Nervous about 'Ohana ressie...

[Coach81]

You will LOVE IT!!! Everything is grilled to perfection, the bread is fantastic, the pot-stickers are fabulous, and MY OH MY the BREADPUDDING!!!!!

 

[Alexander]

We haven't beent to 'Ohana in a few years, but everytime we have gone there we have loved it! As to the quality of the food going down, I think that can be said of most TS restaurants in WDW.

When the dining plan first began, the quality remained, but after a year or so many with people using it, the quality of the food has gone way down. IMHO there are two reasons behind this--WDW weren't making as much money on the TS restaurants because of the dining plan, thus the quality of the food isn't where it used to be, and the TS restaurants (many anyways) are operating at or above maximum capacity and they just cannot maintain the same level of quality.

Either way, the restaurants are still busy and people are still getting full on less than stellar food. Regardless of the reasons, WDW is coming out ahead.

 

[jess20k]

I would definitely give it a try! Narcoossee's is one of our favorites, so I am biased regarding choosing btw the two. However, I think 'Ohana is an experience everyone should at least try once. We used to love it, and would go every trip. However, I also feel it is not as good as it used to be. So, we don't go every trip anymore. But, it is still a place we like to go every now and then. We will be going next week actually, and all I was able to get was an 8:30 adr, and I booked way in advance.

 

[iloveeeyore]

We had been reading lots of reviews about the decline of 'Ohana lately, but we had dinner at there on 8/3/10 and it was absolutely wonderful, probably our best meal we've had there yet! I am working on my full dining review, but I will have some pics up from our dinner there some time in the next few weeks, so watch for them.

We all thought that the chicken was a great replacement for the turkey, it was so moist and flavorful! The steak was cooked to a perfect medium-rare (I even took a pic after I cut it to show y'all). If the meats are delivered to your table not cooked to your liking, you can tell your waiter what is wrong and ask for meat from a different skewer.

It was a wonderful experience that we all enjoyed and would recommend to anyone.

Having said that, we have never dined at Narcoossee's, but I don't see how you could compare the two. They are meant to be completely different types of experiences. 'Ohana is a family-style restaurant with games for kids going on in the dining room and a great big firepit. It is bustling and loud with good (we thought most was GREAT) hearty food with Asian flavors. (If you don't like Asian spices like ginger and soy, you might prefer to skip this restaraunt, as I think at least many of the things are marinated or infused with these flavors, and lots of garlic!). Narcoossee is a signature dining experience with a more upscale, elegant feel, fine dining on gourmet food. Here you have to choose from a menu, which may be hit or miss, mostly hit from what I read. At 'Ohana you can try everything on the menu and ask for more of what you like!

Are you looking for something relaxed and fun, or something more upscale and elegant? Apples and oranges!

 

[MickeyNicki]

Can you get Narcoossee's back? I have read some amazing reviews of it and Ohana's is ok but there is nothing like a signature place.

Ohana's can get very noisy and crowded, the food is good but the highlight of the entire meal is the dessert....

 

[Local_Girl]

We had been reading lots of reviews about the decline of 'Ohana lately, but we had dinner at there on 8/3/10 and it was absolutely wonderful, probably our best meal we've had there yet! I am working on my full dining review, but I will have some pics up from our dinner there some time in the next few weeks, so watch for them.

We all thought that the chicken was a great replacement for the turkey, it was so moist and flavorful! The steak was cooked to a perfect medium-rare (I even took a pic after I cut it to show y'all). If the meats are delivered to your table not cooked to your liking, you can tell your waiter what is wrong and ask for meat from a different skewer.

It was a wonderful experience that we all enjoyed and would recommend to anyone.

Having said that, we have never dined at Narcoossee's, but I don't see how you could compare the two. They are meant to be completely different types of experiences. 'Ohana is a family-style restaurant with games for kids going on in the dining room and a great big firepit. It is bustling and loud with good (we thought most was GREAT) hearty food with Asian flavors. (If you don't like Asian spices like ginger and soy, you might prefer to skip this restaraunt, as I think at least many of the things are marinated or infused with these flavors, and lots of garlic!). Narcoossee is a signature dining experience with a more upscale, elegant feel, fine dining on gourmet food. Here you have to choose from a menu, which may be hit or miss, mostly hit from what I read. At 'Ohana you can try everything on the menu and ask for more of what you like!

Are you looking for something relaxed and fun, or something more upscale and elegant? Apples and oranges!

Thank you for the recent report! Glad to hear your family enjoyed your meal there. We have been there a couple of times before, but not since '05. It was our family favorite! We have an ADR there for our Nov trip and are really looking forward to it. The menu has actually undergone several changes since then, I understand.

I have a question...our kids are very close in age to yours (teens) and I was wondering where they put your family in the restaurant...were you in the main room where the kid's activities are, or at one of the outlying tables? We've been in both, but I think this time we might enjoy being in one of the outlying areas and not in the middle of all of the activities since our kids won't be participating. I realize there are other factors involved in seating guests...perhaps we'll just ask for a quieter table this trip.

 

[Mamu]

It is one of the more popular restaurants at Disney. Very hard to get ADR. It does have it's loyal followers who eat here every trip.

We happen not to be one, I've tried it twice for dinner, the starters are very good, but you have to like meat thats cooked over a fire pit. I find this kind of meat too dry to enjoy. Ohana's is not on our list of favorites.

I do think everyone should try it at least once.

 

[tinkinthehouse]

would never drop Narrcoosee's for Ohana's....never

 

[mommycrawford]

I am going 2x this trip!!!!...I was a vegetarian for 22 years, so am not a crazy meat lover, but adore the feeling I get there! My vacation would not be the same without going there!...and the food is fun, if not excellent.

 

[eeyoresnr]

'Ohanas is our favorite and a MUST do for every trip! we have one night booked for our upcoming trip and I'm hoping someone will cancel so we can get a second dinner for that trip:thumbsup! and Gary is our favorite server

 

[pearlieq]

If we don't love it, so what?? We have 12 other dinners to look forward to.

That's the right attitude!

Just keep it in perspective. It's just one meal. No one is going to starve to death. You're on your honeymoon!

If it's good, that's great. If it's not, at least you'll have a funny story to tell the folks at home.

 

[DaisyD]

'Ohana is our favorite restaurant. For our trip next month we have dinner there the first and last night of our stay. We also have a mid week breakfast there. I really can't attest to the meat there. I'm not a vegetarian but I go for the shrimp only. I love the shrimp! I love all the side dishes and the dessert is our favorite of all desserts in WDW.

 

[Minnesota!]

"Ohana is one of our top 3 restaurants. We have been there before the dining plan and after. And......both ways are fabulous! The food is out of bounds, the atmosphere is top notch, and most importantly...my family loves it!

Now, I have become almost 100% vegetarian since the last time I was there...so hoping they wow me with their veggie entrees this time!

 

[ChristaDeVil]

This last trip was our third time at Ohana, and we had a pretty poor experience. The first two times were awesome, so we were pretty excited. I blame most of our problems on the server. Instead of (as a PP said) feeling rushed, I felt like she wanted us to move in and stay there for the night. Our appetizers and salads came out right away and were amazing as usual, but the skewers were cold by the time she got to our table. The dessert was great, but I was a little disappointed since we had eaten there twice before and loved it. It's no longer going to be a priority for us. There are other places we haven't tried, so I'm going to wait a couple of trips before going back.

Now, that being said, I will say that our two previous trips were awesome and the best meals of those trips. I really think your server makes or breaks it. The table next to us had the server we had last trip, and she was amazing (her name is Yesmina? Yesica?). I really wanted to go sit at her table.

 

[iloveeeyore]

Thank you for the recent report! Glad to hear your family enjoyed your meal there. We have been there a couple of times before, but not since '05. It was our family favorite! We have an ADR there for our Nov trip and are really looking forward to it. The menu has actually undergone several changes since then, I understand.

I have a question...our kids are very close in age to yours (teens) and I was wondering where they put your family in the restaurant...were you in the main room where the kid's activities are, or at one of the outlying tables? We've been in both, but I think this time we might enjoy being in one of the outlying areas and not in the middle of all of the activities since our kids won't be participating. I realize there are other factors involved in seating guests...perhaps we'll just ask for a quieter table this trip.

We were seated in the room all the way to the right as you walk in. There was a wall/divider between us and the main diningroom and firepit, and we were at a window table, but the windows looked out over the area where that stream flows between the GCH and the volcano pool. We couldn't see the castle. It was pretty quiet and laid-back over there; we still could hear the games/singing going on, but we could easily hear our own conversation over it. The adorable entertainer came through with her ukelele and a parade a few times, which was fun to see. It was perfect for us.

 

[Haeg]

Ohanas has a great atmosphere, been eating there for years. Menu has changed several times, not always to my liking but I keep going back. We try to get ressie's every time we go, food is good. Like the current menu.
BTW you can request the meats cooked to your liking. I order medium to medium rare on the steak it's fantastic same with shrimp, don't bring over a burnt skewer of shrimp. Pork should not be dry either. This rarely happens but has. Bread pudding is the best and tough to save room for.

 

[Local_Girl]

We were seated in the room all the way to the right as you walk in. There was a wall/divider between us and the main diningroom and firepit, and we were at a window table, but the windows looked out over the area where that stream flows between the GCH and the volcano pool. We couldn't see the castle. It was pretty quiet and laid-back over there; we still could hear the games/singing going on, but we could easily hear our own conversation over it. The adorable entertainer came through with her ukelele and a parade a few times, which was fun to see. It was perfect for us.

Thanks for your response! I think we'll request a quieter area. I'm assuming most families with young children are requesting to be in the main room where the action is so we should have a good shot at getting what we want.

 

[ash&abby'smom]

Give it a try. Everyone's taste and expectations are different. We gave it a try last November and loved it. We weren't rushed. We were offered more of anything we wanted. My two girls even loved it. We would go again, if my oldest wasn't turning 10, as it just isn't worth an adult price for her.

I think every restaraunt has good and bad reviews. If you think it is something you might like, definitely give it a try, you never know if you don't.

 

[bfamily5]

It was one of our Favorites last trip...on my "must do list" this time!

 

[JerseyJanice]

I've never been to Narcoossee, but we go to Ohana every trip. We love it, and honestly, it has been consistently excellent each and every time we've dined there from 1999 till last summer.

Ohana's food and atmosphere remind me of the "Polynesian" restaurants that were around North Jersey in the 60s and 70s. Back in the day, there were various Dragon Inns (Chan's and John's) and Lee's Hawaiian Islander places that served fancy drinks with funny menu descriptions and pupu platters that brought real fire to your table. If you know the type of the restaurant I'm talking and like that style, then you'll love Ohana.

Oh, and if the meat is dry, they serve delicious dipping sauces you can moisten it with. Stick with Ohana. It's fairly unique in this day and age, whereas you can find plenty of "fine" dining establishments where you live.