Garden Grill & San Angel Inn

[Rox.jea]

I think we might try both. What do you think of the Garden Grill's food? & is there a "best seat" in the house? Same Q for San Angel I know there are mixed reviews but I still want to try it but mainly I wanna sit next to the water. Can we request this? I just love the atmosphere @ San Angel.

 

[carol-lamb]

I ate at both restaurants last week. I preferred my dinner at Garden Grill over my lunch at San Angel Inn. Both meals were good, I just liked the variety of the food at Garden Grill better. I had the rib eye tacos at San Angel Inn and they were good, just not great. I liked the chips and salsa better! It was my first time at Garden Grill and the food was better than I thought. I really liked the rolls, salad, turkey and cranberries and mashed potatoes. The apple cobbler dessert was also very good.

Yes, you can request a table by the water at San Angel Inn and I would suggest asking and waiting for an outside table at Garden Grill so you can see the view of The Land boat ride better.

 

[LuvLuvLuv]

we will never step foot in the garden grill again. if we wanted lean cuisine turkey and mashed potatoes we would have stayed home. seriously, although it's one of my favorite lean cuisines--at disney i expect more. the characters were very rushed. not what we were expecting, and there are so many other good choices out there. pshhh the quick service downstairs has better food!!

we love san angel inn. we had a great lunch there in november and are returning in a few weeks! we were hesitant because of spotty reviews, but i have always wanted to eat there because of the location. so glad we went.. and as long as others don't like it, i won't have to fight for an ADR!!

 

[FireDancer]

I had good meals at both. Not great but good and I would eat at either again without reservation. Keep in mind that any two people can have the exact same experience and one deem it great while the other deems it terrible. What is good is quite subjective.

That being said when I ate at Garden Grill it was quite slow and each character came to our table at least two times. The food and service were both good. At San Angel Inn I also got a good meal and I think the atmosphere was really nice.

 

[carol-lamb]

we will never step foot in the garden grill again. if we wanted lean cuisine turkey and mashed potatoes we would have stayed home. seriously, although it's one of my favorite lean cuisines--at disney i expect more. the characters were very rushed. not what we were expecting, and there are so many other good choices out there. pshhh the quick service downstairs has better food!!

we love san angel inn. we had a great lunch there in november and are returning in a few weeks! we were hesitant because of spotty reviews, but i have always wanted to eat there because of the location. so glad we went.. and as long as others don't like it, i won't have to fight for an ADR!!

I actually ate a Lean Cuisine the week we went to Disney (chicken, stuffing and mashed potatoes) and it was really bad - used to be better). The turkey and mashed potatoes at Garden Grill were better than Lean Cuisine - at least to me. Like I posted above, the meal was good. It wasn't out of this world great and my son and I both agreed that while we enjoyed our dinner, we don't know if we would go back - at least not for a while. And I agree, the food downstairs at Sunshine Seasons is very good too.

I did want to add that we actually had great character interaction - especially for us being two adults. The characters came around a few times and actually sat down at our table with us and engaged in conversation - which was funny because we spent most of the time trying to figure out what they were "saying" without actually speaking! It made for several good laughs.

 

[anolen300]

We have been to Garden Grill 4 times and it's a must do for every trip. Everyone has their own opinions and I am not knocking anyones, but the food to me tasted great and nothing like a Lean Cuisine. http://www.wdwinfo.com/images/smilies/confused24.gif Now to be honest the DW and myself are not real picky eaters, a meal at Chili's is something we would choose over a 5 star restaurant where we can't even pronounce what we want to order http://www.wdwinfo.com/images/smilies/rotfl2.gif. Everytime we have been to Garden Grill it seems to be a busy time (lot of people without ADR's waiting) yet we have never been rushed and the characters spend alot of time with us, and we are 2 adults with no kids.

 

[MickeyNicki]

We have been to SAI three times and only once was it just not that great, the other two times the food was fabulous

I cannot eat at GG, the smell that comes from that place just makes my stomach ill....I have yet to read a good review from that place

 

[OKW Lover]

Can't comment on GG since we haven't eaten there in many years.

As far as SAI goes, the best seat is across the way in La Hacienda. Seriously, the food at La Hacienda is significantly better than inside at SAI.

 

[starrysky]

Can't comment of GG but we are another couple who LOVE SAI.

Always had good food and good service and even have two dates booked this oct so we can go more than once. A table by the water is great we spent most of our meal waving at people going past in the boats. Plus its one of the best atmospheres with the whole indside/outside thing.

The idea of the family style is not one that we are used to in the UK. So its not somewhere we would choose to go. Same applies for whispering canyon at WL.

 

[pixarmom]

Garden Grill is one of our boys' favorite restaurants and our arrival night tradition! We enjoy the food - sometimes, it's good and other times, it's great. For reference, some of our other WDW favorites are California Grill, Le Cellier (but not the filet) and La Hacienda. The character interaction at GG is always outstanding and we enjoy it even more if we get a lower level booth. We always make that request at check-in and the CM can usually (but not always) grant it.

Now, I'll admit that the joy our three boys experience at Garden Grill may have an impact on my overall assessment of this restaurant. Maybe I wouldn't love it as much if my husband and I were on our own at WDW - but that's when I would be making an ADR for Bistro de Paris!

We're not crazy about San Angel, although we've considered returning because our youngest loves the Three Caballeros ride with Donald and would LOVE to sit near the water. We just don't have a good enough chance of getting a waterside table to make it worth an ADR. And now that La Hacienda opened, we're less likely to return to San Angel. We love the food, atmosphere and view at La Hacienda. My husband and both of his parents are Mexican, so we cook and eat quite a bit of Mexican food at home - and La Hacienda is definitely one of our new favorites.

 

[Remmy]

We have only eaten at Garden Grill. We have loved every time we have been there. We last ate there in February. We thought it was all fresh, well cooked and tasted great.

The character interaction was great beyond expectations. They seemed to truly love interacting with everyone in the restaurant.

It was truly funny that on this past trip, my sister-in law's family, cousin's family and ourselves all went on three different days. Our cousin's family and ourselves loved it. My sister-in law's family loathed it. Once again, it is hard to say whether you would like it or not until you experience it yourself.

I do think if you can get on the main floor, with the semi-circle tables there, those are the best seats in the restaurant. We have never been seated elsewhere there but I think they offer you the best view of the Land ride (you only see the tops of the scenery and the balloons in the middle of the pavilion.

I wish you the best for your vacation and dining.

Remmy

 

[ChrystalUnicorn]

We ate at both places last year. First the San Angel, atmosphere was great, but the food was lacking among the five of us, two adults and 3 kids I was the only one who liked the food, the kids did not even like the desserts. I had steak, with rice, stuffed pepper and fried plantain btw. It is a charming place and dining under the volcano is pretty nice. That said I would not book here again.

The Garden Grill's some of the food was a lot like a thanksgiving dinner meal, turkey, gravey, mashed potatoes, and cranberry orange relish, there was also Mahi Mahi, and beef. With a salad and rolls, it was nothing special. My older kids did not like any of it but the waiter was nice enough to bring them food from the kids menu.
The desserts were yummy, warm strawberry and rhubarb crumble with cream and Mickey mousses for the kids. We st ont he lower level over looking The Land ride which was nice because the restaurant revolves while you eat, my kids thought this was so cool, do did I.

We were there in Sept last year and the character interaction was the best.
We had 4 other character meals and this one the characters spent alot of time with the kids especially Mickey and Pluto.

 

[Rox.jea]

Thank you everyone.The main thing is for my son to get to see Mickey @ a few meals. I think we'll give it a try. SAI still trying to squeeze it in. Might pay ca$h since our dining plan is all taken up! lol

 

[bangzoom6877]

We haven't eaten at GG yet, but SAI was excellent when we went there for lunch last July. We had a table that overlooked the water where the boat ride passes. Our boys loved it there too! DH had a tamale dish that he said was out of this world. I ordered the chicken tostadas from the app menu for my lunch. We also shared a side of guacamole and some fried plantains which were also delicious. The boys enjoyed their quesadillas! We are definitely returning there for lunch again on our trip next year. It was a very nice break from the heat!

On our next trip we are also considering GG for dinner. Our boys love Mickey, and it would be great to see him without having to run up to a buffet and risk missing the characters! Plus, DH loves Chip 'n' Dale. As for myself, I love all the characters and all things Disney, so I'm game!

 

[Mazz519]

Garden Grill is pretty gd.Only been there 2 times never had a bad meal. I wish they would bring back the CM there is was really gd. San Angel we liked but wished that we were able to see our food. it's so dark in there, but I guess it adds to the atmosphere

 

[Minnie Monellen]

We went to the Garden Grill during March of this year. Food was good, not great, and the character interaction was just "ok". But it was like eating in a closet. Even though we had an outside table, there really was very little of interest to see as you revolve around.