the Southern Fried Chicken, Popeyes Chicken – way better!
Please don’t waste your money, time and effort to go to this worst restaurant in Disney place!