*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.
Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
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.
Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
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.
Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
I really loved the chairs, silverware, and mugs at the tables. Everything had a very modern and simple in design.
Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
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.
Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
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.
Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
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?
