The *Half-Eaten Food Pictures* Dining Review! 8.22.11 - 8.28.11 COMPLETE!

[Stew_Mouse]

I ate at Ohana last week and I loved it. The bread pudding with ice cream was the best dessert of our trip. My sister thought the pork was dry as well. I was nervous after reading some negative reviews lately so I hadn't expected much but I loved it. As a matter of fact I made reservations for our next trip as well. I'm also laughing at your half eaten food photos because the same thing happend to us almost every single time we ate somewhere! In my photos you may see that some items have been turned around to disguise the bite out of one side and many just have bites taken out of them. I completely understand how that happens!

I'm so glad you enjoyed Ohana. That bread pudding really is delicious. Haha, I am relieved I am not alone on the half eaten pictures issue. I am really impressed with the people who are so good at remembering to take photos before taking a bite!

I'm glad you enjoyed some of the food at 'Ohana--it sure seems like if you didn't like some of it (like my picky DH) there is plenty of other stuff to go around!

That's cool that you got to see Wishes and the water pageant! What time was your ADR?

I think all three in your group will be pleased! There is certainly enough of everything to go around. Our ADR was at 8:45, we got there probably around 8 and got seated about 9.... if my memory serves me right.

Ohana pics look great! We have it booked for our upcoming trip. We did it 8 years ago and loved it and I am looking forward to going back!

You'll have to let us know how it compares from 8 years ago!

Glad you (mostly) liked o'hana. Looking forward to seeing what you got at starring rolls .

It's coming right up!

Thanks for your 'Ohana review
I am sooooo looking forward to trying the bread pudding

So happy to see you here, Linda! I quite enjoyed your dining and trip reviews, so I'm pleased you are joining me!

 

[Stew_Mouse]

As we all know, Hollywood Studios is kind of a monstrosity in terms of good counter service food. For whatever reason, the last two times we have been to DHS, we ended up at ABC Commissary and that place is the worst of the worst! We laugh about it now, of course. So, we were determined on this trip to avoid it like the plague.

Our morning touring plan was taking us longer than anticipated - we were going to get some TSM fastpasses, ride RnRC and ToT, then scoot over to Animal Kingdom and eat there. Well, by the time we were done with all that, we were STARVING and cranky. On the way to the exit, we stopped by Starring Rolls for a shared snack.

Turkey Focaccia with chips

This photo is from Touringplans.com. I didn't actually take any pictures, as we were rushing and I actually took this to our car to eat. The sandwich was quite delicious! I can see why this place is so popular. I also bought a croissant, and with that, we were able to make two sandwiches, as they really stuff that sandwich with a lot of turkey. It was fresh tasting and I liked the spread on it, whatever it is. Gave it a lot of additional, complex flavor. The chips were also tasty - crispy kettle-style chips. This was just an appetizer!

It was so hot that day, we just wanted to eat in A/C, so out went our original plan of eating at Flame Tree or Yak and Yeti. There is also a fear of birds in our group after a seagull attack (while holding a tray of half-eaten food at a theme park!) sometime in the 90's, so there was some relief by a certain person. I won't say who. Those two places are notorious for birds being everywhere and/or being really hot because there is only outdoor seating. Anyway, Pizzafari, here we come! It was our first time here.

Pepperoni Pizzas and Caeser Salads

This picture from Yelp pretty much looked like our tray of food, except both our pizzas were pepperoni and we did not have desserts. I think we even sat at the same table as in this picture! I felt the pizza was pretty average, though I expected it to be worse. Maybe that is why I didn't hate it... my expectations were already low. It was hot and saucy and had cheese on it. I'm happy! The salad was fine, not too much dressing. The only problem is we arrived at a busy period and finding a table was like entering a warzone and everyone standing and pacing was your enemy! Of course, ten minutes after I fought my way to a table, it died down and there were empty tables everywhere.

Next up - Boma, my favorite restaurant in all of WDW!

 

[Stew_Mouse]

Hello, I'm back! Sorry for the delay in posts, I have been having issues with internet. Thanks for joining me once again.....

BOMA! Oh, how do I love thee.... This is the one place that my family and I always make an ADR for on each trip. Now, if you remember, I was not having much of an appetite this day, which was a little disappointing, as I wanted to be hungry AND excited for this meal. As it was, I was tired and hot. I was soon to find out that it did not matter, because the meal here was simply perfect!

Only two photos because it doesn't seem possible to take a pleasant looking picture of a plate of food from a buffet, but I did not want to leave you all with nothing! On the left, we have a whole bunch of stuff: couscous, sweet potatos, salmon, hummus (I'm sorry, I can't really remember)... And on the right, a bowl of seafood soup. It may have been the curry-less version of the curried seafood soup that Boma used to have. Rumor has it that they don't serve that anymore? Is that right? We definitely did not have any that night and this soup was a poor substitute. I did not go back for more.

As I was eating this, I thought to myself, "EVERYTHING on my plate is delicious. EVERYTHING!" Even though I was not really in the mood and my pessimistic side was telling me that this was going to be the Boma trip where Boma completely sucks, they managed to surprise me yet again. Great flavors, nothing tasted or felt like it had been sitting on a buffet table, it even felt like I was eating healthy (haha). Just a really great spread.

If you have ever pondered whether to go to Boma or not, I highly recommend you to do it. And the Animal Kingdom Lodge is absolutely beautiful. As we were waiting for our table, my niece and nephew got to partake in some children's activities in the lobby, led by a very cheerful CM.

Next up - Richter's Burgers at Universal Studios!

 

[TanzUnited99]

We ate at Boma and loved it just as much as you guys did! I also agree that AKL is a beautiful resort

 

[PrincessCharlie]

We loved Ohana, although I don't think its a good meal if your tired or full up. My DBF was exhausted and looking at all the food to get through just made him feel worse. But I had a great time, I thought the steak was delish and my bits were cooked perfectly, maybe I was lucky. I can see why people feel rushed but I just took my time and sat there for however long it took. Loved the noodles and the dessert but I didn't realise you could ask for more dessert otherwise I would have. We fought over it, literally using spoons, it got ugly

 

[vettegirl]

We are trying Boma for dinner for the first time next month. I can't wait to try something new. I have eaten at Ohana several times and I love the potstickers,noodles, shrimp,veggies, and dessert. The meats are way to try for me, so I just stick with what I like.

 

[jenjifer]

Ah, the half eaten food photos... love them! I wish I'd taken pics of the food when we were there, half eaten or not!

I agree with your assessment of Ohana: and think the only think that might bring me back there was the dessert. I didn't think the meat was anything special (I actually half-feared death after eating some rather red pork). I did LOVE the noodles though. I never thought they were supposed to be pad-thai, I was always under the impression that they were lo mein. I think that was the one dish we asked for more of.

As for the dinner show, not really a fan. I didn't really dislike it, but I'm not sure I liked it enough to go back, not when there are so many other places to try...

Looking forward to reading more reviews (and seeing those photos!)

 

[Stew_Mouse]

We ate at Boma and loved it just as much as you guys did! I also agree that AKL is a beautiful resort

Yay to Boma fans!

We loved Ohana, although I don't think its a good meal if your tired or full up. My DBF was exhausted and looking at all the food to get through just made him feel worse. But I had a great time, I thought the steak was delish and my bits were cooked perfectly, maybe I was lucky. I can see why people feel rushed but I just took my time and sat there for however long it took. Loved the noodles and the dessert but I didn't realise you could ask for more dessert otherwise I would have. We fought over it, literally using spoons, it got ugly

Haha, now that you know, you can ask for more bread pudding next time! I agree that it can feel rushed in there, but nobody seems to mind if you take your time, which is nice.

We are trying Boma for dinner for the first time next month. I can't wait to try something new. I have eaten at Ohana several times and I love the potstickers,noodles, shrimp,veggies, and dessert. The meats are way to try for me, so I just stick with what I like.

Let us know how you like Boma!

Ah, the half eaten food photos... love them! I wish I'd taken pics of the food when we were there, half eaten or not!

I agree with your assessment of Ohana: and think the only think that might bring me back there was the dessert. I didn't think the meat was anything special (I actually half-feared death after eating some rather red pork). I did LOVE the noodles though. I never thought they were supposed to be pad-thai, I was always under the impression that they were lo mein. I think that was the one dish we asked for more of.

As for the dinner show, not really a fan. I didn't really dislike it, but I'm not sure I liked it enough to go back, not when there are so many other places to try...

Looking forward to reading more reviews (and seeing those photos!)

That is very scary about the undercooked pork! And I did not know the noodles were supposed to be pad thai either until I saw them listed as such in the wdwinfo menu. I always thought they were just peanut noodles or like you said, lo mein. I'm with you, I think once at Ohana is enough, especially when there are so many other places to go try.

 

[Stew_Mouse]

On this day, we journeyed over to Universal Studios. I had not been since sometime in the 90's, and of course am heartbroken that the Back to the Future Ride is no longer there. That was my favorite!

For lunch, we didn't really have a plan, so we just took a look at the map and decided on a burger. (Right after lunch, we walked by a Nathan's Hot Dogs counter. I wish I had known, I really wanted to try one! Has anyone had one here or anywhere?)

Richter's Burger Co.

Yes, that is indeed a toppings bar. It was pretty standard: lettuce, tomatoes, white onions, pickles, ketchup, mustard... There was a Coke machine (not pictured) that boasted something like 100 flavors to the right. No free refills here, folks. Pay per refill!

Burger with fries, pre-toppings

Burger with fries, post-toppings

The whole family had burgers. This was a pretty standard theme park burger. It was a pretty big size and I don't remember the bun being that memorable, but it wasn't bad either. The patty itself was a little bit cardboardesque... dense enough to feel like you are really chewing on something, but lacking in flavor and a bit dry. The fries were hot and satisfactory but, again, not memorable. The toppings were nothing special, but it is nice to be able to customize your burger. The restaurant was really busy and it was tough to find a table, but we did go during the normal lunch hour. It started to die down a little when we were finishing up.

Yep, not the most exciting lunch, but we were full and went on our way!

Next up - Accio Butterbeer!

 

[Stew_Mouse]

Well, of course we had to get butterbeer! Thanks to the great tips from all of you here on Disboards, we knew to go inside Hog's Head to buy some drinks instead of waiting at the huge lines at the two butterbeer carts. Not only was there no line inside, but there was air conditioning! Who could ask for more? Seriously!

Inside Hog's Head

Doesn't this have the great atmosphere of a dark British pub?! Also, if you watch that huge hog's head for a little while, you'll get a surprise.

Regular Butterbeer, Frozen Butterbeer and Pumpkin Juice

Not only am I providing you pictures of half eaten food, but also half drunk drinks! You're welcome!

My family shared these drinks, just to give it our initial taste to see what we liked. I think if you look at the amount left in each cup, it goes in order of best to worst, with the best cup having the least amount of liquid. The pumpkin juice was my favorite - it tastes like spiced apple cider with a hint of pumpkin. Delicious on ice and I am curious how it would be hot. I know a lot of people don't like it, but I say if you are an apple cider lover like me, then this will be great for you.

The frozen butterbeer fared better than the regular. The foam on top was a little weird for me.... strange texture and it was detached from the rest of the liquid (I realize that it is added separately) and so had this odd floating sensation when you took a sip. I am not a fan of icing or frosting, and since this is in the same family, I tried to avoid it. The frozen butterbeer was, as many have said, not as sweet as the regular and that is a good thing. The regular was super sweet! We couldn't really drink a lot of it. The frozen is still very sweet, but not overboard.

Pumpkin Juice in a souvenir bottle

I bought a souvenir bottle of pumpkin juice to take home with me. Isn't it cute? Though it definitely loses some of its luster when not surrounded by the amazing WWoHP backdrop. I still haven't opened it yet, but am looking forward to drinking it hot on a crisp fall day.

Next up - Shades of Green room service!

 

[Stew_Mouse]

So after only three days at WDW, we were thoroughly exhausted! This night called for room service from Shades of Green's restaurants. They have several restaurants on-site, and we remembered the two sit down places are good but the buffet is rather atrocious. So that worked for us, since we just wanted to lay on our faces and eat! (Pretty impressive feat, eh?)

Club Sandwich with Fries

This was pretty good, actually. Fries were hot, bread was toasted just right, bacon was crispy!

Caesar Salad

This was also good, but pretty much your basic salad. Sorry I forgot to take off the plastic wrap. I will add that the service was good as well. It didn't take too long and the person who delivered the meal was very pleasant.

Calamari with Marinara Sauce

Now this calamari was a major disappointment. It was waaaay overcooked. Too chewy and dry to the point where all the breading was falling off in sharp crumbs. Not even the sauce could save it. We did not finish this, which is saying a lot to a family of calamari lovers!

Spaghetti in Meat Sauce

This was very good. The Italian place at SOG, called Mangino's Bistro, is pretty delicious, if you are ever there and wondering if it is. We were hoping for more noodles though... as you can see, it was a bit heavy on sauce, but we still enjoyed it. You will be seeing this dish a lot in my dining review, as it was also a hit with the kiddies.

Chicken & Cheese Quesadilla

We definitely got a variety here, folks. This quesadilla was good, though it too was your basic Americanized ethnic food. If I can say one thing about the SOG room service menu, it's that they do comfort food well! The sides of salsa, sour cream and guacamole were generous, though the guacamole was terribly brown. They must dish it up way ahead of time. Otherwise, the food was nice and hot and we were satisfied smiley faces.

Up Next - Columbia Harbour House

 

[Stew_Mouse]

Lunch at Columbia Harbour House! I don't know why I never considered this place for food all the other times I have been to WDW, but it wasn't until I read about how great the food is on disboards that I realized I had been missing out.

Fried Shrimp Basket with Cole Slaw and French Fries

I did not eat this but the person who did said it was delicious!

Chicken Breast Nuggets with French Fries

A very hearty meal! Again, I did not sample this but everything looked hot and tasty.

Anchors Aweigh Sandwich with Chips

This was mine! All mine.... Just like everyone has been saying, it is delicious. The tuna salad had the right consistency and the bread was hearty enough to hold it but not so hearty that it was hard to eat. I could go for one right now!

Dole Whip Float!

We followed up later in the day with a Dole Whip float! Yum, it was tasty as always. What more do I need to say?

Up Next - Kona Cafe & Kona Sushi Bar

 

[Stew_Mouse]

After many visits without ever trying it, today was the day we would finally get to taste the famous Tonga Toast at Kona Cafe.

French Press

This tasted wonderful but I could only handle about half a cup. Just my own weakness when it comes to coffee, nothing against Kona's coffee.

Tonga Toast with Sausage

I had a couple of bites of this and it was tasty! I am not much of a sweets person but I can see why people love this. And it is huge!

Macadamia Nut Pancakes with Ham, side of Potatoes

I actually enjoyed these pancakes more than the Tonga Toast. The pancakes had a nice warmly sweet flavor that was not overpowering. I would probably get this again before I would get the Tonga Toast. Blasphemy? Who is with me???

The Somoan: Poached eggs with Hollandaise served over smoked pulled pork hash

I ordered this. It was super salty! The hollandaise and the poached egg were made well, but the pulled pork did not have much flavor besides salty. There was also some fancy salt sprinkled on top that made it even more salty. I don't know if it was just a bad batch, but if this is how the Somoan normally tastes, I'm surprised more people haven't complained. I would even say that it is too salty for salt-lovers.

Strawberry Sauce, Maple Syrup, Butter, Ketchup

The requisite condiments for a groovy breakfast!

Up Next - More Kona eats!

 

[Stew_Mouse]

I seem to have mislabeled my photos so I'm not sure if we really did eat at Kona twice in one day, though it is highly possible. On this night, we were coming back to the hotel via Monorail at the Polynesian (it's about a 10 minute walk to Shades of Green from the Polynesian) and decided a carryout was in order. Being chronic over-orderers and ravenous, we couldn't help ordering from both the Kona Cafe menu AND the Kona Island Sushi Bar. Tip: you can order from all Kona menus at the Kona Island counter for carryout!

Teriyaki style New York Strip - Sirloin Strip grilled with pineapple teriyaki glaze served with sticky rice and stir fried broccolini

I believe we asked for mashed potatoes instead of the sticky rice, though maybe they just gave it to us? This was very good, particularly the broccolini as I had not had enough green stuff while in Orlando. Everything was tender and flavorful.

Pan-Asian Noodles - Asian egg noodles with sliced chicken, pineapple, seasonal vegetables, and a House-made sweet-and-sour sauce.

This was average, I'd say. Nothing spectacular. Not sure if it was worth the price but it was something we ordered more for the kids than the adults.

Sushi - various

I'd say the sushi was pretty average, with the combo platter with the tuna poke in picture 2 being the only memorable thing. In picture 4, that little cup with the lid on it contained a crab salad that normally goes on top of the sushi. The shrimp tempura rolls were too dense; the rice was not really delicate enough. We ate it up, but I was disappointed to discover that it was not much better than what I can find at the local Japanese restaurant.

Getting a carryout was a bit hectic and we waited probably about a half hour for our food. But it was a busy night and to be expected. The CM working the register at the Kona Island Bar was very good at multi-tasking!

Up Next - EPCOT smorgasbord!

 

[aras4007]

ETA: I forgot to mention that they accept AAA discount here, but we forgot to use it! 10% off, y'all!

That food looks great! Just wondering which one offers the AAA discount? WPE or EoS?

 

[Stew_Mouse]

That food looks great! Just wondering which one offers the AAA discount? WPE or EoS?

I used it at EoS for sure and according to Yelp, WPE does take it but we did not try. Let me know if you try it!

 

[aras4007]

I used it at EoS for sure and according to Yelp, WPE does take it but we did not try. Let me know if you try it!

Great, Thanks! We are planning on eating at one of them when we go down to WDW in a few weeks. I think we are leaning towards WPE so I will report back!

 

[Stew_Mouse]

Of course, when you go to EPCOT, you gotta try a little bit of everything. It really looks like we ate a lot of food.... we went to EPCOT twice, so I may have lumped both days together. I don't know how much I can blame it on the jumbling up I did when I labeled my photos and how much of it is just plain gluttony. Either way, read on and enjoy!

Caramel Corn from Karamelle Kuche

I remember it tasting like your average caramel corn. Good, but not jaw-dropping good.

Ham & Cheese Baguette and Turkey & Cheese Baguette from Boulangerie Patisserie

Even though I was full at this point in the day, I was determined to try the baguettes from France. I'd say this was pretty good, but I would have liked it better warmed up. Is that French? I thought that was an option. Since we were taking them back to the hotel with us, we thought it best not to get them toasted. Unfortunately, we only ate half of each and left it on the table overnight, so they got tossed the next morning. Sadly wasted!

Nachos from La Cantina de San Angel

Exotic, eh? Actually, I quite enjoyed these and I feel almost too American when I say that, haha.

Churro and Caramel Sauce from La Cantina de San Angel

Yum churros! Gotta love them at WDW. This is something we always get when we come to WDW. The caramel sauce was new to me and since I am not that into sweets, I did not really think it added much to the experience.

Beet Salad at Sunshine Seasons

This is awesome!!!! Maybe I was just jonesing for fresh flavors like real vegetables and other green things, but this was really delicious. And good for you! The beets were refreshing, the goat cheese is smooth and the greens were fresh! Definitely better than the WPE beet salad we had earlier. In fact, my sister bought another one on the way out of the park for dinner. Yes, you can get it to go!

Veggie Platter at Tangerine Cafe

My favorite place in the Showcase! I usually opt for the Schwarma Platter but I am trying to reduce my meat intake so I got this instead. It was delicious, as usual. Though the service at that place is kind of spotty....

Next Up - More room service from SOG....

 

[Stew_Mouse]

This is a small post, as I only got one picture. Along with some of our EPCOT treats (see baguettes and beet salad from last post), we needed to get something substantial for the kids and my brother-in-law.

Cheeseburger with Fries

I did not eat any of this, so I cannot say how it tasted. Looked good though! I don't know why I felt this way, but I was constantly surprised at how good the food is at SOG, save for the buffet and that calamari. But usually, everything was pretty good and delivered to the room nice and hot.

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

We got spaghetti for the kids again and I forgot to take a picture of it, but here is the picture from the other night, if you need a reminder of what it looks like. Yep, I repeated a photo.... I hope you don't feel cheated!

Next Up - Snacks from Magic Kingdom and more Sunshine Seasons...

 

[vettegirl]

Great review of SOG room service. It's good to know that it's decent as we ate at the buffet back in 08 and it was terrible.