"Good" vs. "Good for Disney"

[gina2000]

V&As if they get rid of the absurdities. Your waitstaff is named V or A? Gimme a break.

WDW food is extremely overpriced and totally underwhelming. Can't imagine any of them surviving. These restaurants have lost the magic. Now it's chow down dining hall quality.

 

[paintnolish]

I wish they had a WPE near me!
As far as going to someplace just for the food, I don't know. A lot of what I love about WDW restaurants has to do with the atomosphere of certain places.

 

[waltskids]

We live 30 minutes from a great 'foodie' city (Philly) so we are spoiled with all of the great choices With that being said, I think V&A's, Bluezoo and Bistro de Paris might hold up. There is already a Shula's in the Philadelphia area. Most of the WDW dining plan restaurants we feel are overpriced and have a lower quality of food than we would expect from a 'signature dining' experience in the city.

 

[TDC Nala]

There's a WPE in the Los Angeles airport and it's more overpriced than the WDW one.

 

[BriarRosie]

V&As if they get rid of the absurdities. Your waitstaff is named V or A? Gimme a break.

WDW food is extremely overpriced and totally underwhelming. Can't imagine any of them surviving. These restaurants have lost the magic. Now it's chow down dining hall quality.

Victoria and Albert's hasn't had the waitstaff name gimmick in many, many years. Some of the servers have culinary school training. I find that impressive anywhere.

I think there are still gems among the signature restaurants, as well as clunkers. I tend to stick with the gems I know most of the time.

I think places like Kona Cafe would thrive in the family restaurant market. The food is quite good for a non-signature restaurant.

 

[emmabemmainc]

Jiko and Cali Grille.

 

[PlutoLuvr]

In my corner of the world, I believe Biergarten would survive, as well as La Cava del Tequila.

Wine bars and martini lounges that serve light tapas are doing exceptionally well. Tequila and fresh tapas made south-of-the-border style, made healthily and creatively, would be awesome, say, on a Friday afternoon after a hard week or as a way to begin a Saturday night date.

Most places that offer a nice buffet with live entertainment that I've seen involve a dinner theater type of experience. Biergarten doesn't require such a large commitment with shows only lasting 30 minutes or so and starting up so frequently.

 

[TDC Nala]

Of the Disney-owned restaurants, I agree that only V&A would likely be able to survive at the same prices outside of a captive tourist area.

I love Cava del Tequila but outside of Disney or Vegas or maybe NYC I wouldn't be paying in excess of $15 (including tip) for a margarita. Even here in downtown DC I could probably find them for a good bit less.

 

[tony67]

In my corner of the world, I believe Biergarten would survive, as well as La Cava del Tequila.

La Cava del Tequila is one of the best bargains in Disney IMO. I am used to paying 16-20 for a margarita with an aged tequila.

I did not include that since it is not a restaurant, but I agree it could do well anywhere.
They are very reasonably priced for quality tequilas and they give you a very nice pour in the margaritas once you get to know them.

I like that they give you the sangrita with a shot. None of the places around here do that. I also really like the presentation.

They really got this place right, of course it took them 5 years so they had plenty of time to plan it.

 

[kmk1180]

What WDW table-service restaurants do you think are good enough to stand on their own? (i.e., if they were in your city you would dine there AND--here's the catch--be willing to pay the same price)

Here are a few of mine:

Victoria & Albert's, Flying Fish Cafe, Hollywood Brown Derby (but only for select items on the menu)

Funny you didn't put Shula's on that list...since I see your from Chicago and they have a Shula's downtown.


To answer your question.
Jiko. Hands down the most likely.

I can see Big River since there's tons of micro brew pubs around the country.

I disagree with Cal Gril. The only reason Cal Gril is popular is because of the view, thus outside of Disney it wouldn't be the same.

Probably Yatchsman Steakhouse, since steakhouses are everwhere.

Probably most any of the WS sit down places would work in major cities where variety of foods is common.

 

[Uncleromulus]

I think a problem with Yachtsman would be the very few KINDS of Steak on the menu. Most steakhouses around here have 7 or 8 different kinds (and sizes) of steak while the YSH menu is pretty limited....

 

[Pygoplites]

I did mention Shula's (and some other places that WDW and Chicago have in common), in post #18. I should have mentioned it in the original. Maybe I've been lucky with my meals, but I think Cali Grill is good even without the view. And compared with at least one big bucks view restaurant in Chicago, the Signature Room in the Hancock Building, CG blows it away.

Funny you didn't put Shula's on that list...since I see your from Chicago and they have a Shula's downtown.


To answer your question.
Jiko. Hands down the most likely.

I can see Big River since there's tons of micro brew pubs around the country.

I disagree with Cal Gril. The only reason Cal Gril is popular is because of the view, thus outside of Disney it wouldn't be the same.

Probably Yatchsman Steakhouse, since steakhouses are everwhere.

Probably most any of the WS sit down places would work in major cities where variety of foods is common.

 

[paintnolish]

There's a WPE in the Los Angeles airport and it's more overpriced than the WDW one.

Yeah, well I bought the dcs 2 sugar cones from Ben and Jerry's in Orlando airport- $10!!! The cashier saw me glance at the menu board and said, "Yeah, they're $5 a piece."

 

[TDC Nala]

Shula's isn't a Disney restaurant and there are numerous Shula's restaurants outside of Disney, so I don't find any doubt that Shula's could survive outside of WDW since it obviously does. When analyzing this question I didn't include chain restaurants like Fulton's, Shula's, Big River Grill and Rainforest Cafe.

 

[BriarRosie]

I can see Big River since there's tons of micro brew pubs around the country.

I think the food would have to improve considerably to be on par with the microbrewery restaurants around Chicago.

I disagree with Cal Gril. The only reason Cal Gril is popular is because of the view, thus outside of Disney it wouldn't be the same.

I think the view is only part of it. I find that the food here is better than most WDW restaurants. I went there last week on a moment's notice as a solo to try to eat at the bar around 7pm. It was a bit chaotic, but I came for the food, not for the fireworks. I left well before they were scheduled to start. I think California Grill, without the view, could survive outside of WDW.

Probably Yatchsman Steakhouse, since steakhouses are everwhere.

Probably most any of the WS sit down places would work in major cities where variety of foods is common.

Yachtsman might do ok in some cities, but I don't think it would survive in Chicago. Unless they served a better quality of meat. The sides and such are decent. But the main event...not so much.

 

[photobob]

Of the Disney-owned restaurants, I agree that only V&A would likely be able to survive at the same prices outside of a captive tourist area.

I agree as well. The prices at most TS restaurants really doesn't get you the quality of food you'd expect for those prices. A good example would be 50's Prime Time Cafe. I've eaten there several times for lunch and really enjoyed the food and the atmosphere. Where I live you could have as good or better fried chicken meal for about $6 or $7 dollars(or less!) and there it is $15. That is probably true of really any of their meals, they are good but a comparable meal anywhere else would be well less than half of what they charge, for that reason alone it would never fly here. The same came be said of virtually every restaurant on property.

 

[Planogirl]

I think that Boma might survive in this area because it's different and interesting. I'm not too sure about any of the other non-chain restaurants.

 

[2infinityandbeyond]

I can see Big River since there's tons of micro brew pubs around the country.

Big River is a chain (there's another in Nashville, TN), owned by Gordon Biersch. Foodwise, it's no better/worse than any other chain. Their beers are better than the mass produced industrial Bud/Miller/Coors, but they don't compare to higher quality craft brewed beers. On its own, Big River would probably hold up. But if forced to compete with other brewpubs, gastropubs, etc., it wouldn't last very long.

 

[jfinke]

I am not sure that CG could exist without going back to the way they were before DDP took off. Loud restaurants are a dime a dozen. I am not sure what would differentiate them from other restaurants.

 

[snookiedoodles]

I like the atmosphere of some of the restaurants but I'd have to say zero would survive outside of Disney.

I second that!