Ale & Compass Breakfast Review
*This gluten free dining experience took place in September 2018. Notes about dairy free options and modifications are included in this post.
Breakfast at Ale & Compass
Ale & Compass, formerly known as Captain's Grille, is a table service restaurant located at Disney's Yacht Club Resort. Renovated in 2017, it offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a casual setting. On this particular occasion, I decided to stop by for breakfast before heading to Epcot for the International Food & Wine Festival to check out the gluten free offerings at the festival.
Atmosphere
Ale & Compass has a theme and atmosphere that is modern nautical chic. Everything is fairly simple and elegant.
Ale & Compass - Restaurant Interior / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
I do really like the tables and most of the seating -- although I was not as much of a fan of the booths. The booth seating in some areas of the restaurant are quite low and uncomfortable to sit in. The restaurant is also a bit dark inside. My recommendation is to ask for a seat near the exterior windows of the restaurant for a lot more light and brightness.
Ale & Compass - Restaurant Interior / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
I was seated near the middle of the restaurant. It wasn't all that busy. But, I did find that table spacing was quite close -- making it a bit more "cozy" when you dine (which can be a good and bad thing).
The Food
Like most Disney restaurants, Ale & Compass does carry an allergy-friendly breakfast menu. When I visited back in July, the menu was fairly large. But, when I stopped by this time, I noticed it had been really reduced. My guess is that they are trying to encourage guests to dine at the breakfast buffet that is newly being offered at Ale & Compass.
Ale & Compass - Menu / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
On my last visit, I spoke with a chef about gluten free options and was able to get the Eggs Benedict gluten free. On this visit, I knew I might be eating a lot at the Epcot Food & Wine Festival later in the day, so I decided to just get the American Breakfast which is marked as safe for Gluten/Wheat, Fish/Shellfish, Peanut/Tree Nut, and Soy Allergies. Interestingly, it does not mention dairy free, as you can easily modify the dish to be dairy free too.
If you are dairy free, I recommend speaking with a chef directly about options. I do know that the American Breakfast, Allergy-Friendly Mickey Waffles, and even a modified version of the Breakfast Protein Bowl can all be made dairy free.
Ale & Compass - Iced Tea / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
On a side note, this is the first dining experience I've had since the new "straws only upon request" policy. I have to say that they definitely did not think about the glasses used at Ale & Compass for beverages without straws. I found it actually a bit more difficult than I would have thought without a straw due to the shape of the glass. So, if you think you need a straw, do make sure to ask!
Ale & Compass - American Breakfast / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
My entree, American Breakfast came with Eggs Any-Style (I got them over-easy), breakfast potatoes or fruit (I chose potatoes), bacon, and a grilled tomato. When I asked my server about gluten free toast, he said he could include that in the dish as the regular non-allergy friendly version had a toast option.
Ale & Compass - Allergy Friendly toast / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Overall, I thought this was a perfectly fine breakfast. It wasn't anything fancy. But, all of the flavors tasted good, and everything was well cooked and seasoned. I do like that the breakfast potatoes are a combination of potatoes. The bacon was also very hearty, not the normal stringy bacon that you find so often at Disney restaurants.
For toast, I was served Udi's Gluten Free bread, which is both gluten free and dairy free. I also asked for Earth Balance vegan buttery spread too. There wasn't anything to write home about this -- though I was surprised they only gave me one slice of bread for my entree, instead of two. Typically, Disney does serve two pieces of special diets friendly bread with breakfast entrees.
Overall
Ale & Compass serves a solid, but just OK breakfast. The different breakfast entrees I have tried haven't been anything to write home about. But, they definitely were filling. Probably the biggest negative of breakfast at Ale & Compass is their limited a la carte menu. While I haven't tried the breakfast buffet yet, I'm guessing that it is pretty similar in options that you can find on the a la carte menu. Ale & Compass is the only non-character breakfast at the Epcot area resorts. While it may not be anything special, it's definitely a great option for those who want a low-key and quiet breakfast to start the day.
Have you been to Ale & Compass? What did you think of the breakfast options?
Ale & Compass -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Yacht Club Resort
*This gluten free dining experience took place in July 2018.
Breakfast at Ale & Compass
Ale & Compass Restaurant, formerly known as Captain's Grille, is a table service restaurant located at Disney's Yacht Club Resort. I've been wanting to dine here since the restaurant reopened in late 2017. And, I recently had the chance to finally get a meal here. On this particular occasion, I decided to stop by Ale & Compass for breakfast to check out their special dietary needs options.
Atmosphere
Ale & Compass received a serious overhaul from what it used to be as Captain's Grille. Gone is the drab 1990s nautical theme. And, now, it has a chic and modern feel to it.
One of the things that I noticed immediately upon entering the restaurant is that the restaurant had a lot of dark navy, gray, and white colors to the decor and theming. I do think that it was a little bit darker inside overall. But, the general decor is a major improvement.
The tables feature modern chairs and lots of bench seating. And, the restaurant's seating capacity is fairly large given that it's a bit off the beaten path.
I really loved the chairs, silverware, and mugs at the tables. Everything had a very modern and simple in design.
There is also a brightly lit main dining area, with side seating and other smaller rooms throughout the restaurant. I was seated near some of the window area and really enjoyed the brightly lit area. My only complaint would be the bench seating. I opted to sit in the bench seating side of my table to get a view of the dining area. Unfortunately, the benches by the exterior of the restaurant are quite low and not that comfortable. So, be warned, they aren't the coziest of benches.
The Food
Ale & Compass offers guests with special dietary needs an allergy-friendly breakfast menu. However, I definitely recommend still speaking with a chef. Not only can they go over the a la carte options for you, but they can also walk you through the newly added breakfast buffet. If you do choose to dine at the breakfast buffet, be sure to ask the chef for items from the kitchen directly to avoid cross-contamination.One of the things I noticed about the allergy-friendly breakfast menu is that there were not a lot of gluten free options marked. Chef David came to my table to speak with me about options. He did note that I could get allergy-friendly Mickey waffles and modify the Breakfast Protein Bowl to be gluten free. I also asked if he could make the blueberry bacon pancakes gluten free. He said that he could but that he would advise against ordering them as the pancakes are quite thin.I'll be honest that he did not seem all that willing to customize and also didn't seem to note that there were many options to choose from. Finally, I settled on the Eggs Benedict after Chef David said that I could have it if they switched the English Muffin for gluten free bread. I also got a side of allergy-friendly Mickey waffles.
The Eggs Benedict came with Poached Eggs, Slow Roasted Barbecue Pork Loin, Roasted Tomatoes, Gluten Free Bread, and Spiced Herb Hollandaise served with Potatoes. This dish was modified to be gluten free but does contain dairy. It is also marked safe for Peanut/Tree Nut and Shellfish Allergies on the allergy-friendly breakfast menu.Overall, I thought this was a solid Eggs Benedict. The eggs were perfectly poached and the hollandaise was very flavorful and had a hint of smokiness to it. I really liked the pork loin served with it too. The only thing I wasn't keen on was the grilled tomato. I would have preferred the Eggs Benedict without it, and I honestly don't think it needed it.The breakfast potatoes were really tasty and included a blend of regular potatoes and sweet potatoes. They were cooked and seasoned well and were a great side dish to the Eggs Benedict.
I also got a side order of Allergy-Friendly Mickey Waffles served with 100% pure maple syrup. These waffles were marked safe for Gluten/Wheat, Egg, Fish/Shellfish, Milk, and Peanut/Tree Nut Allergies on the kids' menu. When I asked Chef David about the waffle batter, he said they were using Bob's Red Mill Pancake & Waffle Mix. But, after tasting the waffles, I determined it was definitely Namaste Pancake & Waffle mix, not Bob's Red Mill. Some locations are still using the Carbon's Golden Malted Gluten Free Pancake & Waffle Flour Mix, which I do not like at all. So, I was glad to see either of the other allergy-friendly batters being used instead.
Overall
While I wouldn't say that my breakfast Ale & Compass was the best I've ever had on property, it was still a very good meal. I really enjoyed my Eggs Benedict and Allergy-Friendly Mickey Waffles. It's definitely a location that I'll visit again, though I'd like to check out their lunch and dinner options first before going back to breakfast again. Shout-out to my server Alyssa who was awesome throughout my meal. She did a great job and made the breakfast experience really pleasant and relaxing.Have you been to Ale & Compass Restaurant? What did you think of the special diets options offered there?