Thursday, November 23, 2017

Nomad Lounge - Disney's Animal Kingdom

This week, we dined at Nomad Lounge in Disney's Animal Kingdom twice.


Nomad Lounge, which does not accept advance dining reservations, serves small plates and drinks from around the world. It is located next to Tiffins, right outside of Pandora.



Nomad Lounge has outdoor and indoor seating, and it is a great place to kick back and relax in the midst of your day at Animal Kingdom.  We had an early lunch there on Tuesday, and decided to sit outside, because the weather was so beautiful.


Our server told us everything on the menu is either gluten free, or can be modified to be gluten free.


My daughters and I always order the non-alcoholic Balinese Breeze when we stop at Nomad Lounge. It contains Mountain Berry Tea, simple syrup, and lemon juice.


I shared several small plates with my husband on our first visit. The honey-glazed, coriander-spiced pork ribs are some of the best ribs I have ever had at a restaurant. I asked our server for the recipe, and she told me that she makes them at home all the time. Sprinkle the ribs with a dry rub of coriander, paprika, salt and pepper, then wrap them in aluminum foil, and cook them for 6 hours in a 250 degree oven. Finish them off on the grill, and baste them with a mixture of honey, lime juice, and coriander. There might be garlic powder in the dry rub too. I had to ask our server to repeat the recipe twice, and I thought she mentioned garlic powder the first time, before I got out a pen.


I liked the Asian Barbecue Chicken Wings with pickled vegetables too, but preferred the spice profile and sweetness of the ribs.


I was excited to see the addition of House-Smoked Kobe-Style Brisket Poutine to the menu at Nomad Lounge. I was not able to eat the pan sauce, because it contained gluten, but my daughters and husband tried it, and said it was great. I liked the house-made mozzarella and brisket, but I wish my steak fries were cooked a little more, because I like crispy fries.


For dessert, Nomad Lounge serves gluten free churros made with Cup4Cup flour. These churros are truly a celiac's dream come true. I loved every single bite, and the vanilla and chili-strawberry sauces they were served with were fantastic mixed together.


On Wednesday, we had an early dinner at Nomad Lounge, and this time decided to sit inside to take advantage of the air conditioning. For drinks, I ordered a Balinese Breeze and a Hightower Rocks with Casa Dragones Blanco Tequila, watermelon, sweet-and-sour, and lime juice, which I highly recommend.


I ordered the pork ribs again, and my aunt chose the Florida Lionfish Tacos served with charred pineapple and jalapeno, which she had on both visits. Sarah from Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free at WDW also ordered these tacos and a selection of artisanal cheeses on her most recent visit to Nomad Lounge, which you can read about here.


For our party of seven, we ordered three baskets of churros, and they quickly disappeared. My gluten-eating family said they were as good as any gluten-filled churros they have ever had.


On our second visit to Disney's Animal Kingdom, we saw Rivers of Light, which we all loved, and rode my two favorite rides at Disney World - Avatar Flight of Passage and Expedition Everest.


While Nomad Lounge is serving churros, I would have a hard time dining anywhere else at Disney's Animal Kingdom. My whole family loved their meals both times we visited.

You can check out my previous review here, and read more about Nomad Lounge on Disney's website here.

What are your favorite gluten free options at Nomad Lounge?




2 comments:

  1. AMAZING! I love being in a place where GF isn’t something out of the ordinary. I had the ribs and of course the churros and both were incredible. Thanks for the tip!! I think we found our new favorite place.

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