Coral Reef Restaurant- worth going to?

[Motherofsix]

We are thinking of going to the Coral Reef restaurant for lunch while at Epcot. I'm wondering if it's worthwhile to eat there. How's the food? What's good? Are the views of the aquarium good? Is it hard to get a table next to the aquarium? Thanks for your input!

 

[Cyrano]

Just popping this over to the restaurant board

 

[TinkSassy]

You might get more mileage on the Restaurant board on this one. We had a good experience here. Decent food (not spectacular) and I didn't see a spot that the view of the aquarium would not have been good. I've noticed many reviews on slow service - though this was not our experience.

 

[TinkSassy]

This is my favorite site for restaurant reviews:

http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/coral-reef-restaurant/

 

[Motherofsix]

Just popping this over to the restaurant board

Thank you! I didn't realize there was a restaurant board.

 

[chocovrdmicears]

We had always been big advocates of Coral Reef until our most recent visit.
Even on our good days there, we have always found the service to be crazy slow. - Our last trip we had the usual snail service and the food was terrible. The atmosphere is interesting, and we have had the pleasure of getting a tank side seat several times...but it isn't worth it when the food is really really bad.

 

[Specter]

The atmosphere is nice but the food is pretty mediocre in my opinion. My wife and I went on our last trip and we experienced the infamous slow service but we had read about it and we like to have paced meals so that was a non-issue for us. We made the reservation at 180+10 days out and it was one of the last dinners we had, but even making the tank-side seat request then, reiterating it by phone the day that we arrived for our trip, and upon check-in at the restaurant, we couldn't get a seat by the glass. We even said that we were willing to wait but it wasn't in the cards. The restaurant is tiered, though, so you will still have a decent view.

The food, though, is really just...nothing special. It was not at all bad, it just wasn't memorable. The wife and I are by no means snobs but we do enjoy nice meals and this just missed the mark for us. We had wanted to try Coral Reef and always flip-flopped because of the reviews. We have tried it and we are both glad that we did, but having tried it we don't feel compelled to go back, unlike some other restaurants on property.

 

[JZCubed]

Coral Reef is a uniquely Disney experience - the dining room seats all face the aquarium.

The typical complaints about the food are the smallish portions which can be 'fancy'ish' too.

For better or worse, my family enjoys the seafood-centric menu.

And if you are on the Dining Plan, good value for the 1-credit.

I am also comfortable recommending France & Morocco (belly dancers), as well, for good meals.

 

[devilsfan1973]

Other than the nice aquarium view, the food and service were mediocre. It was our last dinner at WDW for my DD birthday so it was disappointing.

 

[Disney Khaleesi]

It's worth eating there once, but I wouldn't go back for a while. The food was sub-par and our server was a little scattered. However, the atmosphere was cool and the Chocolate Wave is to *die* for.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Our Ratings of Coral Reef: (*Rev 01/05/2014*)
. . . food price value: B
. . . food quality: C
. . . food quantity per serving: B
. . . food prep speed: C
. . . food selection: B
. . . seating quantity: B
. . . seating comfort: C
. . . eatery atmosphere: C
. . . eatery convenience: B
. . . staff friendliness: B
. . . staff attentiveness: C
. . . character interaction: n/a

Our Recommendations:
. . . appys:... Steamed Mussels, Crab Cakes
. . . entree:.. Grilled New York Strip Steak, Grilled Mahi-Mahi
. . . dessert:. Baileys and Jack Daniel's Mousse

NOTE1: The Coral Reef is a nice respite from normal dining, as is the wall which is the
aquarium. One sees fish and sees divers tending to the fish and tank. Best views are
from the second seating level, not right up against the tank. For best dishes, try the
Mussels for an appy and the Mahi for the entrée. Other seafood are not good choices.
The non-fish selections, eg. rubber chicken, are run of the mill or worse. New York Strip
and Smashed Potatoes is always a good choice, Tell them to rest steaks before service
at the table. Service can be spotty - be prepared for slow waitresses. For those looking
for a quiet and romantic outing, this is a place to pass, the high noise level drowns
out most conversations.

NOTE2: As a side point, some people fear a "fishy smell". If the fish is fresh, cooked
properly, and the kitchen ventilated well, there is no fish-smell. I have yet to see or
experience such at Coral Reef.

 

[Just*the*ten*of*us]

I will just be echoing others sentiments! Food was mediocre. I was disappointed, although I had read similar reviews beforehand. I went once when I was younger and really enjoyed it, so I was pretty determined to get in there and really thought I would disagree with other reviews. Unfortunately it just didn't do anything spectacular for me. Our reservation was for lunch, and we waited a very long time past our reservation time to actually be seated. We did get a glass front seat (possibly because it was my birthday, but unsure ) so perhaps that had something to do with the wait, however we did not request or anything. Husband had the lobster ravioli and hardly finished it and he is a huge eater. He was very unhappy with the food, and mine was just ok. Probably wouldn't go back again for quite awhile, hopefully they will make some changes and make it worth going again. Hope this helps!

 

[Dislover1991]

We had always wanted to eat there after seeing the restaurant on Full House and hearing great things about it. So we were sure to book it in 2012. The food was just okay to us We felt like it was overpriced for the quality and the quantity. I believe my meal was about $25 and I was starving about 30 minutes later. My dad fills up pretty fast and ordered the appetizer for 2 as his meal - he was eating off my mom's plate because he was still hungry

It was also pretty noisy. Our server was nice, but was very rushed. We don't plan to go back.

 

[SouthJersey]

We love it.
We go for lunch and always do signatures for dinner, but we love Coral Reef all around

Check this thread on Coral Reef from this section just the other week, tons of positive feedback: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3309902

 

[Dayman99]

My DS9 and I have been there for both dinner and lunch over the last 3 years. Great atmosphere, food was always good, and always enjoy the place. Last year, we had lunch on the dining plan, my son had the kids steak, (Big portion, he loved it) and I had the lobster pasta which was amazing!! (More lobster than pasta!) So, not sure why this place gets a bad rap from some folks. We have been there a total of 5 times in the last 7 years and maybe had slower service once.

Steve

 

[heidijanesmith]

No way! Our dinner at Coral Reef was the worst experience in or out of WDW we have had.

Our food was terrible; chewy shrimp, small portions, dry mahi mahi, rubbery steak......awful! The only thing any of us liked was the lobster pasta.

The service was awful. Slow and just did not care about us at all.

We were so looking forward to eating here as diving at The Seas is my families must do every trip and they really liked looking into Coral Reef from the tank. The atmosphere is beautiful and the tank is gorgeous. It's especially fun if Dive Quest is going on while you eat

 

[LeeLee'sMom]

We have been several times and going again in two weeks and always have an enjoyable experience. Never felt like the service was slow, as we go in August so we do not mind spending the extra time in the restaurants (A/C). I almost always get the Mahi Mahi or Steak and always very good and cooked properly. Atmosphere is very nice. If I ever got a dish from Coral Reef or any other restaurant that was "truly terrible" I would inform the wait staff and request something else..maybe we just hit "good times" and are lucky but I know we are looking forward to going again in a couple of weeks.

 

[disneyseniors]

It has been a few years since my family ate at the Coral Reef. But, I remember the most the LOUD NOISE in the place. The acoustics were awful! The waiter had to shout to be heard, and normal conversation short of shouting was not possible. I had a headache when we got out of there. Honestly, because of that, I don't remember the food at all Maybe it has changed recently so the sound is not so bad?

 

[kidsfirsttrip]

Is the wait to be near the tank usually much longer?

 

[Dayman99]

No way! Our dinner at Coral Reef was the worst experience in or out of WDW we have had.

Our food was terrible; chewy shrimp, small portions, dry mahi mahi, rubbery steak......awful! The only thing any of us liked was the lobster pasta.

The service was awful. Slow and just did not care about us at all.

We were so looking forward to eating here as diving at The Seas is my families must do every trip and they really liked looking into Coral Reef from the tank. The atmosphere is beautiful and the tank is gorgeous. It's especially fun if Dive Quest is going on while you eat

If I'm at a decent place for dinner and 75% of my food wasn't good, I would have had the staff over to correct any problems. Or, I would inform the manager and request the food be taken off my bill. I think we have all been to places at one time or another where the food wasn't good, the staff was slow, ect.... but there are ways to combat the issues. I don't think it's fair to bash a place for one bad meal, that can happen pretty much anywhere. It's always best to at least give them a chance to fix the issues you are having.