WDW 50th Anniversary Highlight: Steakhouse 71

To celebrate its’ 50th Anniversary, the team at Walt Disney World have come up with a lot of new experiences, including events, attractions, merchandise, and even dining experiences. One of these new dining experiences is Steakhouse 71, a new restaurant located at the Contemporary Resort (itself being one of the three original resorts that opened in October, 1971). When I was down at WDW for the the 50th Anniversary Weekend, my friends and I were able to secure a reservation to eat there… and I am so glad we did.

 

Steakhouse 71 is inspired by the former Steakhouse 55 restaurant that permanently closed earlier this year over at the Disneyland Hotel. This location at the Contemporary Resort  was once home to The Wave restaurant. The menu went from a healthier, fresh menu to a casual, family-friendly steakhouse menu, and the 71 is in celebration of the opening year of Walt Disney World.

I will be honest, I never ate at this location when it was called The Wave. However, looking at the décor of Steakhouse 71, it’s a very inviting atmosphere and definitely celebrates 1971 and the building of Walt Disney World.

 

Even though the bulk of the menu has changed, one appetizer from the menu at The Wave that I was happy that stayed (because I never got to try it) was in fan favorite Bacon & Eggs, which is Maple-lacquered Pork Belly, Smoked Cheese Grits, Perfect Egg. My friend Matt and I each got it for our appetizer, and my friend Stephanie got the French Onion Soup. All were thoroughly enjoyed.

 

Now, for dinner, they do have some non-steak options for entrees. But who are we kidding. We were there for the steak. Each steak option comes with one side and one sauce. Sides include garlic-mashed potatoe, au gratin potatoes, macaroni & cheese, creamed spinach, seared broccolini, red wine-glazed mushrooms, and charred asparagus. We will get to the sauce selections in a bit.

 

We each got a different cut of meat and side.

 

 

 

As far as the sauces are concerned, Steakhouse 71 offers a special Sauce Tasting add-on to the meal, which is currently not listed on the menu. As soon as they said it was an option, I jumped on it seeing as I was on the fence on which sauce to get in the first place.

 

I would most definitely recommend getting this sampler if it is offered. My favorites were the wild mushroom, béarnaise, and the horseradish cream. We were told that the chimichurri was a very popular selection. I agree that it is good, but I feel like it’s the same sauce I have had in other locations at Walt Disney World, like with the “secret menu” cheese bread appetizer at Skipper Canteen in Magic Kingdom.

 

One of the things we were excited to have was their signature dessert, the Steakhouse 71 Chocolate Cake. However, even though our waiter tried earlier in the meal, he wasn’t able to secure the last slice for the night. As an apology, the management treated the three of us to the Ambrosia (Coconut Chiffon Cake, Mandarin Curd, Compressed Pineapple) on the house. It was quite refreshing, and a great spin on an outdated dessert.

 

Additionally, since my friend Matt was going to be back at the resort in the morning, they invited him to come back to get a piece of chocolate cake to go (not on the house). So, he went and got the piece of cake, and then he and I crossed paths at Disney Springs to try it. While I didn’t get good pics of it (as it was in a to go box and a bit mangled), it was pretty delicious. I will definitely try and get it the next time I am at Steakhouse 71.

 

 

Yup, you read right. I will be back. This has become one of my new favorite restaurants in Walt Disney World (one of the Top Five for sure), and probably a place where I will try to reserve a table whenever I am down at WDW on vacation.

 

Have you been able to eat at Steakhouse 71 yet? If so, what are your thoughts? If not, are you excited to try it out the next time you are there? Let me know in the comments below.