This is your official HUNGER alert! If you are hungry, love all things cheeeeeeeeesy, and are ready for things to get…MEATY, then do we have the post for you. But if you soon find yourself ordering a steak for dinner, don’t say we didn’t warn ya!

Today we’re taking you through a full review of a longstanding Disney World restaurant that often gets entirely forgotten. Yachtsman Steakhouse at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort has been in business for 31 years. But does this classic hold up? Is it forgotten for a reason? Or should it be added to your absolutely-must-try restaurant list? There’s only one way to find out.

Atmosphere

Let’s start by taking a look at the atmosphere of this restaurant. Yachtsman Steakhouse has a classic nautical flair, fitting for its name and the resort.

When you’re seated, you might have a view of the open kitchen line… 

…and butcher window. Yeah, if you’re not a fan of watching your meat be cut you might want to avert your eyes.

There are several dining rooms with an upscale vibe. You’ll spot lots of wood incorporated into the design of the space, with those nautical details.

As for the seating, the restaurant has a selection of standard tables and chairs, as well as some booths.

At our table, we had paper and reusable menus and it was set up with cloth napkins and utensils. We ain’t in Casey’s Corner anymore folks.

But enough about the atmosphere, let’s get eatin’!

Menu

Yachtsman is a classic steakhouse and that’s pretty apparent when you take a look at the menu. There are a number of First Course options like salads and soups.

Of course, the star of the show is steak! You’ve got options with the Butcher’s Cuts or you can snag one of the Chef’s Signature Offerings. Add a little extra to your cut with a Butcher’s Cuts Enhancement.

But steak isn’t your only option! You can also select from Land and Sea Entrees like the Dry-Aged Duroc Pork Chop or the Seafood Cioppino. Or you can get the plant-based Sweet Potato and Seasonal Mushroom Dumplings option. Steakhouse Sides like Creamed Spinach and Truffle Macaroni & Cheese are available too.

Wrap up your meal in a classic way with Desserts like Yachtsman’s Chocolate Cake or Strawberry Shortcake.

Kiddos have options here too including a Kids’ Specialty Drink, Kids’ Appetizers, and Kids’ Create-Your-Own Entrees with Kids’ Create-Your-Own Selections.

For alcoholic beverages, this spot has Draft Beer, Wines…

…Dessert Wines, Port & Fortified Wines, Single Malt Scotches…

…Cognacs, Coffee Drinks, and After-Dinner Flights!

Alright, time to get to our meal.

Drinks

For our beverage, we chose the Crew’s Cup Signature Old Fashioned for $17. It’s made with Disney Select Knob Creek Bourbon, Simple Syrup, and Bitters.

This was a VERY strong Old Fashioned. You absolutely must love bourbon to drink it! If you do like a high-quality bourbon, it’s very good and the simple recipe matches the vibe of the restaurant — classic.

If you’re scanning the Yachtsman menu for this drink and coming up empty, you’re not missing something. Our server actually made the recommendation of this drink off of the Crew’s Cup Lounge menu since the Yachtsman drinks tend to be very sweet.

So if you scan the Yachtsman menu for a drink and can’t find one that really meets your taste, be sure to ask your server if they can pull some from the Crew’s Cup Lounge menu, and just like that you’ll feel like a Disney insider.

Eats

First off, our meal started with a bread service of an Onion Roll and Cherry Sourdough Multigrain Roll with Salted Butter and Roasted Garlic.

Any meal that starts off with a bread service with different types of breads and some butter (AND ROASTED GARLIC, like TRUE roasted garlic!!) already gets points in our book!

The bread service was VERY good (can you tell we are a fan of carbs?). It was a fun and flavorful way to start the meal. Just remember not to fill up too much ahead of the rest of your dishes.

For our appetizer, we picked the French Onion Soup made with a Sourdough Crouton, Gruyère Cheese, and Onion Broth. This first course is $14.

HOLY MOLY. This soup was FANTASTIC. No lie, this was our favorite thing we ate for the whole meal. Yes, our favorite item at a steak-forward restaurant was a soup. But folks, it’s seriously THAT good. It was sooooo cheesy — just LOOK AT THAT CHEESE PULL. The broth was really nice and savory, and there were really big chunks of onion. Perfection in a bowl does exist.

Is this the best French onion soup in Disney World? We very well think it could be! Fast facts coming at you! You’re welcome cheese lovers.

French onion soups can sometimes be overly salty, but Yachtsman’s was really well seasoned. If you love cheese and french onion soup, this is a MUST.

For our main dish, we selected the 8-oz Filet Mignon with Cognac-Truffle Butter for $54. This dish is served with your choice of Accompaniment.

We couldn’t pick just one so we went with the Potato-Leek Gratin and snagged an extra side of House-made Truffle Fries for $9.50!

Our steak was an EXCELLENT cut of meat with a nice buttery flavor. We ordered it medium rare but it came a little more on the rare side. Ah steak, thou looks so perfectly cooked on thine outside…why dost thou deceive us with thine interior temperature?!

Still, the cognac truffle butter had a delightfully subtle truffle flavor and the char on the meat was excellent!

Truly, Yachtsman Steakhouse is your typical, no big frills, no nonsense steakhouse. If you love that, then this will be a hit for you. If, on the other hand, you’re more of an adventurous eater — looking for some unique dish that’ll shock and amaze your Instagram subscribers or thoroughly confuse and surprise your taste buds, then this might not be the pick for you.

As for our sides, the Potato-Leek Gratin was AMAZING (you notice we’re using that word and its synonyms quite a lot in this review? Yeah, us too). It was wonderfully cheesy and had perfectly cooked thinly sliced potatoes. We would definitely get this again and it was a solid serving size. (But if you’re looking for what we consider to be an even BETTER dish of a similar style — the au gratin potatoes at Steakhouse 71 might be our pick.)

The Truffle Fries were super tasty as well! We loved the truffle aioli and totally wished there was even more of it. Note to self: order extra sides of the truffle aioli. The fries were a great texture as well with some crunch from the potato skins left on in pieces, but we’d probably pick the Potato Gratin over these.

To wrap up our meal, we went with the 50th Anniversary dessert at this spot, Celebrating Layers of Magic for $13.

This dessert is made with a Rich Chocolate Cake with layers of Caramel and Espresso Mousse between Chocolate Chiffon with a Salted Caramel Crunch, Chocolate Ganache, Cassis Cake and Cream, Cocoa Nib Tuile, and a Coconut-Cassis Sauce. Well, that’s a mouthful!

But the long ingredient list was worth the wait — this was a good and pretty dessert! It had nice thin layers of the various cakes and elements, mixed with the raspberry. The main taste here was definitely the chocolate. It was such a strong chocolate flavor that we felt like it actually overpowered all of the intricate flavors that were offered by the other ingredients.

Still, it was a solid option for chocolate lovers and was a great way to finish the meal with a pretty and tasty dessert!

So, how does Yachtsman Steakhouse hold up overall, and should YOU make a reservation?

Nosh or Not

You SHOULD chow down at Yachtsman Steakhouse if…

• You’re looking for a classic steakhouse experience. Yachtsman is just that! You’ll dine on quality steak in an upscale environment and you’ll spot lots of classic steakhouse options.
• You’re a meat lover (a.k.a. Ron Swanson’s diet is one you seek to achieve in your personal life)! Yachtsman is known for quality steaks, so this is a good spot for anyone who’s looking for a great cut.
• You’re looking for a romantic date night. Yachtsman is a romantic spot that feels upscale without being too stuffy. It could be a great spot for the grown-ups and it’s only a hop, skip, and jump away from Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT.

You should SKIP Yachtsman Steakhouse if…

• You’re on a budget. Yachtsman is a pricey meal so it’s probably a spot to skip if you’re looking to save.
• You don’t love steak. Yachtsman Steakhouse does have some non-steak options but let’s be real, steak is the name of the game here. There are certainly better restaurant options out there for the whole group to enjoy if you/the majority of your group are not red meat eaters.
• You’re looking to try something adventurous or unique. Yachtsman is a very good, classic spot. The menu is pretty standard and that’s awesome if that’s what you’re looking for — but if you’re looking for something incredibly unique, this really isn’t the spot for that.

Overall

Overall, we had a good experience at Yachtsman Steakhouse. Our server was very good and her experience with Signature Dining truly showed. She was incredibly attentive, making for a really nice experience.

Yachtsman Steakhouse is a nice spot but it’s not particularly special. In many ways, it feels like a steakhouse you could visit anywhere! For some, that familiar experience might be exactly what you’re looking for (the comfort of knowing exactly what to expect, in a sense), but others might want something more “special” for the Disney money.

Don’t get us wrong. We’re not saying the food here isn’t good. That’s not it at all. The food here is actually VERY good. Our steak was delicious (though a little more rare than we would have liked), the French onion soup is one of the BEST we’ve had in Disney World, and we had some awesome sides and other items.

But we don’t necessarily feel like the high cost is as worth it here compared to some other Disney World spots (at least for us). When we’re spending the big Disney bucks, we (personally) would prefer a night at a place like Le Cellier in EPCOT or Jiko in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. Those spots feel more unique and special, adding extra value to the experiences you get there (AND they serve up tasty steaks too).

Still, Yachtsman certainly has merit when it comes to being a comfortable spot with quality eats. If you’re looking for a special meal head elsewhere, but if all you want is a seat at a classic steakhouse, snag that Yachtsman Steakhouse res!

Want to see a review of more food from Yachtsman Steakhouse? Click here!

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What do you think of Yachtsman Steakhouse? Tell us in the comments! 

The post REVIEW: Is The CHEESIEST Soup in Disney World Hiding at This Forgotten Restaurant? first appeared on the disney food blog.