Oooohh, I feel qualified to weigh in on this one. Not only have I travelled extensively with my job, and eaten in most of the NYC steak houses, as well as Ruth's Chris, Morton's, The Palm, among others........but we just returned from WDW Sunday. On our trip we ate steak at:
Shula's
Le Cellier (x2)
Yachtsman's
Narcoossees
Hollywood Brown Derby
Citrico's
Now, In answering this question, one must clarify whether you are looking for a) the best steakhouse in WDW, or b) the best Disney steakhouse. It's an important distinction, and one that could change your answer.
So, which is best........
Well, Shula's would be the best steakhouse in WDW. It's a real steakhouse, with properly aged beef, and the sophisticted atmosphere and service one would expect from a true steakhouse. Our meal there was wonderful. Everything was great, from bread to soup to salad, appetizers, steaks, wine dessert and coffee. So, what is it lacking? Other than no beer on tap, it lacks Disney atmosphere, which would keep this location from being the best Disney steakhouse. The Swalphin has a stange business/convention atmopshere anyway, so you don't feel like you are at a Disney resort. Once inside the restaurant you could be anywhere. Is it bad not to have that "Disney atmosphere"? Not for one meal, so I'll go back....and anyone looking for an exceptional steakhouse meal should go here as well. Highlights? Well, the ahi tuna app was the best ahi tuna I've had ANYWHERE, and we get it a lot of places. The surf and turf is an ABSOLUTE STEAL, relatively speaking. For $83 you get an 8 oz filet, paired with a 2 lb steamed Maine lobster. At Narcoossees the 2 lb lobster alone is $69 and the 8 oz filet is $44. At Shulas you get both for $83. The soufle, wonderful. The service, impeccable. Dining with kids, don't worry, they will split the steaks for you in the kitchen. No less than three wait staff serving us. The sommalier (sp?), great. He recommended a Duckhorn Merlot that they had for $63 (I think) a bottle, and said other restaurants serve the same bottle for upwards of $90. I did, in fact, see the same bottle of wine at one of our meals (maybe Narcoossees) for $83 a bottle, and one other place (maybe Brown Derby) for $40-something a half bottle. The wine was great. There was nothing that wasn't perfect for me at this meal. They made sure your steaks were perfect when served (they make you cut them in half upon service, to check...no coming back 10 minutes after you are served to ask). Really, the only thing that wasn't perfect (for my wife) on our WDW vacation was the missing Disney atmosphere.
All that for a half an answer!
So, which is the best Disney steakhouse? That is a bit tougher. I rate Narcoossees a better restaurant overall than any of the other locations we ate at, but they really aren't a steakhouse. Le Cellier, on the other hand, is dedicated to steak. Now, I know some people will cringe at this, but the best steak at a non-Shula's restaurant, one which can provide you with Disney atmosphere, is Le Cellier. Heck, the best steak I had all week was at le Cellier, and i know my steak! I know, a lot of people got upset when they went signature....but they have stepped up their game, big time. Like I said, the single best steak we I had all week was the 21 day aged bone in ribeye at Le Cellier. Absolutely wonderful. Huge steak, cooked to perfection, with much less fat/waste than most ribeyes...and the flavor! Oh, the flavor. Notice le cellier was x2 on my list. We went back so I could eat this again, and the second time was as good as the first.
So, I still haven't ansered the question of the best Disney steakhouse, but you see my dilemma! If you are going strictly for a great steak - Le Cellier. Not only is the ribeye incredible, the Mushroom filet is wonderful. tender, cooked to perfection, and the risotto is great. Pretzel bread, great Canadian beer on tap, nice wine list. There's a ton to like at Le Cellier in addition tot he great steaks. If you are going for the best atmosphere and overall experience - Narcoossees. Our meal here was impeccable. As I always say, the place is casual elegance. The service and food is great, the atmopshere is upscale but comfortable, and the location is tops. While the focus isn't on steaks, the filet and strip are both very good, and you can get lobster as well. If I could only ever eat in one restaurant in WDW ever again, all things considered it would be Narcoossees. I'm glad I don't have to make that decision though!
The Filet at the brown Derby was a great steak, and this location is back on our radar....but a steakhouse it is not. Citrico's as well. the steak my kids got there was very good, but it's not a steakhouse.
Any discussion of steakhouses at WDW would be incomplete without discussing Yachtsman's. We've eaten here many times, and sadly the meal last week was a huge disappointment. HUGE. The menu was disappointing, as no apps interested us, other than the ceasar salad. We skipped dessert, the choices were so disappointing. We've eaten there other times and had wonderful apps and desserts, so we were looking forward to more. They seem to have remodelled and changed things, and not for the better. But all that is subjective. Here is some fact. They completely botched our steaks. We wanted medium rare, and they were a solid medium. No excuse for that in a true steakhouse. No excuse. An they didn't even check until we were ten minutes into our entrees. We could have sent them back I'm sure, but who has time for that? In a true steakhouse, with the prices Yachtsman's charges, we shouldn't have to. But that's the problem with Yachtsman's....they feign true steakhouse, but they aren't really a great steakhouse. The steaks are "dry aged"......for 7 days? Tha's not dry aging. And serving a steak that isn't perfect. Several actually, two of three at our table.....did I mention there is no excuse for that at a steakhouse? They list a Sam Adam's beer flight on the menu, but you can't order it. Just little stuff like, lack of attention to detail and focus on the steak, that that has Yachtsman's low on our list right now. They have a lot of competition, so they better start doing better. We've had great meals there before, and hopefully some day we will again.
I'm going to have to read and edit later, but let me get this out there before I have to run.......
I like my steak as rare as possible and my boyfriend likes his medium well....to each his own!
