REVIEW: Tony's Town Square 3/27/2016

[DrivenByDisney]

This restaurant gets many mixed reviews which caused my wife and I to avoid it as of late. Easter Sunday (yesterday) we were able to get a walk up dining time around 8:30'ish so we decided to give it a chance.

We both shared the Insalata Fresca wedge salad and Calimari as a starter. Both were easily shared and of good quality. Nothing overly special for salads and fried squid.

For our entree', we shared the Cannelloni which was very good and enough for two to share and still feel full at the end of our meal.

Overall, the meal was very good and not the awful food I see a lot of reviews from this restaurant. The service (from Allison) was great. She was very attentive and we never had to ask for anything. Our drinks were always full and she was a very cheerful CM.

Was it the best ever Italian meal I had ever eaten? Of course not. However, it was very good and I would be more than happy to dine her again. Not 100% certain why people find this restaurant so awful. We enjoyed our meal and experience here and we will return soon.

 

[vettegirl]

I am glad you enjoyed Tonys. Of course like you said it isn't the best ever but it's not bad. I still don't understand the bad reviews.

 

[Jetta8300]

This restaurant gets many mixed reviews which caused my wife and I to avoid it as of late. Easter Sunday (yesterday) we were able to get a walk up dining time around 8:30'ish so we decided to give it a chance.

We both shared the Insalata Fresca wedge salad and Calimari as a starter. Both were easily shared and of good quality. Nothing overly special for salads and fried squid.

For our entree', we shared the Cannelloni which was very good and enough for two to share and still feel full at the end of our meal.

Overall, the meal was very good and not the awful food I see a lot of reviews from this restaurant. The service (from Allison) was great. She was very attentive and we never had to ask for anything. Our drinks were always full and she was a very cheerful CM.

Was it the best ever Italian meal I had ever eaten? Of course not. However, it was very good and I would be more than happy to dine her again. Not 100% certain why people find this restaurant so awful. We enjoyed our meal and experience here and we will return soon.

We feel the same way. I think it's because people are overly picky about Italian food. It's not gourmet, but it's better than counter service Italian. The fact that people say Tony's is "disgusting" but yet are perfectly fine with Liberty Tree Tavern and Chef Mickeys (which are both much worse in my opinion) boggles my mind. We have had much worse food on property than Tony's. People seem to be much pickier about Italian food than any other kind.

 

[DrivenByDisney]

We feel the same way. I think it's because people are overly picky about Italian food. It's not gourmet, but it's better than counter service Italian. The fact that people say Tony's is "disgusting" but yet are perfectly fine with Liberty Tree Tavern and Chef Mickeys (which are much worse in my opinion) boggles my mind.

HA! Agree totally there.

We did not find it bad at all. Like I said, not the best ... Though I've certainly had so much worse at "better" restaurants.

 

[hoffman1]

We have dined at Tony's several times. I totally agree with your assessment. The food and service are decent. The ambiance is nice (we like sitting at the front of the restaurant where you can watch people come and go from the park.)
I think sometimes people set the bar too high for these places. I sometimes have to remind myself, it is a restaurant in an amusement park.
In my opinion, it is much better than what you will find at your local Six Flags.
And better than what you will get at Cosmic Rays.

 

[DrivenByDisney]

My thoughts as well. We found it to be what we expected actually. Went in with an open mind not thinking about all the bad reviews and in the end ... Pleasantly surprised and it was only $40.00.

 

[Jerusalem Gal]

I was there in January and we loved it!! But I guess people's expectations are too high and so they end up disappointed.
Really one of my favorite meals this trip!

 

[bbak30]

Thanks for the review. We cancelled a reservation for this place in 2014. May have to put it on the list again.

 

[pumba]

thank you for your update on that..

 

[Cait]

I've only been there once, and went on a whim, without a reservation. I was surprised after my trip to find out how bad the reviews were. both my husband and I enjoyed our food, and the service. I can be picky, but I knew I wasn't going to a five star Italian restaurant, so how picky do you need to be?

 

[mikeyg1479]

I think your enjoyment of Tony's just depends on your views on Italian food.

If you are Italian yourself, and have lived with good "home cooking" your whole life, or if you live in a metropolitan area and have access to many "authentic" Italian restaurants that you frequent, chances are, you will think this place is Chef Boyardee utter dreck.

But if you go to Olive Garden, and generally enjoy it as good Italian food, or your primary Italian food intake comes from the local strip mall Pizza joint (that might serve up a Chicken Parm and a pasta dish or two), you would probably be perfectly fine at Tony's.

I don't say any of the above to put anyone down, so don't take offense- I'm part of the persuasion that is perfectly fine taking a meal at Tony's and its always a joy to eat on Main St. But you probably have an idea of how much of an Italian food "snob" you are and act accordingly where Tony's is concerned.

 

[rosiebean]

I have Italian relatives and have access to very authentic Italian food...but I can still appreciate Olive Garden or even Chef Boyardee's for what they are. My family really likes Tony's, but then, when we eat there, we don't expect to have my SiL's Aunt Lina's homemade pasta and sauce...we expect theme park food. And Tony's, in my experience, has been pretty good theme park food.

I don't think it's as simple a matter as someone having access to really authentic food. It's being able to appreciate each experience for what it is and being able to separate experiences. I don't think Olive Garden is the pinnacle of Italian cuisine (neither is my local pizza joint), and I would never go to either expecting it to meet the same standards as a more authentic or higher end Italian meal. Same at Tony's. So I'm fine with Tony's even if Aunt Lina's cooking is better.

I can be a huge food snob, but Tony's doesn't sell itself as high end Italian, so I'm not disappointed when it's...not high end Italian.

 

[SM101]

Where I live, there's a lot of really great Italian restaurants, and there's also Olive Garden/Buca di Beppo's/Bertucci's. While you can get a perfectly decent meal at any of the chains, my preferred locally owned places are excellent - and a Bertucci's pales in comparison to those places.

Tony's, IMHO, falls into the "perfectly decent" chain category. It's certainly not terrible and if my DD requests going there again, I would.

There's better Italian options at Disney (WS, where I can also enjoy a glass of wine with my dinner) and I think there's better sit down options in and around MK.