There is a lot of hustle and bustle in Walt Disney World!
Magic Kingdom
From rushing out the door to get a Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure Boarding Group, or perhaps rope-dropping at Magic Kingdom to ride Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, there is a lot of running around on a Disney vacation! And sometimes, it’s nice to sit back and relax at a slow-paced resort with a good meal!
Enter, Old Key West. This laid-back island resort is the original Disney Vacation Club property, and it’s themed to one of the world’s most relaxing destinations: Key West! While Old Key West is a DVC resort, anyone can stay there (space available), and more importantly (for our purposes), anyone can eat there! Old Key West is home to a few underrated gems — such as the hole-in-the-wall Gurgling Suitcase or the delightfully quaint Olivia’s Cafe! That’s where we slowed down and had lunch recently — read on for our full review and to see why Olivia’s is a great under-the-radar spot for a relaxing meal!
Atmosphere:
Olivia’s Cafe is across from the main lobby at Old Key West.
Olivia’s Cafe Entrance
It’s open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and while reservations are accepted, they aren’t usually necessary.
One of the Photo Walls at Olivia’s
Upon entering Olivia’s you’ll notice there’s a ton of photos on the wall! These are actually guests and DVC members who call Old Key West home. People would send Christmas cards and photos to their Disney family, and Olivia’s started putting them up to proudly display their patrons. However, the wall is definitely full so no promises that yours will be hung up if you send a photo in.
Olivia’s Cafe
Olivia’s Cafe has a simple yet eclectic seaside design. The main colors of the restaurant are blues and teals, and along the walls you’ll see boat gear such as oars and nets.
Wall Decor
We just love the mermaid! You’ll also see photographs of old lighthouses, seashells, and other ocean-related decor.
Ceiling Fan
Even the ceiling fans are tropical. Just look at those awesome palm leaf blades!
Olivia’s Cafe Table
Seating at Olivia’s is divided into tables and booths. Considering this isn’t an ultra-busy restaurant, if you have a preference, it can likely be honored.
Olivia’s Cafe Booth
Once you get seated, it’s time to sink into the Southern comfort, and dig into the menu!
Eats:
Olivia’s Cafe is quality comfort food, often with a tropical twist.
Lunch Menu (Click to enlarge)
Patrons can choose from conch chowder, crab cakes, shrimp dishes, and more! Seafood and comfort food lovers alike should be able to find something to their liking.
In the past, we’ve loved their iconic and very popular Southernmost Buttermilk Chicken. If you’re a fried chicken fan, this is an excellent choice!
Southernmost Buttermilk Chicken
But on this day, we were in the mood for something a little different, that still had an Old Key West twist. Our eyes immediately went to the Duval Street Burger.
A juicy burger AND shrimp? Color us intrigued!
Duval Street Burger
The Duval Street Burger is a beef burger topped with grilled shrimp, pepper jack cheese, avocado, and pico de gallo on a pineapple-coconut roll. It comes with homemade chips (as shown), but if you ask nicely you may be able to swap for another side.
Open Face Duval Street Burger
On top of the burger, were several shrimps that were perfectly cooked and flavorful! There was also pico de gallo and avocado, both of which were fresh and added a nice brightness to the big patty.
Duval Street Burger
We loved the choice of pepper jack cheese, as well! It added a slight bit of heat that elevated the burger and balanced the sweetness of the bun. And speaking of the bun — it was the best part of this burger! Honestly, I want all burgers and sandwiches forever to come on a pineapple coconut bun. It was chewy and delicious, with just the right amount of sweetness.
Duval Street Burger Cross Section
Overall, this was a very tasty burger! It had unique and fresh ingredients…and I can’t stop dreaming about this bun. I’d absolutely order this again! Additionally, the housemade chips were a great side! They were crunchy and flavorful, yet not overwhelmingly salty.
Chips
After such a tasty and flavorful lunch, it was time for dessert! What else?
Dessert Menu (Click to Enlarge)
While there were several things that caught our eye, we had to get the Key Lime Tart. When in Old Key West, am I right?
Key Lime Tart
The Key Lime Tart is one of Olivia’s signature desserts, and is a twist on Key West’s iconic dessert, Key Lime Pie.
Key Lime Tart
This tart comes with a toasted whipped topping, graham cracker crust, and mango and raspberry sauces.
Key Lime Tart Cross Section
This dessert is a delight! The tart center is light and tangy, and the toasted topping added the perfect creaminess! There’s even a slight crunch from the graham cracker. Both sauces were sweet and added just the right compliment to the Key Lime.
Plus this thing is pretty sizable, making it the perfect dessert to share.
Overall:
Once again, Olivia’s Cafe is a solid and underrated choice for lunch. It’s where tropical flavors meet comfort food, and everything we tried was fresh and delicious. Plus, the atmosphere is laid back and relaxing making for a breezy, enjoyable meal.
While it may not be worth ditching a park reservation to trek to Old Key West, if you have a slow resort day or are staying at the resort, you may want to work a meal at Olivia’s into your schedule. In our experience, you won’t regret it.
Want to learn more about dining at Old Key West? Check out this DFB Guide Video!
By the way, have you subscribed yet? If you hit the button below, you can subscribe to the channel and never miss a single episode!
Have you eaten at Olivia’s Cafe? Let us know in the comments!
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We love Oliva’s
Born and raised in key west. Clearly the people that dreamed up the menu have never been. WDW missed their chance to create an suthentic menu with various fish and shrimp recipes but misssed the boat. Too bad.
We were there last year and our food was not very good and the service was okay. Would not recommend.
Worst restaurant on property hasn’t been updated since it’s been built and people that work in the back nearly die of heat exhaustion ever summer. I worked there, it was horrible.
Ate there last Thanksgiving week and it was very good. We had a party of 5 and the service was very good. Food was also very good. Planning on going back too.
Olivia’s does have tasty option BUT it has a small kitchen. That translates to slow service. It is worse trying to get bkft or dinner. Lunch seems the only time to eat there. It is easiest to reach from a stay @ OKW or boat or bus over from Disney Springs.
My family loves Olivia’s . However, I do not like to stay unless I can set on the patio. Ona beautiful central Florida evening , you can’t beat it.
Have you tried the pork carnitas? Those sound delicious!
Great breakfasts and great Bloody Mary’s!! Very relaxing and never had a bad experience!!
OMG some of these comments are making me so sad! We have been to Olivia’s several times over the last few years and love it more and more each time! The staff have always been fabulous, the food has always been lick-the-plate good, and the atmosphere is relaxed and comfortable. It’s one of my favorite places to eat in WDW.
I loved the chicken. It was the best I have ever had. Just ate there on Dec 17th. The service was very good as well.
We had our first experience at Olivia’s when we ate breakfast there on 12/14/20, before catching the resort bus to EPCOT for the day. Both the food and service were wonderful! We also though the ambience was very charming. We would definitely go back.
It’s been a few years since I was last at Olivia’s. We tried it out while staying at Old Key West and were someone what underwhelmed. It’s not that anything was bad–it’s just that there were so many great places to eat at WDW and Olivia’s was just average.
Ahh, I love Olivia’s! The Tropical Chocolate Tart is one of the best desserts I’ve ever had!
We stayed at Saratoga in October and it was one of the best trips we have had and we go each year!! The room was wonderful, and we will go back!
One of our favorite restaurants is the Turk Club. The fresh baked rolls, grilled Caesar Salad and steak is fabulous as is the pasta! The front of the house has some of the best cupcakes in the entire resort. Granted it is the basic model, but still one of the best!! Hope they re-open soon, we have a trip scheduled for late June into mid August!!
We love Olivia’s! Sorry to hear that others have had a less than stellar experience.
During our stays at OKW we always have at least one meal at Olivia’s. Never been disappointed. Sorry to hear about the kitchen being small and hot. Will leave a larger tip next time.
Olivias is like the resort itself, quaint, quiet and relaxed. Like all Disney restaurants, not the best food, mostly overpriced, nothing unique, but quaint, quiet and relaxed. I am an owner of this resort and enjoy the relaxed off the beaten track atmosphere.
Our family of six travel to Walt Disney World every two years (this time it will be three) and always stay at Old Key West. For us there is nowhere else. The two room apartments have a large amount of room and the patio outside is a wonderful place to be, either overlooking the river or the golf course. Old Key West has such a peaceful environment, away from the rest of the resorts and to us is completely magical, with the advantage too of boats taking you to Disney Springs. Olivia’s adds to the great enjoyment with an excellent menu and beautifully cooked food. The Beef burger and Shrimp dish is out of this world, along with the Buttermilk Chicken and the Key Lime Tart. We are all pining for our next trip in 2022 when we shall be visiting our most favourite place.
In the past I would have agreed with you and hopefully they are back . Ate there last October and it was the worst meal and service I’ve ever had at WDW. Occasional bad food I can understand but the staff and management just did not seem to care. And I mean bad left the food uneaten. And yes I paid for it. It’s going to take a lot of convincing to get me back in what was once one of my favorites.
It was terrible in 1991, and 30 years later it’s still consistently terrible. It’s as if they decided to serve food that’s nothing like Key West.
Olivia’s is often our first stop when we come to WDW. Our home resort is OKW, so we’re right there. We absolutely love Olivia’s. We’ve always found the staff to be warm, friendly and helpful. Our food has always been great and the atmosphere is so relaxed. Our family highly recommends Olivia’s Cafe!
LOL at some of these comments – they were open for 10 days of 1991 so you can’t really tell if people were actually disappointed in the restaurant or were just having a bad day! It’s true – this is not the most glamorous or creative food you’re going to get at WDW but that’s not what they’re going for. OKW is the original DVC property & for us, and most other long-time members, it’s our 2nd home. The food evokes that feeling too – homey, well-prepared, big servings & definitely satisfies the hungry bellies – especially the breakfast! It’s like your favorite hometown diner.
Also have to shout out to the Gurgling Suitcase bar that connects through the back (or outside, around the corner) – the Sultry Seahorse is the best drink (if you like sweet & fruity) on property, no contest!
LOVED the food at Olivia’s! Had a great breakfast, dinner and late meal there and was so very glad to have done so! Coming from an area that has shrimp and girts in many of the local restaurants, I was very happy with the shrimp and grits at Olivia’s. It was a little different from what I am used to but very delicious . Service was great and the atmosphere inviting. If when I return to Disneyworld and am not staying at Old Key West, I will be sure to eat at least once at Olivia’s.