Riverside Mill Review (The Food Court at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside)

Riverside Mill is the primary quick-service restaurant at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside. Like other moderate resorts, it has a food court-style layout and offers various cuisines. Below, we’ll examine the menu, a few items we’ve tried, and discuss our overall experience at this location.

If you plan a stay at Port Orleans Riverside, you’ll likely have several meals at Riverside Mill Food Court. It is the most convenient dining option for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The restaurant is designed to look like an old-fashioned mill. A large working wheel sits outside the restaurant. In days gone by, these wheels were used to generate power for a cotton press.

Riverside Mill Court is as extraordinary as the resort where it resides. Inside, the large working cotton press spins round and round. You’ll feel as though you’ve traveled back in time.

Inside, a massive dining room offers plenty of places to sit. But if you like, you can dine near the water wheel and enjoy the extra design elements.

Several stations offering various cuisines make up the food court.

For instance, there’s a bakery, a grill, a pizza and pasta station, and a salad and sandwich station.

Riverside Mill Food Court is open daily between 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Below, we’ll preview the available menus. Starting with The Grill, the following items were available for lunch and dinner on this visit:

• Bayou Amber Ale Burger
• Bacon Cheddar Cheeseburger
• Cheddar Cheeseburger
• Grilled Chicken Sandwich

Kids’ meals:

• Cheeseburger
• Chicken Strips
• Macaroni and Cheese

Related: Riverside Mill Menu on Disney

A few other items:

• Impossible Barbecue Burger
• French Dip
• Chicken Strips

Next, the Pizza and Pasta stations had the following:

• Slice of Pepperoni Pizza
• Slice of Cheese Pizza
• Whole Pizza Options

Kids’ Meals:

• Pasta with Chicken
• Macaroni and Cheese

Other items include:

• Shrimp and Grits
• Baked Gnocchi Turkey Bolognese
• Chicken Parmesan Pasta
• Penne Pasta with Meatballs

A few other items:

• Gumbo
• Honey Barbecued Pork Sandwich

Premade sandwiches were sitting toward the front of a case the last time I visited Riverside Mill.

However, on this visit, only a few examples of sandwiches were on display.

Unfortunately, I was told no after inquiring if I could have a freshly prepared sandwich. They were all made first thing in the morning. To some, it’s not a big deal. But I wouldn’t want to eat a sandwich at 2:00 p.m. that was made at 7:00 a.m. Nor would I want to eat a sandwich with toppings I couldn’t have left off.

Here are the sandwich selections:

• Ham and Cheddar Sandwich
• Pimento BLT
• Plant-Based Tuna Sandwich

Other items from The Bakery include:

• Mini Brownies
• Seasonal Plant-Based Cupcake
• Ice Cream Sundae
• Double-Scoop Hand-Dipped Ice Cream
• Ice Cream Sandwich
• Milk Shake
• Single-Scoop Hand-Dipped Ice Cream
• Cappuccino
• Double-Shot Espresso

Here is a look at the ice cream case.

Cinnamon rolls and apple blossoms were sitting under a warmer.

A few other desserts were listed when the menu changed:

• Mickey Simple and Sweet Cheesecake
• Cookies ‘n Cream Sundae Cupcake
• Assorted Cookies

Here are the rest of the items in the bakery case.

These items looked pretty tasty.

For breakfast, the options include:

• Vanilla Pancakes
• Vanilla Pancakes with Berry Compote
• Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Bagel Sandwich
• Egg and Cheese Bagel Sandwich

Kids’ Meals:

• Oatmeal with Dried Cranberries
• Pancakes
• Pancakes with Berry Compote

Other items:

• Ham and Cheese Omelet
• Plant-Based Mickey-shaped Frittata

A few other items:

• Waffle Bounty Platter
• Mickey-shaped Waffles
• Plant-Based Mickey-shaped Waffles

Kids’ Meals:

• Scrambled Eggs
• Mickey Waffles

Overall, Riverside Mill Food Court had a decent variety of items. However, many other items were available on our last visit, which was a little over a year ago.

Unfortunately, none of these items were available during this visit. However, the salmon and jambalaya are still listed online:

• Roasted Salmon Dinner
• Roasted Tuna Dinner
• Pot Roast
• Jambalaya

*The famous create-your-own pasta station hasn’t returned.

Riverside Mill Food Court offers mobile ordering. Customers can also order food at one of the windows and pay for it at the cash register.

In addition to made-to-order type items, a few pantry items are on display. Below are the allergy-friendly Enjoy Life brand options and a few wines.

Here are the price lists.

The refrigerated case has juice, water, bottled soda, beer, wine, fruit cups, and a few premade salads.

Here is a closer look:

There were individual packs of cereal, fruit, and assorted chips near the register.

Here is the price list.

Ice cream treats are available near the register.

While Riverside Mill doesn’t have a ton of grab-and-go items, you can find those things in the resort’s gift shop. During this stay, we stopped in and photographed everything. They have plenty! Resort Refillable Mugs are available for resort guests to purchase. They are good at any resort counter service with a public refill station for the length of your stay. They also come complimentary with the Disney Dining Plan.

Check the current price, beverage selections, and refill locations in our Port Orleans Riverside Refillable Mug Guide.

They are good at Riverside’s food court and the resort’s feature pool. Additionally, if you dine at any other resort counter service or pool bar, you can use them there.

Related: Pools at Port Orleans Riverside

Several microwaves and toasters are usually available.

Unfortunately, the microwave seemed to have disappeared since our last visit. Hopefully, it was only temporary.

Additionally, there’s a sink to wash out your rapid refill mug.

Standard Coca-Cola fountain drinks are available.

Joffrey’s coffee is available in the room or at the food court.

Here are a few of the condiments.

Below is a look at the dining space.

We’ve always enjoyed stopping here for a snack or a meal.

It’s fun to get a window seat.

We tried the shrimp with grits on this visit. This is a huge meal and easily shareable. The menu describes it as shrimp, smoked ham, vegetables, cream sauce, and grits.

This dish was mostly prepared in front of us. First, the cook added butter and garlic to a pan. Then, raw shrimp was added until it was cooked through. After that, he ladled a creamy mixture with the rest of the ingredients.

While that portion came to a simmer, the cook filled a second bowl with grits. He then poured the creamy mixture over them. I was impressed with the amount of shrimp we received. Make no mistake. This is a huge portion. My only complaint was that the garlic flavor overpowered the dish. So I would have asked for a reduction of garlic had I known how it was prepared in advance.

For breakfast, one morning, I enjoyed the kids’ oatmeal with dried cranberries and turkey sausage. It comes with a side of apple slices or a yogurt smoothie. This is my go-to breakfast when we’ve had a lot of heavy meals, and I want something simple. It’s also a reasonably affordable way to start the day as far as breakfast goes. However, if you want something special, you can walk down to Port Orleans French Quarter and pick up an order of beignets. That’s always a treat!

Related: Beignets at Scat Cat’s Club Cafe

Overall, Riverside Mill Food Court has a decent number of options, so you should be able to find enough variety to enjoy a meal or two here during your stay. However, thankfully, Port Orleans French Quarter is only a short walk or boat ride away. We tend to favor some of the menu items at their counter service over Riverside Mill.

Related: Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory

Additionally, Disney Springs is only a boat ride away. Some of our favorite quick stops there include:

• Blaze Pizza at Disney Springs
• D-Luxe Burger at Disney Springs
• Disney’s Springs Best Restaurant List

For more information about this resort, we have a complete guide: Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort. Or you might enjoy these individual articles:

• Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Restaurant Guide
• Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Review
• Transportation Options at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside
• Magnolia Bend (Mansions) Room Tour at Port Orleans Riverside

In the Comments

Hopefully, this review of Riverside Mill Food Court gave you an idea of what to expect on your next visit. If you have any questions or thoughts, feel free to leave them below.