Disney Springs has some of the best restaurants in all of Walt Disney World!

Don’t believe us? There are fast-casual places like D-Luxe Burger or Chicken Guy! as well as excellent table service spots like Morimoto Asia and Wine Bar George. One of the most well-known restaurants in the Springs is The BOATHOUSE. We’ve had some fun brunches there and even had a cocktail that came with a rubber duckie! We haven’t been over for a visit in a while, so we thought we’d stop by for a meal to see how things are going — come along with us!

Atmosphere

The BOATHOUSE is a waterside dining location in The Landing at Disney Springs. It’s known for American-style cuisine like steak and, of course, seafood! If you have a hankerin’ for some fresh fish or shellfish, this is easily one of our top picks in Disney World!

Inside, there are multiple different dining rooms. The nautical theme is STRONG in here!

The other rooms have large leather booths and fun fish sculptures on display.

Possibly the GOAT of seating options though? Yeah, you can sit inside of your own boat! Some of the booths kind of resemble boats, but one near the entrance actually IS.

There is also an oyster bar inside where you can enjoy your meal.

And there’s a regular bar that has the same bright blue barstools!

The theming is nautical, which you have to expect with a name like “The BOATHOUSE.”

And, if you want to be closer to the water, you can sit outside, too!

Overall, there’s definitely a lot of seating here!

And we love the views of the Disney Springs waterside and nearby Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa. Including the MEGA cool and unique Amphicars here!

These are really rare cars that work on land AND sea. Neat, huh? You’ll occasionally see folks cruising around the water on these. The launch for them is just to the left of the entrance to The BOATHOUSE and 3-4 guests can take a $125 20 minute car/boat ride! If you dine at The BOATHOUSE or shop in the Boatique (AKA, their gift shop) and spend at least 50 bucks, you’ll get 25 bucks off! But enough about the sah-weet Amphicars, let’s EAT!

Eats

We were given paper menus, but there was also the option to scan a QR code to look at the menu on our phones.

On one side of the menu were the wine, beer, and cocktail lists!

They also have a separate menu just for whiskey and bourbon.

On the back is the dessert menu along with some dessert drinks!

We’re ready to try some things out! We started with a drink — we got the Blueberry Lemonade, which has Stoli Blueberry, Western Son Lemon Vodka, Homemade Lemonade, and Fresh Blueberries for $15.

As you can see, the drink is absolutely stunning! Just look at those bright colors!

The homemade lemonade was the strongest flavor, and it was delicious!

The fresh blueberries were also a nice touch, it made the drink feel super refreshing. The vodka taste wasn’t too strong, either, making this a perfect patio drink for Summer. Or Fall. Or just a Tuesday. Really, anytime.

And if you’re an “ice” person, this is the GOOD kind of crushed ice, we loved it. Since The BOATHOUSE prominently features a Raw Bar, they have plenty of that wonderful chipped ice on hand. Can we get a slow clap for chipped ice over cubes for a second? (Yeah, it is a LOT of ice compared to drink though in this case, but we still appreciated it!)

Then, we were brought one of the best things in the world to kick off the meal — FREE BREAD! The BOATHOUSE gave us warm Parker House Rolls with butter.

Our server also very kindly brought us the cinnamon butter that is usually served for brunch here too, how nice!

These are soooooo yummy! Warm fluffy rolls with sweet cinnamon butter should be how we start every meal, honestly. The regular butter is a whipped delight but that cinnamon butter should have sonnets written about it. It’s so so good.

For our appetizer, we got the Firecracker Shrimp! It includes Sriracha Mayo, Serrano Chilies, and Sweet Peppers for $16. They’re served on a bed of tortilla strips with a fresh lime wedge to squeeze over everything.

And OH MY GOODNESS, these are FABULOUS!! Many places offer their version of this dish and we typically love it whenever we get to try it. We’ve had this version before and it was fantastic, so we’re happy to dig in again! The shrimp have a light coating of the sauce and the perfect amount of heat.

There is a lot of flavor from the chilies and the crunch of the tortillas was great.

The portion was also a really good size, this is a very shareable appetizer (or honestly, we would get this as our meal next time).

If you like shrimp and spicy food, this is right up your alley. If you don’t like heat though, definitely order something else, because these little beauties pack quite a kick!

For our entree, we got the Gulf of Mexico Red Grouper for $35. It comes with Baby Kale, New Potatoes, Red Onions, Cremini Mushrooms, Roasted Red Peppers, and Orange Chili Butter.

This dish came highly recommended to us and it definitely lived up to our expectations! First of all, it’s a VERY pretty presentation, isn’t it?

The fish was so tender it fell apart with the lightest touch of our fork — it was super flaky in the best way. The taste of the fish was nice and mild, not overwhelmingly “fishy.”

The orange chili butter was UNREAL! It was sweet with a slight kick and so good we were dipping our bread into it.

The veggies were cooked well and the buttery potatoes and mushrooms went nicely with the fish!

Seafood fans will loveeee this one. And it may even win over the seafood skeptic — yep, it was that good! If you normally go, “BLECH! Fish is GROSS!”…try this. Just try it. It’s one of the most enjoyable fish dishes we’ve had in a long time and that sauce was on another level. 

Moving on to dessert, we got the Old Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake — a classic Summer treat! It comes with a Fresh Baked Biscuit and Vanilla Bean Soft Whipped Cream for $10. Sorry guys, we ate this a while ago and just now are getting around to share it with you — this isn’t currently on the menu. BUT they are offering a more Fall-flavored Apple Pecan Cheesecake right now.

The biscuit brings a slight saltiness that helps keep the dessert from being overly sweet! It was perfectly buttery and flaky and absolutely delicious.

The whipped cream was light and airy, which was lovely. Everything paired with the fresh strawberries to make this one of the best desserts we’ve tried at a sit down restaurant in Disney World! Sometimes, simple just WORKS. This shines because it’s so straightforward and simple.

Classic desserts executed well are simply fabulous.

Oh! And we mentioned this already, but if you’re interested in those Amphicars out front, check your receipt! On the bottom of your receipt is a coupon for a $25 discount on an Amphicar ride!! (Remember, you gotta spend at least $50 bucks here though to get the discount.)

Amphicars are a seriously cool and seriously unique experience.

Just show your receipt to get the perk!

Nosh or Not

Row on over to BOATHOUSE if:

• You’re a big seafood lover (or bourbon lover, or steak lover) and you want some of the best in Disney World.
• You’re looking for classic, elevated food that’s well-executed.
• You want to eat a meal overlooking the water for a beautiful view.

Jump ship if:

• You’re on a budget, this place is a bit pricey!
• You don’t like seafood or steak. There are a few other things on the menu here, but those two are the main event.
• You want a casual, quick meal while visiting Disney Springs.

Overall

Overall, this is a great spot for a date night, a special occasion, or if you just want some really good food! The outside also offers a more casual vibe if you want to hang out on the dock for some oysters and drinks. Boathouse consistently delivers on good food, unique drinks, and great service; this has quickly become one of our favorite spots in Disney! And while the prices are still high — we can’t pretend they don’t sting a little — what you get for the price is very much apparent in the quality.

Our service was fabulous, they gave us great suggestions and were very helpful (and we’ll never forget them bringing us that extra cinnamon butter ). Check out The BOATHOUSE the next time you’re at Disney Springs for a great meal. We suggest making a reservation first though, just to be safe! This spot is quite popular! And stay tuned to DFB for more Disney restaurant and food reviews!

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Have you ever been to The BOATHOUSE? What’s your favorite thing on the menu? Tell us all about it in the comments!

The post REVIEW: Put On Your Captain’s Hat and Crank Up the Yacht Rock! We’re Heading to The Boathouse in Disney Springs! first appeared on the disney food blog.