Blue Bayou thoughts?

antlane

Mouseketeer
Joined
Oct 5, 2011
Has anyone been to Blue Bayou recently? I used to go all the time when I was younger with my mom when I lived in California, but haven’t been for probably 10 years.

My girlfriend and I were looking at sit down places at DLR and I mentioned how cool the vibe was at Blue Bayou so she suggested we book it. I’ve heard the food isn’t the greatest, does anyone have any recent experience there?
 
I went there last summer on the 4th of July. We had a table right next to the water! Had good service, and my aunt and I shared the jambalaya which was yummy. We were also going to share the gumbo but she ate most of it lol. My only complaint (outside of price) is that it is super dark. I mean I knew it would be, but I almost spilled a few things because I couldn’t see.

It’s worth going once I think. I do prefer Cafe Orleans over it though.
 
I’ve only eaten here once recently but I checked in early and requested a waterside table. It was really nice ambiance and I personally loved my meal (lamb chops). I have read mixed reviews but I wouldn’t hesitant to go here again.
 


If you go to Blue Bayou you will pay a lot of money for mediocre service and IMO bad food but the ambiance of dining in an attraction is still worth doing at least once. If you want a nice sit down dinner with higher quality food then you might want to look into Carthay Circle, Napa Rose or Steakhouse 55.
 
We ate there in July, and the food was very good. Service was fine, and ambience was great. I’m not sure I would call it “amazing”, but we had a great experience and wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.
 
I've gone every time I've been to DLR. We've been lucky with good service and good food, but as the previous posters said, it's the ambiance that really makes it cool.

My favorite way to go is booking the earliest lunch seating, 11:30 a.m. (right at the 60 days before mark, to be sure you get it; I waited too long last time). Check in 10 minutes early and request waterside; that's the best way to get waterside with no wait. Lunch is a tad less expensive. I've also done the F! dining package this way.
 


Thank you for all the replies! Seems like Blue Bayou will be a good choice for us, even if it is a bit pricey.
 
If anything, it is a unique dining experience you can’t repeat anywhere else!

It’s been 4 years since my last meal there, from memory the food and service were both fine, not outstanding (and not as good as you would get elsewhere for the same price)
 
I ate lunch there this weekend. The steak was awful. I’ve eaten there many times over the years, and the foot has never been outstanding, but this time it was just plain bad. I will not be going back anytime soon.
 
If you go to Blue Bayou you will pay a lot of money for mediocre service and IMO bad food but the ambiance of dining in an attraction is still worth doing at least once. If you want a nice sit down dinner with higher quality food then you might want to look into Carthay Circle, Napa Rose or Steakhouse 55.

Agreed!
Worst dining experience ever there, or at DLR otherwise.
Save your money and sanity, by dining at Chefs Counter at the Napa Rose. The price isn't all that much more, in comparison to BB. But!! The quality is far superior.
For experiencing the ambiance of the BB, only order dessert. Which is what I should have done on my last visit there. Previous meals had been good to ok. Not this time. Just disgusting.
 
We did the F! Dining Package this past December for lunch. It was our first experience eating at the Blue Bayou. We had the first lunch time and checked in early and requested a waterside table. They were very nice, seated us on time, and service was good. The food was not the best, but okay. Fantasmic was the best experience ever. We loved being upfront and center. If I was just doing Blue Bayou, I would probably say it was a one and done experience. We might do it again just for Fantasmic!
 
I ate lunch there this weekend. The steak was awful. I’ve eaten there many times over the years, and the foot has never been outstanding, but this time it was just plain bad. I will not be going back anytime soon.

This! Steak was awful!
 
We used to try to go every visit to DL, mainly for the ambiance and I love the surf and turf. But it really rubbed me the wrong way when they stopped offering soup or salad as part of your entree, and charging $6 or $7 if you want to add it on. I don’t think they lowered the entree prices accordingly and it just seemed like an obvious cash grab/way to move people through more quickly if they don’t order an appetizer. I think everyone should try it once but I don’t think I’ll go back for quite a while.
 
I've always enjoyed our meals there but I'm not going to try and compare it to Napa Rose or Steakhouse 55 at all. Typically I do lunch here or dinner for the Fantasmic package.
I just want to reiterate that if anyone has a bad expwerience anywehere please speak up. Not in the "I want to speak to your manager" tone, but respectfuly express your concerns about the quality and if they do not offer to remake or compensante in some way, then escalate as needed. We had less than stellar service at Wine Country Trattoria one afternoon and it was obvious they were understaffed but we were also on a tight schedule since it was our departure day. When asked if everything was okay we kindly shared our feedback as the food was delicious , just service was incredibly spotty though the server was above and beyond graciuous just spread so thin. He excusewd himself briefly then compensated us by taking off our appetizer and even offered us free WOC dining package tickets , which we had to decline due to leaving however thanked him for going out of his way and tipped appropriately for the overall experience versus the service issue.

Having worked customer service and hopsitality in restaurants and hotels , I encourage feedback when appropriate as it is the only way to address issues or make them known sometimes.
 
Having worked customer service and hopsitality in restaurants and hotels , I encourage feedback when appropriate as it is the only way to address issues or make them known sometimes.

I can’t remember what it was specifically anymore, but on one of my trips, something very minor happened. An easy mistake and easily rectified. I may have made a small comment to correct it or it may even have been the server that caught it before me that something was wrong. Again I can’t remember for sure and it was fixed quickly and simply so to me it was nothing to concern myself with further.

What I do remember is when the check was delivered, the server made sure to let me know that an entire entrée was comped as a result of that minor mistake earlier. I made sure to thank them and left a little nicer tip as well.

This has been my experience at the BB. Whether the food was excellent or just ok, the service to my family and I has always been 5 star.
 
The ambiance there is great but the food is just ok and way overpriced for what you get in my experience but YMMV. I much prefer Cafe Orleans for the food and I like the ambiance there on a nice sunny day while sitting outside.
 
The ambiance there is great but the food is just ok and way overpriced for what you get in my experience but YMMV. I much prefer Cafe Orleans for the food and I like the ambiance there on a nice sunny day while sitting outside.

Its interesting you say this because about a year ago we tried Cafe Orleans for the first time, as we have heard great recommendations from people here on the DIS. We had the worst experience service wise and the food was just not good. I think this was still before the menu revamp.

I had wanted to love it so much but just couldn't. The point I'm going to address here is that every place we individually love may not be enjoyed at some point by someone else , so I think it's good to try new things to figure out what you like.
I wouldn't strike Cafe Orleans off my list for good but its not something I'm excited to go back to either.

I do think Blue Bayou is worth it at least once but only if the menu and experience actually appeals to you. There will always be varying experiences anywhere you go. :)
 
I enjoy Blue Bayou and try to go every trip. I always get an 11:30 reservation because lunch is cheaper and to guarantee a waterside table, which in my opinion makes a big difference. I just love the ambiance. I've not had issues with the food, and I really enjoy their gumbo appetizer and the creme brulee for dessert. I like the Monte Cristo and chicken dishes. But I do not profess to be a foodie, and I know that those that do have not always had the highest opinion of their food. I have never dined at Carthay Circle or Napa Rose because to me "fancy meal" equals "small quantities of weird things that look cool but I probably won't eat." I enjoy Blue Bayou because I get a good meal in an amazing location.

I highly recommend the Fantasmic package. We had front row seats for Fantasmic and didn't even show up very early. The cushions we got were really cute and definitely improved the viewing experience. I also liked the package because it includes appetizer and dessert for each person. My husband is a cheapskate and would typically never spring for appetizers or dessert at a restaurant, especially one as pricey as Blue Bayou. So in getting the package we were "forced" to get them, which I loved!
 

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