Marnm02
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2008
- Messages
- 503
Just came back from a week at WDW with the regular DP. I was with my husband, DD2, mom and stepdad. Overall we were pretty happy with our table service restaurants. Here's where we went:
Bongos:
I had read mixed reviews, so was a little nervous, but the menu sounded so good when I looked online so we decided to give it a try. All four adults ordered the Cuban Tour. DD is too young for the DP, so we were given an extra plate for her to share (she wasn't offered a complimentary beverage or meal. I didn't expect it, but had heard that some restaurants do it, so just in case anyone is wondering, Bongos is not one of these restaurants). We were given huge portions of shredded, seasoned chicken, pork and beef, along with three dipping sauces, fried plaintains, black beans, and rice. The plantains were a little bland, but everyone LOVED the meat, especially my mom who talked about it the whole trip. I thought the sauces were also really good, especially the garlic one. DD had no interest in anything except the black beans, and she polished off two full bowls. Probably the healthiest meal she had all trip
. Dessert was a vanilla cake in milk, it was good but not particularly memorable.
Verdict: 4/5, I'd go here again.
Ohana:
We go here every trip, but I was a little worried since I had read that it had been going downhill. It was very crowded when we arrived, and it seemed like they were trying to turn tables over quickly. We were pretty much given all the courses of food right away, which was good since we were hungry, but I can see how someone who prefers some time to talk and relax between courses would be annoyed. Our waiter was attentive and gave good service, but did seem quite rushed. He offered my DD a complimentary beverage and child meal which was much appreciated, since she didn't have much interest in any of the other food. The bread and side dishes were just as yummy as I remember them (my husband and mom raved about the noodles). The chicken was better than I remember it (and I have very positive memories of everything at Ohana), really tender and flavorful. The beef, on the other hand, was so tough I couldn't eat it. My hubby and stepdad both reported having some inedible tough pieces, and some pieces that were very good. It seemed to be hit or miss. Same deal with the pork. The one piece I tried was dry and made me feel like I was choking every time I tried to swallow a piece. I just gave up on it and focused on eating the very delicious chicken, shrimp, and sides. If they had only served beef and pork, I would have been totally disappointed, but the quality and quantity of all the other food made the meat issues seem like not that big of a deal. The dessert was excellent as always.
Verdict: 4/5: The meat issues were a bit of a bummer, but we will continue to go here.
Rainforest Cafe:
We went here mostly for convenience, since we were spending the day at AK. I also thought DD would enjoy the theme. Hubby and I ordered our only alcoholic drinks of the trip here, since we had a gift card I had gotten through a daily deal site. We splurged on the souvenir glasses. I had a fruity lemonade concoction and hubby had a pina colada. Both were good, and mine actually made me a little tipsy, so they surely didn't go cheap with the booze, even though I could hardly taste it. The food really wasn't memorable. I don't remember what anyone ordered, except I know I had the portofino pasta. I was surprised at how small the portion was, compared to what I was used to from all the other WDW restaurants. I had planned on sharing with DD since she likes pasta, so I only ate about half and was still a little hungry after (usually half an entree is just fine for me). The dish was good, but not wonderful. I thought it was a lot like something I'd get from Olive Garden, but a smaller portion. We split the volcano cake for dessert, and that was really yummy and filling. Not sure if it was worth the 3 dessert credits they wanted for it though...
Verdict: 3/5, good, but I don't think we'll go back
Akershus Princess Breakfast:
This is another one we do every trip. The quality has remained consistent over the years, and this visit did not disappoint. My DD was thrillled to get her picture with Belle at the beginning, to see all the other princesses, and to participate in the "princess procession". I'm not a big breakfast food person, so I liked that I could fill up on stuff on the cold buffet such as salmon, bagels, salami and cheese. My hubby loves breakfast food, and is a big fan of the hot eggs, sausage and potatoes. My stepdad is all about getting the most value out of the dining plan, so he made a point of filling up on the cold stuff since he said most of it was pricier than eggs.
Verdict: 4/5: We will continue to go here
The Yachtsman Steakhouse
We wanted to do one 2-credit TS restaurant, and had originally booked Le Cellier because we had been there before and liked it. Then I read some awesome reviews for Yachtsman on the Disboards, and convinced my family to try something new. We were not disappointed. My hubby and stepdad each had porterhouses. They both were able to finish them. I had a taste of hubby's and was very impressed. It's pretty amazing how they can make such a big piece of meat so tender, and it's also very well seasoned. The herb fries served with it were also amazing. My stepdad proclaimed them the best fries he's had at any restaurant, ever. Mom and I both had the prime NY strip. Mom thought it was good, but preferred the filet at Le Cellier, although it wasn't really a fair comparison since she didn't get the filet from Yachtsman. I LOVED the NY strip, and preferred it to anything I've ever had from Le Cellier. We both really liked the scalloped potato thing that came with our steaks, but I would have been even happier with some of those amazing fries I kept stealing off of hubby's plate. We shared habenero infused chocolate cake and peanut butter pretzel bars for dessert. Both were amazing. My mom particularly loved the habenero infused cake, and said that dessert alone would make her pick YS over Le Cellier, even though she liked the meat from LC slightly better. The service was good, our waitress was friendly and attentive, especially with our DD. We were not offered anything complimentary for our DD (although we did pay to get her mac and cheese from the kids menu since she isn't a bit meat eater). The seating host asked about mine and hubby's anniversary pins and wondered if it was the actual day. It was, and we told him so. He gave us a "happy anniversary" menu, but we didn't get an extra dessert. I was a little disappointed with that. We actually never got anniversary desserts from anyone on this trip, and we got them at nearly everyone one when we went the same time last year. I wonder if they are cutting back on that, or if we just didn't seem "special" enough 
. Anyway, it was still an excellent experience.
Verdict: 5/5, We will be back
Boma:
Hubby and I met my old CP roomate and her fiance for this dinner, and my mom and stepdad went there themselves later during the trip. I found plenty to eat that I enjoyed, particularly the salad (loved the cilantro dressing!), the curry pasta salad, the chicken wings, the rice, and the zebra dome dessert. I found the meat to be kind of meh, especially having just eaten at Yachtsman. I tried the watermelon rind salad, which was odd and I couldn't finish it after one bite. Nothing else looked good to me. The people we were dining with really love this restaurant, especially the soups and the meat pie. My mom also really liked the soups, but did not like the meat pie. Overall, my mom and stepdad agreed with hubby and I that there were a few good things, but it was pretty hit or miss.
Verdict: 3/5, I don't think we'll be back.
Bongos:
I had read mixed reviews, so was a little nervous, but the menu sounded so good when I looked online so we decided to give it a try. All four adults ordered the Cuban Tour. DD is too young for the DP, so we were given an extra plate for her to share (she wasn't offered a complimentary beverage or meal. I didn't expect it, but had heard that some restaurants do it, so just in case anyone is wondering, Bongos is not one of these restaurants). We were given huge portions of shredded, seasoned chicken, pork and beef, along with three dipping sauces, fried plaintains, black beans, and rice. The plantains were a little bland, but everyone LOVED the meat, especially my mom who talked about it the whole trip. I thought the sauces were also really good, especially the garlic one. DD had no interest in anything except the black beans, and she polished off two full bowls. Probably the healthiest meal she had all trip
. Dessert was a vanilla cake in milk, it was good but not particularly memorable.Verdict: 4/5, I'd go here again.
Ohana:
We go here every trip, but I was a little worried since I had read that it had been going downhill. It was very crowded when we arrived, and it seemed like they were trying to turn tables over quickly. We were pretty much given all the courses of food right away, which was good since we were hungry, but I can see how someone who prefers some time to talk and relax between courses would be annoyed. Our waiter was attentive and gave good service, but did seem quite rushed. He offered my DD a complimentary beverage and child meal which was much appreciated, since she didn't have much interest in any of the other food. The bread and side dishes were just as yummy as I remember them (my husband and mom raved about the noodles). The chicken was better than I remember it (and I have very positive memories of everything at Ohana), really tender and flavorful. The beef, on the other hand, was so tough I couldn't eat it. My hubby and stepdad both reported having some inedible tough pieces, and some pieces that were very good. It seemed to be hit or miss. Same deal with the pork. The one piece I tried was dry and made me feel like I was choking every time I tried to swallow a piece. I just gave up on it and focused on eating the very delicious chicken, shrimp, and sides. If they had only served beef and pork, I would have been totally disappointed, but the quality and quantity of all the other food made the meat issues seem like not that big of a deal. The dessert was excellent as always.
Verdict: 4/5: The meat issues were a bit of a bummer, but we will continue to go here.
Rainforest Cafe:
We went here mostly for convenience, since we were spending the day at AK. I also thought DD would enjoy the theme. Hubby and I ordered our only alcoholic drinks of the trip here, since we had a gift card I had gotten through a daily deal site. We splurged on the souvenir glasses. I had a fruity lemonade concoction and hubby had a pina colada. Both were good, and mine actually made me a little tipsy, so they surely didn't go cheap with the booze, even though I could hardly taste it. The food really wasn't memorable. I don't remember what anyone ordered, except I know I had the portofino pasta. I was surprised at how small the portion was, compared to what I was used to from all the other WDW restaurants. I had planned on sharing with DD since she likes pasta, so I only ate about half and was still a little hungry after (usually half an entree is just fine for me). The dish was good, but not wonderful. I thought it was a lot like something I'd get from Olive Garden, but a smaller portion. We split the volcano cake for dessert, and that was really yummy and filling. Not sure if it was worth the 3 dessert credits they wanted for it though...
Verdict: 3/5, good, but I don't think we'll go back
Akershus Princess Breakfast:
This is another one we do every trip. The quality has remained consistent over the years, and this visit did not disappoint. My DD was thrillled to get her picture with Belle at the beginning, to see all the other princesses, and to participate in the "princess procession". I'm not a big breakfast food person, so I liked that I could fill up on stuff on the cold buffet such as salmon, bagels, salami and cheese. My hubby loves breakfast food, and is a big fan of the hot eggs, sausage and potatoes. My stepdad is all about getting the most value out of the dining plan, so he made a point of filling up on the cold stuff since he said most of it was pricier than eggs.
Verdict: 4/5: We will continue to go here
The Yachtsman Steakhouse
We wanted to do one 2-credit TS restaurant, and had originally booked Le Cellier because we had been there before and liked it. Then I read some awesome reviews for Yachtsman on the Disboards, and convinced my family to try something new. We were not disappointed. My hubby and stepdad each had porterhouses. They both were able to finish them. I had a taste of hubby's and was very impressed. It's pretty amazing how they can make such a big piece of meat so tender, and it's also very well seasoned. The herb fries served with it were also amazing. My stepdad proclaimed them the best fries he's had at any restaurant, ever. Mom and I both had the prime NY strip. Mom thought it was good, but preferred the filet at Le Cellier, although it wasn't really a fair comparison since she didn't get the filet from Yachtsman. I LOVED the NY strip, and preferred it to anything I've ever had from Le Cellier. We both really liked the scalloped potato thing that came with our steaks, but I would have been even happier with some of those amazing fries I kept stealing off of hubby's plate
. We shared habenero infused chocolate cake and peanut butter pretzel bars for dessert. Both were amazing. My mom particularly loved the habenero infused cake, and said that dessert alone would make her pick YS over Le Cellier, even though she liked the meat from LC slightly better. The service was good, our waitress was friendly and attentive, especially with our DD. We were not offered anything complimentary for our DD (although we did pay to get her mac and cheese from the kids menu since she isn't a bit meat eater). The seating host asked about mine and hubby's anniversary pins and wondered if it was the actual day. It was, and we told him so. He gave us a "happy anniversary" menu, but we didn't get an extra dessert. I was a little disappointed with that. We actually never got anniversary desserts from anyone on this trip, and we got them at nearly everyone one when we went the same time last year. I wonder if they are cutting back on that, or if we just didn't seem "special" enough . Anyway, it was still an excellent experience.Verdict: 5/5, We will be back
Boma:
Hubby and I met my old CP roomate and her fiance for this dinner, and my mom and stepdad went there themselves later during the trip. I found plenty to eat that I enjoyed, particularly the salad (loved the cilantro dressing!), the curry pasta salad, the chicken wings, the rice, and the zebra dome dessert. I found the meat to be kind of meh, especially having just eaten at Yachtsman. I tried the watermelon rind salad, which was odd and I couldn't finish it after one bite. Nothing else looked good to me. The people we were dining with really love this restaurant, especially the soups and the meat pie. My mom also really liked the soups, but did not like the meat pie. Overall, my mom and stepdad agreed with hubby and I that there were a few good things, but it was pretty hit or miss.
Verdict: 3/5, I don't think we'll be back.
Yeah, we are lucky she's potty trained, otherwise we definitely would have cut her off after one bowl.
