Editor's Note: I dined at this restaurant shortly before I really got started on this blog (and recently found the photos I took, hence the delay in publishing), so the photos are not quite as good as the ones I've been using for other restaurant reviews - my apologies!
If you've ever been in the lobby of Disney's Beach Club Resort, often the first thing you'll notice is the feeling that you've been transported back in time to a New England beach side resort in the early 20th century. The soft pastel colors and ocean-inspired decor take you to that place so well that you almost can smell the sea air. If you veer off to the right after entering the lobby, however, there is an aroma that you'll find almost as enticing: seafood. Not just seafood, in fact, but unlimited seafood at the Cape May Cafe, at which I dined recently with Tabby, my sister (Ashley), and her boyfriend (Winston).
The atmosphere in Cape May Cafe reflects the rest of Disney's Beach Club Resort: pleasant pastels, the feeling of a New England resort, surrounded by items of leisure from the turn of the century (full-body male bathing suits, sandcastles, croquet equipment, and the like). My sister and I had been wanting to dine there for quite some time, but my mother has a severe seafood allergy, which would limit her dining options quite a bit. For those of us who consume seafood, especially in mass quantities, however, Cape May Cafe seems to be heaven on Earth.
We were seated fairly promptly after arriving, and soon after that, went to work on the buffet table. The entire buffet is set around a center kitchen area, with different options on all four sides of the kitchen. Some items are duplicated on both sides, but for the most part, it's completely different - so don't spot crab legs on both sides and decide not to explore even more. The first item I sampled was the corn and seafood chowder, which was quite good - a little sweeter than I prefer my chowders, mainly due to the corn, but still definitely very good.
I personally decided to forego the crab legs, as I feel that they give a minimal return for the effort expended in cracking them. If you do like crab legs, I have been assured that they are cooked quite well, and there is, of course, unlimited drawn butter to go along with them. If drawn butter isn't your thing, then there's always cocktail sauce - and let me tell you, cocktail sauce is my thing. Shrimp cocktail is a weakness of mine at buffets, and Cape May Cafe is no exception. It took a good bit of effort to not just fill up a plate with shrimp and cocktail sauce, but what I did have was quite nice (though if you're not a fan of peeling your own shrimp, you'll be a bit out of luck.)
Other stand out items for me were the fried calamari, which was perfectly crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside; the olive salad; the steamed mussels in tomato sambuca broth, very bright and acidic; and, of course, staples at any clam boil: the steamed corn and red potatoes. There were many other items on the menu that were good - in fact, I think my only real disappointments were the fried clam strips, which I found to be a little on the chewy side (though they may have just been a slightly overcooked batch), and the horseradish sauce for the roast beef. The roast beef itself was cooked quite nicely, however the horseradish cream was far too much cream and not nearly enough horseradish. I do admit that I like my food to have a kick, so I may be biased on this one - try it for yourself!
After a few plates of the main course, it was time to move on to the best part of any Disney buffet: the desserts! You'll likely not miss it as you're heading in to the restaurant, but in case you do, keep in mind that there are two dessert sections on the buffet. One is near the carving station, and features mainly dessert staples like brownies and cookies - more for the kids and choosy eaters. The other is located right at the entrance, and features all of the Cape May Cafe specialty desserts.
The desserts featured the day that we went were key lime tarts, Boston cream cakes, flourless chocolate cakes, flan, and strawberry shortcake shooters. I found the key lime tarts to be good if lacking a little in the tang department, but my recent trip to Key West has turned me into a bit of a key lime pie snob, so your mileage may vary. The Boston cream cakes and strawberry shortcakes were largely what you would expect: very good, nothing in particular to remark on. The flan was really quite excellent: light, but with a very rich flavor, complimented with a bit of fruit. I've always found flans to be a bit hit or miss, but this one definitely hit the nail on the head perfectly for me. Finally, the flourless chocolate cake, which was probably my favorite dessert on the menu. It was dense, rich, and chocolatey, complimented extremely well by a dollop of raspberry sauce in the center that brought a bit of acidity to the party.
In the end, I'd say that if you are a really big seafood fan, you'll definitely get your money's worth at Cape May Cafe. There is enough selection for pickier eaters, and those who choose to not dine on the bounty of the sea, if you're worried about alienating those members of your party, though I'd be cautious with those who are allergic to seafood. Disney does an excellent job preventing cross contamination in their kitchens, but on the buffet line, things are also in the hands of your fellow guests.
So on your next trip, consider heading down to the beach and having yourself a nice seafood feat at Cape May Cafe - and until I post again, stay magical, everyone!
If you enjoyed this post, please head on over to the new site - MyWDW.net!
I personally decided to forego the crab legs, as I feel that they give a minimal return for the effort expended in cracking them. If you do like crab legs, I have been assured that they are cooked quite well, and there is, of course, unlimited drawn butter to go along with them. If drawn butter isn't your thing, then there's always cocktail sauce - and let me tell you, cocktail sauce is my thing. Shrimp cocktail is a weakness of mine at buffets, and Cape May Cafe is no exception. It took a good bit of effort to not just fill up a plate with shrimp and cocktail sauce, but what I did have was quite nice (though if you're not a fan of peeling your own shrimp, you'll be a bit out of luck.)
Other stand out items for me were the fried calamari, which was perfectly crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside; the olive salad; the steamed mussels in tomato sambuca broth, very bright and acidic; and, of course, staples at any clam boil: the steamed corn and red potatoes. There were many other items on the menu that were good - in fact, I think my only real disappointments were the fried clam strips, which I found to be a little on the chewy side (though they may have just been a slightly overcooked batch), and the horseradish sauce for the roast beef. The roast beef itself was cooked quite nicely, however the horseradish cream was far too much cream and not nearly enough horseradish. I do admit that I like my food to have a kick, so I may be biased on this one - try it for yourself!
After a few plates of the main course, it was time to move on to the best part of any Disney buffet: the desserts! You'll likely not miss it as you're heading in to the restaurant, but in case you do, keep in mind that there are two dessert sections on the buffet. One is near the carving station, and features mainly dessert staples like brownies and cookies - more for the kids and choosy eaters. The other is located right at the entrance, and features all of the Cape May Cafe specialty desserts.
The desserts featured the day that we went were key lime tarts, Boston cream cakes, flourless chocolate cakes, flan, and strawberry shortcake shooters. I found the key lime tarts to be good if lacking a little in the tang department, but my recent trip to Key West has turned me into a bit of a key lime pie snob, so your mileage may vary. The Boston cream cakes and strawberry shortcakes were largely what you would expect: very good, nothing in particular to remark on. The flan was really quite excellent: light, but with a very rich flavor, complimented with a bit of fruit. I've always found flans to be a bit hit or miss, but this one definitely hit the nail on the head perfectly for me. Finally, the flourless chocolate cake, which was probably my favorite dessert on the menu. It was dense, rich, and chocolatey, complimented extremely well by a dollop of raspberry sauce in the center that brought a bit of acidity to the party.
In the end, I'd say that if you are a really big seafood fan, you'll definitely get your money's worth at Cape May Cafe. There is enough selection for pickier eaters, and those who choose to not dine on the bounty of the sea, if you're worried about alienating those members of your party, though I'd be cautious with those who are allergic to seafood. Disney does an excellent job preventing cross contamination in their kitchens, but on the buffet line, things are also in the hands of your fellow guests.
So on your next trip, consider heading down to the beach and having yourself a nice seafood feat at Cape May Cafe - and until I post again, stay magical, everyone!
If you enjoyed this post, please head on over to the new site - MyWDW.net!
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