‘Ohana Dinner Review [2024 Gluten Free & Food Allergy Options]
*This gluten free dining experience took place in April 2024. It includes information about dairy free options, as well as fish/shellfish, peanut/tree nut, chicken/turkey & cabbage allergies.
Dinner at ‘Ohana
‘Ohana, located at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, is a table service restaurant that holds a special place in my heart. My very first visit to ‘Ohana was in 2003, and just from that one visit me and my family were hooked. The food, the vibes, and the “ohana” of it all have made this restaurant a staple for my family now for over two decades. Believe it or not, it had actually been several years since we’ve dined at ‘Ohana for dinner — and truth be told, Brandon wasn’t a huge fan on our first visit. But, we decided to give it a visit after we heard that the restaurant recently added a new gluten free and allergy-friendly bread pudding.
Atmosphere
‘Ohana is inspired by all things Hawaiian and Polynesian. Set on the second floor of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, it does make you feel a bit like you’ve stepped by in time to 1971 when the resort first opened. I swear, the decor has changed very minimally in more than 20 years since I’ve been dining there.
‘Ohana Entrance Sign / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
The restaurant’s sign is emblazoned with flames, letting you know right away that you’re in for a meal that is inspired by all things grilled. The smells coming from the restaurant are pretty incredible too, because they use wood fire to cook all of the grilled meats that you’re served.
‘Ohana Seating Area / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
The restaurant has ample seating and a lot of large table settings too. It’s pretty common to see large groups dining at ‘Ohana — keeping that family vibe going!
‘Ohana Table Seating / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
The restaurant can get pretty crowded, but the seating areas are comfortable. We especially love the big chairs at each table.
View from ‘Ohana of the Seven Seas Lagoon / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Our favorite seats at ‘Ohana are always those that are by the windows. You can get amazing views of the Seven Seas Lagoon and the Magic Kingdom. If you dine when the Magic Kingdom fireworks are happening, you’ll be treated to great fireworks views. The restaurant even pipes in the music from the fireworks show too!
The Food
Beyond the amazing theming and great views, we’re really at ‘Ohana for the food! Because this restaurant is owned and operated by Disney, they do have an allergy-friendly menu. You can also speak to a chef at any time to discuss options.
Sarah with the ‘Ohana Allergy-Friendly Menu / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
On this visit, we spoke to Chef Angel about various options, especially for Brandon because of his food allergies. ‘Ohana is a great option for guests who are gluten free and dairy free, because almost the entire menu has been tailored to those special dietary needs. But, if you have other allergies, and those that may not be in the top 9 common allergens, it’s always a good idea to talk to a chef.
The chef did have to get many items for Brandon from Kona Cafe next door, and we were so grateful that the restaurant could easily accommodate.
Mixed Greens Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
For our starters, we were each brought our own salads. I had the standard Mixed Greens Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette on the allergy-friendly menu. It was marked Gluten Free and safe for Egg, Fish/Shellfish, Milk, Peanut/Tree Nut, Sesame, and Soy Allergies.
‘Ohana has changed up their salad starter over the years. This version had a lot of bright, vibrant flavors and a major citrus punch. The fresh greens, crispy vegetables, along with a super flavorful citrus vinaigrette was the perfect way to start our meal. We both agreed that the vinaigrette was incredibly good.
I also got allergy-friendly Bloomfield Farms brand rolls which are marked Gluten Free and safe for Egg, Fish/Shellfish, Milk, Peanut/Tree Nut, Sesame, and Soy Allergies. They came with a side of honey butter, but the restaurant also carries non-dairy buttery spread too.
In all honesty, the rolls were my least favorite part of the meal — mostly because the rolls were not heated well. But, really, who is going to ‘Ohana for the rolls?! Definitely not me with so many other amazing dishes on the menu!
Modified Mixed Greens Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
For Brandon’s starter salad, he got a modified version of the Mixed Greens Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette. The major difference between our salads were the greens. Brandon’s version was made with Iceberg Lettuce, while mine included other greens including Kale. Because Brandon is allergic to vegetables in the cabbage family, Kale is out for him.
The chef was so accommodating and said that it was no worries to go get him safe lettuce from Kona Cafe. Brandon loved this salad, primarily because of that amazing dressing. We both agreed it was a winner.
Honey-Coriander Chicken Wings, Stir-Fry Vegetables & Steamed Rice / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
For my meal, I was given a platter that included:
Stiry-Fry Vegetables
For Gluten/Wheat, Egg, Fish/Shellfish, Milk, Peanut/Tree Nut, Sesame, and Soy Allergies
Honey-Coriander Chicken Wings
For Gluten/Wheat, Egg, Fish/Shellfish, Milk, Peanut/Tree Nut, and Sesame Allergies
Steamed Rice
For Gluten/Wheat, Egg, Fish/Shellfish, Milk, Peanut/Tree Nut, Sesame, and Soy Allergies
Each of these dishes were gluten free and dairy free. ‘Ohana really is a very GFDF friendly restaurant.
The stir-fry veggies and rice were good — nothing fancy. But, the real star was the honey-coriander chicken wings. These are the stuff of ‘Ohana legends, and they did not disappoint. The flavors were incredible, and I probably could have happily just eaten a whole platter of these wings. They are messy, but they should not be skipped if you like chicken!
Wood-fire Grilled Teriyaki Beef and Peel-n-Eat Shrimp / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
The grilled meats at ‘Ohana are the stars of this meal too. Although I forgot to take a photo of the chicken, I had three grilled meats served to me. They included:
Wood-fire Grilled Teriyaki Beef
For Gluten/Wheat, Egg, Fish/Shellfish, Milk, Peanut/Tree Nut, and Sesame Allergies
Grilled Chicken with Guava-Pineapple Glaze
For Gluten/Wheat, Egg, Fish/Shellfish, Milk, and Peanut/Tree Nut Allergies
Peel-n-Eat Shrimp coated with ‘Ohana Seasoning
For Gluten/Wheat, Egg, Fish, Milk, Peanut/Tree Nut, Sesame, and Soy Allergies
Overall, all three meats were really great. The shrimp were my least favorite — mostly due to the flavor profile. The shrimp had what seemed like an Old Bay type seasoning on them, similar to a shrimp boil, and for me it missed the mark. The restaurant used to have a shrimp that had a lovely Polynesian inspired sauce on the shrimp, which I think paired much better with the menu. The shrimp are peel-n-eat, so bear that in mind too if you don’t like messy food!
The beef was good. The sauce was super flavorful — though I do tend to find the steak cuts here to be a bit on the tough side. The chicken (not shown) was my favorite. So much great grill flavor and the guava-pineapple sauce was fire.
‘Ohana Noodles, Sautéed Carrots & Pan-Fried Steak (NOT Gluten Free) / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
For Brandon’s entree, he was served three options — the first was a large amount of ‘Ohana noodles. These are NOT gluten free and are marked safe for Egg, Fish/Shellfish, Milk, Peanut/Tree Nut, and Sesame Allergies on the allergy-friendly menu. Brandon absolutely loved these noodles. He is still raving about them! If you can have gluten like Brandon can, these are a must get.
Brandon also had two custom items made. The first was pan-fried steak. Because of his allergies to fish, shellfish, and chicken, the chef recommended that they pan-fry his steak to avoid cross-contamination. Brandon was super happy with the steak he got and said the flavor was really great.
The chef also brought Brandon some sautéed carrots that he got from Kona Cafe. ‘Ohana’s current vegetable medleys all contain veggies that Brandon is allergic to, so this was another nice modification that the chef offered to make him. Everything for Brandon’s main meal was made safe for his Fish/Shellfish, Peanut/Tree Nut, Chicken/Turkey & Cabbage Allergies.
Allergy-Friendly Bread Pudding with Soy-based Frozen Dessert / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
By the time dessert rolled around, we both already felt like we could be rolled out of the restaurant. But, we had to try the new gluten free & allergy-friendly dessert! I got the Allergy-Friendly Bread Pudding with Soy-based Frozen Dessert. This was marked Gluten Free and safe for Egg, Fish/Shellfish, Milk, Peanut, Sesame, and Soy Allergies on the Allergy-Friendly Menu, but if you’re soy free, you need to get it without the soy-based non-dairy ice cream.
I was SO excited to try this dessert, because it’s been something that guests have been wanting ‘Ohana chefs to make GF for years! Overall, I have to say that I was impressed. The chefs did use the Bloomfield Farms brand rolls for the base, and I really loved the pineapple flavors. If you are a pineapple fan, this is a must get. Note that if you’re just gluten free, you can order this with dairy-filled ice cream too.
Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut with Ice Cream / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Brandon isn’t a big pineapple fan, so we asked Chef Angel if Brandon could get the Erin McKenna’s Bakery NYC cinnamon sugar doughnut that is normally served at breakfast for his dessert. He noted that it would depend on what was in the freezer, and we were happy to see that they could accommodate. Your mileage may vary on if you can get this at dinner or not, but we were truly appreciative that Chef Angel was so helpful and accommodating to make sure Brandon had a great and safe meal.
Brandon was super full by this point of the meal, but he did say that he really enjoyed it. The doughnut itself is gluten free & dairy free (and vegan), but Brandon got dairy-filled ice cream with his dessert.
If you want to hear more about our experience at ‘Ohana, check out the vlog we did for our YouTube channel for more information.
Overall
We had a really delicious meal at ‘Ohana. Brandon, who hasn’t always loved this restaurant, really enjoyed it on this visit. He said that he would definitely go again, just for the ‘Ohana noodles alone! For me, this location will always have a special place in my heart, and I was so glad that the food was still just as good and as accommodating as it has been in the past. We would definitely recommend this location if you’re looking for a hearty all-you-care-to-enjoy option and like this style of food. Plus, you can’t go wrong with the vibes at ‘Ohana.
Have you been to ‘Ohana at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort? What was your experience dining there with special dietary needs?