For those not impressed by the food at Disney....

[Niki Andiokno]

I will begin by saying, I love Disney food. I guess part of it is just eating while on vacation. DH, however, is no longer a Disney Food fan. I have to admit that my favorite restaurants are not Disney owned. Here is Mike's advise:

EAT AT PLACES NOT OWNED BY DISNEY!!!!

I have to admit, my favorites are Bluezoo and Il Mulino. We have consistently received great meals and excellent service there. The food just seems a cut above Disney. Some of the best sushi I have ever had is at Kimono's. Shula's had good steaks but poor service. For the price of a Shula's steak, I would go off site to Ruth's Chris steak house. Just a short cab ride away, but the best steak anywhere. La Hacienda de San Angel has really great grilled seafood and meat. I don't believe that is run by Disney either.

If you can get to Universal, the Royal Pacific Resort has Tchoup Chop, a polynesian restaurant owned by Emeril Lagasse. That resort also has the best pool bar ever, with excellent hamburgers and sandwiches that put Beaches & Cream to shame. The cost alot less too.

When at Disney, venture into non-Disney restaurants. I think you will have good luck.

 

[guinness408]

I will begin by saying, I love Disney food. I guess part of it is just eating while on vacation. DH, however, is no longer a Disney Food fan. I have to admit that my favorite restaurants are not Disney owned. Here is Mike's advise: EAT AT PLACES NOT OWNED BY DISNEY!!!! I have to admit, my favorites are Bluezoo and Il Mulino. We have consistently received great meals and excellent service there. The food just seems a cut above Disney. Some of the best sushi I have ever had is at Kimono's. Shula's had good steaks but poor service. For the price of a Shula's steak, I would go off site to Ruth's Chris steak house. Just a short cab ride away, but the best steak anywhere. La Hacienda de San Angel has really great grilled seafood and meat. I don't believe that is run by Disney either. If you can get to Universal, the Royal Pacific Resort has Tchoup Chop, a polynesian restaurant owned by Emeril Lagasse. That resort also has the best pool bar ever, with excellent hamburgers and sandwiches that put Beaches & Cream to shame. The cost alot less too. When at Disney, venture into non-Disney restaurants. I think you will have good luck.

Would love to know how shula's had poor service? Slow meal, rude waiter, in attentive? I just made an ADR there for our upcoming trip in August and for their prices I'm expecting excellent service!

 

[Niki Andiokno]

My service at Shula's was just weird to begin and became downright rude at the end. The server seemed annoyed that we were a small party of two. There were several larger parties of convention-goers in there. We were treated almost like an afterthought. He did some funky thing with a football I didn't understand. Our meal was paced properly, but his personality was quirky.

Throughout the meal, he seemed a bit snobbish. We were dressed in our business attire for dinner. We are both attorneys, so that shouldn't have been an issue. Especially at Disney. He kept calling my 5'8" DH "Big Guy." And not in a sporty kinda way. More snarky.

The worst part of the service, and the reason DH won't go there again was the comment the server made about dessert. A little back story. DH was a chubby kid who turned into a chubby adult. Not fat by any means, but a bit overweight. The server didn't offer us dessert, and just asked if we wanted the bill. We told him we were interested in dessert. He looked at DH and asked if he was really considering dessert after all he had eaten (just an ordinary steak dinner with salad appie) and suggested for a big guy like him it might not be a good idea. I have NEVER EVER had a server insult us like that. Certainly he did it with a little chuckle, but that is not teasing. That is just plain rude. I imagine this waiter was a bully as a kid, picking on the kid who was different. Totally unacceptable.

I complained to the manager, as that is the poorest customer service I have ever had. He seemed very non-challant about it and apologized for any "perceived" slight. "Perceived" my hieny! It was downright obnoxious.

DH has lost all of his excess weight, but still will not go back. We have gone to Shula's in Chicago, but not in Orlando. I am almost certain that the big jerk no longer works there, but it is just a bad memory for DH.

Ruths Chris is just so much better. We will always venture there for our steak.

 

[EasternShoreGal]

Another vote for Ruth's Chris. We had the most amazing experience there for Christmas Dinner. And for wine lovers, they even allow outside wines. We planned ahead and brought a very special cab with us. Small corkage fee but no markup!

Have never been to V&A, but all other signature restaurants, most several times. We have had not so good experiences at all but I guess odds are such that will happen at some point. We have also had good experiences at all. I will say most of the bad experiences have come recently. Definitely feel experiences are deteriorating. By far the most consistent has been Jiko, only one bad experience there and that was service

 

[emilie2013]

Artist point was amazing the whole meal we had was incredible. I've been to V&A twice and both times being the meal of a life time. Also blue zoo is great for signature. However we have had some great meals that weren't signature such as via Napoli and Tokyo dinnig both amazing and would go back again and again

 

[WallEandEve4ever]

Another vote for Jiko!

 

[tweetylori]

My top favorites are Via Napoli, Le Cellier, and Flying Fish.

 

[rocketriter]

We love the Brown Derby, but you need to know what to order. Start with the Cobb Salad, which is nothing like what you get in other restaurants today. The original Cobb, available only at BD nowadays, is chopped so fine a chef would call it "riced" and you can eat it with a spoon. The effect is fabulous. Many main courses are good but we're partial to the rack of lamb. And you should end with the traditional grapefruit cake. But it's the Cobb Salad that's astonishing and wonderful.

 

[fabulousfive]

Jiko dinner, Kona breakfast, and surprisingly Cinderella's Royal Table! Also loved Le Fou's Brew at Gaston's!