During a visit to Orlando, it’s easy to get caught up in grabbing a meal on the go or rushing through dinner so you can jet off to your next destination. But, while you’re here, pencil in a leisurely meal at one of the area’s steakhouses.
Serious About Steak
With two locations in Orlando – one at Pointe Orlando on International Drive and the other inside The Mall at Millenia – The Capital Grille is known for its warm ambiance, beautifully prepared meals, impressive wine list and superior service.
At The Capital Grille enjoy dry-aged steaks, chops and fresh seafood acclaimed by the nation’s toughest food critics, and an award-winning collection of over 400 wines.
Steak selections are dry aged in house for 18 days to produce meat that is tender and flavorful. When this process is complete, the chefs hand-carve each portion to ensure consistency. By having a hand in selecting the meat, dry aging it and cutting it to the perfect size, The Capital Grille’s chefs are able to maintain control of what they are serving guests from the beginning to the end.
Steaks are cooked in infrared broilers that create a crisp crust on the outside while keeping the inside nice and juicy. Cuts range from a 10-ounce filet mignon to a 24-ounce dry-aged porterhouse steak with several other sizes in between.
Routinely recognized by Zagat, the brand has also received the American Culinary Federation’s “Achievement of Excellence Award” and was named one of the top 50 American restaurants in Open Table’s Diners’ Choice Awards.
One of The Capital Grille’s signature dishes is the Bone-in Kona Crusted Dry-Aged NY Strip with Shallot Butter. Pair the bold flavors of this 14-ounce, coffee-rubbed steak with a shareable side dish or two to complete your meal. Sides include traditional steak accompaniments like Sam’s Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Wild Mushrooms and Fresh Creamed Spinach as well as modern takes like Lobster Mac ‘N’ Cheese and Roasted Cauliflower with Curry Oil.
Wine and Dine
Located on International Drive, Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House features two floors with more than 400 seats, an impeccable kitchen staffed with expert chefs, and its signature floor-to-ceiling wine wall that showcases more than 10,000 bottles of wine, among several other smaller wine cellars. Its menu is bold and its wine list is vast with a choice of more than 1,200 labels.
Located on vibrant International Drive, Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse offers the best seafood, steak and fine dining experience in Orlando.
Del Frisco’s is known nationally for using the best quality of meats and seafood in its dishes. Prime-aged, corn-feed beef is sourced from the Midwest with cuts including filet mignon, prime strip, ribeye and a 32-ounce prime porterhouse. All cuts except for the porterhouse come in multiple sizes and as bone-in or bone-out varieties. Unique sides like the Lobster Macaroni & Cheese or the Crab Fried Rice can round out your meal just as nicely as classic selections like Potatoes Au Gratin or Fresh Sauteed Spinach.
Del Frisco’s recently introduced a Happy Hour menu from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. every day except for Wednesday, when it is offered from 4 p.m. until the restaurant closes. You will find $9 signature cocktails, $8 wine selections, $5 beers and a list of food items, such as a Prime DF Burger, Tuna Tartare, Shanghai Style Fried Shrimp and Filet Tenderloin Tips, all for just $8.
A Place to be Pampered
The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort is home to some big hitters in the restaurant world, and Shula’s Steak House is no exception. Its location at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort is especially fitting since the restaurant is themed for the Miami Dolphins’ perfect season in 1972 with NFL’s “winningest” coach, Don Shula, at the helm.
The theme for this popular restaurant at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel is the ’72 Miami Dolphins’ 17-0 perfect season.
Shula’s is most known for having high standards for service and for the steaks that are served. So much so that The Shula Cut was established to ensure you are getting the best steaks that money can buy. Coming from custom center cuts of premium Black Angus beef, The Shula Cut is hand selected based on 10 specifications that include marbling, maturity, consistency, flavor, leanness, appearance and tenderness. Servers give roll-cart presentations of the steak selections tableside to help you choose.
Also known for its wine list, which features 450 selections, Shula’s is one of eight Central Florida restaurants to be recognized with Wine Spectator’s second highest honor of Best of Award of Excellence. So you can enjoy your meal and wine at your own pace, the resort offers two hours of complimentary time for your children (one child admitted for each adult entrée purchased) at Camp Dolphin while you dine.
Where the Locals Go
Tucked into a corner of a shopping plaza on Restaurant Row, Vines Grille is the high-end steakhouse where locals flock for prime dry-aged and wagyu beef, chops, fresh seafood and an impressive wine list. Cuts like Center Cut Filet Mignon, Prime Ribeye and Prime New York Strip, as well as Lamb Chops and Pork Chops, are expertly prepared over a wood-fired grill. Steak enhancements include an Oscar-style topping, foie gras topping, Caribbean lobster tail or truffle butter, or you can simply request blue cheese, chimichurri, horseradish, cognac peppercorn or bernaise toppings for a small fee. The perfect accompaniments include classic sides like whipped potatoes with butter and chives, creamed spinach or wild mushrooms with sherry butter and thyme.
You can’t have steak without savoring a glass of wine. Vines has you covered with over 650 selections on its wine list, which includes a mix of small boutique wineries and top producers from around the world. And the restaurant has one of the best happy hours in town. From 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. daily, enjoy 1/2 price on more than 30 premium wines and champagne by the glass, $5 cocktails, and have a bite of some of Vines’ best dishes, including Steak and Porcini Flatbread, The Lounge Burger and Tuna Tartare at a discounted price.
