Erik Eat World: Dec 3 - 11 Reviews

[erikthewise]

Other than myself, my family are not adventurous eaters, so we usually stick with mainstream dining. I like seafood, but DW does not! DS12 now orders exclusively from adult menus, but DS9 sticks to traditional kid’s menu items. We stayed at Beach Club Villas and ate all breakfasts and one lunch in our room. We did not have a single incident of bad food or bad service.

Keep in mind I’m a fairly tough grader, A’s mean truly exceptional food or service. An asterisk means this was the first time we’d eaten there. So you can compare our prices, we don’t drink alcohol but typically order 2 beverages (total) other than water. Totals given do not include tips or discounts. We actually had a 20% discount on each table service meal due to either Disney Dining Experience or DVC, so the amount we paid (including tip) was usually slightly less than amount shown.

 

[erikthewise]

12/03 Sat Lunch: Yacht Club Galley* (Yacht Club) Server: Mouna
We had a 12:00 reservation and there was no wait. The restaurant was nearly empty when we were seated and never more than half full.

For better or worse this is the only “always open” table service restaurant for the Epcot resorts. All the Magic Kingdom resorts have such a restaurant: Grand Floridian Café, Kona Café, Concourse Steakhouse, and Whispering Canyon Café. But Boardwalk Inn and Villas, Beach Club and Villas, and Yacht Club have only the Galley (and Garden Grove at the Swan, I suppose). Even so it doesn’t seem to get a lot of attention or business.

The cheesy rolls we were brought were very good. DW had the Yacht Club sandwich which she described as “dry and flavorless”; she borrowed some mustard from DS12 to bring some life to it. I had the Soup and Sandwich Combo with clam chowder and shrimp salad croissant. The chowder was passable, and the sandwich quite tasty but very runny; the shrimp salad was watery and dripped all over the place, but I can forgive that when it tastes good! DS12 had cheeseburger and fries, and DS9 the grilled cheese; both were quite happy with their food. Service was friendly but did not include refilling water, always a major deduction. The restroom is out in the hallway.
Total: $45. Food: B-, Value: B, Service: C+, Atmosphere: C
Summary: An underused alternative for a simple reasonably priced family meal; certainly no worse and maybe a little better than the lunch alternatives in the Epcot resorts.

12/03 Sat Dinner: House of Blues (Downtown Disney) Server: Apinya (Tina)
Before attending the 6:00 Cirque du Soleil show we had an early dinner here, arriving around 4:30 and seated quickly. We were seated in the rear section, which I didn’t know existed in spite of eating here three times. It had the advantage of a view of the lake, but the disadvantage of missing the artwork and atmosphere of the main dining room.

I had the jambalaya, which wasn’t quite as good as in 2002 but still very good. The spicing was excellent and the andouille sausage plentiful. The shrimp were standard circular out-of-the-bag boiled shrimp but still good, but the chicken consisted of two small legs on-the-bone, which I thought was strange and somewhat annoying. DW had a chicken caesar salad which was “very good and huge”. DS12 had adult menu chicken tenders which were “tasteless”, perhaps because he didn’t use the provided dipping sauce. DS9 had macaroni and cheese. I made the mistake of ordering a diet coke without checking the price, which turned out to be $2.50.
Total: $56. Food: B, Value: C+, Service: B, Atmosphere: B+
Summary: This was short of our best experience here, but I still think it’s the #1 choice on the West Side.

 

[erikthewise]

12/04 Sun Lunch: Rose and Crown* (Epcot) Server: Kara
We arrived about ten minutes before our 12:00 reservation (opening time) and were seated outside soon after it opened. It was a nice day and eating outside was pleasant, but in spite of being one of the first tables seated, we were given just about the worst outside seating available, against the side of the building with as poor a view of the lagoon as possible. Our table wobbled noticeably. We had cheesy rolls which seemed identical to those at Yacht Club Galley.

Seeing as kidney pie and jellied eels were not on the menu , I ordered a fruit and cheese plate (to share) and curried vegetables. The veggies were plentiful and tasty, but the fruit and cheese plate was a little disappointing given the price of $9. The fruit was only grapes, and there were three kinds of cheeses: Stilton (a traditional English strong bleu cheese), Camembert (mild soft cheese), and a couple slices of “five county” cheese, a “loaf” of five different kinds of cheese mushed together, visually interesting but otherwise forgettable. There were also four (count ‘em!) small crackers onto which you could spread the Camembert, and a handful of candied walnuts.

I would ordinarily enjoy fish and chips, were it not for two things: it’s a lot cheaper right around the corner at the Yorkshire County Fish Shop, and the “chips” at both places are not proper English chips at all (sliced from fresh potatoes on order), but just American french fries.

DW and DS12 ordered the Chicken Pasty, which Kara told us is actually pronounced “past - ee” rather than “paste - ee” or “pahst - ee”. It’s basically a chicken pot pie. DS9 ordered macaroni and cheese. (Can you see a pattern yet?) They both wanted to get the beef stew but were put off by the “flavored by Guinness Stout”.

Our server Kara is as nice an English lass as one could hope for, with a delightful accent, and talked with us a little about her home county of Yorkshire and her experience at WDW so far. She said she’d like to visit Ohio, our home state. (“Why?!” I asked under my breath.) Ironically on her badge it said she was from “Yarkshire”! You’d think that the cast members who make badges would be expected to have some basic geographic literacy, or at least check their spelling. The ignoramus who made her badge should be reassigned to cleaning the elephant stalls at AK.

Total: $59. Food: B-, Value: C+, Service: B+, Atmosphere: B+
Summary: A pretty little lunch spot if you don’t mind English cooking. We’ll be back someday.

12/04 Sun Dinner: Le Cellier* (Epcot) Server: Robin
We had a 5:40 reservation but arrived 15 minutes early. We ended up being seated shortly before 6:00, the delay probably caused by Candlelight Processional Package diners. One of the CMs came outside wearing a red clown nose and entertained the children (of all ages) among those waiting.

Anyone who reads the reviews on this board is likely to have very high expectations of Le Cellier. I tried to keep my expectations in check, figuring it is so popular because it is the only “American” table service restaurant in World Showcase. But there was no cause for worry; high expectations were pretty much met. The pretzel bread and its sourdough(?) cousin were very good. We passed on the cheese soup and other appetizers, partly to save room for dessert and partly because we don’t like beer in our soup.

I ordered the mushroom filet on the basis of reviews I’ve read here; I was not disappointed. The mushroom risotto was terrific, and the filet itself was a fine piece of meat, though not the melt-in-your-mouth, cut-with-a-fork filet that is sometimes described here. To paraphrase Johnny Cash, I’ve had better filets, but I really can’t remember when. My only complaint is that the dish didn’t have enough vegetables with it. Yes, I know the practice in “upscale” steakhouses is to not provide vegetables with a $30 steak unless the customer forks over another $5+ for a side dish, but this restaurant is not that fancy, and I don’t like ones that are.

DW had the grilled beef tenderloin appetizer with a side of creamed spinach, DS12 had the grilled pork tenderloin, and DS9 chicken nuggets. I heard no complaints from anyone, and a lot of compliments. For dessert DS9 had the s’mores (actually just one big s’more), and the other three of us split a maple crème brulee and a chocolate moose. The crème brulee was heaven; they should sell it in pint jars! The chocolate cake also looked incredibly good, but as they ruin it with whiskey we passed on it.

Yes this is a good steakhouse, but there was one aspect of it I didn’t anticipate. With no appetizer and only 2/3 of a dessert, I came very close to walking away hungry! Next time I will not be shy about asking for seconds on the pretzel bread!

Total: $86. Food: A-, Value: C+, Service: B, Atmosphere: C
Summary: It’s everything they say.

 

[erikthewise]

12/05 Mon Lunch: Sci-Fi Dine In (MGM) Server: Tung
We skipped this restaurant last year to try Mama Melrose’s, and I got no end of grief from DS’s about it. This was the first place they asked for this year.

Our reservation was at 12:10, and we arrived about 10 minutes early; we were seated close to our reservation time, in the very front row! We’ve been here several times in the past and were always seated in the back. DS9 had chicken nuggets, DS12 and myself had burgers, and DW had the steak sandwich. It came open-faced with a large steak knife, which she had not expected, and it was difficult to cut in the dark. But that was the only complaint I heard. My burger was excellent as usual, I think somewhat better than one I had at Concourse Steakhouse.

In the past it got expensive here when we ordered onion rings and salads, but this year we avoided those and the cost was more reasonable. I asked to substitute green beans for fries, and though they weren’t as good as they were two years ago, it was still a good substitution.

The film clip contains a lot of nostalgia; some great 50’s music such as “Great Balls of Fire” by Jerry Lee Lewis and “Purple People Eater” by Sheb Wooley, my Mom’s favorite song when I was little. There is a Tom and Jerry cartoon, and a Disney cartoon concerning life on Mars that had me hysterical with laughter when I was ten. And for the anthropologists, it documents the bizarre social phenomenon of the super-low-budget “sci-fi” films shown primarily in drive-in theaters in the 50’s. The plots, acting, and special effects are so bad it is both funny and unbelievable, and the only sensible explanation is that nobody actually watched the movies in drive-ins anyway. As a fan of legitimate science fiction literature and films, I feel obligated to point out there is very little connection between them and these “sci-fi” atrocities; in particular real science fiction almost never uses beach parties as a plot device!

Total: $46. Food: B, Value: C-, Service: B-, Atmosphere: B+
Summary: This is a “fun” restaurant, not a dining destination, and we enjoy it. “Goodness gracious, great balls o’ fire!”

12/05 Mon Dinner: Brown Derby* (MGM) Server: Christina
We checked about 4:45 for a 5:00 reservation, and had a bit of a wait before being seated around 5:15. No doubt the Fantasmic Dining Package diners were the reason for the delay. This restaurant wins the ambience award for this year. In addition to the caricatures and photos of celebrities on nearly every wall, the lighting and décor is first-class.

The rolls were very good, the best of our trip. I had the Ahi tuna, which was excellent, and DW had the Thai noodle bowl. (I stopped recording comments of the others on their food, so from here on out it’s JMHO.) DS9 had grilled cheese and an Oreo shake. DS12 ordered the rotisserie half chicken, which was the subject of much comment when it arrived. Either they used four-legged chickens, or the person who got the other half got the short end of the deal. Even taking into account the extra thigh, this was one big chicken! I ordered the grapefruit cake for dessert. It is unique, and I love it, but you’d better like grapefruit! If you don’t like grapefruit juice, you won’t like this cake.

Even though this is deservedly a “signature” restaurant, the entrees are very reasonably priced. If you’re on a dining plan, you may want to pay cash here.

Total: $85. Food: A-, Value: B+, Service: B+, Atmosphere: A
Summary: We have now eaten at all five table service restaurants at MGM. I wish we’d tried Brown Derby sooner! We’ll return soon.

 

[erikthewise]

12/06 Tue Dinner: Liberty Tree Tavern (Magic Kingdom) Server: Walter
This was the night we went to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, so we ate in MK. We had a 5:15 reservation but checked in about 5:00. We were seated within five minutes, ten minutes early!

The dinner started off well with a tasty mixed greens salad and rolls. Walter was very attentive to our requests, and brought only turkey and flank steak as we didn’t want ham. He also brought (and refilled) cranberry sauce to go with the turkey – it wasn’t listed on the menu. For a description of the food see the Garden Grill review below in which I compare the two offerings. The quality is reasonable but it is mass-produced food and it shows. The price rose $3 per adult and $2 per child since August, which came as a surprise. I wish we’d had the option of paying in advance!

The restaurant is well-themed and the servers are dressed in appropriate colonial-style garb. When we were called we were announced as “… from the Territory of Ohio.” The character interaction was good with Goofy and Pluto full of fun and mild pranks.

Total: $100. Food: C, Value: D, Service: B+, Atmosphere: B+
Summary: You’d have to be pretty excited about the characters or location to justify the recent price increases. We will look at other alternatives for our pre-MVMCP meal in the future.

 

[erikthewise]

12/07 Wed Lunch: Dolphin Fountain (Dolphin) Server: Angeline
We had hoped to eat lunch at Beaches and Cream today but it was closed for rehab. So instead we went to Dolphin Fountain, a similar type of restaurant. We had eaten here in 2003, and discovered that their seating has since been improved. They now have much nicer tables and some booths, but it is still an “open air” restaurant, i.e. it is adjacent to a hallway and is not walled off. It was nearly empty when we arrived at 11:40 so we were able to get a booth.

Our Disney Dining Experience card was not good here, but most of the restaurants at the Swan and Dolphin including this one offer a 20% discount to DVC members. I gave my DVC card to Angeline at the beginning of the meal, and she kept it for 10-15 minutes. I suspect she had to ask her supervisor about it. I was starting to wish I had brought my DVC Portable Perks booklet along when she finally returned my card.

DW had a grilled chicken sandwich, I had a turkey burger, DS9 had grilled cheese, and DS12 ordered a “build it yourself” burger. It was a little irritating that he didn’t actually want any of the ingredients offered – he only eats plain hamburgers with ketchup and mustard. So he didn’t want any of the cheese, bacon, or mushrooms that were included. At least I got to eat his lettuce and tomato. We also ordered onion rings to share, and DS9 and I had ice cream cones for dessert. It was a real turn-off that all of the sundaes, banana splits, etc are made with soft-serve ice cream. The only way we could get hand-dipped ice cream was in a cone.

Total: $51. Food: C+, Value: C, Service: C+, Atmosphere: C-
Summary: Beaches and Cream has better food and lower prices, but only when they’re open.

12/07 Wed Dinner: Kona Café (Polynesian) Server: Ratana
We had a 5:00 reservation and arrived five minutes early but spent that five minutes in line waiting to check in. We were told a 10-15 minute wait but in fact it wasn’t even 5 minutes before we were seated.

I had the macadamia-encrusted mahi-mahi which was very enjoyable. It came with a mushroom risotto that was almost as good as the one at Le Cellier; it had actual mushrooms in it which the one at Le Cellier did not. I also had a cup of Kona Blend coffee. I am not a coffee drinker but wanted to try it in memory of the cup of 100% Kona coffee I had on the Kona plantation in Hawaii many years ago. Of course this wasn’t as good. Kona Café does offer 100% Kona coffee but only in a $7 press pot. Since I was only going to drink one cup it didn’t really make sense for me to get that.

DW ordered the vegetable rice bowl that I raved about last year and seemed to really enjoy it. DS12 had the Pan Asian Pasta which seemed to work for him, though it was a lot of food and he only ate about half. DS9 had chicken strips. We had two Kilauea tortes and a white chocolate cheesecake for dessert. Yum!

The food at Kona Café never disappoints, but our real reason for going there is that it gives us a chance to visit the Polynesian in years when we don’t stay there.

Total: $89. Food: B+, Value: B-, Service: C+, Atmosphere: C+
Summary: This is the best “three meals a day” restaurant at WDW.

 

[erikthewise]

12/08 Thu Lunch: Tusker House* (Animal Kingdom) Counter Service.
The boys and I were in AK without DW for half a day, and we ate here before leaving. I had the grilled salmon, DS12 had the fried chicken sandwich, and DS9 had (you guessed it!) the macaroni and cheese. This is WDW counter service at its best. The salmon was a generous portion and not bad at all considering the price of $8 including rice and vegetables. The fried chicken sandwich appeared to be pretty filling. We saw other people eating huge pieces of chocolate cake and decided we needed one too, so we got one for $4 and split it three ways.

Total: $24. Food: B, Value: A-, Service: N/A, Atmosphere: C-
Summary: You can’t go wrong here, and the price is right!

12/08 Thu Dinner: Garden Grill (Epcot) Server: ???
We ate here for the Candlelight Processional Package, which gave us admission to reserved seats for the Candlelight Processional concert. Because the fixed price was paid in advance and included a gratuity, we received no receipt for the meal, and I can’t remember our server’s name.

Actually it was good that we paid in advance as the price increased quite a bit in between. In fact the cost of the CP package was actually less than what we would have paid at current prices including tax and gratuity! We have eaten at Garden Grill in each trip for the last five years. Instead of giving a standard review, I’ve compared Garden Grill with Liberty Tree Tavern directly below. The cost is actually the same as the Liberty Tree, but we paid full price in advance so our total includes tip but no discount.
Total: $113. Food: B, Value: C+, Service: B-, Atmosphere: B+
Summary: A family tradition, but the price is becoming an issue.

 

[erikthewise]

Family-Style Character Dinner Smackdown!

Liberty Tree Tavern (LTT) in Magic Kingdom and Garden Grill (GG) in Epcot are similar restaurants. Of course if you’re spending the day in one of those parks, the choice is easy. But here is a comparison for those who want to choose one or the other on their own merits.

Salad and rolls: LTT is the surprise winner here. In the past GG has had excellent salads, but is currently offering a caesar salad with nothing but mediocre romaine lettuce and parmesan dressing. The mixed greens with strawberry vinaigrette dressing at LTT is clearly superior. GG needs to return to preparing a mixed green salad directly from the food grown in the Land pavilion. The rolls are a close call with sourdough style at LTT and large dinner rolls with oatmeal and honey butter at GG. Advantage: LTT.

Meats: The flank steak was clearly superior at GG which wins the category. It was thick and tender and flavorful. The flank steak at LTT was nearly as thin as bacon, and we didn’t receive much of it. The turkey at LTT was good and presumably the ham as well, but the pork loin and catfish at GG pretty much match them. Advantage: GG

Vegetables: The well-prepared carrots and green beans and cheesy potatoes at GG are at least a match for the mashed potatoes and green beans at LTT. But I’ll be generous and say No Advantage.

Options: A clear advantage for GG. They offer macaroni & cheese, chicken tenders, crinkle-cut french fries and a special dessert for children, whereas LTT offers just the macaroni and cheese. Although I’m sure you can get a vegetarian option at LTT, it is not advertised and may have to be requested in advance for all I know. At GG it’s right there on the menu. Advantage: GG

Dessert: No contest here. The dessert medley at GG, containing portions of pecan pie, lemon pie, cheesecake, and brownie, is far superior to the apple cobbler with vanilla ice cream at LTT. The apples are too obviously from a large can with heavy syrup. It is served in a large bowl and quickly turns to mush. Although the serving is generous I was not interested in eating a lot of it. Advantage: GG

Atmosphere: Both restaurants have good atmosphere. The rotation of GG allowing you to see portions of the Living with the Land ride is nice, and booth seating on the lower level gives you a sense of privacy almost unmatched in any other WDW restaurant. But LTT is well themed, and the service and character interaction seem to be somewhat better there. No Advantage

Overall Winner: Garden Grill

 

[erikthewise]

12/09 Fri Lunch: Food Quest* (Downtown Disney)
The boys and I went to Disney Quest at 11:30 and ate lunch here. We had a whole cheese pizza for $16. It was a very flat but very large (18”?) pizza with a thin layer of cheese. But the crust was good and it was sufficiently filling for us to get by. I suspect Food Quest has better offerings but we didn’t look at them. The price was greatly inflated by a large OJ and a large lemonade, each $3.50. However they were nice enough to give me a 10% DVC discount without even asking.

DW ate lunch at Tangerine Café today and said she enjoyed it, but I don’t have the receipt so that’s all I can tell you.

Total: $22. Food: C-, Value: C-, Service: N/A, Atmosphere: C+
Summary: It’s nice to be able to eat something simple without having to leave Disney Quest for an extended period.

12/09 Fri Dinner: Boma* (Animal Kingdom Lodge) Server: Abdel
We ate at two signature restaurants at this trip, Brown Derby and Artist Point, both excellent restaurants. But if I were to pick the one place I want to go back to next year, it would be Boma. The food was great, both in taste and variety. I asked if I could have “frunch” as a beverage, and Abdel said I could! Frunch is a combination of lemonade, pineapple juice, guava juice, orange juice, and papaya juice; it’s served at the breakfast buffet at Boma.

I tried to eat a little bit of everything, well more than a little of some things. I especially liked the boboti but there were so many things to try I didn’t get seconds on anything except desserts. I was concerned that I wouldn’t like the zebra domes because of the Kahlua, but that was not a problem as only a mild coffee flavor came through.

Total: $96. Food: A-, Value: B, Service: B, Atmosphere: C+
Summary: The best buffet on WDW property, and maybe offsite as well.

 

[erikthewise]

12/10 Sat Lunch: Concourse Steakhouse* (Contemporary) Server: Kelly
During our first family trip in 2001, we stopped here for dinner because I had heard they had good burgers; unfortunately they were not available at dinner. This year the boys and I ate a late lunch here, and yes, the burgers are good! (though a close second to those at Sci-Fi.) DS12 and I both had burgers, and DS9 grilled cheese. A nice thing about eating lunch here is that Chef Mickey’s is not open for lunch so you don’t have to worry about noise from next door. You get a nice view of the Contemporary shopping and dining area, but it is an “open air” restaurant with no walls.

Eating here was a last minute decision on the way back from MK, and as walkups we were told a 30-minute wait. It turned out to be only half that. Two-thirds of the people in the restaurant were obviously from a Democratic convention, which Kelly told us was 3400 people strong and taking place in the Contemporary.

I asked whether I could substitute anything for french fries, and was offered onion rings (extra charge) or potato chips. I’m used to WDW restaurants being more flexible. I told her to just forget the fries.

Total: $27. Food: B-, Value: B, Service: C, Atmosphere: C
Summary: A lot nicer than fighting the crowds at Cosmic Ray’s on a Saturday.


12/10 Sat Dinner: Artist Point (Wilderness Lodge) Server: Sandrine

We had eaten here in 1994 when DS12 was only 13 months old. At that time he got a big kick out of walking back and forth across the small bridge in the lobby. But it was DS9’s first time here. We had a 6:00 reservation and were seated promptly. We noticed two large tables of 16 set up right next to us, and hoped those people would not be too rowdy or distract our server’s attention. I also wondered “why us?” as no one else was seated near this large party and there were numerous empty tables of four. But I decided for once to keep my mouth shut. The large party was late in arriving, but when they did they turned out to be well-behaved. And as far as I noticed our server was not involved in serving that party.

One quirk about this restaurant was that it was only place we ate where the water tasted bad; from the taste one might think it was taken directly from Bay Lake. It had that touch of sulfur/sewer gas that lets you know you’re drinking Florida tap water. And this in the most pretentious restaurant we dined in! You know you’re in trouble when everything on the menu has a wine pairing listed under it!

Instead of rolls we were served actual slices of bread before dinner. It was good bread but not exceptional. The I had the signature cedar plank salmon, which I can verify was indeed King salmon from the west coast, as might be served in the best Seattle restaurants. I also had birch beer to drink, a cousin of root beer that is not listed but is also available at Whispering Canyon Café. I think the birch beer had a wine pairing too. The wild mushroom bread salad that came with the salmon was a little strange but tasty. In among the greens and mushrooms were large soggy crouton-like pieces of bread.

DW had the potato-chive pot stickers, DS12 the roasted chicken breast, and DS9 made a break for the wild side by getting a PB&J. He may not have trusted the “Mickey pasta with cheese sauce” to really be macaroni and cheese. We all had beverages as well (a good move considering the water situation), and we all had dessert. DS9 had the special child’s dessert, a white chocolate puzzle with edible paints. It also came with two large cookies which would have been plenty in themselves. I oversold the cobbler and DW and DS12 both ordered it, so I felt I had to order the Valrhona chocolate cake to restore the balance. I did share large chunks of it with them and got a few berries in return. But am I bitter? No, not at all!

Total: $125. Food: A-, Value: C, Service: B, Atmosphere: B+
Summary: A nice place to visit, but don’t drink the water.

 

[erikthewise]

12/11 Sun Lunch: Olivia’s (Old Key West) Server: Karen
We had eaten here in 2002, and planned to return sometime. We hadn’t made reservations, but after we checked out of our room we decided to have lunch here before driving up to Deland to visit relatives.

I had the obligatory bowl of conch chowder and a chicken salad sandwich on a kaiser roll. DW had the club sandwich, DS12 the buttermilk fried chicken breast, and DS9 made another bold move by having a cheeseburger (he doesn’t do this very often).

But all that is irrelevant. The only important thing here is the Key Lime Tart, which I have consciously capitalized. In 2002 I was subtly coerced into sharing one with DW, and I swore that would not happen again – next time, I would have my own. I had waited three years for it, and nothing would stop me. Not that DW didn’t try. She said “I KNOW you want that key lime pie, but remember Jo and David will be feeding us dessert while we’re there.” When it came time, I ordered it, and no one else ordered anything. When it was brought, I ate the whole thing with no hesitation and no remorse. It was heaven, and the fitting end to our Disney Dining Experience. DW said “You told me months ago you wouldn’t share it with me” in a last vain attempt to induce guilt, but I said nothing in return. I could have said “Then you knew you’d have to order your own if you wanted any”, but I didn’t. When our server came by, she asked if I had shared it, which was a strange comment to make seeing as how she had only brought one fork. Did she expect them to use their fingers?

Total: $47. Food: B, Value: B-, Service: C+, Atmosphere: B
Summary: Some day we will stay at Old Key West, and I’ll have the key lime tart at every meal.

12/11 Sun Dinner: Chili’s Too (Orlando Airport) Server: Joanna
OK this isn’t Disney World, but it is of interest to WDW travelers. In the past we’ve had late flights, and had been frustrated by the lack of decent food at our terminal after going through security. So the last couple years we’ve arrived at the airport somewhat earlier to eat at Chili’s Too, an airport version of the Chili’s chain with a reduced menu. It’s hard to find as it’s not in the food court. Ask someone how to get there; it’s all by itself at the top of an escalator on level 4 .There is also a Macaroni Grill at the airport if you’re looking for something a little nicer.

We had a couple burgers, a broccoli cheese soup with caesar salad, and a grilled cheese. By now you should know who had what. I actually ate my french fries – very unusual. For some inexplicable reason, we didn’t get any discount.
Total: $30. Food: C, Value: B+, Service: C+, Atmosphere: D+
Summary: A good family place for a sitdown meal at MCO.

 

[Taratink]

I am so hungry right now! Thank you for the thoughtful reviews.
Tara

 

[doodle]

Wow! What great reviews. Thanks for taking the time to share all the details with us!!

 

[swankybeth]

Thanks for the great and detailed reviews. I was especially interested in your comparison between Liberty Tree Tavern and Garden Grill. We are considering both for our upcoming trip. Sounds like Garden Grill it is!

 

[3lilprincesses]

your reviews are really great! thank you for taking the time to post them. i'm getting so hungry for my january trip. i mean so EXCITED. excited, not hungry. the trip is NOT all about the food. the trip is NOT all about the food. the trip is NOT all about the food....i'll just keep repeating until i believe!

 

[zippehsmom]

Thanks for the well thought out reviews. I enjoyed reading them.

 

[Pryncess'mom]

Eric, thanks so much for your reviews!! They were well done. I am in the process of planning our meals for our February trip (that we just decided to take!! Hope I can get ressies I want!! )

GG has been one of our very favorite meals for a while. I was disappointed to hear of the menu changes over the summer. but it seems they have recanted and changed back. I remember one time we must have had 4 helpings of the flank steak. sooooo gooooood

Thanks again for sharing your experiences with us. Vicarious eating is the best for me!!!


Deb

 

[HLAuburn]

Great reviews! Thanks!
Just a couple questions...

How was the cedar plank salmon? And is birch beer non-alcoholic?

 

[Belle5]

I think the birch beer had a wine pairing too.

How was the chocolate cake at AP? How were your wife's pot stickers?

I truly appreciate the work you put into your reviews. They were just fabulous!

 

[Minniespal]

Enjoyed reading your reviews ~ Thanx for posting.