Ale and Compass Dining Review at Disney’s Yacht Club

The Ale & Compass Restaurant took the spot of Captain’s Grille at the Yacht Club in Walt Disney World. The menu does offer a nice mix of options but does have a heavy emphasis on seafood. Let’s take a look at our full Ale and Compass dining review.

Ale and Compass Quick Breakdown

• Service: Sit Down
• Type of Food: Steak, Seafood, Vegetarian
• Price: $$$
• Location: Yacht and Beach Club
• Disney Dining Plan: Yes, 1 Credit
• Discounts: Annual Passholder, Tables in Wonderland
• Good For: Quiet quick meal
• Menu: Official Disney Menu

A Tour Around Ale and Compass

A look at the inside of Ale and Compass restaurant at the Yacht Club.

The interior of Ale and Compass has a modern nautical feel. Some complain it was lacking design, but I love the contemporary vibe this has inside. However, I must agree it doesn’t really match the traditional feel of the rest of the resort.

The main room has a direct look into the front of the kitchen.

Here is an up-close look at the kitchen at Ale and Compass. In the back, you can see the pizza ovens.

Dishes from Ale and Compass

Here is a look at the dishes we tried from our various dinners at Ale and Compass.

Parker House Rolls and Spreads

We decided to start our meal with some bread and spreads. This is the Parker House Rolls and Spreads. The spread options include Bacon Jam, Pub Cheese, and Citrus Butter. The pub cheese reminded me of like a Lunchables spreadable cheese but with a bit more flavor and class. Just the color and consistency threw me off at first look. The Bacon Jam is amazing, basically just a mix of caramelized onions and bacon bits. Lastly, the Citrus Butter was a knock you over orange flavor.

Short Rib “French Dip” Flatbread

This flatbread pizza is topped with Braised Short Rib, Marinara, Sweet Peppers, Cheddar, Herb Ranch, Arugula, Grilled Lemon Juice, Chili Flake, Au Jus. It’s not only great as shareable starter but it also works as a meal. The short rib is so flavorful and just as good as the main dish of it served here.

Four Cheese Ravioli

I opted to go with four-cheese ravioli with a butternut squash pureé, sautéed mushrooms, and sage-brown butter. This dish was absolutely excellent even if you aren’t a mushroom lover like my husband he enjoyed it sans mushroom.

Rib Eye Steak

The steak is topped with Herb Butter and served with a side of truffle fries, and watercress salad. The steak was huge and cooked to a perfect medium temperature. My husband wasn’t crazy about the french fries but I thought they were fantastic. How can you not like truffle fries?

‘Brick’ Lemon-Herb Half Chicken

Here is the ‘Brick’ Lemon-Herb Half Chicken. It is served with Duck Fat-roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Broccolini, Sautéed Wild Mushroom, and Pan Jus. It was good, I was overwhelmed in amazement over the dish. I personally in the future will skip this one and go for one of the other menu items. 

New York Angus Strip

On another visit back to Ale and Compass we discovered they had changed the steak option to a 10-oz New York Angus Strip. It was amazingly good though so no disappointments here. Packed with flavor, I am sure the giant pile of butter they had melting on the top just helped this cause.

New England Seafood Pot Pie

The New England Seafood Pot Pie was another highly recommended dish at the restaurant and one of our guests was convinced. It got two thumbs up for presentation and taste.  

Inside the pie is Shrimp, Scallops, Jumbo Lump Crab, and Sustainable Catch of the Day with Baby Carrots, Pearl Onions, Peas, Potatoes, Crustacean Cream, and topped with a massive with a Flaky Crust.

The seafood pot pie came out very hot (temperature-wise) – definitely scalded my tongue on the first few bites. It was divine with just the right blend of veggies to seafood and the cream sauce was decadent without being heavy.

Cabernet-braised Short Ribs

Another top dish recommendation for Ale and Compass is the Cabernet-braised Short Ribs with Roasted Vegetable Mash and Barbecue Demi. By the end of this meal, the plate was entirely wiped clean. I was definitely a little jealous on the inside that I didn’t order this dish myself. I suppose that’s always a good excuse to go back and eat here again. 

Pappardelle Pasta with Shrimp

This pasta comes with Spinach, Sautéed Mushrooms, Rebel Tomatoes, Roasted Garlic Cream, and Citrus Gremolata. I asked to sub out the shrimp with chicken and they said they could do that easily!

Desserts at Ale and Compass

Peanut Butter & Jelly

Let’s start with the strangest dessert of the night, the item called Peanut Butter & Jelly. This is a Peanut Butter Mousse, Grape Jelly, and Peanut Crunch. It didn’t go over well with my husband. He was hoping for more a peanut butter dessert. He said it ended up being just what it said a classic PB&J. I personally must have been scarred as a child since I can’t stand the taste of peanut butter and jelly.

Twelve Layer Chocolate Cake

Being a die-hard chocolate fan I went right for the twelve layer chocolate cake. It was in my opinion maybe too much chocolate. I could hardly even finish a quarter of this cake it ended up being so rich. 

Trio of Puddings

Our guests opted for the Trio of Puddings. The sampling included chocolate, blackberry, and butterscotch with mix-ins. The butterscotch pudding was by far our favorite and paired perfectly with the ladyfingers, meringue cookies, and chocolate wafers.

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Ale and Compass Dining Review Recommendation

We thought Ale and Compass was a great option for those who are staying close by. It’s not as good as the Yachtsmen Steakhouse but it also costs a lot less and will help on your Disney food budget. You may want to skip this option if you are looking for a highly themed restaurant or if your party isn’t a big fan of seafood.