My First and Last Time at Cal Grill !!!!!

[Beachangel]

I've always enjoyed the food at CG, although this last time I didn't care for what I ordered - very blah. The others adored what they had - pork & steak. The service is hit or miss. Last time, it was a miss.

 

[buchkoba00]

Originally posted by WDWChick
I just returned from my vacation (boy isn't that depressing), and I had to share with you my experience at California Grill.
My DH, our 3 1/2 year old, and myself had dinner there on Wednesday night the 22nd.
We went because we had heard so many good things about it on these boards, and we wanted to try something new. BIG MISTAKE! The meal was horrible.
I'll start with my DH meal:
He ordered a filet mignon that sounded wonderful on the menu. When it came it was burnt and covered in BARBEQUE SAUCE!!!
It had 3 slices of potato next to it (very thinly sliced).
And it had 3 green beans.
Grand total for this was $34.00
My meal was salmon. It came with about a 1/2 to 3/4ths of a cup of very spicy sauce poured over it. That tiny piece of fish was swimming in a chili sauce. $28.00
Our waiter was more interested in arguing with his fellow waiters than helping us. After the meal was thankfully over, they brought us our meal again! We told them we had already eaten (duh), and they told us, "That's impossible!" We assured them we had eaten and we just wanted the check.
After close to 2 hours, we were thankfully out of there.
Thanks for letting me vent! I can definitely say we will not be returning again!

I really don't know how you could compare their sauce to a store bought sauce.

As for the portions, did you order a first course or an appetizer? At a restaurant like the CG the main course is not going to be all that large. The meal is designed so you order a first course or appetizer, a main course and usually a desert. I just ate their and was VERY full after Sushi, the Filet, and a desert.

Originally posted by beacher
FWIW, I just wanted to weigh in on California Grill also... DH and I ate there last December and will not be back. Service was OK but both of us did not like our entrees - DH ordered the salmon and had to send it back for cooking; the inside was completely watery and runny. I had the pork chop which was the other extreme and totally overcooked and dry. DH's sushi sampler appetizer was also a bust. Realize we could have hit it on a bad night and have read many positive things, but no amount of convicing will get my DH to agree to pay those prices again.

You had to send the Salmon back for cooking... meaning it wasn't done enough?
If so, in reality nearly all restaurants overcook their Salmon. Salmon is not a meat that needs to be well done, and should actually be served somewhere around medium rare. It is not the fault of the restaurant you do not like it cooked this way.
Why was the Sushi sampler a bust?

Originally posted by TwingleMum
Add us to the list of theunimpressed with Calif Grill. The food was OK and the prices unwarrented. The best thing was the view. We will not be going back. V & A on the otherhand was much much better. (AAA agrees only 4 diamond restaurant in WDW)

Actually, Jiko is the only current 4 diamond at WDW.

 

[BCVBRUCE]

Originally posted by time101
I may be a Disney planning nut, but I always print out the menus to every restaurant we are thinking of trying in advance. That way, we rule out restaurants that are not our style.

DITTO!

We love CG! Great food, Great service and BEAUTIFUL SUNSETS!

Have Fun,
Bruce

 

[ILOVEPOOH1]

I'm so sorry you had a bad experience. The OP is correct about the salmon though. Both Salmon and Tuna should be on the med rare side. As a diner in many fancy rest. I can attest that this is how it will automatically be prepared unless you specify otherwise. Just to make everyone aware. I personally love my fish this way, (better flavor)but that's me. My DH and I will be eating here on our anniversary and are very much looking forward to it. It will just be the two of us, so I kind of look forward to a long relaxing meal (we have a # of places around us, finer dining, where a meal can take 2-21/2 hours. This is serving in European tradition (this is why Europeans are not as overweight as us... they eat slowly with time between courses...allowing the feeling of fullness to set in thus eating less in the long run!) Here in the US we are so used to rushing, that it often seems like poor service when things are slowed down.

I am very glad that you warned us about the temp. in CG. We will be sure to bring sweaters!

Hope you didn't let it ruin your trip!

 

[Luv2Roam]

I sympathsize with WDWChick.
We ate at CA Grille once. Was disappointed and never returned.
Bad service.
Dinky portions.
High price.
Were not treated well enough and served overpriced food.
If someone else was buying I would be willing to try them again.

 

[buchkoba00]

Wow, again, the portions are not meant to be huge as you aren't supposed to just order one entree!

 

[Alysa]

We had a similar experience in May with not great service and a meal that did not seem to measure up to the price. The fireworks view was wonderful but I think we will return to the castle for our view from now on. I agree, if I have a bad experience in a restaurant, I am under no obligation to complain, I think it just takes a bad evening and makes it worse. It wasn't a bad restaurant, it just didn't seem to be the same place everyone had been raving about. Sorry you had a disappointing evening - luckily there are so many other wonderful places to go and try - Citricos, V&A, Chefs du France, Bistro, Cinderella's Castle (granted, not gourmet but how can you resist it's charm?!) And I think any meal at disney is okay with me!
Cheers!

 

[strawboss]

Count me in with the disappointed group. We went because all the guidebooks said it was award winning etc., so we tried it.

I felt the idea was to bedazzle the guests with the atmosphere and the young, trendy waitstaff and the view and the avant garde furnishings, and to serve the food as though it was a work of "art", what with the bright colored garnishes and artsy way of making the sauces look like little abstract paintings, and the drama of the open grill.

The trendy waitstaff were too busy flirting/entertaining/goofing off with each other, and after sitting there for like 45 minutes waiting for each course, I was tempted to get the bill and bolt before the main course came out. It was very pricey and too slow and I was generally annoyed with the whole thing.

I'm glad I "experienced" it, but I won't be making another trip there. The view is fabulous, no doubt, but I think next time I'll just go up there and use the bathroom and nose around and see the view and then leave (if possible).

Also, at what website or place can you print menus out? I'm always stealing menus so I'll have an idea what places serve for next time, but I'd love to be able to print them

 

[denisem]

Originally posted by strawboss
The trendy waitstaff were too busy flirting/entertaining/goofing off with each other, and after sitting there for like 45 minutes waiting for each course, I was tempted to get the bill and bolt before the main course came out. It was very pricey and too slow and I was generally annoyed with the whole thing.

Wow, been several years since my ONE visit to CG, but this mirrors my experience (and tip), and we haven't returned.

Too many other good WDW restaurants to frequent.

Denise < --- hey, appreciates what a waitstaff goes though. Cuts slack/verbally appreciates those overwhelmed...