I would eat there more if the food were more consistent.
At least twice I had the dinner skillet, and it was very good. Two other visits, there were issues with the way the food was prepared and served. It was so bad the last time in 2012, I haven’t been back. Their menu beyond the skillet was not great either IMO.
You know, Disney built and operates a huge smoker at the Wilderness Lodge to provide a smoky wood scent as part of WL’s ambience. It supplies the meat for the skillet, and for reasons I can’t explain, I find some charm in knowing that there is this rather unique cooking equipment that fragrances the resort and provides freshly smoked foods for its guests.
When meats like chicken, ribs, brisket, etc. are served fresh from the smoker, they are tender, moist and delicious. When they’ve been smoked then kept in a warmer for hours before you get them, they are tough and dry.
I say that they should ditch the rest of the menu and make it like Ohana in that it’s basically one menu with a vegetarian item on the skillet and maybe chicken nuggets (because it’s Disney) as a picky eater alternative. Then, they must focus on delivering a consistently good product.
The salad is really good; I’d keep that on the menu plus the cornbread and whipped butter, but again, consistency matters—these items need to be great every time. I’d choose s’mores cheesecake for the dessert.
The wait staff can be encouraged to be fun without going over the top. Maybe send out a guitar entertainer once an hour to occupy the kids.
This would be my plan for the place.
