This is the third part of an ongoing series that aims to find the best steak at Disney World. At the end of an I-have-pushed-it-a-little-too-much-and-need-some rest Disney park day, I can easily be persuaded to relax with a steak dinner.
The first post compared Shula’s Steak House to Yachtsman Steakhouse, and the second tasting pitted Shula’s against Le Cellier.
It is time to review Be Our Guest Restaurant and Space 220 Restaurant.
Be Our Guest Restaurant
We have had no desire to eat at Be Our Guest Restaurant in the Magic Kingdom for years. We had eaten here once many years before the current prix-fixe menu. We only saw a little on the menu besides the filet that interested us, and I did not see many allergy-friendly options for me. It seemed like fancy food that we were not into. We never planned to eat here before our trip, but I wanted one last sit-down meal in the park before our vacation ended, so we made a reservation while in the park on our last day for later that night. It was a good decision.
Not only was the food and service good, but I was pampered by the allergy chef (who customized my experience for no wheat, dairy, or strawberries). I was given gluten-free rolls with nondairy butter. For my appetizer, I enjoyed sweet corn bisque with corn madeleine. I chose the grilled filet mignon for my entrée, and fries and haricots verts for sides. There were no desserts for me, and I imagined not getting a dessert or being given a sorbet dish in a flavor I did not care for, but that did not happen.
The meal was customized for me, and the allergy chef (Zach from Indiana) outdid himself. Not only did I enjoy a great meal, but I also had the opportunity to enjoy a nice meal with my husband in a lovely ambiance and feel like we had a special outing. If you have dietary restrictions, this is not easy to find, and it is incredible when you encounter it.
They started well with me with the bread and butter service I could enjoy. The bisque was a pleasant surprise; I thought I would take a bite and be finished. It was good, but the corn madeleines added a sweet occasional boost that kept the soup interesting from start to finish. If you fear that a bowl of corn bisque will get boring after a few bites, fear not.
The steak was excellent. As soon as I took the first bite, I was happy. However, I could not have the sauce au poivre, and I was distraught about it. I asked the allergy chef to make me a sauce. He made me a very flavorful French onion-based sauce. The beans had a buttery flavor, and the fries tasted good. What a meal!
The chef said he had to think about my dessert during our consultation, and when it was time for dessert, I was a little concerned about what I would be given. The chef made me a custom dessert with lemon curd and mango filling topped with berries, crushed almonds, and mini cookies.
My husband was given the typical bread service (a baguette in a paper sleeve). He ordered the corn bisque, steak with sauce au poivre, haricots verts, and mashed potatoes. Although the sauce was light in flavor, and he would have enjoyed it more if it were more potent, it tasted fine. He ordered a trio of desserts, including a chocolate tart, dark chocolate truffle, and lemon jam macaron. The tart was ok, but his least favorite. He liked the truffle, which surprised him because it is something he would never usually enjoy because most desserts are too decadent for him. The truffle was too rich for him, but he admitted it was delicious and flavorful. The macaron was his favorite; it was tasty without being too sweet or rich.
Due to our anniversary, they brought a plate of The Grey Stuff. I could not eat it, but my husband said the filling was good; the tart crust was just okay and a little too dry.
My only complaint about the experience was that the server needed to be more willing to bring out the chef for a consultation. I felt like I had to push a little, but a chef came to me after it was clear that I needed to talk to one about a custom sauce.
I left with one of those rare feelings of being full, not just from food but from being doted on good service and an enjoyable atmosphere. This experience was a fortunate surprise for us.
When we visited again about a month later, we decided to dine here again. The second time was a lot less magical. This time, the allergy chef (a different one) seemed to want to do only what he needed for me. I asked for a steak sauce, and he provided a salsa-like condiment already prepared for the pork dish. It tasted good, but it was not a steak sauce. My steak was very undercooked as well. I was supposed to be given a raspberry macaron with raspberry and lemon sorbet for dessert. He forgot my lemon sorbet. My husband felt his steak meal was less impressive than the previous visit.
The Beast did make occasional, brief appearances. He did not walk to each table and pose for pictures like the characters do for character dining experiences. On the first visit, I saw him only walk on a clear path through the Grand Ballroom, where we were seated. On our second visit, we were sitting in the Rose Gallery; he quickly walked past tables. Due to the circular seating in this room, Beast walked closely to the tables, whereas he kept on a designated aisle in the Grand Ballroom. Therefore, if you are sitting in the ballroom, you may have little view of him when he walks through.
The Beast interaction is one area that could be improved. Many years ago, guests were allowed to do a character greet with him in the lobby area and take pictures with him. Disney needs to bring this opportunity back. The three themed rooms are the West Wing, with a picture that might change during the stormy lightning and thunder and a display of the enchanted rose; the Grand Ballroom, themed after the animation’s ballroom; and the Rose Gallery, displaying artwork from the animation, as well as a figurine of Belle and Beast dancing. You can request a specific dining room upon check-in, although it may add time to your wait, and there is no guarantee that you will be seated in that room.
If you like a more upscale prix-fixe menu and French-inspired food, this restaurant may be for you, or you would enjoy dining in a Beauty and the Beast-themed atmosphere. This restaurant may not be for you if you want a full menu of entrée selections from which to choose, are looking for a less expensive dining experience, or are dining with children who may not benefit from the combination of food options with the higher price than some other restaurants. Review the menu and prices before making a reservation.
Space 220
Imagine we are familiar enough with one another that you allow me to stand close to you and whisper something in your ear. I look at you with a look that indicates I want you to look deeply into my eyes and take me seriously. As I put my lips close to your ear, I whisper, “Don’t.”
This is my advice on eating at Space 220 in Epcot.
We had eaten there previously and thought the view would be unique and the food would be terrible. It turned out that the view was just ok, but the food was delicious. Criss-cross. Honestly, it took Disney so long to get this restaurant open due to the particular glass for the windows, and it is a few people in space floating around (and the characters repeated after a while). I was underwhelmed and wondered why we all waited for this level of technology, but we liked the food, so we decided to keep it on the list of restaurants to try again. On this first visit, my husband had the Centauri Caesar Salad, Space Pad Thai, and chocolate raspberry cake for dessert. He liked the dessert; he usually only cares for a few desserts.
When we dined here the last time (and it was for the last time), we had a very different experience. The menu had recently changed, and it had changed after we had made our dining reservations, so we were unaware that we would be given options that we had not made reservations for in advance. Most of the food we had liked previously was not available. The menu was prix-fixe and not a cheap dinner. With my dietary restrictions, I saw little of anything I wanted or could eat. The appetizer choices were an absolute no for me. For example, one of the choices was beet salad. No.
I asked if I could order from the lounge, which had a separate menu and food I could eat. The server responded, “They aren’t going to allow you to do that.” I expressed concern that we would be paying the set prix-fixe price and that I would not be getting our money’s worth. The server did not express concern nor bring a manager to our table to see what could be arranged to make us feel better about the situation.
I have never wanted to leave a restaurant so severely, and I should have left. However, I stayed because I wanted my husband to enjoy the meal he looked forward to all day. I did not want to risk being charged a no-show fee for not ordering food after making a reservation, and I also attempted not to be confrontational.
The last time we ate here, I had duck confit as my appetizer. This time, the only thing we could work out was fries. That is correct; we paid the total menu price for potato wedges substituted for one of the appetizers. They came out undercooked. The waitress checked on us, and I informed her that they were not fully cooked, and I scooted them to the side. She asked if I wanted them prepared again, but I said I was “just done.” After thinking about it for a second, I did ask if they could “try it again.” The second dish was cooked; there was nothing special about it, and they were not especially remarkable. I opened my miniature bottle of barbecue sauce from our park bag and used some with the fries, but it did not save the dish.
For dinner, I ordered the filet. It was terrible. I ordered it well done, which we can prepare easily at home with appropriate results. I am curious how it happened, but I was given a steak that was overcooked on the outside and undercooked in the middle. I was given what I believe was a red wine reduction with the steak. Friends, it did not help the steak taste any better. I poured my barbeque sauce on my plate to choke out the taste of the steak. Nothing helped. My sides were small, whole potatoes and a few carrots. I am curious how the potatoes were prepared; they tasted like boiled potatoes with some salt sprinkled on the outside.
My husband had the Centauri Caesar Salad for his appetizer. He ordered the Space Pad Thai because he had enjoyed it so much the last time. He did not enjoy it this time. He asked for the dish without the mushrooms, and the server stated it was part of a mix, which is concerning because the food is not freshly prepared at an expensive prix-fixe menu restaurant. My husband noted that the food quality was much lower on this visit.
I am not trying to be rude, but the entire meal left the impression that Space 220 was attempting to be an upscale restaurant but did not have kitchen staff who were skilled enough to pull it off. There is no way to give my honest opinion without sounding harsh, but that is the experience we had on this occasion. The food could have been significantly better and was far from the quality that the restaurant's level (and cost) should have allowed. I would not recommend paying the high price for the mediocre (at best) food just for the view. The view must be more impressive to make this expensive restaurant worth the cost. There is much work to do here to make this acceptable for guests. Perhaps we caught them on a bad day; however, we were charged we-gave-you-good-day-service-and-food prices. On the remainder of our trip, we noted several times that we ate excellent meals at other restaurants that were much cheaper, even with tipping included.
One of the things I consider when I review restaurants is the consistency of food quality and service. This restaurant's food quality sharply degraded quickly (approximately 4-5 months).
This restaurant may be for you if you have to say you experienced the view or like restaurants that attempt to prepare fancy food. This restaurant may not be for you if you have high expectations of a fantastic space view, do not want a prix-fixe menu with set offerings at a set price, do not enjoy food that is more on the fancy side, or have food allergies.
If you have food allergies or dietary restrictions, this restaurant seemed unable or unwilling to accommodate me. This was frustrating because we noted my dietary restrictions when we made the dining reservation and confirmed this upon check-in. If you have restrictions, you should know that you might be very limited in your selections and that chefs at this restaurant seem unable or unwilling to customize food.
Overall Impressions
The restaurant we thought would have terrific food was dreadful, and the restaurant we thought would have food that was not for us was outstanding. Criss-cross. Be Our Guest Restaurant is one of Disney’s restaurants, while Space 220 is not. This means there may be differences in how they can accommodate guests with food allergies; however, I want to note the difference in attitude and approach to working with me as a Special Dietary Requests guest between the restaurants.
Both restaurants are pricier, and the dining experience takes some time. If you want to eat quickly or for cheaper, consider quick service or other dining options. Consider whether you wish to book one of these restaurants earlier in the evening to take a break and then enjoy the park for a while before it closes or if you would instead book it at the end of your evening as an excellent way to end your park day.
Summary of All Reviews So Far for the Best Steak at Disney World
Although Shula’s Steak House had some inconsistencies between visits regarding service and food quality, it provided a traditional steakhouse experience that many will appreciate.
Yachtsman Steakhouse had better food and more options for those dining with children than Shula’s. It had more of a feel of a restaurant offering a variety of entrees, including steak. Please read the review of Shula’s and Yachtsman here.
Le Cellier Steakhouse consistently offers excellent food quality and service. They are outstanding in their ability and willingness to accommodate guests with special dietary requests. You can read about my experience and review here.
Be Our Guest Restaurant has a good atmosphere and service. It can also accommodate special dietary requests.
Space 220 is the only restaurant I have reviewed for a steak meal I would not recommend. The steak was not especially good in flavor, texture, or accompanying sauce. The atmosphere could have been better, and the staff members were unable or unwilling to accommodate guests with special dietary requests in a manner that was on par with Disney dining.
If you want a steak at Disney, I recommend any of these restaurants except Space 220. You should have an appropriate meal at any of the other restaurants.
Eating at Be Our Guest Restaurant on the last day of our trip on our first visit was the perfect way to end our park day and vacation. Wherever you dine on vacation, I wish you great food, good service, and some magical moments.
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