Steakhouse 71 – Lunch

At Disney’s Contemporary Resort are several dining options, with one being Steakhouse 71. There really isn’t much to look at on the outside of the restaurant. In fact, it just looks like another hallway off the lobby with a sign over it.

As you venture down the walkway into the restaurant, you will see some pretty awesome photos of Disney from its construction and history. It’s great to see some of these initial moments if you are a Disney fan.

Inside the restaurant it’s a casual, yet upscale feel. Certainly not a fine dining establishment, but it doesn’t feel theme park or cheap at all. As we sad down for lunch, I was given the gluten-free menu to explore, as you see below.

I was not overwhelmed with the choices at first. There were more things that I couldn’t have than what I could have. As the server came over, I learned that the soup of the day was a potato soup and it was gluten free. I then asked what was a recommended dish. After some discussion, the server recommended the steak frites and the prime rib sandwich. I struggled to choose, but went with the steak frites.

I ordered my steak medium, and it was cooked to perfection. It’s a hanger steak, which had a great flavor to it with the course salt that was on top to finish it. The fries were waffle fries and were nice and crispy. While they gave me a sauce for the fries that was gluten-free, I wasn’t a fan. In fact, the fries were underwhelming at best. There was little Parmesan on top of the fries. I think I counted 3 fries that actually had it. But the truffle aioli didn’t make them much better.

So while I would highly recommend the steak, I wouldn’t get your hopes up with the fries. It might be worth swapping to a different side altogether if you can. As I ate, I did see the prime rib sandwich come out. I do wish I had tried it instead, and plan to go back and try it one day soon!