The restaurant you will never go back to...

[Sherry E]

Yes, that is one I was trying to think of. Not horrible, but not really good either. We don't go there. And years ago it seemed like that hamburger was almost all you could get anywhere at DL. Hungry Bear still seems to have the same burger. It was then we would go off to the DLH in search of something differernt. That was when we found this very cute 50's dinner there. Loved that, but it is gone now. When that left we found some decent food near the DLH pool. It was a bar. Now, there are more choices around DLR but those two places mentioned I earlier seem to be a throw back to more bland times.

I know what you mean about those hamburgers - pre-1992, they were all over the park....usually cold, dry and wimpy and just not good. I have not eaten at Hungry Bear yet so I didn't realize the burgers were similar.

And the diner you are referring to (it was like a coffee shop/pie shop/diner) was the Monorail Cafe. That was one of the biggest mistakes they made - getting rid of the Monorail Cafe. It had GREAT food, and it fit a niche of not being a character meal, not being an 'upscale,' expensive place and not being one of the more fast food-type places with those cold, dry burgers. DLH had a few restaurants that are now all gone - Mazie's (sp?), Cafe Villa Verde, and something else I am forgetting....not to mention the long gone Sgt. Preston's Yukon Saloon/Neon Cactus and the Pavilion Lounge. But Monorail Cafe is one they should really try to bring back and squeeze in somewhere - even in a different hotel like the PPH.

 

[LavenderPeach]

And the diner you are referring to (it was like a coffee shop/pie shop/diner) was the Monorail Cafe. That was one of the biggest mistakes they made - getting rid of the Monorail Cafe. It had GREAT food, and it fit a niche of not being a character meal, not being an 'upscale,' expensive place and not being one of the more fast food-type places with those cold, dry burgers. DLH had a few restaurants that are now all gone - Mazie's (sp?), Cafe Villa Verde, and something else I am forgetting....not to mention the long gone Sgt. Preston's Yukon Saloon/Neon Cactus and the Pavilion Lounge. But Monorail Cafe is one they should really try to bring back and squeeze in somewhere - even in a different hotel like the PPH.

You're forgetting Stromboli's! DH and I went there for our first anniversary so that's why I remember it. We were poor college students so it was our big night out on the town!

I remember the monorail cafe too. It was good.

 

[PinkBudgie]

I know what you mean about those hamburgers - pre-1992, they were all over the park....usually cold, dry and wimpy and just not good. I have not eaten at Hungry Bear yet so I didn't realize the burgers were similar.

And the diner you are referring to (it was like a coffee shop/pie shop/diner) was the Monorail Cafe. That was one of the biggest mistakes they made - getting rid of the Monorail Cafe. It had GREAT food, and it fit a niche of not being a character meal, not being an 'upscale,' expensive place and not being one of the more fast food-type places with those cold, dry burgers. DLH had a few restaurants that are now all gone - Mazie's (sp?), Cafe Villa Verde, and something else I am forgetting....not to mention the long gone Sgt. Preston's Yukon Saloon/Neon Cactus and the Pavilion Lounge. But Monorail Cafe is one they should really try to bring back and squeeze in somewhere - even in a different hotel like the PPH.

We ate at the Hungry Bear on Jan 2 of this year trying to find a place with no crowds where we could wait for our FP to "ripen". Now, I wanted to get the funnel cake but no one would share it with me so I had some of DH's hamburger. It wasn't horrible, just very underwhelming. Reminded me of the "old days".

I never knew the name of that place in the DLH. In fact, I think it was my sister that showed it to us.

 

[Sherry E]

You're forgetting Stromboli's! DH and I went there for our first anniversary so that's why I remember it. We were poor college students so it was our big night out on the town!

I remember the monorail cafe too. It was good.

Yes! That's it! Thank you! I knew I was forgetting the name of at least one of the older DLH restaurants. But was Stromboli's one and the same as Cafe Villa Verde? Was it one of those places that changed names, i.e., from Cafe Villa Verde to Stromboli's or vice versa at some point, or were they two separate buildings? For some reasons I was thinking one name had changed to the other (and I don't recall in which order). In any case, yes, I remember Stromboli's, Mazie's, the poor, long lost Monorail Cafe, and there may have even been one more little fast food-type of place (this is seriously compelling me to want to dig up an old DLH brochure from the old days and look at the list of restaurants!). Monorail Cafe was always very busy, and they had those vinyl diner-ish seats in the waiting area to sit on while you waited for your table. They had pies and cakes in the glass displays here and there. Good milkshakes and burgers. They served chicken dishes, sandwiches and meat loaf too. Great BBQ chicken sandwich and DELICIOUS onion rings! It actually was not dissimilar to what PCH Grill serves now, I would say. Can't they just change the name 'PCH Grill' to 'Monorail Cafe,' bring back those amazing beer-battered onion rings and make me happy? I can't believe there is a whole generation of DLR fans now who never knew of any of those restaurants in DLH!

 

[blackssrider00]

Rain Forest Cafe is my vote.... Its a cool place but the food really sucked and I wont go back there Maybe for a desert but it just didnt do it for me..

 

[c&m]

I have never eaten at Storytellers but my friend has tried it twice with her family. They all got food poisoning on the both tries.

That would not surprise me. The lack of service and friendliness from the wait staff and manager, and the lack of care and passion for the food they serve is a clear indicator that something is deeply wrong in that restaurant. We used to be loyal guests of this restaurant but we will never go back. Not solely because of the incident, but because of the lack of care that goes into preparing the food, which may result in food poisoning.

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

Is it wrong that my pick would probably be Napa Rose?

I mean the place was decent but we paid like $18 for two Lamb Meatballs the size of quarters (you can get a huge pack at Costco to feed a party for like $10) that weren't even that good, I had a mushroom cappuccino that was definitely interesting, my friend's meal wasn't at all like how they described.. in layman's terms it was like a pot roast stew.. but that wasn't at all the description.

The service was wonderful and all but the prices are just a little ridiculous for what it is. The food, while overall decent, just wasn't worth it.

 

[Sherry E]

Is it wrong that my pick would probably be Napa Rose?

I mean the place was decent but we paid like $18 for two Lamb Meatballs the size of quarters (you can get a huge pack at Costco to feed a party for like $10) that weren't even that good, I had a mushroom cappuccino that was definitely interesting, my friend's meal wasn't at all like how they described.. in layman's terms it was like a pot roast stew.. but that wasn't at all the description.

The service was wonderful and all but the prices are just a little ridiculous for what it is. The food, while overall decent, just wasn't worth it.

I have not been to Napa Rose, though it certainly gets rave reviews on the DIS, but what you decribed is inherently my problem with the fine dining, more upscale, restaurants in general. They are not for me. There are quite a few places of that caliber here in L.A. where you get a big, lovely plate with a tiny amount of food on it, albeit artfully arranged! A lot of it is about the experience, the elegance, the overall creative presentation of the food, sampling the products of master chefs, etc., and you do end up paying sometimes crazy amounts of money to stare at a tiny bit of food with some colorful drops of sauce on your plate, and it is usually the type of food I would not be interested in anyway. I am more of the 'give me a nice plate of spaghetti, or a nice slice of pizza and a salad, or a juicy burger and I am content' type of person. If I am going to pay a large sum of money to eat, then I will go to Goofy's or another buffet where I can get as much of whatever I want and choose from a large variety.

 

[drag n' fly]

I will tread carefully with this one.....Blue Bayou

The service stunk, the food quality was no where near what they were charging for it. The ambience is nice near the water any further back you see the ceiling of the restaurant...never again

 

[LavenderPeach]

Yes! That's it! Thank you! I knew I was forgetting the name of at least one of the older DLH restaurants. But was Stromboli's one and the same as Cafe Villa Verde? Was it one of those places that changed names, i.e., from Cafe Villa Verde to Stromboli's or vice versa at some point, or were they two separate buildings? For some reasons I was thinking one name had changed to the other (and I don't recall in which order).

I'm not sure if it changed names or not. I wasn't as informed about all things disney back then. We went in 1997.

I have not been to Napa Rose, though it certainly gets rave reviews on the DIS, but what you decribed is inherently my problem with the fine dining, more upscale, restaurants in general. They are not for me. There are quite a few places of that caliber here in L.A. where you get a big, lovely plate with a tiny amount of food on it, albeit artfully arranged! A lot of it is about the experience, the elegance, the overall creative presentation of the food, sampling the products of master chefs, etc., and you do end up paying sometimes crazy amounts of money to stare at a tiny bit of food with some colorful drops of sauce on your plate, and it is usually the type of food I would not be interested in anyway. I am more of the 'give me a nice plate of spaghetti, or a nice slice of pizza and a salad, or a juicy burger and I am content' type of person. If I am going to pay a large sum of money to eat, then I will go to Goofy's or another buffet where I can get as much of whatever I want and chose from a large variety.

I haven't been to Napa Rose either but I'm the same way about fine dining places so while i think it would nice to try I don't want to take the chance spending a lot on something I'm not sure I would enjoy as much as a less expensive place. Now, if someone else wanted to pay...... I certainly wouldn't be against that idea!

 

[liesel]

With the mention of the Monorail Cafe (I can't believe they got rid of it too!!), now I'm all nostalgic for the old DLH area. In high school, we used to go there all the time. We'd sometimes go to that country bar and line dance or go see the dancing waters. One of my friends was working at a candy store over there and we'd sometimes visit. Now I'll have to go searching for a map too. My husband grew up in Orange too and the other day he asked if any of that stuff is still there. Sadly, no. But there are plenty of new places to try and I am excited. Single digit dance today!!!

 

[erinbev]

I haven't been to Napa Rose either but I'm the same way about fine dining places so while i think it would nice to try I don't want to take the chance spending a lot on something I'm not sure I would enjoy as much as a less ex*****ve place.

LavenderPeach, watch your slippery fingers!

 

[wdhinn89]

I am hearing a lot of Storytellers complaints. Is everyone talking about food poisoning from the character breakfast buffet or lunch/dinner or both?

We are staying at the GC in July and thought we would have a character breakfast meal there before we got on the road to San Diego. I have to admit, I am a little leary about it now.

 

[Sherry E]

LavenderPeach, watch your slippery fingers!

I thought I was the only one who caught that, so I didn't bother mentioning it. Seeing that I am one who constantly makes typos and types 'form' when I intend to type 'from,' I understand how easily the fingers can slip!

I am hearing a lot of Storytellers complaints. Is everyone talking about food poisoning from the character breakfast buffet or lunch/dinner or both?

We are staying at the GC in July and thought we would have a character breakfast meal there before we got on the road to San Diego. I have to admit, I am a little leary about it now.

As you can see from this entire thread, people have experiences at certain restaurants which are 180 degrees different from another person's experience. I think we all agree that much of this phenomenon has to do with personal/individual tastes as well as 'off' days/nights for the restaurants in general. C&M's experience seem to have been an extreme one in which not only was the food not up to par but the service and management of the issue was HORRID. That said, I, personally, have not yet had any bad experiences at Storytellers. Both of my 2 character meals there and my other lunches and dinners there have been fine, and based on that, I would go back there again (though maybe with a little more caution). I have not gotten food poisoning there, or at Goofy's, or anywhere else. Not to say it can't happen to me in the future or that I can't have a nightmarish experience like what C&M had, but I have not had that so far.

I think you should definitely try the Critter breakfast - there are a lot of folks who prefer that over all the other character meals. I think if Storytellers Cafe were constantly doling out bad food and bad service and bad attitudes from the staff, we would hear much more about it on DIS - more frequently. I think maybe there have been some 'off' days and nights and they have hired some bad employees (including the manager), but I trust they will get it ironed out. I don't think Disney would let them treat customers like that for too long. They have an image to uphold.

 

[Sherry E]

With the mention of the Monorail Cafe (I can't believe they got rid of it too!!), now I'm all nostalgic for the old DLH area. In high school, we used to go there all the time. We'd sometimes go to that country bar and line dance or go see the dancing waters. One of my friends was working at a candy store over there and we'd sometimes visit. Now I'll have to go searching for a map too. My husband grew up in Orange too and the other day he asked if any of that stuff is still there. Sadly, no. But there are plenty of new places to try and I am excited. Single digit dance today!!!

If you find your old DLH map, let us/me know! I know I have my old ones buried in boxes somewhere, and it would be a Herculean task to find them. But I am curious to know what other places I forgot. The line dancing place (also the karaoke place) was Sgt. Preston's Yukon Saloon, which eventually became the Neon Cactus. The brown bear statues used to sit outside of Sgt. Prestons, and then at least one of them moved over to the GCH to take up residence there. We also had frou frou frothy drinks at the Pavilion Lounge, which was a combo bar/lounge/dance club.

Based on Lavender Peach's timeline, I think the Cafe Villa Verde existed first, and then it later turned into Stromboli's before that whole segment of the DLH got the ax. I even miss all those extra shops that were there - that toy store and the sporting goods place, along with another small art gallery and a crystal shop. Lots of good stuff we will never see again!

 

[liesel]

If you find your old DLH map, let us/me know! I know I have my old ones buried in boxes somewhere, and it would be a Herculean task to find them. But I am curious to know what other places I forgot. The line dancing place (also the karaoke place) was Sgt. Preston's Yukon Saloon, which eventually became the Neon Cactus. The brown bear statues used to sit outside of Sgt. Prestons, and then at least one of them moved over to the GCH to take up residence there. We also had frou frou frothy drinks at the Pavilion Lounge, which was a combo bar/lounge/dance club.

Based on Lavender Peach's timeline, I think the Cafe Villa Verde existed first, and then it later turned into Stromboli's before that whole segment of the DLH got the ax. I even miss all those extra shops that were there - that toy store and the sporting goods place, along with another small art gallery and a crystal shop. Lots of good stuff we will never see again!

Yes, the Neon Cactus! I was going crazy trying to remember the name of that place.

 

[LavenderPeach]

LavenderPeach, watch your slippery fingers!

Aaahhhh! Whoops. I don't know what I typed but I guess it wasn't good! Usually I read over what I write before I post it but I was in a hurry to get in a few posts while DS was busy with something else. I promise, whatever I wrote wasn't intentional!

Ahem.....welll, anyway....... back to the topic of bad restaurants......


Okay, I just went back and fixed the problem. I feel much better now.

 

[mechurchlady]

http://www.magicalhotel.com/rarepictures/coffeeshop.html
Dude wrote a book about the htel,, have fun looking at his pictures and that one is the soon to be Monorail Cafe.

 

[Sherry E]

http://www.magicalhotel.com/rarepictures/coffeeshop.html
Dude wrote a book about the htel,, have fun looking at his pictures and that one is the soon to be Monorail Cafe.

Those are great photos! Thank you for posting that link, Laurie! Even though that was a very early incarnation of the DLH, looking at those pictures I can still see certain structures and the outlines for buildings that remained after I first began enjoying the DLH in the '80s. There are some familiar things there, though it looks like a lot was removed or changed prior to the '80s too.

 

[imabrat]

Let me preface this by saying I've only been to CA and DLR/DCA one time.

- I can't remember if it's Tortilla Joe's (which I think is in Downtown Disney) or Cucina Cocamunga - whatever the name, it serves Mexican. It was downright nasty.
- While the service is good, the food isn't at Rainforest Cafe.
- Goofy's Kitchen wasn't as good as I thought it would be. The food was kind of cold, and it was expensive. Almost $200.00 for 4 people. To be honest, the room service at Paradise Pier was better than this place.

I only spent 3 days there total, and just about 2 hours at DCA.