emmysmommy
DIS Veteran
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- Jan 30, 2010
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Friday August 23, 2013: Shula's Steakhouse Dinner
This non-Disney restaurant was selected due to so many Disers declaring Shula’s the best steakhouse around. We had a few Signature restaurants booked consecutively so I wasn’t sure we wanted to keep this ADR. However, we obviously did since here I am to share our dining experience.
We had walked (in heels across the boardwalk planks, try that without getting your heel stuck in a crack or two) from the Yacht Club next door to the Dolphin Hotel. The irony of this restaurant that is owned by Don Shula being located in the Dolphin hotel was not lost on me!
Once checked in, the hostess seated us in a back room where she left us with the Don Shula autographed football on our table. The temptation to tell Em to go long for a pass was overwhelming but I kept myself in check. (Although when I asked the server if many people tossed the ball around he responded that many a stem-wear had been broken by patrons recreating their favorite football moments.)
We were introduced to our wait team that consisted of Mario and John and then there was an assistant who provide the water and attended to cutlery or napkin needs. Seriously, there was a larger wait team than our simple little party of two!
We were presented with “real” menus; however, I had stalked the dining boards enough to know that I was going to request an off-menu item.
Drink orders were taken, a glass of Justin something, a cab, from Paso Robles for me and a bottle of blackberry sage tea for Em. We both apparently were pleased with our choices because not only did we drink them all but we took a lot of photos of them!
Cheers to a great day!
Insert a huge happy face here because the next action brought a reaction. We were presented with a basket of hot, fresh, fabulous sourdough bread with ROOM TEMPERATURE butter. Yeah, someone knows how to do that right! No tearing the bread/roll with cold butter here. This was soooo delicious. Em agreed that this was the best in like forever!
And a couple familiar faces...
What high end steakhouse would be worthy of that title without having a rolling meat cart? Look what’s rolling our way! The meat trolly was wheeled over to the table to help us understand the difference between a Rib eye and a NY Strip. I rather think the meat cart is analogous to the dessert cart for extreme carnivores. I’m not sure I retained all that meat knowledge he threw my way but I did heft a 48 oz Porterhouse and was quite impressed that anyone would venture to eat that much in one sitting.
I commented to our server that it was so dark in the restaurant that they needed to deliver flashlights with the menus. He proceeded to pull out a mini flashlight and hand it to me. Hey, they think of everything!
Finally decided, Em chose the 16 oz NY Strip steak and I went with the off menu choice of the 8 oz filet. (This is the size filet that is served with the surf and turf.) We also ordered a side of roasted garlic mashed potatoes to share. While placing our orders the server noted that there was at least one dessert that had to be ordered in advance since it took 25 minutes to bake – the molten chocolate lava cake. Em fell for that suggestive sell!
When our steaks were delivered, the server had us cut into them to confirm that they were cooked to our liking. Mine was medium rare – yep, definitely cooked perfectly. Em’s the same.
My notes from the meal say the following, “amazing, buttery-tender, perfectly seasoned, delicious sauce bernaise, just magnificent.” Ok, so I take it that I really dug this steak. Seriously, I haven’t eaten a whole steak in forever and I polished this hunk of meat off quickly! The mashed potatoes were good, not amazing, but they may have scored higher if they were served piping hot and not simply warm. I suppose not everything could be amazing so if there had to be something that was less than stellar, mashed potatoes were fine.
In due time, the chocolate lava cake was delivered with a side of crème anglaise. I didn’t expect the waiter to dig his paws into the dessert and deconstruct this so I caught his hand in the photo. However, it must be their thing to mess with the food so after making a crater in the cake he poured the crème anglaise in the middle.
Deconstructed:
This exuded such a rich chocolate smell that I think the entire room was enveloped in the scent of chocolate lava cake. Em adored this dessert. It may shock you for me to say that I actually tried one bite… however, it probably won’t shock you if I say that I didn’t like it – at all. It was too rich and wayyyy toooo chocolaty.
Shula’s accepts TiW, with our discount applied we saved $25.39.
My hubby would love to dine here as much for the steak as for the vintage football décor. I mentioned that and our server insisted that we pose for a photo in front of the wall mural size photo of Shula’s 1972 perfect season victory photo.
This was definitely the best dinner that we had the entire trip. Since this is not technically a Signature restaurant by Disney I can’t say it is my new favorite Signature restaurant – but it would be if it was! We look forward to returning in December since I’ve been practicing my spiral throwing technique.
Edited to note: This is a Signature restaurant, they just don't accept TiW. Thanks Paula (Smile4Stamps)!
More restaurant photos:
The hostess was kind enough to offer to take our photo under the Shula's sign:
Up Next: A breakfast of sorts
We had walked (in heels across the boardwalk planks, try that without getting your heel stuck in a crack or two) from the Yacht Club next door to the Dolphin Hotel. The irony of this restaurant that is owned by Don Shula being located in the Dolphin hotel was not lost on me!
Once checked in, the hostess seated us in a back room where she left us with the Don Shula autographed football on our table. The temptation to tell Em to go long for a pass was overwhelming but I kept myself in check. (Although when I asked the server if many people tossed the ball around he responded that many a stem-wear had been broken by patrons recreating their favorite football moments.)
We were introduced to our wait team that consisted of Mario and John and then there was an assistant who provide the water and attended to cutlery or napkin needs. Seriously, there was a larger wait team than our simple little party of two!
We were presented with “real” menus; however, I had stalked the dining boards enough to know that I was going to request an off-menu item.
Drink orders were taken, a glass of Justin something, a cab, from Paso Robles for me and a bottle of blackberry sage tea for Em. We both apparently were pleased with our choices because not only did we drink them all but we took a lot of photos of them!
Cheers to a great day!
Insert a huge happy face here because the next action brought a reaction. We were presented with a basket of hot, fresh, fabulous sourdough bread with ROOM TEMPERATURE butter. Yeah, someone knows how to do that right! No tearing the bread/roll with cold butter here. This was soooo delicious. Em agreed that this was the best in like forever!
And a couple familiar faces...
What high end steakhouse would be worthy of that title without having a rolling meat cart? Look what’s rolling our way! The meat trolly was wheeled over to the table to help us understand the difference between a Rib eye and a NY Strip. I rather think the meat cart is analogous to the dessert cart for extreme carnivores. I’m not sure I retained all that meat knowledge he threw my way but I did heft a 48 oz Porterhouse and was quite impressed that anyone would venture to eat that much in one sitting.
I commented to our server that it was so dark in the restaurant that they needed to deliver flashlights with the menus. He proceeded to pull out a mini flashlight and hand it to me. Hey, they think of everything!
Finally decided, Em chose the 16 oz NY Strip steak and I went with the off menu choice of the 8 oz filet. (This is the size filet that is served with the surf and turf.) We also ordered a side of roasted garlic mashed potatoes to share. While placing our orders the server noted that there was at least one dessert that had to be ordered in advance since it took 25 minutes to bake – the molten chocolate lava cake. Em fell for that suggestive sell!
When our steaks were delivered, the server had us cut into them to confirm that they were cooked to our liking. Mine was medium rare – yep, definitely cooked perfectly. Em’s the same.
8 oz Filet Mignon served with sauce bernaise ($42)
16 oz. NY Strip Steak ($46)
Side of Garlic Mashed Potatoes ($8)
16 oz. NY Strip Steak ($46)
Side of Garlic Mashed Potatoes ($8)
My notes from the meal say the following, “amazing, buttery-tender, perfectly seasoned, delicious sauce bernaise, just magnificent.” Ok, so I take it that I really dug this steak. Seriously, I haven’t eaten a whole steak in forever and I polished this hunk of meat off quickly! The mashed potatoes were good, not amazing, but they may have scored higher if they were served piping hot and not simply warm. I suppose not everything could be amazing so if there had to be something that was less than stellar, mashed potatoes were fine.
In due time, the chocolate lava cake was delivered with a side of crème anglaise. I didn’t expect the waiter to dig his paws into the dessert and deconstruct this so I caught his hand in the photo. However, it must be their thing to mess with the food so after making a crater in the cake he poured the crème anglaise in the middle.
Chocolate Lave Cake with Crème Anglaise ($11.00)
Deconstructed:
This exuded such a rich chocolate smell that I think the entire room was enveloped in the scent of chocolate lava cake. Em adored this dessert. It may shock you for me to say that I actually tried one bite… however, it probably won’t shock you if I say that I didn’t like it – at all. It was too rich and wayyyy toooo chocolaty.
Shula’s accepts TiW, with our discount applied we saved $25.39.
My hubby would love to dine here as much for the steak as for the vintage football décor. I mentioned that and our server insisted that we pose for a photo in front of the wall mural size photo of Shula’s 1972 perfect season victory photo.
This was definitely the best dinner that we had the entire trip. Since this is not technically a Signature restaurant by Disney I can’t say it is my new favorite Signature restaurant – but it would be if it was! We look forward to returning in December since I’ve been practicing my spiral throwing technique.
Edited to note: This is a Signature restaurant, they just don't accept TiW. Thanks Paula (Smile4Stamps)!
More restaurant photos:
The hostess was kind enough to offer to take our photo under the Shula's sign:
Up Next: A breakfast of sorts
Time for me to buy myself yet another present a month before Christmas! Because why not, ya know? Hehe.
I may not be allowed in Shula's. *grin* I love the memorabilia. I'm such a sucker for that kind of stuff!! Glad you guys had such a good meal!!! I'm now craving chocolate lava cake.
It was obviously our favorite this trip so I'm excited to go back. 
Thank goodness and praise the Lord indeed that the avocado margarita is still available in La Cava. Still on my "to try" list. 
But it all looks delicious and I will keep that 8oz off book filet in mind! And the lava cake... 
but I love chocolate!!
