Skipper Canteen | 2/24/2016

[DrivenByDisney]

My wife and I stopped in the Skipper Canteen for lunch yesterday (2/24/2016) for the first time since it has been opened. First of all, the decor is awesome on the inside. We had no issues getting in around 4:00 o'clock for a late lunch and were able to be seated within five minutes of walking up.

Our server (Skipper Kitch) was very into the schtick of the restaurant. Along the lines of the old Adventurers Club and Jungle Cruise.

We started with the Baladi salad which we shared. It was good, and the dressing they serve with it was different than what I typically eat. But I enjoyed it very much. It had the biggest crutons I had ever seen. No joke.

Also, the bread they serve you comes with a good honey "dip" that was very god! We asked for seconds on that, which Kitch was more than happy to bring us.

For our entree, we shared the Char Siu Pork, which was VERY good. It had good flavor and a little (not too much) spice to it. I would have liked a little more kick to it, but over all ... I was very surprised with the taste of the meal. It was not bland in any way and came out at a very good temperature.

For dessert, we of course had to have the Kungaloosh! Paying our respects to the old Adventurers Club at PI. In which I have very found memories of.

We are looking forward to heading back to the Canteen and have some ideas of what we are wanting to try next!

Here are a few pics of our visit:

 

[The Dad]

Nice review! My wife and I ate at Skipper Canteen a couple of months ago ourselves and we enjoyed it quite a bit (got the Char Ciu Pork, too). I enjoyed the shared theme with the Jungle Cruise, too.

I wrote about our experience here: http://blogofthedad.com/skipper-canteen-a-review/

 

[AprilDecember]

Awesome! I went on the second day of soft opening, expecting it to be a one-time experience. HOLY CRAP. It was amazing. I had the falafel and the veggie stew curry thing and it was all great. The Ethiopian bread served with honey sauce was super and I adored the location-specific drinks.

 

[SharonT]

Was it difficult to get a same day reservation? Our trip is in April and we are trying to decide if we should cancel another reservation and try the Canteen. We are a party of eight.

 

[vettegirl]

Thanks for sharing! My toddler and I may head to the world for a few days this weekend and I will try and walk up and get a ressie for us!!

 

[loves to dive]

So glad to hear good things about this place. I was excited about not having to book ADRs since I'm not an ADR type person then it started getting bad reviews for the food. We fully intend to go and see for ourselves, no matter what the reviews say but happy to see someone enjoyed it.

 

[Jgeauxmo]

Nice review! We tried many of the same things and really enjoyed this restaurant!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I was also there on 2/24, around 4:30! I agree with your review, our meal was FANTASTIC...best meal I've ever had in MK by far. The menu is bold for Disney standards, in a good way. The restaurant was kinda dead in the room we were in, but didn't bother us. Had no problem making a same-day reservation that morning, but could have walked up (granted, it was very early).

I am very surprised they opted not to sell alcohol here like BOG. I'm a purist I guess so still like the idea of a mostly alcohol-free park, but gosh if a nice restaurant with a unique/fun theme doesn't beg to have a couple of signature drinks to go with it!

 

[vettegirl]

We ate their on Sunday and it was the best meal I have ever had in the MK. The inside is beautiful and the service was amazing!!

 

[Disneypapa]

Not so fast my friend, My wife and I tried the Skipper Canteen the first week in April and we not impressed enough to recommend this restaurant to anyone. IMHO, very limited menu entrée choices. Yes the bread was awesome, especially with the honey dip, but our food was to spicy for our tastes. Would give the décor and wait staff an A.

 

[Eastern]

And I thought the seasoning was really good and didn't care for the bread. It was a hard, stale loaf and the dip was too sweet. Portion sizes were too small so we probably should have eaten a couple more loaves.

Service was efficient but we had to wave down people a couple of times and our server was upselling like mad. At the end, she suggested some kind of cake. We said no. She then said, how about I bring it for the table!? Um... NO!!

 

[Cotton's Parrot]

Not so fast my friend, My wife and I tried the Skipper Canteen the first week in April and we not impressed enough to recommend this restaurant to anyone. IMHO, very limited menu entrée choices. Yes the bread was awesome, especially with the honey dip, but our food was to spicy for our tastes. Would give the décor and wait staff an A.

I'm with you. Unless it's gotten significantly better since April 2016, I would not recommend this place to anyone. Yes, the Jungle Cruise skipper shtick and decor is maybe worth the price of admission, but if you're actually interested in the food, you're better off venturing "deeper into the jungle" to another restaurant. I've gotten better counter service food than I got here.

I had the Char Siu Pork. Major disappointment. Calling them "Pork Tenderloin Medallions" is a joke. You tell me something is a "medallion" I'm expecting a slice of meat from a tenderloin that's 1 to 2 inches thick. This was literally the same thin (< 1/4" thick) $6 BBQ pork slices I've gotten at a dozen different Chinese restaurants. Adding some rice and overcooked Chinese broccoli does not make it worth $23, nor does it make it filling. For dessert, another disappointment -- Bertha's "Banh Bong Lan" Cake. Basically a soggy little sponge cake with a tiny tasting of sorbet. Wife had Dr. Fall's Signature Grilled Steak which she said was "ok". She liked the yuca planks. The piece I tried was overcooked, above the "medium" as it was ordered. Yet still better than that awful, tough, dried out pork.

The one highlight -- our S.E.A. Shu Mai appetizer. Wish I could have had a meal of that. All said and done, it was over $100 for the 2 of us for soft drinks, appetizer, entree, dessert and tip. Even taking the typical Disney markup into account, I expect a more substantial, higher quality meal than that for $100+. And I don't expect to leave there still feeling hungry.