It’s been a year since Jellyrolls temporarily shut its doors at Walt Disney World due to the global health crisis, and you know what we’ve been missing?? The dueling pianos and jovial vibe that comes with it!

So, when we heard that The Boathouse at Disney Springs would be hosting The Captain’s Sing-Along Brunch not just with dueling pianos but also with FREE mimosas (more on that in a bit!) and a brand-new menu, we knew we HAD to check it out!

Brunch is currently offered on weekends from 1oAM-3PM, with the dueling pianos playing from 11AM-2PM. We hurried down to check out the new experience!

Atmosphere

The first thing you’ll notice, before you even step inside the space, is that it’s right on the water in Disney Springs!

If you get a spot outside, you can even watch the Amphicars dive into the water!

Inside, the very first thing you’ll notice is the sheer size of this restaurant! It’s HUGE!

This massive space has a (not surprisingly) nautical theme, with standard tables and chairs, booths, and bar seating. When it comes to indoor dining, most rooms have a water view or windows to see the water.

There’s also ample amounts of outdoor seating! (In fact, this is some of the BEST outdoor dining in Disney World!)

The restaurant’s nautical theme comes into play with arguably one of the coolest tables in all of Disney World — a table inside of a real boat. If you can, request to sit here for some extra fun!

All of that atmosphere is clear from the second you check in at the host stand, greeted by Cast Members in nautical uniforms!

And, of course, for the brunch you can’t help but notice the piano room! If you’re here for the live entertainment brunch like we were, request to sit near the talent!

This is a unique entertainment option for brunch from 11AM-2PM! Not every room has the dueling piano music, but if your room does not, you will have music playing in your dining area that is lighter and goes along with the boathouse theme.

What’s it like when you sit at your table? Crisp white linens, white and blue cloth napkins, and a paper menu.

So, this restaurant is huge and airy and FUN at brunch — but what about the food?!

Eats

The Boathouse is best known for its fresh seafood, especially its raw bar, but it also has stuff for the landlubbers, like burgers, steak, and pasta. But, what’s on the menu for brunch?! There are some classic offerings like avocado toast, steak and eggs, and a Belgian waffle. The Boathouse’s seafood side is repped with a smoked salmon bagel, shrimp and grits, and Jumbo Lump Crabcakes Benedict.

But, of course, we kicked things off with some bubbly, the Pearmosa! This $6 cocktail is made with Kopperberg Pear Cider and a White Peach Puree!

This drink was sweet and bubbly. It’s a refreshing accompaniment for fruit lovers about to eat a hearty brunch. And for $6, that price is hard to beat! The only thing better? A $0 drink! If you wear your Captain’s hat or a Boathouse shirt to Brunch you will receive a free mimosa! Don your best nautical gear and score a free sip at brunch? Umm…that’s pretty sweet.

Brunch also kicks off with one of The Boathouse’s signature menu items, yeast rolls, with a TWIST. A cinnamon icing twist!

These yeast rolls are delicious to begin with, and the cinnamon icing on top was a total upgrade. They were warm and gooey like grown-up cinnamon rolls! Icing really does make most things better! Plus, they still give you whipped butter alongside them, if you want to go really crazy and butter up your icing covered rolls.

It’s a NEW brunch menu, so we went ALL out. We got the Steak & Eggs, Fried Chicken Biscuit & Gravy, and Shrimp & Grits!

Let’s start with a classic, the Steak & Eggs, which features a broiled Petit NY Strip Steak, Home Fries, Two Eggs Any Style. We opted for medium-rare steak and scrambled eggs. This dish costs $21.

When they said petit steak they weren’t kidding. It’s a small, but good quality, portion. The steak was a perfect medium-rare, with a nice red center! The garlic butter on top was delightful and herby without being too overpowering!

The eggs were nice, warm, and fluffy with being not overly seasoned, they played well off the steak and the home fries, which had very crunchy edges and a soft, pillowy center. This wasn’t anything mind-blowing in terms of originality but it was a breakfast classic done very well. Great steak, fluffy, well-cooked eggs, and crispy potatoes.

Next up, we tried another dynamic duo of brunch: Shrimp and Grits, which cost $19. This dish came with Spicy Cheddar Beer Cheese Grits, Shrimp, Andouille Sausage, and Two Eggs Any Style, which we also opted for scrambled. 

If you raised an eyebrow to a bowl of shrimp and grits with scrambled eggs spooned on top of them…we did too. We kinda imagined we’d get a side plate with our eggs since that’s not a common part of most shrimp and grits (sure, some folks toss a fried egg on top, and you could too here, but it’s not “the norm”). Looks were deceiving here — this dish seemed small, but was actually quite filling. There was a TON of shrimp, and a good amount of sausage, plus those grits were massively filling.

The idea of spicy BEER cheese grits had our spidey-senses tingling. The grits were nice and cheesy, but we sort of missed any beer and spicy notes! The grits also didn’t stay warm for too long, but that is the name of the grits game — they start to get cool and thicken up. If you’re a big fan of eggs (remember, you could order them any way you like, not just scrambled), the scrambled eggs on top were actually really nice once you mixed it all together.

Finally, we finished our meal with a three-in-one dish: the Fried Chicken Biscuit and Gravy! This $15 entree comes with a Buttermilk biscuit, Creole onion Gravy, Panko Chicken Tenders,  and Two Eggs Any Style, which we got fried over medium.

Winner, winner, chicken brunch, this dish was our FAV! The chicken itself was served open-faced on a buttermilk biscuit and was honestly almost enough for two servings! It had an awesome crunch courtesy of the panko breadcrumbs.

That crunchy chicken and buttermilk biscuit were absolutely SMOTHERED in gravy, which had a little kick to it without being overwhelmingly spicy

And the over-medium egg was a true delight once the yolk broke, creating a perfect bite! For $15, this dish is hard to beat, and we’d come back to The Boathouse for brunch just to experience it again!

Nosh or Not

Float down to The Boathouse for brunch if…

• If you’re looking to brunch with a gorgeous waterside view!
• Live music and dueling pianos are your jam, and you want to have a party while you dine.
• You like brunch classics done quite well with a little twist.

Head elsewhere in Disney Springs if…

• You want to avoid the crowds at Disney Springs — this place can get busy, which is not everyone’s scene these days. Brunch is only offered on the weekends in the earlier hours, so it may not be TOO crowded, but something to keep in mind. If you want to dine here, make sure to get a reservation (we used OpenTable!) ahead of time.
• You want something quick and easy.
• You’re looking to maximize your time at Disney World. Navigating to Disney Springs and breaking for a good chunk of time late in the morning could take away valuable park time.

Overall

We were incredibly pleased with our brunch experience at The Boathouse and thought everyone could easily find something here to enjoy for brunch. Beyond staples (done well!), The Boathouse also offers some of its classic lunchtime options, like burgers, steaks, freshly caught fish, and the raw bar. We enjoyed all of our entrees and even spotted the Belgian Waffle at a table near us that we TOTALLY had our eye on, but we’re already thinking about coming back for that Chicken Biscuit with Gravy (or maybe we can get a bucket of that gravy to go so we can pour it on everything at home!).

The music in the piano room was lively and vibrant and reminded us a bit of Disney World before it shut down last year. It’s a jovial vibe and a fun way to start your day, especially with a couple of cocktails. And the cocktails! Not only did we enjoy our sweet and bubbly drink, but we also thought that the drinks were very reasonably priced, especially for Disney World. There are three options under $10, and the stacked Boathouse Bloody Mary, which comes with a Jumbo Shrimp, blue cheese, and pepperoncini, is $16, which is really not too shabby. The entrees were reasonably priced too.

Heading down to Disney Springs on a weekend morning isn’t for everyone. BUT, if you’re eyeing brunch in Disney World, this is a solid option that is approachable for just about everyone. A group of friends could have a good time here, and that’s what brunch should be — a good time! Now to plan ahead and wear a captain’s hat next time…;).

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The post REVIEW: Can All Disney World Brunches Give You Free Stuff For Dressing Up? first appeared on the disney food blog.