Captain’s Grille

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

From the Disney Food Blog...

Guest Review: Captain’s Grille at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort

Aug 12th, 2011

by AJ.

Thanks to reader Sarah McGovern for this review of lunch at the Captain’s Grille in Disney’s Yacht Club Resort!

On the second day of the Destination D event, I wanted to get away from the crowds and have a nice quiet lunch with my husband Barry. I’ve heard many positive things about Captain’s Grille and how quiet it can be, so we took a drive over to the Yacht Club.

Atmosphere and Eats

We were seated right away without a reservation, as the restaurant was quiet with only about a third of the tables filled.

We reviewed our menus, which consisted of a combination of nautical fare such as crab cakes, clam chowder, and a lobster roll, and the typical Walt Disney World lunch selections of salads, burgers, and sandwiches. “The Captain’s Burger” sounded interesting, consisting of the Angus Chuck Burger topped with Lump Crab meat and Choron Sauce, which is a variation of Bearnaise sauce with tomato puree. But this seemed a bit heavy for lunch to the both of us.

We ordered the Green Goddess Salad and the New England Clam Chowder for appetizers; and I chose the Tomato & Mozzarella Sandwich, while Barry ordered the Angus Chuck Burger, sans crab and choron.

Interestingly, when Barry asked what kind of cheese they had available for his burger, our waiter seemed taken aback by the question and offered American, Swiss, and Parmesan as the options. Strange, I’ve never heard of Parmesan as an option for a cheeseburger before.

Dining Room Our appetizers arrived quickly. Being from New England, Barry’s New England Clam Chowder was not quite up to par. While the flavor was good and it had tender pieces of large clams, the consistency was watery and not the creamy goodness we are used to. The one plus is that it was served with oyster crackers, which are always a hit for me!

New England Clam Chowder My Green Goddess salad was well dressed, but was definitely lacking in seasoning — I needed to add a lot of salt and pepper to it.

It tasted much like a Caesar Salad and even had the saved Parmesan and croutons to compliment it. It was only the slight taste of herbs and green tinge to the dressing that reminded me that it was Green Goddess dressing.

Green Goddess Salad Before we were finished with our appetizers, our entrees arrived. Our waiter was quick to take our plates and we (uncomfortably) had to stop him, as we weren’t finished. They were left on the table for us as we finished our soup and salad.

The entrees left a lot to be desired. Barry’s burger, which he ordered medium with Swiss, wasn’t the thick juicy Angus burger we were expecting. It was a thinner burger cooked closer to well done than medium. It came with one piece of lettuce, a slice of red onion, and one small slice of tomato.

The fries were tasty and a thicker cut than the typical Disney fries, but still didn’t make up for the disappointing burger. Pecos Bill’s would’ve been a better bet at a cheaper price tag.

Angus Chuck Burger My Tomato & Mozzarella Sandwich was tasty and very fresh. The menu stated that the Focaccia was toasted, but it wasn’t, which was a bit disappointing. Overall, it was very good and the arugula vinaigrette added great flavor to the sandwich.

Tomato and Mozzarella Sandwich I chose the “healthier” option of the vegetable orzo salad as my side, which was good and had the surprising addition of wheat berries. This sandwich was definitely the better out of the two entrees, but nothing overly memorable.

Tomato and Mozzarella Sandwich Close-Up

Overall

While the Captain’s Grille was a nice quiet getaway, the food was sub-par for the price tag.

I noticed that many other diners ordered the Lobster Roll, which might be what the restaurant is known for since I don’t know any other restaurants on property that offer it. But coming from New England, it was not something I was likely to order.

We found that the food was nothing outstanding and rather typical of the homogenized cuisine found at many of Disney’s table service restaurants. My husband and I definitely had an enjoyable afternoon, but I don’t think that we will return to the Captain’s Grille in the near future.

What are your thoughts about Captain’s Grille? Do you have recommendations from the menu? Let us know in the comments section below!

[DaveInTN 3,247]

We almost ate there last year. Based upon this review, it might be good we didn't.

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

I've had good meals there and bad meals there, really a mixed bag.