California Grill Oak Fired Filet--Tastes Like Swansons.

[chrisw127]

I really love the California Grill and have never had a bad meal there--until now. I usually order the pork chop but this time I had the filet. The filet is cut in two horizontally, so you end up with two unappetizing disks of meat that really didn't taste like anything resembling beef. The meat was cooked fine, but the BBQ sauce was awful. It literally tasted like the BBQ sauce from a Swanson's frozen meal and it was difficult not to imagine the chef in the back slicing open a frozen dinner and throwing it in the microwave. The potatoes were okay, although they were no better than you'd find at a buffet elsewhere on property. It's pretty sad when the best thing you can say about your meal was that the broccolini was good.

Ironically, the best meal I had this trip was at Artist's Point, a place which is fairly easy to get an ADR for and is, I think, really underrated. The steak was excellent. It didn't need the compound butter that they put on top. It had an excellent flavor and was perfectly cooked.

I'll go back to CG, if only for the view. And there are things that stand out: The mushroom flatbread is amazing; the butterscotch creme brulee is still really good, although not any better than the one at Wolfgang Puck Express. Our service was also good. But they need to stop riding on their reputation and their amazing view--if you're going to charge that much for a steak, it better be edible!

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

I have to ask. Did you order your steak well done? Because I have been to GG numerous times and people in my party have ordered the filet on a number of occassions, we have never seen it "butterflied" which is what you described as having it cut in two.

If you ordered your steak well done then this would be the only feasable way to cook it to your specifications. Most of the filet's are at least an inch and a half to two inches in thickness and to cook that to well done without butterflying would 1. result in a VERY charred exterior 2. a cook time of at least 30 minutes.

In regards to your Swanson comment....Swanson is Salisbury steak....which is compressed ground beef! Im not trying to be offensive, but how on earth could a filet mignon taste like that?

Im sorry that you had a bad experience, but in this case I'm going to call a difference of opinion. Also, the butterscotch creme brulee at CG is of a MUCH higher caliber than that at Wolfgang Puck Express! The custard alone is creamier and smoother with a better set.

 

[chrisw127]

I ordered it medium. It was actually cooked fine, although you make a good point about doneness; maybe that's why they cut it in half. At home I usually cook steaks that are 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick and I have never had an issue with overcooking it or not being done enough. Regardless, it just didn't have any taste to it other than the BBQ sauce. Swanson's makes a BBQ sauce (I think on it comes with some chicken dish) and that's what it tastes like. As for the creme brulee, I thought it was fine but not extraordinary. It's not difficult to make (I mean, if you add enough cream and sugar to something, it's going to be good) and they do a good job. I just think the one at WPE is just as good.

Overall, I like the California Grill. I've eaten there before with a larger group and everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meal, including the food snob in the group. I just think that they need to watch the quality.

 

[LSmith]

We also have had bad steak at California Grill. The first time my husband and I obviously didn’t read the menu properly and didn’t realize the filet came coated (drowning) in teriyaki sauce. We both thought it was awful. The second time my husband asked for no sauce and got a subpar piece of steak which he ordered medium rare. It was so salty he couldn’t eat it.

Now on the other hand the sushi is absolutely to die for and we now go back just for that and stay clear of the filet.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

I have o post this. I thought I was alone. My DH and I SPLURGED on this meal as we had celebrated our 15th annivarsary recently and did not do anything to celebrate, so we treated ourselves.

The view is amazing, and I am so glad we went there just for that. But our food was fine, but not great. I had the fillet. It was not butterflied, but it didn't taste like a fillet eitehr (mind you, I have only had fillet 3 times in my life, all in Disney and twice this trip.) But it was not very tender and the taste was ok, but not wonderful. I did not like the potatoes at all, but LOVED the broccolini (wih there had been more.) My husband had salmon, he said it was fine but the salmon at Akerhaus was 100 times better. I felt the same was about my fillet at LeCellier. It was so amazing in flavor, so tender. The difference was amazing. (My only other fillet was also wonderful at Concorse Steakhouse in 2006.)

We figured we did not have sophisticated enough tastes to be there or something, seeing as everyone raves about it there. It was not a bad meal, just not the knock your socks off meal like we had at LeCellier and even WPE.

Glad to see we are not alone. We are happy we went, the view is spectatular and watching Wishes up there was cool, but not again for us. We'd prefer 2 meals at LeCellier than one at Cali Grill.

To each his own...

 

[fairestoneofall]

I had chicken there when DH and I celebrated our 10th anniversary. It had both a funny taste and smell. I couldn't eat most of it. I left hungry (and that was after scarfing down both appetizer and dessert)

Now, we ate at Narcoossees on our last trip and my filet was WONDERFUL!

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

Well, we had a wonderful meal at CG but we basically stuck to the sushi, which they are known for. It was the best sushi I have ever tasted in my entire life.

I'm sorry that you had a bad experience. Beef is not one of my favourites so I would be very unlikely to order it anywhere. So, I can't comment on what you have described. Did you mention your dissatisfaction to your waiter or to the manager? We had complaints about service there and were astounished at how well they were handled.

As for the creme brulee, I thought it was fine but not extraordinary. It's not difficult to make (I mean, if you add enough cream and sugar to something, it's going to be good) and they do a good job. I just think the one at WPE is just as good.

I have to disagree with your assessment of creme brulee. I'm not sure how often you make it but it certainly isn't "easy." I have had a lot of brulees and they are not all created equally. Part of the problem with the bad ones is that there is, in fact, too much cream and/or sugar. Getting the right consistency takes some effort. Also, so many of them are bruleed improperly. This happens more often than not. It really changes the taste and texture if care is not taken.

 

[chrisw127]

Well, we had a wonderful meal at CG but we basically stuck to the sushi, which they are known for. It was the best sushi I have ever tasted in my entire life.

I'm sorry that you had a bad experience. Beef is not one of my favourites so I would be very unlikely to order it anywhere. So, I can't comment on what you have described. Did you mention your dissatisfaction to your waiter or to the manager? We had complaints about service there and were astounished at how well they were handled.



I have to disagree with your assessment of creme brulee. I'm not sure how often you make it but it certainly isn't "easy." I have had a lot of brulees and they are not all created equally. Part of the problem with the bad ones is that there is, in fact, too much cream and/or sugar. Getting the right consistency takes some effort. Also, so many of them are bruleed improperly. This happens more often than not. It really changes the taste and texture if care is not taken.

I didn't complain, because as BBQ sauce go, it tasted like BBQ sauce and I felt like it was my mistake for ordering it, not the kitchen's. It just didn't belong on a filet. As I said, I'll still go back. I still like the place.

I've been lucky with creme brulee; never had one mess up and have always found it pretty easy to make (pie crusts are a different story ). I've always thought of creme brulee as easy, I guess because it originated in a dorm room on a hot plate (in England), but I can see how making it in large batches could be difficult. It was good. No biggie.

Thanks for your comments on the resort board today, BTW. People really get bent out of shape over the on-site/off-site issue!

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

I didn't complain, because as BBQ sauce go, it tasted like BBQ sauce and I felt like it was my mistake for ordering it, not the kitchen's. It just didn't belong on a filet. As I said, I'll still go back. I still like the place.

But if something isn't too your liking, you shouldn't have to sit there and eat it, especially when you are paying top prices. Believe it or not, the restaurant wants you to be fully satisfied. So, if something tastes like you could have found it inside a can, say something! These chefs take their art seriously and would like to please palettes. Service managers take their job just as serious and want to make it up to you if you are unsatisfied. Just a tip for the future.

 

[catne]

When we were there in May 2008, at a window seat...the blinds were closed. No view. When we asked why they weren't open for the view we were supposedly paying for, we were told they would raise the coverings when the sun went down a bit. Which at that time of year was still several hours away! Must have been a lot of others complaining too because after a few minutes, they raised the window coverings about 6 inches...so if we slunk down in our chairs we had a view.

Food was o.k. - we love steak (and we're from Nebraska...we order "rare" ) The desserts were wonderful but all in all we didn't think the steak was any better than any other Disney restaurant. Had better at Le Cellier, and same or better at The Wave & Kona Cafe. Glad we tried it, but we won't go back...meal & no view wasn't worth 2 TS each.

 

[girli565]

In the most recent food reports I've seen, the filet at CG is butterflied. When I went in April 2007 it was still one whole piece. I don't know when the changed happened but it's been like that for a bit...