The Turf Club Bar and Grill at Disney’s Saratoga Springs

By Memory Maker Diva

The Turf Club Bar and Grill at Disney’s Saratoga Springs is not usually a place I think of eating while I am at the Walt Disney World® Resort.  It is off the beaten path, and usually I am too busy going to all of the Parks to think about going to a different resort to eat.  However, this past spring my husband and I were in Orlando and not going into the Parks (gasp!!) and so we decided to check out some “out of the way” places for our meals, and Turf Club was one of them.

The entire resort is themed after the turn-of-the-century Upstate New York equestrian town, and the restaurant continues with the theme.  Located in the main building, past the check-in reception area, the restaurant looks like a racetrack clubhouse complete with vintage equestrian memorabilia. There are photos of jockeys and their horses, antique riding gear and old racing articles.  The lounge area has a bar and pool table, and the restaurant itself is decorated with dark woods which give it a sophisticated feel.  In addition, there is a very large covered patio, which overlooks the Lake Buena Vista Golf Course, Lake Buena Vista and the Downtown Disney Area.  We sat outside and found it to be incredibly relaxing!!  Diva TIP:  It can get buggy outside after a rainstorm, but otherwise it is not a problem.

The Turf Club Bar and Grill is only open for dinner, and has a menu which features a range of items from pasta to fish to chicken to beef – so there should be something for everyone!

Our server, Houda, greeted us and brought out some very delicious and warm rolls with tasty maple butter.  Since we both have some food allergies, the chef, Mace, also came to our table to go over the menu and personally take our orders (I love that about Disney – they really take food allergies seriously).

For an appetizer we ordered the Baked Brie with Prosciutto and Raspberries, and it was out-of-this-world delicious!  If it was socially acceptable to lick the plate, I think I would have, it was THAT good!

For dinner, I had the Crispy Free-Range Chicken Breast, which came with a Three-Cheese Casserole (think fancy Mac and Cheese).  The chicken was excellent – moist, tender, and the perfect amount of crispiness.  The Mac and Cheese was also very tasty – I just wish I hadn’t eaten so much of the Baked Brie with Prosciutto and Raspberries (did I mention how good that was?!?) so I could have finished my dinner!

 

My husband ordered the Grilled New York Strip, which came with Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes, and Lobster Fondue.  Unfortunately, this is where the problem came in.  He likes his steaks done with a bright red but warm center, and the first two times his steaks came out overdone.  The third time they did get the temperature right, and he said that it had a great flavor, but it was chewy.  The potatoes were excellent, and the green beans were very good, but unfortunately that didn’t make up for the issues with the steak.  And for almost $32, I would have expected a better steak.  The Cast Members were very accommodating and apologetic about the overcooked issue, but it still would have been nicer to just have it done right the first time instead.

 

Some other items that looked good on the menu, but we didn’t try, include a Crab Cake with Sweet Chili and Garlic Aïoli, Tomato Bisque topped with Herbed Goat Cheese, and Steamed Mussels for appetizers and Mint-crusted Lamb Chops and Root Beer Brined Pork Chops for the main portion.  That Root Beer Brine sounds really interesting to me – perhaps on our next visit!

The portions at The Turf Club Bar and Grill are a healthy size, so although they have a nice variety of tasty looking desserts, we were too full to try any of them (again, did I mention how good the appetizer was??!!??).  Here are some of the yummy options they offer:  Cheesecake with a Seasonal Topping, Warm Seasonal Fruit Crisp with Streusel Topping and Vanilla Ice Cream, Maple Pot de Crème with Almond Praline, and a Chocolate Espresso Torte.  We saw several other guests thoroughly enjoying their desserts, so I would say that they were a hit!

Overall, I would recommend heading over to The Turf Club Bar and Grill at Disney’s Saratoga Springs and checking it out for yourself.  It is a great place to stop in after a round of golf, or on a down day from the Parks.