Am I the only one who doesn't like Cali Grill?

[OhioWDWDuo]

CG used to be our favorite and we dined there every trip. Always had superb service and great food. However, that was before the refurb. Since then, we've given CG three chances before deciding to take a break. We noticed the food had slipped and service was rushed. We also aren't fans of the tables (especially for 2) being so close together although that is new norm at Disney. Still, if we have to practically eat with strangers then I want the meal to be outstanding. And we had an instance of a swinging sword from a neighboring table that knocked over DH's drink because the tables were so close. It was the fault of the parents and not CG but that's exactly why we prefer some space between tables!

 

[IndyRnRfan]

Nope. Use to be our go to signature, but after a terrible service on our last time there, we have not been back. As a matter of fact, this place holds the number 1 spot for the worst service we have had at wdw.

 

[Nancyg56]

I really don't like the look of the menu of Victoria and Alberts.

If CG is that bad then where else is an option?

I did not say that CG was bad. I said it will probably be a let down for a wedding supper. Personally, for a quieter more romantic meal I would choose Narcoossee. It is a Disney restaurant, therefore there will be children no matter the hour, but I like it a lot. It is much quieter, the food is outstanding, and the service impeccable. The atmosphere is relaxed. You can book you meal to time with Wishes, and then step out on the porch to watch.

CG has probably the most spectacular view of Wishes outside of the park, and it was alwyas on our list for must do restaurants, but if you expect it to match its location in terms of romantic atmosphere, I am afraid it just will not do.


I have heard the wine room is much quieter but have no experience with that.

 

[aprincessatlast]

for a quieter more romantic meal I would choose Narcoossee. It is a Disney restaurant, therefore there will be children no matter the hour, but I like it a lot. It is much quieter, the food is outstanding, and the service impeccable. The atmosphere is relaxed. You can book you meal to time with Wishes, and then step out on the porch to watch.

CG has probably the most spectacular view of Wishes outside of the park, and it was alwyas on our list for must do restaurants, but if you expect it to match its location in terms of romantic atmosphere, I am afraid it just will not do.


I have heard the wine room is much quieter but have no experience with that.

Really? I liked Narcoossee but found it far from romantic. The decor I found to be lacking but the food was fantastic! I thought CG was more so with the views and interior. However we have had decent seats each time and no crazy kids I noticed. Just a beautiful view with unique food offerings.

Overall though I cant really say I found any restaurant romantic at wdw but that have found ones to be classier than others. To each his own though!

 

[muushupork]

I think expectations must be lowered for any Disney restaurant, but I can say that my last meal at CG was really good. My wife and I only had a few apps and desserts, and shared a drink. Total was around $100. I have had a lot of bad meals in Disney over the past few years, but CG was not one of them.

 

[Mom2darlingboys]

Really? I liked Narcoossee but found it far from romantic.

I thought it was quite romantic, actually. A stroll through the Grand Floridian gardens, waterside dining, dimmed lights, and very quiet to allow for conversation, and heading out for fireworks on the deck. A far cry from the atmosphere at CG. Far more intimate.

 

[Eastern]

I would not like sitting in the back room, and always ask for the main room. That takes care of that problem.

It's just luck who is sitting next to you, or among you. I've been in a nice booth sitting next to well-dressed people celebrating a special occasion, and at a table sitting next to people in tank tops and shorts just out of the parks, with their two misbehaving children running wild. Why they were allowed to do this, I don't know.

I've had a pleasant and courteous server, (Walter, I think) and another woman who seemed annoyed that we didn't want to order a bottle of wine.

Having read so many inconsistent reviews of entrees, we stick to flatbreads, sushi and cocktails. The cocktails are great, the sushi is fine, the flatbreads inconsistent, but we mainly go to see the fireworks from the roof. It's not a must-do for us but using that strategy, we don't feel we have been ripped off. I did not book it for our upcoming trip.

We've been there 5 times over the past several years and our experiences have been fairly consistent, food-wise, but we don't order entrees.

 

[Anesthesia Fine]

No one is ever "the only one who". Fear not, you are never alone!

We did love place, not going to lie, but we've only been once, so the potential to be disappointed is there! I remain open-minded to that possibility. Heh. The only big miss for me was that cucumber fizz drink; I really wanted to like it and was sad that I didn't.

 

[JZCubed]

I tried. I really did. Twice. Bit times were an epic fail. The food was okay, but not great. Service was VERY slow. Second time we were stuck in the back room so maybe that didn't help, but the atmosphere was abysmal - I have never seen or heard so many misbehaving children.

Now, we are not big sushi fans, so maybe that has something to do with it, but I feel like we are missing something. Are we the only ones to find Cali Grill disappointing?

We are presently scheduled to dine here because we stay at Bay Lake. Our expectation is to eat and run from an early seating time.

However, we had an atrocious experience a few years ago and are only now returning to CA Grill.

I refuse to be seated in that back room.

Too many families have no problem treating the place as a waiting room for fireworks for their children, while $35 pasta is being marketed to people who have an expectation, and reasonably so, on a fine dining experience that can be sullied by spotty service, a noisy table, and food quality that frequently does not meet the price (particularly if you are not participating in the fireworks).

Lower your expectations and/or spend the extra money at Victoria & Alberts - that's what we do....and eat at blueZoo more frequently.

 

[Mom2darlingboys]

No one is ever "the only one who". Fear not, you are never alone!

I guess that's good to know, AND for Disney's sake, not so good to know. I find it unsettling that a signature restaurant where most who have commented stick to cocktails, flat read and sushi should top so many lists, be rated so high, and cost so much. That's a real shame. And how hard can it be to get a few entrees or desserts right?

 

[jerseygal]

We had a great meal there, 2008 and the fireworks were of course AWESOME, we timed it perfectly! About 2 hours after returning a little after midnight, got VIOLENTLY ILL, think it was food poisoning.
WAS WIPED OUT for a few days and the next morning we were checking out of BC moving over to Royal Pacific and my father in law who lived in Florida at the time was meeting us at RP. WOW, was I sick! Never know for sure, but I sure suspected food poisoning and unfortunately haven't been back. Hear these stories all the time, "we suspect" but never know for sure. NOT FOND memory of Cali Grille.

 

[Anesthesia Fine]

I guess that's good to know, AND for Disney's sake, not so good to know. I find it unsettling that a signature restaurant where most who have commented stick to cocktails, flat read and sushi should top so many lists, be rated so high, and cost so much. That's a real shame. And how hard can it be to get a few entrees or desserts right?

I think it's true of restaurants across the board. I've never had a good meal at Olive Garden, but I have family members you can't pry out of the place for love or breadsticks. Taste by nature is subjective.

 

[Micca]

Not a fan. Nice location/view, and there the appeal ends for us.

 

[thestevied]

We were both underwhelmed when we last visited. I don't think that the massive hype helps much. And as a previous poster said, misbehaving kids can put a real dampener on any dining experience.

 

[OKW Lover]

We' not fans either. Yes, the view is nice but I go to a restaurant for the food and service, not the view.

 

[Eastern]

I still love CG! We have learned to arrive early when the place is practically empty and very quiet. We don't make dinner reservations, preferring to sit in the lounge and order apps and drinks.

f you arrive earlier in the evening, you may be able to see the sun setting during your meal (which is fantastic) and then come back for fireworks later on the outside viewing area. If you show your receipt, you will be allowed to come back later for this. My favorite part of this is that you are allowed to take your wine glass with you out on the observation deck. Wine and Wishes!

What time do you usually arrive? Have you ever been told the lounge is full?

 

[clayj41]

I plan on returning solely to schedule a reservation around Wishes. If I'm dazzled, or if the food is much improved, I won't completely write off the possibility of dining there again. As it stands though, I would label it the most overrated dining experience in all of WDW.

 

[Eastern]

I plan on returning solely to schedule a reservation around Wishes. If I'm dazzled, or if the food is much improved, I won't completely write off the possibility of dining there again. As it stands though, I would label it the most overrated dining experience in all of WDW.

imo it feels like a better value if you go for drinks, apps, and fireworks fun, rather than a fine dining experience.

 

[starousse]

No, you're not. We thought our meal last year was horrible. The server was the worst, rude and completely uninterested once he found out we didn't want to order wine. $26 bucks for a cold, sticky and pre-made sushi roll that was thrown onto the table without chopsticks or soy sauce. They kept on bringing the main dishes to the table while we were still eating apps. I think we were rushed out within 40 minutes. When my son walked over to the window near the lobby where the lounge area was, I was rudely told that he can't walk over there due to interfering with someone else's view. Never again!!!

 

[Hisgirl]

Big disappointment. Great view but seated too far away to enjoy the window. Most unprofessional waitress we have ever had. Two nearly raw-rare steaks in a row after ordering medium. Noisy, casually dressed patrons with no regard to dress code. There are so many other places that we prefer. We will not be wasting our money there.