What’s going on at Ohana?

[DisneyHusker]

I was excited to eat there during our trip next week but I watched a Disney blogger go for dinner and in his review he basically said it’s not as good as it used to be. I went over to google reviews and pretty much every other review says the same thing. Has anyone gone recently? Is it really that bad!? I’ve already switched our plans to Grand Flo Cafe because it’s our favorite but I was surprised to see the reviews all be so negative.

 

[Karlk]

We were there in November, and everyone enjoyed it. The kids 11,10,8 loved the wings they almost mowed down 3 servings

 

[PalmettoPath]

For us it is nowhere near as good as it used to be, particularly in food quality. We noticed the downward slide approximately 10 years ago. Prior to that it was among our top choices. The exact same thing happened to Narcoossee's. For many years it was my number one recommendation, now it doesn't even rank in my personal list (again, due to declining food quality). The Grand Floridian Cafe, which you mentioned, is still a great pick and their steak outperforms Narcoossee's and costs far less. Perhaps the Narcoossee's reno may bring it back to life. Hopefully for Ohana they can turn it around during dinner service. I'll never forget the first time we noticed the decline (quality of everything, from the wings on down the line). It was a bit shocking. We've tried it twice since then and the same. So until something changes, we'll go there for breakfast only, occasionally. I think you'll notice these comments mostly from guests who remember how good it truly was 10+ years ago. Again, food quality primarily (not necessarily ambiance or service).

 

[reddog21]

We were not impressed, we usually go for breakfast because let's be honest how can you really screw up a breakfast. This past trip we decided to go for Dinner and except for maybe the wings which shockingly my wife loved and she doesn't like any food on the bone it's a hard pass for us. Those noodles that everyone raves about weren't anything special maybe because of the hype I excepted better but no-one at the table thought they were anything great. My server was pretty terrible which didn't help the experience. For the price tag I would have expected so much better food.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

I didn't have a problem with the dinner. Nothing was on skewers and they served the shrimp with peppers. I just eat the shrimp, no steak. Tried some chicken, it was good. No issues

 

[_19disnA]

We enjoyed our dinner at O'hana back in 2019 and thought the food was good. With restaurant reviews, since you don't actually know the person, it just may be someone who complains about everything. Some find trivial things they didn't like and then bash the entire restaurant. It also seems that some don't realize O'hana has a limited menu served family style. This isn't the typical restaurant where you order off of a menu and then wait several minutes for your food to be prepared. We never felt rushed as some complain and thought that format works great if you have small children who tend to get restless at a typical restaurant waiting for their food.

 

[Stratman50th]

'Ohana has been a must do every time we went to the parks for many years. The food quality seems to have been going down hill over the past 8 years or so. Food quality is subjective however I will say the quality of the beef is down for sure. A lot of gristle in the cuts plus my wife could never get any well done even when she specifically asked for it. (No pink allowed! The meat must "clank" when it hits the plate. A texture thing for her but it does make it inedible).
We used to drive over to 'Ohana for an anniversary or birthday dinner and catch the fireworks if we could get the right seat. Unfortunately one of our two favorite restaurants on property is a no go for us now due to quality which is not worth the price in our opinion.

 

[Marthasor]

I thought it was bad pre-covid. We haven't had a good meal there in years.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

With restaurant reviews, since you don't actually know the person, it just may be someone who complains about everything.

Not only that, but Disney fans also complain about change as a reflex. Thing B might be just as good as Thing A, but if it's not exactly the same as Thing A, they get upset.

 

[Bostonjetset]

I ate there last week and we loved it. I don’t have any comparisons to “five or ten years ago ‘Ohana” but what we ate recently we enjoyed. The wings and noodles were excellent. Beef was good. Chicken was good. Dumplings were pretty standard Chinese-food-style but good. Dessert was excellent. I really had nothing to pick on. If I had pick something it would be that we found the alcoholic drinks were ordered to be very strong. Many will probably like that but as someone who likes sweeter tropical drinks I was surprised at the strong taste. Not a big deal but it’s the only thing I could think of to pick on.

 

[gregskellington]

I was there in February and enjoyed it as much as I have in the past (which is quite a bit).

 

[closetmickey]

Does anyone think the skewers will ever come back?

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Maybe they will be back one day. I think they may have been trying to minimize the amount of time the server spent at the table, which could be a reaction to lack of staffing as much as covid issues.

 

[Marionnette]

It was bad 10 years ago. But because we were traveling with someone who had fond memories of 'Ohana from 30 years back, I made a dinner reservation for our trip last December. The food and service wS so bad that we just had to laugh because if we thought about the price we would have cried. The noodles lacked any flavor. The server was rushed and seemed more interesting turning the table over than in providing attentive service. The meat was overcooked and dry. Maybe it was just a bad night but it was enough for us to decide to never eat there again.

 

[Bellex917]

We went in November and had an amazing experience. We weren't rushed, the food was delicious... zero complaints.

 

[boxer]

Just went last week, and didn't think it was worth the money. Was it decent food--yes. Was it worth $350 to basically eat pot stickers and wings--no. Steak was dry and overcooked, and chicken was run-of-mill grilled thighs. Disappointed in the dessert, but in fairness, I knew they changed from the Bread/Banana Foster from years back.

 

[BethanyMouse]

We ate there last summer and were thrilled with our meal and the service. For years this was my favorite place to dine. Not only for the food but for the atmosphere. However, a few years ago the service was terrible, enough to make us pause and not go for a few visits. Last year turned it around for us and we were very pleased. Planning to go again this August!

 

[GreyStr0ke]

Used to be a must do for my party and I, but after last time (4 months) I will not be back. It was an over priced Panda Express at best, if not worse and that's pretty hard to do. One friend who was vegan got served the saddest looking $60 meal I've ever seen. Impossible sausage that looked like dog turds. I cannot justify the cost anymore for the quality of food being served there.

 

[Bostonjetset]

Used to be a must do for my party and I, but after last time (4 months) I will not be back. It was an over priced Panda Express at best, if not worse and that's pretty hard to do. One friend who was vegan got served the saddest looking $60 meal I've ever seen. Impossible sausage that looked like dog turds. I cannot justify the cost anymore for the quality of food being served there.

In all fairness, a Polynesian themed meal was probably not the best option for someone who chooses not to eat any animal products. It’s a meat-heavy cuisine to begin with and though there are some delicious vegetarian items on the normal menu even those wouldn’t be worth $60. Take away even those and what did they expect?

 

[GreyStr0ke]

In all fairness, a Polynesian themed meal was probably not the best option for someone who chooses not to eat any animal products. It’s a meat-heavy cuisine to begin with and though there are some delicious vegetarian items on the normal menu even those wouldn’t be worth $60. Take away even those and what did they expect?

Said person has dined there before several times and they accommodated her much better. But hey, I'm glad you enjoy it. I've been to Ohana over 20 times and will not eat there again.