Carthay Lounge vs Steakhouse 55 Lounge

[gottalovepluto]

We loved the lounge at Carthay last trip & are looking forward to it again this summer. And then I heard about a 24 layer chocolate cake at S55 here on the DIS & that is now a must. At DL our big meal is always lunch & we do appetizers/split CS meals for dinner. I was going to try for some 24 layer cake to-go but now I see S55 has a lounge. It appears it might be a nice way to grab drinks, appetizers & that dream desert in one place. Anyone have experience with S55 lounge? Know if it's similar to Carthay? The things we loved about Carthay Lounge were: Classic drinks (especially the Sidecar), transformative atmosphere (like we were in a different time period) & the jazzified Disney soundtrack playing in the background. It's not an either/or situation, right now I'm considering doing both, but I'm hoping for some input from others who've been to these places before deciding.

 

[Malcon10t]

We love the Lounge at Steakhouse 55. And we prefer the Sidecar Noir there!!!!!

 

[OKW Lover]

Our experience with the lounge at S55 is that its more of a waiting area for those going to dine and less just a lounge area. Perhaps that's just something unique about the couple of times we were there.

OTOH, the lounge at Napa Rose would fit very nicely with the OP's objectives.

 

[Iceman93]

The biggest drawbacks to the Carthay lounge are the ridiculously limited food menu and the lack of space, meaning it's often hard to find a place to sit. I agree with the OP that the classic cocktails are delicious and the atmosphere is great (especially for being inside a theme park). But both the Steakhouse 55 lounge and Napa Rose lounge are also fantastic in their own ways.

 

[Malcon10t]

The menu in the Steakhouse Lounge is much larger than the one in Carthay. The French Dip is very good. My adult kids love the Cheddar burger. The flat breads are also very good. If you sit up to the bar, you can order off the restaurant menu and get a steak. The drink menu is great. I like the Sidecar Noir. They also have a Fireball cocktail. And I usually have to end the night with a glass of Fairytale or Rosa Regale. (Warning - It can be difficult to get seating for a group larger than 4-5 on a Friday-Sunday without a bit of a wait.)

 

[gottalovepluto]

Thanks for the input everyone! I just looked at the menus online (didn't know they posted them on the Disney website now but there they were) and the duck sliders that was our family's favorite app a couple years ago at Carthay are gone and a quesadilla has taken it's place (seriously Disney?). So disappointed. I think this trip we'll go ahead and try Steakhouse 55 and maybe Napa Rose instead of Carthay. I didn't even think to see if Napa Rose had a lounge before. Yay for the boards here!

 

[Fuhnuh]

DW and I have a difficult time not going to the lounge at Napa Rose. The bartenders do a great job and you can order from the menu. Sometimes we go with the kids and others we get them fed and go down for a bite and some drinks. I love sitting at the bar and letting the bartenders tailor drinks to my palate. Perhaps we spend too much time there. I'll wait to decide that after our July trip.