Narcoossees’s NOT worth the time or the 2 TS credits………. [Archive] - The DIS Discussion Forums

MarkinNM

09-24-2009, 12:45 AM

From all the great reviews here on the DIS I decided we should make this our first ADR for the start of our trip and well it was the most disappointing meal we had during the entire trip! Checked in @ 7PM for 7:35PM ADR, got seated @ 8PM, hostess was not the most friendly and I was taken back by how rude she sounded to everyone entering the resturant. When we were seated, we sat for 10mins before I got up to see where the elusive yeti, ugm waiter was for the night, even after talking to the hostess it still took 10 more mins for him to come around, then he kind of slapped the menus on the table and walked away, disappeared again, ok now I am getting bugged. When he finally decided we were real people he asked if we were on the DDP I said yes and he looked like he wanted to cry. We ordered our drinks & entrees right away without asking if we wanted appetizers, which we were going to order. We ordered the Lobster dish and the Tuna dish, the Tuna was actually pretty darn good, oh the lobster, I think it was lobster, was just awful! WTH was that stuffed into the shell?? I have had lobster before and this shredded fish thing stuffed in to a lobster shell was not lobster and since when did a lobster come with 1 claw? The potato crap was burnt and crunchy and was awful! The lobster was rubbery, fishy, shredded crap with no flavor was terrible and when asked I told the waiter this and he looked insulted, then asked for our desert orders, well they were no better. What a great start to our vacation! And to top it off as usual SWA “overbooked” the flight to Orlando and was offering to refund the cost of the airfare PLUS $100 travel voucher AND to get us to Orlando by 7PM and I did not take it because of the Narcoossees ADR, should have would have …I have had better at Red Lobster................:sick:

Word to the wise STAY AWAY FROM NARCOOSSEE’S!!!!!!!!!!!

Sammie

09-24-2009, 12:49 AM

I think their greatest fault is they are not consistent, I have had very good meals there and I have experienced service similar to what you had.

shopn24seven

09-24-2009, 01:01 AM

Getting nervous now...we have ressies in Dec, there.
*sigh*
Were they OVERLY crowded? Shorthanded?

MarkinNM

09-24-2009, 01:16 AM

Getting nervous now...we have ressies in Dec, there.
*sigh*
Were they OVERLY crowded? Shorthanded?

That is a great question as there were empty tables around that never got seated while we were eating, not sure but this place is supposed to be a signature resturant and not sure how they got this “rating” but Disney definitely needs to re-look at them. One meal with them was enough to decide on our future dining with them again or never again…..

blondinkaya

09-24-2009, 06:19 AM

Getting nervous now...we have ressies in Dec, there.
*sigh*
Were they OVERLY crowded? Shorthanded?

We went to Tony's and had a fabulous dinner. I had the chicken parmigiana. It was sooooo good! But I've read many reviews here about that same exact dish from Tony's saying that it was the most disgusting meal ever had. Everyone's experience is different.

The way I see it is that sometimes restaurants are "off" and sometimes they're not. OP had a very bad meal at Narcoossee's, but others have had really good ones. Dh and I are having our anniversary meal there in Dec ... I don't want to have the same experience as OP, but I have no intention of changing the ADR.

OP, glad to hear you liked the tuna ... I'm on the fence as to whether to have that or the filet. Dh wants lobster, and it's not something we ever have, so hopefully, if we do catch the restaurant on a bad night, he won't be able to tell the difference! :rotfl:

oybolshoi

09-24-2009, 06:31 AM

lurkernj

09-24-2009, 06:35 AM

We just dined here a week ago and it was awesome. Our reservation was at 5:35 when they first opened, so we didn't wait. We ordered the Surf/turf and it was excellent (enjoyed our potatos too, but they weren't burnt), as was that almond cheesecake. Our server was very accomodating as it was just myself and DS11, I didn't want to use 4 credits so we split the surf/turf and ordered a kids mac/cheese for DS side (as well as a brownie sundae for his dessert). Our server was very polite and didn't seem bothered at all by the splitting.

Funny how people have such different experiences at the same place!

LoraJ

09-24-2009, 06:41 AM

Sorry you had a bad meal there. We had a wonderful experience there a few years ago. We had an 8pm ADR and about a 15 minute wait. That wasn't during free dining though. I think you should have asked for a manager on the spot if you were that dissatisfied.

schimj

09-24-2009, 07:51 AM

Getting nervous now...we have ressies in Dec, there.
*sigh*
Were they OVERLY crowded? Shorthanded?

Don't worry...I'm sure OP is being over dramatic. I've been there several times and always had great food and service. DW & I also recently took my parents for their first trip to WDW/my father's b-day trip, and that was their favorite meal.

ElizabethB

09-24-2009, 07:58 AM

Welcome to free dining!!!

I suspect (although I don't know for sure) that your waiter looked like he was going to cry because it is very likely many free diners are showing up in big groups, not ordering wine or anything beyond the free items and not tipping all that well. I think a mandatory 20% tip for those eating on the DDP is not far in the future.

As for the Maine lobster, we, too, have had one of Narcoossee's underweight and rubbery lobsters for the last time. Narcoossee's actually has the nerve to charge $59 for one of those things -- at a time when there is a surplus of lobsters on the market and bigger, better ones than Narcoossee's serves are in the grocery stores for $5.99 a pound.

One thing I can say is a wonderful experience at Narcoossee's a few years ago bears no relationship to the current state of play at that restaurant -- and things are only worse during free dining.

I feel bad because we do have a trip planned for late Oct. and with free dining going on until Dec. we are bound to run into exactly the situation you had. We are not using free dining and we are not on DDP. So, we're focusing our meals on restaurants that don't take the DDP with hopes that we will have some decent meals that way.

TillyMarigold

09-24-2009, 08:22 AM

Our ADR was for the same time as yours on a Saturday night, we were seated by 7:20 (after showing up at 7:10), and the service was absolutely outstanding, far and away the best service of the trip (and nearly everywhere we went gave us great service, but Narcoossee's went above and beyond).

Our food was extremely good, the weakest dish was the halibut (which was fine if you like halibut, but nothing special) but the desserts were excellent. DH had the scallops and the Valrhona chocolate cake, I had the halibut and the key lime creme brulee. I think the highlight for DH was that we each got a press pot of tea with dessert (we got water and wine with our meals--and the water was offered without our asking, it came with the bread, and wasn't the gross WDW tap water).

There's a full review in my dining report.

TillyMarigold

09-24-2009, 08:23 AM

MarkinNM

09-24-2009, 12:57 PM

Everyone's experience is different.

The way I see it is that sometimes restaurants are "off" and sometimes they're not. OP had a very bad meal at Narcoossee's, but others have had really good ones. Dh and I are having our anniversary meal there in Dec ... I don't want to have the same experience as OP, but I have no intention of changing the ADR.

OP, glad to hear you liked the tuna ... I'm on the fence as to whether to have that or the filet. Dh wants lobster, and it's not something we ever have, so hopefully, if we do catch the restaurant on a bad night, he won't be able to tell the difference! :rotfl:

SOOOO TRUE!

IF you do go STAY AWAY FROM THE shredded fish crud shoved into a lobster shell, PLEASE.......;) The Tuna was really good and glad I ordered that by my kids had to sit through that sad thing called a shellfish, that was an INSULT to a lobster......:lmao:
Sorry you had a bad meal there. We had a wonderful experience there a few years ago. We had an 8pm ADR and about a 15 minute wait. That wasn't during free dining though. I think you should have asked for a manager on the spot if you were that dissatisfied.
I thought about it but the water show was about to start, "that" hostess was still there, and just did not want to start our vacation complaining, we were all tired from traveling all day, so I took it as a learning and will NEVER partake of this sad little place again.....:thumbsup2

BTW if you do go outside watch where you step as there were roaches out on the balcony and railings....................We ended up going to the dock to wait for the next boat out of there....................
Don't worry...I'm sure OP is being over dramatic. I've been there several times and always had great food and service. DW & I also recently took my parents for their first trip to WDW/my father's b-day trip, and that was their favorite meal.
Overdramatic...:rolleyes1 :sad2:, wish you could have been there I am serious here that we liked Pizza Planet in HS BETTER!!!!!!;) After working in the resturant business for over 20 years, I know what a lobster is and I have NEVER seen or tasted ANYTHING like that shredded sad piece of whatever it was......:confused3

Welcome to free dining!!!

I suspect (although I don't know for sure) that your waiter looked like he was going to cry because it is very likely many free diners are showing up in big groups, not ordering wine or anything beyond the free items and not tipping all that well. I think a mandatory 20% tip for those eating on the DDP is not far in the future.

As for the Maine lobster, we, too, have had one of Narcoossee's underweight and rubbery lobsters for the last time. Narcoossee's actually has the nerve to charge $59 for one of those things -- at a time when there is a surplus of lobsters on the market and bigger, better ones than Narcoossee's serves are in the grocery stores for $5.99 a pound.

One thing I can say is a wonderful experience at Narcoossee's a few years ago bears no relationship to the current state of play at that restaurant -- and things are only worse during free dining.

I feel bad because we do have a trip planned for late Oct. and with free dining going on until Dec. we are bound to run into exactly the situation you had. We are not using free dining and we are not on DDP. So, we're focusing our meals on restaurants that don't take the DDP with hopes that we will have some decent meals that way.

Thanks for your honest review and not being dramatic....:rolleyes1, I don’t think it is the DDP or free dining, in this case as the rest of the week was filled with WONDERFUL food and servers from some pretty interesting people, the 2 that we really got to talking to was Brandon in LeCellier, GREAT interesting person & I cant remember her name but she was in Chefs De France, she was a GREAT chatter, I love that…..

We are in total agreement that Narcossees should be ashamed to serve that shredded stuff with 1 claw, FD or not, I have had better in Red Lobster for goodness sake…..

Tipping is whole different subject and the mandatory 20% thing will never fly especially in our case as the kid must have been a trainee as come to think of it we never got any bread??????………………

I am sure you will have some GREAT meals with the DDP, FD or not, have fun!!!

ClareH37

09-24-2009, 01:21 PM

Thank you to the OP for posting this review, I was beginning to think I was the only other person to have had a terrible meal/service there.

I think we must have had the same waiter! We also sat at our table for a good 10 minutes before he eventually graced us with his presence, whereupon he then literally threw the menus at us and grunted in a most unpleasant way to ask if we wanted drinks, then disappeared off for another 10 minutes. It was 20 minutes before we were able to order appetisers. After appetisers we waited another 40 minutes before our mains came - we gave up trying to call him over because we didn't see him again until he served our mains, but did ask a manager who was indifferent and advised it was probably because of my gluten free meal (salmon). The restaurant was not even half full and I have never encountered such delays in ordering a gluten free meal elsewhere.

Starters were fine, but the mains were terrible - my friend had the scallops/risotto dish and it was so heavily seasoned it was inedible, I had salmon in some kind of mushroom sauce which was supposedly gluten free (I'm celiac) - I was extremely unwell after that meal, no further comment!

We were paying OOP and it was the biggest waste of money I have encountered onsite in all my years of Disney dining.

However, I do appreciate all restaurants get good and bad reviews, but based on my own personal experience I will never return there, not even if you paid me.

TiffinyKC

09-24-2009, 01:42 PM

First: I am really sorry that you had a bad experience. No matter what, that just stinks.

Second: I'm now a little nervous too. I've been really looking forward to this meal and I have read enough to reconsider. I'm wondering if Yatchman's would be a better choice. Hmmm.....what to do, what to do.

MarkinNM

09-24-2009, 01:45 PM

Thank you to the OP for posting this review, I was beginning to think I was the only other person to have had a terrible meal/service there.
...
However, I do appreciate all restaurants get good and bad reviews, but based on my own personal experience I will never return there, not even if you paid me.
NP I LOVE ALL the reviews good and bad myself as they do indeed vary....
And NO you were NOT the only one who regreats eating there....
First: I am really sorry that you had a bad experience. No matter what, that just stinks.

Second: I'm now a little nervous too. I've been really looking forward to this meal and I have read enough to reconsider. I'm wondering if Yatchman's would be a better choice. Hmmm.....what to do, what to do.

I say go with your gut, but know this we will NEVER go back.....:eek:

catne

09-24-2009, 04:49 PM

mickey2000

09-24-2009, 05:09 PM

Sorry to hear you had a problem ....
We have had the whole lobster 7 different times and never had a problem.
DDP or not, if I wasn't happy with my food it would be sent back either for another choice, or re-done ???? I don't understand how someone can be unhappy with thier food on how its prepared and be ok with it ???
Is it because its Disney ?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v372/diz/DSC01132.jpg

mefordis

09-24-2009, 05:51 PM

BTW if you do go outside watch where you step as there were roaches out on the balcony and railings....................We ended up going to the dock to wait for the next boat out of there....................

We saw roaches outside of that place, too! They weren't on the dock, they were running out of the front door -- not kidding!

mickey2000

09-24-2009, 06:08 PM

We saw roaches outside of that place, too! They weren't on the dock, they were running out of the front door -- not kidding!

I hear they are also in the rooms :scared1:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v372/diz/Roach.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v372/diz/Roach.gif
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v372/diz/Roach.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v372/diz/Roach.gif
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v372/diz/Roach.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v372/diz/Roach.gif

vicki_c

09-24-2009, 06:12 PM

sorry to hear about your bad experience. we dined at Narcoossees a couple of years ago and while we didn't have the kind of evening you did, we just weren't all that impressed. Flying Fish and Bluezoo both do seafood so much better that we have no desire to return to Narcoossees.

That was our experience as well. Our service there was excellent though, but we found the food to be very average. I also had the lobster and thought it was fair at best. My husband liked his meal better, but I don't remember what we had. It was okay, but nowhere I feel the need to rush back to.

mchelle77

09-24-2009, 10:49 PM

I think every restaurant, whether in WDW or not, has good and bad food, good and bad wait staff, good and bad DAYS. Sorry to hear you had a bad experience (I have no ADR for this place, I was just interested in reading about your review :) )

I've been in the food service industry myself back in high school/college, and my thoughts on the matter of rude wait staff is this: whatever their opinion is of you (for being on the DDP, in this case) should be irrelevant - you're a customer who (I hope!!) plans on tipping according to service, so if they can't be a decent waiter, you shouldn't be obligated to be a decent customer.

In other words, food aside, I'd probably have tipped him on the VERY low end of the scale! :laughing:

Dis_Yoda

09-25-2009, 05:52 AM

Sorry to hear you did not enjoy your meal. I've always enjoyed my meals there over the past 2 years but I understand all places have off nights (then again I will never order lobster in the first place as I do not enjoy it)

MickeysMommy

09-25-2009, 07:34 AM

Wow. I am sorry you had that experience. We were just there on the 12th and our food was wonderful. My mom had the surf and turf and I had the lobster and they both were delicious. I would definitely go again.

eliza61

09-25-2009, 07:41 AM

I think their greatest fault is they are not consistent, I have had very good meals there and I have experienced service similar to what you had.

I think that seems to be an overall trend, unfortunately. Hit or miss. I haven't tried narcosses but I've been having similar experiences.

MarkinNM

09-25-2009, 01:11 PM

thanks for the review, Mark...I'm always interested to hear good & bad about restaurants at WDW. You're not the first to post a review about the bad lobster at Narcoosee's...I've seen several similar descriptions (stringy, rubbery, tasteless) Although we've generally had great service at WDW, we've also had a few instances of incredibly slow/non-existent service at a couple of different WDW restaurants - so I know it is completely possible to get terrible service. I've also seen enough reviews citing similar occurences to others. Enough that your review doesn't sound "overdramatic" to me. You had a truly rotten time...sorry for you! What a waste of 2 TS credits.

Are you going to give us reviews on your other picks? C'mon...you know we want to hear 'em.:thumbsup2

catne, thanks I will write a dining review soon, I came back feeling a bit under the weather, I guess going from 90+ deg & 90%+ humidty to sub 60's and 10% humidty and a lack of sleep took it out on me, I am feeling much better now, trust me the rest of our dining was just awesome and full of great food, I am just sad this one just was no better then our local red lobster.....
Sorry to hear you had a problem ....
We have had the whole lobster 7 different times and never had a problem.
DDP or not, if I wasn't happy with my food it would be sent back either for another choice, or re-done ???? I don't understand how someone can be unhappy with thier food on how its prepared and be ok with it ???
Is it because its Disney ?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v372/diz/DSC01132.jpg

I left that up to my kids, as they told me "PLease dont make a scene, its ok dad" we were all tired and just wanted to get back to the room and get rested for the start of our vacation.....

BTW I LOVE that pic...............:)
We saw roaches outside of that place, too! They weren't on the dock, they were running out of the front door -- not kidding!

I thought they were following me but then a lady who was sitting at one of the benches on the dock started to screech and then stomping her foot, they were just all over, that was the final straw, I asked my family to go to the dock and wait for the next boat out of Disney's roach hotel.......:scared1:

MarkinNM

09-25-2009, 01:14 PM

I hear they are also in the rooms :scared1:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v372/diz/Roach.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v372/diz/Roach.gif
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v372/diz/Roach.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v372/diz/Roach.gif
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v372/diz/Roach.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v372/diz/Roach.gif

None in our room at the CSR :thumbsup2

tomthebarncat

09-25-2009, 04:23 PM

Don't worry...I'm sure OP is being over dramatic. I've been there several times and always had great food and service. DW & I also recently took my parents for their first trip to WDW/my father's b-day trip, and that was their favorite meal.

You are being very presumptious!!! I have been to Disney many times and can honestly say that the food is average and mediocre. It is my opinion and my money!!Then again, I live in Europe where a plethora of crap chain restaurants just don't exist. I also have Michelin stared restaurant 500 meters from my house, their prices are comparable to the signature dining. The difference is that Sysco did not deliver the meals in handy prepacked foil packets! I love Disney, but the food is what it is !! Crap to me but the best darn meal others have eaten! OP shared his poor dining experience, and it really sounded like business as usual to me, as I stopped eating anything but quick food years ago, when I came to the conclusion that food for the masses was not for me! and my wallet! Disney realizes that most visitors are not going to leave the park for food, so therefore visitors are essentially a CAPTIVE AUDIENCE!

mickey2000

09-25-2009, 10:04 PM

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v372/diz/pris.png

TLSnell1981

09-25-2009, 10:23 PM

Getting nervous now...we have ressies in Dec, there.
*sigh*
Were they OVERLY crowded? Shorthanded?

Dh and I dined at Narcoosee last December. The restaurant was crowded, but we were seated promptly and just in time for Wishes ( had a magnificent view of MK)! Our server was friendly and efficient. The food was also very good. We had an absolutely wonderful time.

Maybe, it was an off night? We had a nightmare dinner at Le Cellier last year, but it seems to be a favorite.

**edited to add** Roaches? I seen my share of palmetto bugs. I once lived in Orlando and those things are HUGE!!! But, nope...never seen roaches at Disney.

tink713

09-25-2009, 10:24 PM

I have never had a bad experience at this restaurant, always had a great server. Narcoossee's is my favorite restaurant on property. From my experience the lobster is excellent. You must have gone on a bad night.

mchelle77

09-25-2009, 10:30 PM

**edited to add** Roaches? I seen my share of palmetto bugs. I once lived in Orlando and those things are HUGE!!! But, nope...never seen roaches at Disney.

I'm sorry, but I always laugh when I see people say this. A palmetto bug IS a cockroach.

http://www.asktheexterminator.com/cockroach/Palmetto_Bugs.shtml

TLSnell1981

09-25-2009, 10:51 PM

I'm sorry, but I always laugh when I see people say this. A palmetto bug IS a cockroach.

http://www.asktheexterminator.com/cockroach/Palmetto_Bugs.shtml

Happy to give you a chuckle!!:goodvibes I've lived in the South my whole life. We've always called the little ones with large families cockroaches. **sigh** I guess, technically palmetto bugs (as they are known to native Floridians) are cockroaches on steroids. I'm happy I've never seen more than one or two at a time. Otherwise, I would have nightmares.:scared1:

DisneyFamily123

09-26-2009, 08:35 AM

We saw roaches outside of that place, too! They weren't on the dock, they were running out of the front door -- not kidding! The roaches were probably upset about the lobster too!

We have an ADR at Narcoosees 10/31... and was going to try the lobster because I thought it might be a Maine lobster, or one that's real good.

I've never had a "real" Maine lobster but the few lobsters I've had seem plain and tastleess. So, I don't know why lobster is such a big deal and so expensive. I'm in MD and love crabs, shellfish, and seafood. If the lobster is not something special, I'll choose something else like this.... nearly half the price of the $59 lobster.

Crab-crusted Alaskan Halibut - crushed Fingerling Potatoes, haricot verts, and Meyer lemon sauce $33
or
Seafood Cioppino - swordfish, halibut, salmon, mussels, tomato stew, with basmati rice, and garlic herb toast $32

We are going to Narcoosees to use up dining plan credits -- it just worked out that the additional cost of the deluxe dining was a little less than the additional costs that the regular plan would not cover (appetizers, some extra table services). We just can't eat 3 meals every day, so we thought we would use up credits by enjoying some of the signatures. But sounds like people don't think some of them are worth it.

Still, I don't understand why signature restaurants are 2 credits - most are no more expensive than others, especially Narcoosees. For example, Tutto Italia is very expensive but still just 1 meal credit.

mickeysbestfriend

09-26-2009, 10:02 AM

have only eaten there one time and it will be a while before we return. The food was just average and for the price, not worth it. We did love the view and got to see Wishes from our table which was a plus. We were told that we had to dress for dinner so we did. Then we got there are there were peple in cut offs, tank tops etc. that were anything but dressy. We hauled dress clothes down there for no reason :(

I just hope that Disney reads these posts and looks into some of the complaints or it will never get better. We have been going to WDW since 1972 and over the last five years things have been inconsistent at best. I don't know if free dining has anything to do with it or it is the quality of the CM that they hire today. We have had wonderful experiences at a restaurant one trip and a horrible experience the next.

They do add 18% tip to all dining plans so check your bill before adding one to it. We have tables in wonderland and the added it to our bill without telling us and if I hadn't noticed we would have double tipped.

best dining to all!

Bill and Faith

mybgirl

09-26-2009, 10:08 AM

Getting nervous now...we have ressies in Dec, there.
*sigh*
Were they OVERLY crowded? Shorthanded?

We have ARD
Dec 19th DS 12th Birthday

never been unhappy :thumbsup2

Mary

raven69david

09-26-2009, 10:09 AM

Thanks for your review. Very honest and I appreciate that. However, having said that, I would say that you simply had 1 bad experience. We eat there everytime we go on the day that we arrive and it has always been great. We never use DDP (free dining isn't really free nor is it worth it, to us) so we don't know how/why they would treat you differently other than them thinking that they won't get a good tip. Who knows?! All I can say is that your review was honest and I appreciate you throwing this out there. Others have had and have posted similar experiences. Either our expectations are too low for this place or we've just been lucky all 7+ times we've eaten there.

TillyMarigold

09-26-2009, 12:49 PM

We have an ADR at Narcoosees 10/31... and was going to try the lobster because I thought it might be a Maine lobster, or one that's real good.

I've never had a "real" Maine lobster but the few lobsters I've had seem plain and tastleess. So, I don't know why lobster is such a big deal and so expensive. I'm in MD and love crabs, shellfish, and seafood. If the lobster is not something special, I'll choose something else like this.... nearly half the price of the $59 lobster.

Crab-crusted Alaskan Halibut - crushed Fingerling Potatoes, haricot verts, and Meyer lemon sauce $33

I thought the whole lobster was a real Maine lobster. This one is actually the *only* negative review I've ever seen of the whole lobster—most negative reviews are of the lobster tail. I'm not saying the OP isn't correct, but in all seriousness, every single other review of the whole lobster has raved about it. (And I read a *lot* of Narcoossee's reviews because we were debating Narcoossee's vs. Cali Grill ... we are not at all unhappy we went with Narcoossee's btw.)

Personally I don't like lobster in any case. I had the halibut and it was very, very, very good. DH had the scallops. There's a review in my dining report.

MonicaInFlorida

09-26-2009, 01:27 PM

I've had the whole Maine lobster, and it was pretty tasty. I'm not sure what you mean by "shredded" lobster. I wonder if they've started adding a crabmeat stuffing to the head or something. My lobster was just a whole steamed lobster, no stuffing or anything like that.

That said, even with the $59 lobster I still don't think it's worth two table service entitlements. I prefer to pay OOP and use the TIW card for a signature restaurant.

bltz

09-26-2009, 02:18 PM

Getting nervous now...we have ressies in Dec, there.
*sigh*
Were they OVERLY crowded? Shorthanded?

Have no fear my friend....Honestly, this entire review shocked me terribly. I have made Narcoosee's a must for the past 5 years. In those 5 years (dining plan or not) my family, friends and i have received excellent service....and even better food.....

I'm guessing maybe they had an off night? Still shocked. :confused:

aspen37

09-26-2009, 02:41 PM

I'm so sorry you had this experience. When I was on the dining plan every waiter/waitress would tell me that the app was not included. I would have to make it clear I understand and will be paying cash.
I have only eaten at Narcoossee's once and had a great server and meal.
Tons of people LOVE Le Cellier. I had a horrible meal before at Le Cellier and a friend was there 2 weeks ago and they had their meal comped. Their were 5 of them. Every restaurant has an off day.

BriarRosie

09-26-2009, 03:46 PM

They do add 18% tip to all dining plans so check your bill before adding one to it. We have tables in wonderland and the added it to our bill without telling us and if I hadn't noticed we would have double tipped.

best dining to all!

Bill and Faith

Actually, not quite true. The bill shows what 18% would calculate to, but it's the DDP diner's responsibility to add the tip themselves. If you don't add it, the servers do not get the tip. The exception: Parties of 6 or more. Those get auto-gratuity added, no matter if they are using DDP, TiW or out of pocket.

And yes, Tables in Wonderland card holders also get the auto-gratuity added. That became policy when Disney Dining Experience became Tables in Wonderland.

oybolshoi

09-26-2009, 05:03 PM

And yes, Tables in Wonderland card holders also get the auto-gratuity added. That became policy when Disney Dining Experience became Tables in Wonderland.

Probably because they needed something to help them cover the cost of the stupid new name. :laughing:

Condorman

09-26-2009, 05:41 PM

1) If you receive bad service or bad food at any restaurant, the excuse of "just wanting to get out of there" is completely unacceptable. If you had any sense of dining out or doing a favor for your fellow diners you would have asked for a manager while the problem was happening and let them know that failing to deliver a satisfactory customer experience and product might result in unnecessary compensation and even more guests having extra-curricular words with restaurant management and/or F&B executives.

2) Disney never has to apologize for anything so long as someone comes on the Disboards, complains about anything, and every other poster who responds says: "I'm so sorry you had such a bad experience." Did it ever occur to you that the Disboards is, in fact, the self-propelled customer service branch of WDW that Disney doesn't have to pay for or manage?

3) I have been to Narcoossee's twice and had wonderful experiences both times. No restaurant should be allowed to have an "off night." If they cannot maintain consistency, they should not be allowed to remain open. The problem is when people have a problem with their service or the quality of their meal and say nothing until they get home and log onto the Web anonymously just to bash a company that might have done something to better their vacation had they just spoken up at the time.

There was a valuable lesson learned here. It was not to avoid Narcoossee's. It's a fine establishment. It was to be a better customer. Lesson learned.

LUVDZNY2008

09-26-2009, 08:13 PM

I ate at Narcoosee's last month, and I enjoyed it. My whole lobster was very good (nothing was shredded), I also had the crab cakes as an appetizer and they were good. I especially liked the almond crusted cheesecake.

Ciciwoowoo

09-26-2009, 11:58 PM

I've been to my share of WDW places and have had both good and bad services. Every place is capable of having an off night. Chefs and servers are only human!

I agree with the OP that once I have been the victim of a subpar experience, I will choose not to visit that establishment anymore. I will also tell everyone I know about how awful it is.

Will I do so during the time of the incident? Most likely not. If my family is already having a horrible time, why make it worse by complaining? I would much rather take down the names of the people involved, and compose a letter to WDW once I got home. It gives me time to pull together my thoughts, and I am less likely to be affected by the mood of the moment.

Hey, I still won't eat at Kona Cafe after the poor service we received there 5 years ago. And I still remember the horrible server's name was Angela. And I am still happy to share this information with anyone who wants to listen!

TLSnell1981

09-27-2009, 12:48 AM

If you don't let the management or owner know there is a problem? There's no chance it will be corrected. It's much easier to take care of IF you do so when the problem arises.

DisneyFamily123

09-27-2009, 09:26 AM

Only been to Disney one time before, but I was impressed with customer service. Customer service, at least where I live, seems to be going down the tubes fast.

I think there is an art to complaining. What has worked for me is this.... Workers hear complaints about so many things, it just gets old, even if the complaint is justified. When I complain in-person, I show some empathy for the person I'm complaining to.... Examples -- "Hi, I know it's really busy in here..." or "I know waiting tables is hard work..." or "I really don't like complaining, but..."

It has also helped me to let the front line person (the server or waiter) have a chance to fix the problem before asking for a manager. If they see a complaint coming, they might fix the problem nicely.... because I kept them out of trouble with their boss too.

During my last trip, at Crystal Palace, I bit into a piece of plastic (used to tie the roasted beef when they cook it). The waiter had the chef come to explain what it was (I didn't swallow it). They gave us 1 credit for my meal. That was a poor remedy in my opinion -- I should't have to scan my meat before eating it (except bony fish) and I could have swallowed it or broke a tooth (I didn't though). But I accepted it, and I have to admit I went back for more of the beef because it was out of this world delicious!

The plus to complaining in this situation, I hope, is they are more careful about removing the ties when carving the meat. By complaining, I might have saved someone from a broken tooth.

BriarRosie

09-27-2009, 11:40 AM

If you don't let the management or owner know there is a problem? There's no chance it will be corrected. It's much easier to take care of IF you do so when the problem arises.

I completely agree here. I don't think people should suffer through a meal if they're having a problem. The OP and others who don't want to bother speaking up won't be improving the situation and will make themselves miserable in the process.

My mom ordered a dish at Kona Cafe that was frankly, inedible. My mom did not want to speak up, but I had no problem doing so for her. I told the server that my mom had a dish she couldn't eat, so we were able to substitute it for an entree that she loved. We avoided the problem of my mom being miserable and not eating her dinner.

If the problem is a service issue, speak to the manager before you leave. If the management is specifically told about issues with service, they will take steps to improve it.

I never completely write off a restaurant if the service was bad that night. If the food was consistently bad, I would.

ClareH37

09-27-2009, 12:02 PM

Just to add to my earlier post, we did return the scallop rissoto and were not charged for it, the service was another issue, we just wanted to get out of there, however we did actually write concerning the whole situation when we got home.

Now, onto the gluten free meal that *possibly* was not a gluten free meal (I say possibly as it may have been OK of course and I have no proof, but either way something in that meal made me very unwell that night - it was on our arrival night), I had a very upset stomach and sickness all through the night, this could have had very serious implications for me as I have other medical conditions and very narrowly ended up visiting the ER. The next morning although feeling extremely fragile I was thankfully OK, I was staying at GF RPC and I immediately told them what had happened, TBH they were not that great either (another story!), but informed the restaurant, later that afternoon the manager called me, he was extremely defensive and showed a complete lack of customer care. I took the matter further when I got home and it was handled appropriately, my biggest concern was ensuring this did not happen to anyone else with dining allergies (or anyone else for that matter).

snow.white

09-27-2009, 08:18 PM

kelleigh1

09-28-2009, 01:06 PM

Such a shame that you had a terrible meal.

I live in New England and have had my fair share of Maine Lobsters. Hubby and I both had the Maine lobster and it was fantastic. Probably one of the best I'd had.

We absolutely loved Narcoossee's and know we'll definitely go back. I just hope we never catch it on a bad night.

(Note, there was the whole Maine lobster on the menu and the surf & turf which comes with a lobster tail not from Maine. 2 different things. 2 different tastes. Not sure if the menu is the same, but that's what it was when we went. The whole Maine lobster we had wasn't stuffed, so I'm wondering what they did to OP's lobster.)

luvmy3jewels

09-28-2009, 03:14 PM

I'm sorry that you had such a bad experience. It's disappointing when you really look forward to a meal and it doesn't live up to your expectations.

My family ate a Narcoosee's last week and had an entirely different experience. All of the food that the six of us ordered was very good to excellent (however, I thought the lobster tail was a little chewy and wish I had substituted scallops). Our server was wonderful and very attentive, despite the fact that we were on the dining plan. It was one of our favorite meals of the week and I would definitely plan to return in the future.

Hope the other meals you had throughout your stay were better!

MarkinNM

09-28-2009, 10:41 PM

.

Hope the other meals you had throughout your stay were better!

Yes we did, PLENTY of great service and food elsewhere!!

Full dining report coming............

mickey2000

10-11-2009, 02:31 PM

Guess you just had bad luck ???
Just got back and my lobster was perfect ! The presentation was great !
Shell of head cleaned out, claws cut, tail cut in half ! Even the potatoes were super ! :thumbsup2:thumbsup2:thumbsup2
I was prepared to say something if it wasn't right .... Didn't have to. Waitress was also very nice. Worked there for almost 20 years. Talked about the Aligator spred with crackers from years ago.
Always a pleasure to dine here :thumbsup2
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v372/diz/DSC04168.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v372/diz/DSC04169.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v372/diz/DSC04170.jpg

KatMark

10-11-2009, 08:30 PM

Yes we did, PLENTY of great service and food elsewhere!!

Full dining report coming............

Be sure to send me the link when you start your dining report (or if you already have and I've missed it???); and I'm with you...I've "blocked" several people so that I don't have to read their posts...life is too short for such childishness.

Pumbaa_

10-12-2009, 11:52 AM

We dined at Narcoossee for the first time on 9/18. I don't think we can ever go back - not because it was not good, but because the night was PERFECT! :love:

We had a seat at the window with a perfect view of the castle. Our server was very good, not the best ever, but he was not awful :)

From the appetizers to the entrees, the food was amazing. We had a perfect view of Wishes and then dessert after.

For anyone who is hesitating about their ADRs, go make your own decision. For every bad experience there are many good experiences
:thumbsup2

ElizabethB

10-13-2009, 04:27 PM

mickey2000

10-13-2009, 09:36 PM

We never order "lobster" tail, which isn't really lobster. My bad review is of the Maine lobsters.

We used to love ordering Maine lobsters at Narcoosee's. Since the advent of DDP, however, they have declined precipitously in size and quality.

A friend who grew up eating seafood on the Jersey Shore refuses to eat at Narcoosee's anymore, saying the lobsters are small and tough. She used to enjoy them as well.

And, I have to say that the much-lauded lobsters in the pictures above are pretty small and don't look worth $59!

I live in South Jersey and I have to laugh :rotfl: Seafood here at the Jersey shore is horrible and is over priced. Maine is much better.
As for the picture I have above how can you tell how big the lobster was?
I'm curious ???
I asked and it was part of a group of 2+ lbs.
The $59 price IMO is right and the desert was great!
Everything at Disney is expensive :scared1:
Gosh I paid $50 for this :lmao::lmao::lmao:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v372/diz/DSC03921.jpg

hipchickie

10-13-2009, 09:59 PM

There is absolutely no way in the world that lobster in the picture is over 1.5 lbs. No way.

JasonsPrincess

10-13-2009, 10:16 PM

I'm sorry you had an awful meal here :(

DH and I had the sweetheart dinner for 2 here on our honeymoon in May and it was the most amazing meal of our trip. Neither of us had the lobster, we both had different apps and the filet. Seems like everyplace at disney is almost touch and go...don't know what the problem is with consistency

DisneyFamily123

10-14-2009, 11:30 AM

I'll be at Narcoosees on Oct. 31 for dinner (in pirates costume). Help me decide -- get the lobster or not?

Reasons to Get a Lobster --
On the Deluxe DDP so cost doesn't matter. By the way, a corner bar in our town used to have 1 lb+ lobsters, baked potato, and salad for $10 at happy hour (plus $1 beers). I'm sure it wasn't a Maine lobster for that price. I love steamed crabs and live by the Chesapeake Bay in MD. Having eaten many crabs with lots of spice, lobster always seemed kind of bland to me. But, if Narcoosees has a REALLY GOOD lobster, better than the corner bar, I was eager to try it until reading these posts! Has anyone asked to SEE the lobsters first? I remember a post about a waiter bringing one to the table at Narcoosees. Maybe my 4 yr old son would get upset if I ate him.

Reasons to NOT Get a Lobster --
If these are the same things swimming in the tank at my local grocery store...I'll be disappointed. I like LOVE seafood so many of the other dishes may be more enjoyable for me. My appetizer would be the crab cakes, shrimp and crab chowder, or YellowFin Tuna. My entree would be the chef's seafood recommendation (changes daily?), seafood ciappino, or crab crusted halibut.