Shula's Steak House — Restaurant in Bay Lake

I love to cook. I love to eat. I just love food. One of my favorite things to do is go out to eat and Disney is no exception. I love trying new restaurants when I go to Disney and I have made it my mission to find the best Steak House in Disney. Today we are reviewing Shula's Steakhouse at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort. I had done some research ahead of time and had been hearing recent mixed reviews coming out of the Yachtsman, so we decided to give Shula's a shot. Amanda and I had a late dinner here back in January the day we arrived in Orlando. Shula's is an award-winning steakhouse chain with several locations around the US. The theme is sports related as it is named after former football coach Don Shula of the Miami Dolphins. The restaurant itself is very upscale and definitely gives you those fancy steak house vibes. The tables were covered in white tablecloths and the waitstaff is both friendly and well dressed. When you first sit down there is a knife block sitting on the table and you are instructed to "choose your weapon!" or in this case, choose your steak knife! Me being a bigger guy, naturally went with the biggest Crocodile Dundee knife they had, and my wife chose the, in her words, "cutest" knife. I had very high hopes for this meal so without further ado, let's talk food.

Starter: I started with The Wedge Salad which was only slightly different from your average wedge. Iceberg lettuce, cherry tomatoes, bacon jam, and a nice house made blue cheese dressing. The lettuce and tomatoes were cold and crisp. The bacon jam was delicious but it did not really feel like a true bacon jam. More like a candied bacon crumble which is delicious but I could have used a bit more. The blue cheese dressing was honestly the star. I am a sucker for a good blue cheese, and this was tangy and creamy in all the right ways. Overall, it was good but nothing spectacular. Just as expected. 7/10

My wife started with the Tomato Burrata Salad. All of the usual suspects came to this party. Basil pesto, EVOO, Balsamic Vinaigrette. There is not much to say here, it was exactly what it was supposed to be. Nothing more nothing less. 7/10

Main Course: Amanda and I both ordered the steak of course. Amanda is a filet girl and I usually go for the biggest steak that's not meant for two people mainly, so Amanda doesn't judge me for trying to eat a 42 oz Tomahawk steak to my face. So, I just went for the 24 oz Angus Porterhouse ($70) and Amanda opted for the 10 oz filet ($68). We were feeling a bit boujie so also decided to get our steaks 'Oscar Style' which tops your steak with lump crab meat, sliced asparagus and hollandaise sauce. The steaks were both cooked perfectly with a nice taste of char on the edges. I did try the steak plain before diving into the toppings and I do think it could have been a bit more seasoned. I swear I am not trying to nitpick, sometimes I feel like steaks are just not quite seasoned enough for my liking. I will also add that this is not my first rodeo, so I have had Oscar Style before. The hollandaise sauce was very good. It had a great consistency and a nice lemon tang. The asparagus was tender and sliced thin which I appreciated vs full asparagus spears. The lump crab was sweet and delicious though I do prefer king crab which I have seen done in the past, especially for the amount of money. 8.5/10

Sides: The Mac and Cheese was awesome. I love me some cavatappi and the mix of gouda and cheddar cheeses made for a very creamy sauce. 9/10 The waiter saw me eyeing the fresh baked popovers that were part of the Sunday Roast Beef Special and snuck me one but I gotta say....it was extremely dry and disappointing

Overall, this was a very good dinner. If you are looking for a more upscale dining experience this is definitely a cool spot to check out but I do think there are better fancy restaurants with better...

So I took my girlfriend here for her birthday a little while ago. We don't come to joints like this very often, but it was her birthday and we love steak more than your average person, so we went for it. We got there and everyone was super polite and friendly. We got seated and we had a football placed in front of us that was apparently the menu that Don Shula actually distributed when his restaurants opened back in the day. Talk about awesome nostalgia.

Before we ordered anything, we got some complimentary bread and butter, which was good. We also got treated to our server showing us their meant cart, which housed all of their cuts of meat that we could browse and see what sizes of steak we were getting ourselves into.

After the awesome meat cart, we ordered our appetizer, the Pan Seared Sea Scallops (Served over Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes with a Truffle Ponzu Ragout). The scallops were perfectly cooked and about the right size for the price at a place like this. The creaminess of the mashed potatoes were a good match.

So then we ordered our steaks. I got the 24-ounce Porterhouse, and she got the 12-ounce Filet Mignon. We got the Fresh Asparagus Spears (grilled) and the Mashed Potatoes (Roasted Garlic and Butter) for side items.

My porterhouse was everything a porterhouse should be. There was a nice, juicy New York strip on one side, and a tender, succulent filet on the other. It was very well seasoned, which is a very big deal in the steak world. Too many people don't season their steaks right. Also, the cook was supposed to be medium rare, but what I got was like a medium-medium rare. It was a little over, but barely over. I don't know. Just a hiccup on their part. It was still delicious.

My girlfriend's filet, however, was the true star of the show. It was perfectly medium rare, and the seasoning was dynamite. It was so tender. People abuse the term 'melts in your mouth' so much that I can't even impress you by saying that anymore, but it did. It really did. Best piece of steak I have eaten in almost a decade.

The sides were good, too. The potatoes were without lumps and super buttery and garlicky. Yum. The asparagus was charred just enough to be delicious, and just salty enough, too.

We ordered the Chocolate Soufflé for dessert, and it came with a cute little Happy Birthday on the plate. It was out of this world delicious. It was my first ever souffle, and it was awesome. Light, fluffy, decadent, rich, but not heavy. So good. It came with ice cream and a chocolate syrup and other things to customize each and every bite.

The food was perfect, the service was Disney as always, the atmosphere was really fancy, and the value was, well, the four dollar signs that this...

Shula’s offer an extraordinary dining experience from the moment you check in. The ambiance is upscale yet warm and inviting. Alex and his team is knowledgeable and professional, not just about menu offerings as would be expected, but are also able to provide wine pairing suggestions based on the diner’s palate. I’ve been able to show my server Tyler examples of my favorite wines and every bottle he recommended has been exactly what I was looking for. Shula’s boasts a dining room large enough to span three distinct areas while simultaneously providing the feel of privacy and exclusivity; I’ve yet to have a “bad” table. Shula’s also offer bar seating and a smaller dining area which does not require reservations. The food is without a doubt one of the most exquisite meals I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying. It’s a steakhouse and one expects quality steak at a fine dining restaurant but you cannot mentally prepare for the level of expertise and care poured into the preparation of the meal. Each of our steaks were cooked as ordered and the accompaniments are just that, not mere side dishes. My children, who refuse to eat anything green, cleans the plate of creamy spinach. The accompaniments are large enough to share allowing for each of us to indulge in multiple tastings. With a meal so expertly prepared one can only imagine the dessert offerings. Here you will not find frozen, pre-heated, or garden variety treats..the molten lava cake, creme brûlée, and sponge cake (not official name) will make you hold all desserts to a higher standard. As if that’s not enough, Shula’s has an extensive wine cellar to satisfy any wine lover or aficionado but take it from me, do not leave without experiencing the blueberry martini 🍸Vegetarians have a home at Shula’s also as they offer a vegetarian friendly pasta dish. I fell in love with Shula’s after my first visit and it is now my first choice when dining with special friends…I’ve even booked my daughter’s birthday dinner with Shula’s. You absolutely will not be...