Overview:
Disney’s Yacht Club Resort offers a little taste of New England in central Florida. The nautical theme is evident as soon as you walk into the lobby. From its polished hardwood floors to the model sailboats located behind the check-in counter and the giant globe sitting in the center of the lobby, guests are greeted with an elegant feel similar to that of a high-end resort one might find on Martha’s Vineyard. These nautical touches are carried throughout the resort and into the Captain’s Grille restaurant which is located just off the main lobby.
What makes the Captain’s Grille interesting is depending on the time of day you eat there you can have a different dining experience. In the morning the restaurant features a buffet of standard breakfast fare as well as an al a carte menu. The lunch menu offers a selection of various salads, soups, and sandwiches. Dinner brings a completely different menu and more elaborate dishes such as a Grilled New York Strip, Snow Crab Legs, and a Grilled Rib-Eye. Although the Yacht Club Resort’s best known dining location is the Yachtsman Steakhouse, lunch at the Captain’s Grille should not be overlooked.
Atmosphere:
While the nautical touches of the main lobby continue into the restaurant, the overall atmosphere is very subdued and restrained. When dealing with this type of theme it is very easy to go over-the-top. The Captain’s Grille, however, has just the right amount of nautical touches to give the restaurant a cohesive feel and tie it in with the rest of the resort, but at the same time it is far from being tacky. While there are some model sailboats, both hanging on the walls and in glass cases, they are not present everywhere you look.
The walls are also adorned with smaller items such as framed signal flags and various brass navigation devices, but these touches serve mainly to enhance the dining atmosphere rather than dominate it.
One of the things I liked most about the themeing of the restaurant was the wallpaper. When looked at from a distance the wallpaper appears to be beige with blue, red, and gold stripes. Upon closer look, the beige sections turn out to actually be nautical maps, but you can not even see this detail unless you are standing right next to the wall.
The restaurant itself has a casual and relaxing feel, but depending on where you are sitting the atmosphere is slightly different. Along the outer edge of the restaurant there are large windows overlooking the pool area, providing plenty of light and giving this section of the restaurant a more open and airy feel.
As you move away from the windows towards the center and back by the main entrance, the lighting becomes dimmer, giving this part of the restaurant a slightly more formal feel.
The Menu:
The lunch choices at the Captain’s Grille feature many traditional New England favorites. Among the appetizer selections are a Lump Crab Cake and New England Clam Chowder, but my waiter explained that the Spinach-Cheese Dip for Two was his personal favorite. The entrée section largely features sandwiches and salads. Sandwich options include the New England Lobster Roll, a Tomato and Mozzarella Sandwich, and a Grilled Chicken Sandwich with ham and cheddar. Also among the entrée selections are a Caesar Salad with Chicken as well as Fish and Chips. Surprisingly, considering the menu is made up largely of seafood items, my waiter commented that the Angus Chuck Cheeseburger was probably their most popular item. My waiter also recommended the Grilled Sirloin Steak Salad topped with a roasted red pepper ranch dressing, which he said was fantastic.
I selected the Soup and Sandwich combo, which came with the choice of either a tuna or shrimp salad croissant and a cup of New England Clam Chowder or the soup of the day (which in this case was chicken noodle). I chose to go with the tuna salad croissant and the New England clam chowder.
The first thing I noticed about the food when it arrived was the large portion size. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of tuna in the croissant and the sandwich was so big that I was not even able to finish the whole thing. The tuna itself was pretty standard but the croissant was what made the sandwich special, flaky on the outside but soft on the inside. The sandwich also came with tomato, lettuce, and red onion. I thought the red onion paired very well with the tuna and gave the sandwich a little extra kick.
The best part of the entree was the chowder. I am originally from New England and have sampled many different types of chowder and I can say without question that the Captain’s Grille has one of the best New England Clam Chowders I have ever had. I like my chowder thick and not too watery, and this chowder was just the right consistency. Sometimes you get chowder that is all broth and has hardly any clams or potatoes, but that was hardly the case here. This was what I would call a “chunky” chowder, with good-sized pieces of both clams and potatoes. In many chowders I have tried the clams are overwhelmed by the potatoes, but in this case the opposite was true; there were probably more clams than there were potatoes. This is exactly how chowder should be. Also, I usually add a decent amount of black pepper to add flavor to my chowder, but in this instance there was no need. The chowder is very flavorful with just the right hint of pepper, but not so much as to overwhelm the dish. It was so good that I would go back to the restaurant again just to have the chowder.
For dessert I selected the Double Chocolate Cheesecake, which came topped with fresh berries and whipped cream. The presentation of the dessert was visually impressive and the taste was just as good. The cheesecake itself was light in texture but rich in flavor, but the crust was the best part. The crust was extremely moist and tasted similar to an Oreo cookie. The cheesecake was accompanied by two sauces, one vanilla and the other raspberry. I felt that the raspberry sauce paired far better with the cheesecake, but the vanilla sauce went along well with the fruit. While all the fruit was good and very fresh, I would have liked it if there were more strawberries. One of the things that impressed me the most with the cheesecake was the whipped cream, which was extremely smooth and creamy and complimented the cheesecake and fruit very well.
Service:
My waiter was very efficient and did his job well, but he was not the most personable server I have ever had. When I told him that it was my first time ever dining at Captain’s Grille he explained the menu and pointed out some of the more popular items and his personal favorites. After I ordered, my food was brought out in a timely manner and my waiter checked on me multiple times to make sure everything was to my liking. All that being said, he was not the type of waiter with whom you would be able to strike up a conversation. He was good at doing his job, but there was not much interaction beyond what there needed to be to get his job done. However, one thing I saw my waiter do made me very impressed. There was a guest at the next table over who did not speak very good English and she had a question about the pricing on her bill. My waiter actually took a menu, sat next to her at the table, and explained line-by-line how everything on the bill was priced. It was a great example of how all waiters should go about their jobs.
Dining on a Budget:
If you are looking for a fairly inexpensive lunch, then the Captain’s Grille is a good choice. All of the sandwiches on the menu are around twelve dollars (with exception of the Lobster Roll) and you get a lot of food for your money. Sandwiches come served with a pickle and your choice of vegetable orzo salad or fries. I think the best value on the menu is the soup and salad combination which I ordered. An appetizer chowder alone costs $6.99, so it is almost like you are getting the croissant sandwich for just five dollars. If you are looking for a quick bite to eat without crowds or long lines, the Captain’s Grille can give you a nice, calm sit-down lunch for just a little more than what it would cost you to eat at a counter service restaurant.
The Overall Experience:
As my experience at the Captain’s Grille shows, there are many lesser known restaurants to be found all across Disney property at many of the resorts. Just because these restaurants are not crowded all the time does not mean that their food, atmosphere, and service is not of the same quality as the more popular restaurants inside the parks. If you find that you need a mid-day break from the hustle and bustle of the theme parks, lunch at the Captain’s Grille provides a calm, quiet, laid-back dining option with good food at an affordable price. I would definitely recommend the Captain’s Grille and its location makes it very easy to get to. Although it is just a short walk from Epcot or a quick boat ride from the Hollywood Studios, lunch at the Captain’s Grille can easily make one forget about the Florida heat and the crowds as well as providing a much needed break in the middle of the day.
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