Cafe Orleans Questions for anyone that's gone recently?

[Matrixleos]

Our families #1 option for a sit down restaurant in DL was easily Cafe Orleans. Most everyone in our party of 5 wants the same menu items with the Monte Cristo Sandwich and Pommes Frites. So just got lucky to reserve a mid afternoon lunch reservation.

Although we have a few questions for anyone whose gone there recently....

1) My youngest (DS12) loves ham and cheese but dislikes turkey. Would it be possible to custom order the Monte Cristo with the ham/cheese but without the turkey?

2) Several YouTube videos on Cafe Orleans show they have Onion Soup and Mickey Beignets, which we would love to add to our meals. Although looking at the Disneyland app, I don't see them on the menu anymore. Instead there is a "seasonal soup" and no mentions of Mickey Beignets. If anyone has gone recently, would you know if they still offered those two items?

3) Our lunch reservation is at 3:40pm and we'd prefer to avoid the mid afternoon summer sun in the AC indoors and not dine outdoors. Any advice on how best to request an indoor table? Should I check in 30 minutes earlier and ask for an indoor table?

 

[Skyegirl1999]

Hmm, well, below I’m copying my Cafe Orleans report from another thread for you (this was last Thursday). The main issue we had was with the kids meal, so at least you don’t have that to deal with.

We were told no substitutions at all, but someone else reported being able to get the shrimp and grits without sausage, so YMMV on substitutions. Definitely no beignets, didn’t ask about the soup after we were unable to get the salad. We were not asked about table preference, but I imagine you could request indoor if you were prepared to wait. Outside is pretty well-shaded, though.

Here was our experience on Thursday:
We had a 6:20 reservation; checked in the moment we were able to (6:00) on the app. Had booked it for a "nice, sit-down break." Checked at 6:20 to make sure I hadn't done something wrong - nope, no table yet. Got table text at 6:34. Sat down, asked to order salad starter without goat cheese, pecans, or dressing for daughter - nope, "toppings can't be customized." This was surprising to me because of allergies? So we just ordered our food - shrimp and grits for me, chicken with crudités and fruit for her. Tried to get her a lemonade - "well, we only have the light pomegranate lemonade; kids usually don't like it because it's fake sugar stuff." She eventually got apple juice. (The server was very nice and apologetic about all of this.) The only dessert is a cheesecake, which we don't really care for, so no dessert.

Food arrives, I kid you not, less than four minutes later. It's not even 6:40 yet! We got the text at 6:34! On the one hand, I certainly can't complain about slow service - on the other hand, clearly this food has just been sitting around, and so much for our "nice break."

My shrimp and grits were perfectly fine. Kids meal was beyond gross. Three sad slices of crusty, rubbery chicken breast. A bowl of the mushiest, most bruised-looking black grapes I've ever seen. Dried out carrots and celery sitting in a pool of congealed ranch dressing. (There was a nice cherry tomato on top, which she ate, along with a few bites of the chicken.) My daughter was so sad, I pulled out my phone and mobile ordered Bengal BBQ for her on the spot.

Server comes to pick up food. Notices daughter has barely eaten anything and asks if we want a box for the grapes. I said, "no, unfortunately they're pretty mushy, it's ok." She leaves and comes back with the check, and she'd taken my daughter's meal off "since she didn't really eat it," which was unexpected and very much appreciated. (I tipped her the cost back; none of this was her fault!)

 

[Matrixleos]

@Skyegirl1999 thanks for the detailed report.

Disappointed to hear about the lack of customization, especially if some parties have people with food allergies.

Did anyone in your party have the Monte Cristo? Hard to see how that's premade and just reheated later, hopefully that's something they make fresh upon order. We got 2 months to go till our trip, hopefully they can improve.

Funny you mentioned Bengal BBQ, we're planning on doing a couple of mobile orders of beef/chicken skewer kebabs from there. One at 11am and another at 7pm as snacks.

As far as the Mickey Beignets, I wonder if they still have them at the Mint Julep Bar. Maybe I can place a mobile order close to our reservation time and pick them up before our meal.

No onion soup would be a disappointment, as I love onion soups and usually try them whenever a restaurant offers them on the menu.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

@Skyegirl1999 thanks for the detailed report.

Disappointed to hear about the lack of customization, especially if some parties have people with food allergies.

Did anyone in your party have the Monte Cristo? Hard to see how that's premade and just reheated later, hopefully that's something they make fresh upon order. We got 2 months to go till our trip, hopefully they can improve.

Funny you mentioned Bengal BBQ, we're planning on doing a couple of mobile orders of beef/chicken skewer kebabs from there. One at 11am and another at 7pm as snacks.

As far as the Mickey Beignets, I wonder if they still have them at the Mint Julep Bar. Maybe I can place a mobile order close to our reservation time and pick them up before our meal.

No onion soup would be a disappointment, as I love onion soups and usually try them whenever a restaurant offers them on the menu.

They definitely have Mickey beignets at the Mint Julep Bar!

 

[edhmom]

We were there May 2 and had the Monte Cristo. It was fantastic and didn't seem reheated. I don't recall onion soup on the menu. DD and I both love onion soup so that would have caught our eye. And as confirmed above, no beignets.

 

[initiation]

Chiming in. Went 5/26, wanted to sit outside but was told I couldn’t request, we ended up inside, which was great from a distance perspective, but lousy for people watching. Ordered the three cheese monte cristo.

Something I have not seen addressed anywhere and I wish I had known, is they are only serving it as a half portion sandwich. Expecting the usual 4 piece sandwich, we ordered and requested to share between the two of us. My friend was a first timer and I had been raving about this meal for weeks. I was shocked when two small slices came out with the dipping sauces, about 20 pieces of pommes frites, a strawberry, a blackberry and a decorative small tomato.

The sandwich was delicious, very fresh tasting despite coming out of the kitchen with alarming speed. But the change in portion was unexpected and I was so flustered by the whole thing my social anxiety kicked in and I didn’t say anything or order more food. We were in and out in 15 minutes. If I had been traveling alone, it would have been a perfect lunch portion.

You can absolutely get mickey beignets from the window. Mobile order early in the day for later, the slots go fast.

 

[Matrixleos]

@initiation thanks so much for that write up. I've seen the YouTube videos of the 4 pieces of Monte Cristo sandwich and I'm sure it was a shock when you only received 2 pieces.

I'll keep that in mind when we order and will ask questions about the portion sizes when we go.

 

[amyg1975]

It is definitely just two pieces, not 4 anymore.

 

[DLgal]

It is definitely just two pieces, not 4 anymore.

And it's $21. Geez. People need to stop accepting this type of thing.

You can get a half Monte Cristo at Smokejumpers Grill at DCA for $10.99.

 

[Jaina]

And it's $21. Geez. People need to stop accepting this type of thing.

You can get a half Monte Cristo at Smokejumpers Grill at DCA for $10.99.

Have you had the one at Smokejumpers? How does the taste compare?

 

[DLgal]

Have you had the one at Smokejumpers? How does the taste compare?

I have not but from pictures and the description, it is literally the same thing. I bet they are all made in the same mass kitchen and then just sent out to each restaurant to be dipped in batter and fried fresh. Some people have actually said online that the one at Smokejumpers is better.

 

[Calidisneyfam]

It is definitely just two pieces, not 4 anymore.

I’m glad to see someone else report this, and confirm I’m not going crazy! Remembering how big they were, I told my two teenagers “let’s share two.” When they came out (half the size I was expecting) I was really disappointed. We had to do a mobile order for Bengal BBQ just to get enough food!

 

[midnight star]

And it's $21. Geez. People need to stop accepting this type of thing.

You can get a half Monte Cristo at Smokejumpers Grill at DCA for $10.99.

Have you had the one at Smokejumpers? How does the taste compare?

That’s why I got mine at smokejumpers lol

It taste the same although it was a tad bit more greasy. It still comes with the sauce.

 

[Linkura]

Chiming in. Went 5/26, wanted to sit outside but was told I couldn’t request, we ended up inside, which was great from a distance perspective, but lousy for people watching. Ordered the three cheese monte cristo.

Something I have not seen addressed anywhere and I wish I had known, is they are only serving it as a half portion sandwich. Expecting the usual 4 piece sandwich, we ordered and requested to share between the two of us. My friend was a first timer and I had been raving about this meal for weeks. I was shocked when two small slices came out with the dipping sauces, about 20 pieces of pommes frites, a strawberry, a blackberry and a decorative small tomato.

The sandwich was delicious, very fresh tasting despite coming out of the kitchen with alarming speed. But the change in portion was unexpected and I was so flustered by the whole thing my social anxiety kicked in and I didn’t say anything or order more food. We were in and out in 15 minutes. If I had been traveling alone, it would have been a perfect lunch portion.

You can absolutely get mickey beignets from the window. Mobile order early in the day for later, the slots go fast.

If you can't request outside, I'm out. I refuse to eat indoors right now. Yes I know I'm paranoid.

I guess I'll hold my reservation for now and see how it develops, as I'm not going for another month. Thanks for the informative post.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

If you can't request outside, I'm out. I refuse to eat indoors right now. Yes I know I'm paranoid.

I guess I'll hold my reservation for now and see how it develops, as I'm not going for another month. Thanks for the informative post.

I’m actually surprised that with covid precautions still very much in place, you can’t request to sit outside. I wonder if you said that it was due to covid safety, if they’d let you?

But I also think if you’re not going for another month, there’s a chance that a LOT of the covid safety measures could be gone, so you’ll have to assess your comfort with that. I hope you’re able to go and have a great trip!

 

[Linkura]

I’m actually surprised that with covid precautions still very much in place, you can’t request to sit outside. I wonder if you said that it was due to covid safety, if they’d let you?

But I also think if you’re not going for another month, there’s a chance that a LOT of the covid safety measures could be gone, so you’ll have to assess your comfort with that. I hope you’re able to go and have a great trip!

Yeah, I'm ok with more measures being dropped. In fact, I'm expecting it. I canceled my trip in less than a week to WDW because of the outdoor mask drop because case rates are 4x CA and 2x my home state, plus lower vaccination rates. I trust that when measures are likely lifted in CA on 6/15, cases are going to be quite low and risk will be quite low there (especially compared to FL). Thus, I feel much more comfortable going to DLR. I'll still wear an N95 mask regardless. I've also been working myself up to it by going to local tourist places. For example, yesterday I went to the local zoo, where masks are no longer required, and felt comfortable enough. Next week, it's the local-ish amusement park.

Thanks for the kind words.

 

[KPeterso]

I am finding some of the reviews interesting. We went on 5/21 for lunch. The seasonal soup was the Gumbo which my Mom got. She said it was pretty spicy and she did not find one piece of sausage (I think that was the one) in it despite being one of the items in it. And personally I thought the cup was really tiny. I got the Bourbon Street Chicken, but instead of the jasmine rice, I got double vegetables, and I had my choice of broccoli or Brussel sprouts. I am not a Brussel sprouts fan, so I got double broccoli. And boy did I have a lot of broccoli on my plate - I swear it was probably close to 20 things of broccoli and could have been cooked just a smidge longer! And one decent size piece of chicken. I shared some of each with my Mom. Overall, our meal was good, but it was a very quick meal overall.

 

[durantigger]

If you can't request outside, I'm out. I refuse to eat indoors right now. Yes I know I'm paranoid.

I guess I'll hold my reservation for now and see how it develops, as I'm not going for another month. Thanks for the informative post.

I FEEL YOU!!!!!! I have a reservation for next week. I'm going to cancel. No way I'll sit in a restaurant. I'm building myself up just to be around that many people, and am specifically going before June 15th due to masks and distancing being in place. I'm really surprised they won't allow a request for outdoor!!

I'll go to Smokejumpers instead, thanks to people here giving me a heads-up on the Monte Cristo there.

 

[wowsmom]

If you can't request outside, I'm out. I refuse to eat indoors right now. Yes I know I'm paranoid.

My doctor, who does research (and did studies on one of the covid vaccines), told me he won't eat inside yet either - so I don't think you're paranoid. Just cautious. Which is not a bad thing.

 

[Matrixleos]

LOL.....I must be the only one interested in dinning indoors. My entire family is fully vaccinated and we prefer to sit in air conditioning in the late July date we visit over people watching by dinning outside. Getting out of the mid-afternoon summer sun and easily refilling our water bottles factored into making a sit down reservation for us.