The Front Porch Cafe
$$ • Cafe
Most Recent Reviews
We were able to talk to the chef and he made a custom meal for our daughter with Celiac. She loved it! He even hand delivered our meals.
I have multiple food allergies. A chef came out to talk to me and explained what I could have. Very knowledgeable about cross contamination, and they assured me they worked hard to prevent any cross contamination. I had a burger with lettuce wrap (due to gluten and egg allergy) and a side salad. The food was amazing! The only thing that would have made it better would have been a dedicated fryer. Overall excellent experience, and we will definitely be back!
Not a ton of options on the menu but I will say that I got one of the salads and added chicken, it was VERY VERY good. I did have a weird interaction with the chef who came out to ask if I had an allergy or celiac. I said celiac and he said I couldn’t have the grilled chicken because it was cooked with soy oil. I was confused and clarified that it was just soy oil and said I could have soy? He said oh okay so you don’t have celiac then. I’m still very confused by this interaction but I didn’t get sick and he wasn’t horribly rude just a warning for others not to get freaked out! Not sure where that confusion came from
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My daughter (celiac) was able to order a grilled chicken breast on a GF bun & make it into a sandwich. It was served with a side salad. Server noted the allergy & she did not get sick.
I was able to get a burger with a gf bun, even though it wasn’t on the menu. Sadly the fries are not safe due to a shared fryer, but I was able to get fruit (the side for the kids meal) instead.
My burger was pretty tasty, but others in my party had burgers that were incredibly overcooked. Also, they didn’t have any to-go boxes so we were unable to take our leftovers even though it was the end of the day.
No dedicated fryer anymore. But had gf buns and served burger with salad. Very tasty.
Great options and felt very safe eating here - got the chopped salad and added chicken and it was delish! They have many more GF options than listed on their menu.
We were so impressed by chef Carlos at Front Porch Cafe. He came to our table to talk through options and made our daughter GF smoked Gouda Mac and cheese with shrimp from scratch in a separate area of the kitchen. And he brought her a GF brownie for dessert. Delicious!
Celiac safe place to eat. They ran out of gluten free buns but went to reds to get one which was nice.
This is a celiac safe restaurant in the Dollywood theme park. I spoke with our server Aubree and made sure it would be 100% gluten free. They use an Udis GF bun (had them ask the chef) and it was a big burger. Fries are from a dedicated fryer. I had no issues and it was one if the best GF burgers I ever had. Recommend.
We have loved this restaurant each time we’ve visited! They are extremely careful of all allergies my mom is allergic to soy and dairy, and we are both celiac. They know what it means and if something comes out incorrect will fix it immediately. They do have multiple GF options, and have GF buns for burgers. They offer multiple salads and a pasta dish, along with a desert, and a few other items. They were wonderful!
Great experience! I ordered the chicken street tacos upon recommendation of our server, she is also gluten intolerant.
Contrary to many of the other reviews of this place we had a very good experience here. We had called Dollywood the day before we visited and were put in touch with someone who fielded calls about food amenities. Front Porch was recommended by her. The menu has a few things that are marked as gluten friendly but we asked to speak to someone to clarify what could be tweaked. The kitchen manager came out and was very knowledgeable about all the allergens they have. She pretty much custom made a dinner for us! The fryer is now dedicated GF so we could have fries! They have Udi's buns , vegan cheese or corn tortillas that can be used in place of other ingredients. This being said, we did eat later in the afternoon after the big lunch rush....the park was packed and the restaurant was very short staffed. I can't say for certain if we would have gotten the same detailed attention if we would have gone in earlier.
This used to be our go to restaurant in the park for a gluten-free meal. Their menu has changed and the staff had no clue what gluten-free meant! We were offered a vegan burger with a REGULAR bun from the manager. 🤦♀ We had to explain that a regular bun isn’t safe!! After that we just ended up leaving because we did not feel confident in anyone’s knowledge of Celiac or cross contact. Very disappointed and still in shock with their lack of knowledge and compassion.
Me and my wife went here since Dollywood's sure says it's the recommended location for food allergies and they have special training. It's family style, but my wife (not GF) was ok with the options as long as she could pick one of our 3 sides that wasn't GF. When we ordered, or server warned me that she heard some rice can break down into gluten when cooked but if I've had rice before than I'll probably be ok. Special training Strike one. When it food comes out it initially looked good, but then we started eating. The red beans and rice had raw crunch rice in it. Then I looked in the bottom of the serving bowls and saw green bean juice in it red beans in rice and saw it all down the one side. I could only draw 2 conclusions from this: 1) it was never washed. 2) they initial grabbed the wrong side, dumped it out and then grabbed the right one without replacing the bowl. Both these options are really unprofessional, gross, and a cross contamination nightmare. Instant strikes two and three.I'd of still been mad at some cheap place, but this is someplace that's $30/person and an allergy specialty. Not acceptable. We paid, left and will not be coming back again.
I was a little weary of going here after reading the most recent reviews but I saw their menu outside had gluten free marked on a bunch of items so we decided to try it. I ordered the chicken with potatoes, rice, and green beans. The waitress made sure to write down that I couldn’t have gluten. Then the chef came out and told me that the potatoes are fried in the same fryer as the chicken nuggets and there would be cross contamination, and asked if I wanted to have a different side. I said it was fine as I don’t have celiac. I was very impressed with how they made sure I was taken care of and would recommend this place if you’re in Dollywood.
Oh no!!! They changed the menu and no longer gluten free items. They have gluten friendly but not dedicated. We did not chance it.
Waited over an hour once being seated. Couldn’t manage to cook us a plain chicken breast. But did have gluten free rolls. Couldn’t tell us if seasonings or sauces had gluten. Waitress was lovely and she did give us a discount. But overall a bad experience. I suggest if you are going to Dollywood to PACK YOUR OWN FOOD-at least some safe snacks. We couldn’t find any lunch. And the few eateries were packed.
Did not have a GF menu, but had about 3 items on the scant menu that said they were GF. Waitress could have cared less I was a Celiac, just nodded her head when I announced it and asked if there was a GF menu.
The dish, on the other hand, was not good, and definitely not worth $17. And the 90 minute wait definitely made this restaurant not worth it.
Had the burger on Udi’s bun with fries. Fries weren’t hot but hamburger was okay. At least they had GF options. Not impressed.
Visited here for a late lunch. They have a small menu. Server was knowledgeable about celiac. Two options, salads and hamburgers. Separate fryer for fries. Portion was a nice size. Prices were reasonable, especially for this being in an amusement park. My non-celiac family members were also pleased with their choices; meatloaf stack, fish tacos, and a regular burger and fries. For four meals, including drinks, our bill was $78. We left well fed and rested since this is a sit down restaurant! I recommend eating here if you have celiac. If you don’t have celiac, there are plenty of options in the park! Enjoy!
They offer gluten free buns for burgers, corn tortillas for grilled fish tacos and dedicated fryer for French fries.
I told them I was celiac and that I needed a dedicated kitchen. This is the only one in the park. I got the strawberry spinach salad with grilled chicken. It was A M A Z I NG!!
Not one single food establishment in Dollywood seems to understand gluten. There is zero guidance offered as to which food establishment in the park can accommodate gluten allergies. You are simply told to ask the person in charge of each place. Well, that sounds great, but when there is an hour wait just to sit down at the restaurant, and over a half-hour wait to get food from a concession stand, that isn't really helpful. I would have been more than happy to just grab a snack from a market-type place, but I didn't see any. That doesn't mean they don't exist. It just means that, again, there is little to zero guidance on helping those with food intolerances. Also, just to note, when I say they don't seem to understand gluten, expect to tell them you have an allergy, them not relaying that allergy to anyone because that ingredient isn't in the food you ordered, and to then witness no change of gloves after handling bread with the same gloves for the duration you have been waiting to order. I ended up getting a bag of chips for lunch. Prepare to be very hungry.
They have just changed their menu this year we were told. No gf menu but sever was knowledgeable. Udi’s buns for beef or beyond burger - only safe sandwiches. No dedicated fryer. Baked fish tacos can be made with corn tortillas. Sub salad for fries for burgers. We had a beef burger (served with cheese and bacon jam) and tacos - both were good.
No longer gluten free offerings, as of my visit 4/2/21 no longer gf or safe, no dedicated fryer any more, not catering to celiac needs now.
They do have the Udis gf be no but we did not have a good experience here. They made my daughters gf burger wrong - fries on plate - and they wouldn’t remake it until the waitress showed what we had ordered. My salad was gross - lettuce didn’t look good/particularly frozen, frozen strawberries. I didn’t eat. My gf girls burger was dry. My 2 non celiacs had burgers and felt sick after.
They have changed their menu and no longer have any GF options as of 3/14/2021. No GF buns.
I have celiac and ate had lunch here yesterday with no problem. I had a bacon cheeseburger on a Udis bun with fries. The server knew what she was talking about and they have a separate fryer for the fries
I had the roasted chicken with mashed potatoes and green beans. I was told to leave off the mushroom gravy and it was gluten free. After eating this meal I became very sick and was miserable the rest of the night. I do not recommend this meal to celiacs, although, it was delicious!
The waiter was knowledgeable on what was prepared safe. Dedicated fryer. My very sensitive celiac son did not get sick.
I enjoyed what I ordered which was Chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans. I was very disappointed with the very few choices to choose from.
Great all-around restaurant! Server was Misty and she was knowledgeable about GF needs. Dedicated GF fryer for fries! I had a pulled pork sandwich and no issues with barbeque sauce (I am very sensitive), but the server warned that she wasn't 100% sure and put it on the side so I could choose whether or not I wanted to try it. Also had an excellent creme brulee for dessert! Great atmosphere!
The menu has changed some from last time. My food was good and nice GF bun for the sandwich but others food was nothing special.
The food is pretty good for a theme park and the waiter knew exactly what I needed. Super friendly and knowledgeable and I didn't get sick later. :)
Limited menu but wait staff was knowledge and very helpful. Went with the pulled pork sandwich on a gluten free Udi’s bun.
Fairly decent food, but service was very good. They were helpful with the gluten free options, but i would not recommend the roasted chicken. It was good but i did have a reaction to the spices that were on the chicken. If i ever make it to Dollywood again i will just try the cheese burger on the gluten free bun.
My daughter and I are both gluten-intolerant. We both had sandwiches on Udi’s buns and fries with no issues. The staff was very knowledgeable.
We ate at Dollywood during Labor Day weekend. It’s the one place my husband feels is safe to eat. He got the GF bacon cheeseburger and fries, which he loved. The food was great, but, the wait time was over 30 minutes. We had a party of 6 and several parties of 2 and 4 were seated in front of us. We ended up splitting up and were seating quickly.
Ate here with the family during our day at Dollywood. They have a GF menu with salads and sandwiches like burgers or grilled chicken. Also their fries are only cooked with other fries so no worries about cross contamination. It was nice to feel like normal and eat a cheeseburger and fries like everyone else! Tasted pretty good and decent prices for being in the park. Located at the front of the park. They were open to accommodating various food allergies.
Chose to eat here the day we visited Dollywood. They have a separate gf menu. The waitress was very knowledgeable in menu items. I had the cheeseburger and fries and it was delicious. Even the gf bun was very good.
I'm a celiac and didn't get sick. My wife and I had the gf reubens. The bun was Udis which always tends to be dry. Dedicated fryer.
Staff is knowledgeable. Ask for Chef Robert. Separate prep area and food. Very safe.
They had a completely separate gluten friendly menu but had options that weren’t available for the season, making choices even more limited . They did have udi’s bun but mine was stale. It was standard theme park fare and really disappointing that it was our only option if we wanted an actual meal. There is really a huge lack of options here so I guess this is better than nothing!
