Bourbon Steak at Disney’s Dolphin
An Honest Review So You Know What You May Expect
Trip Jar’s Travel Blog | gettripjar.com
We’re going to tell you exactly what happened when we had dinner at Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin because that’s what Trip Jar does. We were genuinely excited about this meal. We left angry. Here’s the full story.
The Setup
Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina opened at the Swan and Dolphin in late 2024, replacing Shula’s Steakhouse, a Disney institution that had been there for decades. Michael Mina is a James Beard Award-winning chef with acclaimed restaurants across the country. The concept here is a traditional American steakhouse built around butter-poached steaks, an extensive bourbon selection, signature duck-fat fries, and a high-end cocktail program.
On paper, it’s exactly what you want from a signature steakhouse on Disney property. We made reservations for 6:15 PM on a Friday night, dressed nicely, and walked in genuinely excited.
What They Do Well
Let’s be fair, because there are real highlights here.
The space is beautiful with a dark, moody, proper steakhouse atmosphere. The cocktail program is a legitimate strength. Jodie’s tequila espresso martini was excellent. My old fashioned was exactly what it should be. If you’re stopping in just for drinks, you won’t be disappointed.
The complimentary duck-fat fries they brought to the table with three varieties, paprika, herb, and truffle, were genuinely good. Honestly, the best bite of the night. Which, at a $400 dinner, tells you something.
Our server Al had real knowledge about the menu about the cuts, the wagyu sourcing, and the preparation. That part was impressive.
What Went Wrong
The Béarnaise sauce was unpalatably salty. Not “a little heavy on the salt” but unpalatably, objectively wrong. Jodie loves salt. I love salt. This wasn’t a palate issue. Something went wrong in that kitchen.
It wasn’t isolated. The filet was over-salted on its own. The loaded baked potato was over-salted. Multiple dishes, one consistent problem.
When we flagged it to Al, we were not offered a replacement sauce but received a vague apology. The manager didn’t come out. The chef did not come out. Nothing was removed from the bill, not the Béarnaise, not the $75 filet it ruined, not the $120 wagyu New York strip. Instead, they sent us a complimentary slice of cheesecake.
A cheesecake. For a $400 dinner with a broken central component.
The Room
We were a couple celebrating a night out, staying at the Swan, dressed for a nice dinner. They seated us in a family dining room next to a table of children on iPads for the duration of the meal.
This is Disney property. Families are everywhere and they absolutely belong here. But a restaurant at this price point should have the awareness to separate couples’ dining from family seating when possible. The ambience they’re selling and the ambience we experienced were two entirely different things.
The Bottom Line
Bourbon Steak has a gorgeous room, a great bar program, and genuinely good duck-fat fries. The potential is real. But the food execution on our visit was a significant failure, and the response to that failure was inadequate.
At $150–200 per person with cocktails and a shared side, you deserve food that’s been tasted before it leaves the kitchen, and a real acknowledgment when something goes wrong.
We won’t be going back.
Where to Go Instead
If you’re on Disney property and want a genuinely great steak, here’s where we’d send you:
Steakhouse 71 at Disney’s Contemporary Resort — consistently excellent, great atmosphere, and one of the better values on property.
The Yachtsman Steakhouse at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort — a classic Disney steakhouse that holds its standard night after night.
Le Cellier at EPCOT’s Canada Pavilion — the cheddar cheese soup alone is worth the reservation, and the steaks are outstanding.
All three are worth every dollar. Bourbon Steak, on our visit, was not.
Trip Jar is a travel super app for families. We tell you the truth about where we eat or stay so you can spend your money on things that are actually worth it. Learn more at gettripjar.com.