Robert P
GLOBEX - taking over your world one country at a t
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2002
- Messages
- 2,550
Continuing the experimental one restaurant per post pattern:
REVIEW: House of Blues (located at Downtown Disney West Side)
SUMMARY: Solid food, good service.
This review wont be the most interesting one of the bunch, but here it is:
Having visited Disney Hollywood Studios (DHS) on an EMH morning, and trying out the incredibly addictive Toy Story Mania for the first time, we had hit the high points for that park day, and were ready to head out and get something to eat (as the food choices at DHS are severely lacking). Having our car available, we drove to the DTD area, and parked, and sat, and debated where to eat. RFC was discussed briefly, very briefly, as we ate there the night before (out of necessity, review coming soon). Planet Hollywood was mentioned, but the loudness and the movie clips were of potential concern. Bongos was mentioned, and we both had a good laugh, so then we settled on House of Blues (HOB). Off we marched, to HOB, to find it dark and desolate. It was 11:15 a.m., and the sign said they open for lunch at 11:30 a.m. After revisiting our options, we decided to head towards Magnetronz, or whatever the cheap, yet still somehow overpriced, magnet store is called. If we looked around in there for anything new, it may burn enough time til 11:30, and wed be strategically located between Planet Hollywood and HOB.
Several hundred magnets later, it was 11:30, and we headed back to HOB. Still, no activity on the perimeter, so we pulled on the door, and viola, it opened. Inside the one person working the front wanted us to stand over to the side, but not to wait for our table, it was so they could take our picture. (At first I thought we must have looked like dine-n-dashers, so they wanted to be able to track us down later). Mrs. P inquired why they would be taking our picture, which it turns out was for the sole purpose of memorializing our visit to HOB, and it would be offered to us, for purchase at a nominal price, later on during our meal. Seeing as how we were hot, sweaty, and very wind blown from the Tropical Storm Fay remaining winds, we saved the photographer the trouble, and politely opted out.
We were quickly seated, as the only people in the restaurant so far. And for once, they didnt cram us into a super small table, and we got to sit at one of the big booths, that hold 4 easily, and that often hold parties of 6. Our server, Dean, was quickly visiting us, and filling us in on the lunch offerings. As this was lunch, and more sustenance driven than high folutin eating, we went for the quick and safe options. After starting with my traditional HOB drink (Bloody Mary), we decided to keep the fare on the lighter side (as we had a big dinner planned for later that night). The girls decided to split an adult brick oven pepperoni pizza. Mrs. P selected a Caesar salad, with grilled chicken added. I opted for another HOB fallback item, a bowl of turkey gumbo, and the other pizza on the menu, the brick oven roasted pizza with spinach, feta, roasted garlic, pesto, and mozzarella cheese. The pictures are below:
Pepperoni pizza: it seemed smaller than I remember when we last ordered it. Cooked perfectly, but could have been a bit bigger.
Other pizza: great flavors, but the equation was roasted garlic + pesto = mucho garlic. Glad I wasnt planning to be smooching on anyone in the immediate future.
Both pizzas: just a picture for comparison.
Bowl (really it's mor of like a small crock) of turkey gumbo: excellent gumbo. Rich, earthy flavor, nice chunks of meat. Well done.
Caesar salad with grilled chicken:
Mrs. P liked it, but it was just a pretty darned plain looking salad if you asked me. See for yourself, but nothing about it jumped up off the plate and yelled Eat me. Still, she said it was very good, as grilled chicken salads go.
Drinks: no pictures here, but the Bloody Mary was not up to snuff for the HOB. Maybe it was the bartender, maybe something to do with this being the first order of the day, but they can, and have, done much better. Its usually excellent, but this visit, it was just average.
Summary: The food was quite good, though the overall look of the salad was rather weak for a $13.95 entrée. On that note, every online WDW planning menu I have found for HOB goes back to 2007, and the prices have since changed. The Caesar salad with grilled chicken is just one example (old menus show that would be $13.00). The bowl of gumbo is now $6.25, versus $5.75. And while a $6.50 Bloody Mary isnt too pricey, the $2.95 for a soda is just ridiculous, anywhere. Using a discount (not sure which one), our meal total was just under $50. The service was very good, attentive without being pushy, and the tip was higher than the norm.
Misc: We really like this place, and the food is solid and dependable. Eating at lunch is definitely a much quieter dining experience than our usual dinner meal.
REVIEW: House of Blues (located at Downtown Disney West Side)
SUMMARY: Solid food, good service.
This review wont be the most interesting one of the bunch, but here it is:
Having visited Disney Hollywood Studios (DHS) on an EMH morning, and trying out the incredibly addictive Toy Story Mania for the first time, we had hit the high points for that park day, and were ready to head out and get something to eat (as the food choices at DHS are severely lacking). Having our car available, we drove to the DTD area, and parked, and sat, and debated where to eat. RFC was discussed briefly, very briefly, as we ate there the night before (out of necessity, review coming soon). Planet Hollywood was mentioned, but the loudness and the movie clips were of potential concern. Bongos was mentioned, and we both had a good laugh, so then we settled on House of Blues (HOB). Off we marched, to HOB, to find it dark and desolate. It was 11:15 a.m., and the sign said they open for lunch at 11:30 a.m. After revisiting our options, we decided to head towards Magnetronz, or whatever the cheap, yet still somehow overpriced, magnet store is called. If we looked around in there for anything new, it may burn enough time til 11:30, and wed be strategically located between Planet Hollywood and HOB.
Several hundred magnets later, it was 11:30, and we headed back to HOB. Still, no activity on the perimeter, so we pulled on the door, and viola, it opened. Inside the one person working the front wanted us to stand over to the side, but not to wait for our table, it was so they could take our picture. (At first I thought we must have looked like dine-n-dashers, so they wanted to be able to track us down later). Mrs. P inquired why they would be taking our picture, which it turns out was for the sole purpose of memorializing our visit to HOB, and it would be offered to us, for purchase at a nominal price, later on during our meal. Seeing as how we were hot, sweaty, and very wind blown from the Tropical Storm Fay remaining winds, we saved the photographer the trouble, and politely opted out.
We were quickly seated, as the only people in the restaurant so far. And for once, they didnt cram us into a super small table, and we got to sit at one of the big booths, that hold 4 easily, and that often hold parties of 6. Our server, Dean, was quickly visiting us, and filling us in on the lunch offerings. As this was lunch, and more sustenance driven than high folutin eating, we went for the quick and safe options. After starting with my traditional HOB drink (Bloody Mary), we decided to keep the fare on the lighter side (as we had a big dinner planned for later that night). The girls decided to split an adult brick oven pepperoni pizza. Mrs. P selected a Caesar salad, with grilled chicken added. I opted for another HOB fallback item, a bowl of turkey gumbo, and the other pizza on the menu, the brick oven roasted pizza with spinach, feta, roasted garlic, pesto, and mozzarella cheese. The pictures are below:
Pepperoni pizza: it seemed smaller than I remember when we last ordered it. Cooked perfectly, but could have been a bit bigger.
Other pizza: great flavors, but the equation was roasted garlic + pesto = mucho garlic. Glad I wasnt planning to be smooching on anyone in the immediate future.
Both pizzas: just a picture for comparison.
Bowl (really it's mor of like a small crock) of turkey gumbo: excellent gumbo. Rich, earthy flavor, nice chunks of meat. Well done.
Caesar salad with grilled chicken:
Mrs. P liked it, but it was just a pretty darned plain looking salad if you asked me. See for yourself, but nothing about it jumped up off the plate and yelled Eat me. Still, she said it was very good, as grilled chicken salads go.
Drinks: no pictures here, but the Bloody Mary was not up to snuff for the HOB. Maybe it was the bartender, maybe something to do with this being the first order of the day, but they can, and have, done much better. Its usually excellent, but this visit, it was just average.
Summary: The food was quite good, though the overall look of the salad was rather weak for a $13.95 entrée. On that note, every online WDW planning menu I have found for HOB goes back to 2007, and the prices have since changed. The Caesar salad with grilled chicken is just one example (old menus show that would be $13.00). The bowl of gumbo is now $6.25, versus $5.75. And while a $6.50 Bloody Mary isnt too pricey, the $2.95 for a soda is just ridiculous, anywhere. Using a discount (not sure which one), our meal total was just under $50. The service was very good, attentive without being pushy, and the tip was higher than the norm.
Misc: We really like this place, and the food is solid and dependable. Eating at lunch is definitely a much quieter dining experience than our usual dinner meal.
I really want to go to the Gospel Brunch. Have you ever tried that?
