Spoodles!! Yes!!

[CPM]

:thumbsup2 :thumbsup2 We ate at Spoodles on the Boardwalk on Saturday night.
In the past year we have dined there a couple of times and was not too thrilled with it. Menu boring, food was bland, portions small and service slow.
We decided it had been a while and were in the area so we stopped by to give it one last chance. It was packed, but I was able to secure a 9:50 ADR. We were sat at 10:00. It's not a big deal, we are late eaters anyway.

Friendly and efficient server Deb was there to greet us.
We did find the same boring menu.

We started with the Greek salad and a tomato,olive tapanade and fresh mozzerella. Both were excellent!! The Greek salad was larger and fresher & tastier than last time and the flatbread was actually crisp and not soggy like last time.
We also ordered The rigatoni pasta with sauage and portabellas, Fettucini Alfredo, which I had before and disliked very much, but decided to give it another shot. My son also had Mickey pasta alfredo, he ate one bite last time, and I warned him if he ordered it this time he had to eat it.

WELL, we were so pleasantly surprised!! Everything was just so much better. Especially the pastas!! The big difference was in the alfredo, the cheese was just so tasty. It also wasn't lumpy like Alfredos or saucy and sweet like last time we ate at Spoodles. They also weren't all mushy.
My son even ate most of his. What he didn't eat, he took back with him and ate it the next day lol.

We told the server and she told us there is a new chef! He is working on a new menu and will be adding a few new items and changing it seasonally.
We were very impressed and look forward to the new changes that seem to be on the way. This used to be one of our favorite restaurants and hope it will be back at the top of our list again.
Congrats to the new Spoodles Chef, a job well done. :thumbsup2 :thumbsup2

[lovehoney]

:thumbsup2 :thumbsup2 We ate at Spoodles on the Boardwalk on Saturday night.
In the past year we have dined there a couple of times and was not too thrilled with it. Menu boring, food was bland, portions small and service slow.
We decided it had been a while and were in the area so we stopped by to give it one last chance. It was packed, but I was able to secure a 9:50 ADR. We were sat at 10:00. It's not a big deal, we are late eaters anyway.

Friendly and efficient server Deb was there to greet us.
We did find the same boring menu.

We started with the Greek salad and a tomato,olive tapanade and fresh mozzerella. Both were excellent!! The Greek salad was larger and fresher & tastier than last time and the flatbread was actually crisp and not soggy like last time.
We also ordered The rigatoni pasta with sauage and portabellas, Fettucini Alfredo, which I had before and disliked very much, but decided to give it another shot. My son also had Mickey pasta alfredo, he ate one bite last time, and I warned him if he ordered it this time he had to eat it.

WELL, we were so pleasantly surprised!! Everything was just so much better. Especially the pastas!! The big difference was in the alfredo, the cheese was just so tasty. It also wasn't lumpy like Alfredos or saucy and sweet like last time we ate at Spoodles. They also weren't all mushy.
My son even ate most of his. What he didn't eat, he took back with him and ate it the next day lol.

We told the server and she told us there is a new chef! He is working on a new menu and will be adding a few new items and changing it seasonally.
We were very impressed and look forward to the new changes that seem to be on the way. This used to be one of our favorite restaurants and hope it will be back at the top of our list again.
Congrats to the new Spoodles Chef, a job well done. :thumbsup2 :thumbsup2

Thanks for the quick review. We have an ADR at Spoodles next week. I'm looking forward to it.

[Caren]

It may be time to try Spoodles again. We did them about a year and a half ago and were not impressed--it wasn't awful, but definitely not something we'd want to do again, either. But it looks like the new chef may have turned things around.

[CPM]

It may be time to try Spoodles again. We did them about a year and a half ago and were not impressed--it wasn't awful, but definitely not something we'd want to do again, either. But it looks like the new chef may have turned things around.

It was really a huge difference. I can't wait for the new menu. I won't be up until Oct. I hope it's there by then.

[CPM]

Thanks for the quick review. We have an ADR at Spoodles next week. I'm looking forward to it.

Let us know what you think.

[bicker]

Glad to read this. We've loved Spoodles since Day One, but were very worried when Chef Marianne Hummel left. Now, we're looking forward to our upcoming visit in February.

[WAHMto5]

Sounds great, thanks for the review! Can't wait to try it next month!

[MissD]

We met the new chef at Spoodles when we were at WDW a few weeks ago. My DS12 has food allergies, and Chef Dan took the time to come to our table and discuss the menu options for him. We were very impressed with his level of concern and commitment....and the food was absolutely fantastic!

The Fettucine Alfredo was the best I've ever had...and my hard-to-please DH enjoyed the meal so much, we ended up back at Spoodles for dinner 2 days later! Thanks, Chef Dan! :thumbsup2

We're looking forward to another visit to Spoodles on our trip next month! :banana:

[dizfanz]

I am happy to hear that you enjoyed it. I have not been to Spoodles for years. When I first went there 10 years ago, Fettucini Alfredo would have never been on the menu. The fact that it is would be the reason I do not go back now. So sad. I remember the tapas and larger variety of flatbreads. They had a wonderful hummus and mussels and a huge selection of international wines, particlarly by the glass. There seafood entrees were to die for. They also had one of the best breakfast buffets at WDW. Years ago it went to average at best. I have not returned since.

[Kaycee]

Thanks for the review! We're looking forward to trying Spoodles for the first time soon, so it's nice to hear that the new chef is doing a great job. :)

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

We had dinner at Spoodles the first week of August. Of the 14 table service restaurants we visited on this trip (DDP is great!), this was our favorite meal. California Grill and Boma ran close seconds. (California Grill may have had favored status for us had our server been more attentive (or at least any degree of attentive), and had they been enforcing their dress code. Judging from the two tables closest to us, we may as well have been eating in a gym. California Grill's loss is Spoodles' gain. It's now what I tell people is our favorite WDW restaurant.)

The two of us were fighting over the last of the Mediterranian Dips, they were that good. The Grilled Lamb Kefta was good, but was outshined by the dips. The Portuguese Seafood Stew we both had as appetizers was absolutely fantastic. I have no idea how they got the calamari in it to be so tender and flavorful. I almost started to pick it out, thinking they'd be like rubber bands after stewing. I'm glad I didn't because they were one of the best parts of the dish.

The dessert tray was beautiful -- I wish I had the picture here at work to post. I was a little disappointed with my Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee -- it tasted a little too burnt to me, but I didn't say anything because I thought it might just be my unsophisticated pallet not enjoying it the way it was supposed to be. Instead, I look on with envy as my roommate devoured his Chocolate Apricot Pistachio Cake.

[cooper1204]

also ate here recently and thought both flat bread appetizers were outstanding!!!

[Leota]

I am happy to hear that you enjoyed it. I have not been to Spoodles for years. When I first went there 10 years ago, Fettucini Alfredo would have never been on the menu. The fact that it is would be the reason I do not go back now. So sad. I remember the tapas and larger variety of flatbreads. They had a wonderful hummus and mussels and a huge selection of international wines, particlarly by the glass. There seafood entrees were to die for. They also had one of the best breakfast buffets at WDW. Years ago it went to average at best. I have not returned since.


That's the Spoodles I loved too - we used to love to go for Tapas. I hope they bring that back with the change of Chefs. We quit going when the menu dulled down.

[debbie655]

We ate at Spoodles for the first time last Wednesday night. I had the Fettucine Alfredo because we were on the free dining plan and I didn't feel like eating any more meat...LOL. I thought the Fettucine tasted different than any I had ever tasted. Did anyone else find that it was a bit tangy, like maybe it had lemon juice? A strange question but I'm really curious. Anyway, we enjoyed our meal here, I only ate about 1/3 of my meal to save room for desert. It was the white chocolate and orange something..LOL..can't remember but it was quite good, orangey and light. It also looked beautiful.

[CoolDisneyCat]

We have always loved Spoodles! Now I can't wait till our next visit in Oct.

[Minniespal]

Enjoyed reading your review ~ Thanx for sharing.

[CPM]

That's the Spoodles I loved too - we used to love to go for Tapas. I hope they bring that back with the change of Chefs. We quit going when the menu dulled down.

I didn't get the feeling that was going to happen. he did mention adding a couple more flatbreads, apps and pasta.
I think the reason they originally changed it was because most people wanted meals.
He did mention maybe changing the breakfast. I guess it takes months to change anything at WDW, lots of red tape.

[CPM]

We met the new chef at Spoodles when we were at WDW a few weeks ago. My DS12 has food allergies, and Chef Dan took the time to come to our table and discuss the menu options for him. We were very impressed with his level of concern and commitment....and the food was absolutely fantastic!

The Fettucine Alfredo was the best I've ever had...and my hard-to-please DH enjoyed the meal so much, we ended up back at Spoodles for dinner 2 days later! Thanks, Chef Dan! :thumbsup2

We're looking forward to another visit to Spoodles on our trip next month! :banana:


I have his business card, the name on it is Chef Tony Marotta.

[bicker]

Tony? Dan? Which is it? I'd be so embarassed to call him by the wrong name! :rotfl:

[MissD]

Tony? Dan? Which is it? I'd be so embarassed to call him by the wrong name! :rotfl:

We were given a business card as well ..the name on ours is Daniel (Dan) Marozzi.

Could there be two new chefs with such similar names? Maybe it's as simple as that.



Chef Dan has been with WDW for many years and when we met him (Aug 1st) he had just returned from a 3 week trip to Niagara Falls.

Prior to Spoodles, he had been at WWoS. He spent a lot of time speaking with my son about professional athletes and their attention to nutrition, healthy foods and all that 'stuff'. Since the reason for our trip was for my son to see the TB Bucs training camp, he was all ears for Chef Dan and his stories. :thumbsup2

All I can say is that if Chef Tony is anything like Chef Dan, we're in fabulous hands...and it would explain why the Alfredo sauce is so awesome ;)

[CPM]

All I can say is that if Chef Tony is anything like Chef Dan, we're in fabulous hands...and it would explain why the Alfredo sauce is so awesome ;)

Tony has also been with Disney for many years. He was at Flying Fish, The Gallery and The Yahtsmen Steakhouse before Spoodles. He's doing an Equisite Dining experience at Epcot on Nov. 10th.
Maybe they do have two!

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

Here are the pictures I took at Spoodles a few weeks ago.

Sorry, there's one shrimp missing from the stew. I started to eat and remembered the pictures. lol

http://members.cox.net/birdsofpreydave/Boardwalk_011.jpg
http://members.cox.net/birdsofpreydave/Boardwalk_002.jpg
http://members.cox.net/birdsofpreydave/Boardwalk_012.jpg
http://members.cox.net/birdsofpreydave/Boardwalk_013.jpg

[arizonacolbys]

Thanks for sharing recent experiences at Spoodles. :thumbsup2 We're looking forward to trying it for the first time next month when we stay at the Boardwalk for a few days. I'd read some mixed reviews on it, so it's good to hear some positive ones! :goodvibes

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

We had dinner at Spoodles the first week of August. Of the 14 table service restaurants we visited on this trip (DDP is great!), this was our favorite meal. California Grill and Boma ran close seconds. (California Grill may have had favored status for us had our server been more attentive (or at least any degree of attentive), and had they been enforcing their dress code. Judging from the two tables closest to us, we may as well have been eating in a gym. California Grill's loss is Spoodles' gain. It's now what I tell people is our favorite WDW restaurant.)

This was exactly our impression as well.

Spoodles beat out CA Grill just barely and Boma

[MissD]

Tony has also been with Disney for many years. He was at Flying Fish, The Gallery and The Yahtsmen Steakhouse before Spoodles. He's doing an Equisite Dining experience at Epcot on Nov. 10th.
Maybe they do have two!

Aren't we lucky to have them both :cheer2:

My scale may not agree with having two of them , but my tummy sure does :rotfl:

BirdsOfPreyDave...those pix made me drool all over my laptop! :goodvibes

[dawgfan]

Thanks for the review.

[CPM]

Just found out. Dan is one of the sous chefs and Tony is the chef.
In any case, it seems like a great team. :thumbsup2

[spaceacewannabe]

Well...not to be the big downer, but just a warning for those attempting Spoodles...we ate there in early August and the service was just inexcusable. If Onsi or Charlie is your server, ask for someone else. I am dead serious. Onsi just didn't give a rip and Charlie was downright condescending and came across as pretty misogynistic. I have several other words in mind, but they're not board appropriate.

That said, Chef Dan was super when we were there---and basically ended up serving us as well as cooking (see above...). I liked the food while we were eating it but didn't feel so good after the fact, but it may have been a reaction to Onsi & Charlie (I don't have the energy to rehash again, so you'll just have to take my word for it).

We won't be going back, but more power to those who can get someone to wait on them there! :lmao:

[purpliequeen]

Oooo thanks for the review. We want to try Spoodles soon on our next trip. Your report convinced us to eat there soon.

[CPM]

Well...not to be the big downer, but just a warning for those attempting Spoodles...we ate there in early August and the service was just inexcusable. If Onsi or Charlie is your server, ask for someone else. I am dead serious. Onsi just didn't give a rip and Charlie was downright condescending and came across as pretty misogynistic. I have several other words in mind, but they're not board appropriate.

That said, Chef Dan was super when we were there---and basically ended up serving us as well as cooking (see above...). I liked the food while we were eating it but didn't feel so good after the fact, but it may have been a reaction to Onsi & Charlie (I don't have the energy to rehash again, so you'll just have to take my word for it).

We won't be going back, but more power to those who can get someone to wait on them there! :lmao:

That's too bad. Did you complain?
If you liked the food, why not try again and ask for different servers?
We had incredible service.

[aubriee]

We'll be there Sept 27th. Before I made the ADR I checked out the menu and I could have sworn I saw paella on the menu. Now I don't. Do they still serve it? That was the reason I made the ADR. If not, what else is good there?

[CPM]

We'll be there Sept 27th. Before I made the ADR I checked out the menu and I could have sworn I saw paella on the menu. Now I don't. Do they still serve it? That was the reason I made the ADR. If not, what else is good there?

I don't remember them having Paella. They do have a seafood stew, maybe that's what you saw? I almost got that, I wish I had after seeing the picture of it.
Maybe by the time you go the new menu will be in place.

[Ron from Michigan]

Glad you liked Spoodles so much. we have eaten there several times over the years and found it very good on most occasions. :)

[grgich]

My family of 5 ate dinner at Spoodles on Thu 8/17. I believe we had Deb as our server. In my opinion, she ruined our dining experience there. My children are 10, 11 and 13, so all 5 of us are considered adults on the DDP. We told her we were going to order 4 full meals, not 5, and she gave us a hard time, telling us that the meal plan wasn't designed for that, blah, blah, blah..... I really think she was thinking that we were trying to somehow "cheat" the system, and save up child meal credits or something like that. (We had shared MANY times previously that week, and EVERY server we encountered was very supportive of our ordering 4 meals for the 5 of us.) I don't think it could have been the "tip" expectation since we ordered a $75 bottle of wine - our sharing had nothing to do with being "tight" with the $$. Anyway, I basically ignored her and ordered only 4 meals. But the kicker was that as I was ordering, she continued to make "recommendations" on what I should or should not order. "Don't order the lamb, it's not very good. You should order the shrimp, it's much better.... You aren't going to order the steak??? Everyone orders the steak, it's really good.... blah, blah, blah". I never *asked* for her recommendations, if I had asked for her advice, then that would have been fine. But it felt like she was steering me to order the more expensive items off the menu, instead of what my family likes. And to top it all off, I asked for more pita bread for the dips appetizer, and she very seriously told me that it would cost extra, and didn't I just want to use the bread from the "free bread basket"???? Well, no, I already ordered a $75 bottle of wine (Cakebread Chardonnay, BTW, it was good) and the $1.99 for the extra pita bread is not gonna break the bank.... She already had a "tab" running for the OOP items (my SIL joined us and we paid for her meal OOP - again, we were not in any way "cheating" on the DDP!), so what was the deal with our waitress anyway? I still don't know what her "problem" was, but her attitude for me pretty much ruined my experience at Spoodles. The food was very good, and plentiful, and even with ordering 4 DDP meals, we still had food left over. By the end of the meal, I think she had lightened up a bit, but it all started out badly, and that kind of set the tone for the rest of the meal.

The food itself was actually very good, but I would not return to Spoodles again, as I feel that the wait service is a very large part of the enjoyment of a meal, and I felt more "put-out" by the staff, rather than welcomed. I know everyone has their own experiences/perceptions, and most reviews for Spoodles are very good (which is part of the reason I chose it), so I am just offering up my own experience. YMMV.

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

We'll be there Sept 27th. Before I made the ADR I checked out the menu and I could have sworn I saw paella on the menu. Now I don't. Do they still serve it? That was the reason I made the ADR. If not, what else is good there?

The seafood paella hasn't been on the menu for about a year now.

The Portuguese Seafood Stew is even better.

[Disney owl]

Glad you had a great meal

[Aimeedyan]

I'm glad to hear some really good reviews of Spoodles - seems like their service can be hit or miss, which is disappointing. Hopefully the new Chef will have a way of improving that area?

We have dinner planned there in a couple of weeks - never dined there before. I'm excited to try it!

[spaceacewannabe]

My family of 5 ate dinner at Spoodles on Thu 8/17. I believe we had Deb as our server. In my opinion, she ruined our dining experience there. My children are 10, 11 and 13, so all 5 of us are considered adults on the DDP. We told her we were going to order 4 full meals, not 5, and she gave us a hard time, telling us that the meal plan wasn't designed for that, blah, blah, blah..... I really think she was thinking that we were trying to somehow "cheat" the system, and save up child meal credits or something like that. (We had shared MANY times previously that week, and EVERY server we encountered was very supportive of our ordering 4 meals for the 5 of us.) I don't think it could have been the "tip" expectation since we ordered a $75 bottle of wine - our sharing had nothing to do with being "tight" with the $$. Anyway, I basically ignored her and ordered only 4 meals. But the kicker was that as I was ordering, she continued to make "recommendations" on what I should or should not order. "Don't order the lamb, it's not very good. You should order the shrimp, it's much better.... You aren't going to order the steak??? Everyone orders the steak, it's really good.... blah, blah, blah". I never *asked* for her recommendations, if I had asked for her advice, then that would have been fine. But it felt like she was steering me to order the more expensive items off the menu, instead of what my family likes. And to top it all off, I asked for more pita bread for the dips appetizer, and she very seriously told me that it would cost extra, and didn't I just want to use the bread from the "free bread basket"???? Well, no, I already ordered a $75 bottle of wine (Cakebread Chardonnay, BTW, it was good) and the $1.99 for the extra pita bread is not gonna break the bank.... She already had a "tab" running for the OOP items (my SIL joined us and we paid for her meal OOP - again, we were not in any way "cheating" on the DDP!), so what was the deal with our waitress anyway? I still don't know what her "problem" was, but her attitude for me pretty much ruined my experience at Spoodles. The food was very good, and plentiful, and even with ordering 4 DDP meals, we still had food left over. By the end of the meal, I think she had lightened up a bit, but it all started out badly, and that kind of set the tone for the rest of the meal.

The food itself was actually very good, but I would not return to Spoodles again, as I feel that the wait service is a very large part of the enjoyment of a meal, and I felt more "put-out" by the staff, rather than welcomed. I know everyone has their own experiences/perceptions, and most reviews for Spoodles are very good (which is part of the reason I chose it), so I am just offering up my own experience. YMMV.

I'm mostly sorry you had a bad experience, but I'm kind of glad they weren't just picking on us at Spoodles! It was the ONLY truly BAD service we've received at WDW (I should knock on wood when I say that!). We had TWO terrible waiters, a bad hostess, and a bad host who showed us to the table. That's at least 4 total DUDS in one place...the odds aren't so good! I'm still disappointed, especially seeing what kind of service others have had (we never got our dips :sad2: our waiter was so MIA).

[CPM]

Yup, poor service stinks anywhere you go.
I have noticed that the service level at WDW in general has gone downhill.

The worst I had was at the Turf Grill at Saratoga Springs. The girl was useless!
She kept telling us it was her first night. It was like she wasn't trained at all. We asked for a certain beer and she had to go and ask if they had it. I told her just to look behind her, they were all displayed on the bar @@. They also told us drinks were not included for a discount with the DDE card, not true. It took five people to get us the discount @@.

It's a shame, they must make decent money.

[aubriee]

The seafood paella hasn't been on the menu for about a year now.

The Portuguese Seafood Stew is even better.

Thanks guys! It looks like that's what I'll be ordering, unless the new chef is able to make some menu changes in the next few weeks.

[cmm]

We ate at Spoodles last Sunday night, and it was our favorite restaurant of the trip. We had a great server and the food was delicious. I had tried to change my ressie to a later time, but disney dining told me it was booked. Maybe they don't have enough wait staff, because the place was only about 1/3 filled. I wish I could remember our servers name. My DD loved being able to make her own sundae. The chocolate apricot pistachio cake was great, and the sangria was good, too. I will definitely go again, but hope I don't get one of those bad servers!
I think customer service has gone downhill everywhere. I thought Disney was known for that, but there are always employees who just don't get it.

[bicker]

Truly, the decline in customer service nationwide is just a by-product of the decline in courtesy and respect nationwide. :sad2:

[luvpooh]

did anyone that has dined there in the last 2 weeks or so notice if they still offered scallops and shrimp for an extra $6 or so to add to the steak or, most importantly, the alfredo? I read a dining review recently that said this was no longer offered.
I am curious to know if it is no longer offered on the dining plan or if it is no longer an offering period, to those not on the dining plan as well.
We have dined there as our 'last night' meal for 2 years, and were hoping to do so this year as well, but if they no longer have those delicious scallops, I may have to find another restaurant! :sad:
PS - we're not on the dining plan so that's why I'm curious to see if it's just affecting the DDP...

[CPM]

did anyone that has dined there in the last 2 weeks or so notice if they still offered scallops and shrimp for an extra $6 or so to add to the steak or, most importantly, the alfredo? I read a dining review recently that said this was no longer offered.
I am curious to know if it is no longer offered on the dining plan or if it is no longer an offering period, to those not on the dining plan as well.
We have dined there as our 'last night' meal for 2 years, and were hoping to do so this year as well, but if they no longer have those delicious scallops, I may have to find another restaurant! :sad:
PS - we're not on the dining plan so that's why I'm curious to see if it's just affecting the DDP...


They don't have them on the menu. I asked if I could still have them. I was not on the DDP. They did let me order the alfredo with shrimp.

[kcrew]

did anyone that has dined there in the last 2 weeks or so notice if they still offered scallops and shrimp for an extra $6 or so to add to the steak or, most importantly, the alfredo? I read a dining review recently that said this was no longer offered.
I am curious to know if it is no longer offered on the dining plan or if it is no longer an offering period, to those not on the dining plan as well.
We have dined there as our 'last night' meal for 2 years, and were hoping to do so this year as well, but if they no longer have those delicious scallops, I may have to find another restaurant! :sad:
PS - we're not on the dining plan so that's why I'm curious to see if it's just affecting the DDP...

In past weeks I had heard so much about the included add ons at Spoodles, but when we dined last week they weren't even listed on the menu. Another cost saving measure no doubt!

[kcrew]

My family of 5 ate dinner at Spoodles on Thu 8/17. I believe we had Deb as our server. In my opinion, she ruined our dining experience there. My children are 10, 11 and 13, so all 5 of us are considered adults on the DDP. We told her we were going to order 4 full meals, not 5, and she gave us a hard time, telling us that the meal plan wasn't designed for that, blah, blah, blah..... I really think she was thinking that we were trying to somehow "cheat" the system, and save up child meal credits or something like that. (We had shared MANY times previously that week, and EVERY server we encountered was very supportive of our ordering 4 meals for the 5 of us.) I don't think it could have been the "tip" expectation since we ordered a $75 bottle of wine - our sharing had nothing to do with being "tight" with the $$. Anyway, I basically ignored her and ordered only 4 meals. But the kicker was that as I was ordering, she continued to make "recommendations" on what I should or should not order. "Don't order the lamb, it's not very good. You should order the shrimp, it's much better.... You aren't going to order the steak??? Everyone orders the steak, it's really good.... blah, blah, blah". I never *asked* for her recommendations, if I had asked for her advice, then that would have been fine. But it felt like she was steering me to order the more expensive items off the menu, instead of what my family likes. And to top it all off, I asked for more pita bread for the dips appetizer, and she very seriously told me that it would cost extra, and didn't I just want to use the bread from the "free bread basket"???? Well, no, I already ordered a $75 bottle of wine (Cakebread Chardonnay, BTW, it was good) and the $1.99 for the extra pita bread is not gonna break the bank.... She already had a "tab" running for the OOP items (my SIL joined us and we paid for her meal OOP - again, we were not in any way "cheating" on the DDP!), so what was the deal with our waitress anyway? I still don't know what her "problem" was, but her attitude for me pretty much ruined my experience at Spoodles. The food was very good, and plentiful, and even with ordering 4 DDP meals, we still had food left over. By the end of the meal, I think she had lightened up a bit, but it all started out badly, and that kind of set the tone for the rest of the meal.

The food itself was actually very good, but I would not return to Spoodles again, as I feel that the wait service is a very large part of the enjoyment of a meal, and I felt more "put-out" by the staff, rather than welcomed. I know everyone has their own experiences/perceptions, and most reviews for Spoodles are very good (which is part of the reason I chose it), so I am just offering up my own experience. YMMV.

Hmm , I wonder if I had the same server. Was she blonde, heavy set, upper middle aged? I wonder because she told my husband as well that the lamb wasn't any good and actually told him he "HAD" to order the shrimp when he tried to order the flat bread, stating we had already ordered enough flatbreads! When we ordered our entrees she also said "NOONE is ordering steak?" We kind of had a different spin on her though and weren't offended but kind of amused. I will agree that some may be offended by this type of comment though. My husband did order the shrimp and it was fantastic. We thought the service was fine. I do agree that there is not enough Pita bread for the amount of dip, but I LOVED that appetizer.

[Liliyana]

Cool post! We'll be going here next week :Pinkbounc
I have a somewhat silly question. The lemon chicken entree - is it boneless and skinless? Or vice-versa? I'm leery of ordering entrees like this after an experience in a foo-foo restaurant where I ordered something very similar, and was given a tiny, on-the-bone thigh. :furious:

[jgreen]

Our family loved Spoodles! We ate there on Friday, September 1st with an ADR we made a couple of months in advance. Well, we liked it so much that we called the next day and made an ADR for Saturday night as well.

I'm hoping to post my dining reviews within the next couple of days. This was our second year in a row with free dining, and we enjoyed both times very much.

[nurseypoo5]

ok, so wait, i'm confused. They DO OR DO NOT have shrimp alfredo. Very important to me as this is the whole reason my little boy wanted to eat there (and the only thing he will eat btw) the shrimp alfredo. He doesnt want to go now because its just alfredo and he isnt that fond of plain old alfredo.

[Laurafoster]

Great review, thanks for sharing!

[CPM]

ok, so wait, i'm confused. They DO OR DO NOT have shrimp alfredo. Very important to me as this is the whole reason my little boy wanted to eat there (and the only thing he will eat btw) the shrimp alfredo. He doesnt want to go now because its just alfredo and he isnt that fond of plain old alfredo.

It was NOT on the menu. No add ons. I did ask for some shrimp and they did give me some on mine for an extra charge. I can't guarantee they will say yes. Maybe you could call that day or stop in and ask.

[mrludwig]

We have never tried Spoodles but may have to after all I have read. Thanks for the review and all the great information.:goodvibes

[kcrew]

ok, so wait, i'm confused. They DO OR DO NOT have shrimp alfredo. Very important to me as this is the whole reason my little boy wanted to eat there (and the only thing he will eat btw) the shrimp alfredo. He doesnt want to go now because its just alfredo and he isnt that fond of plain old alfredo.

It used to be on the menu as an add on for the Alfredo, Steak, and Rigatoni, and was being included on the dining plan. Now it does not exist on the menu at all with dining plan or without. It has mysteriously disappeared although the rest of the menu is exactly the same. HUGE disappointment for us. As the other poster stated you could request the shrimp(at a charge) because they do have shrimp available in the kitchen as it is an appetizer and also in a seafood entree.

[CPM]

It used to be on the menu as an add on for the Alfredo, Steak, and Rigatoni, and was being included on the dining plan. Now it does not exist on the menu at all with dining plan or without. It has mysteriously disappeared although the rest of the menu is exactly the same. HUGE disappointment for us. As the other poster stated you could request the shrimp(at a charge) because they do have shrimp available in the kitchen as it is an appetizer and also in a seafood entree.


As I stated at the beginning of this whole thread. They are working on a new menu/ I guess it takes a lot of Disney red tape to put one together. They have a new chef, who is great!
If anyone goes and they have the new menu available, please let us know.

[CastleLight]

I am happy to hear that you enjoyed it. I have not been to Spoodles for years. When I first went there 10 years ago, Fettucini Alfredo would have never been on the menu. The fact that it is would be the reason I do not go back now. So sad. I remember the tapas and larger variety of flatbreads. They had a wonderful hummus and mussels and a huge selection of international wines, particlarly by the glass. There seafood entrees were to die for. They also had one of the best breakfast buffets at WDW. Years ago it went to average at best. I have not returned since.

I agree with you 100%. Spoodles was fabulous - years ago. It offered dining options not available elsewhere in WDW. TAPAS!! Its such a shame that they changed the focus of the restaurant.
Anyway, its good to hear that they are trying to make improvements.