Is California Grill's popularity more about the food or the view?

[Oh Kay!]

Sounds like you enjoy name calling,

How is saying I think your nuts name calling?

I think the first poster meant to say "name dropping" not "name calling"?

 

[Amyg]

We picked CG for the food and the view was an additional plus. I must say that we were not disappointed as all our meals were delicious! We were there in July 2006 around 6:30 and it was booked but pretty subdued not chaotic at all. We did not go out since I had forgotten about that but we enjoyed all aspects of our CG experience right down the our CM!

 

[evenpar4me]

great experience.......combo of both.went during free dining with an adr...arrived for 7:30 simply just asked for a window seat.to my surprise sure got one with your name on it....won me over for ever

 

[klmall]

We have eaten at CG many times and go mainly for the outstanding food! Nowhere else in WDW can you please DH and I in the areas of sushi, beef or pork and seafood all from the same menu! Add to that sumptuous appetizers and desserts and we leave satiated.....aaaaaahhh!

A bit OT - Yes, it can be noisy at times (partially due to room design) and I sometimes wonder why apparently normal looking, rational adults bring screaming, tired children to sit through lengthy meals but we always ask to sit to the side if possible, away from the bigger center tables. And if by some bad karma we do end up near a noisy family I just order more wine and smile snidely and toast my DH and 21 year old DS if he is with us! Sometimes, we are rewarded with wonderful karma and share the view with honeymooners!

And I do go outside for the fireworks if we are there at the appropriate time but we no longer worry about being there to see them!

 

[raidermatt]

Is California Grill's popularity more about the food or the view?

I'd say it's more about the view, but the food is still pretty good. Good selection and quality, smallish portions for many dishes. Pricey, but you are also paying for the view.

I wouldn't call it chaotic, but it's not a quiet, intimate experience either. It's an open kitchen and it can get noisy at times, but this can vary depending on where you are sitting and who is around you.

 

[BoomNLeon]

We ate at both CG and AP last month and enjoyed both. We had a 9:50 ADR at CG and had the whole place to ourselves. The only flaw we could find were the light fixtures (we just thought they looked like huge roaches - ugh what a terrible thing to say)! The food was awesome and our server was spectacular. We could barely see anything out the windows.

AP was really good. The food was great, but the atmosphere was not what were expecting. There is not much romance in the cavernous space. But our server was good and we had a nice time.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Thanks for all the input. You guys make it sound great! I think I need to quit reading CG threads. The way people describe it, even CG fans, makes me wonder about the atmosphere. Frankly, it just doesn't sound conducive to fine dining.

PS: I'm taking names! We'll give it a try, & if we don't like it, I'm blaming you all.

 

[mdhkitten]

As far as fine dining and wonderful food goes, we love California Grill and Jiko. What really brings Jiko over the top for us, though, is the server that we request when we go. Her name is Shellie and last year she was working Sunday-Thursday (this was her regular schedule). We were so impressed by her the first time that we dined there that we kept in touch periodically through emails. In fact, she's SO impressive as a server, that my daughter's father (who is planning to open a fine dining restaurant in Chicago in the next couple of years) is going to fly her up there to train their servers once they get everything up and running. She used to be a "Victoria" at Victoria & Albert's, but she's much more the "social" type, so she enjoys Jiko much more. She does the little things that most other servers don't, such as the last time we dined there I was wearing black pants and made sure to give me a black napkin, where my daughter's father had a white one.

We also ate at Artist Point, and while the food was good, it certainly didn't compare to Jiko or California Grill.

 

[LoveKermit]

Agreeing with just about everyone but had my own $.02. I found it harder to order at AP than CG. There was something in many of the AP dishes I don't like (probably mushrooms). It's been about 4 years since I was there. CG is good food. They have a menu that goes with the prices. In a restaurant like CG, I have an expectation of what I want on the menu and what I expect to pay. CG does that. And yes, the view helps. And yes, the last time I ate there it was Christmas Eve.

Oh, and the service there is amazing. The first time we were there, we were seated well after our ADR (1 hour maybe?). But once the fireworks are over, the place clears out. They also still had the lounge up there then. But once we were seated we had great service. The second time, they held our desserts, I believe, to see the fireworks. They "get it." It's still touristy and theme parky, but that's where you are.

If you go, order dessert. They are great too!

 

[webray]

For many years we figured just about the view, as the food was not impressive. The past couple years we have given it another chance..and it is definately about the food. We have put it back on our list of great places to eat while at disney.

 

[let'sgo]

Mmmmm, CG. I'd go there again in a heartbeat. The BLT flatbread, wow!! And the view!!

 

[corgi_monster]

We went for the view, but I was very pleasantly surprised by the food. I'm from Hawaii, where we have just about the freshest fish you can get. The sashimi was AMAZING! (And I'm Japanese and eat a lot of sashimi!)

When we return, it will be for the food.

Oh, and the cheese plate *drool* I love CG!

 

[Mich Mouse]

The view is lovely, the food excellent. However, We do not visit very often because of the noise level....It is not much better than Chef Mickey's. The ambiance also does not lend to fine dining when they give crayons to children to draw on paper covered tables.

If you want an intimate fine dining experience, book a table early or late to enjoy the wonderful food and view.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

The view is lovely, the food excellent. However, We do not visit very often because of the noise level....It is not much better than Chef Mickey's. The ambiance also does not lend to fine dining when they give crayons to children to draw on paper covered tables.

This is what concerns me & why I started this thread. I've read many reviews that say the exact same thing about their CG experience.

The view is irrevalent for me, because I won't be taking advantage of it. We do not enjoy a loud dining experience regardless of how great the food is. As a matter of fact, we've been known to leave a "fine dining" restaurant, because of the noise level. Our most recent bad experience was created by a group of "way too loud" adults though. We skipped appys & dessert, which we normally order, to get out of there sooner. We didn't even finish our entree. We couldn't enjoy it anyway. When a 15 yo boy doesn't finish his entree, you know somethings wrong.

I'm now convinced the food is worth giving it a try, but we'll wait for the fireworks crowd to clear out.

 

[Magic2000]

We're trying California Grill for the first time on our upcoming trip! Can't wait! We are definitely going for the food, and hoping for a great view!! I'm not too sure about going outside for the "view" because I'm kinda afraid of heights too!