Sometimes you just want a classic steakhouse meal with a classic steakhouse experience.

The thing is, there are several steakhouses in Disney World, but the ones most people think about are places like Le Cellier in the Canada Pavilion in EPCOT and Steakhouse 71 at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. However, one of the most overlooked steakhouses is probably Yachtsman Steakhouse at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, just steps away from EPCOT via International Gateway. We just revisited Yachtsman Steakhouse to see if it’s as good as we remember, and we’re taking you along for the ride!

Atmosphere

Yachtsman Steak House is in Disney’s Yacht Club, so yes, it has a classic nautical vibe. One thing we love is that you can even see the chefs working on your food because the restaurant has an open kitchen. However, what sets this place apart is that there’s a butcher window where you can watch your meat being cut (however, if that’s NOT your thing, you might want to look away!). Yachtsman Steakhouse also has several dining rooms with lots of wood incorporated into its nautical design.

Seating is plentiful, with standard tables and chairs, as well as some booths. Tables are set up with cloth napkins and utensils. Yep, we’re eating a lot fancier here than we do when we’re grabbing something from the food court at Disney’s All-Star Resorts. So yes, it’s a little fancy, but at the same time, it doesn’t feel bougie. It’s a cozy, kinda upscale vibe.

Okay, let’s get to eating!

Menu

You’ll see that Yachtsman Steakhouse is a traditional restaurant in that the menu screams “classic steakhouse.” You can grab a variety of First Course options like soups and salads. Of course, this is a steakhouse, so if you’re here for steak (as you should be), you’ll find the Butcher Cuts or one of the Chef’s Signature items. You can also add to your entree with a Butcher’s Cut Enhancement. You can also get a Sauce Flight — say WHAT? If you want chicken or fish, that’s also an option, as well as a variety of side items and desserts.

Want something to drink? There are specialty cocktails, beer, and wines.

As you can see, the wine list is quite extensive.

There’s a selection of whiskey, bourbon, vodka, gin, rum, scotch, tequila, and even some flights.

Okay, let’s dive into some food!

Eats

The complimentary bread service is one of our favorites at Disney World. Although it’s not flashy, the yeast rolls and flaky onion rolls are delicious and served with garlic confit and salted butter.

The flaky onion rolls are amazing — they pull apart like layered biscuits and have these little pieces of onion on them. YUM.

For our appetizer, we ordered the Lobster Bisque for $18 made with Lobster Biscuit, Crème Fraîche, and Espelette Oil. This is one the best soups we’ve had in Disney World, and that’s counting the lobster bisque we recently had at Narcoossee’s. It’s so creamy and buttery, with just the right amount of lobster, without tasting overtly fishy. It’s decadent enough to split, too (which we did, so the photo below is a half portion). We’re glad the server warned us of how rich this soup is because we would have filled up on this alone because it’s so good.

The 7 oz. Filet Mignon is $59 and is served with Mashed Potatoes and a sauce of your choice (we chose the bordelaise sauce). First, we’re pretty sure those potatoes had some kind of cream (maybe sour cream) in them.

The steak is INCREDIBLE and we are almost ashamed to admit that we scarfed it down. We had it cooked medium rare, so it had a red center, but was warm throughout. It was perfectly cooked. We didn’t expect any less considering there is an actual butcher’s room IN the restaurant and all the steaks are aged in-house. This is why you should come here: FOR THE STEAK. 

We also got the Sauce Flight for $9, which comes with House Steak Sauce, Béarnaise, Peppercorn, Blue Cheese, and Bordelaise.  Our favorite was the béarnaise and the peppercorn sauce, although the bordelaise was also very flavorful. However, the blue cheese and house steak sauce didn’t impress us — they were lacking in flavor. This is something you get if everyone is ordering steak at the table, but we just had the one, so we would’ve probably been better off just choosing just one of our favorite sauces. It was still fun to try them all out, though.

We chose two sides for our meal, including the Truffle Macaroni and Cheese for $14.50. This mac and cheese was SO creamy and had just the right amount of truffle flavor, so it wasn’t overwhelming. Even the noodle shape was perfect because it carried the cheese well.

We also got the Hot Honey-Bourbon Brussels Sprouts with Chili-candied Walnuts for $12.50. They were good, but we wouldn’t call them fantastic. There are far better Brussels Sprouts in Disney World, like what you get at The Polite Pig in Disney Springs. These are well-cooked and well-seasoned, and the walnuts add a nice crunch, but they’re still not much of a standout.

Our other entree was the Chilean Sea Bass with Rock Shrimp Perlou, Chorizo, Crab Beurre Blanc, and Pickled Heirloom Tomatoes for $56. So, this one disappointed us. We LOVE Chilean Sea Bass, but this was just not great. It was cooked well and flaked apart nicely, so the texture worked for us. However, it was SO salty, too much so. The rice served with it is forgettable (although it had a nice tomato flavor). The crab meat was nice, so we’ll give it that. But this isn’t something we’d ever order here again.

At this point, we were pretty full, so we didn’t opt for dessert, but several choices were available.

Nosh or Not

You should visit Yachtsman Steakhouse if…

• You want a classic steakhouse experience. This is about as classic of a steakhouse experience as you can find in Disney World, from the atmosphere to the actual steak (which is excellent).
• You have time. Our meal took a few hours total, so you’ll want to have the time to spend there to really enjoy the experience.
• You’re staying at the Yacht Club. If you’re staying at the Yacht Club or one of the nearby hotels and want an upscale meal — or even a date night meal — without having to go far, this is a great option.

You should skip Yachtsman Steakhouse if…

• You’re on a budget. When we say “upscale classic steakhouse,” that means this spot is going to be a little pricey. If you’re on a tight budget, you might want to eat elsewhere.
• You’re not staying at the Yacht Club. With all that being said, we think this isn’t the kind of restaurant you should travel to if you’re not staying at the hotel. Even if you’re staying in the EPCOT area, there are other restaurants in the vicinity that might be a better option.
• You’re not a meat eater. The menu at Yachtsman Steakhouse is pretty much targeted at carnivores. You’ll only find a few plant-based options on the menu, and they may not appeal to you.

Overall

We love the vibe of this restaurant, and our service was excellent. Our meal took a while to come out to our table, so you will need some time to enjoy dining here, but the food was good. Was it good enough to make a special trip to the Yacht Club? Well, maybe not considering the number of great restaurants in the EPCOT area. However, if you’re staying at the Yacht Club or nearby and want a nice dinner that feels a little upscale but not super flashy, this could be a good option. Overall, we don’t think Yachtsman Steakhouse is anything special, but at the same time, that might be just what you’re looking for: just solidly good soup and steak.

With DOZENS of places to eat at Disney World, we know it can be tough to plan your meals. That’s why we wrote the DFB Guide to Dining at Walt Disney World. We have reviews, pictures, and details about every restaurant all in one digital download – along with ALL of our best tips and strategies from decades of Disney World trips.

OL’ RELIABLES — The 3 Disney World Restaurants AJ Recommends Every Time

Have you ever been to Yachtsman Steakhouse? What did you think? Let us know in the comments!