missthec&o
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- May 28, 2008
- Messages
- 52
Here's a quick restaurant rundown from our recent trip, which ended Aug. 22. My wife and I have one daughter (11) who is starting to branch out in her food choices; the other (8) is still firmly in the pizza and nuggets camp.
Overall we never had to wait more than 10 minutes between check-in and seating, and service was never less than good. We generally eat early (by 11: 15 for lunch, no later than 5:30 for dinner), and we weren't on the dining plan.
If anyone has any specific questions, feel free to post -- I'll give them a shot.
Best in Show: BOMA
I know some folks don't like buffets, but this was a great overall experience: beautiful room, good service, fantastic food and nice variety. A good mix of African and not-so-African dishes, with the theme of sweet flavors in unexpected places running throughout. I thought the selection of meats was delicious across the board (yeah, I tried them all), and the soup selection was very nice. Both girls gave the dessert buffet a thumbs up. Very busy, but the buffet lines were never overwhelmed. Don't miss this one.
A Close Runner-Up: RAGLAN ROAD
Very attractive room, and a nice range of items on the menu. I had Kevin's Ham and my wife the Jus' Chicken, and we gave both high marks. Older daughter enjoyed her fish and chips, which she's acquiring a taste for. Our server, Bryce, was attentive and had good suggestions, and stopped by to chat a couple of times. Both girls finished with the Triple Your Pleasure(?), which has three little chocolate desserts on one plate. I expected a few beers I hadn't heard of to be offered, but no surprises; everything you would expect, though, and all of it good. We enjoyed a Smithwick's and tried to wait out the driving rainstorm, courtesy of TS Fay. Didn't happen.
Best single dish: Salmon at THE CORAL REEF
My wife said it was a big winner, nothing fancy or odd in the preparation but just a really great flavor. My seafood linguini was very solid, and serving size was good. Girls didn't get into the swim and had mac and cheese (no complaints), then raved about the Chocolate Wave for dessert. We were up in a corner on the top level, but the girls still had a good view of the tanks and enjoyed watching for the shark and the sea turtle to come around. Place was busy and service wasn't overly speedy, but wasn't really slow, either. Loud room -- we expected Chef Mickey's and Whispering Canyon Cafe to be loud, but this one wasn't far behind. Doesn't seem to bother the fish.
Best atmosphere: SAN ANGEL INN
Most people like the setting at Epcot's table-service Mexican restaurant, a beautiful Mexican courtyard under a night sky and a threatening volcano, but the food and service tend to get a bad rap. We had good luck, though: Our server was attentive and very sweet, and everybody thought their food was good. I had Tacos al Carbon, which were pretty straightforward and pretty good. Granted, this isn't the best place for value, but you're buying plenty of atmosphere with the food. This was a lunch for us, and our only walk-in. We got there about 11:30 a.m., I think, and got in very quickly.
Most pleasant surprise: OLIVIA'S at OLD KEY WEST
We had ADRs at a park restaurant, but it was raining like crazy so I decided to get something closer to home at Port Orleans Riverside. I'd heard some mixed reviews of Boatwright's, the POR restaurant, so we went next door to Olivia's and it was great. Not too crowded, quick service, and a huge prime rib for about $22 that was a good value for Disney. My wife had the chicken dish and pronounced it very good. Older daughter was very happy with the pasta with meat sauce off the kids' menu, and the ice cream sundaes for the kids' desserts had a little bit of the make-your-own thing going. The theme is a little understated, compared with a lot of the park table-service places, but we all thought it was a good choice.
Best breakfast: CHEF MICKEY'S
OK, this is a bit of a dodge because it was the only breakfast we ate out. But having seen a lot of complaints about dinner there, I would recommend trying breakfast. All the basics were handled well, and there were a few out-of-ordinary casserole-type dishes that were really good. Loud, it's true, but we got pictures with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Pluto all in the space of an hour.
Best completely unhealthy take-it-back-to-the-room breakfast: BEIGNETS from PORT ORLEANS FRENCH QUARTER
Probably not worth a special trip if you're not staying at PO, but if you are you have no excuses. Mine didn't hold up that great during the rainy boat trip back, but if I'd eaten them all before I got back to the room, the kids probably would have been disappointed.
Most fun: WHISPERING CANYON CAFE
I've seen a lot of debate about whether the fun goes too far at WCC, but we had a good time. My wife was a camp counselor growing up, and she said it really took her back. Our server, Raging Bull, didn't go over the top, but he was very attentive, so my kids got to enjoy the hijinx at other tables without getting put on the spot themselves. I didn't have to sing "I'm a Little Teapot," which is good, because I always forget the second verse. The adults got the skillet, and we found everything on it to be good. Bottomless milkshakes were consumed by all.
Best counter service: PIZZAFARI
Close call here, but the Italian sandwiches were really good. Pizza got high marks from the kids, and the place is beautiful to look at.
Best counter-service single items: Either the AFRICAN STEW or the ZEBRA DOMES at THE MARA
And, hey, lay off the fried shrimp platter -- I thought it was pretty good. Older daughter found the burger a little heat-lampy.
Best counter-service burger: RIVERSIDE MILL FOODCOURT
Oldest daughter ate several, and this was her favorite. The roast beef sandwich and the grilled chicken sandwich were also well-received. We would have gladly eaten there again, but we ran out of days.
Counter-service location closest to a really good mini-doughnut cart: LOTTAWATTA LODGE
Burgers and chicken strips were OK, but the mini-doughnuts were the big hit. The cart is between the lodge and the wave pool. Watch them being made, then eat them by the dozen.
Best place not to get rained on: COLUMBIA HARBOR HOUSE
This wasn't my first choice in Magic Kingdom (would have preferred Pecos Bill's or Cosmic Ray's) but it was raining and this was close. Rest of the family said it was fine, but my fish was closer to school cafeteria than good fast food.
Best place to have a beer and mourn: MARDI GROGS by the PORT ORLEANS FRENCH QUARTER pool
We are former Charlottesville, Va., residents and big Dave Matthews Band fans, so when we heard the news that saxophonist LeRoi Moore had died last week, it was pretty hard. Had a couple of cold ones in his honor. RIP Roi.
Overall we never had to wait more than 10 minutes between check-in and seating, and service was never less than good. We generally eat early (by 11: 15 for lunch, no later than 5:30 for dinner), and we weren't on the dining plan.
If anyone has any specific questions, feel free to post -- I'll give them a shot.
Best in Show: BOMA
I know some folks don't like buffets, but this was a great overall experience: beautiful room, good service, fantastic food and nice variety. A good mix of African and not-so-African dishes, with the theme of sweet flavors in unexpected places running throughout. I thought the selection of meats was delicious across the board (yeah, I tried them all), and the soup selection was very nice. Both girls gave the dessert buffet a thumbs up. Very busy, but the buffet lines were never overwhelmed. Don't miss this one.
A Close Runner-Up: RAGLAN ROAD
Very attractive room, and a nice range of items on the menu. I had Kevin's Ham and my wife the Jus' Chicken, and we gave both high marks. Older daughter enjoyed her fish and chips, which she's acquiring a taste for. Our server, Bryce, was attentive and had good suggestions, and stopped by to chat a couple of times. Both girls finished with the Triple Your Pleasure(?), which has three little chocolate desserts on one plate. I expected a few beers I hadn't heard of to be offered, but no surprises; everything you would expect, though, and all of it good. We enjoyed a Smithwick's and tried to wait out the driving rainstorm, courtesy of TS Fay. Didn't happen.
Best single dish: Salmon at THE CORAL REEF
My wife said it was a big winner, nothing fancy or odd in the preparation but just a really great flavor. My seafood linguini was very solid, and serving size was good. Girls didn't get into the swim and had mac and cheese (no complaints), then raved about the Chocolate Wave for dessert. We were up in a corner on the top level, but the girls still had a good view of the tanks and enjoyed watching for the shark and the sea turtle to come around. Place was busy and service wasn't overly speedy, but wasn't really slow, either. Loud room -- we expected Chef Mickey's and Whispering Canyon Cafe to be loud, but this one wasn't far behind. Doesn't seem to bother the fish.
Best atmosphere: SAN ANGEL INN
Most people like the setting at Epcot's table-service Mexican restaurant, a beautiful Mexican courtyard under a night sky and a threatening volcano, but the food and service tend to get a bad rap. We had good luck, though: Our server was attentive and very sweet, and everybody thought their food was good. I had Tacos al Carbon, which were pretty straightforward and pretty good. Granted, this isn't the best place for value, but you're buying plenty of atmosphere with the food. This was a lunch for us, and our only walk-in. We got there about 11:30 a.m., I think, and got in very quickly.
Most pleasant surprise: OLIVIA'S at OLD KEY WEST
We had ADRs at a park restaurant, but it was raining like crazy so I decided to get something closer to home at Port Orleans Riverside. I'd heard some mixed reviews of Boatwright's, the POR restaurant, so we went next door to Olivia's and it was great. Not too crowded, quick service, and a huge prime rib for about $22 that was a good value for Disney. My wife had the chicken dish and pronounced it very good. Older daughter was very happy with the pasta with meat sauce off the kids' menu, and the ice cream sundaes for the kids' desserts had a little bit of the make-your-own thing going. The theme is a little understated, compared with a lot of the park table-service places, but we all thought it was a good choice.
Best breakfast: CHEF MICKEY'S
OK, this is a bit of a dodge because it was the only breakfast we ate out. But having seen a lot of complaints about dinner there, I would recommend trying breakfast. All the basics were handled well, and there were a few out-of-ordinary casserole-type dishes that were really good. Loud, it's true, but we got pictures with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Pluto all in the space of an hour.
Best completely unhealthy take-it-back-to-the-room breakfast: BEIGNETS from PORT ORLEANS FRENCH QUARTER
Probably not worth a special trip if you're not staying at PO, but if you are you have no excuses. Mine didn't hold up that great during the rainy boat trip back, but if I'd eaten them all before I got back to the room, the kids probably would have been disappointed.
Most fun: WHISPERING CANYON CAFE
I've seen a lot of debate about whether the fun goes too far at WCC, but we had a good time. My wife was a camp counselor growing up, and she said it really took her back. Our server, Raging Bull, didn't go over the top, but he was very attentive, so my kids got to enjoy the hijinx at other tables without getting put on the spot themselves. I didn't have to sing "I'm a Little Teapot," which is good, because I always forget the second verse. The adults got the skillet, and we found everything on it to be good. Bottomless milkshakes were consumed by all.
Best counter service: PIZZAFARI
Close call here, but the Italian sandwiches were really good. Pizza got high marks from the kids, and the place is beautiful to look at.
Best counter-service single items: Either the AFRICAN STEW or the ZEBRA DOMES at THE MARA
And, hey, lay off the fried shrimp platter -- I thought it was pretty good. Older daughter found the burger a little heat-lampy.
Best counter-service burger: RIVERSIDE MILL FOODCOURT
Oldest daughter ate several, and this was her favorite. The roast beef sandwich and the grilled chicken sandwich were also well-received. We would have gladly eaten there again, but we ran out of days.
Counter-service location closest to a really good mini-doughnut cart: LOTTAWATTA LODGE
Burgers and chicken strips were OK, but the mini-doughnuts were the big hit. The cart is between the lodge and the wave pool. Watch them being made, then eat them by the dozen.
Best place not to get rained on: COLUMBIA HARBOR HOUSE
This wasn't my first choice in Magic Kingdom (would have preferred Pecos Bill's or Cosmic Ray's) but it was raining and this was close. Rest of the family said it was fine, but my fish was closer to school cafeteria than good fast food.
Best place to have a beer and mourn: MARDI GROGS by the PORT ORLEANS FRENCH QUARTER pool
We are former Charlottesville, Va., residents and big Dave Matthews Band fans, so when we heard the news that saxophonist LeRoi Moore had died last week, it was pretty hard. Had a couple of cold ones in his honor. RIP Roi.
glad to hear the review of olivias
