DxDDP review , RR,Jiko,Biergarten,CM,Turf Club,Yachtsman and Akershush *DONE*

[MickeyNicki]

We just ate at the Beirgarten 2 weeks ago and it was to die for, all the food was amazing but our server was not attentive when it came to the drinks or the check. Hope your next time is better

 

[tiggersmom2]

We just ate at the Beirgarten 2 weeks ago and it was to die for, all the food was amazing but our server was not attentive when it came to the drinks or the check. Hope your next time is better

Good to know, hopefully I just caught it on an off day. That is the thing with buffets, they can really be hit or miss.

I'm definitely going to try it again in August. I'll also be trying Le Cellier for the first time. I must be going on a really, really off time in August (24 - 31)b/c I just called and got the reservations and I had the pick of my time for Le Cellier!!

Next up Chef Mickey's

 

[MickeyNicki]

Good to know, hopefully I just caught it on an off day. That is the thing with buffets, they can really be hit or miss.

I'm definitely going to try it again in August. I'll also be trying Le Cellier for the first time. I must be going on a really, really off time in August (24 - 31)b/c I just called and got the reservations and I had the pick of my time for Le Cellier!!

Next up Chef Mickey's

Le Cellier just changed the menus for lunch and dinner, it seems that alot of people are cancelling because their favorites are off now.

 

[tiggersmom2]

First off, let me go into this saying that I am full aware that Chef Mickey's is a "hit or miss" type of thing. However, I have a 5 year old that is enamored with those darn characters....so.....I suck it up and do it EVERY trip.

We arrive at Chef Mickey's at 7:00 for our 7:55 reservations. I figure it will probably be quite awhile before we are seated so we head over to the lounge for some nice adult drinks. My Dad and husband ordered the sunken treasure and I ordered a long island iced tea. Gotta tell ya, there wasn't too much alcohol in these babies....they could take a lesson from the bartender at the Tambu lounge at the Polynesian.

Well, we were buzzed for our table at about 7:20. I immediately went to the buffet. Well, the prime rib wasn't very rare. They usually have a very rare one and a medium one....the rare one was more like medium well. The cheese potatoes were good as always, but the lack of vegetables (good vegetables) was very noticeable. I don't consider green beans a suitable vegetable choice....hmmmph. The only other meats were some kind of very fishy fish and roasted chicken.

The kid's selection were good: chicken tenders, mickey mac and cheese, mickey ravioli, hot dogs, and pizza....a five year old's dream.

They did have a nice salad selection and peel and eat shrimp. The soup was also pretty good. The desserts as always, were wonderful. We also snitched some fruit on our way out for the room.

We did have an "irritating moment" The woman with her 6 kids across from us kept yelling for Micky and friends to leave the people in front of her and come to her table!! She even sent her kids over to our table!! Dear god, I thought I was going to have to hurt someone but the server took care of her quickly. She still kept yellling and being obnoxious...she must have been intoxicated. She was definitely T R A S H with a capital T....

The characters were great and we have many pictures and that is what it is all about for me.

Service: passable
Final Outcome: It was pretty much...meh but we will be back...even if they start serving dog food....we will be back b/c of my 5 year old's fascination with the characters.

 

[SmallWorld71]

Good to know, hopefully I just caught it on an off day. That is the thing with buffets, they can really be hit or miss.

I'm definitely going to try it again in August. I'll also be trying Le Cellier for the first time. I must be going on a really, really off time in August (24 - 31)b/c I just called and got the reservations and I had the pick of my time for Le Cellier!!

Next up Chef Mickey's

That's the 1st week of free dining so I'm surprised it was available, menu change and all. Although, I'm going the same week as you and was surprised that I was able to get CRT last week. I hope this is a good sign.

Enjoying your reviews so far. Someday I will get to Jiko........

 

[tiggersmom2]

We were scheduled to eat at Crystal Palace today....but we all agreed that we had gorged too much for 2 days straight!

We got to Pecos Bills around 12:30 and it was PACKED!!! I saw a huge round table clearing out and honey, I grabbed it before they could take the uneaten desserts off the table!!!

My Dad and I both went up and ordered food to hopefully make it faster and less painful...lol.

Food:

Me: BBQ sandwich with fries, baked beans and grapes
DH: BBQ sandwich with fries, baked beans and carrot cake
DD: Chicken salad with carrot cake
DS1: BBQ sandwich with fries and carrot cake
DS2: Double bacon cheeseburger with fries and yogurt

We all had cokes to drink. This meal was fabulous. We so enjoyed an ol' time favorite and the portions were huge. The bbq was fabulous. Tangy bbq sauce and tons of meat..mmmm. The fries were hot and crisp and some of the best I have ever had. The baked beans, nice. The carrot cake was very good and grapes and yogurt was very refreshing. My son's double cheeseburger was awesome. Seriously, this was one delectable burger and he wanted it fixed up with tons of onions, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mayo and mustard. I swear he was so messy I had to practically bathe him in the bathroom afterwards!!!

It was darned good counter service and we didn't mind "sacrificing "a TS meal at all for this.

 

[PiperGirlInWondrland]

Love the reviews, can't wait to read more! Thank you for the review of JIKO, I have been wanting to try it so bad but with a 4 year old and 7 year old, wasn't sure if they would like it. Do you mind me asking how long it took for your whole meal? I am wondering if they would sit that long without characters

Kristen

 

[donaldtutter]

Awesome reviews so far!! Can't wait for the rest!!

 

[tiggersmom2]

Love the reviews, can't wait to read more! Thank you for the review of JIKO, I have been wanting to try it so bad but with a 4 year old and 7 year old, wasn't sure if they would like it. Do you mind me asking how long it took for your whole meal? I am wondering if they would sit that long without characters

Kristen

From start to finish was maybe 1 hour. It certainly wasn't too long for my kids, they were having a ball! Also, there were TONS of children in the restaurant, in fact most tables did have children.

 

[tiggersmom2]

Well, we had reservations for Kona Cafe (which I LOVE) for this night, but we were all tired from going commando at the Magic Kingdom all day. We decided to see if the restaurant at our resort had any openings for a party of 6. We lucked out and were able to eat at the Turf Club at 8:00 that night.

Let me just say, OH MY GOD! This place is the hidden of jewel of Walt Disney World dining!! It was fantabulous, I can NOT believe this place is only 1TS credit.....it is definitely worthy of signature dining status!

Well, let's cut right to the chase....

Appetizers:

Me: Crabcakes
DH: Steamed mussels
DD: Fried Calamari
DS: Crabcakes

The crab cakes were wonderful! Crisp, golden outside and warm gooey crab on the inside. The steamed mussels were out of this world! My husband got a bowl piled high, I'm talking like maybe 30 mussels, it was unreal! The absolute star of the appetizers was the fried calamari....oh.my.gosh. The calamari was not tough at all, like you get in some places, but decadent and tender with an amazingly crispy crust. There were two dipping sauces with them a tangy creamy sauce (which I loved) and a maranara sauce. We even had a few whole calamari which my 5 year old was in awe over.... There was also a huge basket of sourdough bread and butter....mmmmmmmm.

On to the good stuff......

Main courses:

Me: BBQ spareribs
DH: Lamb chops
DD: Salmon salad
DS: Seared Tuna
DS2: Kid's pizza

The spare ribs came with an awesome coleslaw. It was kind of "asian" tasting to me, lots of cabbage, peppers (yellow, red and green), onions and a sharp vinagarette dressing. It also came with a huge mound of smashed potatoes that put those decadent potatoes at Chef Mickey's to shame! The ribs, you would NOT believe the portion I received! My plate was covered and they were fall off the bone tender. I didn't even put a dent in them....there were so many.

As good as my meal was, my husband's meal put mine to shame. His lamb chops were incredible. They were cooked medium rare and so tender....he also had a huge portion 6 BIG chops. The lamb came with a gouda polenta that was to.die.for. Seriously, I tasted that and my eyes almost crossed. The gouda was almost reminiscent of goat cheese and so creamy and decadent. I tried to steal my husband's dish but he told me "over my dead body" on this one....

My Dad's Salmon salad was incredible also. The only salmon I can think of that can even partially compete with it, is the plank salmon from Artist's Pointe....and this was better.... The salmon was huge and went from one end of the salad bowl to the other. My Dad scarfed this down in record time.

My DS1 chose the seared tuna. I was skeptical that he would like this because he is so very picky. Well, I didn't even get a taste! He ordered it medium and it came out very red in the center and seared around the edges and he engulfed it! He claims it was perfection, "like buttah". Oh well, we'll just have to take his word for it.

DS2 chose the kid's pizza with a salad and sundae and a milk shake to drink. The pizza was very large but this time he ate the whole thing. It wasn't quite as good as Jiko's (or as large) but he really liked it. His salad, oh my gosh, it was huge! We all had to help him finish it..lol. The milk shake was also big a gooood.

Desserts:

Me: Mixed Berries
DH: Apple Pie
DD: Mixed Berries
DS: Apple Pie
DS2: sundae

Well, my Dad and I were stuffed full...I'm talking obscenely stuffed, so we went back to the room with my daughter and told the boys to tie it up for us and bring our desserts to the room. They proclaimed the apple pie to be a slice of heaven and even tried some of our berries....the snitches! You would not believe the amount of berries my Dad and I got!!! We had two to go dishes filled to the brim with raspberries, blueberries and black berries! It was so nice to eat those in the hot tub later that night.....*sigh*

Service: Exceptional
Final Outcome: I'm in love, I'll be visiting Saratoga Springs on EVERY visit from now on.

 

[tiggersmom2]

Well, it was MGM day so we were going to go to Brown Derby....but nobody was too thrilled with their lunch menu, so we trekked over to Hollywood and Vine and peeked at the buffet.....we weren't too impressed with it, so we finally ended up at Backlot Express. My sons wanted hot dogs and this place seemed to fit the bill fine.

Entrees:
Me: Coke, hotdog, fries and cheesecake
DH: Coke, double bacon cheeseburger, fries, yogurt parfait
DD: Coke, double bacon cheeseburger, fries, yogurt parfait
DS1: Coke, hotdog, fries and yogurt parfait
DS2: Coke, Chicken tenders, fries, grapes

Just your basic counter service meal. It was in no way as good as Peco's Bills but it would do. The fries of course, were wonderful and crisp but the hamburgers were much different than PB. They tasted like they had a soy-filling. The hot dogs were very good and the chicken tenders were some type of pulled and pressed chicken that was reminiscent of saw dust. The yogurt parfaits were very good and the cheesecake met the trashcan.

Final Outcome: It was okay, but I doubt we will be back.

 

[tiggersmom2]

Okay, this was bad really, really bad. I have already had someone tell me if you don't let management know your complaint, they can't make it better. I do agree with that, and I would have complained if it was just my hubby and the kids, but my father is very adverse to controversy. He would have been mortified if I called the manager over and told him ALL the steaks were not to our liking. So, I consider this experience....a lesson learned. So, on with the review:

We arrive at the Yacht club at 5:00 for our 5:30 reservation. We were not taken back until 6:00. We were a little irritated about that but let it slide off our backs because we had been looking forward to this reservation for months and months.

We were seated at a nice large table in the middle of the restaurant. Our waiter immediately came out with bread (bread with garlic "crunchies" on top and some sourdough rolls with butter and roasted garlic for spreading). He took our drink orders and appetizer orders.

Appetizers:

Me: Lobster bisque
DH: Diver scallops
DD: Foi Gras
DS1: Lobster bisque
DS2: Chicken noodle soup

This was a GREAT start! The lobster bisque was creamy and induated with a liberal amount of brandy or maybe cognac. It was heavenly. My DH's scallops were cooked perfectly and they were succulent. My father's foi gras was okay. The sweetness overpowered the savory, so there will be no glowing reviews for that here. My youngest son ate every speck of chicken noodle soup....so it gets a thumbs up from him!!

Entrees:

Me and DH: Chateaubriand for 2...with mashed potatoes and mushrooms
DD and DS: Chateaubriand for 2..""
DS2: Chicken with vegetables and mashed potatoes

Well, this was supposed to be an 18 oz filet......we got 6 little slices between the two of us (Me and DH) on a bed of potatoes. Yes, it was cooked perfectly, medium rare, but the steak itself had NO TASTE!! I took one bite of the steak and just put my fork and knife down. I was very disappointed...it was awful. There was NO seasoning at all and the steak was mushy. The mushrooms were also very different than what I am used to....they tasted like dirt. I'm guessing it is b/c they are ****ake and that is what they tasted like. My 5 year old liked his chicken breast, mashed potatoes and carrots well enough.

I was not about to waste my calories on this meal, I took my daughter and we left to explore the Yacht Club. I told the boys to tie it up.

I know for dessert they ordered:

Creme brulee for everyone except DS2 - he had a cupcake with paints which he loved.

I know if we had complained that they would have more than likely let us switch out the steak for a ribeye or something that would have been better. Like I said, my father would have been very upset if I complained. I'm just reviewing the meal we had, which was not good.

Service: Great
Final Outcome: Ummmm..no.

 

[MickeyNicki]

Wow that is wild about the Yachtsman, we ate there a week ago and both of us had the filet, mine plain with bernaise on the side and DH regular with the wine sauce....they were fantastic, lots of great flavor.

We ordered the mushrooms on the side, they were button mushrooms in a dark wine sauce and they were super rich. Is this the same that you had?

DH originally ordered the rib eye but it was terrible so he ordered the filet instead. The waited tried to get us to order the chateaubrian (sp) and said we would each get three 3 oz slices. If you put it together did it look like a normal size filet??

 

[tiggersmom2]

Wow that is wild about the Yachtsman, we ate there a week ago and both of us had the filet, mine plain with bernaise on the side and DH regular with the wine sauce....they were fantastic, lots of great flavor.

We ordered the mushrooms on the side, they were button mushrooms in a dark wine sauce and they were super rich. Is this the same that you had?

DH originally ordered the rib eye but it was terrible so he ordered the filet instead. The waited tried to get us to order the chateaubrian (sp) and said we would each get three 3 oz slices. If you put it together did it look like a normal size filet??

No, it absolutely did NOT look like 9 oz. of meat, it was tiny. The mushrooms were not button ( I love button mushrooms), with the chateaubrian you get s hitake mushrooms, I did not like them at all.


I'm sure my experience is not the norm because I have read fantastic reviews for years. Maybe a bad cut of meat, I just don't know. I do know that there are fantabulous restaurants at WDW, so I won't chance it again. Just leaves more room for those trying to get ADR's.

 

[buzz1fan]

That same night we dined at Jiko.

I had heard so much hype about Jiko and was really excited about trying it. We all got dolled up and went to AKL for our 6:35 reservation. I remember the CM that made my reservation stated that the dress was "business casual", so imagine my surprise when I saw we were about the only people dressed nicely! Most everyone looked like that had just stepped out of the theme parks with t-shirts, flip flops and shorts.

Our server came over immediately and took our drink and appetizer order. We all ordered cokes and the appetizers were:

Me: Goat cheese flatbread
DH: Lamb patis
DD: Chicken bbq flatbread
DS: Chicken bbq flatbread

These appetizers were all huge and a meal in themselves! My goat cheese flatbread was very good, nice and crisp with the perfect amount of that sharp and tangy goat cheese. However, I noticed how much my husband was relishing his lamb patis....and I had to have a taste. OMGosh, it was heaven, I stole his lamb and gave him my flatbread.... The lamb had a creamy consistency, almost like bone marrow and was very, very rich. I seriously contemplated licking the plate when I was done. The BBQ flatbreads were a huge hit with my DD and DS...but I thought they were strange. They had some very cruchy stuff on it that was kind of reminiscent of onion, but it wasn't onion and left a funky aftertaste in my mouth. The sauce also had a strange taste. Needless to say, I will stay away from bbq flatbreads from now on.

Ok, now on to the good stuff, the main course!

Me: Lamb Shank
DH: Filet with mac and cheese
DD: Scallops
DS1: Pork tenderloin
DS2: kids pizza

I will tell you right now, that lamb shank was a masterpiece. It was quite possibly the.best.thing.I.have.ever.eaten!!! Yes, it was that good. The portion was huge, it took up my whole plate and when I went to cut into it, it just fell apart. I still have dreams about that lamb and the couscous that accompanied it was wonderful.

My husband's filet and mac and cheese was awesome. It was the best steak of the whole trip. It was so tender that a knife was not even needed to cut it and the reduction sauce was wonderful, it was very rich and you could definitely taste the wine. The mac and cheese is like no mac and cheese I have ever had. It was sharp and creamy and my DS14 stole most it.

My Dad's scallops were cooked perfectly and he ate them all with the exception of the small bite that I stole. I did not like the vegetable medley that accompanied them.....it was in a maranara sauce and I just don't like maranara on my seafood.

DS1 pork tenderloin was okay, nothing to rave about.....just basic pork. He liked it very well and since he is not an adventurous eater, it was the best choice for him.

DS2 kid's pizza was a hit. It had huge hunks of chicken throughout and it was a very big pizza. He ate about half and we helped him with the rest.

By this time we are all so full we are about to burst, but we are determined to eat dessert! So, on we go!

Me: Pistachio Creme Brulee
DH: Pistachio Creme Brulee
DD: Pistachio Creme Brulee
DS: The apple dessert
DS2: mickey's sundae with chocolate puzzle

The pistachio creme brulee was to die for....plain and simple. The crust on top was cruncy and wonderful, and the the custard was just sinfully decadent. Oh my, we did the best we could but ended up boxing up a lot of food!

Service: Impeccable
Final outcome: I'm going back to WDW JUST to eat here again, it was that good!!

We want to go to Jikos in June, but we decided not to becuase I saw so many reviews that not many kids are there. Where there many when you went? Our boys are 1 and 4? I was just curious, since you said people where not to dressed up. I was thinking of going when they open too, it will be on a Friday night.

 

[tiggersmom2]

We want to go to Jikos in June, but we decided not to becuase I saw so many reviews that not many kids are there. Where there many when you went? Our boys are 1 and 4? I was just curious, since you said people where not to dressed up. I was thinking of going when they open too, it will be on a Friday night.

Most everyone had kids at the table! My children are 1, 5 and 14 and our meal was a smooth as butter. I really think the waiters try to get you "In and Out" when you have small kids. That worked great for us, and we were so appreciative. From start to finish, our meal was maybe 1 hour. Best meal of the trip and I'm definitely going back!

 

[slavike]

OMG!

I just got back from and I am still tramatized by my experience at the yachtsman. Considering that so many people on these boards love it, I was literally afraid to say anything. My mother choose the restaurant and was so looking forward to it. It was just horrible. Our server was slow, the lobster bisque was horribly fishy and cold when we recieved it. I had gotten the filet and not only was it completely over done but the wine sauce was so strong it over powered the taste of the beef completely. We didn't even order desert because we were so disapppointed. Thank goodness I am not alone.

YOUR REVIEWS HAVE BEEN GREAT!!! You went to so many I have been to that it's been a great read! I have to try JIKO now!

 

[buzz1fan]

Most everyone had kids at the table! My children are 1, 5 and 14 and our meal was a smooth as butter. I really think the waiters try to get you "In and Out" when you have small kids. That worked great for us, and we were so appreciative. From start to finish, our meal was maybe 1 hour. Best meal of the trip and I'm definitely going back!

That is good to know. One hour would be great. My husband said well if the boys act up, they most likely wont be slow with us! We are staying at the AKL, and it seems silly not to try all the places they have there. We will be on the deluxe plan too.

 

[tiggersmom2]

OMG!

I just got back from and I am still tramatized by my experience at the yachtsman. Considering that so many people on these boards love it, I was literally afraid to say anything. My mother choose the restaurant and was so looking forward to it. It was just horrible. Our server was slow, the lobster bisque was horribly fishy and cold when we recieved it. I had gotten the filet and not only was it completely over done but the wine sauce was so strong it over powered the taste of the beef completely. We didn't even order desert because we were so disapppointed. Thank goodness I am not alone.

YOUR REVIEWS HAVE BEEN GREAT!!! You went to so many I have been to that it's been a great read! I have to try JIKO now!

Honey, I know what you mean about being scared to give a bad review of the YSH. I already got my hand slapped yesterday for daring to give a bad review....oh well. I'm not here for a popularity contest, I'm just here to give my friends an honest and no holds barred review.

 

[MickeyNicki]

No, it absolutely did NOT look like 9 oz. of meat, it was tiny. The mushrooms were not button ( I love button mushrooms), with the chateaubrian you get s hitake mushrooms, I did not like them at all.


I'm sure my experience is not the norm because I have read fantastic reviews for years. Maybe a bad cut of meat, I just don't know. I do know that there are fantabulous restaurants at WDW, so I won't chance it again. Just leaves more room for those trying to get ADR's.

That really stinks, I wonder why it would be so different, go figure. If you do go again I hope it is much better for you!