Disney’s Steakhouse 71 Restaurant at the Contemporary

When it was announced the Wave inside Disney’s Contemporary was closing, I was sad as I always enjoyed The Wave: Taste of American Flavors. However like Disney World itself, nothing stays the same. The replacement being a new table service restaurant, a steakhouse named Steakhouse 71.

The first thought that struck me was “Oh no, not another”. Let me tell you right now, my reaction should have been, “WOW! Disney did it again!”.

Steakhouse 71 Restaurant

Steakhouse 71 was named for the year Disney’s Contemporary resort opened. This is also the opening year of Walt Disney World. This is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and has a separate menu for all three meals. There is also a Steakhouse 71 lounge in the restaurant with its own menu.

So no matter the time of day, you should have plenty of choices for those picky eaters. Before we get into the food, let’s talk about the environment.

Steakhouse 71 Decor

With the remodel and expansion project of the Contemporary completed, you will see the mid-modern refresh throughout. It has a nice Florida flair to it with Orange Bird and citrus groves mixed into the decor. There is a waiting area outside of Steakhouse 71, that looks like it’s straight out of the TV show the Brady Bunch era with the design style of the 1970s with a modern twist.

The photos on the wall as you walk through the entrance are of none other than the “Florida Project” that would ultimately be Walt Disney World. My first impression is it has a Shula’s feel to it, but instead of football, it’s Disney. So mixed with the delicious smell of the food coming out, I was in heaven already.

Breakfast at Steakhouse 71

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and you’re going to need energy when you’re about to rope drop Magic Kingdom and hit the theme parks hard. There are plenty of options at Steakhouse 71. Meals are reasonably priced for this upscale dining room setting, with most meals not exceeding $21.

Like other places, you can get Mickey-shaped Waffles here of course, but I have a few dishes that I highly recommend:

• Walt’s Prime Rib Hash – Inspired by one of Walt’s favorites, the hash is fried potatoes, seared prime rib, caramelized onions, peppers, and topped with a perfect egg.
• The Steakhouse Feast – Eggs benedict, scrambled or fried eggs, a mickey waffle, fried potatoes, bacon cheddar grits, fresh fruit, bacon and sausage.
• Steakhouse 71 Seasonal Pancakes – These pancakes change seasonally. There have been blueberry-lemon, pumpkin pecan, and strawberry cheesecake. These are served with a choice of meat.

I can’t help but remiss the famous dishes of cheese grits and sweet potato pancakes the Wave used to serve, but it’s time to try something new. The grits here were still delicious, and the hollandaise sauce was light, fresh and delicious over the previous one served by the Wave.

Walt’s Hash is something a bit different for breakfast and I thoroughly enjoyed how full it made me without the overeating of too many breakfast pastries from the previous buffet offering here.

Other options that you may enjoy are the Avocado Toast, Floridian Eggs Benedict with lump crab cakes and the Steak and Eggs.

Lunch at Steakhouse 71

An afternoon treat of meat and light carbs refuel is a great thing when you Rope Drop at the Magic Kingdom. The waffle fries are served a bit crispy here, so warning to those that enjoy Chick-Fil-A fries which come a big softer.

That said, the chimichurri sauce complimented the steak well, and seared just right. I recommend the steak frites, but there is one thing I’d recommend over that…and it’s the Steakhouse 71 Stack Burger!

This burger was the highlight of my last trip. A good burger is hard to beat, and again Disney knows what they are doing. With a high quality signature blend of beef cooked with a good sear with melty American cheese on it, this is a must try.

The Steakhouse 71 Stack Burger is special because not only does it come on a toasted brioche bun, it has maple-lacquered pork belly on it as well. It is also served with red onion, house-made pickles and lemon aïoli.

The fries are a step up, but again they are crispy fries (which I love). So you might have to drown them for a bit in ketchup to get them to soften. You can also choose from pasta salad or a petite Caesar salad.

Dinner At Steakhouse 71

Now the time has come to discuss our favorite time of day: dinner! Dinner isn’t slouching when it comes to good eating. The wedge salads were delicious and highly Instagrammable. The rolls came out with a butter dish indicating the 71.

There is a full list of specialty cocktails, classic cocktails and a portfolio of Disney Family Wines.

The sauce flight with with a card explaining the different sauces was a great touch to add to our dishes.

Currently they have the following sauces available:

Red Wine Sauce: a Bordelaise inspired sauce featuring a Bordeaux style blend of wine that is reduced with a veal demi and finished with butter.

Whipped Horseradish Cream: cream infused with horseradish for 24 hours. Whipped with a touch of lemon juice and topped with chives.

Au Poive: A classic French peppercorn sauce that is prepared with peppercorn melange (black, white, pink and green peppercorns), brandy, cream, veal dmei and aromatics.

Chimichurri: Freshly chopped herbs and aromatics mixed with fine extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar.

Signature Steakhouse 71: A signature house made steak sauce featuring 20 different ingredients including: tamarind, tomato, dried fig, vinegars, anchovy and citrus peel.

Bearnaise: A popular derivative of the classic French Mother Sauce Hollandaise. Flavored with a tarragon vinegar reduction and freshly minced tarragon.

That said, I suggest Whipped Horseradish Cream, and the Signature Steakhouse 71 sauce.

Other Delicious Options

Are you paying attention for this next part? Order the Dry-Aged Bone-In Pork Chop. The steaks are delicious, don’t get me wrong. You won’t be sorry you order those delicious hunks of meat – but the pork chop had flavor and surprised me the most. I couldn’t stop eating it.

There have also been rave reviews on the French Onion Soup, the Steakhouse 71 Chopped Salad and the 8-oz Beef Tenderloin Medallions.

Final Thoughts On Steakhouse 71

Is your mouth watering yet? Is your advanced dining reservation booked for Steakhouse 71? After our visits, we will have to update and include it on the list of the best steakhouses at Disney World.

Overall, we loved this updated addition to the long line of restaurants on the Monorail Loop and think Disney hit it out of the park. I would love to find a reason to eat that Stack Burger every chance I could. I mean, calories don’t count in Disney, right?

If you want a more formal breakfast without characters, this is a no-brainer to try, especially from a value stand point. For lunch and Dinner, this is a great relaxing restaurant to hang out in the Contemporary. You can even take the escalator to watch some fireworks from the balcony at night.

I don’t like to eat at the same place twice in each trip, so I’d plan multiple trips accordingly. Skip dessert here, hope on the Monorail, and get a Dole Whip at the Polynesian before crawling into bed to enjoy your food coma.

My favorite menu items:

Breakfast: Walt’s Hash

Lunch: Steakhouse Stack Burger

Dinner: Bone-In Pork Chop

What did you think when you went? Will you go again? What did you order? Comment down below if this post was helpful to you.