wildernesslodgelover
<font color=darkorchid>LOTW charter member!<br><fo
- Joined
- Jun 3, 2004
- Messages
- 4,179
thumbs down!
We were *SO* looking forward to this night, as we dined here once before...maybe 2 years ago, and it stuck out in our minds as the best meal we had at WDW. I have done nothing but rave about it on this board, and secretly scoff at people who did not like it. Well, I apologize!
We had reservations for 7 pm, but I had no trouble calling in the late afternoon and switching them to 8 pm. When I mentioned I wanted to sit in the lounge, the hostess let me know that those were first come, first serve, but they were "never busy in there" so it shouldn't be a problem. I thought that was odd.
We ordered the clam flatbread, the shake and bake fries, 1/2 dozen raw oysters and the crab nachos. I had a Zooberry Martini and a Cosmo. DH had Ketel One on the rocks with a splash of club soda, and followed that with a Guiness.
What a disappointment! Our first clue should have been the fact that it was empty. Friday night, from 7:30 pm to about 9 pm, the place had only a few tables seated. While our waitress was friendly and prompt, we did have our order come out incorrect...the raw oysters were omitted and we were brought a crabcake instead. We thought it was funny, because apparently they think it is "hip" to forego using trays and instead wheel the dishes out on a plastic push cart that reminds me of what the busboys used to haul dirty dishes around on when I waitressed at Chili's when I was 20.
We saw our food go by us once, then twice...and we would have stopped the food runner, except we were confused because the crab cake dish was on the pushcart and we did not order that, so we figured it was destined for another table. He passed us twice, looking for our waitress to ask where the food was to be delivered, I guess. Please remember there were only 2 other tables anywhere near us.
She took the cart from him and wheeled it over to us, and we mentioned that we did not order the crab cake. She kind of insisted we did, then said "Oh, yeah...the oysters" and took away the crab cake and came back with the oysters. By the way, we ordered a half dozen as they were $2.75 a piece and they were so puny and such a let down. I would say they were the size of a nickel...no exaggeration!
By the time we got our shake and bake fries, they were not fresh and crisp and hot. I have been raving about these fries to anyone and everyone on the DISboards for 2 years now, and I am afraid I have lost any credibility with anyone who has tried them. They were not flavorful like I remember, just fries with some parm grated on them. Eh.
The crab nachos were still the high point...but c'mon, we are talking about nachos here. No culinary artistry there!
I was really excited about the littleneck clam flatbread, but it was very salty and kind of dry, I thought it would benefit from some sort of sauce.
I have the "Zooberry" martini which is supposed to be blueberry infused vodka with a splash of lemon juice and a splash of simple syrup. To me, it tasted more like it was mixed with a juice. It was not strong at all.
I LOVVVVVED the cosmo I had there! It was mixed up (vodka and cointreau or grand marnier...I forgot), but intead of adding cranberry juice, they floated a cranberry foam on the top. WOW, that was the best drink I had all weekend.
At another point in our meal, we saw a server (not ours) return some dishes to the kitchen and complain to the chef that he was "making him (the server) look stupid" because I guess he took the orders out incorrect. The chef added some stuff to the plates and they went out again. I think they are definitely having some service issues.
My other issue...and I think I am going to email BZ about this...we sat in the lounge area...in a booth across from the bar. Anytime someone got up to leave the bar, or wanted to sit at the bar, the chairs made an AWFUL grating noise across the floor. I mean, seriously, it was nails on a chalkboard after awhile. I am not talking about a scarping sound...I am talking about a LOUD noise!
BTW, we walked by on Saturday night, around 8:30 pm and it was empty yet again...a few more table than Friday night, but certainly not the bustling, energetic restaurant I remembered. Such a shame, but I can honestly say we will not be dining at BZ again anytime soon.
We were *SO* looking forward to this night, as we dined here once before...maybe 2 years ago, and it stuck out in our minds as the best meal we had at WDW. I have done nothing but rave about it on this board, and secretly scoff at people who did not like it. Well, I apologize!
We had reservations for 7 pm, but I had no trouble calling in the late afternoon and switching them to 8 pm. When I mentioned I wanted to sit in the lounge, the hostess let me know that those were first come, first serve, but they were "never busy in there" so it shouldn't be a problem. I thought that was odd.
We ordered the clam flatbread, the shake and bake fries, 1/2 dozen raw oysters and the crab nachos. I had a Zooberry Martini and a Cosmo. DH had Ketel One on the rocks with a splash of club soda, and followed that with a Guiness.
What a disappointment! Our first clue should have been the fact that it was empty. Friday night, from 7:30 pm to about 9 pm, the place had only a few tables seated. While our waitress was friendly and prompt, we did have our order come out incorrect...the raw oysters were omitted and we were brought a crabcake instead. We thought it was funny, because apparently they think it is "hip" to forego using trays and instead wheel the dishes out on a plastic push cart that reminds me of what the busboys used to haul dirty dishes around on when I waitressed at Chili's when I was 20.
We saw our food go by us once, then twice...and we would have stopped the food runner, except we were confused because the crab cake dish was on the pushcart and we did not order that, so we figured it was destined for another table. He passed us twice, looking for our waitress to ask where the food was to be delivered, I guess. Please remember there were only 2 other tables anywhere near us.
She took the cart from him and wheeled it over to us, and we mentioned that we did not order the crab cake. She kind of insisted we did, then said "Oh, yeah...the oysters" and took away the crab cake and came back with the oysters. By the way, we ordered a half dozen as they were $2.75 a piece and they were so puny and such a let down. I would say they were the size of a nickel...no exaggeration!
By the time we got our shake and bake fries, they were not fresh and crisp and hot. I have been raving about these fries to anyone and everyone on the DISboards for 2 years now, and I am afraid I have lost any credibility with anyone who has tried them. They were not flavorful like I remember, just fries with some parm grated on them. Eh.
The crab nachos were still the high point...but c'mon, we are talking about nachos here. No culinary artistry there!
I was really excited about the littleneck clam flatbread, but it was very salty and kind of dry, I thought it would benefit from some sort of sauce.
I have the "Zooberry" martini which is supposed to be blueberry infused vodka with a splash of lemon juice and a splash of simple syrup. To me, it tasted more like it was mixed with a juice. It was not strong at all.
I LOVVVVVED the cosmo I had there! It was mixed up (vodka and cointreau or grand marnier...I forgot), but intead of adding cranberry juice, they floated a cranberry foam on the top. WOW, that was the best drink I had all weekend.
At another point in our meal, we saw a server (not ours) return some dishes to the kitchen and complain to the chef that he was "making him (the server) look stupid" because I guess he took the orders out incorrect. The chef added some stuff to the plates and they went out again. I think they are definitely having some service issues.
My other issue...and I think I am going to email BZ about this...we sat in the lounge area...in a booth across from the bar. Anytime someone got up to leave the bar, or wanted to sit at the bar, the chairs made an AWFUL grating noise across the floor. I mean, seriously, it was nails on a chalkboard after awhile. I am not talking about a scarping sound...I am talking about a LOUD noise!
BTW, we walked by on Saturday night, around 8:30 pm and it was empty yet again...a few more table than Friday night, but certainly not the bustling, energetic restaurant I remembered. Such a shame, but I can honestly say we will not be dining at BZ again anytime soon.
