Disney’s Old Key West Resort provides a relaxing environment for guests, offering a serene waterside escape away from the busy-ness of the Walt Disney World Parks. The welcoming ambiance begins at reception and extends through the common areas and the comfortable guest rooms and suites. The friendly cast members welcome you home to Walt Disney World’s first-ever Disney Vacation Club resort and dining at Olivia’s Café, Old Key West’s only table service restaurant, feels like dining at a familiar family-favorite restaurant at your preferred seaside spot.
At Olivia’s Café, the wooden tables with brightly painted chairs and cozy booths provide seating for small or large groups in one dining room. A contemporary overhead fan with imitation palm leaf paddles stretches the length of the ceiling. The soft yellow walls are decorated with coastal trinkets like fish, wooden oars, replica ship wheels, and black and white photographs. A second smaller dining room is found through a set of blinded windows and an open doorway. While the walls also feature coastal artifacts, they are primarily covered with framed photographs of Disney Vacation Club families from over the years.
Olivia’s Café is open for brunch beginning at 7:30AM and ending at 2:00PM. After arriving for our stay around noon, we were able to find a last-minute reservation for near the end of brunch hours. We opted to make a reservation so that we could have a specified time to explore the resort amenities. While reservations are preferred to reduce your wait time, it is possible to join the walk-up list via the My Disney Experience app or speaking with a cast member at the hostess stand.
Once seated, we were pleased at the diverse brunch menu. Everything from eggs, bacon, potatoes, and a biscuit in Olivia’s breakfast, to the delectable crab cake-eggs Benedict, to lunchtime American favorites like burgers and salads were available to order. Some seafood entrees such as blackened fish tacos and green salad with grilled salmon also appear on the menu.
While one of the most popular dishes to order for brunch is the Southernmost Buttermilk Chicken, the adults in our party ventured to try other menu items. We started with shrimp cocktail as our appetizer which was recently added to the menu. Beyond the beautiful presentation atop tropical slaw was some of the freshest-tasting and largest shrimp I have consumed! Served with cocktail and tarter sauces, I would definitely choose to start a meal with the shrimp cocktail at Olivia’s again.
For the main course, I chose the Sombrero Beach Omelet. Stuffed with ham, green peppers, onions, and cheddar cheese, the Sombrero Beach Omelet is usually served with Olivia’s Potatoes and a Buttermilk Biscuit for which I was able to substitute gluten-free toast. While many breakfast potatoes are greasy and fried, I like that Olivia’s Potatoes are served with sauteed vegetables in a light and creamy sauce. This meal was hearty, but I enjoyed every last bite!
My husband opted for a lighter choice by ordering the Caesar Salad with grilled chicken. The portion was filling and the house-made croutons added the perfect touch. The Caesar Salad is also available to order with grilled shrimp or without meat.
We also ordered two entrees from the kids’ brunch menu. One child ordered a breakfast favorite, while the other choose a lunchtime dish. The scrambled eggs were served with a side of bacon and apple slices, but patrons can also choose from sausage, apple slices, brown rice, green beans, or mashed potatoes and gravy. We asked for cheese in the scrambled eggs, and the cast member was obliged to accommodate that request.
The other kids’ meal that we ordered was not listed on the menu, but the cast member let us know that it was an option. The kids’ cheeseburger was served with a side of bacon, fresh fruit bowl, and lemonade in a souvenir cup. It was a perfect first meal on property for an 8-year-old lover of all things Disney. The delicious familiar food resulted in a happy child and the protein-heavy meal was helpful in keeping her fueled on a long day of excitement.
Olivia’s Café at Disney’s Old Key West Resort offered us a comfortable setting for a delicious meal as we settled in to our Walt Disney World Resort. We would definitely go back during brunch hours and look forward to trying the dinner menu on a future visit.
Have you ever dined at Olivia’s Café for brunch? What is your favorite item on the menu? Let us know in the comments below!
Featured Photo: Emily Murray.
Written by
Shelley Wehler
Contributing Writer
Shelley is a stay-at-home mother of two girls living outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. Her love of all things Disney has grown even more as she sees the magic come alive through the lens of her young daughters. She spends her free time keeping up with the latest in Disney news and daydreaming of her next trip to the parks!
