Is it just me..

[keylimepie]

Or do other people not get the big deal about le Cellier even before the menu change? I just don't get it. Admittingly, i am not a big steak fan and only have ever ordered steak while out maybe 2 times. But even the other stuff on the menu doesnt appeal to me. I hear so much hype about it though. I guess maybe it truly is good if you like steak, but really, how different can the steak possibly be? Is there something else I am missing about the place?

We are eating at Cali Grill, which has steak(which dh loves) but the rest of the food seems so much more appetizing to me! We are also going to a steakhouse around here for our anni this month, but again, the rest of the menu I feel offers more. Maybe it is just my personal preferences..I dont know. maybe its just all completely over my seafood, pork or chicken preferring head!

 

[DisMN]

Approximately 3 years ago the place wasn't busy at all and then suddenly it was THE place to go. We ate here before it was hip and it was pretty good, not exceptional but much better than it is currently.

When I made other dining reservations 2 years ago the reservationist absolutely PUSHED le Cellier at me, bringing it up at least 3 times how much I would regret NOT eating there. LOL I told her been there, done that and I'd like to try OTHER places now.

FYI from that conversation alone I got the impression that the reservation CM's on the phones are the ones pushing the place. My thought is that all they needed to do was plant the suggestion into the minds of people that this was The Restaurant To Eat In. If that's the case it sure seems to have worked!

I feel like you do though and can find much better steak at other locations.......and in the last few years we're finding ourselves doing a lot more counter service anyway.

 

[crystalcml]

I love Le Cellier. They have the best cheddar cheese soup in the world and they used to have one of the best filet mignons in the world also. I haven't been to CG so I can't compare the too, but I would go with whatever seems appetizing to you and your family.

 

[Lynn5700]

I love this place and I'm annoyed that they got rid of the steak with cream cheese mashed potatoes lol...I just love the mashed potatoes..they serve them with chcken now.ooooh and the bread is good!!!

 

[Tink888]

We went back in August 2006. We like steak and I have to say that this place does have really good steak. The bread was good too and also the desserts. I had maple creme brulee and I remember the kid's desserts being especially cute and tasty. I also liked the dinner offerings they had for the kids.

I don't know that it's THE place to eat, there other a lot of other really great places at Disney also. I kind of wish it didn't receive all the hype that it does. We couldn't get dinner ressies for our trip back in Nov.

I will also say this for it - It has one of the best places to wait for your ADR. We had about a thirty minute wait and I just remember being outside near the waterfall and the gardens and even with all the other people there, it was so relaxing and peaceful. Had to be one of the nicest thirty minutes I have ever spent waiting for a table.

 

[Pakey]

OP, we feel the same way you do. We do not think the steaks, the pretzel breadsticks, the cheddar cheese soup or the maple creme brulee are anything exceptional. However, I think for those people who do the dining plan, Le Cellier offers a pretty good return on investment. With the increase in popularity of the dining plan, the popularity of Le Cellier increased proportionately. Also, you don't have to leave the park to go to a resort to get a "nice" meal and I'm sure that is very appealing to many.

I do not think it ranks evenly with any of the signatures, but then it isn't a signature and I don't think it should be compared to one. We love V&A a lot more than we like Ca Grill. That doesn't mean Ca Grill isn't decent but it's not in the same league as V&A. To be fair, you have to compare Le Cellier to the other 1 TS meals such as Sci Fi. If you do that, Le Cellier offers a much greater selection.

I'm just glad that Disney offers such a wide variety and hopefully everyone goes there looking forward to a special meal, wherever that may be.

 

[Humphrey53209]

I agree with the OP. It's basically a steakhouse with a limited menu. There are nearly a dozen of those in my hometown that are just as good or better. I think LeCellier is good but hardly worth the angst if you don't get the adr.

Regards,
Humphrey53209

 

[Crazy Kanga]

I just cancelled a ressie there yesterday because we had added some people to our party and could not get another table for our party size. The CM said " I can't believe you are cancelling, do you know how hard it is to get that place" and on and on and on. I said yes, but we can't make it work this time. She was acting like it was a major deal that I was cancelling. I said, Oh well, i'll just have made someone elses day. She said it will be snatched up in 2 seconds.
We love it and haven't been since 2006 so I am a little sad, but we got several of our other favorites. Maybe next time.

 

[patclairesmom]

I'm going to join in and say, we could probably take it or leave it. It's so popular because on the dining plan it's only 1 ts credit. This was also the only restaurant we had to wait to get in. After waiting so, long, we really didn't see what the fuss was all about. I also didn't like the fact that for the children's menu you had to stick with the categories on it. They were also the only restaurant that did this.

 

[texasgirl73]

I cancelled Le Cellier as well the other day and the CM was surprised and told me I should reconsider. I decided to go with Flying Fish instead, I don't regret it at all, I originally booked it because I wasn't familiar with all of the restaurants but now that I've read all the reviews and studied the menu, it looks like a nice little steakhouse but nothing that I'd get too excited about, especially since I don't eat steak...it's too heavy.

 

[patclairesmom]

And actually the steak is better at Flying Fish!

 

[disneyfanUSA]

I went there last year for the first time! It was OK.....not my favorite. But my kids loved the pretzel bread!

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I really liked the maple BBQ filet with the cream cheese mashed potatoes, I had that two, of the three times I ate at Le Cellier. I do however, like to try new things, so I don't mind the menu change so much.

 

[CoolDisneyKitten]

And actually the steak is better at Flying Fish!

Amen!! The steak is better at a whole lotta places, places where you can get an ADR w/o going nuts, places where you can actually make it from the front door to the bathroom w/o knocking ppl over b/c the tables are so close together...etc.

Yeah, the soup is good, the pretzel bread is good, but I'm not going to put myself through all the hassle of eating there for a steak that is good-but-live-with-outable.

As previous posters have said, I think certain places just get this kind of mystique, like, "If I don't go HERE, my trip isn't complete!" There are several on the Dis like that, and for the most part, they're the places we actually avoid on our trips b/c either they're *way* overcrowded or *way* overrated. The only exception would be Boma - we love that place despite the crowds.

Anyway. If everyone wants to flock to Le Cellier, go ahead - leaves more room at the other restaurants for us!!

 

[Micca]

We've been there quite a few times. DW likes it a lot, I'd rather eat just about anywhere else.

 

[Pumbaa_]

I used to enjoy this place so much more. It is so popular now that the uniqueness is gone.

I really like going the less traveled way in life, so Le Cellier is no longer on our list of places.

We will be trying Yachtsman Steakhouse for the first time this fall. The difference is prices is no longer significant and the experience will hopefully be superior.

 

[ImagineerM]

I agree with the OP and several others here. Le Cellier is good, don't get me wrong, but it isn't GREAT!

When I was a CM at WDW, we used to go there for dinner often -- because we could walk right in, it quickly became a CM favorite. We also liked it because it wasn't far from the Rose and Crown Pub where we'd drown the night away after dinner.

I think the fact that it became a CM darling spread and people began frequenting the place. now, you can't get in. There are far to many other places I'd rather stress over getting ADRs.

The atmosphere and service are great, but the food has gone down hill since the popularity has gone up.

Cheers,
Josh

 

[keylimepie]

I think for me, after looking at the menu's, I just prefer more exotic fare. lol. It just seems so "northern" to me or something. I guess in Canada it would be that way! (although I had a pretty neat dinner when i actually visited the real Canada!) We are eating at Boma's 2x(1 dinner 1 bfast) Cali Grill, Ohana's and Sci fi- which I know isnt supposedly the best food, but honestly, other than Brown Derby there isn't much there with any consistantly decent review, and this one appeals lookswise to the kids the most.

 

[auntfrannie]

It's good but nothing to get upset about if you can't get ADRs. As a matter of fact, I didn't even look to get ADRs for Le Cellier on my last few trips because there are so many better restaurants or just different places I want to try. I think the tables are too crammed together and the wait to be called for your ADR has always been at least 30 minutes for me.

 

[emmabemmainc]

This thread cracks me up--nothing like making people feel stupid when they like a restaurant!!

We ate at LeCellier last September and it was great. We were on the dining plan and I do believe that when that is the case, it's a wonderful deal. The food was really good and it's only 1 TS credit. I'm sure that some of the signature restaurants have better steak, but I thought the mushroom filet was great and I was glad we went. We're going back this December and we're going again, even though I'll be on the DxDDP. We'll also be trying quite a few signature restaurants too, so I'll be the first one to compare!

Also, I never got whey people say that the restaurant is dark and gloomy and that you sit so close to people. I didn't find either one to be true. I guess different people just have different expectations. Not every restaurant is like Crystal Palace when it comes to the decor!!

Oh--wanted to add, the CM didn't push this restaurant on me when I first made the reservation and to be honest, I can't figure out why they would--for 1 TS credit, this place is a great deal and you'd think they'd be pushing a pricier restaurant if you were on the DDP--one that was 2 credits. Maybe that's just my way of thinking though.