Garden Grill or Coral Reef

[tlrotzoll]

O.k. - Garden Grill or Coral Reef - which is your favorite?

 

[Cinderumbrella]

Coral Reef

 

[Tropical Wilds]

Coral Reef. GG was loud and packed. I didn't like that so much.

 

[apostolic4life]

Coral Reef and Garden Grill both offer great experiences, but they are completely different experiences. Coral Reef is a place to go if you want a really nice meal with an upscale feel (Coral Reef used to be a WDW signature restaurant) and creative menu items. Garden Grill is a great experience if you want a more laid back less structured feeling and characters (the rotating view of Living with the Land is great too). The food at GG is good quality food with great flavors. Both of these restaurants offer good atmosphere and great food, just at different ends of the spectrum though. I would base your choice on what appeals to your family's likes and dislikes, and either way you go, I am sure you will have a great time.

My favorite dish on WDW property comes from the Coral Reef: Blacked Catfish served on a bed of pepper-jack cheese grits and topped with a smoked tomato compote and balsamic vinegar. The catfish used is raised on property and adds to the coolness factor. Also, the catfish served at GG is raised on property............I think it is pretty neat how you can go on Living with the Land and see how they raise the fish, and then go out and eat it at the restaurants in the park.

 

[Stitchfans]

Have an ADR for both for our upcoming trip. Can let you know when we get back.

 

[nikapluto]

I've never eaten at the Garden Grill but the Coral Reef was very nice. We thought the food all around was of good quality and the aquarium made for a very nice view. You'll of course get people coming up to the glass to take pictures but I think the atmosphere makes up for it.

 

[F1Julie]

I think it depends on what type of dining experience you are looking for. With small kids, I'd definitely pick GG. The food and atmosphere are good and the character interaction are great. Coral Reef would be my pick for an adult-only meal.

 

[jazzgirl]

We liked Coral Reef better!

 

[GatorLady]

Younger kids GG; older kids, teens, adults CR.

 

[familyS]

We have been back about a month. Every meal we had was great, but Coral Reef is still our favorite meal of the week

We haven't been to the Garden Grill.

 

[jcfischer]

Have an ADR for both for our upcoming trip. Can let you know when we get back.

Ditto! But, we're not going until May...we have GG for lunch for our a.m. Epcot day, then CR for dinner on our evening Epcot day.

 

[Melora]

We haven't done Coral Reef.

But we have been known to do Garden Grill 2 times in one vacation.... We LOVE it!!!

 

[ShaneH]

I have not been to GG bur CR was really bad for us. Food was not good and luke warm at best, service was really bad and people kept coming to our table to look at the aquarium because there was a big turtle sitting right beside us. I must have just got a bad server or something cause most everyone else loves the place. I would NOT get a table next to the aquarium though.

 

[JoePa4Ever]

We ate at both places this past Sept. We liked Coral Reef - the food was very good, good service, and nice atmosphere w/aquarium. We didn't think the food at Garden Grill was very good. The service was not that great either. The character interaction, however, was very good. Hence, we booked Coral Reef for our trip this year, but will not return to Garden Grill.

 

[Tam1067]

We tried both on our trip in July.

We have a reservation for this August at Coral Reef. That was DH's favorite spot from last year. GG, though certainly good, was just OK for us.

 

[chocovrdmicears]

We've done both.


Garden Grill (kids were 3 & 4 at the time & went for dinner): Liked the character interaction, the kids liked the food, DH & I didn't care for our food...just not a fan of that particular all you can eat skillet..We wouldn't go back there again..much better character dining options for us.

Coral Reef (kids were 4 &5 *went for lunch) We all loved the atmosphere, and we all loved our meals ...it is one of 2 places my DD6 requested for this years trip.

HTH

 

[mchllevns]

I enjoyed both, but my very picky family prefers GG...the only thing they would eat at CR was steak....how can you eat steak in a seafood restaurant???!!

 

[apostolic4life]

These two restaurants really can't be compared to each other........picking one over the other depends on the experience you are looking for. Now a fair comparison would be Coral Reef and Le Cellier.......both offer a la carte menus with options that include seafood, poultry and steak. For GG, one would have to compare it to other family style locations like LTT, Ohana or WCC.

Will you get nouvelle cuisine from GG no, but this place is about the characters and the rotation of the restaurant.........dining situations with a gimmick or characters are always going to provide good boring comfort food; the food will not be the draw to come back, the gimmick will. Coral Reef (formerly a signature dining location) offers one of the most creative non-signature menus on property. Sure the atmosphere set by the aquarium is sort of a gimmick but the food brings people back. The same can't be said for most of the family style restaurants on property which rely on the "gimmick" to bring people back.

 

[Disneyof3]

We have done both. Both restaurants are very good but my DH just got sick from GG due to the revolving restaurant . So it is out for us next visit, moto is if you get sea sick GG might not be the restaurant for you.

 

[tlrotzoll]

Thanks so much! This helps a lot.