You are going to Disney World and want to make a reservation for a steak dinner near the scenic lake and walkways near Epcot and Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel. Which restaurant is right for you? I tried both Shula’s Steak House and Yachtsman Steakhouse for dinner to compare the two and help you choose one.
I could not review every Disney restaurant serving steak on my recent trip, although it would be a delicious goal to try them all eventually. I settled on these two for a great combination of steak and atmosphere.
Shula’s Steak House
I never intended to eat at Shula's before our visit. We ate there many years ago and loved it, but when we returned years later, we did not enjoy it. I had crossed this restaurant off my list. However, we spent the day at Epcot, and our feet were aching. We had planned to eat at the Regal Eagle Smokehouse at Epcot, but that was going to require a lot of walking to make our way through the crowded concert area across from the restaurant, then walking out of the park, and then walking back to our Dolphin Hotel. I had the tasty idea that we should call it a day and walk to the Dolphin for a steak dinner, then have an effortless elevator ride up to our room.
It turned out to be a great last-minute idea. I had looked at the allergy menu previously, so I knew I could eat there. I do not eat wheat, dairy, or strawberries, and I knew the menu had a few items I could eat.
Previously, we had found the hostesses pretentious, which was a turnoff. The hostess on this visit was friendly, as was our waitress. Our waitress provided excellent service and assisted me with my food accommodations. I was given gluten-free, dairy-free rolls with olive oil. She provided a picture of the package for the buns so I could be confident they were safe for me to eat. I asked for balsamic vinegar and enjoyed warm, crispy rolls with oil and vinegar. My husband enjoyed his sourdough loaf with regular butter.
We ordered a steak with a baked potato after reviewing the à la carte dinner menu. My husband ordered au poivre peppercorn sauce for his 12-ounce filet as well. For baked potato toppings, he ordered butter, chives, and bacon. To go along with my 10-ounce filet, I ordered bacon for my potato, but I also used my miniature bottle of barbecue sauce from my park bag because I could not use butter and did not want to eat my potato plain. After the waitress took our order, we chose our favorite knife from the knife block centerpiece for our steaks.
The bread was good, and so were the steaks and potatoes. The steaks were cooked as requested and were tender. The potatoes were presented on a dish without toppings with a toppings dish served separately. You know how sometimes a good baked potato tastes so good? That is how I would describe the baked potato, although I did have my amazing barbeque sauce to use. My husband thought his peppercorn sauce lacked peppercorns, and although it was a good sauce, it could have been better.
We enjoyed everything about this experience. We liked the friendliness of staff members, the quality of the food, the pacing of the service, the subdued atmosphere, and the assistance for my food accommodations. When we were tired and needing a relaxing meal, Shula's delivered. We appreciated the traditional steakhouse atmosphere and service. The entire staff provided an upper-end steakhouse experience.
Yachtsman Steakhouse
We recently visited this restaurant, and it was an excellent experience, mainly due to the allergy chef custom preparing an amazing peppercorn sauce for me. I hoped the allergy chef would prepare a sauce for me, and I got one. When the waiter came to the table to discuss my food accommodations, I explained this to him, and he responded by saying he would inquire about it.
The chef came to our table to discuss the sauce that was prepared previously and explained he would prepare a sauce using veal stock and peppercorns. He was friendly and concerned about presenting me with a "nice sauce," indicating he was preparing something of quality that would be expected for this restaurant.
My husband enjoyed the bread service with regular butter. The waiter presented me with gluten-free, dairy-free rolls, and I requested dairy-free butter. My husband and I both ordered the 8-ounce filet mignon (the only size filet offered) and a baked potato with bacon. He also ordered the steakhouse wedge salad with ranch dressing. This restaurant has an unusual bacon situation for a steakhouse. At first, it seems that you cannot get bacon on your baked potato if you do not order it as a loaded baked potato, but that is not correct. I ordered my potato with bacon only and used my dish of dairy-free butter. My husband ordered his potato with bacon and regular butter. The waiter said he had to ask if we could get bacon on the potatoes. However, our potatoes did come with bacon.
My husband enjoyed the salad, although the egg accompanying it was not hard-boiled, so if you have an aversion to runny yolks as he does, this is something to leave off or request that it is cooked to your liking. The steaks were cooked as requested and a few fingerling potatoes were served with them. The baked potatoes were good, and I enjoyed eating mine with dairy-free butter. The fingerling potatoes came with the steak; the baked potatoes were a separate cost. I liked my custom sauce. It was not as good, as potent, or as plentiful with peppercorns as our previous visit, but the flavor was good, and I appreciated the extra magic the chef gave me. He came to the table at the end of our meal to ensure we had enjoyed our food. As a dairy-free diner, I did enjoy the rolls without butter but with the oil and vinegar better at Shula’s than the rolls with butter here. I also enjoyed the baked potato without butter better at Shula’s (although I did have my barbecue sauce for the potato there) than the potato with butter here. My husband described his peppercorn sauce as lacking in peppercorns and not as creamy as Shula’s. He liked the peppercorn sauce at the Yachtsman better, but only when he combined the peppercorn sauce with another mystery sauce on his plate, which I believe was some of my extra custom peppercorn sauce.
The atmosphere was more casual than Shula's Steak House but still lovely. While this seems trivial, our candle went out during the meal, and I was a little disappointed because it was part of the ambiance. We were seated near windows to see the walkway around Disney’s Yacht Club Resort and overlooking the club’s pool. This restaurant had more families with children than Shula’s. It felt more like a restaurant with various entrees where you could order a steak rather than a traditional steakhouse.
Which Restaurant Should You Choose for Your Steak Dinner?
Either restaurant is a good choice. However, to help you decide, here are some things you should consider before making a dining reservation:
Price. Shula’s was more expensive. It also does not take Disney gift cards or discounts. Your Annual Passholder discount is valid at Yachtsman. Menu items at Shula’s are à la carte; butcher’s cuts at Yachtsman come with a very small side of fingerling potatoes, blistered tomatoes, and confit shallots.
How hungry are you? The steaks at Shula's are more generous butcher’s cuts, so if you are a steak lover and want a larger portion, this might make the decision easy. Here is the current listing of steak options, sizes, and prices (as of October 2023):
Shula’s Steak House
10-ounce filet, $69
12-ounce filet, $75
16-ounce prime New York strip, $76
22-ounce cowboy ribeye, $75
24-ounce Black Angus porterhouse, $71
42-ounce prime tomahawk, $160
Yachtsman Steakhouse
8-ounce filet mignon, $53
14-ounce roasted prime rib, $50
12-ounce New York strip steak, prime, $55
16-ounce ribeye steak, prime, $57
Will children be in your party? Children can eat at Shula’s, but unless they are older and really enjoy steak, Yachtsman seemed to be the choice for families with children. The Yachtsman also offers more items on its children’s menu. Many tables at Yachtsman had children at them, but very few were eating at Shula's.
What type of experience do you want? If you want a very traditional upper-end steakhouse experience, choose Shula's. Choose Yachtsman if you want a steak or a different entrée in a more typical nice restaurant.
Do you have special dietary needs? The Yachtsman has Disney allergy chefs who can work with you to modify a meal that works for you. Shula’s has an allergy menu with items marked as gluten-free or dairy-free and is more limited in catering to these needs. However, I ate there without wheat, dairy, or strawberries and felt comfortable doing so and had a great meal. If you need a restaurant that will be more accommodating to your dietary needs, The Yachtsman might be a better choice.
Is it a special occasion or a date night? If you are dining as a couple, celebrating an anniversary, or eating with other adults, Shula's might be a memorable dining experience for you. If you want a romantic evening out, a fantastic meal at Shula's and a stroll on the walkway outside the Dolphin Hotel will surely be a hit. After dinner, enjoy a slow walk, looking at the palm trees lit up, the color-changing water fountain, and the lights reflecting on the nearby bodies of water.
Life is full of tough choices, including which restaurant to choose for your steak. Thankfully, either choice here is good. In addition to great food, these two options allow you to take a moment to slow down and have quality time with your family. Go ahead and have a meaningful conversation between those bites of steak. You do not often have a pleasant atmosphere, good service, delicious food, and nice conversation. These are all excellent choices, and you have two restaurants that provide them.
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