The Boathouse is a restaurant in The Landing section of Disney Springs. It’s a very popular location and generally gets great reviews both online and from various Disney blogs, vlogs, podcasts and the like. We figured we’d give it a shot and see if it lived up to the hype.
Reservations for the Boathouse can be made both through Disney or using OpenTable. OpenTable or similar reservation services are always prefereable to Diseny because they do not charge a cancellation fee. This is really only an option at the Disney Springs restaurants and isn’t available for all of them. We opted for a reservation through OpenTable for 8:45.
Getting There and Before Dinner
We were staying at Port Orleans French Quarter this trip, so we took the boat down the Sassagoula to Disney Springs. The dropoff dock is right around the corner from The Landing, so it was incredibly convenient for us. The ride was nice and the resorts along the way look pretty at night. The ride takes you past the Treehouse Villas at Saratoga Springs, then by Saratoga Springs proper.
We docked and made our way over to The Landing area of Disney Springs. It was a beautiful Saturday night and the Springs were hoppin’! There were still some Christmas themed decor up in late January, but I didn’t mind. I’m no Scrooge McDuck!
We were about an hour early for our reservation. There was a band on the stage between the Boathouse and Jock Lindsey’s, so we grabbed a drink from the outdoor bar in front of Jock’s and enjoyed a few songs. The band took an intermission around 8:15. With our cups empty and stomachs growling we figured no harm in checking in for dinner early.
Dinner at the Boathouse
There was a bit of a line waiting to check in but it didn’t take long. The front of house was on their game tonight and was incredibly efficient despite heavy crowds. They were able to seat us immediately and we were shown to our table. We couldn’t have asked for a better location. Outside on the deck, right next to the water. We had a great view of Saratoga Springs across the lake.
We were promptly greeted by our Waiter and provided complimentary rolls. We looked at the menu online and didn’t need long to decide on our dinner spread. We started with 3 Sea of Cortez shrimp cocktail and shared the bisque.
We live in the northeast and spend several weeks a year on the Maine coast. We’re no strangers to high quality, fresh Seafood, so I don’t say this lightly – these were the best cocktail shrimp I’ve ever had. They were firm, meaty, tender, and crisp. Definitely recommend getting a couple of these to start a meal here. They aren’t cheap, at $4.25 each, but they’re substantial and the quality is there. The bisque was very good as well but the shrimp were the stars of our starter course.
For our main courses we ordered the Gibson’s boneless ribeye, a side of mac and cheese, a side of broccolini and carrots, and the filet mignon sliders with truffle fries. To wash it down we ordered a bottle of Pinot Noir as well.
When the boneless ribeye was delivered the waiter asked that I cut into to confirm it was cooked how I ordered it (medium rare), which I thought was a nice tough. As it turned out it was cooked perfectly. The steak is dry aged for 75 days, which gives it even of an umami flavor. The aging is particularly noticeable in marbling of the ribeye and set this steak apart from the usual steakhouse ribeye. At $47 it was a decent value as far as steaks at higher end restaurants go. I wouldn’t hesitate to order this again.
As I mentioned earlier I ordered additional sides to go accompany the steak – mac and cheese, and vegetables. It may not come through in the photo, but this was a substantial service size of mac and cheese and more than half came home with us. It was good, like a better “orange cheese” shells and cheese if you’re familiar. The vegetables were quite good as well and made me feel better about all the less than healthy food on the table. Thanks for being there veggies!
Now on to the standout dish, the filet mignon sliders with truffle fries. The sliders couldn’t be simpler; garlic buttered and toasted buns and a cut of filet mignon. I was a little concerned about how well a steak would lend itself to burger form like this. As it turns out that concern was unfounded. The steak was tender enough that it ate like a burger. The truffle fries were delicious as well. Cripsy but fluffy and moist inside, and the truffle parmesan topping was the perfect topping for the spuds. At $17 these are an absolute steal and a significant amount of food.
Overall, this was a great experience. The food was excellent across the board. The service was professional and warm without feeling overbearing. The ambience out on the deck was serene and peaceful, even on a very busy evening at Disney Springs. This felt like signature level dining at a better price point. If you’re planning any time at Disney Springs or staying at resort along the Sassougla this should be a must do.