by Beth Keating
Review
DisneyBizJournal.com
April 14, 2024
It was the opening day of an EPCOT festival, and we’d just spent 25 minutes in line for a black iced coffee (and not at the Starbucks counter, either), and another half-hour or so in line for two sample-sized dishes at one of the food booths. The crowds were growing by the hour, and we’d decided that we’d had enough of shoulder-to-shoulder company, so we elected to bail out of the park and look for dinner elsewhere, rather than standing in yet another long line for food booth selections.
We opened the My Disney Experience app, and perused the Disney restaurants that had dining reservations or even walk-ups available. While there was a fairly good selection of eateries available much later in the evening, many were located in other parks, and we really didn’t want the hassle of moving our car to another park, clearing security, scanning into a new park, etc. We eliminated all the selections that were at the other theme parks, and focused on the restaurants that were at the Disney Resorts.
One of the locations that popped up was one that we’d never tried before – Olivia’s Café at Old Key West Resort. In fact, we’d never even been to Old Key West. We needed to use our friendly voice assistant from Google Maps to find our way there.
Old Key West was the first of Disney’s Vacation Club (DVC) properties, opened in 1991 and renamed to Old Key West in 1996 when other vacation club properties started coming online. While it’s not hard to get to, it is a bit off the beaten path for most travelers. We decided to give it a shot. And, spoiler alert, we’re really glad we did. We’d been overlooking this hideaway for far too long.
Old Key West’s backstory is that you’ve arrived in “the tranquil community of Conch Flats — a sprawling island hamlet with shimmering waterways, swaying palm trees and manicured golf-course fairways.” The facility is imbued with “the romance of the Florida Keys,” and Olivia’s, the café on site, is said to have been established by a lady named Olivia Farnsworth.
Olivia “lived in a small cottage along Turtle Krawl, upwind of the strip. Almost daily, she would invite curious passersby who smelled her cooking to come on in and pull up a chair. People loved her vibrant flavors and earthy personality, and, before long, she found herself setting more tables. Eventually, Olivia opened the doors to her eponymous cafe, which has been a haven for locals and a must-visit for out-of-towners ever since.”
While Disney Imagineers are really great at creating backstories for their attractions, sometimes guests are completely unaware of these backstories. In this case, Olivia Farnsworth’s tale really does inform the setting and service in her small, Key West-flavors-themed café. The cast members there were among the friendliest we’ve experienced, and they seemed to also have formed closer bonds with some of the diners – perhaps because many of the diners are DVC members who return year after year, and stay for longer stints? The cast member at the next table called the couple by name, and even asked if they wanted a particular appetizer again. They were obviously repeat patrons.
That “family atmosphere” is set from the very moment you walk up to Olivia’s reception desk. As you enter the waiting area, dozens of family photographs adorn the surrounding walls, “filling in all available spaces,” as they say at Disney. The walls are even labelled the “Family Album,” just in case you didn’t figure it out on your own.
But these aren’t just stock photos gathered from a prop department. They are actual photos sent in from families who have stayed at Old Key West throughout the years (reaching back decades, in many cases!). The photos were everything from group shots taken at Old Key West, to First Communion photos, wedding photos, and new baby snaps. While we didn’t wait long for our dining reservation, these walls of photos made passing the time more interesting.
The crowd that evening ranged from families in tee shirts and shorts, to a couple dressed up all fancy-like for a night out, she in a lovely floral skirt and heels, and he in a jacket and tie. A quartet of older ladies were also dressed quite nicely, enjoying the full complement of the meal, from stemmed drinks all the way through desserts. It was obvious that this was their “girls’ night out,” and it reminded me of my mother-in-law and her friends treating themselves to a night on the town.
Serving up American home cooking with a flair of the Caribbean mixed in, Olivia’s is a tiny place, barely two dozen tables scattered about the nautically-décored room. Pale blues and yellows dominate the casual atmosphere, and the place is as full of seaside charm as it was diners taking up tables by 5:30 p.m. There is lots to look at here, from the old bottles, china plates, and tin boxes ringing the ceiling, to other seafaring paraphernalia adorning the walls. Ships’ wheels, fishing poles, figureheads from bows of ships, and various prized fish intermingle with old photographs of fire houses and the like.
Our meal started off with a lovely loaf of homemade bread, served warm with a sweetened whipped butter. The bread arrived at the table almost as soon as we did, so it was a welcome start while we perused the menu.
We began with the shrimp cocktail ($16.00), six decently sized shrimp served with two sauces. The red was a house-made, traditional cocktail sauce, while the other was a Key Lime sauce that had just a little bit of spice and a whole lot of flavor. Definitely try the lime sauce to get into the Island vibe. The shredded bed of vegetables that the shrimp were served on (red pepper, radishes and maybe zucchini?) were lightly dressed in a vinaigrette with a hint of citrus. The shrimp were fresh and tasty, and nicely chilled.
We almost went with the Fresh Catch of the Day for our main course, but after hearing that Olivia’s is known for its “Southernmost Buttermilk Chicken” ($25.00), we made a last minute decision, and indeed, it was the right one. The thick piece of chicken was juicy and tender on the inside, crunchy on the outside, and lightly seasoned. It was plated with the best mashed potatoes we’ve ever eaten (no kidding!), southern gravy, and perfectly al dente string beans. The pepper gravy was ladled over the chicken, and the nearby potatoes were creamy and just a touch garlicky. A warm, savory buttermilk biscuit rounded out the platter. This chicken is a dish worth returning for!
Another diner in our party opted for the Mahi Mahi ($30.00), which came with fingerling potatoes and chorizo, and was served on a delicious bed of corn succotash. The citrus butter gave a nice tang to the milder Mahi Mahi, which was seasoned with a good deal of blackening spice. The blistered tomatoes brought a pop of color to the dish, but the succotash was really a nice addition, bringing a lot of homestyle flavor to the meal.
We were too stuffed by then to tackle dessert, but if you want to stay in the Key West mood, Olivia’s does offer a Key Lime Tart ($9.00) that is dressed with mango and raspberry sauce. We admit to being sorely tempted as we watched it float by to another guest’s table. There’s also a Bananas Foster that could be a whole lot of yum, made with warm banana bread ($9.00).
Olivia’s only serves brunch and dinner, and reopens at 5:00 p.m. at night after a several hour closure. But if you are in a brunch mindset, Olivia’s is the place to go, because they serve it daily, and not just on weekends, as many other restaurants limit themselves to.
At brunch, you can start with a Parrot Punch for $15.00 (what else would you serve up in Key West?), or enjoy more traditional breakfast foods like pancakes and eggs. If you are feeling a bit more adventurous that morning, you can order up the hushpuppies ($12.00); the Southernmost Buttermilk Chicken (though in the mornings you can change it up with eggs instead of mashed potatoes); Blackened Fish Tacos ($19.00); or a Banana Bread French Toast ($19.00) that sounds divine! We’ll be back to try that another day, for sure. Those are just a few of the treats on the brunch menu.
Brunch is served from 7:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m., then Olivia’s closes until dinnertime, reopening at 5:00 p.m. and serving until 9:00 p.m. If you’d like to make a fun trip out of your dining experience, you can park at Disney Springs and take the Sassagoula River shuttle boats from Disney Springs to Old Key West. It’s a lovely cruise down the river, to enjoy a relaxed (and excellent) meal in a Vacation Club resort that will make you feel like you are miles away from the theme parks.
__________
Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.
Get The Disney Planner: The TO DO List Solution by Ray Keating. More information at
https://raykeatingbooksandmore.com/shop/ols/products/disneyplanner. And please listen to the Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating podcast.
.png)