We spend a lot of time talking about places to eat in the Disney World parks, but it’s just as important to consider where you’ll dine at your Disney World hotel!

If you’re a foodie, you’ll want to choose a resort that meets your culinary needs, and that likely means you’ll have to spend a little more dough. But what happens if you’re ballin’ on a budget? Well, recently, I headed to one of the moderate resorts in Disney World to check out their quick service dining and report back with a full review!

Atmosphere

Riverside Mill is located at Port Orleans Resort — Riverside, and you can enter through the hallway from the lobby, or from outside the main building of the resort.

Riverside Mill is designed to look like an old-fashioned mill, and it even has a giant water wheel spinning on the outside! The views here are lovely, with big windows and surrounding wooded areas.

This spot is a food court, so several different walk-up stations serve various kinds of food. You can order things like burgers, pizza, pasta, or a variety of southern-inspired entrees.

There are also a few refrigerators in the back that are filled with beverages…

…as well as some prepackaged sandwiches and salads.

One of the counters is specifically home to desserts, which is where you’ll find the seasonal treats!

And of course, there are various prepackaged snacks available, like chips and candy.

Once you’ve got your eats, you’ll head to the checkout counter to ring up your order.

In the middle of the restaurant, there’s a self-serve drink station…

…a selection of condiments…

…and a coffee station.

The dining room is pretty large here, with ample seating spread throughout!

Many of the tables have window views, so you can dine and enjoy that natural scenery at the same time.

Now that we’ve taken the tour, let’s look at the menu!

Menu

The menu here is pretty varied, with items for a broad range of tastes. The “Specialties” include Citrus-Basil Salmon, Mojo-roasted Chicken, and Smothered Beef in Gravy. You can also grab some classics like burgers and chicken.

There are a few southern-inspired sandwiches as well, like a Beef Po’ Boy or a Turkey Pimento Wrap. And because it’s a hotel food court, they of course have pizza available.

For lighter fare, you can grab a selection of soups or salads. And plant-based eaters may want to try the Korean-style Impossible Burger.

Need a side to go with your meal? Check out the charcuterie, french fries, bread sticks, or macaroni and cheese.

And we can’t forget about the kids! The menu for the little ones includes options like cheeseburgers, pasta, chicken strips, and macaroni and cheese.

In addition to these items, Riverside Mill serves a variety of beverages, some seasonal desserts, and plenty of prepackaged snacks.

Eats

To get a sampling of the menu, I ordered two entrees and one of the seasonal desserts. Let’s dig in!

Starting things out with one of the specialties, I tried the Smothered Beef in Gravy for $14.99, which is described as slow-cooked beef in Louisiana spices. You get your choice of sides from the buffet, and I chose the mashed potatoes and green beans.

Starting with the sides, the mashed potatoes have a LOT of skin left in them. They didn’t feel like they were cooked all the way through in some spots, and even though they were creamy and buttery, the texture was very bizarre. There was so much skin, in fact, that it was rather annoying to eat. You can get them with gravy or without.

The green beans were cooked a little past al dente, and they were nicely peppered and salted. They had a little bit of chew to them, and I was pretty surprised by how good they were.

The smothered beef was fine, but nothing really to write home about, and it might be disappointing if you’ve hade homemade southern pot roast in the past. It’s spiced with something that tickled my tongue, and it has carrots throughout in the gravy. Some pieces of the meat were tender, while others were quite fatty. Not my favorite entree ever. 

The other entree I opted to try was the Steakhouse Burger with fries for $13.99. It’s a beef burger topped with shaved beef, swiss cheese, and French onion aioli. 

The burger needed to be seasoned more thoroughly, as did the shredded beef on top — both were somewhat bland. Most of the flavor here comes from the aioli and the onions. The aioli added a creaminess to the overall texture and the onions added some chew. The cheese is mild, but kind of ties everything together.

The bun is a little bit buttery and the burger was a smidge overcooked but not too dry. Honestly, this was very middle-of-the-road as far as Disney burgers go. It was better than most of the fast food options but not as good as the burgers you’d get at sit-down spots. 

The fries are typical Disney fast food fries — great when they’re fresh but get stale rather quickly. Sometimes they need a little extra salt or some ketchup for dipping.

And finally, we’ve got dessert! I ordered the seasonal cheesecake option, which was a Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake for $6.29. It’s topped with a tiny Mickey-shaped sugar cookie!

This was honestly my favorite of the three items! It was creamy and cheesy with a smooth texture and great fruit flavor from the toppings. The lemon gel added some tartness and the blueberries were fresh and sweet. Inside, there was a fruity blueberry filling. I would get it again!

So how did Riverside Mill fare? Let’s talk about it.

Overall

In the end, I think this restaurant is just fine. It has a variety of basic eats, but it’s not really more special than any other food court at a Disney World resort. I would probably eat here during my stay and enjoy my meal, but it’s definitely not a must-do.

This hotel is also home to Boatwrights Dining Hall and River Roost, which have arguably better eats. If you have the time and money for those options, I would recommend them instead!

Nosh or Not?

Take a trip to the mill if…

• You need a quick meal during your Port Orleans Resort — Riverside stay. If you’re staying at this resort and just need to grab a quick bite, this is a good option. They’ve got variety and cheap prices.
• You have picky eaters in your party or a variety of tastes. If your family can’t agree on what they want to eat, a food court is the perfect choice! Everyone can get a different type of cuisine.

Skip the mill and sail down the river to a different spot if…

• You have high culinary expectations. If you want a special dining experience or particularly delicious food, this probably isn’t the stop for you.
• You’re not staying at this resort. This isn’t a spot I would recommend going out of your way to visit. There are plenty of food courts in Disney World and they’re all fairly similar.
• You’re dining for dinner. While Riverside Mill is the only option for breakfast and lunch, other restaurants are open at the hotel for dinner.

That’s a wrap on my visit to Riverside Mill, thanks for coming along! Stay tuned to DFB for more restaurant reviews from around Disney World.

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Have you ever been to this spot? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!