CSR Pepper Market and Dining Plan

[maryliz]

Just looking at the counter service options at Pepper Market ... can I really get the steak/veggies/fries dinner that's priced at $14.95 for a Counter Service credit???

And the pizzas are offered as an 8 inch and 14 inch ... do both sizes qualify under the Counter service credits? The 14 inch pizzas are the same price as the steak entree.

Seems like this food court is a very good deal when on the dining plan if my assumptions are correct!

TIA for your assistance ... we've never stayed here before so have lots of questions!

 

[catne]

Don't get too excited by the menu at the Pepper Market. We were totally underwhelmed and unimpressed with the Pepper Market. Totally mediocre, blah food. The "steak" which is supposedly cooked to order is cooked well done regardless of how you order it. When we were there, no one else was in that area so it wasn't even as if the cook had to keep track of a bunch of different orders...it was just my hubby's steak and he wanted it rare. It was cooked through & through and tough as shoe leather. Might as well have been jerky (and dry jerky.) The veggies which look like nice grilled veggies are actually stewing in a big pot so they are soggy and gross. I had a grilled reuben...looked beautiful, tasted like nothing. I don't even know how they did that...but the bread was a lovely marbled white & brown, looked like rye...tasted like Wonder bread. Huge portion of pastrami...no flavor at all. Even the sauce was nearly tasteless. The desserts were all stale. You go up and order your food and bring it back to your table...but your beverages are supposed to be brought (and refilled) by a server. We did not get our drinks until well into our meal, and then no refills ever showed up. Lousy service all around.

The small pizza is what you get for one CS meal credit. If you want the large one, it will take two of your CS meal credits.

Another heads up: At the Pepper Market, you do have to pay a 10% tip...this is not covered by the dining plan (and the hostess who seats you will tell you that, and your server will tell you that, and the receipt will tell you that, and then the cashier will tell you that as you leave, too. Apparently dining plan people assume it is covered.)

 

[Goofy&Sleepy]

We were there in May and steak was not on the menu. DH got ribs & they were "saucy" just ok. I got fajitas, steak, and they were really good Got the "dessert" for b'fast the next morning. All agreed I got the best meal . I'd go w/the mexican dishes...DD got pasta and it was ok. Not great service as PP said though esp since you do pay tip HOWEVER it was a good variety for our "picky"eaters.

 

[Princess654]

we were there in December and DH got a burrito and it was huge and he loved it - we are from NY and eat out regularly so if it was bad DH woulda have known... I got the nachos with the works and also thought they were good - not amazing, but by far better than I've had in other non-mexican places.

As for dining plan credits we were on DxDDP and I didn't not pay attention to what type of credits we were charged.

 

[maryliz]

Another heads up: At the Pepper Market, you do have to pay a 10% tip...this is not covered by the dining plan (and the hostess who seats you will tell you that, and your server will tell you that, and the receipt will tell you that, and then the cashier will tell you that as you leave, too. Apparently dining plan people assume it is covered.)

Thanks for the info about the food being not as great as I had hoped! But this brings me to another question ... if I'm on the DDP, how do they "charge" me my tip? Do I leave it on the table, or does the cashier charge me for it when I leave?

 

[catne]

Thanks for the info about the food being not as great as I had hoped! But this brings me to another question ... if I'm on the DDP, how do they "charge" me my tip? Do I leave it on the table, or does the cashier charge me for it when I leave?

Just like table service restaurants...you can charge it to your room (if you put charging priveleges on your room key card) or pay cash for it, or charge it to a credit card if you prefer. They will make sure you know what your options were...we were sort of put off by the insistence each & every person there made to be sure we knew what was expected. Between that, the mediocre service & the so-so food we won't be back there, even if we stay at Coronado Springs again.

We've been to almost all of the Disney World restaurants (been to 50+ of them. Basically a few of the signature restaurants we haven't been to yet.) We really, really liked the vast majority of them, both the Disney-owned and the non-Disney places. There's only a handful we didn't like...and this was definitely in the bottom of the heap.

 

[dansyr2514]

We really like pepper market. Never tried the steak but everything we had was pretty good. I think a great value for a counter service credit. Dbf got a roasted pepper and shrimp soup that was really good. I think they make you aware of the gratuity so you're not surprised when you get to the register. We were there last oct. and they didn't charge us a gratuity, but we went back and left a tip because our server was really nice and friendly. Think of it as leaving a tip at a buffet. You still get your food, but a server brings your drinks and cleans off your table

 

[maryliz]

So they're good at letting you know that the tip is required ... but how do they enforce it? I get my paper to take around to the different stands. they stamp it, I eat the food. I get up from my table and I leave a tip. So do I tell them at the cash that I "already left it on the table?"

I just don't want to get caught tipping TWICE at a CS location! We were on the Dream in March ... we ordered Mickey Bars from room service and my son gave the person a tip in cash. When we got our bill the next morning, there was a charge equal to the amount we tipped in cash on our room account. So those 3 Mickey bars cost us more than if we'd bought them in the parks.

 

[KrazyKollector]

Just like table service restaurants...you can charge it to your room (if you put charging priveleges on your room key card) or pay cash for it, or charge it to a credit card if you prefer. They will make sure you know what your options were...we were sort of put off by the insistence each & every person there made to be sure we knew what was expected. Between that, the mediocre service & the so-so food we won't be back there, even if we stay at Coronado Springs again.

We've been to almost all of the Disney World restaurants (been to 50+ of them. Basically a few of the signature restaurants we haven't been to yet.) We really, really liked the vast majority of them, both the Disney-owned and the non-Disney places. There's only a handful we didn't like...and this was definitely in the bottom of the heap.

So, does Mickey Mouse come and drag your luggage to the curb if you don't tip for lousy service. In the instance you had, my tip to the server would have been this, "Here's your tip. Next time, think about actually SERVING the customer and you might get a cash tip."

 

[poohbear22]

My wife and I found the food to be really good. We went 2 times on our last trip. The deserts are amazing. The steak was cooked to an almost perfect medium and the fajitas were excellent. We left a couple dollars on the table since all our "server" really did was bring us drinks and extra napkins, but at least she did a good job at that; when we paid our CS credits the person at the register didn't mention anything about a tip (and if he had we would have explained we left it on the table). It is a very good use of CS credits

 

[maryliz]

Thanks for the info everyone! I guess we'll try it out and if we don't care for it, we will find other places to eat our CS credits. The family consensus seems to be that we will hit there to eat when we first check in that day, as we don't have any TS ressies for that first night.

Not that I'm wishing my summer away, but getting very excited for our trip at the end of August!

 

[shaycamp21]

We stayed at CSR last August ('10) and it had changed from the last time we stayed because at one time the gratuity was included (even at PM) on the DDP, so that may be why it is mentioned so much by CMs. Last summer, I assumed I could charge the gratuity to my room but found out I could not when I went to the cashier (I was quite embarrassed and went back to my room to get cash as I didn't have any on me) and I came prepared the next time we ate there and asked again at the cashier why just to see if it was just the CM we had and this cashier also said you had to leave cash.

I don't know if you now can charge the tip to your room but you could not last Aug. The food overall was fine and I agree that the Mexican choices were better than some of the other offerings. Personally, I wish they would just allow PM to be strictly CS because really the only "service" you are getting is your drinks being served (which could be eliminated with a self serve station) and your plates being cleared (which one could do esp. if they switched to disposable). I know it is a convention resort but there is a full TS restaurant if people want to be served. JMHO

 

[maryliz]

I was planning on leaving cash for tips anyway, so glad to hear that I won't be "tip-charged" twice! LOL

Funny how some CS places that have the exact same food as others seem to be better or worse than others. For example, we ONLY eat chicken strips from Columbia Harbour House ... have tried other places on site, we KNOW they're the EXACT SAME food, but they weren't as good. And we will NEVER eat at the Electric Umbrella at EPCOT ever again! LOL

Thanks for all of the insight ... good, bad or indifferent.

 

[worm761]

Pepper Market is one of those places that you either love it or you hate it seems. We really liked it. Boyfriend had the wings and loved them. He can't wait to get more. I had the personal pizza. It was way more than I could eat. DS has the fajitas and really liked them too.

 

[dancin Disney style]

A couple of years ago we stayed at CSR for a convention. We were there for 9 days and ended up eatting at the PM almost every night. We never had a single bad meal during that trip. Well, last year we were staying at another resort and had the DDP so we decided that we would go to the PM for dinner....it was horrid. We were there at approx 7pm and the place was totally empty...there were only about 5 families in there. The food was all over cooked and stone cold.

This year we are doing the QSDP....we are planning to go to PM again but I will wait and see what people are reporting right around that time.