How do you rate Jiko?!!

[Debs Hill]

Would like to try this on our next trip....................but need the advice of you guys first! How is the food and service? Is it child friendly? And what is the best time to eat so we can see some of the animals on the savannah too?
Debsx

 

[bicker]

Jiko is one of the best restaurants at WDW. Both food and service were excellent. I don't remember there being any view of animals on the savannah.

We're going back to WDW this year with the children, and no, I don't think I'd bring them to Jiko. We'll probably do Boma with them.

 

[Eeyore2003]

I'm in the huge minority here. The food was "OK", but I was unbelievably sick all night after eating there, to the point where I just had to stay in the room. Of course, this could have been just "me" and Jiko is taking the "fall", but needless to say, I won't eat there again. The atmosphere was also nice, but not as spectacular as it was made out to be in my opinion.

 

[bicker]

I've gone back to a few restaurants that I had fallen sick after eating at previously -- I'm a pretty brave guy, when it comes to dining.

My wife loves retelling the story of the last time we did a weekend trip to WDW. We ate at our favorite restaurant, Artist Point, and had a wonderful meal. After dinner, we went to the MVMCP. Later that evening, we got to know the folks at Sand Lake Hospital very well. We went back to Artist Point on our next visit, and had another wonderful meal, and felt great for the entire week.

So, my experience has been that (at least at WDW) falling sick after eating at a restaurant never happens twice at the same restaurant.

 

[scmouse]

This is our favorite Disney Restaurant. I have eaten there 3 times in the past few years. It is expensive. The last time I was there, we had the disney dinning plan and did not have to worry about the price of the meal, though. Were can you go to have this great of service and unique atmosphere? Boma is great too.

 

[CoolDisneyCat]

Just so you know, you can't see the animals from Jiko or Boma. We enjoy arriving an hour or so before our ADR and going out to the viewing areas off the lobby.

We have eaten at Jiko several times and have always had good meals and service.

 

[Eeyore2003]

So, my experience has been that (at least at WDW) falling sick after eating at a restaurant never happens twice at the same restaurant.

I agree, but right now it's the thought. Maybe someday in the future again. Now Artist Point is one of our favorites, but I guess if I had gotten sick there, it wouldn't be!!!

 

[bicker]

Still mine, despite my previous past experience. I'm trying to decide now between Pan-seared Scallops and the Hatfield Pork Chop... hmmmm....

 

[John's Mom]

Jiko is one of our favorite restaurants. The food and atmosphere are great. We always see families dining there.

I would also recommend arriving early for dinner to view the animals on the savannahs.

 

[EricaLovesMickey]

We enjoyed Jiko very much. My DH, and twin dds who were 13 and fairly picky ate there last year and really liked it! We really liked it.

 

[NJBlackBerry]

We love Jiko - the filet there is one of of the best I've ever had.

And we got to know the good people at Celebration Hospital after a meal at Yachtsman Steak House :-(

 

[Dana49]

We've eaten at Jiko a few times and have always had a very good dinner. For something different, ask to sit at the counter where you can watch the chefs preparing appetizers for the diners. You can order dinner from there and be entertained at the same time.

 

[Briarmom]

We ate there a week ago.

It was the best food we had in WDW this trip along with California Grill. Fabulous. Dh had a filet with mac and cheese and I could not believe how good it was. And I don't like steak. That is some goooooood steak. Our kids are 6 and 2 and they did very well there.

Book it!

 

[rascalmom]

We ate at Jiko for the first time on our last trip. We've been many times over the past few years & eaten at CG, Artist Point, & most of the other "signature" WDW restaurants. We wandered into Jiko because we had stopped by to look around AKL.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate our meal at Jiko an 11. Atmosphere was just okay - but the service & food were both outstanding. We had our two teen dd's with us & Jiko is at the top of both of their lists for our next visit.

 

[Forever a Princess]

Jiko is #1 or our list.

Book at 6 pm, come about an hour prior to go out to the Arush rock to view the animals.

The cm put food out for the animals around 5 or 5:30 ish. Great time to view the animals.

 

[Kycha]

We went to Jiko for the first time in September. I had wanted to go since our last trip, so I had high expectations. I was a little disappointed. While the food and service was good, I thought it was not worth the price. For 2 adults the total bill was well over $120. That is without drinks. The food and service we had at Boma was just as good but for 1/3 the price. Fortunately, we were on the dining plan for Jiko. I probably wouldn't go back if I had to pay out of pocket. While I thought the atmosphere was geared to adults, I saw plenty of children enjoying their meals.

 

[Cinderellafifi]

I was there for Thanksgiving Dinner and was never so disappointed with anything Disney as I was with our Jiko experience. Check in and seating for our party (which was 3 adults, one in a wheelchair, and 2 kids - ages 6 and 3) was fine. Service was completely downhill from there. It took over 30 minutes to get our drinks and when they were finally served - without an apology!- our kids were hungry and restless! Then the server started reading the menu to us word for word! I stopped her and explained we had already been there a long time and needed to just order. As for the menu, it was extremely limited - with only two meat dinners, one turkey dinner, and three seafood choices - blah! Even dessert was limited to three items.

By the time our food arrived, the table next to us that had been seated at the same time, had eaten, had their coffee and were leaving!!! I will say the food was very good, but my tenderloin was completely cold in the middle - yet the mac and cheese it came with was boiling hot. To me it meant the plate had gone cold and they reheated everything but the meat (which obviously should not have been; the point is the dinner should have been served promptly!)

By the time we were done eating, we were so upset that we skipped desert and asked for the bill. By the time the bill arrived, everyone at my table had left but me because they could not take it anymore.

Again, I have always been able to find something redeeming in any Disney experience I encounter except this one. I will NEVER return there. My $200.00 (without alcohol) would have been better spent ANYWHERE.

 

[DaveT1]

One of our top Disney restaurants. Excellent food and service and worth the price.

On a side note, if it is dark outside don't forget to go out the back, there is often a CM with a night vision scope they will let you try to check out the animals. We saw more that way than earlier in the light. You can also hang around the fire pit for a bit.

 

[bicker]

By the time our food arrived, the table next to us that had been seated at the same time, had eaten, had their coffee and were leaving!!!

That seems to indicate that your experience wasn't typical -- that other patrons clearly received more timely service. I'm sorry you were treated so poorly, especially in light of how wonderful the Jiko experience has been for most other folks. I hope you raised this issue to the manager when you were there, but if not, could you please consider relaying your experience now, so perhaps, along with the comments of others, they could have a chance of finding out what went wrong for you, so that other DIS members aren't similarly affected? Thanks!

 

[Tiffany]

Would like to try this on our next trip....................but need the advice of you guys first! How is the food and service? Is it child friendly? And what is the best time to eat so we can see some of the animals on the savannah too?
Debsx

Hi,

We love Jiko. You cannot see the savannas from Jiko. I would suggest making a reservation for 5:30pm or 6pm. Show up about 5pm and head out to the main public viewing area Arusha Rock as they put out the evening brose around 5pm so there should be many animals around and then you can checkout the resort on your way to Jiko. We do not have children so I cannot comment on wheather or not the menu is child friendly.