Food at Flame Tree Barbeque???

[tony67]

We ate at FT this past Thur. and I was really disappointed. After reading the great reviews here maybe my expectations were too high. My ribs were really tough to the point where I gave up trying to get to the meat. My DH also had the ribs and his were a little more tender. The beans were very soupy - I couldn't find any intact beans. The keylime "pie" wasn't pie at all - just lime flavored custard on top of crushed grahm crackers in a cup. I did enjoy the setting, but you must like birds. My DD had a ball playing with the birds after eating only two bites of her pulled pork sandwich. I really wanted to like this place so maybe we will have to give it another try and I will order the chicken

Wow. This has changed for the worse in the last 2-3 weeks.
My ribs were tough, but not bad, just disappointing from all the hype.
The pie was a slice, not in a cup. It was nothing special and I did not finish it. It sounds like it is even worse now.
As for the beans, mine were very good. The best part of the meal.
I want the cornbread! This needs to come back, even if it is as a dessert.

 

[2forMe]

I have always enjoyed it. I am certain to eat there everytime we are at AK. It is good, it is fast food... not a 5 star restaurant. I like the pulled pork sandwich (always ask for extra side of BBQ sauce since I like it saucy!) and the key lime pie... beans with onions..not so keen on

 

[myfairygodmother]

I ate at Flametree last week and was disappointed to find that the desserts have changed. The Key Lime pie and chocolate cake are gone from the menu. Now the dessert options are key lime parfait or chocolate parfait. I had the key lime parfait and it was not very good--the lime jello on the top of it gave it a very bad taste.

 

[tony67]

I know I am Mr. Negative when it comes to food in Disney (I am not alone), but I was really impressed with the quality of CS food overall on my recent Disney Trip.

To be honest I was blown away compared to the quality and value I feel you get at the TS locations. I was looking forward to returning and getting the QSDP again in future.

I hope this is not a trend that we will begin to see at all the CS locations over the next few months. First the cornbread is gone. People raved about the key lime pie here. Now it is gone. It really does not make sense to change it. What's next, replace the sandwiches at starring roles with prepackaged ham and cheese crustables and the cupcakes with hostess?

Why not get it over with and put a Subway on main street. Very disappointing.

We’ve already seen a huge drop at Pepper Market over the last year,we have all heard about the Mexico CS so this is not an isolated incident IMO.

BTW: Just a side note. Just because something was great a week, a month or a year or two ago does not mean it still is. This is true is Disney more than anywhere else. This is why I have stopped giving negative comments on some places. If I (or a close family memeber) have not been in the last 3 months I really try not to comment anymore. Things change too quickly in Disney.

 

[DisneyHolidayFan]

I ate at Flametree last week and was disappointed to find that the desserts have changed. The Key Lime pie and chocolate cake are gone from the menu. Now the dessert options are key lime parfait or chocolate parfait. I had the key lime parfait and it was not very good--the lime jello on the top of it gave it a very bad taste.

How disappointing! I am not sure now that I even want to eat there!

 

[coolcruiser]

I just ate here last week and thought my meal was very good. I had the chicken and my husband had the ribs. They didn't fall off the bone but he likes them like that. He said they were delicious. I was a bit disappointed that they no longer had the Key Lime pie. I loved it. The gal at the register said they just changed to Key Lime mousse and Chocolate mousse a few days before my visit but she didn't give the reason for it. The Key Lime mousse was just OK but it wasn't nearly as good as the pie. I didn't like the layer of lime jello on the top of it.

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

Sigh, if any business already has your money, whether you bought the DP or got it for 'free' they have no incentive to give you quality.

While the prices have always been high so was the quality but that was 'once upon a time, a long time ago".

Since I watch what I eat it will just make it easier for me to avoid eating many things. There is always some good in everything.

I will note that some of the places not run by Disney still seem to be able to serve quality food at a decent price, i.e. WGP.

It is a shame because if they are not going to make big bucks by filling their more expensive rooms and are having to heavily discount rooms they could make up some revenue by selling more food. I fear they will be selling less and seeing more folks eating off site or bringing their own.

BTW, a Subway on Main Street sounds like an upgrade from some of what they are currently offering.

Slightly Goofy

 

[tony67]

We are sort of going of topic here (as I tend to) so this will probably disappear (is there a post fairy that deletes posts?) but....

I fear they will be selling less and seeing more folks eating off site or bringing their own.
Slightly Goofy

I wish this were true. If it did happen then Disney would have to react and fix it.
Unfortunately the masses are @$$3$.
They will accept what is given to them, just like they did with the DDP changes and the TS restaurants standardization and quality reductions.
There are not enough of us that want the quality of food Disney had 5-6 years ago.
Disney was becoming a foodie with families destination.
If we all stop going then Disney won't have to ignore our complaints anymore.
The average person is happy having an outback quality steak and being told it is top quality gourmet food.
They flock there in droves to get this "authentic" Canadian food.
I would NEVER pay OOP for Le Cellier or just about any other restaurant currently on the DDP. This is the only Canadian steakhouse that I have ever been too that did not have escargot on the menu. I've done many weekends in Ontario and Quebec (less now that the dollars are even ). Every pub and steakhouse has escargot. I find it very odd that Le Cellier does not. Even a chain like the Keg has escargot.
Let's not even talk about the Poutine that even the staff at Le Cellier is ashamed of.

 

[traylorc]

We are sort of going of topic here (as I tend to) so this will probably disappear (is there a post fairy that deletes posts?) but....

I wish this were true. If it did happen then Disney would have to react and fix it.
Unfortunately the masses are @$$3$.
They will accept what is given to them, just like they did with the DDP changes and the TS restaurants standardization and quality reductions.
There are not enough of us that want the quality of food Disney had 5-6 years ago.
Disney was becoming a foodie with families destination.
If we all stop going then Disney won't have to ignore our complaints anymore.
The average person is happy having an outback quality steak and being told it is top quality gourmet food.
They flock there in droves to get this "authentic" Canadian food.
I would NEVER pay OOP for Le Cellier or just about any other restaurant currently on the DDP. This is the only Canadian steakhouse that I have ever been too that did not have escargot on the menu. I've done many weekends in Ontario and Quebec (less now that the dollars are even ). Every pub and steakhouse has escargot. I find it very odd that Le Cellier does not. Even a chain like the Keg has escargot.
Let's not even talk about the Poutine that even the staff at Le Cellier is ashamed of.

Tony....we all get it. You don't like the food at Disney. No problem, you are entitled to your opinion.

Simply understand that some of the "masses" feel fortunate to have the opportunity to go to Disney. This is particularly true in today's current economic environment. Is the food at Disney the best on the planet? Heck no! But there are folks out there who are not food connoisseurs and they believe there is more to the Disney experience than food. Some folks may actually place a higher premium on the attractions, shows, exhibits, and parks themselves.

Again everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But if the worst problem I encounter in the next year is that my ribs fall of the bone, or I can't order chocolate cake while at Disney/Flametree then I'm living a pretty good life. There are tons of people that would love the opportunity to go to Disney and experience an "outback" quality steak from Le Cellier.

Not trying to rip you, just trying to provide some perspective from folks who don't feel the need to storm Disney's headquarters or boycott the parks because we are not being served top quality gourmet food.

 

[tony67]

Tony....we all get it. You don't like the food at Disney. No problem, you are entitled to your opinion.

Simply understand that some of the "masses" feel fortunate to have the opportunity to go to Disney. This is particularly true in today's current economic environment. Is the food at Disney the best on the planet? Heck no! But there are folks out there who are not food connoisseurs and they believe there is more to the Disney experience than food. Some folks may actually place a higher premium on the attractions, shows, exhibits, and parks themselves.

Again everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But if the worst problem I encounter in the next year is that my ribs fall of the bone, or I can't order chocolate cake while at Disney/Flametree then I'm living a pretty good life. There are tons of people that would love the opportunity to go to Disney and experience an "outback" quality steak from Le Cellier.

Not trying to rip you, just trying to provide some perspective from folks who don't feel the need to storm Disney's headquarters or boycott the parks because we are not being served top quality gourmet food.

I stated up front that I am not a huge fan of the food at Disney, but I was in the past.
I was quite clear on this.
I also stated that I actually really liked the CS meals at Disney.
As I previously stated, I was blown away by the overall quality of the CS meals.
It was a bright spot in what Disney Dining has become in the last few years.
I also said, as others did, I was disappointed with Flame Tree.
It was all hype IMO.
It was not bad, but did not live up to the hype.
In the end it was a victim of the DDP.
Every site said to go here to get you top $ value for the DDP.
Thats all they need to provide anymore. An expensive meal that gets people top $ so they can say they saves 100s by getting the DDP. It does not have to be quality.

My issue is that I do not want to see all the CS go downhill like the TS places, like Pepper Market has, like Cantina de San Angel has and like Flame Tree seems to be.
Do you like the new healthy roles for hot dogs and hamburgers?
Do you like the new mystery meat hotdogs?
Do you like the new burgers at beaches and cream?

I like gourmet food, but you know what I can enjoy a good burger, a good hotdog or a good chicken finger. They are not even providing that and I am not the only one disappointed.

If I am going to get an Outback quality steak then I will go to the Outback and get it for 9.99. I have no problem with Outback steaks as long as they aren't going to charge me 25-30 for it.

It seems to me they keep cutting a little here and a little there and will keep doing so until they get a little pushback, that all.

I like to compare it to the frog in the pot analogy that gets used for taxes.

If you put a frog in cold water and bring it to a boil the frog will just sit there and take it.
If on the other hand you put a frog in boiling water he will jump out, or try to.

I feel we are the frog in cold water when it comes to Disney Dinning.
If I am going to spend my hard earned dollars I expect more.

They can try to blame the economy, but at the end of the day they do not have many of the concerns of non DDP restaurants that really are affected by the economy.
They will be full every night no matter what they serve.
They do not have to worry about waste like a normal restaurant would.
They do not need to have daily specials, like a real restaurant would.
The CS locations will be packed, no matter what they serve.
I guess I should just be glad to be in Disney and not care about getting a meal worth what I am paying for it. (And no I did not get "Free" dining)

They have our money for food up front so what incentive do they have to provide quality.
In addition they are pricing things in TS locations to make the DDP look like a better value.
You make think this does not affect you if you are on the DDP, but it does.
This means that you should tip more, so it will cost you OOP.

Then there is the Holiday Surcharge. It does not affect me since I won't be there durign the holiday times, but give me a break. Even if I do not eat at the buffets I have to pay a daily surcharge on the DDP?

We can agree to disagree, but we should not just accept everything that Disney does just because it is Disney.

I won't be posting anymore on this thread since we are getting somewhat off topic.

 

[TDC Nala]

It's not bad there. It's not great, but it's not bad. As full disclosure I would never order the ribs - they are not my thing. And I'm not into bone-in chicken unless it's all that is available. I used to love this place when they had a grilled chicken sandwich, but they got rid of it. I usually get the BBQ chicken salad. The onion rings are really good though.

A lot of guests apparently expect their dish to come with sauce and don't realize you need to get the sauce from the condiment station, that would probably make a difference.

I think Tony just expects something better for the money which I think we all do. Being a captive audience, especially so with the popularity of the dining plan, I am not sure we will get it anytime soon. Disney food is going downhill from what it used to be and doing so fast. Those who have never been before will not notice it, because the food's okay - it just isn't great or even really good in some places. And sometimes, the food sucks.

That's especially frustrating to those who are reviewing a place that they know USED to be great or very good and seeing that it's now just OK. I'm not really interested in anyone's opinion but my own, so I don't feel up to accepting such a downturn for the reasons that "now more of the masses can afford Disney." Believe me, Disney could make itself affordable without offering sucky food.

I've heard mostly awful stuff about the key lime pie but that is not anything I'd order for myself whether I'd heard it was good or not. And now it's key lime mousse with Jello? Good grief.

 

[Hallowishes]

ive always enjoyed my food there. its my favorite CS as AK.

 

[traylorc]

I stated up front that I am not a huge fan of the food at Disney, but I was in the past.
I was quite clear on this.
I also stated that I actually really liked the CS meals at Disney.
As I previously stated, I was blown away by the overall quality of the CS meals.
It was a bright spot in what Disney Dining has become in the last few years.
I also said, as others did, I was disappointed with Flame Tree.
It was all hype IMO.
It was not bad, but did not live up to the hype.
In the end it was a victim of the DDP.
Every site said to go here to get you top $ value for the DDP.
Thats all they need to provide anymore. An expensive meal that gets people top $ so they can say they saves 100s by getting the DDP. It does not have to be quality.

My issue is that I do not want to see all the CS go downhill like the TS places, like Pepper Market has, like Cantina de San Angel has and like Flame Tree seems to be.
Do you like the new healthy roles for hot dogs and hamburgers?
Do you like the new mystery meat hotdogs?
Do you like the new burgers at beaches and cream?

I like gourmet food, but you know what I can enjoy a good burger, a good hotdog or a good chicken finger. They are not even providing that and I am not the only one disappointed.

If I am going to get an Outback quality steak then I will go to the Outback and get it for 9.99. I have no problem with Outback steaks as long as they aren't going to charge me 25-30 for it.

It seems to me they keep cutting a little here and a little there and will keep doing so until they get a little pushback, that all.

I like to compare it to the frog in the pot analogy that gets used for taxes.

If you put a frog in cold water and bring it to a boil the frog will just sit there and take it.
If on the other hand you put a frog in boiling water he will jump out, or try to.

I feel we are the frog in cold water when it comes to Disney Dinning.
If I am going to spend my hard earned dollars I expect more.

They can try to blame the economy, but at the end of the day they do not have many of the concerns of non DDP restaurants that really are affected by the economy.
They will be full every night no matter what they serve.
They do not have to worry about waste like a normal restaurant would.
They do not need to have daily specials, like a real restaurant would.
The CS locations will be packed, no matter what they serve.
I guess I should just be glad to be in Disney and not care about getting a meal worth what I am paying for it. (And no I did not get "Free" dining)

They have our money for food up front so what incentive do they have to provide quality.
In addition they are pricing things in TS locations to make the DDP look like a better value.
You make think this does not affect you if you are on the DDP, but it does.
This means that you should tip more, so it will cost you OOP.

Then there is the Holiday Surcharge. It does not affect me since I won't be there durign the holiday times, but give me a break. Even if I do not eat at the buffets I have to pay a daily surcharge on the DDP?

We can agree to disagree, but we should not just accept everything that Disney does just because it is Disney.

I won't be posting anymore on this thread since we are getting somewhat off topic.

Let's agree to disagree. Personally I don't think the dining situation is as dire as you do. Again, in the big scheme of things I just feel fortunate enough to have the resources to go to Disney....I'm not looking for gourmet dining. But hey that's just me.

To the OP, personally I enjoyed Flametree and will eat there again when we go back to Disney next September....even if the chocolate cake has been removed from the menu and the ribs occasionally fall off the bone.

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

I personally think that everyone is right in this discussion.

For those who had not been back in the day when it was a Foodie destination they will not know what they missed.

However if folks, new and returnees, get the perception that the food is not worth the bucks they will eat less of it, with those who can eating off site even. It is more likely in this economy as people are starting to wake up and smell the roses and want to spend their money a bit more carefully.

If you love Disney, you love Disney, and will probably continue to go but will probably spend less money in the process and if there are not things that really tempt you it will be easier to do so.

I also wonder how many folks are opting out of some, if not all the 'special' parties' that have to have been big money makers for Disney?

I can see a definite trend toward downsizing the room accommodations and booking cheaper rooms regardless of what many TR's say. My belief is that many who stay at the Values/use the QSDP are a bit intimidated to write about their experiences and it would be so helpful to so many if they did. Many of my dear DIS board friends write TR of their Deluxe stays and I always enjoy reading them too but they do not fit my lifestyle or tastes.

I am headed that way in a bit over two weeks and will enjoy it even though I will miss many things I had in the past. Might well find new favorites. No trip is ever the same as another.

Life is an adventure and nothing ever goes as planned, just have to keep on going and enjoy what you get.

Slightly Goofy

 

[domesticking]

Do you like the new healthy roles for hot dogs and hamburgers?

It's rolls, not roles.

Unless they're portraying some other food in a production of sorts.

"The role of Sausage will now be played by Hot Dog."

Just say buns.

 

[cdestecroix]

We ate at Flame Tree BBQ on November 1, 2009. The ribs were really quite bad, but we really enjoyed the chicken, cole slaw and beens. The key lime pie was realy tasty.

 

[tony67]

It's rolls, not roles.

Unless they're portraying some other food in a production of sorts.

"The role of Sausage will now be played by Hot Dog."

Just say buns.

Ah yes, the age old curse of the internet (and its predecessors).

The pseron who has nointhg to conbtriute to the consveration but graemmr and speinllg cocrretions. It's been a while.

I bet you can a find a lot of these types of errors if you feel like going back through all my posts.

Maybe I just had the thought of Starring ROLES (Yes I know it is rolls) replacing their cupcakes with pre-packaged Hostess on my mind.

In reviewing the thread this is your only comment. How about letting us know about your experiences at flametree good or bad or Disney food in general over the last 10 years.

Although "The role of Sausage will now be played by Hot Dog." does sound like something Disney would do in an Italian CS location.

Again I will try not to comment on this thread again.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

We've only eaten at Flame Tree once (although my bf and I enjoyed a soda and a lovely long conversation sitting by the water in Flame Tree's seating area during our last trip ). I didn't care for the sandwich I had (some kind of BBQ sandwich) but I loved the onion rings. My Dad said the ribs were ok but he's not much on CS places. My favorite part about Flame Tree is the lovely outdoor seating areas.

 

[snookiedoodles]

Wonderful...I am going there this year!!!

 

[itchin2go]

Although "The role of Sausage will now be played by Hot Dog." does sound like something Disney would do in an Italian CS location.

I wish there were an Italian CS location. And that kiosk with cannoli doesn't count ...