Teppan Edo - Do we TRY it?

[Carolynleanne]

We're a family of five who frequent Disney, but have never eaten at Teppan Edo before. It's always been on my list to try and it looks like a fun experience, but the reviews are SO mixed I've struggled to make a commitment.

Menu wise, it's a good fit. Our kids love salmon, chicken, steak and rice. Budget wise, it's FAR better than character dining since two of ours boys are technically 'adults' at ages 10 and 12 and the boys dont even want to see characters. We really struggle to pay $60 USD for one meal (we're CAD - so that exchange is painful.)

We're got plans to do Biergarten, Whispering Canyon Cafe, Liberty Tree Tavern, 50's Prime Time. We enjoy dining that has an experience with it when possible. We're staying Club Level for the first 5 nights at BWI and then in a cabin at Fort Wilderness. Do we add a lunch at Teppan Edo or just stick with QS for the rest of the trip?

Appreciate your thoughts!

 

[ain0004]

We enjoy going there simply because it's a meal that is fresh to order. Semi fun entertainment depending on your chef. I have nothing bad to say about the place, and we go there 1-2 times a year.

 

[The Foolish Mortal]

Hard to say. I think the food is fine. I don't really consider it an experience, even though the chefs put on a small erfrmance while preparing the food. But that mght be sufficient for what youre looking for. Your post also suggests you might be price sensitive, but youa re correct thits cheaper than character dining (and you're staying at club level for multiple nights, so it semms you will splurge if its something you really want). Whether the price is worth the small erformative part of the meal is a persona decision. Either way, I don't think there is a wrong answer

 

[Carolynleanne]

Hard to say. I think the food is fine. I don't really consider it an experience, even though the chefs put on a small erfrmance while preparing the food. But that mght be sufficient for what youre looking for. Your post also suggests you might be price sensitive, but youa re correct thits cheaper than character dining (and you're staying at club level for multiple nights, so it semms you will splurge if its something you really want). Whether the price is worth the small erformative part of the meal is a persona decision. Either way, I don't think there is a wrong answer

That's accurate! We don't find character meals to be worth the high cost. Most of our 'sit down dining' experiences will be the second half of our trip when we're in a Cabin at Fort Wilderness.

 

[Crescent_Lake]

For a family of five I would say definitely give it a try. It's a lot of fun with a group, and the food is very good as well. I find this style of eating awkward with just two of us because they either seat us with strangers or they seat us alone and then we feel obligated to talk to the chef throughout the cooking period. We've really enjoyed it when we've gone with a larger party.

 

[croissant de triomphe]

We have always had a good experience there as adults. Nothing amazing but being in Epcot it does add to the experience. Food is always tasty and fresh. Depending on the time though sometimes it does feel a tad rushed. My vote would be a Yes overall. Enjoy your travels!

 

[Carolynleanne]

This is very helpful. Thank you! We'd be doing a lunch visit

 

[Specter]

Teppan Edo is a lot like Coral Reef or Rose and Crown for my family. We have been to all of them a few times, it's never been bad but it's never blown us away. We go, we are satisfied with what we got, and then they end up getting put on the bottom of the deck for a few trips before we try one of them again.

One additional "criticism" of Teppan Edo specifically is this: we have lots of places like that near where we live so we have seen some really good performances and the ones at Teppan Edo have always seemed very tame by comparison.

If it fits your budget, your palate, and the performance is a bonus rather than the main draw I think it will be more than good enough. If you are looking for a more impressive show out of it I would, personally, look elsewhere.

 

[jimmymc]

When I went, it was exactly the same experience as you'd get in any hibachi grill restaurant. There's nothing really Disney about it, other than the location, and it's more expensive than what most people would pay at a local hibachi grill. I'm not in a hurry to go back, but it's entertaining and you know exactly what to expect, which is sometimes what you need with kids.

 

[StevieB81]

As far as the entertainment aspect, the one time we did this it was very subdued. We've had far more dynamic and entertaining experiences at pretty much all the other Japanese restaurants we have tried. Could be a one off, but consider that if you have a local place, it will probably be more fun. And potentially less expensive.

 

[3rd_time_the_charm]

I'm in the no camp. If they've done hibachi in the past and you have decent ones near you then I would skip it and do something unique to Disney.

 

[OKW Lover]

Yes, go ahead and try it. It's been on the list for a while and its time to check this one. It's a fun meal. We've found the chef's will be do the show a bit more elaborate if they have an attentive, appreciative audience.

 

[Newsies]

As far as the entertainment aspect, the one time we did this it was very subdued. We've had far more dynamic and entertaining experiences at pretty much all the other Japanese restaurants we have tried.

I've never been to a hibachi restaurant outside of Teppan Edo but I agree that I felt the showmanship felt very lowkey here. The first time we went, we had a very nice chef who made pleasant conversation with us as he was cooking the food and the pacing of the meal was nice. The "show" portion of the meal just felt very average and like he was over-explaining a lot of the tricks.

With that being said, the food was very good and we had a nice evening overall. Nice enough for us to come back the next year, I remember the food being equally good but don't remember the chef or the show as much. Like I said, I don't do local hibachi so it's something different for us and we enjoy it FWIW. OP, if you're into experiential dining and don't compare it to the hibachi back home, I think this is a fun thing for you to try -- definitely more suited to 10 and 12 YO boys versus a character meal IMO.

 

[DaisyDuck001]

When I went, it was exactly the same experience as you'd get in any hibachi grill restaurant. There's nothing really Disney about it, other than the location

I do remember they shaped some of the food to look like a Disney character or two.

I like Teppan Edo, but if you can get offsite for one meal, I really like this local chain for teppanyaki: https://kobesteakhouse.com/

 

[Marthasor]

I am not a fan of Teppan Edo. It feels very crowded and cramped and I think the food is overly salty and overpriced. If you want Japanese food, I would opt for the new Shiki-Sai - far better food and more variety - you can probably find a bit of a cost savings there as we find the plates to be rather large and shareable. Otherwise, in EP especially, I would stick with QS (even the Japanese QS is pretty good!) where you have a lot of good options to choose from.

 

[Chuckers]

If you have a hibachi house near you, like Benihana, then Teppan Ido will be no big thing. I was not impressed with the food or the service when we went. It was okay. I was not allowed to adjust my meal (removing vegetables I didn't like, for example) and it felt rushed. They're on a time table to cook/perform and move on.

 

[Giraffe_Zen]

I've been to many local hibachi in the past like Benihana and still consider Teppan Edo one of my most fave WDW restaurants (we try to go every trip/every other trip). Try it @Carolynleanne , the food is good, the CM's are some of the greatest and it's a fun time.

 

[junebug]

We're a family of five who frequent Disney, but have never eaten at Teppan Edo before. It's always been on my list to try and it looks like a fun experience, but the reviews are SO mixed I've struggled to make a commitment.

Menu wise, it's a good fit. Our kids love salmon, chicken, steak and rice. Budget wise, it's FAR better than character dining since two of ours boys are technically 'adults' at ages 10 and 12 and the boys dont even want to see characters. We really struggle to pay $60 USD for one meal (we're CAD - so that exchange is painful.)

We're got plans to do Biergarten, Whispering Canyon Cafe, Liberty Tree Tavern, 50's Prime Time. We enjoy dining that has an experience with it when possible. We're staying Club Level for the first 5 nights at BWI and then in a cabin at Fort Wilderness. Do we add a lunch at Teppan Edo or just stick with QS for the rest of the trip?

Appreciate your thoughts!

My family loves Teppan Edo. We try to do this once every trip, and have never had a bad experience. We also have been going with kids similar ages as yours. I recommend giving it a try!

 

[Carolynleanne]

We’ve never been to a hibachi place locally because it’s super expensive where we live (Vancouver, Canada.) Probably about the same price as doing it at Disney if not more!

 

[Crescent_Lake]

We’ve never been to a hibachi place locally because it’s super expensive where we live (Vancouver, Canada.) Probably about the same price as doing it at Disney if not more!

From your OP I figured you hadn't been to one before and that's part of why I recommended it. I also think it's a good fit for the ages of your boys.