Coral Reef Restaurant/Epcot Area Restaurants; Thoughts?

[jwfla422]

LOL, while you wouldn't want to be swayed by experiences posted here I have to say we enjoyed Coral Reef all the times we dined there but it was always a hit or miss with San Angel Inn, just goes to show you, got to try it for yourself despite what you read here.

 

[TinaLala]

Been some time since I've been at Coral Reef, but when we went the food was overpriced and average seafood. The fun was seeing the aquarium. Be aware the room is kinda dark - you're suppose to be under the sea. If your table isn't right near the aquarium it's kind of a bummer.

The service was fine but we don't go running back.

 

[angieruns]

Thanks for all the input. We are going there for dinner next Friday and I was on the fence. I guess I will figure it for ourselves.

 

[resablue]

I've been there twice. The noise level didn't bother me. Both times we went fairly early, so I'm not sure if that makes a difference. If you are going for the experience of the view, it's worth the trip. I sat once in the upper row of tables and once right by the tank wall. It was fun to watch the fish and even divers go by. The food on the other hand was nothing special. If you have big eatters you will probably need to buy them more food a few hours after this meal. Portions are kind of small if you have teenage boys like me.

 

[jwfla422]

Thanks for all the input. We are going there for dinner next Friday and I was on the fence. I guess I will figure it for ourselves.

We've always had good experiences there. I am a big fan of the Seared Rainbow Trout. If you like you can check out my review (with photos) on my website:
http://www.disneydiningreviews.com/coral-reef-epcot.htm

 

[nocomment711]

Honestly, the last two times we went there were horrible. It used to be my favorite restaurant in all of wdw. It has gone downhill over the years. When we went two and a half years ago, everything was terrible except dessert. The service was worse than poor. She messed up all out orders. My salmon was practically raw. We waited forever.

The manager actually had the audacity to come over and ask us why we left a small tip and seemingly questioned out dining intelligence by stating that you shouldn't tip the waitress based on the quality of the food. When we explained how disappointed we were with the service, she backtracked, but didn't do much else.

My father is very good at tipping. If service is stellar, he has no issues tipping up to 35% (we had wonderful service at citricos and chefs de France). But he also has no qualms leaving a small tip if he feels like service was not up to par. He usually tips at least 20%. That whole experience kinda turned us off from the restaurant.

 

[DisneyDarling13]

I've been to Coral Reef a total of 3 times and unfortunately each time I've gone the food has gotten less and less delicious. I am giving this restaurant one more try as my boyfriend loves seafood and has never been to WDW, so I think it will be a good experience for him. Hopefully the menu items are good and the service matches!

 

[JimmyV]

I've been to Coral Reef a total of 3 times and unfortunately each time I've gone the food has gotten less and less delicious. I am giving this restaurant one more try as my boyfriend loves seafood and has never been to WDW, so I think it will be a good experience for him. Hopefully the menu items are good and the service matches!

Listen to (or watch) yesterday's podcast review of Coral Reef and maybe you will change your mind.

 

[honeybunches]

I have been there three times. It was good once and bad twice. It was worth trying out. We would go back if there weren't so many other places we haven't tried yet.

 

[richkaryn]

We just had dinner there on June 1st. We also booked and then read the reviews. We even thought of cancelling right up to about 3 hours prior to our ADR, but decided to stick it out. So glad we did! I know a lot of people in reviews complained about speed of service. We had the deluxe dining plan, so appetizer, entrée, dessert. Coral Reef was actually one of the faster meals we had. DH had grilled octopus for his appetizer, and sustainable catch (halibut). He loved both. I had the NY strip as I don't eat seafood.....I usually don't order steak in a restaurant that doesn't specialize in steak because the quality is usually lacking....but when I don't eat seafood I wasn't left with a lot of choice. The steak was wonderful! Seasoned well and tender. I'd give Coral Reef a chance. We've added it to our "repeat" list for future trips!

 

[pwdebbie]

Listen to (or watch) yesterday's podcast review of Coral Reef and maybe you will change your mind.

I agree. Listen to the podcast.

We did it on Trip 1 -- very disappointed. Sorry, I don't want a meal to take over two hours.

Skipped it on Trip 2.

Tried it for lunch on Trip 3. It was better, but not worth the time it took for lunch.

Skipped it on Trip 4. No regrets.

 

[Mom22girls56]

We are there in 2010 and it was great. Our children loved the aquarium and my husband and I both thoroughly enjoyed our meal. I had the seasonal catch and my husband had the mahi mahi. The restaurant was loud, but that's expected at WDW so it wasn't a big deal. So thumbs up for me!

 

[Senor_Jorge]

It's my wife's favorite, and a tradition for us. I've read the reviews, and based on those believe we've been fortunate.

Our service has always been at least adequate, and usually much better than that. The crab cakes I had on our last visit were surprisingly good. I'm not a big seafood eater, but do enjoy 'good' seafood. More often than not I'll order the NY strip. It's hit or miss. Sometimes a piece of beef is just going to be tough, regardless of how it's prepared. In those cases I do have the option of sending it back, but have not. I've also had some very good steak there as well.

For us it's just as much about the atmosphere as the food. I've read about musty odors, and the loud kitchen. We've never experienced either, and have almost always left feeling relaxed after an enjoyable meal.

Hope you have a similar experience if you choose to give it a try.

 

[lillygator]

we went to Epcot for the day in February for DD's birthday...she chose Coral Reef for her lunch. While the atmosphere is nice and the tank is pretty cool, the service and food are mediocre. And there really are not all that many seafood choices either. We used to go here each visit, but in August we will be dining elsewhere.