Garden Grill How Is It?

[jess20k]

I have always wanted to dine at the Garden Grill, but we never end up going. This time around I am thinking it is time to make an ADR. Does anyone who has been there recently have any comments to share or pictures? I would love to hear some recent reviews before I make my mind up for sure.

By the way I was thinking about going there for lunch, not dinner.

 

[auntie k]

We tried GG on the last trip for the first time, just for something different.
The biggest plus is the characters - the interaction and amount of time they were at our table was great!

The food was good, but not great. It's offered family style and they offer to bring you more if needed. It was like pork steak or turkey and fried catfish...which to me didn't go together, but was good. I can get better catfish locally, but to me everything at Disney is good!

The atmosphere was also good, the most laid back character meal for us. The characters outfits are cute and different which we enjoyed.

The way the tables are set up, it's easy to get photos of your kids with the characters and not have other people and restaurant "stuff" in the background. However, this may be important only to those of us that scrapbook!

Give it a try if you want something besides a buffet.

 

[magicaldisney]

Give it a try if you want the character interaction. Food is just so-so. We did it once and that will be our only time. I'm sure there are many people here that love Garden Grill, but for us, it was just ok.

 

[momoftwins]

and the characters were great. I really did not like much of the food. The firset batch of biscuits were as hard as rock. We told the waiter and he said, "Yes, we told them in the kitchen" So, I'm thinking you knew this and you still served them...

The potatoes were good. The food was warm at best. The turkey was sliced very thick - almost like a ham steak, I like my steak well done and the flank steak not so good.

The apple crisp was yummo!

 

[dawgsgirl]

We ate lunch there week before last on the CP package. We were surprised at how much we liked it. (we are not into Disney food). The advice I got from here was to ask for a downstairs booth. It felt like we were the only diners there. The service was slow, but that was OK because we were tired and needed a rest. The character interaction was great and enjoyed by all. We were seated early, so that was a big plus in my book. I must admit that this was the most relaxed and the quietest character meal I have ever been around. We liked the food and ate a LOT of it. I say give it a try!!

 

[disneyquilter]

My family and I go here every trip.

We love the character interaction and the wait staff has always been some of the best we have had at WDW. The characters always have joked around with us (last time Chip & Dale hid our biscuits behind their backs, trying to steal them ) and they come around more then once. The wait staff has always been wonderful. If I don't have to tell them to refill my drinks, I am a happy camper.

The food is pretty good, it's not the best we have had at WDW, but it is good. I agree with a previous poster who said fried catfish doesn't really go with steak and turkey and I have to totally agree. Other then that, I think it's okay.

To my family and I, it is definitley worth going every trip for us. If you decide to go, I hope you enjoy it

 

[daandcb]

This is one of the place we always go to. We've always had great food. I do not eat turkey or catfish but i eat it there. The character interaction is great too. We were there last week and again the food was good but the service was horrible. Normally we have good service but not this time. We checked in and were told 10 minutes wait. Okay.........20 minutes later I go up just to check in as it seemed everyone got seated but us even if the checked in after us (and yes I know party size has to do with it but some were the same amount). So they said any time.....well 10 minutes later (we're normally really patient but the kids were getting hungry) I head to the podium and ask the manager and she says they are setting the table. Finally! A minute or two later we get to our table.....and we wait for our server.....and wait.....and wait. Basically we hardly saw him. He delivered the food then never checked back in to see what we wanted more of. I asked for an extra plate for my baby and never got it (had to ask 3 times before i got it) and then i asked for something else and I am still waiting for it. When others asked in my party he brought it....just not me. Getting the check and paying it was another joke. On the good side though, because of our wait time the chef came out with a plate full of ribs and apologized. Those ribs were delicious!!! Again the food was great for us but the service was bad this time.

 

[jaysmom4285]

We ate at the Garden Grill for the first time a couple weeks ago and we enjoyed it. Our food was well prepared and at the proper temperature. I loved the potato casserole, or whatever it was. I wasn't a big fan of the catfish, but that's more a statement about me than the catfish. The apple crisp for dessert was wonderful. Our server was very attentive and promptly brought more of whatever we asked for. The characters came around a couple of times while we were there. The restaurant rotated veeerrrrrry slllllooooowwwlllllly - in an hour and fifteen minutes, it made it about three quarters of the way around. I told the server that I would have referred to it as a snail's pace, but that would have been an insult to the snail! Overall it was a very pleasant meal, and we would not hesitate to go there again.

 

[becalubob]

My son and I ate here Nov. 19th. The food was DELICIOUS!!!!! I had seconds of everything!!! I couldn't finish my dessert, which was also very good. We found Mickey to be in a little bit of a rush, but he did come around a second time, overall, pretty good character interaction. Our waiter was very friendly and made sure we had enough of what we wanted.
I would love to go back on a future trip.

 

[TunaJr]

My family ate there for the first time over Thanksgiving and really enjoyed the experience.....I like the fact the characters didn't seem rushed and it was not as crazy as other character dining we have done....The food was actually pretty good and I had catfish for the first time.....It was a little slow, but we didn't mine at all because it gave the puppies a rest and they were barking.........I would give it try

 

[budbeerlady]

The food wasnt outstanding like our meal at Le Cellier this time, but it was really good and a change of pace. The characters were the best we have ever had at any meal! I say go for it, just know what the food is going it.

 

[jess20k]

Thanks for all the great comments! I made an ADR for an early lunch. I will finally go ahead and give it a try!

 

[mickeysgirl17]

I was there last year around this time and unfortunately, we did not like it. I thought the whole idea of a rotating restaurant with characters would be great, but when we got there, we had to wait 15 min. for our table when so many tables were empty. The food was also just so bland and plain. DH even ordered a child's meal for himself because he did not like the family platter at all. Even Mickey and Chip were out of character! Dale and pluto were great though and service was pretty good, but we will not be returning.

 

[Stitchfans]

We have never been there, but we have an ADR for our upcoming trip. Looking forward to going to. Especially because of Chip and Dale. Love them, they are so funny!!! Didn't get to see them during our last trip.

 

[kimsuenew]

We ate there in September and found the food to be, well... disgusting. There literally was nothing they brought out we liked, however, we saw the table in front of us order mac & cheese, chicken, and fries so we ask our waitress and she brought them out for us instead as well. It was some expensive mac & cheese, chicken, and fries but at least we ate something!

On the plus side we enjoyed the characters and the decor was neat but just choose the lower level... not the top! As it rotates you see very little if seated at the tables on the upper part.

It was the only "We will never go back!" that we ate at during our trip. Everyone's taste i food is different, perhaps you will love it!

 

[SnowWtch]

We did lunch a few months ago. Character interaction was wonderful. Service was good and the food was ok. The dessert was yummy. I found the veggies a little salty but the rest was good. The only real problem I had was the noise. We couldn't hear ourselves talk over the noise. But we still had a blast. It was our first character meal together and it was a bright spot in a hot, rainy day.