Which restaurants are on a par with the highend restaurants near you?

[*123JOANNA123*]

Just wondering which restaurants at WDW stack up against the "best of the best" in your locale (you know the ones I mean)?

My votes

Citrico's and Brown Derby.

 

[heffalump9]

My choice is the:

Yachstman Steakhouse

 

[ducklite]

V&A's, Citrico's, Fulton's, Jiko, Teppanyaki, Mama Melroses, and CG all have similar restaurants in my area. Living an hour from bothe NYC and Philly I would say that it would be tough to find a restaurant at WDW that didn't have one very close to it here at home.

Anne

 

[caitycaity]

california grill.

we were really disappointed with teppanyaki. the food was fine, but our local benihana was a lot better.

like ducklite, there are a lot of really great restaurants in the area where i live.

 

[Bob NC]

We find that our local "Best" restaurants beat anything Disney has to offer, (both food and service), and usually at a lower price. Disney has a captive audience, and they know it. In OUR opinion, there really isn't much at Disney, in the food department, that would be considered more than pedestrian or mediocre if it were local to us. Yeah, we eat out at Disney, and we go to some of the better places. Folks get all caught up in the atmosphere and the novelty of many Disney restaurants. Granted, I find much of the food at Disney to be better than any other theme park I've ever been to, but, better than fine non-theme park restaurants?....I don't think so. I've spent $25 on a chicken breast at Narcoosee's, (My current fave Dis eatery right now, by the way), that would compare in taste, quality and service to places I would go to on my lunch hour on a normal workday, AND pay 1/3 of that price.

Some Disney restaurants are good, really good....But, that's a relative term...."Good" compared to your other Disney options while you are being held captive.

 

[MOMTOMOOTOO]

Originally posted by Bob NC
We find that our local "Best" restaurants beat anything Disney has to offer, (both food and service), and usually at a lower price. Disney has a captive audience, and they know it. In OUR opinion, there really isn't much at Disney, in the food department, that would be considered more than pedestrian or mediocre if it were local to us. Yeah, we eat out at Disney, and we go to some of the better places. Folks get all caught up in the atmosphere and the novelty of many Disney restaurants. Granted, I find much of the food at Disney to be better than any other theme park I've ever been to, but, better than fine non-theme park restaurants?....I don't think so. I've spent $25 on a chicken breast at Narcoosee's, (My current fave Dis eatery right now, by the way), that would compare in taste, quality and service to places I would go to on my lunch hour on a normal workday, AND pay 1/3 of that price.

Some Disney restaurants are good, really good....But, that's a relative term...."Good" compared to your other Disney options while you are being held captive.

Yeah...what he said!

 

[ducklite]

Bob--I want to point out that in your neck of the woods prices are most likely dramatically lower on EVERYTHING. Here in my area prices are on par with those at WDW, and in many cases much higher for lower quality.

Agree Laura?

Anne

 

[lovin_disney]

California Grill gets my vote. I get to Disney for business 2-3 times a year and we always try to have one very nice dinner there and the best part is the company pays!!

 

[Bob NC]

Originally posted by ducklite
Bob--I want to point out that in your neck of the woods prices are most likely dramatically lower on EVERYTHING.

Yeah....But if we take cost completely out of the equation, there is still absolutely nothing that makes a Disney restaurant better in quality or service from my local dining options. Sure, folks will go to the Mickey Buffet to see Mickey and friends, but would you really go to that buffet at home if there were no characters?...LOL, I doubt it. I go to Narcoosee's every trip, but I'll tell you honestly, if Narcoossee's were a half mile from my house, you probably wouldn't find me there ever. Same with Teppanyaki, we like it, but we eat at better Japanese steakhouses at home. Le Cellier?.....C'mon, average to below average food. Granted, I've never eaten at V & A's, but I have no desire to. There's many, many, restaurants I go to repeatedly at WDW, but I really can't think of any that I would frequent if they were near my house....Even IF their prices were comparable to my locality.

 

[MOMTOMOOTOO]

Originally posted by ducklite
Agree Laura?

Anne

While I agree the prices are on par, I still have to agree with Bob about the quality of the food overall. While there certainly are some wonderful eateries, I would much prefer a night out in NYC for fine dining

Although I have my disney favs, I certainly think as Bob says we are a captive audience. I too am a big fan of Narcoossees, but I wonder if it really is that good or just better than some others?

We've been to Shula's in both NYC and Phiilly, but it never occured to me to go in WDW, I wonder why? I really like Shulas too.

I'm not sure where I'm going with this other than while I have no complaints for the most part about WDW food, there are just a few that I would "frequent" if they were local.

Laura

 

[MOMTOMOOTOO]

Originally posted by Bob NC
I go to Narcoosee's every trip, but I'll tell you honestly, if Narcoossee's were a half mile from my house, you probably wouldn't find me there ever.

That's exactly how I feel Bob.

And as far as Teppanyaki, I just don't get. We have a wonderful hibachi/sushi place not 5 minutes from home, while its more expensive than Teppanyaki, the food is outstanding. The one and only time we tried Teppanyaki, we left disappointed.

 

[baloo722]

I live 5 min. south of philly.

i love WDW & the restuarants there, but if i were to look objectively, they are a solid notch below the offerings in philly, which has undergone a "restuarant rennaisance" over the past 10 years. they cannot match Striped Bass, Lebec Fin, Avenue B, etc..

 

[crisi]

I live in the Twin Cities.

We have excellent restaurants here. We particularly enjoy Goodfellows for very special occations - which would be V&A-ish. I can find nearly everything here that I can at Disney (and a ton of stuff not at Disney - they really NEED a Thai place).

We find the prices at Disney to be comparable - maybe slightly higher.

 

[ducklite]

Originally posted by MOMTOMOOTOO
I'm not sure where I'm going with this other than while I have no complaints for the most part about WDW food, there are just a few that I would "frequent" if they were local.

Laura

I agree 100% on that! In fact the only one we'd probably go to with any regularity is Jiko. Maybe Citrico's and the CG.

We're in the process of building a house about 20 minutes from WDW, and probably won't dine there all that often.

Anne

 

[Jen D]

Like you other Northeasterners, I don't tend to get sticker shock from WDW prices-- they are about on par with similar places in NYC, maybe even cheaper.

I've only been to WDW a couple times, and we only eat two or three expensive meals a week, so I haven't tried a lot of the places others have talked about, but imo California Grill and Flying Fish measure up to similar places in NYC. There is the difference of having kids menus and high chairs, but that makes it WDW. Personally I think it is fabulous having a place like California Grill which is on par with a Union Square Cafe or Gotham Bar and Grill, and having a menu for (well-behaved) kids.

A lot doesn't measure up but that is a given. Thinking of other places we have tried-- Teppanyaki-- did that as a lark for the kid. Tastes about like Benihana, which here is considered a novelty joint for tourists. I doubt any of the World Showcase restaurants can hold a candle to the offerings here-- although there isn't much good upscale Mexican here, so maybe I should give the San Angel Inn a chance.The buffets-- lets not even go there-- although I did like Boma. We don't really have buffet restaurants here, to tell you the truth.

Generally, there is a short list of WDW restaurants that have aspirations to be considered by foodies to be great restaurants on their own terms (not just "good for Disney"), and hire serious chefs. This includes California Grill, Flying Fish, Jiko, Narcoosee's, Citricos, Victoria and Alberts, Artists Point-- am I forgetting anyone? I'm not trying to start arguements by starting this list, just noting that these are some of the restaurants most cited for "serious" food.

 

[phyllis1966]

I tend to agree with most of the posters on this one. I grew up and lived in Brooklyn, NY until recently, and I have been to many of the great restaurants in NYC. While I enjoy eating in most of WDW's restaurants, they really can't hold a candle to the fine restaurants of NYC and some of the "little gems" we discovered in Brooklyn.

 

[jordanyosh]

To answer the OP's question directly, California Grill and Flying Fish Cafe. Great food and service.

 

[GladysK]

Having grown up in the Food Capital of the USA(New Orleans) no restaurant at WDW comes close to food I've eaten my whole life.

The best at WDW are only "Pretty good" in comparison.

 

[ducklite]

JenD--if you want to come across the river to jersey i can suggest a few really good authentic Mexican places--San Angel will appear to be dog food after eating at the places I like

Anne

 

[bunnyfoo]

More votes for CG and BD