Is this restaurant at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort — Riverside one of the most underrated restaurants at Disney World? We recently dined at Boatwright’s Dining Hall and are bringing you along for a full review of the eats, drinks, and atmosphere. Let’s get to it!

About Boatwright’s Dining Hall

Boatwright’s Dining Hall brings Southern Louisiana comfort foods to Disney World. And what better place to eat famous Louisiana staples than on the bayou at Disney’s Port Orleans – Riverside Resort? Boatwright’s is one of the most accessible dining reservations to secure because…well…it’s just not that popular. But, don’t let that fool you!

Overview & Pricing

• Meals Offered: Dinner
• Price: $$ ($15-$35 per meal)
• Type of Meal: Table Service
• Cuisine: Southern American Fare
• Dress Code: Casual
• Disney Dining Plan: 1 Table Service Credit
• Passholder Discounts: 10%

Atmosphere & Theming

Boatwright’s Dining Hall’s theme is about as straightforward as it comes. Set in an old ship-building hall, you’ll find a large skeleton boat hull raised to the ceiling as the main centerpiece. But, other than that, it’s pretty lackluster and you certainly won’t be running here just for the chance to take in the atmosphere.

Small nods to a shipyard surround the restaurant, which is divided into a main dining room and two smaller rooms. Clamps, axes, ship wheels, and ladders line the walls, with a cozy fireplace at the center of the smaller rooms. Rustic, warm wood accents attempt to transport guests to an old workshop.

Cozy but not too close for comfort is probably the best way to describe the setting. Tables are decently spaced apart compared to certain other Walt Disney World restaurants, and it’s quiet enough to enjoy the meal peacefully.

Getting to Boatwright’s Dining Hall

There are a few ways to get to Port Orleans—Riverside for dinner. Of course, guests with a vehicle can drive to and park at the resort with a confirmed dining reservation for free. Additionally, rideshare services are always an option.

If you prefer to use Disney’s complimentary transportation, you can either head to one of the four theme parks and hop on a bus to Port Orleans – Riverside or head to Disney’s Springs and take the Sassagoula River Cruise from the Marketplace boat dock.

Boatwright’s Dining Hall Menu

Boatwright’s is only open for dinner and the menu is on the smaller side, with four appetizers and eight entrees. It may be small but we found that this was the perfect amount of options to avoid being overwhelmed.

Specialty cocktails, beers, and wines are also available for purchase.

You’ll find options like Pimento Cheese Fritters and Jambalaya Salad for appetizers, and Crispy Cajun Chicken, Jambalaya, and Shrimp and Grits are just a few of the dinner options. Additionally, maybe one of the best value deals on property is on the menu here! Taste of the Bayou All You Care to Enjoy Platter serves as many ribs, chicken, sausage, brisket, corn, mac and cheese, potatoes, and green beans as you’d like for an affordable $36.

We order multiple items on the menu for our meal here, so let’s get to the review.

Eats

Appetizers

Starting with the complimentary bread service, each table is presented with cornbread and butter. And, one big thing to know about this start is that the cornbread is SWEET. This might be a disappointment if you prefer a more “southern” savory cornbread. That being said, we enjoyed the sweet cornbread and even asked for a second round. It was moist enough that you didn’t need the honey butter alongside it, though the butter did pair nicely.

In addition to the bread, we ordered the Louisana BBQ Shrimp to share for $16. This comes with five shrimp in a tangy sauce on two pieces of toasted bread. The shrimp were nice size and cooked well, though the sauce was more spicy than tangy. We don’t mind spicy food, so we happily embraced this, but beware for anyone with a low heat tolerance. The toasted bread was useless on the plate, as it got so mushy from the sauce that it was not worth eating. Overall, the bread issue didn’t affect the dish’s flavor, and we enjoyed it.

Entrees

Roasted Prime Rib

First up was the Roasted Prime Rib for our entrees, which came with a dollop of Cajun butter, mashed potatoes, and broccoli. The cut of steak was cooked perfectly to the medium rare I requested, and the Cajun butter gave each bite just the right amount of kick. The mashed potatoes were creamy and delicious, though the broccoli was your standard steamed broccoli. I would have liked this to be sauteed in the cajun butter for some elevation. Broccoli is my favorite vegetable (I know, weird, right?), so I was happy with it, but it was nothing special.

Boatwright’s Jambalaya

Next, we ordered Boatwright’s Jambalaya. This is slow-cooked spicy shrimp, andouille sausage, and chicken served with rice. The shrimp were large but not that spicy, and the sausage was the spiciest part of the meal. The rest of the meal was more tomato-forward than anything. This was my husband’s entree and, while he enjoyed it, he won’t be running back for this particular dish anytime soon. As a man of simple words, he said, “It was good, not great.”

Sustainable Fish with Crawfish Ettouffee

Additionally, we ordered the Sustainable Fish with Crawfish Ettouffee. This is sustainable fish on basmati rice with etouffee sauce and sherry crawfish butter. The blackened, flaky white fish was perfectly cooked. The crawfish were tender and good-sized, and there was more than we expected in the dish. The sauce was everything you’d expect from a Cajun sauce, perfectly complementing the fish and crawfish. This was the best entree on the table!

Dessert

To cap off our meal, we ordered two desserts — Banana Cream Pie Cheesecake and Pecan Pie Tart. The cheesecake was paired with a toasted meringue, caramelized bananas, and caramel sauce. It was sweet, but you didn’t get the artificial banana flavor that many banana desserts have. It was creamy and sweet, and we would order it every time!

The Pecan Pie Tart came with candied pecan crumble, chocolate ganache, and a scoop of vanilla gelato. This was your standard pecan tart. It had a good crust, and overall, it was just fine. The tart paired nicely with the gelato scoop.

Drinks

Though the menu offered southern specialty cocktails such as Bourbon Peach Tea or a Sazerac, we opted for the draft beer options by Abita Brewing, a brewery in New Orleans. The Abita Amber is one of our favorite beers, and we were thrilled to see it as a draft option!

Overall Boatwright’s Dining Hall Review

So, is Boatwright’s Dining Hall an underrated restaurant to visit on your next Walt Disney World trip? YES! We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner experience here. Our service was excellent, the food was good, and the atmosphere was welcoming. I wouldn’t say I would be setting the alarm to be sure to snag a dining reservation here, but I would absolutely return to Boatwright’s for a last-minute reservation, or anytime we stay at Port Orleans Resort.

Boatwright’s Dining Hall is a hidden gem of Disney World, and it’s time people know about it!

Eat at Boatwright’s Dining Hall if…

• You want a hearty, budget-friendly meal
• You are staying at a Disney Springs area resort or Port Orleans Resort and want a hearty sit-down meal
• You enjoy Southern-style cooking

Skip Boatwright’s Dining Hall if…

• You are looking for immersive theming and entertainment
• You have picky eaters in the family
• You want an upscale meal

Comments

Have you dined at Boatwright’s Dining Hall?  Let us know what you thought of your meal in the comments!