Our opinion is avoid California Grill

[Vincent405]

I got a call from guest relations today. They are going to credit my CC back for the wine we paid for including tax (about $75) and since it was our last meal on-site and returning dining credits would have done no good, they are going to send me a $50 gift card good at any on-site restaurant.

We have no plans of going back to Disney, but I won't say "never", so maybe it'll get used.

 

[jhryb]

That is terrific. Disney never lets me down. They always right a wrong (within reason). They sure know service

 

[rwdavis2]

That is terrific. Disney never lets me down. They always right a wrong (within reason). They sure know service

They should have comped his entire meal. What they did was hardly adequate.

 

[Vincent405]

They should have comped his entire meal. What they did was hardly adequate.

I agree with you 100% in principle, but we were on the dining plan, deluxe, and it was our very last meal on-site for the trip. We left early the next morning. So, there really was not anything, other than 1 beer I paid for, that could have been comped.

But, more/something should have been the night we were there.

 

[Gregowa]

DH , DGS, and I also had a very disappointing dining experience at California Grill in early December. A year prior before the remodeling, we had a tremendous experience and one of the best meals we had ever eaten. We were very much looking forward to returning in December after the remodel and were surprised that our experience was a complete turn around from our previous experience. To start, we were seated about 20 minutes before our waitress ever approached our table. She took our drink orders and then disappeared finally returning about 15 minutes later with our drinks and a basket of cold, hard breads and frozen butter. We ordered our appetizers and waited again. When they came DH had the meatballs which he said were cold and not very good. DGS had the sashimi sushie which was so spicy hot, he could not taste any flavor of the fish. He was unable to eat more than 3 or 4 bites it burned his mouth so badly. I had the goat cheese ravioli which turned out to be the best dish of the meal. It was as wonderful as I remembered it to be. I was glad it survived the menu changes. We finished our appetizers and waited and waited for our entrees. When they finally arrived, our waitress who seemed quite harried and was not too terribly polite or friendly, kind of dumped them on our table and left again without asking if we needed anything. She came back as we were finishing our entrees. We had all finished our beverages and needed refills during our meal but we never got any. I asked for a refill of my iced tea. She told me she would bring it but I never got it. As far as dinner went, all of our food was cold. DGS had salmon he said was not very tasty and was over cooked. DH had the scallops which were not only small but were also over cooked and rubbery. I had the filet of beef and tomato risotto which were both very bland without much flavor. Neither tasted like they had been seasoned at all. When the waitress came to take our dessert orders, I had left the table to go to the ladies room so she told DH and DGS she would return when I returned, insinuating to them that I should have not left the table until after our meal was completely finished. We decided to forego dessert as we were done with lack luster cold food and poor service. Our "fine dining" experience at California Grill took 2 1/2 hours without dessert and I left the restaurant thirsty. We were all disappointed. It was the worst meal and dining experience we've ever had at Disney. My husband did tell the manager of our disappointment and the reply he got was that he was sorry we were disappointed but they were having some growing pains with new wait staff, menu changes, etc. It makes me sad that what was once a wonderful fine dining experience in every way possible and well worth the price, is just not worth it anymore. We won't return anytime soon. I am going to have to see many glowing reviews and signs of improvement before we try again. What a shame!

 

[rwdavis2]

DH , DGS, and I also had a very disappointing dining experience at California Grill in early December. A year prior before the.....

Sound like many of the reviews I have seen since the refurb. I had never seen a bad review until they remodeled CG. I hope it is fixed when we go back.

Just curios to the OP, did you complain. During the meal? I would have in attempt to get it back on track. Sounds like the server was brand new with no training or just did not car.

 

[Vincent405]

Sound like many of the reviews I have seen since the refurb. I had never seen a bad review until they remodeled CG. I hope it is fixed when we go back.

Just curios to the OP, did you complain. During the meal? I would have in attempt to get it back on track. Sounds like the server was brand new with no training or just did not car.

Yes, we did. To the server and to the manager. Neither seemed to care much. If I thought there was a chance we could have eaten elsewhere at what was after wishes at that point, we would have left. I did not feel the Contempo was a good option with our need to avoid gluten, lactose, and soy for my DW. Looking back, we probably should have simply walked out. We were staying at the Contemporary and still needed to finish packing for our morning flight.

Like I said, if we ever go back to Disney, there is absolutely no way we will go to the Cali Grill.

 

[MichelleWDWfan]

SS to hear about your horrible dining experience at CG.
DS and I dined there Sept 25, 2013, after the refurb.
We always do the Dlx DDP.

It was our first time eating at Cali Grill. We had an excellent experience, and meal. We didn't have any complaints about anything.

I'm glad you contacted them. I agree with a previous poster they should have comped the entire meal, not just a $50 gift card, since it was your last night and these were your last dining credits.
At least they gave you a refund on the wine too.

I can't imagine how upset I would be if I had your dining experience at CG.

 

[smile4stamps]

We had dined at CA Grill twice before the refurb and 3 times since. One of the times since the refub we had AWFUL service. We learned after that this server has been with Disney for a VERY long time. Unfortunately we have also heard that many people have issues with her. We have learned that when we check in to request NOT to have her as our server. I'm afraid she is not the only one there that provides poor service. Disney needs to know about this. Yes complaining to management May do something but an email to customer service also should be written so it is documented. I think some of these servers have no right to be serving in this restaurant and really need to work on improving or be placed elsewhere.

 

[ciera321]

Could you share the name of the waiter or waiters that you have gotten good service? We've been many times before the refurbishment and loved everything, but for our next trip in May, it would be nice to have the name of a great waiter. If Ron is still there, we will definitely ask for him, but a backup would be nice....Ron was the best waiter we've had at any restaurant!!!

 

[1oldguitarman]

Good details, and I'm sorry to hear your story. California Grill is one of our favorites and we usually have at least one meal there every year. We visited CG twice last October (2013) after the remodeling and enjoyed the new makeover. Our service was impeccable as always, menu was excellent and overall experience was tops. We will definitely be returning!

Regarding "staying silent" when a less-than-excellent meal or experience occurs, I can only say from my experience that DISNEY is not the place to remain silent, they ALWAYS have been more than accommodating when those infrequent, unpleasant experiences occur. My wife and I spend, on average, 40 nights a year on property and, unfortunately, that many meals raise the odds of a less-than-magical experience ... it's very rare, but it has happened to us. We always point out any issues we are having, during our meal. We always begin the conversation as unemotionally and professionally as possible. Disney has always bent over backwards to make us "whole," often receiving complimentary extras, reduced charges, etc.

Hope you re-try CG, and mention your previous problem when first checking-in at the desk, Disney has done favors for us when we've done it that way, too!

 

[Disneytam]

We ate at the California Grill on Feb. 6 and loved it. I had never had sushi but really wanted to try it and our waitress was so nice discussing the different types of sushi and what I might enjoy. I ended up getting the spicy Kazan Roll and she had them cut back on the spicy just a little for me. Since I had never used chop sticks she also bought me over the little clips that you put on them to make them easier to use. I loved the sushi!! My husband had the Apple and Kale salad and really enjoyed that as well.

For the main course I had a fish course that I don't see on the All ears menu. It was good but not blow you out of the water great, while my husband had the oak fired fillet that he really enjoyed. Throughout our whole meal our server could not have been better. I would also like to say that for the 9 days that we were there and all the places that we ate at (we were on the deluxe dining plan) CG was the only one that made anything about our anniversary celebration. Our table had confetti on it and our waitress wished us a happy anniversary. It was noted on our reservation and the hotel left us a card in our room but that was it. Not a big deal for us but if someone was expecting something they might be disappointed.

Overall I thought CG was a wonderful meal with great service and would recommend it highly. Our server also told us that Disney's CEO was dining there that night so maybe they are checking up on things. It was so foggy that evening that you could hear the fireworks but you couldn't really see them and our server joked with us that maybe the Disney big wigs were trying to figure out how to control mother nature so that she didn't ruin the fireworks show! I just wish I could recall her name.

 

[1oldguitarman]

That was an excellent idea to share the names of servers who've given excellent attention at CG. Our last meal was attended by DALE ... he said he'd been there ever since CG opened (was it there in the early '70's?). Service was excellent and we'll ask for Dale again.

Since our first on-property stay at WDW in July, 1997, my wife and I have logged 366 nights on WDW property. We've dined almost everywhere multiple times. I must admit, we've had a few experiences that weren't satisfactory, even at our favorite spots (CA Grill, Artist Point, Citrico's, Brown Derby, Sanaa, Le Cellier to name a few). On most occasions, we've talked with management and been happy with the outcome. On a few occasions, I realized I was in a terrible mood, had a terrible party next to our table, etc. and couldn't decide how much of the problem was my own perception ... and I wasn't sure I could be civil so I stayed quiet.

After many years of WDW dining experience, I've realized that I'll never avoid a restaurant based solely on reviews ... and when I've had bad experiences, I return a few years later to discover a new & enjoyable meal. So sorry to hear of this bad CG experience

 

[JessicaKnits]

It really breaks my heart to read reviews like yours. California Grill has always been my favorite restaurant on site, and I have not returned since the refurb, but I will be in about ten days. I truly hope that our experience does not disappoint.

We only had one service issue, with Erika, back in 2010. She actually chastised me for not eating the octopus nigiri off of the deluxe platter and told me I was insulting the chef by not finishing it. It was the only sour note in an otherwise amazing meal.

 

[ciera321]

That was an excellent idea to share the names of servers who've given excellent attention at CG. Our last meal was attended by DALE ... he said he'd been there ever since CG opened (was it there in the early '70's?). Service was excellent and we'll ask for Dale again.

Thanks so much. I was hoping I'd get a name or 2 for our May trip. And a years worth of Disney stays....very nice!

 

[AThrillingChase]

Thanks so much. I was hoping I'd get a name or 2 for our May trip. And a years worth of Disney stays....very nice!

I actually saw this review a few days before we left for our Cali Grill ADR our first night and was a little nervous. I am happy to report it was amazing and I already made another ADR for my April trip.

Our servers name was Nancy! I just pulled out my receipt to find it! We had the mickey confetti on the table for my birthday and she gave us good recommendations, suggested the best spot on the viewing deck for wishes, brought us their celebration dessert (the crème brulee), offered to take pictures for us and took a bunch at different angles (including showing us how to best get the birthday candles in the photo!), and as is their specialty - timed it all perfectly. There was not one amazing thing she did, but rather she was just thoughtful throughout the entire meal. The service very much felt personalized.

We had the goat cheese ravioli (omg.) and split the gnocchi dish and the filet. The filet was cooked absolutely perfectly. One of the best steaks I can remember! The gnocchi was good, but just as Nancy suggested, had we not split the filet as well it would have been better as an app than a main dish.

I have dreams of that ravioli.

 

[Andianna]

Sorry for your experience. Glad to hear Disney responded to you.

 

[ciera321]

I actually saw this review a few days before we left for our Cali Grill ADR our first night and was a little nervous. I am happy to report it was amazing and I already made another ADR for my April trip.

Our servers name was Nancy! I just pulled out my receipt to find it! We had the mickey confetti on the table for my birthday and she gave us good recommendations, suggested the best spot on the viewing deck for wishes, brought us their celebration dessert (the crème brulee), offered to take pictures for us and took a bunch at different angles (including showing us how to best get the birthday candles in the photo!), and as is their specialty - timed it all perfectly. There was not one amazing thing she did, but rather she was just thoughtful throughout the entire meal. The service very much felt personalized.

We had the goat cheese ravioli (omg.) and split the gnocchi dish and the filet. The filet was cooked absolutely perfectly. One of the best steaks I can remember! The gnocchi was good, but just as Nancy suggested, had we not split the filet as well it would have been better as an app than a main dish.

I have dreams of that ravioli.

Thanks, I'll add her name to Dale's. Nice to know the names of a couple of good waiters we can request! I'm glad you had a great dinner.