Citricos or Calfornia Grill..Help me choose

[yolie912]

Which TS do you think I should choose .....
Thanks so much!!

Or your opinion on the best 2 TS meals in Disney?

 

[JimmyV]

I think that you are equally likely to get a very good meal at either. I can't say that one is consistently better than the other. You can have an off night at either, or a stunning meal at either. Depends on who is in the kitchen, the crowd, the ingredients they sourced that day, among other things. But for me, nothing tops the California Grill (pun intended) as Citricos can often seem like a very good restaurant in Anywhere, USA, but the California Grill is uniquely Disney. Plus, we are wine afficianados/collectors (snobs?) and we love excellent sushi. So those features always cause us to favor CG. (Though I will say the fact that Citricos permits corkage while CG does not has pushed us over to Citricos a few times when we wanted to bring a special bottle with us.)

 

[MickeyNicki]

Citricos is a million times better than Cali Grill...click on my Nov 2010 thread and I have a very detailed review and pics of both places.

 

[DisneyFamily123]

You picked 2 of our most favorite restaurants! The other is Flying Fish Cafe. All 3 are top notch but each a little different too.... I wish I could share photos but I have to finish my photopass editing before I do my dining review...

California Grill -- A noisy restaurant with an open kitchen and sound echos with the all glass walls... don't mind though because the food is great and those glass walls gave us an excellent view of the castle and sunset. I hear great views of the fireworks but never been there at fireworks time. Great meals in 2009 and just last week. Last week, I had the mussels appetizer (great!) and a Pacific Monchong fish entree (deep sea Hawaiian Fish). It was delicious and nice to have seafood other than what is normally available on the East Coast.

Citricos -- Dined here in 2009 and wished I returned this last trip... instead, we wasted time at Ohana....(Grrr....). Quiet restaurant, more formal dining, excellent food and great presentation. Nice to enjoy the Grand Floridian lobby orchestra outside the restaurant in the evening too.

Flying Fish Cafe at the Boardwalk Inn -- Wow! Kind of a noisy restaurant like California Grill (both have open kitchens) but the food was incredible. The mussels blew me out of the water! I mean... good........ And great seafood entrees, but I was still raving about the mussels the whole meal.... Plus you get some boardwalk entertainment right outside the restaurant during the evenings... DS5 was pulled into some of the performers' acts and it was quite fun!

 

[Pakey]

We (all adult group) prefer Citricos. Every meal has been good. It's a bit more formal and we've been fortunate to have several quiet meals here. My only negative comment is that the menu doesn't change very often and the selection, especially of appetizers, is limited.

Ca Grill has very good sushi and incredible views. If I were dining with children, I would go here. The food, particularly the entrees, are not as good as Citricos, but this place is more suited for family dining. The atmosphere is a bit more lively and fun.

My favorite on Disney's Dining Plan for a 2TS is Flying Fish. Citricos would be second, followed closely by Jiko. Ca Grill would rank 4th only because I love the sushi. Overall, I like Brown Derby a little better than Ca Grill except for that sushi, lol.

 

[katiebelle21]

Citricos is a million times better than Cali Grill...click on my Nov 2010 thread and I have a very detailed review and pics of both places.

I agree completely! The food and service were both excellent at Citrico's!

 

[akadada]

Everything Pakey said. . . exactly.

I will say though, that ranking is a tight race. All of those restaurants are great and I don't think you can go wrong anywhere.

To me, it's a decision of view and good food versus ambiance and great food.

 

[missminniemouse]

I agree completely! The food and service were both excellent at Citrico's!

Count me in as a Citricos lover! We've returned there the past 3 years and loved, loved, loved it every time. Ate at Cali Grill 2 years ago and weren't terribly impressed. The food was good, but not as good as Citricos. Cali Grill was very loud with rushed service. Citricos has never been rushed. We did enjoy the view from Cali Grill, but after staying at Bay Lake Tower for a few days last month and going to the observation deck there to watch fireworks, Cali Grill isn't very appealing anymore.

 

[LadyDuchess]

I've only eaten at each restaurant once.

I preferred California Grill's food over Citricos (I'd give it a 7 out of 10). The view was also amazing - we watched Epcot's fireworks from our table, before moving outside to catch MKs. My dessert was phenomenal (no longer on the menu).

Citricos, on the other hand, was far quieter, more relaxed, and far less crazy than Cali Grill. The food was okay (I'd give it more of a 5.5 out of 10), but the service was far superior than CGs. My dessert was equally as phenomenal as Cali Grill's (best tiramisu I've ever eaten!).

So if I wanted something with "wow" factor - Cali Grill. But if I were looking for something a little more serious and calm - Citricos.

 

[DizGirl20]

So if I wanted something with "wow" factor - Cali Grill. But if I were looking for something a little more serious and calm - Citricos.

I totally agree!

If you have kids, I would opt for CG...

 

[madalex]

I have been to both many times and prefer Citricos. Food is excellent at both places, but the ambience at Citricos is so much better. It's calm, relaxed and relatively quiet at Citricos, whereas Cal Grill is very loud and usually has many more families, with lots of people just biding time to see the fireworks (which leads to bored and overtired kids who are less well behaved).

 

[jakeybake]

Citrico's is my favorite restaurant on property.

I was there on 12/6 and the food, service and atmosphere was perfect, as usual.

Cali is great but I think Citrico's is head and shoulders above it.

By the way, if you end up at Citrico's have the filet. It was melt in your mouth good, as was the gingerbread cheesecake for dessert!!

J

 

[psac]

Have eaten at Citricos four times. Twice it was really good, the other two times it was "eh."

Have eaten at Cali Grill three times. Two times were the best two meals at WDW. The other time was "eh," but I went in sick from a previous meal somewhere else, so hard to judge. (I would still suggest to avoid the filet. I didn't like it. The fish dishes are fantastic.)

We've tried every 2 credit except Yachtman's and Cindy's, and I would say our favorites in order are Cali Grill, Flying Fish, and then surprisingly Brown Derby (new 2010 menu, ate twice this year and loved both times). The rest in order would be Narcoossee's (only if you like lobster), Citricos, Jiko, and Artist Point.

Citricos is by no means bad, but among that class of restaurants, it's not top three for us. I would also say in general, all of those restaurants are good restaurants. Our least favorite (AP) had one of the best single side dishes anywhere -- the adult mac and cheese. The rest of the meal was unexceptional, but still good.

 

[cbg1027]

They are both good, but food wise, I think Citricos is better.

If you have never been to either, I would suggest Cali Grill though because I think it's kind of a Disney rite of passage.

The atmosphere at Citricos is much calmer and less boisterous if that makes an impact on your decision.

 

[Norm1]

Wow! I was at Citricos on 12/06 with DW. I must have missed you. (LOL) I have to agree CG would maybe be a better choice with kids if you can time it for the fireworks, if you get a table near a window, or if you go to the observation deck while the weather co-operates. But from my first experience at Citricos I prefer it over CG. It was great, the food, atmosphere and service was first rate.

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

Citricos

 

[Horse]

Citricos

 

[sotoalf]

The personal service at Citricos would alone warrant a visit.