By lucky accident, we ended up at Sapphire Resort on Universal Property and headed over to try the food allergy options at Amatista Cookhouse.
We love to go to table service restaurants with food allergies, but the greeter at the resort recommended the quick serve by the pool because it had more ‘kid friendly options’.
I couldn’t help but laugh–sometimes kid friendly means frozen and covered in soy and gluten–but the greeter couldn’t have known we had dietary needs!
So we hoped on the elevator and went to try the sit down option at the resort!
The ambiance of the resort and restaurant is incredible–upscale but still very relaxed and Family Friendly. Not really an expensive resort, but it also wouldn’t be considered the budget option either.
We had a really good meal here–let’s talk about the food allergy options at Amatista Cookhouse, how they prepare food, and some tips for your next visit!
***As Always, please speak to a qualified restaurant employee when ordering food. In order to see the most accurate ingredients and risk assessment, you will need to confirm allergy safety in real-time. This is my personal experience, I am not employed or endorsed by companies or brands mentioned.***
Where’s it located, what are the prices, and do you need reservations?
Let’s get some quick questions outa the way so we can jump into the foodie goodness! It’s located inside Sapphire resort. You can walk here from CityWalk (not recommended) or catch the boat (which I highly recommend!). Otherwise you can come by bus or car to the resort.
Price was pretty comparable to lots of other sit down options at Universal. I’ve been really impressed with their pricing–it’s obviously more than a quick serve option, but comparable to like Outback Steakhouse, Olive Garden, etc.
You do not need reservations typically, but you can make them in advance if you think the parks will be busy (holidays and weekends that would be advised!) Reservations are easy to make- either on the phone or online- find the full list and make reservations here.
Allergy Friendly Procedures and Food Options
Next up let’s talk about Dietary needs and how the process the food. We asked to speak with a Chef and had a very educated Chef take our order and prepare out meal!
The menu is labeled nicely with several dietary options, and there are lots of Whole Foods listed as well!
For preparations, the Chef makes many of the items in house in a separate dedicated area.
Very few items were premade but they did have a few if you would rather use those for your meal. We talked with the chef in great detail about his prep process and I was very impressed with how aware and respectful he was of our needs!
What we ate (one gluten free dish, one top 8 friendly dish, one gluten free, soy free, dairy free dish!)
Husband had an amazing Chicken Meal that was Gluten free. It was the Mojo Marinated Rotisserie Chicken!
He said it was very flavorful, cooked to perfection and OH, the presentation was great! Sometimes it’s the little things when you have food allergies.
Next up was the top 8 friendly dish. So this is soy free, gluten free, dairy free, egg free, nut free, fish free.
This was a kid’s meal- but kids’ meals come ala carte, so we grabbed some organic chicken with fresh cut fries! They also had two giant bowls of fruit.
Lastly, the gluten free, soy free, dairy free dish! This was my dish and I grabbed a Burger on an allergy Friendly Bun with Fresh Cut Fries.
What the Chef recommended for restricted diets and top 8 options.
All of my kiddos have been very limited at one point or another, and one is still top 14 plus, so I always ask what the chef would recommend for them and share it here with you. (And I like to read my notes when I’m in the parks with them after the fact! I hate going somewhere only to be served fruit and rice.)
The Chef recommended a few things–BUT please note everything needs to be modified so always speak with a chef to ask about options and where it’s prepared
For starters there is a gluten free bread. It is made with tapioca and contains other allergens like Dairy.
There are a lot of things on the menu that can be easily modified, especially since it’s very much whole food based and a lot is prepared in the kitchen.
Some Allergy Friendly Options include:
- The Rib eye
- Fresh Salmon (or fresh fish
- Burger and Beyond Burger
- Udi’s pizza crust
- Gluten Free bun made with tapioca
- Diaya cheese
- Kid’s meal are a la carte. They have a lot of Organic and local options.
Some tips… and will I be back?
The number one thing you should know is that you should come here to eat!
YES–this was one of the BEST options I have ever had a theme park and it was great that the menu held so many easy to modify items for all types of dietary needs!
So make sure you place a reservation and come over from CityWalk on the Boat, or just stay at Sapphire Falls and enjoy Amatista for Breakfast Lunch and Dinner!
On that note, I will absolutely be back–in fact I can’t wait! It’s a new safe favorite.
The Food Allergy Menu at Amatista Cookhouse
