Tell Me About California Grill Lounge

[GeorgiaHoo]

Thinking about places to eat/drink for our November trip and California Grill Lounge (along with the lounge at Wilderness Lodge) seems like it might be a good option. I want to be able to wing it for meals a couple of nights instead of having reservations every night and thinking about stopping by the lounge around 5:00-5:30 one evening for drinks and snacks or perhaps something a bit heavier. So, a few questions.

1. Can you order from the full California Grill menu if sitting at the bar?
2. Are you typically able to find seating at the lounge around 5 p.m. (we'll be a party of 4)? I understand that we may just happen to show on a busy day but wonder what the experience is usually like.
3. Is the lounge seating all bar seating or are there tables?

Thanks in advance. This board has been a great help in planning the trip. And if you have anything else you think is worth knowing about the lounge please let me know!

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

Thinking about places to eat/drink for our November trip and California Grill Lounge (along with the lounge at Wilderness Lodge) seems like it might be a good option. I want to be able to wing it for meals a couple of nights instead of having reservations every night and thinking about stopping by the lounge around 5:00-5:30 one evening for drinks and snacks or perhaps something a bit heavier. So, a few questions.

1. Can you order from the full California Grill menu if sitting at the bar?
2. Are you typically able to find seating at the lounge around 5 p.m. (we'll be a party of 4)? I understand that we may just happen to show on a busy day but wonder what the experience is usually like.
3. Is the lounge seating all bar seating or are there tables?

Thanks in advance. This board has been a great help in planning the trip. And if you have anything else you think is worth knowing about the lounge please let me know!

Bumping.

 

[alltwelve]

Hi!

We actually did this a few months ago and really enjoyed it! We sat at the bar right at 5pm and it was really easy to find spots for 2 (not sure if the tables near the bar are included in that though- someone else will have to answer that question). We were asked by the bartender if we were going to eat as well and when we said we were, he recommended the sushi. We sat directly in front of the sushi chef, so we decided to go with that, so I'm not sure if we would've been able to order things other than sushi, but I'm pretty sure we would've been able to as we were able to order a dessert to split as well. The bartender let us know that if you keep your receipt, you're able to return to watch the fireworks, so we did just that! We ended up riding the monorail over to Mizner's at Grand Floridian and had a drink there and listened to the band in the lobby, then headed back to California Grill for fireworks- it was perfect!

The prices were high (I think the sushi roll we split was in the neighborhood of $26 or something like that), but it ended up being a perfect night- I hope you enjoy!

ALSO- if going to Wilderness Lodge- give the new bar on the lake a try- they have good drinks and a nice atmosphere!!!

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

Hi!

We actually did this a few months ago and really enjoyed it! We sat at the bar right at 5pm and it was really easy to find spots for 2 (not sure if the tables near the bar are included in that though- someone else will have to answer that question). We were asked by the bartender if we were going to eat as well and when we said we were, he recommended the sushi. We sat directly in front of the sushi chef, so we decided to go with that, so I'm not sure if we would've been able to order things other than sushi, but I'm pretty sure we would've been able to as we were able to order a dessert to split as well. The bartender let us know that if you keep your receipt, you're able to return to watch the fireworks, so we did just that! We ended up riding the monorail over to Mizner's at Grand Floridian and had a drink there and listened to the band in the lobby, then headed back to California Grill for fireworks- it was perfect!

The prices were high (I think the sushi roll we split was in the neighborhood of $26 or something like that), but it ended up being a perfect night- I hope you enjoy!

ALSO- if going to Wilderness Lodge- give the new bar on the lake a try- they have good drinks and a nice atmosphere!!!

Thanks much. How was the sushi? 3 of the 4 in our family are sushi fans so thinking about giving that a try, along with perhaps a flatbread and other apps. Was it $26 for one regular sized roll? If so that's super-pricey. What dessert did you get and how was it? There are several on the menu that look good, even though I'm not much of a dessert person.

 

[kastoney]

Just my hubby and I have been able to get into the lounge without trouble, but as you suspected that can change on any given day. Going earlier should certainly help and you could always go to The Wave as a back-up if the lounge wasn't available.

You can order off of the regular menu and the seating is a mix of bar seats and some more lounge like tables and chairs (think a small table vice a full up four-top).

Their sushi is quite good and we've enjoyed it as our meal twice now. The rolls are maybe 8 pieces, so not much bigger than you'd traditionally get, but the ingredients are far superior. It may not be worth the $26 price tag, but its definitely very good. The flatbreads are usually spot on too.

We've never met a CG dessert we didn't like. We've had the fritters, candy bar, olive oil cake, and a few others I can't recall. Go with what sounds good to you and I'm sure you won't be disappointed.