Turf Club Bar & Grill -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Saratoga Springs
*This gluten free dining experience took place in April 2018.
Dinner at Turf Club Bar & Grill
The Turf Club Bar & Grill is a table service located at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort. It's one of those Disney restaurants that I think is often overlooked, as it's a bit tucked away. While I won't say it's my favorite place on property to eat, I have enjoyed several meals here. On this particular occasion, we stopped by for an impromptu dinner one night when we could not get any seating at the restaurants at Disney Springs.
Atmosphere
The Turf Club's atmosphere includes dark wood features. On several occasions, we have found the restaurant to be a bit dark. But, on this visit, it was fairly bright inside.
Because it had been pouring rain, and we were soaking wet from the downpour, I did not take a lot of photos inside. We were just happy to be inside!
The Turf Club does have a lounge area outside of the restaurant's entrance. It's a nice place to sit and grab a drink before dinner.
There is a small bar outside of the restaurant too that offers a full bar menu, including the classic Disney drinks served at most bars and lounges on property.
The Food
The Turf Club does carry an allergy-friendly dinner menu. And, guests always have the option to speak with a chef before ordering to discuss options.
Before our entrees arrived, I was served Deanna's Gluten Free Rolls which are gluten free and dairy free. I found them to be well-heated at the Turf Club, which was nice.
I also asked if they had any Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Spread on hand. Even though I have re-introduced dairy back into my diet, I do prefer the Earth Balance over regular butter. Thankfully, they had some on hand.Our server kindly topped my Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Spread with some gray sea salt, which was a very nice touch. This was super tasty with my Deanna's Gluten Free Rolls.
For my entree, I ordered the Grilled New York Strip with Hand-cut Rosemary-Parmesan Fries, Grilled Asparagus, and Roasted Garlic Butter. This dish was marked as safe for Gluten/Wheat, Egg, Fish/Shellfish, Milk, Peanut/Tree Nut, and Soy Allergies. But, this is definitely a dish that I would speak to a chef about, as it was marked safe for milk allergies but contained both cheese and butter. This is one of the many reasons I tend to speak with a chef instead of just ordering off the menu.The dish actually can be made dairy free. But, they do need to remove the butter and cheese from the dish.Overall, I enjoyed the steak. I thought the portion was huge and everything was well cooked. My French fries were really crispy and super delicious as was the asparagus. I wouldn't say the dish was special, but I'd definitely order it again.
For comparison, here is a photo of Brandon's steak. He also ordered it, but his was served with the butter on top of the steak. He did also try my fries for comparison and said mine tasted fresher and more crispy. We both thought his looked like it had been fried in older or more used oil.
Our friend who dined ordered the Grilled Verlasso Salmon with Fingerling Potatoes, Carrot Puree, Crispy Bacon, Asparagus, and Creamy Cucumber Salad. This dish is marked safe for Gluten/Wheat, Egg, Peanut/Tree Nut, and Soy Allergies. He really enjoyed this and said he would definitely order again.I had ordered this on my last visit to the Turf Club Bar & Grill, and I have to be honest that I was not a huge fan. The salmon itself was good, but I did not enjoy the cucumber salad. So, I do think it really depends on your personal preference and taste when it comes to ordering dishes.
Overall
Our unexpected meal at the Turf Club Bar & Grill turned out to be a solid meal experience. While we wouldn't necessarily pick the Turf Club as our top choice for dining at Disney, we have always found the food to be decent. Add on top of that some decent size portions, and you have a good option if you're staying at Saratoga Springs or nearby at Disney Springs and want a low-key meal.Have you been to the Turf Club Bar & Grill? What did you think of the options when you dined there?
Turf Club Bar & Grill -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Saratoga Springs Resort
*This dining experience took place in July 2017.
Dinner at Turf Club Bar & Grill
The Turf Club Bar & Grill, located at Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, is a table service restaurant that I often forget about. Since it's a bit off the beaten path, it's been a while since I've dined there. Recently, we had dinner there when we found out that Disney was offering 30% off to annual passholders during certain dinner seatings. It was the perfect opportunity to try it out again after a few years.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere in the Turf Club is pretty basic. The interior is dark and very cozy, but I don't find the overall theme to be very interesting or unique. It's nice but simple.
The exterior of the restaurant is more or less the same. A bit generic. Though, I will say the outdoor seating area is nice if you can dine here during cooler weather.
The Food
On a previous visit, I had a really nice meal, so I was looking forward to something equally tasty on this visit. Turf Club Bar & Grill does have an allergy-friendly dinner menu, but of course, you can always ask to speak with a chef too. On this visit, I decided to order from the allergy-friendly menu, since I've reintroduced some dairy back into my diet.
First up, I was served Deanna's Gluten Free brand rolls. These are my favorite gluten free and dairy free rolls on Disney property, so I was happy to be served these along with some Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Spread.
For my entree, I got the Grilled Verlasso Salmon with Carrot Purée, crispy Bacon, Fingerling Potatoes, Asparagus, and Cucumber Salad. This is marked Gluten/Wheat, Egg, Peanut/Tree Nut, and Soy Free on the menu. It does contain dairy in the carrot puree and cucumber salad.Overall, I thought this was a good dish, but not a great dish. I really disliked the cucumber salad, which seemed completely out of place with the rest of the dish. The carrot puree was super delicious, and I enjoyed the potatoes and asparagus. The fish was well-cooked, but it wasn't the best salmon I've ever had. To me, the biggest issue was the imbalance of flavors. They were all good, but they didn't seem to fit well together.I would probably skip this one next time and look for something else that seemed to be a bit more cohesive of a dish. Still, it wasn't terrible. It was just OK.
Overall
Turf Club Bar & Grill has a nice allergy-friendly menu and dinner offerings that are basic, but I wouldn't say amazing -- at least not on this visit. My previous visit a few years ago was much better, but it may have just been the particular dish I chose. I don't think we'd go back there again anytime soon, but it was nice as an another quieter table service option and good for those who are staying at Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa.Have you been to Turf Club Bar & Grill? What did you think of their special diets offerings?
Turf Club Bar & Grill -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Saratoga Springs
*This dining experience took place in August 2015.
The Turf Club Bar and Grill located at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort is one of those hidden gem restaurants on Disney property. Quietly tucked away at this sprawling resort and located near the golf course, it's a nice break from all the excitement and noise often found when touring the theme parks. It's a cozy restaurant with a bit of a dark interior but an atmosphere that really is perfect after a long day in the park.On this particular occasion, I was dining at Turf Club Bar and Grill solo after a long day of work and wanted something comforting and filling. As I was seated by server gave me one of the new allergy friendly menus for the restaurant. They also asked if I wanted to directly order off that menu or speak with a server. Since many items did not note dairy free, I asked to speak with a chef.I was pleasantly surprised to see Chef Jenny Sly come out to speak with me. Chef Jenny is terrific and has been at various locations on property including Ohana and most recently Boma. She went through the menu with me, and I decided to order Grilled Salmon with Teriyaki Glaze, Cilantro Jasmine Rice, and Seasonal Vegetables. I opted to skip an appetizer as most were very heavily dairy based.
While waiting for my entree, Chef Jenny also brought out some rolls with extra virgin olive oil. Immediately, I noticed these were Ener-G rolls, which I often find to be very unappealing because of the lack of heating them properly. They are also the type of gluten free roll that you need to eat pretty immediately because they seem to get hard very quickly, as they are tapioca based.However, Chef Jenny assured me that these rolls would be nice and soft, and she wasn't kidding. I was blown away by the gluten free bread voodoo that she put on these rolls because they were unlike any Ener-G roll I've ever had (and Chef Jenny did confirm they were Ener-G). They were piping hot, well heated, and stayed soft the entire time. I wouldn't hesitate to get these again at Turf Club.
My entree was equally well-cooked and seasoned. The salmon was perfectly cooked -- something that is so important to seafood. The rice was a lovely compliment, as were the sauteed veggies. Add in some teriyaki sauce made with gluten free soy sauce, and you have a really tasty meal.Overall, I really enjoyed my meal at Turf Club Bar and Grill. The food I had was well-cooked, the ambiance was quiet and relaxed, and the service was also great. It reminds me that I need to dine here more.Have you been to Turf Club Bar & Grill? What are your favorite dishes to order?