ponderesa

[Rain]

Allie,

I have got to agree with you! Lots more places that you get a better quality of food without paying so much more.

We took my grandaughters to GC in November thinking they would love the choice etc, The tables were dirty cutlery dirty, The chef cooking the steaks etc was continually rubbing is nose. He then proceeded to use the tongs that he had used on the raw meats to put the cooked meats on the plates.

Been to Ponderosa a couple of times too and found the food quality poor there.

I prefer now to eat breakfast in the room, cereals and bagels etc and spend a little more on dinner

Mt grandaugters did not like the experience either.

Lynda

 

[Rannoch]

Can anyone advise if the address of the Golden Corral restaurant at Splendid China is 2701 W Vine Street Kissimmee.

Thanks,

rannoch

 

[Scottish_Maleficent]

Hello Rannoch
The US 192 at Splendid China is called West Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway, not West Vine Street - that is farther East along the 192 - way past Wal*Mart.
I think the address near Splendid China is - 7702 W. Irlo Bronson Highway!!!

Have you seen their website?
Yummy...........

Cath

 

[Rannoch]

Thanks Cath.

Exactly what I needed to know.

Regards,

Rannoch

 

[Beth__WDW23/6/02]

Originally posted by mike230652
Ponderosa, Shoneys and particularly Dennys are just fast, naff, processed foods. The idea of my kids having artificially coloured jelly for breakfast wouldn't appeal....they can be hyper enough without that sort of junk!mike

Ahhhh...Personally each to there own, But my Daughter love's the Artificially Coloured Jelly. LUCKILY she isnt hyperactive afterwards, I mean once every year cant do any harm.

I just think where you eat is up to you.
I have eat a few times at ponderosa and LUCKILY the food has been fine, But This time around we might try out some of the names mentioned in this thread.

 

[onlyholly]

the GC near the crossroads and have to say, when we visit most mornings in August each year, the place is busy with a mixture of tourists from all over the world, but mostly american - now they know how to pile their plates high (like the rest of us) and have a little (or lot) of everything on the same plate - not the way I do it, I like to separate my savoury from my sweet - but hey ..... we're all different and that's what is so great about going on holiday and learning these cultural differences. I wish we had such places here in the UK.

What sort of places do we have that offer great breakfasts ?? Greasy Spoon cafe's - yuk yuk yuk ??

Holly

 

[mike230652]

Beth............Dead right, each to his own. Just there's a load of much better places than those that have (generally ) been shot down here! I'm frantically trying to think of a real old-fashioned breakfast place we visited that was really brilliant and its name won't come to mind...AARghh!!

onlyholly............can't personally say I've learnt too much about cultural differences in the places mentioned ?!

mike

 

[MalcolmC]

Allie, I'm with you, kid.

When we first started to visit Florida, there wasn't really anywhere else to go. but now there are far better (and not much dearer) places to eat.

Ponderosa and Golden Coral are just so tacky (mostly the carpets!) the entrees are small and they hope you fill up with the buffet food. Sizzler is slightly better but not by a lot.

That's just my humble opinion - take it or leave it

mike230652.

Its not the Cracker Barrel you're thinking of, is it?

I've never been there, but have read and heard good reports.

 

[Rannoch]

There have been a number of negative responses to the Ponderosa, GC, etc, and I agree wholehearedly that it's down to individual taste, but I don't see anyone posting the good alternatives they have visited.

How about some names - I'm certainly interested.

Regards,

Rannoch

 

[kozmo]

I stop only at cracker barrels on my way down to disneyworld,from Michigan ,I-75 all the way.I will however stop at the Pondrosa just off I-75 in Florence ,Kentucky,its clean and good,a good stop.

 

[SidB]

Originally posted by Rannoch
I don't see anyone posting the good alternatives they have visited.

How about some names - I'm certainly interested.

So how about some positive responses. Perhaps this should become a poll.

 

[DisneyBB]

Hi,

We used to love Sizzler's, but over the years it has gone down hill. We are not fans of the "eat as much as you like" places. I think you get what you pay for. We like Perkins at the crossroads, the food is freshly cooked, good quality and clean! The Perkins on I.D./Sandlake road intersection is horrible. Dirty, terrible food etc. It is amazing how the same chain can be so different in other locations. We find now that we don't eat as much as in earlier holidays. In fact towards the end of the holiday we eat less and less.

We liked Jungle Jims, Bennigans, Olive Garden, Hard Rock Cafe.

 

[allie5]

Sure, I will give you alternatives, some of which others may disagree with. All the restaurants I list are places that we have eaten at consistantly that provide value for money, cleanliness and excellent customer service as well as good food.

Wild Jacks (Steakhouse) I-Drive
Bill Wongs (Chinese buffet.......the ONLY non Disney Buffet worth a visit IMO)I-Drive
TGI Fridays, Kissimmee, Lake Buena Vista & I-Drive
Outback Steakhouse, Kissimmee
Key W Kools, Kissimmee
Hard Rock Cafe, Universal Studios
Sweet Tomatoes, I-Drive
Chilis, Lake Buena Vista
Bahama Breeze, I-Drive
Cafe TuTu Tango, I-Drive
JTs Prime Time, Kissimmee
Damons, The Mercado, I-Drive
Bennigans, various locations
Houlihans, I-Drive

You can get very reasonable lunches at a lot of these places. If you eat dinner before 6.30, then often Kids eat free. Use coupons that you can pick up everywhere for discounts of up to 20% off of dinner entrees.

Its not hard to eat very good food extremely cheaply in the US. Dont be fooled into thinking that Ponderosa / Sizzler / Golden Corral are the be all and end all!!

Allie

PS. Yes, we used to love Sizzler too, but they have gone downhill in the last few years. Still probably the best choice of all the pile em high buffets though. The Lake Buena Vista one is still just about viable for brekkie!!

 

[mike230652]

Malcolm C YES, YES!!!! It's Cracker barrel, my head's been spinning for two days trying to remember it!! Thanks !!!

Excellent food , the breakfasts are the best we've had ( outside of Kellys in Dunedin on Gulf Coast ). they do wonderful ham and eggs, any variation you like of bacon, ham, eggs, grits ( not for me! ), wonderful fresh warm biscuits( scones to us ). Immaculately clean and welcoming. It's pricier than the smash and grab places but no comparison when it comes to quality.



mike

 

[mike230652]

A few suggestions based on the same criteria as allie5


Mythos (IOA)
Pacinos
Olive Garden
B-Line Diner at the Peabody
Cracker Barrel
TGIF at Crossroads

For varied cuisines two good smash and grab places are :
Food Court at Premium Outlet
Food Court at Altamonte Mall


None of these is expensive ( although Mythos, and B-Line can be if you want them to be !! )....but all are consistently good quality with great staff. Olive Garden was our best find in 2003, especially if you have kids. About the only place I know that actually EXPECTS you to need a doggy bag, the portions are so big.

allie5 also lists a few we've tried, I'd agree with allie5's comments.


mike

 

[jubileegirl]

Recently read a good review of Shake 'N Steak restaurants for breakfast! The website looks OK so may try them out this August! (Unless anyone knows better!)

 

[JohnnySharp]

We have always found the Ponderosa at the nicer end of I drive, near where the Clarion and Rosen Center hotels are to be excellent.

I am as fussy as anyone regarding 'all you can eat' types of restaurants but this one is very good.
I know what people mean though when you see variations of quality we went to a Ponderosa in Naples and it was nothing like as good.

Has anybody tried Chick Fil A? - we love it , a bit more of a fast food place than anything but much better than McDonalds or KFC....

 

[Muppet]

Just to say I went to Bill Wongs before christmas and the toliets were disgusting. Filfthy dirty. Also they had a flood from the kitchen. Decided to stand and stare at it for 20 minutes before cleaning it up. Needless to say it brought some nasty little friends with it. It wasn't like a dribble of water either it was a 2 inch gush that kept on gushing for about 25 minutes and came all the way out to the tables. It stank. When they cleaned it up they got a huge machine which sucked it up but that also provided a bit of a stench.

 

[stubb]

hello

I would always go for the cheapest meal deal, when we went they had a hugh balloon outside offering a steak meal for $8.99
we went back a few days later and theoffer had stopped and the waitress insisted that this offer was never on.....

michelle