Ale & Compass is a Pleasant Surprise in Disney World

If you are looking for a quality meal to enjoy with your table service credits during your visit to Walt Disney World, you should consider Ale and Compass. Here is a review of dinner at the restaurant that surprised us with how good it turned out to be!

Table Service Dining in Disney World

One of the things that people enjoy about spending time in Walt Disney World is that there are a variety of dining options to indulge in. Disney World doesn’t just offer typical amusement park fast-food options. There are plenty of full-service restaurants, and lots of them are very good!

And, while you hear a lot about restaurants like Be Our Guest, Le Cellier, and Space 220, some of Disney’s best restaurants are the ones you don’t hear much about at all. Some of our favorite hidden gems among the Kenny the Pirate Team include Sebastian’s, Flying Fish, Grand Floridian Cafe, and Toledo, and now we have another great option for you!

Ale & Compass Restaurant

Ale & Compass Restaurant is a Table Service Restaurant at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. It serves a breakfast that offers both a la carte and buffet options. And, it also boasts a surprisingly delicious dinner menu!

If you are looking for something delicious to eat without the signature restaurant price tag, this is a very good option for you! It is also a relatively easy dining reservation to get.

Getting to Ale & Compass

Getting to Ale & Compass is convenient if you stay at EPCOT area resorts such as the Yacht Club, Beach Club, Board Walk, or the Swan & Dolphin. However, you can also get to it easily from Art of Animation, Pop Century, Caribbean Beach Resort, or Riviera by way of the Disney Skyliner.

Lastly, it is relatively easy to get to if you visit EPCOT for the day. Exit at International Gateway and head to Yacht Club.

However, if you are not staying on the Skyliner, you will need to devise a way to get back to your resort if you don’t make it back into EPCOT prior to the park’s closure. Once EPCOT closes, you can’t re-enter to walk through and to the front of the park to get to the Monorail or the parking lot.

Ambiance

The restaurant is stately and nautical-themed. The decor is an upgrade from the previous restaurant (if anyone remembers The Captain’s Grille.) The lounge next door is especially beautiful.

It is a calm, quiet place to dine. Perhaps this is in-part because the color palate is akin to the ocean. My travel party and I (Kate) didn’t notice much noise at all during our early dinner. It made for a peaceful meal.

Starters

One minor disappointment associated with dining at table service restaurants in Walt Disney World is that there are fewer and fewer restaurants that offer complementary bread. Ale & Compass is one of these. It offers a bread service called Parker House Rolls and Spreads at an additional charge.

We decided to try it because it sounded very good. Also, the people at the table next to us had ordered it, and they told us we needed it. I was sufficiently influenced.

This was a very good little bread service. The Parker House rolls are salty and yummy and goodbye themselves. However, they also come with 3 spreads to try. These are Bacon Jam, Pub Cheese, and Citrus Butter. All three spreads are good, but my favorite is the Citrus Butter.

I could easily enjoy a meal here again without this bread service. But, if you love bread with a meal, this service will not disappoint. It is a nice touch.

One of my travel companions also ordered the Blue Crab Soup. He reported that this soup was deliciously rich and creamy. It was one of his favorite dishes of our entire trip.

Entrees

For my entree, I ordered the New York Strip. It is prepared with Maître d’Hôtel Butter and served with Truffle Fries, House-made Steak Sauce, and Watercress Salad.

I was a bit worried about it since the last strip streak I tried in Disney World was terrible (See a review of that meal HERE). However, this steak was flavorful, tender enough, and delicious.

Not only was the steak well prepared, but the sides were good, as well. The truffle fries were crisp and rich with flavor. And, the watercress salad was fresh and contrasted perfectly with the beef.

Meanwhile, my husband had the catch of the day. This was fish served with a Pan-fried Saffron-Risotto Cake and Fire-roasted Tomato-Pepper Sauce.

It was light, well-prepared, and yummy. It is a great dish for someone who is hungry, but doesn’t want to have anything heavy before an evening of fun at the parks.

Kids’ Options

We enjoy dining in Disney restaurants with our kids. Part of the reason our kids like table service dining is the entree options typically come with 2 sides.

More often than not, one of those sides can be a dessert. This is nice because a dessert in the parks can cost over $6, which can add up. Ale & Compass is one such restaurant that offers 2 sides.

Both of our children ordered cheeseburgers. They reported that these burgers were good. I had a taste and agree they are good quality for kids’ menu cheeseburgers.

One asked for a side of corn. The other asked for macaroni and cheese.

If you wonder what sort of mac n cheese is served, we have you covered. The noodles are not typical macaroni noodles. They are curly, large pieces of pasta. It’s good, it just isn’t a macaroni noodle, so if that is the only type of macaroni your child will eat, urge them to select something else.

Desserts

The kids’ desserts were delightful. One of the children had a chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich.

his was listed as an ice cream sandwich, but in reality, it is vanilla ice cream between two soft cookies. It also features sprinkles and a festive candy topping.

The other ordered the Honey-Marshmallow S’mores. This dessert is a very creative and fun dish, and it is similar to something I would expect to find on the kids’ menu at a signature restaurant.

It is a fluffy, toasty marshmallow served atop a graham disk. Inside, is glorious melty chocolate, and it is garnished with chocolate as well. My child was gracious enough to let me taste it for research purposes, and it is a winner. I am not particularly fond of marshmallows, but this was delicious.

Overall

If you are looking for a nice quiet dinner that won’t break the bank if you are paying out of pocket, Ale & Compass is a great place for a bite. If you are staying in one of the EPCOT area resorts or on the Skyliner, consider adding it to your meal line-up! It is a solid choice.

Giving Ale & Compass a chance is a good idea!

Have you ever been to Ale & Compass? What did you think of it? Let us know in the comments. And be sure to pass this review along so your family and friends know what to eat when they visit the magic.