Review: Dinner At Cape May Cafe

During my recent solo trip, I headed over to Disney’s Beach Club Resort for dinner and an evening out around Crescent Lake. In one of our very first posts on this blog, we recapped some of what Crescent Lake has to offer and why it’s one of the top things to do outside of the parks in WDW.

On this evening, I was able to grab a day of reservation for Cape May Cafe. I had been wanting to dine here for a while but never seemed to get around to it. A solo trip seemed like the perfect opportunity to give it a try. Mary Beth doesn’t like shellfish and it’s tough to get your money’s worth here without the crab legs.

While it’s one of the pricier non-character buffet meals on property thanks to the large amounts of seafood offered, you can definitely get your money’s worth if you go heavy on the crab. A nice cut of beef is offered as well to add some considerable value.

The restaurant entrance is located right in the main lobby of Beach Club Resort. We have never stayed at Beach Club but are fans of its laid back colors and decor. While the Yacht Club next door comes off a bit stuffy and serious, the Beach Club comes off light and breezy.

The restaurant unsurprisingly follows only with a similar color scheme and lots of fun beach related decor. The walls are lined with pastel paintings and items such as beach chairs, umbrellas and even croquet mallets are used as decorating pieces.

The sand castles are probably the most interesting pieces of decor.

Each table has its own shiny bucket to discard shells in. Servers will also bring you a nice hot towel to clean your hands after all the crab fueled chaos ensues.

On to the food…

The buffet offers many different options. Items include pasta, veggies, chicken mashed potatoes and pizza, among other things.

That being said, I recommend keeping these items to a minimum and focusing on the seafood and carving station instead if you want to get your money’s worth.

The carving station was limited to roast beef but it was really good. It was slightly overcooked for my tastes but it still delivered on flavor.

The shrimp and steamed clams were both good, but for this meal I was going all in on crab legs. Since these are the main draw of the meal they get eaten up fast. This is a good thing as it keeps fresh legs being brought out frequently. During my hour in the restaurant I saw fresh crab legs brought out 3 times.

Here is a look at my first plate. I made the mistake I just suggested you not make by stocking up on too much food that wasn’t beef or seafood. That being said, the corn, chicken and potatoes were all really good. I’m also a sucker for a good dinner roll and the one here was solid.

On subsequent plates, I made sure to load up on crab legs. The legs were served hot, easy to open and full of juicy delicious crab meat. Serious delicious stuff!

A serving the size in the photo about will run you anywhere between $20 – $30 at a typical nice seafood restaurant. I had 2 helping of this size plus the few seen in the photo of my first plate above. Add a few slices of steak, all the sides and dessert to that, I definitely feel like I got my money’s worth for my $45 (w/ AP discount) meal.

Speaking of dessert, the spread is made up of several small bites. Here, we have a red velvet cupcake, an oreo torte, chocolate mousse and fruit over a citrus base.

None of these were particularly spectacular, but they were all good. You should be so filled up on crab legs at this point that it won’t matter.

Overall, I had a really great meal at Cape May Cafe. The crab is the main draw and it was fantastic! I will definitely be returning in the future!

I have heard from multiple credible sources that the character breakfast buffet here is one of the best on property as well. Disney Tourist Blog has a great review of that here. That is definitely on our list of must dos as well!

After dinner, I headed out to Crescent Lake for a nice stroll on the Boardwalk. Normally, I always make a stop at Ample Hills Creamery when visiting this area, but I was stuffed. Another rookie mistake on my part!

I eventually ended up at one of my favorite places on WDW property, Jellyrolls. For those unaware, Jellyrolls is a dueling piano bar located on the board walk, and its always a really great time.

The musicians are all super talented and know almost any song you can throw at them. Audience interaction is a huge part of the experience as well and is often hilarious. I can’t recommend a visit to Jellyrolls enough. Note, it is 21 and older to enter and there is a cover charge.

Check out our Facebook page and scroll down a bit to see some performances from my night at Jellyrolls! While you’re there be sure to give our page a like and a follow!

I left the piano bar around 11 pm and was able to enjoy an extremely pleasant late night stroll back to the Beach Club where I parked my car.