Wolfgang Puck Cafe: What happened?!?!?!

Laugh O. Grams

DIS Veteran
Joined
Dec 14, 2004
I have to tell you, we've always enjoyed our meals at WPC on previous vacations, but it had been about 4 years since our last meal there.

All I can say is that when we eat there Friday before last, the booth we were sitting in was worn and dirty, the bread that the server brought before the meal was ice cold, the menu was a shell of it's former self, reduced to two brief pages, and the food was really sub-par. Not so bad that we returned it...just based on previous meals there, really disappointing.

So can anyone tell me, what happened? Why the menu changes? Is Wolfgang Puck still affiliated with the place? I've eaten at a number of his restaurants and it seems so below his standards to let a place get like that...
 
We, too, noticed a considerable drop in the dining experience at WPC, during our last visit. A severe downward drop, when compared to previous visits. Like you said, not bad enough to send the food back, but more than enough to bump them way down on our list of options for DTD.
 
When we were there in September, we ate at both WPC and WPExpress at the marketplace. My husband remarked to the server at WPE that the food was better there than at WPC. He said that when Mr. Puck got divorced and everything got split his wife got WPC and he kept WPE. He said that Mr. Puck was very much involved in WPE and made sure the quality was always up to his standards. It was very interesting what he had to say. I don't know how much is true, but it sounded plausible.
 


This is terrible. I have a ADR there Dec. 11th for lunch. I was really looking forward to this place. I'm thinking of cancelling for somewhere else now!
 
This is terrible. I have a ADR there Dec. 11th for lunch. I was really looking forward to this place. I'm thinking of cancelling for somewhere else now!

If I were you, I'd definitely cancel. With so many great options at WDW, WPC is just not worth it anymore.
 
This is terrible. I have a ADR there Dec. 11th for lunch. I was really looking forward to this place. I'm thinking of cancelling for somewhere else now!

I wouldn't waste a TS either. WPExpress on the other hand.... was sooo good! IMO it could be a TS.:thumbsup2
 


DH was disappointed when we were there for dinner during the last week of October. We had eaten there three times before and he always had Wolfgang's Meatball with Bucatini pasta and the tomato, basil, garlic sauce; he loved that meatball and Bucatini!

Sometime prior to our recent visit, they had discontinued using the Bucatini pasta. And, it turned out that the night we were there was to be the last night they were serving even "regular" spaghetti with Wolfgang's Meatball on the adult menu. According to our server, the only way DH would be able to have that meatball in the future would be to order a child's dinner with two small meatballs.

I know it may sound silly to crave pasta and a meatball while on vacation, but DH really did love it, and the restaurant would not share the meatball recipe on any of our trips.
 
O man I'm nervous now!
Is there a better option in DTD?
 
Ok, I hope this is allowed, but I'm going to just link you to a review I wrote about our experience this past June there. I'm not sure the policy about posting links, but I'll definitely take it down if need be. Just thought it'd be easier than going in to all of the details here.

(I'm sure you'll figure out my opinion once you read this, but cancel your ressie and eat somewhere else!!! I'd suggest trying the new T-Rex restaurant there, or even Earl of Sandwich. I know it's not as "formal" but the food is so much better!!)

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1072132/wolfgang_pucks_at_downtown_disney.html?cat=16
 
About a year ago in the food column in The Orlando Sentinel it was mentioned that Wolfgang Puck had threatened the company running the restaurant in DTD that if they did not improve quickly he would withdraw his name.

At the time they did improve, but it looks as if they are back to their old tricks again.
 
I too posted a similar review upon our return from WDW in September. WPC was one of our faves in previous years, but it truly is NOT the same as before. Your review could have been mine verbatim. Cold bread, cold food, lousy service, and crummy menu as compared to the past!! Diners beware.
 
I don't know what happened. :confused3 We used to love Wolfgang Puck Cafe. It was on our list until a year and a half ago. We loved the food there. Then on our last visit there, the food and service was awful:sad2: . So we decided that there were many other places we can eat from now on.
 
We ate at the one in the marketplace & the food was great. I thought it was a clean place.
 
We ate at the one in the marketplace & the food was great. I thought it was a clean place.

This is referring to the Wolfgang Puck Express, the counter service, which is not the same as Wolfgang Puck Cafe (table service). The table service restaurant is located at the West Side. (There is also a second Express location there.)

The WP Express generally gets good to very good ratings for a counter service.
 

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