"Does Cheese have egg in it?" Yak and Yeti Review

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

So.....the title should be a clue to our experience at Yak and Yeti on Sunday, Jan 29, 2023. It was me, DH, DD24 and DD21.

We arrived for our dinner reservation a little early and the CM said she would take us to our table in a moment. I asked if they had an allergy menu and she replied that they did indeed. I advised that we would need one. A few moments later, she motioned for our family of four to follow and she took us to our table and dropped the menus on the table. There was no allergy menu.....sigh. ...AND she had rushed away so quickly that I was unable to gesture for her return to supply the missing menu.

After waiting at the table for quite a while, our waiter came by to greet us. We asked for an allergy menu and he said "sure." He returned several minutes later with waters and.......no allergy menu. We ordered our drinks and requested the allergy menu yet again.

At this point, my allergy DD was getting hangry and I told her to start looking at the regular menu to get an idea of what she wanted to order and we would see if it could be modified.

The waiter returned again after several more minutes with the allergy menu (cue the angels singing) but no drinks. OK. Fine. He left. DD decided she wanted the Kobe beef burger and was happy to see that it was listed on the allergy menu but it was served on an Udi's bun which we knew is a no go for her.

The waiter returned and we ordered. My husband ordered a bowl of wonton soup and the Kobe burger. DD24 ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala. I ordered the Bang Bang Calamari and the Pork potstickers.

I advised the waiter that my DD21(who also has special needs thus I usually order for her) was allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, bananas, and melons. I related that she wanted the Kobe beef burger with NO BUN as it is not safe for her. He said no problem. He asked "What type cheese would you like on your burger? Oh, wait, does cheese have egg in it?" She chose cheddar and answered that no, cheese does not contain egg.

Now, I know not everyone has allergies and that some waitstaff is going to be more knowledgeable than others but SERIOUSLY?? Does cheese have egg in it? Come on now. The management staff at this restaurant is obviously not even making an attempt to educate the waitstaff. It's a choice. Seems the waitstaff isn't the only uneducated staff....

Our drinks finally arrived. They were ok. Nothing special.

Eventually the food arrived at the table. I am sure you have already guessed by this point but indeed, my DD's burger arrived at the table on a bun AND with mayo...... We immediately said we cannot accept this burger as she is allergic to the eggs in the bun and would need a new burger. The food runner apologized and took the burger back.

Very quickly a manager arrived at the table to profusely apologize and stated that they take allergies "very seriously" and this should not have happened. I find her statement to be somewhat funny and hollow words because it was obvious that the management does NOT take allergies seriously. Neither the hostess nor the waiter nor the kitchen staff had demonstrated any sort of "seriousness."

A few minutes later, the manager hand delivered the allergy safe kobe burger sans the bun and mayo. She apologized again and announced that my daughter's meal would be comped as well as any appetizers or desserts to compensate for their mistake. This was kind of her and greatly appreciated.

Now, as far as the food itself.....my husband's wonton soup arrived with his burger. The soup he said was just ok. His burger was very tasty and his fries were crisp and just the right amount of salt. My DD's burger and fries were also good. My DD24 said her chicken tikka masala tasted more like butter chicken and was ok but not what she was expecting. My calamari was nothing special and the potstickers were below average. I didn't even finish eating them. The filling had little flavor, the sauce was not balanced, the dough was somewhat stiff though I had ordered them steamed. I have had much better from my local restaurants.

I really had high expectations as many on these boards have raved about Yak and Yeti and it was not an easy ressie to score. The food was mediocre at best and the service was just all around disappointing. We will never go back. Sorry this was so long winded but it really made that big of a negative impression on us all. I knew going into this that it was not a Disney owned restaurant and probably should have just chosen somewhere else to eat. Lesson learned.

 

[erinch]

Thanks for sharing this! My son(now 35, so we made it!) was born with anaphylactic allergies to egg, any trace of milk products, tree nuts, peanuts…. We discovered that the non-Disney owned restaurants were much riskier that Dis owned ones.

 

[TwoMisfits]

You'd be amazed on the overlap in people minds' between milk (dairy) and egg allergies. So many folks struggle to differentiate the two that dumb seeming questions don't bother me. I usually get the "is egg part of a milk allergy" or "is egg dairy" and I'd rather they ask me than get it wrong. I think on my TN Smoky Mountain trip, everyone didn't know (plus, they thought mayo had milk b/c it was white - again, I had no problem with the question b/c I'd rather they ask.

But, I am sorry this went badly. This is why I always tip the wait staff huge if they get a safe meal to me, even if they are putting it down in front of me and then pulling it away with an apology when they see what I see. It means they cared to listen and try to keep me safe and are double checking kitchen screw ups just like I am (I have had wait staff pull it as they almost place it at least twice this year at restaurants around me). I'm sorry your wait staff obviously didn't care, and I'm glad you got the meal comped.

 

[piccolopat]

The question about whether eggs are dairy may come up because they are almost always in the dairy section of the supermarket. Many people have had little education in nutrition.

 

[HopperFan]

Thanks for sharing this! My son(now 35, so we made it!) was born with anaphylactic allergies to egg, any trace of milk products, tree nuts, peanuts…. We discovered that the non-Disney owned restaurants were much riskier that Dis owned ones.

Likely a very important point to make. They do operate under their own management style and if we do have certain issues whether food, ordering options, seating options .... Disney owned is likely the better choice.

While I am okay with those restaurants doing their own thing, I would appreciate if on the MDE and website it is clearly (if it is I haven't noticed) marked that they are not Disney owned restaurants.

 

[Anthony1971]

Cant comment on allergies but I will say I did not know cheeses had egg in it Just never thought about it. Anyway while I have not eaten at a Yak and Yeti in years. When it first opened it was good for a few years. Went there the Food was OK at best But we ordered from the top priced which breaks my rule with chain owned. Went there i believe the next year ordered mid priced chicken etc dishes and it was not good.. So never again for us. y and Y is the same owner of TRex and rainforest so fitting the burgers are decent most on the menu beyond that can be a big let down at all 3.

 

[Matt'sMom]

I am so sorry that you had such a negative dining experience. I know it may have seemed silly to you that a server had to question if there might be egg in the 'cheese', but actually it is a good thing to question the kitchen about if a guest has an allergy to eggs. While actual cheese may not be made with eggs, there are indeed many 'cheese sauces' that include egg yolk as an ingredient. Better for them to ask and be sure, than to assume and be wrong.

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

Thanks for all the replies

I am "used" to getting weird responses to my daughter's allergies in our everyday lives. People REALLY do confuse dairy and egg which is so bizarre considering they literally come from different animals!! We often get wait staff who will tell us about the gluten free options on their menu although gluten is not an allergy for her. We rarely go out for dinner in our regular lives. When we do, we frequent the restaurants where we have experienced knowledgeable staff and chefs who are eager to modify dishes for safety.

Many years ago, we had a horrible experience when staying at CSR back when the Pepper Market was there. We realized that we would never stay there again unless Disney took over the management and operations of the food venues. Since then, we have been very cautious going to any non-Disney owned restaurant on property. Yak and Yeti has now been added to that "never again" category.

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

Likely a very important point to make. They do operate under their own management style and if we do have certain issues whether food, ordering options, seating options .... Disney owned is likely the better choice.

While I am okay with those restaurants doing their own thing, I would appreciate if on the MDE and website it is clearly (if it is I haven't noticed) marked that they are not Disney owned restaurants.

I agree with this! I really think it would be helpful if there was a notation when viewing the menu and again when making the reservation to advise that the venue is not Disney owned or operated. Although many of us DIS vets already know which food venues are non-Disney owned, the average visitor does not have this knowledge. When I have helped friends and family over the years plan their trips, I always ask if anyone in their family has food allergies as that affects my recommendations for both lodging and food.

 

[erinch]

When my DS was little, even a slight trace of whey or sodium caseinate would mean anaphylaxis. We became Disney experts because it was the only safe place to vacation 30 years ago. For severe food allergies, I recommend eating at TS resort restaurants. Usually more chef attention.

 

[Disneyhanna]

I am sorry to hear about your experience! I found that Y&Y food went severely downhill since Covid when they drastically reduced their menu. The last time I went was definitely a disappointment taste-wise.

 

[CoachBeard]

I feel for your daughter, it can be frustrating when the folks serving the food have no clue. I have an intolerance and luckily not an allergy to dairy but if I had a dollar for every time I was asked if Mayo was ok or it was omitted from a dish, I'd be a rich man. There seems to be a severe lack of understanding of basic food groups/ingredients in the states. The number of times people have told me eggs were dairy... ugh! Really??

 

[DisneyHardin]

I did not know cheeses had egg in it

Cheese does not have egg in it.