Kouzzina - What's the dealio?

[mhconley]

Kouzzina more than any other restaurant at WDW seems to generate diametrically opposed reviews. Some call it the worst restaurant in WDW while others rave about the food. I've decided to give it a try on our next trip and chose it over Teppan Edo, one of our all time favorites. (Booked my ADR this morning.)

The poor reviews I've read make me want to stay away, far away, while the good reviews really have me looking forward to dining there. I'm a fan of Iron Chef America and have always thought Cat Cora's dishes looked yummy. Is she involved with Kouzzina or is Disney just paying her to use her name?

Did they have troubles when the first opened which have now been ironed out? Any general trend toward better or worse over time? For those who hate it why? Same for those who loved it.

 

[kathie859]

I think the detractors do not care for the spices used in Greek cooking...I.e., cinnamon with meat. If you're a lover of Greek/Mediterranean food, you should like it. FWIW, both DH and I loved the food and at the BWI CL, the appetizers come from Kouzzina which was a huge bonus for us.

 

[nickymaria]

We ate there last January and were very happy with the food! But we are adventurous eaters so that may be why...

 

[clc053103]

I have to disagree wholeheartedly.....the vast majority of the reviews I have read had issues with the terrible service, small portions, loud atmosphere, and food quality. It had nothing to do with not enjoying the spices used in greek cooking. Try it for yourself and see, perhaps you will have a better experience than many of us did!

 

[gary403]

it's been one of my favorites, breakfast or dinner!

 

[tinkgirl1984]

I think the detractors do not care for the spices used in Greek cooking...I.e., cinnamon with meat. If you're a lover of Greek/Mediterranean food, you should like it. FWIW, both DH and I loved the food and at the BWI CL, the appetizers come from Kouzzina which was a huge bonus for us.

That wasn't my problem with Kouzzina at all. It is horribly, horribly loud. Not that that's their fault...Spoodles always was too, but it is loud enough to be distracting. When we were finally seated an hour after our ADR, the service was non-existent and the food was ice cold. It took over 20 minutes to find anybody to take the food back to the kitchen, and when it was brought back, it was still inedible (just bad, had nothing to do with the spices). I really wanted to like it. I love Greek food. I love Iron Chef. I really hope Disney is just paying Cat to use her name, because the food is an embarrassment.

 

[drenalin'junkie]

We love the food but.......it's loud and service has been an issue for some as well.If you go reallizing the food is psuedo-Greek/semi-eclectic/semi-homecooking and can order by reading into a menu or by looking at food pix then it'll prolly be fun.

 

[Pakey]

We are incredibly adventurous eaters and love Greek food. My problem with this place had nothing to do with taste. My entree was served cold. I don't care what it tasted like, it wasn't supposed to be cold. And it was 20 minutes before our server made it back to our table so that I could tell him this. I could have tried calling for him but it was so noisy in there that he would never have heard me anyway.

This was 6 months ago so no, not when first opened.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) THis is not Greek food.
2) It is highly Americanized Greek food.
3) I am sure Cat gets a big buck for her name.
4) But, I doubt she would be too much more associated.
5) A famous cook woudl not want their name sullied.

*************************************

Our Ratings of Kouzzina: (rev 3/5/11)
. . . food price value: C
. . . food quality: C-
. . . food quantity per serving: B
. . . food prep speed: B
. . . food selection: C
. . . seating quantity: B
. . . seating comfort: C
. . . eatery atmosphere: D-
. . . eatery convenience: C
. . . staff friendliness: B
. . . staff helpfulness: D
. . . character interaction: n/a

NOTE: The food, although named "Greek" resembled Greek in
name only. Very, very Americanized. My $32-steak was dry and her
$27-lamb was overcooked. Both had to be sent back to the kitchen.
The daughter had the sampler. Pretty small, 6-7 bites for the three
items. Poor room design makes for terrible acoustics, making it
one of the noisiest eateries in WDW - worse than Chef Mickey’s on
a bad day. As many people have offered, the service is VERY
spotty. We waited 19-minutes to see the waiter AFTER being
seated (5:54pm-6:13pm). Family bought me one of the a 6" podium
Sara Lee frozen birthday cakes - surprisingly it was quite yummy!


(I guess when you get to be a famous chef, you don't care about your
restaurant, as long as the bucks flow in - or it seems that way.)

 

[aubriee]

I have to disagree wholeheartedly.....the vast majority of the reviews I have read had issues with the terrible service, small portions, loud atmosphere, and food quality. It had nothing to do with not enjoying the spices used in greek cooking. Try it for yourself and see, perhaps you will have a better experience than many of us did!

I agree 100% with this assessment. It's the terrible service, small portions, loud atmosphere, and poor food quality that gives Kouzzina it's poor reviews. I am not a picky eater at all and will try anything once, but please keep my water glass filled and let me see my waiter at least once between the time I order and the time he finally hands me the check (and then has the nerve to tell me that the tip is not included on the DDP). It shouldn't take a solo diner close to two hours to get her meal and get out of there.

 

[bunkkinsmom]

I agree that I have seen both good and bad reviews for Kouzzina. We went in January to see for ourselves and loved it. We didn't notice the noise level, but then again, the place was very slow. Not full by a long shot. Our server was prompt (not very chatty, but nice, knowledgeable, and prompt), and the food was delicious.

Maybe I caught them on a good night, but it was good enough to want to go back, that's for sure!