Picky Eater... HELP!

Esmommy2008

Earning My Ears
Joined
Aug 6, 2014
We will be visiting DW in November of 2016. Biergarten and Teppan Edo are 2 restaurants I'm debating on making ADR's at. My concern is that my 7yr old ds will literally not like anything on the menu at either place. I was hoping someone could give insight as to whether Biergarten has the simple "fries, chicken nuggets, pizza... etc." and the same with Teppan Edo, can you order something that isn't on the menu like a pbj? I know, ridiculous, but it is what it is. I wasn't seeing either option on either menu, but I know some restaurants will work with you. Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated!!
 
We will be visiting DW in November of 2016. Biergarten and Teppan Edo are 2 restaurants I'm debating on making ADR's at. My concern is that my 7yr old ds will literally not like anything on the menu at either place. I was hoping someone could give insight as to whether Biergarten has the simple "fries, chicken nuggets, pizza... etc." and the same with Teppan Edo, can you order something that isn't on the menu like a pbj? I know, ridiculous, but it is what it is. I wasn't seeing either option on either menu, but I know some restaurants will work with you. Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated!!

You can ask, but if they don't have the ingredients in the kitchen you'll be out of luck, and changes are great that that will be the case. Biergarten has mac & cheese, but no pizza, chicken nuggets, etc. Can you get your son a QS meal prior to your ADR?
 
If he doesn't find anything on the menu, I still would take him there and try. I always think the Biergarten is a great, fun place to take kids. I wouldn't say the same for Teppan Edo. I like it there, but I doubt they would have any of the options you are looking for. It might warrant a call ahead to find out before you make the ADRs.
 
We will be visiting DW in November of 2016. Biergarten and Teppan Edo are 2 restaurants I'm debating on making ADR's at. My concern is that my 7yr old ds will literally not like anything on the menu at either place. I was hoping someone could give insight as to whether Biergarten has the simple "fries, chicken nuggets, pizza... etc." and the same with Teppan Edo, can you order something that isn't on the menu like a pbj? I know, ridiculous, but it is what it is. I wasn't seeing either option on either menu, but I know some restaurants will work with you. Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated!!


Of those two, we've only taken our 3 year old son to Biergarten. He did fine with the Mac and Cheese and chicken (it was roast chicken legs). He also liked the pretzel rolls and the cookies for dessert. They didn't offer us any alternatives and we didn't ask so I don't know if they could have made anything else. Our son also enjoyed the show there.
 


I've been to Biergarten with my nephew twice now, once when he was maybe two and the other time this past fall, when he was four. He would live off of pizza and macaroni if his mom allowed, and he enjoyed the food at Biergarten. There was macaroni and cheese and roast chicken, like the above poster commented, but he enjoyed some of the German food, like the schnitzel. I think it's worth trying, and if he's not impressed, maybe have a snack with you to tide him over until you leave the restaurant and can get something more substantial? The music and ambiance makes Biergarten fun.
 
You can ask, but if they don't have the ingredients in the kitchen you'll be out of luck, and changes are great that that will be the case. Biergarten has mac & cheese, but no pizza, chicken nuggets, etc. Can you get your son a QS meal prior to your ADR?
You can ask, but if they don't have the ingredients in the kitchen you'll be out of luck, and changes are great that that will be the case. Biergarten has mac & cheese, but no pizza, chicken nuggets, etc. Can you get your son a QS meal prior to your ADR?

That's definitely an idea, but in that case then I'll worry that he will get antsy for the duration of the rest of us eating. I did not realize that Biergarten has mac and cheese!
 
If he doesn't find anything on the menu, I still would take him there and try. I always think the Biergarten is a great, fun place to take kids. I wouldn't say the same for Teppan Edo. I like it there, but I doubt they would have any of the options you are looking for. It might warrant a call ahead to find out before you make the ADRs.

I was hoping that the singing/atmosphere would be entertaining for him, so thank you for confirming that! Maybe Teppan Edo will have to be a mommy/daddy date lol.
 


Of those two, we've only taken our 3 year old son to Biergarten. He did fine with the Mac and Cheese and chicken (it was roast chicken legs). He also liked the pretzel rolls and the cookies for dessert. They didn't offer us any alternatives and we didn't ask so I don't know if they could have made anything else. Our son also enjoyed the show there.


I didn't realize there was mac and cheese on the menu! That is the saving grace right there lol! And I'm certain he will like the pretzel rolls as well. Thank you!
 
I've been to Biergarten with my nephew twice now, once when he was maybe two and the other time this past fall, when he was four. He would live off of pizza and macaroni if his mom allowed, and he enjoyed the food at Biergarten. There was macaroni and cheese and roast chicken, like the above poster commented, but he enjoyed some of the German food, like the schnitzel. I think it's worth trying, and if he's not impressed, maybe have a snack with you to tide him over until you leave the restaurant and can get something more substantial? The music and ambiance makes Biergarten fun.

I think out of the 2, Biergarten will remain on the list due to the mac and cheese lol. Teppan Edo is not looking to make the cut :(
Thanks for the input!!
 
Help would be to start making dinner at home with things other than chicken and fries. Put it in front of the 7 year old. They either eat what is for dinner or go to be hungry.

It may sound harsh, but it is what you have to do as a parent to make sure your kids have proper nutrition and you as a parent can enjoy dinner too.

take away their access to snacks as well. After a week of being hungry, your child will decide being picky is not in their best interest. they will soon learn that food is good and they have been missing out.

My parents did this to me, I did this to my kids. It is so refreshing to know we can take an 8 year old and 14 year old to anyplace in the world and they will be able to eat whats on the menu.
 
Somebody beat me to it but there is schnitzel on the buffet, which sound exotic but isn't; it is a thin piece of breaded and fried meat. I can't remember if it is pork or chicken but honestly, I don't think there would be much taste or texture difference. It would be very similar to chicken nuggets without the shape.
 
That's great that it worked for you and your family but that does not work for all kids. My oldest has SPD, probably eats healthier than most people as he prefers raw veggies to just about anything, but they don't have a lot of calories. We are always on the edge of intervention for his weight, so for him, we do have to cater to his particular and very picky tastes (no sauces or gravies, nothing mixed together, the few proteins he will eat). We can't restrict access to foods he will eat because in addition to being picky, he doesn't eat much at a time. We are thrilled whenever he eats anything. I once watched my youngest trying to show him the pulled pork he had in his bowl, trying to offer him some, and him running away gagging and crying like he was being tortured from the smell alone. So, no, that is not a solution for everyone. The picky eater question is very valid.

Pickiness also isn't necessarily the result of parenting. My youngest will eat and try just about anything set in front of him. He can identify pesto and other things by taste. We didn't raise him any differently than the oldest. I think many picky eaters have mild forms of SPD and no amount of tough love will change them.

OP - we have never done Biergarten as my picky eater probably wouldn't fare well there. Sounds like Mac & Cheese will help you out there (mine will only eat Kraft, the way his dad makes it). We are trying Teppan Edo though because steak is surprisingly on the approved list for him. I have found the menus at All Ears to be very helpful. Especially when is comes to QS. I typed up a list to carry of QS locations that have items he will eat so that we can run get him something from nearby if the QS place we stop at doesn't have anything on the menu he likes.
 
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That's definitely an idea, but in that case then I'll worry that he will get antsy for the duration of the rest of us eating. I did not realize that Biergarten has mac and cheese!

Just a heads up - the mac n cheese, while being my most favorite mac n cheese in the world, is more like an eggy, custardy BAKED mac n cheese instead of noodles in a more liquid cheese. My entire family loves it, but it much more a noodle/cheese BAKE than what a lot of picky kids would consider mac n cheese.

Sooooo good, though. Give me that and their tomato salad and I will fork over the $60.
 
I'm a mom to a 4.5 y/o picky eater too and we fared pretty well. Like SnipsNSnails mentioned, I had a list of QS places that had things she would eat and grabbed her something there when we needed to. And then I still always had a back-up in my backpack, usually take-n-toss bowls of cheerios, fruit loops, rice chex, etc. We went to BOG lunch and she'll usually eat turkey sandwiches at home so that's what we ordered her (it was the only thing she would have even tried.) She was not a fan of their turkey sandwich at all (thicker turkey, different bread), I'm sure you can relate. So instead she nibbled on a few of the fries, drank some white milk, and noshed on cheerios. I'm a big fan of the back-ups! :D
 
Somebody beat me to it but there is schnitzel on the buffet, which sound exotic but isn't; it is a thin piece of breaded and fried meat. I can't remember if it is pork or chicken but honestly, I don't think there would be much taste or texture difference. It would be very similar to chicken nuggets without the shape.

Me being a good German.... Schnitzel is Pork Tenderloin, smashed (with a mallet) breaded and fried. YUM!!!
 
Just a heads up - the mac n cheese, while being my most favorite mac n cheese in the world, is more like an eggy, custardy BAKED mac n cheese instead of noodles in a more liquid cheese. My entire family loves it, but it much more a noodle/cheese BAKE than what a lot of picky kids would consider mac n cheese.

Sooooo good, though. Give me that and their tomato salad and I will fork over the $60.

I totally agree. The mac and cheese is not the orange kind they serve all over the park. It is the BEST I've ever had though. My daughter loved it as well. My kids are both picky eaters and were able to find enough to fill their bellies. Of course I let them eat more desserts than usual. I would definitely recommend going to Biergarten.
 
Disney restaurants are far more accommodating that other restaurants. We were at Ohana's and saw a waiter offer to make a child a cheeseburger or mac and cheese. Neither are on the menu.
 
My daughter is really picky too. We have gone to both places. The atmosphere at Beirgarten was fun for the kids but neither of my kids ate much. To be honest neither did. I am also a picky eater. We were able to customize a meal for my daughter at Teppen Edo. She had plain noodles. The same they give everyone else just without the sauce on it. She also had her chicken plain. They were like chicken nuggets without the breading. She ate really good here. Probably the best she ate the whole week. My kids (8 and 9) loved watching them make the food in front of us.
 
That's great that it worked for you and your family but that does not work for all kids. My oldest has SPD, probably eats healthier than most people as he prefers raw veggies to just about anything, but they don't have a lot of calories. We are always on the edge of intervention for his weight, so for him, we do have to cater to his particular and very picky tastes (no sauces or gravies, nothing mixed together, the few proteins he will eat). We can't restrict access to foods he will eat because in addition to being picky, he doesn't eat much at a time. We are thrilled whenever he eats anything. I once watched my youngest trying to show him the pulled pork he had in his bowl, trying to offer him some, and him running away gagging and crying like he was being tortured from the smell alone. So, no, that is not a solution for everyone. The picky eater question is very valid.

Pickiness also isn't necessarily the result of parenting. My youngest will eat and try just about anything set in front of him. He can identify pesto and other things by taste. We didn't raise him any differently than the oldest. I think many picky eaters have mild forms of SPD and no amount of tough love will change them.

OP - we have never done Biergarten as my picky eater probably wouldn't fare well there. Sounds like Mac & Cheese will help you out there (mine will only eat Kraft, the way his dad makes it). We are trying Teppan Edo though because steak is surprisingly on the approved list for him. I have found the menus at All Ears to be very helpful. Especially when is comes to QS. I typed up a list to carry of QS locations that have items he will eat so that we can run get him something from nearby if the QS place we stop at doesn't have anything on the menu he likes.

Your sons tastes seem a lot like my daughters. Nothing mixed nothing touching. She loves salad but it all has to be separated. She pretty mush only eats chicken but it has to be plain or with ranch. Lunch at school has become an issue but we are trying to work though it.

Just a heads up about Teppen Edo. I got the steak the when we went in September. They do but some kind of sauce on it. Sauce may not be a good word for it. They squirt some kind of oil type stuff on it while it was cooking. I did not care for the taste. You might want to ask for them to cook it plain. We had to to that with the chicken for my daughter.

Also, what is SPD?
 

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