Dining which to avoid

[SplashMo]

The kids love bengal BBQ. We do take it over to New Orleans square to find a place to eat.

With regards to French Market I like te eat healthy and they seem to have some healthy choices. However I am the only one in the family that eats there. I mostly eat there when others are eating bangel BBQ. Also portions are smallish.

Our must stop place:

Mint Julep Bar for Mickey-shaped beignets. (Do they count as food.

Because we open and close the park without a break I really apreciate a place that has quick service and is air-conditioned and covered. A place to re-coupe.

Taste Pilot's Griil in DCA and Pizza Port meet this requirement. ALthough the service may or may not be fast by your own standards.

Napa Rose is wonderful.

 

[seadd67]

Cafe Orleans Is one of my Fav's. My experinces there the staff was great, and the food OMG!. The Monty cristo and could eat two of those with out blinking a eye(i might need a nap), french onion soup so yummy and prom fries.
The Village Haus, the Burger with pastrami very yummy, but the i have to agree about the braut, less then impressive

 

[IUTBAM]

As a side note, I love La Brea...their sandwiches are hugely superior to Bengal BBQ for about the same price, plus you get table service.

We just got back from 6 days at DLR. The cheapest sandwich at La Brea is $12.95...a skewer at Bengal BBQ is $4. That is definitely NOT "about the same price". Bengal always has been and always will be a "snack" place for us...the bacon wrapped asparagus skewers are a must-do on every trip.

We were staying at the GC, so we went to Whitewater several times. I saw somewhere someone mentioned they had a huge variety...we did not find that to be the case. They had 3-4 breakfast selections, and the lunch/dinner selections consisted of salad, cold sandwiches and fruit in the cold case, plus a hamburger, cheeseburger, chicken sandwich, hot dog or nachos (this is off the top of my head). JMHO but that's not a huge variety. We did find it a pretty good value, because the burgers were definitely superior to what you can get in the parks (not great, but definitely better than the counter service places in the parks). The burgers were hot and fresh-cooked, and once your order, you sit down at your table with a number and they bring it out. They are also very accomodating of special requests (putting things on the side, extra pickles, leaving things off, etc). It was crowded in the evenings once, but we never had crowds in the morning/lunchtime.

We also enjoyed Red Rockett's pizza port. One trick we always use there is to ask for things on the side on the pasta dishes; they they will make up a fresh one for you, and you don't have to take the ones that have been sitting out. The chicken fusilli was especially good this time, and my son and husband devoured their spaghetti and meatballs. Again, not gourmet Italian by any stretch, but good value and taste for a theme park.

We also finally tried Plaza Inn fried chicken this trip. My special needs son doesn't eat mashed potatoes, and he only likes green beans a certain way, so the sides were of no benefit to him, but he LOVED the fried chicken (we all did). Their mashed potatoes and green beans were very good. And my DD loved her salad, which they were able to custom-make for her.

 

[Zbugz]

In Pacific Wharf, I ate at Cuchina Cucamonga & ha a combo meal. For the price, I wasn't impressed. I had some dry rice/beans, and dry chicken tamale. Nothing I would ever get again!

I tried this place in November and was underimpressed. It actually tasted gross to me. Tortilla Jo's didn't do much for me either in 2011. I would think DLR would have much higher quality Mexican food given its location.

Everything else was from quite tolerable to great.

 

[motor58]

We spend a whole week at DL resort in Sept 2012, 6 days in the parks and all of our food was surprisingly (I was braced for bad food!) decent with only the two exceptions: Tortilla Joe's and Ariel's Grotto. What I think is interesting is that they were the only 2 places that cost $$$, compared to our takeaway eating at the parks. And the day after our horrible $100 meal at Tortilla Joe's we went to the mexican take away place at CA and had decent-ish tamales and other stuff, $38 for our family of 5.

After reading through this, I realize we just got lucky-by chance we never went to some of these places. Next time I will be more careful.

But I wanted to put out there how truly horrible Tortilla Joe's and Ariel's Grotto was. I am still pissed about the money spent there! Such a huge part of our dining budget you know?

Great thread!

 

[DizMe]

We just got back from 6 days at DLR. The cheapest sandwich at La Brea is $12.95...a skewer at Bengal BBQ is $4. That is definitely NOT "about the same price". Bengal always has been and always will be a "snack" place for us...the bacon wrapped asparagus skewers are a must-do on every trip.

What I said was that if you got 2-3 skewers and a drink, you would spend roughly the same amount as purchasing a sandwich at La Brea, which I find vastly superior quality-wise and you get sit-down service. One skewer would not in any way be comparable to an entire sandwich meal so you can't compare it that way. I used to make a point of going to Bengal BBQ because I LOVED those skewers, but the last few times I've had them, they just tasted like frozen meals to me. I just had 2 chicken skewers on Thursday, paid around $8.50 for them and they weren't very good plus I was still hungry.

 

[pennyring]

1. We love White Water Snacks!! It's so nice to get out of the parks, but still be nearby. I always get the chicken salad croissant.

2. Pizza Port is gross. It was tasty when they first opened, but I refuse to set foot in that place now. Yuck. Pizza's gross. Pasta's gross. It's all gross.

3. We really liked Pizza and Pasta on the Pier (DCA). It was (surprisingly) good for something that could go so, so, so very wrong. (See #2 above.)

4. I've always heard bad things about Lucky Fortune Cookery, but haven't eaten there in probably 8 years. Sounds like it's still gross.

5. We were huge fans of Bengal BBQ for years! Sadly, our last two trips it was gross. I would say the meat tasted like "cheap" cuts and the sauce was bland. Really, really sad because BBBQ was always a tradition for us. I'm unclear from the posts on this thread whether it's gotten better or not. (Our last visit was April 2012.)

6. Sorry to hear the burgers at Hungry Bear are no good. The photos looked promising. I know, ten years ago they were not great, but the new burgers looked like a possibility.

7. What's up at Taste Pilot's? I didn't like their burgers when they opened, but it looks like they may have something new over there too.

 

[jkattk]

We spend a whole week at DL resort in Sept 2012, 6 days in the parks and all of our food was surprisingly (I was braced for bad food!) decent with only the two exceptions: Tortilla Joe's and Ariel's Grotto. What I think is interesting is that they were the only 2 places that cost $$$, compared to our takeaway eating at the parks. And the day after our horrible $100 meal at Tortilla Joe's we went to the mexican take away place at CA and had decent-ish tamales and other stuff, $38 for our family of 5.

After reading through this, I realize we just got lucky-by chance we never went to some of these places. Next time I will be more careful.

But I wanted to put out there how truly horrible Tortilla Joe's and Ariel's Grotto was. I am still pissed about the money spent there! Such a huge part of our dining budget you know?

Great thread!

We actually really enjoyed Ariel's Grotto's food but it might vary by what meal. We were there for lunch and the apps and desserts were especially great - I could have filled up on those enough not to have needed the actual meal The apps were three plates that included meats, cheeses, fruit skewers, jello, etc and the desserts had a similar variety.

 

[Eddygirl]

What I said was that if you got 2-3 skewers and a drink, you would spend roughly the same amount as purchasing a sandwich at La Brea, which I find vastly superior quality-wise and you get sit-down service. One skewer would not in any way be comparable to an entire sandwich meal so you can't compare it that way. I used to make a point of going to Bengal BBQ because I LOVED those skewers, but the last few times I've had them, they just tasted like frozen meals to me. I just had 2 chicken skewers on Thursday, paid around $8.50 for them and they weren't very good plus I was still hungry.

I agree with this....I had one chicken skewer, one asparagus skewer and a tiger tail. I had my own water. It was over $10 if I am remembering correctly. I really enjoyed the apsaragus, the chicken was "meh" and the tiger tail was "blech". Only had a bit if it, it was so dry and bland! For the same price or less I really enjoyed the bread bowl soups. I could not finish a whole one on my own. My DD split one once and planned a treat a little later.... That was perfect!!

I am not normally a big eater and I found the 2 skewers left me wanting a snack before our next meal. But maybe that is because of all the walking we did?! Lol

All in all... Bengal BBQ for a snack works, especially the asparagus! For a meal it fell flat and to me seemed pricey for what you had to get to make a meal of it. All IMHO of course! ;-)

 

[hootey]

But I wanted to put out there how truly horrible Tortilla Joe's and Ariel's Grotto was. I am still pissed about the money spent there! Such a huge part of our dining budget you know?

We have always had great food and service at Ariel's grotto. Hey, it happens. Three years ago during a visit to DL we had a similar experience at Blue Bayou. My meal(fillet mignon) was served cold, coffee was old and never refilled, the wife's meal was also cold, basically a horrible experience. I said I would never go back. My other half worked our schedule around so we were back at the Blue Bayou for a late dinner a couple nights later. This time everything was a totally different. Due to the late hour, it was only half full. My loving wife ordered the salmon for me(I love salmon, living here in the Greater Northwest) Anyway, this time we had fantastic service and the best salmon dinner ever! Same place, very different results. Go figure? Hey, in closing, Relax and enjoy, as always...

 

[Mr Snappy]

We weren't impressed with Ariel's either. It wasn't bad, but thought the atmosphere very lacking and food mediocre. We won't be back.

 

[Camonkeygirl]

We just got back from 6 days at DLR. The cheapest sandwich at La Brea is $12.95...a skewer at Bengal BBQ is $4. That is definitely NOT "about the same price". Bengal always has been and always will be a "snack" place for us...the bacon wrapped asparagus skewers are a must-do on every trip.

We were staying at the GC, so we went to Whitewater several times. I saw somewhere someone mentioned they had a huge variety...we did not find that to be the case. They had 3-4 breakfast selections, and the lunch/dinner selections consisted of salad, cold sandwiches and fruit in the cold case, plus a hamburger, cheeseburger, chicken sandwich, hot dog or nachos (this is off the top of my head). JMHO but that's not a huge variety. We did find it a pretty good value, because the burgers were definitely superior to what you can get in the parks (not great, but definitely better than the counter service places in the parks). The burgers were hot and fresh-cooked, and once your order, you sit down at your table with a number and they bring it out. They are also very accomodating of special requests (putting things on the side, extra pickles, leaving things off, etc). It was crowded in the evenings once, but we never had crowds in the morning/lunchtime.

We also enjoyed Red Rockett's pizza port. One trick we always use there is to ask for things on the side on the pasta dishes; they they will make up a fresh one for you, and you don't have to take the ones that have been sitting out. The chicken fusilli was especially good this time, and my son and husband devoured their spaghetti and meatballs. Again, not gourmet Italian by any stretch, but good value and taste for a theme park.

We also finally tried Plaza Inn fried chicken this trip. My special needs son doesn't eat mashed potatoes, and he only likes green beans a certain way, so the sides were of no benefit to him, but he LOVED the fried chicken (we all did). Their mashed potatoes and green beans were very good. And my DD loved her salad, which they were able to custom-make for her.

If your DS likes just the fried chicken at the Plaza Inn, you can get an "extra Piece" as an add on. I have done that before when I have shared the plate with my DH (don't remember the cost though).

If it was up to DH Plaza Inn will be the only place to ear at DL. I like Cafe Orleans (Monte Cristo ) I also like Rain Forest Cafe, but I stick to only a couple of items that I like. I am not a big eater, so we tend to split their breakfast (he gets the eggs and bacon, and I get the french toast = Breakfast for about $20 with coffee and juice. I have been wanting to try the new food items in DCA, just past Goofy's Sky School. We never seem to be hungry when we get there

 

[pixiewings71]

We actually really enjoyed Ariel's Grotto's food but it might vary by what meal. We were there for lunch and the apps and desserts were especially great - I could have filled up on those enough not to have needed the actual meal The apps were three plates that included meats, cheeses, fruit skewers, jello, etc and the desserts had a similar variety.

The food at AG is the same for lunch and dinner IIRC, the only one that is different is breakfast. We love AG and love our food and experience there every time we go. It's one of our faves, even though the kids are older, we still enjoy going very much.

Where should you eat OP? That's very subjective, as you can see from your varied responses on this thread. We love BB, we love CO, we LOVE Taste Pilot's Grill, I get the Wild Bleu Yonder burger (has blue cheese), without the steak sauce and then I top it with a ton of BBQ sauce, onions and pickles from the condiment bar, get a side of onion rings instead of fries and get Ranch and BBQ to dip them in. One of my favorite meals to be honest. But many don't like TPG at all. We like Luckey Fortune, we like Rancho Del Zocalo more than we like Cocina Cucamonga. We like Pizza Port, we get 2 slices of pizza, Foccacia bread, 1 salad and 1 pasta and share between the 4 of us, it's a filling meal that we all enjoy. We like the new menu at Village Haus, DBF and I LOVE the BBQ and DD's and I like the Cozy Cones, especially the dill pickle popcorn. The bacon cheddar was good too.

 

[jaymesmom617]

Does anyone ever take their food back? If I can't eat it I am not paying for it.

My friend took back her soup and bread bowl at PWC. She had gotten the the clam chowder and I got the broccoli cheese. She said it was tasteless and bland. I loved mine and she tried it and it was much better.
When my friend talked to the CM at the counter, the CM went and got the chef. He was not happy that she was complaining about his food. She just want to switch for the broccoli cheese. They did switch it but, I don't think that she will ever complain about food at DL again.

 

[SilentFeline]

I haven't eaten at many places at DLR. I'm pretty picky about food (not a food snob, I just dislike a lot of things), so when I find a place or food item that I like I keep returning for more! Out of the places my DBF and I have tried, we will never return to Cafe Orleans or Plaza Inn.

We went to Cafe Orleans for my DBF's birthday lunch on our first trip as adults back in 2009, and we had the WORST customer service we've ever experienced. The food wasn't great either, especially for the price. First and last for us. The chicken at Plaza Inn is okay, but the rest of the entree items tasted like KFC-quality to me. I can get good chicken elsewhere, so I'd rather skip Plaza Inn. There are a lot of places I will never try because of the horrible reviews here on the DIS, such as Tortilla Jo's and Tomorrowland Terrace.

Some single items I avoid are the dole whips/floats and cream-cheese filled pretzels. I'm sure there are more, but I can't think of any right now.

 

[Zbugz]

All in all... Bengal BBQ for a snack works, especially the asparagus! For a meal it fell flat and to me seemed pricey for what you had to get to make a meal of it. All IMHO of course! ;-)

Yes! I've tried it twice and liked it, but it is rather expensive for a meal. Two skewers and part of a Tigger Tail and I was out $10 and was still hungry. The bacon wrapped asparagus does make a tasty snack, though.

 

[Zbugz]

​

so we were back at the Blue Bayou for a late dinner a couple nights later. This time everything was a totally different. Due to the late hour, it was only half full. My loving wife ordered the salmon for me(I love salmon, living here in the Greater Northwest) Anyway, this time we had fantastic service and the best salmon dinner ever! Same place, very different results. Go figure? Hey, in closing, Relax and enjoy, as always...

I had the salmon a couple of months ago and, I agree, it was fantastic. We eat a lot of salmon at home that my dh catches in Canada, and I would still list BB's salmon as one of the best I've ever had.

 

[disneylover2005]

Like everyone else has said, it all depends on your own taste.

First off I would recommend looking at this forum http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1253888&page=210
other Dis member have posted pictures of the food at Disneyland and you can see what your getting. We go about 2-3 times a year and I always look at the food pictures before I go, just so I can see what looks good or what we have forgotten about.

1. We always eat at Blue Bayou, Cafe Orleans, Plaza Inn for breakfast, and Taste Pilots Grill every time we go.
-Blue Bayou, we have only had 1 time that we were not happy. My husband got the Surf & Turf and the lobster was mushy. That was 3 years ago and we still go every time and he gets the same thing.
-Last year we tried Cafe Orleans and we all love it. The Pommes Frites and to die for.
-Plaza Inn Minnie & Friends Breakfast- we all enjoy the food and there are so many characters that come around that it saves us time in the park to not have to wait inline to see them.
-Taste Pilots Grill, when we are in DCA we always go there, It's good food and the serving is huge where we can spit a meal.

2.I agree with Tomorrowland Terrace because the prices are the highest in the park for a burger and for some reason the quality is that great. You will find with all kids meal, they are small period. The kids power pack is probably the best bang for your buck at a counter service meal (we make our own now and bring it into the park).

3.Village Haus, we have always enjoyed there food but we are never in that area when we eat.

4.Pizza Port, we always use to eat there and this last time I got the chicken alfredo pasta and they changes it up. It's not as good.

5.Here is a list of all the food with current prices, I would check it out for yourself so you can see what's offered where and for how much.
http://allears.net/dlr/din/menu/menus.htm#dl

6.Hungry Bears, we always mean to eat there but never get down there to do it. We have had it once and we all liked the food. Again it was big enough to share and tasted good.

7.Breakfast in the park, we have noticed that not many places are open for breakfast. We have tried Tommorrowland Terrace and River Belle Terrace. We liked RBT.

 

[Eeyore11081]

7. What's up at Taste Pilot's? I didn't like their burgers when they opened, but it looks like they may have something new over there too.

Ate burgers at taste pilots on Sunday. Not spectacular, but for a quick meal the food is pretty decent. Its been several years since I last ate there and I can't recall the food being outstandingly good or bad. I wouldn't plan my trip around it, but I wouldn't hesitate to go back again either.

 

[DarthMole]

Naples was a big let down. First night of our trip too. If we didn't have one of those $30 off coupons, I'd have been very disappointed. The place smelled good and pizza looked great but was pretty blah. Bland and boring crust and sauce. The sausage was on the spicy side which the kids did not like at all. The salads and service was fine but how hard is it to make a decent pizza? It's not.

We actually liked Tortilla Joes. It's not the best we ever had but nowhere near the worst. We had a coupon here too but even at full price we'd go back there.

Blue Bayou was okay but I think we'll leave it as a been there, done that experience. For ambiance, I'd rather just go on the ride. For food, I'd hit up Steakhouse 55 and pay just about the same for a much better meal.