My Thoughts on Table Service Restaurants

[RocketEAR99]

After 12 wonderful trips to Walt Disney World, I have become a huge advocate of getting as complete of a WDW experience as possible. And if you're going for the complete experience, there is NO way to NOT do some dining at WDW Table Service Locations. Indeed, there are some restaurants you don't want to miss out on! But with the plethora of options available, you are bound to run into restaurants you love, ones you like, ones you can do without, and ones you'll never go to again.

As I add more restaurants to my list of those visited, I plan on returning to this thread to update my thoughts. I also intend to visit the vast majority of the Table Service options available over the course of time regardless of what I've heard about them. Here is my humble opinion on these places and please feel free to interject your thoughts whether you be in hearty agreement or disagreement. It is my hope that this thread and comments will develop into yet one more resource for those considering Table Service Restaurants at WDW.

My rating scale is based on how likely I am to return to said restaurant, regardless of my thoughts, I encourage everyone to form their own opinions. This is merely a loose guide for what to expect. My ratings are:

5-I fully intend to return. It was that good!
4-I am likely to return, but have no specific plans.
3-I can see myself returning, but it could be a while.
2-I doubt I'll go back, but it's not bad.
1-I'll never go back. Not necessarily bad, but there are better ways to spend my money.

My reviews in brief (Specific Reviews to come and will be linked to this post) :

1900 Park Fare - Dinner (1 Visit) - Rating 3
50s Prime Time Cafe - Dinner (3 Visits) - Rating 4
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall - Dinner (1 Visit) - Rating 3
Artist Point - Dinner (1 Visit) - Rating 5
Be Our Guest Restaurant - Dinner (PICTURES!) (1 Visit) - Rating 4
Beaches and Cream - Dessert (PICTURES!) (1 Visit) - Rating 4
Biergarten Restaurant - Dinner (2 Visits) - Rating 3
Big River Grill and Brewing Works - Dinner (PICTURES!) (1 Visit) - Raiting 3
Boma - Dinner (1 Visit) - Rating 3
Cape May Cafe - Dinner (1 Visit) - Rating 4
Chef Mickey's - Breakfast (1 Visit) - Rating 3
Chef Mickey's - Dinner (1 Visit) - Rating 4
Coral Reef Restaurant - Dinner (1 Visit) - Rating 4
Flying Fish Cafe - Dinner (PICTURES!) (1 Visit) - Rating 3
Garden Grill - Dinner (PICTURES!) (1 Visit) - Rating 5
Hollywood & Vine - Breakfast (2 Visits) - Rating 2
Hollywood & Vine -Dinner (1 Visit) - Rating 1
Hollywood Brown Derby - Dinner - Review Pending December 2013 Trip
Kona Cafe - Breakfast (2 Visits) - Rating 5
Le Cellier Steakhouse - Dinner (1 Visit) - Rating 4
Les Chefs de France - Dinner (1 Visit) - Rating 4
Liberty Tree Tavern - Dinner (2 Visits) - Rating 3
Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano - Dinner (PICTURES!) (1 Visit) - Rating 4
Ohana - Dinner (4 Visits) - Rating 5
Olivia's Cafe - Dinner (1 Visit) - Rating 4
The Plaza Restaurant - Dinner (1 Visit) - Rating 3
San Angel Inn - Dinner (1 Visit) - Rating 3
Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater - Dinner (3 Visits) - Rating 4
Teppan Edo - Dinner (1 Visit) - Rating 4
Tony's Town Square - Lunch (1 Visit) - Rating 3
Tony's Town Square - Dinner (2 Visits) - Rating 3
T-REX - Lunch (2 Visits) - Rating 4
Tusker House Restaurant - Dinner (PICTURES!) (1 Visit) - Rating 2
Tutto Italia - Dinner - Review Pending December 2013 Trip
Whispering Canyon Cafe - Breakfast (2 Visit) - Rating 4
Yak & Yeti - Dinner (1 Visit) - Rating 4

Thanks in advance for your views and feedback!

 

[Hopefully]

Before any of us can understand your ratings and whether they are value added is if you tell us what you like, what did you base your opinions on. Simply saying somewhere is a 3 or a 4 means nothing without boundaries.
Are you a "foodie"? Are you a "Meat and Potatoes" kind of person? etc.
Please help us understand

 

[cigar95]

Interesting that Tony's is one of a very small number of 5's on your list. It seems to be one of most universally panned restaurants on WDW property.

I've only eaten there once, for lunch, it seemed fine to me. But I hear and read lots of "ick"-type comments.

So far only one place that you have as a total throw-out. Good to know that you don't dismiss places easily, as every place can have an off day.

 

[rznhal]

Very interesting assessment! I like that you put how many visits to each place. I agree with you on Sci Fi....We enjoyed that one so much!

Are there any places you thought were terrible?

 

[Belle5]

I LOVE how you told us how many times you have been to a restaurant. If you have been somewhere three times I know that it wasn't just a fluke that you had a good experience. I can't say I have had all the same experiences as you ('Ohana is just a didn't impress no matter how many times we went). Kona breakfast is just dependable, isn't it? I am a little shocked about Tony's. I would like to know more about your experiences there and what kind of Italian food you are used to eating. It just seems to me that often people that are from mid-America seem to appreciate Tony's more than east coast diners.

 

[RocketEAR99]

Before any of us can understand your ratings and whether they are value added is if you tell us what you like, what did you base your opinions on. Simply saying somewhere is a 3 or a 4 means nothing without boundaries.
Are you a "foodie"? Are you a "Meat and Potatoes" kind of person? etc.
Please help us understand

Thanks Hopefully! That's a good point. I'm basing my opinions on the quality of service, restaurant ambiance, and quality of food served. As I type up my more detailed reviews, I'll be mentioning what I ordered to bring depth to my thoughts on the quality of the food. I will say when it comes to food, I suppose most would call me a "foodie". I am into trying new things, but I'm not over-the-top adventurous in doing so. For instance, I refuse to try raw fish of any kind, but if it is cooked, I'll give almost anything a go. Also sometimes I do just go for the meat and potatoes if I'm in that sort of mood.

 

[RocketEAR99]

Very interesting assessment! I like that you put how many visits to each place. I agree with you on Sci Fi....We enjoyed that one so much!

Are there any places you thought were terrible?

Good question. When it comes to food, I can't think of anything off the top of my head that was downright terrible, but as you'll see if you continue to read my more detailed reviews (when I post them), if I'm doing Table Service at Disney, I'm not just looking for food that tastes good. Somewhere between the food, the service and the ambiance, I am looking for something "more". I mean, that's pretty much what Disney is all about, right?

Sci-Fi, in ambiance alone, provides that something "more", then couple that with decent food and service that I experienced, it gets a high rating by me.

 

[RocketEAR99]

I LOVE how you told us how many times you have been to a restaurant. If you have been somewhere three times I know that it wasn't just a fluke that you had a good experience. I can't say I have had all the same experiences as you ('Ohana is just a didn't impress no matter how many times we went). Kona breakfast is just dependable, isn't it? I am a little shocked about Tony's. I would like to know more about your experiences there and what kind of Italian food you are used to eating. It just seems to me that often people that are from mid-America seem to appreciate Tony's more than east coast diners.

Thanks for your feedback here, I'm looking forward to being more specific about these places as you are looking forward to getting my thoughts. But this is more about your signature: Congrats to your Eagle Scouts! I am an Eagle Scout myself. It is a great honor, indeed!

 

[goofyintoronto]

Interesting that Tony's is one of a very small number of 5's on your list. It seems to be one of most universally panned restaurants on WDW property.

I've only eaten there once, for lunch, it seemed fine to me. But I hear and read lots of "ick"-type comments. >>>i agree. im kinda shocked at the 5 for Tony's...add me to the "worst meal i ever had, will never go there again" list!

So far only one place that you have as a total throw-out. Good to know that you don't dismiss places easily, as every place can have an off day.

 

[TDC Nala]

Based on my last visit there (which I admit was several years ago) I would have given Tony's a negative score, so the numerical reviews are not really influential without reasoning.

As this is basically a review, though, I'm going to move it to the reviews board.

 

[RocketEAR99]

1 Visit - Rating 3

A Character Buffet with mostly traditional American-type cuisine at the Grand Floridian. The food on this Dinner buffet was very very good, I thought. In comparison to typical buffets, it was high-quality. Of note, I enjoyed the Prime Rib, Chicken Marsala, and the Chilled Strawberry Soup (you must try it). Our server was prompt at cleaning off used dishes and refilling beverages. As to the characters, each visited our table multiple times (even though we were a table of 5 adults)! Lady Tremain, was amazingly in character and a riot

The reason I gave this a 3 is simply because Character experiences are not of high priority with me, personally. The rest of my party was more into it than I. However, if I'm with people who hold preference to returning here in the future, I will have no hesitation in joining them. I noticed the kids and families around us seemed to be having a very enjoyable time.

 

[RocketEAR99]

3 Visits - Rating 4

You order from a menu, the theme is a 50s family kitchen dinette and the servers act like family all while you watch clips from 50s sitcoms on a nearby TV set. This is good, old-fashioned, American home-style cooking. Both visits I have ordered Aunt Liz's Golden Fried Chicken and both times the chicken was tender and moist and full of flavor. Dessert here I have had the Brownie Sundae, and I feel getting dessert is a really good idea here. I also enjoyed that they serve Coke with a shot of vanilla (not Vanilla Coke like you get at the supermarket as this is rich in vanilla flavor).

Both trips here my party enjoyed attentive service. The first time, our waiter was really good at making sure we held to good table manners. One of our party would repeatedly try to get away with his elbows on the table and our server caught him every time. Our second visit, our server did not get into character at all. He just served us. So in that part of ambiance, it has been hit and miss for me-hence my rating of 4.

**Edit** - Trip #3 (Feb 2012) - Again great service was enjoyed, as well as decent comfort food. I ordered the meatloaf which came with potatoes, green beans and carrots. It wasn't at all the best meatloaf I have ever had, but it was still good. Our server this time got into character very well. A couple other servers nearby were getting into it too. Our server bantered with another for a little while which was hilarious! One waiter asked our server if she would ever settle down and marry him, to which she asked how many other girls has he asked that question to. He said 16 because you get 4 richer, 4 poorer, 4 better and 4 worse! She asked which one of those she was. He said neither, that she was #17: Forever. Later another waitress claimed she was #24 and the banter started again! It was such an entertaining meal.

The ambiance is very well done and authentic. A great option for the "meat and potatoes" food person. This is a must try at DHS if you ask me. We intend to make a 3rd dinner trip here in February.

 

[Belle5]

Before any of us can understand your ratings and whether they are value added is if you tell us what you like, what did you base your opinions on. Simply saying somewhere is a 3 or a 4 means nothing without boundaries.
Are you a "foodie"? Are you a "Meat and Potatoes" kind of person? etc.
Please help us understand

I am not sure that someone telling us they are a "foodie" on the DIS means much. As someone who has been on the DIS for 12 years (and much of that time spent on the restaurants board)...I have seen many people claim to be foodies who do fancy themselves to be one by virtue of eating at chain restaurants like Outback. I am not a foodie, though I have dined at almost all the WDW restaurants, including most of the signature restaurants, multiple times. I am not a foodie, but my oldest son is one. A reviewer would have to give A LOT of detail for anyone to determine foodie status.
,

 

[RocketEAR99]

1 Visit - Rating 3

I wasn't going to fully review this until much later, but seeing as it is a hot topic, here goes! Right by the Main Street Station, you can come here and order mostly traditional Italian food in a setting inspired by the restaurant from "Lady and the Tramp".

I am a big fan of traditional Italian Food as two of my favorite restaurant chains near home are Olive Garden and Carrabba's (the latter being my most favorite). Lunch at Tony's gets a separate review since the Lunch menu differs from the Dinner menu. Here I ordered Baked Ziti. This lunch entree could not measure up to Olive Garden standards. I'm not saying it was bad, because it wasn't. I was content with the taste and it settled pleasantly with me, it just wasn't anything to write home about. The service was slightly sub-standard as our server would attend to us infrequently considering the lower crowd in the dining room. So this gets a 3 as it ended up being "just another lunch", but I'm not going to refuse a second lunch visit if someone else wants to try it.

 

[RocketEAR99]

2 Visits - Rating 3

I changed my rating to 3 after giving extra thought on this place and finding I was getting carried away trying to justify a 4. Where lunch was a little lack-luster, Dinner here was more of what I hoped it would be. Both Dinners I had Seafood Diavolo and both times the dish was very good. I'm big on fish, but not salmon and there is salmon in this dish, but coupled with the other seafoods and the sauce, I rather enjoyed it. The sauce was spicy, but not too spicy for me (granted I'm a bit sensitive to spicy foods). I thought the quality of this dish measured up to at least Olive Garden...still not as good as a trip to Carrabba's.

Then to the service, unlike my lunch experience, this dining room was FULL. Ironically enough, our servers at these times were very attentive and most recently, top-notch! Those free refills never came close to running dry and she made sure everything was to our liking.

The ambiance here isn't anything spectacular, but the view of the town square is pleasant. I'd say a return here is in the cards eventually, but Mama Melrose's was better.

 

[RocketEAR99]

1 Visit - Rating 3

Family-Style Character Dinner at Epcot of primarily Norwegian cuisine in a regal banquet hall with the Disney Princesses. I am normally not one to go looking to dine with characters, but often those in my party are, especially when one is my 5-year-old cousin. She enjoyed the attention from the princesses as they came by. There was a large crowd there so each princess only got to our table once, but we weren't upset about that. The ambiance is very regal in setting. The food was tasty, not off the charts good, but to my liking. Some of it may be for the mildly adventurous diner. No dish comes to the forefront of my mind as a "must have". Service here was adequate. I have no complaints.

The main thing I will point out is that this was significantly less expensive than dining in the Castle at Magic Kingdom. Judging from pictures I've seen of the Castle dining room and what I've heard, they are making you pay for just the castle experience, so this may be the less expensive alternative to the Royal Table.

 

[RocketEAR99]

2 Visits - Rating 3

A German Buffet experience in Epcot, featuring live music. I am a fan of this place. The ambiance is made to appear like an evening in a German village during Oktoberfest and is done very well. Musicians playing German folk music provide for great entertainment.

The food on the buffet is delicious and doesn't require that you be very adventurous of an eater. I personally have enjoyed the potato dumplings, sausages and beef rouladen.

I have no complaints about the service here, but it's a buffet, so it's relatively easy to please. I will say that if your party is small (less than 6) and you don't like sharing a table with strangers, this may not be the place for you, though my party has never minded it much.

The reason I have this as a 3 is because of the community seating (I'm not always in the mood for it) and because, for me, a little meat and potatoes goes a long way.

 

[RocketEAR99]

1 Visit - Rating 3

I went to this African-style buffet at Animal Kingdom Lodge while staying at Kidani Village. For anyone staying at either Kidani or Jambo, I highly recommend trying this buffet if you have not done so before. I am not sure I would go out of the way for it though.

The buffet has quite a bit of variety and the more African dishes are very pleasantly seasoned. It has been some time since my visit, so I remember little of specific foods, but the soups were very much enjoyed. This is also a vegetarian-friendly food location.

The ambiance was fitting with the rest of the exquisite detail of the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Service was friendly and quick.

I may venture back to this place if I stay at AKV again.

 

[RocketEAR99]

1 Visit - Rating 4

If you're into All You Care to Enjoy Seafood, this is a great place to come for Dinner. It gets its rating from me on the food alone. The ambiance is fitting for the Beach Club Resort where it is located, so it's not extraordinary. Service was typical for that of a buffet in making sure our old plates were removed promptly and drinks kept full.

I enjoyed a fair amount of snow crab legs here, and lots of steamed clams. I greatly look forward to a return here probably in another year or so when I plan to be staying at the Boardwalk Villas again.

My only issue with this place was the buffet set-up. It is square shaped and with the popularity, the line at the buffet would tend to wrap the whole buffet and begin to wrap it again, making it a good wait at times if all you wanted was a plate of clams.

 

[RocketEAR99]

1 Visit - Rating 4

As I have posted before, I am not very much into Character meals, though I do go to them, but this is one place I would visit anytime without hesitation. Perhaps I simply prefer being visited by Mickey and the gang more than any other characters. With the size of this dining room and the number of characters present, our table was frequently being visited by one character or another.

The buffet itself had a lot to offer both the adults and the kids. There was a good selection of dishes with various forms of pasta. Between those and the prime rib, that was a major selling point for me. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience here and I am looking forward to my upcoming Breakfast reservation in late February!