Shula's--did I like it?

Uncleromulus

Plain grey will be fine
Joined
Jan 28, 2001
From time to time on the boards there will be a "best steak" thread. Le Cellier, Yachtsman and Shula's are mentioned most often, although several other restaurants (Flying Fish comes immediately to mind) also have a good steak. But for variety of menu, quality steak, nice atmosphere and excellent service, Shulas is now # 1 in my book.
We dined there twice last week--once on reservations we made in advance, and then once on a walk-in basis. At the end of our week we had decided we liked it so much we wanted to go back!! The second time we sat at the bar--where you can get a FULL meal and have excellent service from Shula's fine bartenders! What I'll do is detail what we had both evenings w/o actually splitting things up into two seperate reviews.
For starters if you drive to the Dolphin (as we did) Shula's will validate your valet parking pass so there is no charge to park except for the tip. Inside, you will find a rather dark, well appointed wood paneled dining area with pictures of football players, etc on the walls. The pictures are not overwhelming and you don't get the feeling you are in a sports bar or anything of that nature. To our delight, Frank Sinatra music (early Reprise years these evenings) was playing. Also inside, you may find two different Shula's--the quiet romantic Shula's where you can talk and hear the music, and then there is the "convention" Shulas' where you will find tables of 10-15-20 guests loudly having a good time. We had "one of each" during our meals. Convention nite was loud and Mrs U couldn't hear her beloved Sinatra music, but we had a good time anyway and the groups were obviously doing the same!

At Shulas' you have two servers waiting on you and they start with a presentation of the various cuts of meat. This is a good thing because the size of the steaks is huge and you can see what you are getting into before you actually order it. Warm sourdough bread follows and ,of course drinks. They have an extensive wine list and a large selection of wines by the glass.
For an appetizer each nite we had the same thing--barbequed shrimp stuffed with basil. THese were large shrimp and could be shared as an appetizer. They were absolutely delicious. We next ordered the tomato and mozzerella chopped salad. This is very similar in taste to the standard Caprese salad you'll find in Italian restaurants, but here the cheese and tomatos are chopped into bite size pieces. Again,the salad could be shared by two, and again, absolutely delicious!! Oh--we had the salad each nite!!

The first night for my entree I had the 12 oz filet. and it was served perfectly medium as ordered. Truly melt in your mouth good and I really didn't need a knife to cut it. Mrs U had a "special" that evening--a petite 6 oz filet that was paired with a small lobster tail and a portion of lobster shell that was stuffed with a crabmeat mixture This was NOT their standard surf and turf but it was just the right size for Mrs Uncleromulus. It also came with asparagus spears that had been drizzled with balsamic vinegar. GOOD!!!

Second nite entrees (our bar nite) were equally good--I had the 16 oz NY Strip and Mrs U got the standard surf and turf. This was a larger steak than the previous nites special and also included a full size lobster tail. We also decided to split a "side"--the lobster mashed potatoes. Good, but we couldn't do it justice as we were already getting full and dessert was to follow. The potatoes are easily shared by two--I can't imagine one person eating all that along with the meal.

Dessert was a special treat--Chocolate Souffle for two. We ordered it back when we placed our original dinner order (as it takes time to prepare) and the servers (and the bartenders!) were more than happy to split the portions as it was being served. Excellet, especially as souffles aren't easy to find on dessert menus any more.

Full?? Oh yes. But we had to have a dessert wine (MrS U) and a port (for me) along with some coffee. Shula's has an extensive after dinner drink menu and I believe there almost a dozen ports listed (Dows 30 year was my choice).

Some asides: Shula's steaks are "wet aged" 30+ days according to our servers. I can't recall having any better steak anywhere. Shula's is clearly better than Ruths Chris. Service was extremely friendly from the servers and the bartenders--they all know the menu from top to bottom and are anxious to please.The manager came around several times to see how things were going, which dosen't happen as often as it should in other Disney Signature restaurants. The pace of service was perfect--we do not like to be rushed or have all the food come out at once, but that was not a problem at Shula's. Everything was served with a decent interval between courses and considering that the restaurant was quite full both nights, that is an accomplishment.
There were several children in the restaurant each nite, but far fewer than in most Disney spots. Dress ran the spectrum--true business casual (slacks and collared shirt) all the way down to cargo shorts and t-shirts. I saw no men with jackets and only a few women wore a dress. For those interested, I wore tan slacks and a collared sport shirt. Mrs U had on slacks and a blouse.

So will we be going back? Most definately--next trip in September!!
 
Yummmm! Thanks for the great review. That petite filet and lobster tail combo (and asparagus, and stuffed portion) has me drooooling over here!
 
And so it begins...


DW is clawing through the Unofficial Guide as I type...heading straight to Shula's.

Interesting to see that you chose several items that we'd also be interested in. And you got to listen to the Chairman; you two must have been in heaven.

Do they still have the menu on the side of a football? (per the UG) I think DW would be turned off by that.
 


Thanks for the great review uncleromulous, excellent as always :thumbsup2

We almost went to Shula's a few weeks ago and now i wish we had. You can be sure it will be on our list for next trip

sugabutt - Shula's is at the Dolphin and does not participate in any DDP. They are recent additions to the TiW card though:woohoo:
 
Great review, as always! So, which ADR did you abandon in order to dine at Shula's twice?
 


I am glad you enjoyed Shula's so much!

DH and I had an equally enjoyable meal there last year. I had the cowboy/rib eye steak and it was hands down the best steak I ever had. I really appreciated that they asked us to cut into the steak right away to be sure it was prepared to order. Both of our meals were but I liked that they would have been able to correct it right away instead of having to call them back over if it was wrong.



Are they on the regular Disney Dining Plan?

They are not included on the dining plan.
 
Whoo hoo! I remember one of the last steak threads (2-3 weeks ago) where you said you had not tried Shula's because of the size of the steaks and you wife's appetite. I am glad you did and you are now a Shula's convert :goodvibes. Now that it takes the TiW card I know that my husband and I will be going there more often!

One note for those with kids ... Shula's does not have a kids menu and is not particularly "child friendly" . However, the Dolphin Club is included FOR FREE childcare while the adults dine :).
 
My only problem is that I dine solo quite a bit. I'd have to get a doggie bag for leftovers if I order a side, but it's ok when I'm at a DVC villa. Or find another willing dining participant to share the sides with me. ;)
 
Belle: We abandoned the Yachtsman, figuring that we'd been there before a # of times, and we would trade "steak for steak". And the fact that they now take TIW was a big plus!!

RobinB: We had hoped that the filet would be "petite" if she got lobster along with it and sure enough,it was. But "petite" relative only to the standard 12 oz size.
I had a look at that 48oz Porterhouse they offer and I have to wonder how anyone could put all that away--.

PADisneycouple: Sean: They do bring out the football, but it only has steaks listed on it. It really isn't an "in your face" thing and we just put it to the side. I think they took it away right after they presented the various cuts of steak.
And where else can you hear Sinatra music these days???
 
I'm very excited to read this, we made reservations at Shula's just last week for our October trip!:cool1:
 
UncleR, do they still present the "live" lobsters. I so want to eat here but I can't deal with live lobsters. I keep hoping to hear they have eliminated the practice of displaying them.
 
What topping options are there for the 12 oz filet? Gorgonzola? Grilled onions? Some sort of marinade/rub?

I'm thinking we might have to give this place a try...
 
Pakey--No more live lobsters!! And the steaks are wrapped in some sort of light saran wrap as they present them to you.

Padisneycouple: They have grilled onions and mushrooms as "sides". I suppose they have some A-1 around somewhere, but no cheese or any sort of rub listed. Of course we didn't specifically ask about that sort of thing, as the steaks pretty well stood alone as to taste.
 
Great review:thumbsup2 We may have to add this to our list under Bluezoo. Dh and I LOVE a great steak. Your wife's special the first nite sounded delish as well. Thanks for the detailed review.
 
May I ask what the prices were like? I have not yet looked at their menu online, but what kind of range would it be for a family of 4?
 

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