How to Order Dinner at Bourbon Steak Without Wasting the Splurge

By · Adult Disney · Wisconsin

Published July 18, 2026 · Updated October 2, 2026

Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina is not the place to wander in hungry, order everything that sounds good, and hope the bill feels fine later. The smart move is more specific: take the complimentary duck fat fries seriously, share the early courses, and spend your appetite where this restaurant earns its reputation — the steak.

This is a Walt Disney World Swan Reserve dinner, which means it works best as a planned resort-night meal, not a rushed “we’ll squeeze this in after fireworks” stop. If you’re using one big adult dinner to balance out a park-heavy trip, Bourbon Steak can be worth the splurge. But the order matters.

Start With the Free Thing, But Do Not Let It Beat You

The most underrated part of Bourbon Steak is the complimentary duck fat fries trio that lands near the start of the meal. You do not order it. It just shows up, and it is exactly the kind of high-value bite you want at an expensive steakhouse: crisp, rich, savory, and shareable.

Here’s the catch: it is also a trap if you treat it like unlimited bread.

The fries are cooked in duck fat and served as a trio with dipping sauces, so the table naturally keeps reaching. That is fun for about five minutes, then suddenly you are halfway full before the meal has really started. The right play is two or three fries per person, taste the sauces, then slow down.

Think of the fries as your first course, not a side mission. They are too good to ignore, but too filling to demolish if you came for steak.

Pick One Starter Lane

Bourbon Steak is where people get into trouble by stacking the opening order: fries, raw bar, appetizer, salad, maybe another shared plate “for the table.” That sounds luxurious until the entree arrives and everyone is already negotiating bites.

The smarter table strategy is to pick one lane:

Do not do all three unless your group is intentionally building a grazing dinner instead of a steak dinner.

If you are planning Bourbon Steak as the main event, the appetizers should wake up the table, not take over the night. Ask your server what is strongest or seasonal that evening, then choose one thing to share. This is especially useful at a restaurant like this, where the kitchen may shine with a specific preparation that is not obvious from menu wording alone.

The Steak Is Where to Spend Your Appetite

If you are ordering one signature-style entree, the dry-aged ribeye with a truffle-butter finish is the obvious anchor based on Bourbon Steak’s steakhouse identity. It is the kind of dish that makes the most sense here: rich, deeply savory, and built for someone who actually wants the steakhouse experience rather than just a nice resort dinner.

That does not mean everyone at the table needs to order the biggest steak. In fact, for many Disney World groups, that is how the meal gets expensive and heavy fast. A better move is to let one or two steaks be the centerpiece, then use sides and lighter choices to round out the table.

If you are a couple, consider whether you really need multiple big openers before a ribeye. If you are a family with older kids or teens, sharing can work well because the fries and sides already create a lot of table traffic. If you are dining with younger kids, this may be better as an adults-only meal or a slower resort-night dinner where nobody is trying to rush back into a park.

Do Not Schedule This Like a Park Meal

Bourbon Steak is a pacing restaurant. It wants time. That is good if you are using it as a reset night after several rope-drop mornings. It is less good if you are trying to eat quickly before hopping somewhere else.

For the smoothest experience, aim for an earlier dinner around 5:30 to 6:00 p.m. when available. That timing usually gives you a calmer room, more breathing room between courses, and a better shot at enjoying the meal instead of feeling like you are eating against the clock.

It also protects your evening. A late steakhouse dinner after a full Disney day can sound great in theory, but in real life, tired feet and overstimulated kids can turn a premium meal into a survival exercise. If this is your splurge, give it a clean spot in the schedule.

Who Bourbon Steak Is Actually Best For

Bourbon Steak makes the most sense for adults, couples, steak lovers, and families with older kids who can handle a longer dinner. It is also a strong pick if you are staying near the EPCOT resort area or planning a non-park evening around the Swan, Dolphin, Swan Reserve, BoardWalk, or nearby resorts.

It is not the best use of time if your group is trying to maximize rides from open to close. It is also not the smartest pick for picky eaters who just want familiar comfort food, or for families who need a fast, low-friction dinner after a long park day.

The real value here is not “eat at a fancy Disney-area steakhouse.” It is this: use Bourbon Steak as a deliberate pause in the trip. Let everyone sit down, order carefully, and make the steak the point.

Reservation Strategy

Advance Dining Reservations for Walt Disney World restaurants open 60 days before arrival at 6:00 a.m. Eastern in My Disney Experience. For a splurge dinner like this, do not wait until the week of your trip if you already know the night you want.

If the ideal time is gone, keep watching. Dinner reservations move as guests change plans, especially closer to the date. SupaPark’s dining Drop Watch can help here: SupaPark pings you when a hard-to-get table opens, then you grab it yourself in My Disney Experience. That matters most if you are trying for a calmer early-evening slot instead of whatever late time is left.

You can also use supapark.com to keep the rest of your day realistic. If live waits and forecasts suggest your park day is running long, you will know whether Bourbon Steak still fits or whether you should simplify the evening.

The Order I’d Make

For most groups, the cleanest Bourbon Steak order looks like this: enjoy the duck fat fries trio, split one starter or raw bar choice, ask what is strongest that night, then make steak the center of the meal. If the dry-aged ribeye with truffle-butter finish is on your radar, protect room for it.

Skip the “one of everything” energy. This is not a festival booth crawl. The restaurant gives you a strong opening bite for free, and the best version of the meal is the one where you are still excited when the steak arrives.

The Takeaway

Bourbon Steak is worth considering when you want a real resort-night splurge, but the veteran move is restraint. Graze on the duck fat fries, share the starters, book an earlier seating when you can, and save your appetite for the steak. That is how you leave happy instead of full too early and annoyed at the check.

Go deeper — the full guides: The Insider’s Guide to EPCOT’s Regal Eagle Smokehouse: What to Eat, Skip, and Share · The Insider’s Menu and Booking Guide to California Grill · The Insider Guide to Vegetarian Dining in EPCOT’s World Showcase

SupaPark tracks live wait times and crowd forecasts, and pings you the second a hard-to-get reservation opens or a ride goes walk-on — free to start at supapark.com.

Keep planning: Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina · live dining reservation drops · is Lightning Lane worth it

Go deeper: the full guides