Fall 2010 Dining Reviews - Updated 3/10

[klacey1]

Joining in! Excited to read the rest!

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Really enjoying your reviews and pics!

Thank you!

Ohhh! I am really enjoying your report as well! We are leaving in 2 weeks and this is giving me some great information! I can't wait to go to WPE now! I will make that a must do!

It's one of my favorite counter service restaurants on property. I had a fantastic beet and goat cheese salad there last year that I also highly recommend. Next year I really want to try their macaroni and cheese. I just hate that it's so far out of the way, as I really have no other reason to go to Downtown Disney, though I would love to take a ride on the Characters in Flight balloon ride sometime.

Joining in! Excited to read the rest!

Welcome!

 

[disneyfav4ever]

After doing laundry, and before heading over to the Studios for the evening, I decided to try and get seated at the new Mexican restaurant at Epcot - La Hacienda, since I didn't have a reservation that night, and I knew they were taking walk ups only. They had only been open for four nights, so I was really looking foward to trying it, and reporting back to all of you on how it went.

I was there pretty early, I think it was around 4:30, so it wasn't very crowded yet, and honestly, I'm not sure even most people knew the restaurant was open yet, though there were quite a few cast members at the entrance holding menus and available to answer questions.

I was seated right away, and was greeted by my server, and a few other people as well. There was a lot of managment walking around, making sure everyone was enjoying their meals, and making sure there were no problems.

The view from this restaurant is fantastic, and I can probably safely assume that reservations around the time for Illuminations will be hard to get.

I was served a basket of tortilla chips with two salsas.

The tortilla chips tasted like Tostitos. They were fine, but nothing really special about them at all. The two salsas, I'm not sure exactly what was in either one of them, but I thought the red one was too spicy. The green salsa I liked, it had a little bit of a kick to it, but nothing overbearing.

If there's one complaint I have about this restaurant, though I wouldn't say there is a limited entree selection, there is no vegetarian entree option, and two of the entrees are meant for two people, so as a solo diner, who doesn't eat meat other then fish, there were only a couple of options for me. I know this wouldn't apply to most people, and the meat options sounded good, but it seemed at other restaurants I had more choices. And every restaurant should have a vegetarian option.

For my entree I had the pescado a la talla, otherwise known as the grilled tilapia.

This was amazing! The fish was perfectly cooked and seasoned without being overly spicy. I'm not sure what kind of spices they put on it, but whatever they used is a great combination. It was served with roasted corn, cactus leaves, and queso fresco. They all went well with the fish, but I ended up making little fajitas with the corn tortillas with it that were served with the meal.

It gets an



With my entree I also recieved sides of rice with peas, which was cooked in some kind of tomato sauce, and mashed black beans topped with queso fresco. I thought the rice was pretty bland, but the black beans I found to be quite tasty.

For dessert I had the empanada de manzana.

It was described as puff pastry filled with sauteed caramel apples, and I don't know what I was expecting, but it was an apple turnover. It was good, but it didn't seem very Mexican to me, and I wish I had gotten something else.

It gets an;



Overall I really think this is a great addition to World Showcase, and I will definatly be returning.

 

[MickeyNicki]

That dish looks amazing! I love fish and this is something I would like to order.

The dessert looks kinda sad

 

[disneyfav4ever]

That dish looks amazing! I love fish and this is something I would like to order.

The dessert looks kinda sad

You have to try it when you eat there, it was unbelievable!

The dessert was sad, it was so boring compared to the rest of the meal.

 

[dizneeat]

Your main dish at La Hazienda looks SO yummy! I would LOVE to order this and your description of it was so good - I could nearly taste it!

I am not tempted by the dessert though. Doesn't look all that Mexican to me and I am not a huge fan of apple turnover anyway!

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Your main dish at La Hazienda looks SO yummy! I would LOVE to order this and your description of it was so good - I could nearly taste it!

I am not tempted by the dessert though. Doesn't look all that Mexican to me and I am not a huge fan of apple turnover anyway!

You should really try it the next time you're in Disney.

I'd be tempted by that turnover if I was at say, Boulangerie Patisserie, but not Mexico! I really wish I had ordered something else.

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

Too bad the chips and salsa was not great...I love a good chips and salsa from mexican restaurants.
Thanks for the update...

 

[Gariig]

If there's one complaint I have about this restaurant, though I wouldn't say there is a limited entree selection, there is no vegetarian entree option, and two of the entrees are meant for two people, so as a solo diner, who doesn't eat meat other then fish, there were only a couple of options for me. I know this wouldn't apply to most people, and the meat options sounded good, but it seemed at other restaurants I had more choices. And every restaurant should have a vegetarian option.

They have a vegetarian menu with four vegetarian entree choices.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Too bad the chips and salsa was not great...I love a good chips and salsa from mexican restaurants.
Thanks for the update...

They weren't bad, just boring Tostito type chips.

They have a vegetarian menu with four vegetarian entree choices.

Do they? I wish I had known that. I'll have to remember that the next time I eat there, though I'd be very tempted to have the tilapia again.

 

[ClareH37]

Just catching up

Coral Reef looks fantastic, I haven't eaten there for a few years so I think it's time for another visit.

I have never eaten at WPE, it's one of those places I keep planning on visiting but never quite get there, I think I'm going to have to make a special effort after your review.

I'm trying to decide between La Hacianda and San Angel - any recommendation?

 

[Willa]

They have a vegetarian menu with four vegetarian entree choices.

Has the vegetarian menu been posted anywhere yet?

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Just catching up

Coral Reef looks fantastic, I haven't eaten there for a few years so I think it's time for another visit.

I have never eaten at WPE, it's one of those places I keep planning on visiting but never quite get there, I think I'm going to have to make a special effort after your review.

I'm trying to decide between La Hacianda and San Angel - any recommendation?

I ate at San Angel once a long time ago, and remember liking it, but La Hacienda was fantastic, that I have to recommend you go there. I haven't read a bad review for it yet, and it has, (as of the other day,) a current rating of 10/10 on the All Ears review section.

Downtown Disney is worth a trip to, just to eat at Wolfgang Puck Express. Have you read Dizneet's reviews? I'm pretty sure she's tried just about everything on the menu there.

Coral Reef has really upped their game, either that or I got incredibly lucky on the night I ate there. I have it on my list for next year though, so if it's as good this time, it'll probably get a spot on my must-do list.

Has the vegetarian menu been posted anywhere yet?

Not that I can find, and I would really like to see it. They really should make it more known, otherwise it might deter many vegetarians from eating there if they think they won't have options.

I mean, I do a ton of research and planning when I decide where I want to eat, and I didn't know about it until Gariig posted about it. And I had to say something about the lack of vegetarian options to find out about it. If I were a casual planner and/or a strict vegetarian, and didn't see a vegetarian option on their posted menu, I'd just walk right on by.

 

[Shir Kahn]

I'm not a vegetarian but I'm enjoying the descriptions and pictures of food I wouldn't normally order myself. I'm looking forward to seeing the US reviews!

 

[Linda67]

Thanks for the great reviews

I'm really surprised that there isn't a vegetarian option at La Hacienda. I think they really should add something. Most restaurants have at least one option available

 

[GoodFairies]

The allears blog says there is indeed a separate vegetarian menu available, but you have to ask for it and it is changed/printed daily, which could be why it's not posted online.

That seems strange. Why not just have one menu with everything?

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I'm not a vegetarian but I'm enjoying the descriptions and pictures of food I wouldn't normally order myself. I'm looking forward to seeing the US reviews!

Thanks for reading!

Thanks for the great reviews

I'm really surprised that there isn't a vegetarian option at La Hacienda. I think they really should add something. Most restaurants have at least one option available

Apparently there is a vegetarian menu, but no one seems to know anything about it, they really should make it more visible.

The allears blog says there is indeed a separate vegetarian menu available, but you have to ask for it and it is changed/printed daily, which could be why it's not posted online.

That seems strange. Why not just have one menu with everything?

Next time I go, I'll definatly have to ask for a copy of the vegetarian menu. I can't imagine it changing that much from day to day, and they could easily post something online, with the warning that all menus are subject to change. It doesn't make any sense to me either.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Today I spent the day at Blizzard Beach. I think it was Blizzard Beach, the water parks are pretty interchangeable in my head, though I do prefer the lazy river at Blizzard Beach, and the calmness of the pool with inner tubes at Blizzard Beach as well, and the kiddie area seems somewhat better themed there as well.

I was really slow moving today getting ready for dinner, and then there seemed to be a very long wait after taking a bus from All Stars to Animal Kingdom for a bus to the Boardwalk to arrive, and even after it did, it made stops at the Swan and Dolphin, and Beach and Yacht Club resorts first, so by the time I actually made it to the Boardwalk, I was about five minutes past my ADR time. Five minutes is not a big deal, but I just don't like being late for anything.

I was seated after a short wait, at a table for four. That seemed a bit ridiculous, and if they're seating solo diners at large tables, perhaps they should consider putting in a few more smaller tables.

The service here was good, but slow. It seems the service here is usually on the slow side, as last year when I had breakfast here, I had an unbelievably long wait to recieve my check. It was no where near that bad this time, but it was still pretty slow.

I decided instead of an actual meal, I'd just have a couple of appetizers instead.

My first choice, was the goat cheese-stuffed grape leaf.

This was very good, but not really what I was expecting. I think I expected more of a dolmade instead of just a very large portion of cheese. That being said, the cheese was awesome, very creamy, served warm, and I used it as a spread on the bread, and ate it all up. It would've been nice to have someone to share this with, as it was a very large amount of cheese for one person.

It gets an;



For my other appetizer I had the crisp calamari and lemon.

I really don't understand the point of the fried lemon slice on top. I know the menu description says calamari and lemon, but the lemon just seems completely unnecessary, and adds no visual appeal to the dish. I thought the calamari was very good, and a nice portion. The coating was crisp, except for a few pieces at the bottom that got a little soggy by the time I got to them, but it tasted good, and the calamari was not over cooked or chewy at all. The two dipping sauces were both yogurt based, one was garlic, which I really liked, and the other was spicy, which I did not like.

It gets an;



Overall Kouzzina remains high on my list, and I plan to return there again next year.

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

great update,

 

[Schoolbread]

I'm so looking forward to LaHacienda! Looks fabulous!