Anyone eaten at these restaurants?

[Bella the Ball 360]

My husband dug up a whole list of restaurants to try using a new program on his PDA. I have no idea what they are like and do not want to waste time finding them and then being disappointed.

Fisherman's Cove

Player's Grill

Pebbles

Samba Room

Toojay's

Tropigrill (fast food)

Bubbalou's Bodacious BBQ

Whispering Canyon Cafe

Johnny River's Smokehouse

Melting Pot (fondue)
Also any suggestions not listed would be great.
I would appreciate any info as to price and atmosphere.
thanks

 

[UKDEB]

We've eaten at the Crossroads of Lake Buena Vista 'Pebbles'. It's a local chain with about 5 outlets and gets rave reviews, but we were a little underwhelmed. I'm not quite sure what all the fuss is about, but I've never read a poor review (here or elsewhere).

The Whispering Canyon Cafe seems to be loved and reviled in equal measure. As you probably know, it's at Disney's Wilderness Lodge (post a thread on the Disney Restaurants board, but don't expect to be any more enlightened!) We ate there for the first time in May. It was worth it for the glorious trip on the water taxi from MK to WL (dh and I were the only ones aboard). The food, cleanliness and entertainment were just OK, in my opinion and I probably won't be going back, but I'm still glad I've done it - another to cross off the list.

We haven't tried the others on your list, but here's what I know about some of them:

Bubbalou's Bodacious frequently wins 'best BBQ' category in various polls. There are 3 locations.

Samba Room and Melting Pot are both on West Sand Lake Road near Universal Studios. The whole area is buzzing with new shops and restaurants. Others in the vicinity are Ruth's Chris Steakhouse (a new discovery for us - far more upmarket than its unassuming exterior belies), Thai Passion, Moonfish (seafood and sushi) and Seasons 52 amongst others.

Other suggestions? There are now so many fine restaurants in the Orlando area. We love eating out. What kind of thing are you looking for? Some of our current favourites are:

Emeril's Tchoup Chop (at Royal Pacific Resort at USF);

All 3 restaurants at Gaylord Palms (on Osceola Parkway) - Sunset Sam's Fish Camp (not surprisingly, seafood), Old Hickory Steakhouse (expensive, but way exceeded our expectations) and Villa del Flora where we enjoyed a great lunch. It's a buffet which we don't normally rate highly, but this was fresh, with a great selection and at a reasonable price;

The Palm at Hard Rock Hotel - suberb steaks. Their house specialty is surf and turf (steak of your choice, plus Jumbo Nova Scotia lobster);

Boma and Jiko at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Boma is the surprise choice here for me being a buffet. Breakfast on our first morning is fast becoming a tradition!

The Cheesecake Factory at the Mall at Millenia. A gargantuan menu with something for every taste. And cheesecakes to die for (we get them to go - the entrees aren't small!) We also enjoyed lunch at Brio Tuscan Grille (Italian) and we've yet to try McCormick and Schmicks and PF Chang's (poll winning seafood and chinese respectively).

California Grill at Disney's Contemporary Resort never fails to live up to all the hype, and we also enjoy Flying Fish Cafe at the BoardWalk.

I could go on, but I'm getting hungry!

 

[disneysteve]

Whispering Canyon Cafe is a loud and rowdy place in the Wilderness Lodge. Food is served family style in a giant cast iron skillet. Throughout meal time, the servers provide a variety of entertainment - things like having the children come up and race around on stick ponies. They make quite a fuss for birthdays and special occasions. The place is loud and fun, if you want that type of environment. Food is fine. We've been there 2 or 3 times and enjoyed it each time.

Steve

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

Thanks UKDeb,

I too do not like buffet style restaurants so this was helpful. I noticed that everyone on the Disney Restaurant board had opinions that seemed to be a little less objective so that is the reason I asked about Whispering Canyon on this board. Glad I did, does not seem like the kind of place I would like.

I have been to PF Chang's in my area and it is just ok in my opinion. I know people rave about it but it is not one of those places you die to go back to. That said, when you go try the Lettuce Wraps they are very good. Also you can get a half chicken cooked with star anise that was delicious. As for Mc Cormick and Shmick, well I live on the coast in the northeast. Huge seafood area and it is not well liked or all that successful here.

 

[marlasmom]

The Melting Pot was wonderful. We had five people in our party but the waitress suggested we order the most expensive combination for 4 people. Our bill, with tip and tax, was $255. We each (except for my 12 year old grandson) had one cocktail. It takes a long time to eat there - there are appetizers, main course (steak, chicken, shrimp, lobster) that you cook yourself and three kinds of chocolate fondue for dessert. You order a combination and you get all three fondues. I cannot wait to go back - but don't plan on doing much of anything else the night you eat there.

We also liked Bahama Breeze very much. The food is good, not too expensive. Long waits in busy season.

 

[marlasmom]

I should have added Columbia House in Celebration. WONDERFUL.

 

[UKDEB]

Bella the Ball 360,

Thanks for the feedback on PF Chang's and McCormick and Schmick. Each trip becomes trickier with new eateries to try and old favourites to visit, so it's helpful to have a few that we can maybe cross off the list.

As you're from the northeast coast, I'd love to know if there are any seafood restaurants in Orlando which you consider to be outstanding.

 

[Pat_Elliott]

I can never let a request for restaurant suggestions go by without mentioning Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville in Universal Citiwalk. On each trip, we do a mix of everything. We've been to V&A once and Emerils twice. We've also done a lot of Burger King and Pizza. Hands down, our favorite restaurant on earth is Margaritaville.

The food, honestly, is basically decent mid-range bar/restaurant food. The burgers are great, I've had a good piece of fish there once or twice, and I've never had anything bad there. The entrees range in price from about seven bucks for the "Cheeseburger in Paradise" to $20 for the top-shelf meals.

The atmosphere makes this place. The centerpiece is a huge "volcano" bar. The volcano erupts every 90 minutes, refilling the margarita blender. There are street-entertainers ala Key West at most times, a nice deck on the second floor behind the "12 Volt Bar," and if you sit back and take it in, you'll realize the entire bar is a large ship.

There is entertainment each night, and solo performers (all Buffett Music, of course) outside in-season. Large screens (the "sails" of the boat) show Buffet videos all the time. The help is friendly and knowledgable, the atmosphere is family, and I sound like a shareholder, don't I?

Also, a thumbs up for Whispering Canyon, but you'd better be "into it" or don't go.

Pat

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

UK DEB,
Sorry when it comes to seafood I am not a good source. I think my standards are higher because we are use to going to the little lobster shacks in Maine and New Hampshire as well as the nicer restaurnats in this area (ie: Legal Seafood the reason McCormick and Shmick is not successful in the northeast) when we want seafood.
We have never been successful in FLA looking for seafood. I think that often the wait staff does not even understand some of the choices they offer. I had intended to order a Lobster at Kelly's Landing in Celebration. I asked the waiter if it was softshell and he told me no, they grew them on Lobster farms and they were all hard shell. LOL. To my knowledge there is no such thing AND all lobsters shed their shell.

We went to Fishbones which was very highly recommended and I was very disappointed. I am fussy. I like a nice table set up, and my water poured from a stainless steel pitcher. For some reason when water is poured from a plastic pitcher it usually follows that the restaurnant will be kind of tacky. If I am going for tacky that's okay but not when I am not. At Fishbones, they had the fountains for pouring soda right on the floor with the tables. The food was not that great either. However we have a friend who went and raved about it. He is someone who is used to the best and a gourmet to boot. Maybe it is me!

Joe's Crab Shack makes a contrived attempt at recreating the atmosphere of a sea food shack but you need to be in the mood for singing waitestaff etc. Not for me.

Pat,


Went to JBM once couple of years ago. Had a great view of the kitchen so maybe it colored my opinon of the place. I know my husband ALWAYS has to go to the gift shop and buy something on each trip. I never saw the volcano or any of the other attractions you mentioned but you make me want to go again and give it one more chance.


Thanks

 

[HockeyDadof2]

Just to add another to your list, our family really like Carrabba's Italian Grill, they have a dish called Spiedino di Mare it is fabulous. As a matter of fact, lots of other things on the menu sound good but everytime I have been there I have choosen that dish because I like it so much. The Italian chicken soup is also very good. Curious if anyone else has opinions on Carrabba's.

 

[SimonV]

The PLayers Grill (at The Pointe) closed several years ago. Of the others, two thumbs up for Samba Room and Melting Pot.

I also feel Pebbles is a little over-rated (good, but not top-notch), while Bubbalou's is fun but is more about the atmosphere than the food.

I don't know Fisherman's Cove, Toojay's or Tropigrill. But I will add Bahama Breeze and Cafe Tu Tu Tango to the list of must-do I-Drive restaurants, while Timpano, Moonfish and Seasons 52 (all on West Sand Lake Rd near Samba Room) are quite superb, IMHO.

Tchoup-Chop also gets my No 1 rating, with Atlantis (at the Renaissance Orlando), Flying Fish (Boardwalk), Old Hickory (at Gaylord Palms), Del Frisco's (best steaks in town) and Fulton's Crab House not far behind.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

I have been to Carrabas and like it. The problem is that often we will go to what we think is a nice restaurant while in Orlando and then before you know it they open one locally. I go to Carrabas near me all the time and I like to go somewhere different on vacation. Somewhere I cannot have access to at home. I do like the Chicken Graziella at Carrabas.



When we are in Fla we go to the Bahama Breeze at least a couple of times. The problem is the long wait. When they had opened the second location a couple of years ago it was unknown and we had no wait while the one on I drive was packed. Last year we waited 90 min.

Simon, thanks for the info on Sama Room. Thinking we will definately go there. Also thinking about the Melting Pot and 52. These seem to be repeated favorites.

 

[HockeyDadof2]

We are the same way, we eat out alot (read as too much) so when we are somewhere other than home we try to eat at places we don't have at home.

Interestingly regarding Bahama Breezes, we have eaten there the last two time we were in Orlando and really liked it, we were thrilled when they opened one near us......the one here wasn't nearly as good we only went once and haven't been back since.