Ale and Compass Review (Dinner and Lunch at Disney’s Yacht Club)

It’s no secret that Ale and Compass at Disney’s Yacht Club is one of our favorite hidden gems at Walt Disney World. We enjoy it so much that we dine here multiple times a year. In this Ale and Compass Restaurant review, we’ll preview a recent lunch and several past dinners. Since we’ve dined here for each meal period, we have a separate review of breakfast at Ale and Compass that covers most of the menu items.

Ale and Compass is off the lobby of Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. For lunch, the restaurant is open between 11:45 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Then, for dinner, it reopens from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

We began dining at Ale and Compass many years ago when it was known as The Captain’s Grille. Back then, we stayed at the Yacht or Beach Club for vacation and would eat at the restaurant several times during each trip.

Ale and Compass Review (Lunch)

When my sister was here over the summer, we visited Magic Kingdom to see the Festival of the Fantasy Parade. After the noon parade, we had no plans other than to park hop to Epcot. Of course, we had to wait until 2:00 p.m. because of the silly park-hopping rule Disney was enforcing at the time.

So I suggested we take a bus from Magic Kingdom to Disney’s Yacht Club and have lunch at Ale and Compass. Of course, we didn’t have a reservation, but I was fairly certain we could score one or at least join the walk-up list. After checking the My Disney Experience app, I found a reservation. One of the best things about Ale and Compass is that they often have availability. However, they usually offer the option to join a walk-up list if there is no availability. If you join the walk-up, you will be notified when your table is ready.

For starters, we ordered the Parker House Rolls with spreads. The rolls come with three spreads: citrus butter, bacon jam, and pub cheese.

Our rolls were served warm, fresh out of the oven. They were sprinkled with sea salt and a touch of herbs.

My favorite spread was the pub cheese, but the bacon jam and citrus butter were also delicious. These rolls are an excellent way to start your meal. I wouldn’t hesitate to order them again. Instead of an entree, I ordered another appetizer. For my main course, I had the jumbo lump crab cake, which turned out to be two crab cakes.

As you can see, I had more than enough food, between the crab cakes and a few rolls. My order of crab cakes came with stone-ground mustard cream, lemon emulsion, succotash, and greens.

If you enjoy crab cakes, consider ordering this dish as a meal. It is only available on the lunch menu. My sister went with the Ale and Compass’s Fish and Chips, which, like my crab cakes, are only available on the lunch menu.

She received two pieces of fish and a substantial serving of fries. A lemon caper tartar sauce was served on the side.

I might have to order these on my next visit. That crispy batter was finger-licking good.

By the end of our meal, we were full and ready to head to Epcot. Since Yacht Club is in the Epcot Resorts Area, we could walk from the hotel to the International Gateway entrance. Overall, we had an excellent meal that didn’t break the budget, and we couldn’t have asked for a more convenient location.

Ale and Compass Review (Dinner)

On our last visit to Ale and Compass for dinner, I was joined by my friend Kristen from Firefly Travels. We stayed at the Waldorf Astoria and decided to grab a meal somewhere near Epcot. We planned to have dinner and walk into Epcot to see the fireworks. Unfortunately, we were both pretty worn out after our meal and never made it to Epcot.

We were both hungry when we arrived at Ale and Compass. We were heading to Jamaica the next day to attend a travel conference. We were both ready for a warm meal when we got to Ale and Compass for dinner. For starters, Kristen ordered the blue crab bisque.

This order of chowder was rich and creamy, with luscious bites of crab. I went with an appetizer, the roasted buffalo-style cauliflower. This dish comes with hearts of Romaine and herbed ranch sauce.

Overall, I liked the cauliflower but felt it was too spicy. Kristen tried some, and she thought it was delicious but way too hot. Perhaps we received an over-seasoned dish? As someone who loves spicy food, I can usually force myself to enjoy it with the heat. However, that was not the case with this dish. You might have better luck.

Next, Kristen ordered truffle fries that came with roasted shallot mayonnaise.

Oh my goodness! Thankfully, she was happy to share them. They were SO GOOD. Our order of fries was perfectly cooked and seasoned with the right amount of herbs. They were the kind of fries with bits and pieces of skin left on them. Additionally, the fries were perfectly doused with the right amount of truffle oil and dusted with parmesan cheese.

Aside from all of that goodness, the fries came with a special dipping sauce. I don’t like mayonnaise, so I didn’t try it. Since I wrote this review, I’ve found another location to order truffle fries at Disney World: the Enchanted Rose Lounge at Grand Floridian. These are probably my favorite because they’re steak fries, but you can’t go wrong with either option.

Lastly, we ordered the bacon and Vermont cheddar burger to share. Our server brought a knife and an extra plate so we could share.

Our meal provides a nice example of ordering several menu items and dividing the cost among friends or family. Sometimes, it’s tough to narrow down the menu to one item. So, get together and see what others in your group might want. Then, combine those items to make a meal. Often, each item is more than large enough to share between multiple people, like this huge, juicy burger. Unfortunately, the picture doesn’t do the size justice.

Ale and Compass’s signature burger features caramelized onion on a Parker House bun. It also came with applewood-smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and herb mayonnaise. We ordered ours without the mayo.

Our burger came out a perfect medium-well and full of flavor. We both enjoyed it and felt like it was an excellent option for anyone wanting a traditional menu item. I would order everything except the cauliflower dish again. However, I want to try the New England Seafood Pot Pie next time.

As for Ale and Compass, I’m sure it won’t be long until my next visit. We eat here more than any other restaurant at Walt Disney World. If you decide to try a meal here, I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we do.

For other dining at Disney World, you might enjoy these recommendations:

• Our Disney World Character Dining Guide
• The Best Restaurants at Disney Springs
• The Entire List of Quick Service Restaurants at Disney World
• Understanding the Disney Dining Plan

In the Comments

What are your thoughts about this lunch and dinner review of Ale and Compass? Have you ever had a meal here? Share your thoughts below–good or bad.