Turf Club Service Review (NYE)

[disneyfan2kids]

Posted this on the Restaurants board... but thought that some DVC'ers might be interested as well. Went to the Turf Club on NYE. Here's my experience:

Turf Club (Grade "D") - Food, Just "ok." Service, HORRIFIC!

Waiter was either VERY new or VERY bad. Came to our table with mounds of sweat dripping off his face... literally. He actually was wiping his sweat with his bare hands while taking our order. Normally, I wouldn't have noticed something trivial like that, but it was literally dripping off his face onto our tablecloth. Sorry - it was gross. He even knew it was gross because he said Sorry, it's hot in here (which is wasn't by the way.)

He then messes up my drink order not once, but twice. My only option was to bring it to the bar myself and correct the order myself (b/c waiter disappeared). (For the record - it wasn't a difficult drink - it was a Malibu Bay breeze.) Waiter said he had no idea what that was and asked if it was on the "specials" board? I told him it was just a regular bay breeze made with malibu rum. He looked confused and brought me a regular bay breeze... TWICE. I brought it back to bartender myself (since he disappeared AGAIN) and he said that the waiter kept asking for a regular bay breeze. He apologized and gave me a malibu bay breeze. 2nd time... waiter did it AGAIN. After first time I even TOLD the waiter that the first drink was incorrect and that he must ask bartender for MALIBU bay breeze. I got Vodka AGAIN. I brought it back to bartender myself again b/c waiter disappeared for another 15 minutes.

Finally, he took our order. I asked for the Filet cooked Medium Well. He "corrected" me and said that I shouldn't order a Filet medium well, that I wanted it MEDIUM. I said "No, I like it cooked through and just a tiny-tiny bit pink in the middle" He said "OK, but you'll ruin your steak." I got it back and it was BLEEDING red. It was probably rare or medium rare. I know he didn't write medium well like I asked. I couldn't even eat it. Even my husband who likes things RARE, wouldn't eat it. I didn't send it back.... I just wanted to get out at that point. Waiter came back and never even mentioned that I didn't touch my steak, just took it away not commenting that I didn't eat it. We asked our waiter for bread 4 times. Literally.. 4 times. He brought it out AFTER the entree was finished and removed and RIGHT BEFORE the dessert. Who does that? Honestly, it was the worst service I've ever had.

We were on the DDP and I ordered a kids meal for my 6 year old. I also asked for an additional "plate" for my 2 year old so we could all share with him. When I got the bill, he charged me 2 kids credits, one for my 6 yo meal and one for my 2 yo PLATE?!? I asked him to correct and he told me he couldn't - he had to charge me. After trying to politely explain that I refused to use a kids TS credit for my infant's PLATE, I asked for a manager, who quickly apologized and corrected the issue. Sorry - it was just all out BAD BAD BAD service.

Any specific questions?

 

[rinkwide]

...We were on the DDP...

You don't say.

 

[disneyfan2kids]

You don't say.

 

[TEK224]

Do you remember the waiter's name? I have dinner res. for there on Saturday and don't want to get a lousy waiter (especially for our party of 10)!

Terri

 

[TEK224]

Do you remember the waiter's name? I have dinner res. for there on Saturday and don't want to get a lousy waiter (especially for our party of 10)!

Terri

 

[disneyfan2kids]

Sorry...it's slipped my mind.

Something tells me he won't last very long though....

Regardless... I hope you have better luck than we did!!!

 

[fishermouse]

Do you remember the waiter's name? I have dinner res. for there on Saturday and don't want to get a lousy waiter (especially for our party of 10)!

Terri

Don't write the Turf Club off, I've eaten there a few times and have had a very good experience every time. Must have been the waiter in OP's case. IMO Op should have at some point insisted on a new waiter. Hindsight is always 20/20 and given it to do allover probably would have..

 

[dianeschlicht]

We have always had GREAT food at Turf Club! Granted, it is often a slower place to eat, but when we go there, we usually are doing so for a nice relaxing evening meal. It is nice to have a slow paced meal where you can enjoy the company and conversation. I suspect your issue was solely the fault of the server, and I would have pushed farther to have your steak corrected. Ask for the manager BEFORE you give up on an undercooked meal. Don't expect the server to notice that you didn't eat it. Oh, and I likely would have asked that same manager to REMOVE the gratuity from your TS credits for that particular server. Some feel that service is substandard with DDP because the server KNOWS they get tipped no matter what.

 

[tomandrobin]

We actually tried to get in at the Turf club NYE, but there was no availablity. Ended up over at Wolfgang Puck.

 

[LIFERBABE]

We actually tried to get in at the Turf club NYE, but there was no availablity. Ended up over at Wolfgang Puck.

So did we! We tried for at least a month prior and then again while we were at WDW to get TC for NYE.

We ended up with dinner in the room

We did dine there twice though during our 2 week trip. We did have to send our steaks back once, because they were cooked well instead of medium but we also had to send them back at Concourse Steakhouse. Dh quickly learned that if he didnt want an overcooked steak, to order medium rare or better yet to say a "warm red center"

We ate at Turf Club twice (once while staying at AKV and then again instead of eating at Spoodles) because the food was good and the choices were more in line with what we like. Our server was Hoodia both times and she was pretty good and she wrapped our desserts to go. The Chef was very attentive to my allergies and personally came out to tell me what I could have for dessert and not to eat the bread.

I wouldnt doubt the service was bad for any WDW restaurant on NYE. It is just a hectic night, especially at WDW where many of them had worked the entire holiday. We ate at Kona on Dec 30th and the service and the food was awful. Out of 7 Adult entrees, the raw tuna was liked the best and I dont eat raw fish.

We will definitely return to Turf, can't say the same about Kona though.

 

[starbox]

Waiter was either VERY new or VERY bad. Came to our table with mounds of sweat dripping off his face... literally. He actually was wiping his sweat with his bare hands while taking our order. Normally, I wouldn't have noticed something trivial like that, but it was literally dripping off his face onto our tablecloth. Sorry - it was gross. He even knew it was gross because he said Sorry, it's hot in here (which is wasn't by the way.)

With all the disappearing/sweats - it sounds like your waiter was sick with the flu. I bet he was told he had to come in - you usually can't be absent on holidays. Food service can be vicious.

Glad you all did not catch whatever he had! Sorry the service was bad - but it really does sound like he was ill & on a night like NYE - there just is not coverage if people get sick and can't work.

 

[CarolMN]

Wow! Sorry you had such a bad experience.

FWIW, my DH & I had a very good meal there with excellent service. This would have been back in December 2005. We will go back in the future.

Hope you can give it another chance sometime. I think your experience was not the norm.

 

[BlakeNJ]

We also had a great meal there back in November (Thanksgiving week). The waiter makes all the difference. If the food is bad but the waiter/waitress is good it makes the food manageable. If the waiter is bad and the food is good--doesn't matter--I still won't like the place. Unfortunately, you had both terrible food and terrible service.

Hope you'll give it another chance. At least you were on the DDP. OOP can be expensive there!

Blakely

 

[lat]

Sorry you had a bad dinner there. We loved this place and had great meals there in August!!

 

[disney-super-mom]

We had great service at the Turf Club last January. However, our food was just so-so (althought the dessert was excellent), and my DH's steak was AWFUL!!!! It was cooked perfectly and just the way he ordered it, but unfortunately it tasted like liver instead of steak, and the texture was like liver too. YUCK!

 

[Esmerelda]

Wow...I'm sorry to hear of your experience. We ate there not once but twice last June. Our first experience was so great, we came back a 2nd time. Our server was Rudy and he was FABULOUS!!! We even requested him a 2nd time and spoke to the manager before we left to tell them that his service was the best we had at Disney in 7 days of meals (we were also on the DDP last June). I even followed up with an email to Disney and mentioned our experiences at the Turf Club (and our meals..the steak was to die for...prime rib) We received a phone call back from Disney thanking us for our letter!

Please don't give up on the Turf Club....it could be a totally different experience the next time.


Esmerelda

 

[kent285]

Do you remember the waiter's name? I have dinner res. for there on Saturday and don't want to get a lousy waiter (especially for our party of 10)!

Terri

My family was there Dec. 27th and we had Christian as our waiter. He was GREAT! Extremely attentive and so friendly. I was drinking a cosmopolitan that had zero liquor in it, and I guess I made a funny face. He noticed and said "That drink doesn't look right to me either" and got me a new one. We thought the food was good, too. Christian's attention to detail made the whole meal very enjoyable. OP, sorry about your experience.

 

[drakethib]

Sounds like you hit a bad night.

We have ate there several times and never had a problem.

 

[tomandrobin]

I wouldnt doubt the service was bad for any WDW restaurant on NYE. It is just a hectic night, especially at WDW where many of them had worked the entire holiday.

We had Table Service meals every night on this past trip 12/27-1/2. For the most part our meals were good, service was good and we had no major complaints. We felt a little rushed sometimes, but none of meals took less then 1 1/2 hours, can't be too rushed. We had the same steak problem at Concourse Steatkhouse. And our DD order something that was jsut awful from LeCellier.

 

[castleri]

With all the disappearing/sweats - it sounds like your waiter was sick with the flu. I bet he was told he had to come in - you usually can't be absent on holidays. Food service can be vicious.

Glad you all did not catch whatever he had! Sorry the service was bad - but it really does sound like he was ill & on a night like NYE - there just is not coverage if people get sick and can't work.

Those symptoms also might be a case of undiagnosed diabetes and I had the same thoughts that it sounds like he might have been ill.
We ate at TC in September for lunch and it was by far the best meal we had in a week of meals that included LeCellier(won't be bothering to go back there), Kona (good meal and excellent service) and Coral Reef ( again good meal and service. Give it another try when you are there at a less hectic time.