Does ANYONE like Bongos???

[Viki]

Hi, friends, I'm taking friends to DD in December and we need a sit-down dinner in between Disney Quest and Pleasure Island. I gave them a list of available restaurants and my mini-reviews or research efforts on each, and they agreed on Bongos, which is fine.... ONLY, I've heard mixed reviews. Did you like it? What did you have?

Thanks all.

 

[ducklite]

I've eaten there at least a half dozen times and have once had poor service (not the waiters fault, they were entirely understaffed and he was trying as best as he could) and once had OK service. The other times is't been good to great service.

The food has always been great, it's a bit "Americanized" but still close enough to "authentic" that many would never tell the difference. My husband has tried several menu items, and likes the pulled pork. I love the camerones al ajillo, and that's what I order whenever I get Cuban anywhere, if I had to choose a last meal on death row it might likely be that!

We also like the atmosphere. If the weather is nice, sit outside and people watch while you eat!

Anne

 

[dani0622]

Went there in April for lunch, husband and I both had cuban sandwiches. While the portions were huge, we were less than thrilled with the sandwiches. We've eaten many times at real Cuban restaurants here in NJ and Bongoes just didn't compare. The service was decent. We would not return there though.

 

[aengus]

My entire family suprisingly loved this resteraunt. We basically went there becasue everywhere else was a very long wait and we were so glad we did. I can't remember the names of anything I had LOL but it was all good. Everyone else seemed happy with their choice as well. I would definitely eat there again.

 

[ducklite]

Went there in April for lunch, husband and I both had cuban sandwiches. While the portions were huge, we were less than thrilled with the sandwiches. We've eaten many times at real Cuban restaurants here in NJ and Bongoes just didn't compare. The service was decent. We would not return there though.

A little off topic--Danielle, try Habana on Main Street in Ridgefield Park, FABULOUS food and great, friendly service. The owner told me he's considering packing it up and relocating to Florida (his wife doesn't like NJ) in a few years, your loss, my gain LOL!

Anne

 

[webray]

We have eaten there many times. We love it.

We have tried many of the sandwiches/soups.

 

[contempgal]

I've ate there once and found it to be very good. I would do it again but just haven't found the time with all of the other wonderful WDW restaurants.

 

[cruisin'Mike]

We ate there a few years ago. It was OK, but we weren't overly impressed. I doubt that we'll go back again, not because we hated it, but if we're at DTD we'd rather eat at House of Blues, which we love.

Mike

 

[dani0622]

A little off topic--Danielle, try Habana on Main Street in Ridgefield Park, FABULOUS food and great, friendly service. The owner told me he's considering packing it up and relocating to Florida (his wife doesn't like NJ) in a few years, your loss, my gain LOL!

Anne

Thanks Anne!

 

[DisneyJen0504]

Does ANYONE like Bongos???

Not me.

 

[pumpkinboy]

Does ANYONE like Bongos???

Not me.

Nobody here likes it either. I like plenty of restaurants, just not this one. With the abundance of good restaurants in WDW, no reason for us to go back to this one.

Maybe Bongos should hire some chefs and waiters from Miami (or at least different ones than they currently have).

 

[wscato]

Me and my wife love Bongos. We make sure to eat lunch there once while we are down. We like the Cuban Sandwiches and like to split a piece of Tres Leche cake for desert.

 

[ArielsMommy]

We LOVE Bongos!! DH had a Cuban sandwich and I had a chicken cutlet with black beans and rice as well as fried plantains! We thought it was pretty authentic and we are from the Tampa Bay area where there is a HUGE cuban community. I adore cuban food.

 

[Viki]

Wow, I know even the best restaurants at WDW get mixed reviews, but this one seems more variable than most. Personally, I agree with the posters who prefer House of Blues with respect to all of the DD possibilities, but I also want to accomadate my friends. It sounds like we should at least give a try and it's awful I will practice NOT saying, "I told you SO!"

 

[londonpenguin]

BF and I went for dinner in 2002. The food was terrific. I had some sort of steak that was delicious, and BF had the catch of the day, which he thoroughly enjoyed. The service was definitely indifferent. It took flippin' AGES to get our server's attention when we were done with dinner so that we could order dessert. Since that had taken so long, we asked her to please bring our check along with the dessert. She brought dessert, said, "Oh, I forgot your bill. I'll be right back." Twenty minutes later ... Then it took flippin' AGES for her to come back and collect my credit card. I couldn't tell if they were understaffed that night or if she was just reallllly sloooooow.

My only other comment is that while our booth felt nicely secluded, we seemed to be surrounded by the Cuban mafia or something. Honestly, lots and lots of vaguely menacing-looking men smoking cigars. None of them were smiling and having a good time. But apart from the cigar smoke and the slow service (and the feeling that Tony Soprano might burst in at any moment), we liked Bongos.

 

[JudithM]

My husband & I along with some friends have eaten at bongo's three times this year. We have enjoyed each experience - food, service, etc.

 

[mking624]

I really like Bongos. We ate there with my late grandfather a few years ago. It was the only restaurant he would eat at. He was born and raised in Bolivia, so the food was something similar to what he was used to. So every lunch and dinner during our trip, he'd eat there. We had other family there on the trip as well, so he took every day to treat us out. I thought the food was excellent and it also has a lot of sentimental value to me as well.

 

[Viki]

Oh, no, NO SMOKE! Are you serious? There's smoking? Or were you sitting outdoors?

(I'm terribly allergic)

 

[londonpenguin]

Oh, no, NO SMOKE! Are you serious? There's smoking? Or were you sitting outdoors?

(I'm terribly allergic)

We were not sitting outdoors. I assumed we just got planted in the smoking section. The restaurant was packed, so I didn't even bother asking for a different table (it probably would've taken flippin' AGES for our server to find us a new one even if the restaurant was only at half capacity anyway!). But that's partly why I found the cigar smokers so discomfiting: it didn't seem to me that anyone else was smoking ... just them.

 

[Viki]

We were not sitting outdoors. I assumed we just got planted in the smoking section. The restaurant was packed, so I didn't even bother asking for a different table (it probably would've taken flippin' AGES for our server to find us a new one even if the restaurant was only at half capacity anyway!). But that's partly why I found the cigar smokers so discomfiting: it didn't seem to me that anyone else was smoking ... just them.

Mary, this is absolutely amazing. I have already repeated this to two people I know because it's just so........... AMAZING!!!

Based on everyone's response (and thank you all very much) I e-mailed my friends this morning and said precisely because the experience and opinions of many varied so widely, we are absolutely going to have go and find out for ourselves.