I used to eat at California Grill every time I was in town (from 1995, usually 1-2 times a month and sometimes more often). Since Chef Cliff Pleau and GM George Milliotes left 3-4 years ago, service and quality have gone downhill so much so that I rarely go there any more. My most recent experience there is likely to be my last.
Disney Food and Beverage (in general) and California Grill (in particular) seem to tweak policies on a regular basis to ensure the worst possible guest experience. Starting with moving the check in downstairs (making it painful to go at the last minute for drinks and sushi at the bar), adding a randomly enforced dress code, charging $20 a person for reservations, etc., etc.
In the last year, I have eaten at every one of Emeril Lagasse's restaurants (I am usually at one of these restaurant several times a month), at Mario Batali's Babbo Ristorante, Rick Bayless's Frontera Grill and quite a few other high end restaurants. Not one charges $20 a person for reservations, most either have no dress code at all, or a recommendation of smart or business casual. All have much better service and food.
Even Emeril's Tchoup Chop at Universal's Royal Pacific Hotel, a mid-priced restaurant has more courteous staff and higher quality food, than California Grill.
We arrived at check-in around 7:00 on Monday evening after spending the day wandering around the Photo Marketing Association trade show at the Orlando Convention center and the late afternoon and early evening walking around Magic Kingdom. The Cast Member at check-in asked if we had reservations and I replied that we did not, but just wanted to go to the bar for drinks and sushi. She said that we should wait for the elevator and that another Cast Member would take us up to the restaurant, but that my colleague would have to remove his hat. I explained that he was an observant Jew and that he always keeps his head covered. She just sneered at us.
We waited for the elevator. When it arrived, the Cast Member inside, went over to the check in desk and conferred with her associate while we waited in the elevator. She returned and as we rode up to the restaurant, she again told my colleague that he would have to remove his hat (she did not welcome us to the restaurant, ask us if we had been there before, or explain anything else). I again explained that he wore his hat for religious reasons. Once again, I received a condescending look, but nothing further was said. When we arrived on fifteen, she went to speak to the hosts and managers at podium and we went to the bar and sat down, finding only a few tables occupied. Within moments of sitting down, another Cast Member came over to us from the podium area and once again told my colleague that he would have to remove his hat (still no welcome, just more orders).
I again explained and she left (no welcome, apology, explanation of the restaurant, or even a goodbye).
Next our waiter came up and again told my colleague that he would have to remove his hat (still no welcome). I again explained, and he started to walk away with out asking if we would like anything to drink or eat! When he turned his back and started to walk away, I said, we would like to order some drinks and see a sushi menu. He turned back and asked what we would like to drink. I asked for water and the reserve wine list, my colleague ordered an ice tea. Even though there were many open two and four top tables, he did not ask us if we would like to sit in the restaurant. He returned with two menus, and our drinks.
I ordered a spicy tuna roll and my colleague ordered a salad. I also ordered a bottle of Qupe Syrah ($65). Our waiter repeated our order, but instead of my spicy tuna roll he substituted something from the menu that had crab and some other shellfish in it, I explained, that I just wanted a standard spicy tuna roll (as I did not eat shellfish). He again offered a different item from the menu that I could not eat (also contained shellfish). I patiently explained that I just wanted a plain spicy tuna roll. He said fine and left.
He returned with our wine and although my water glass was empty, he did not refill it. As we sat and drank waiting for our food, a manager came over and again told my colleague that he would have to remove his hat. He did not welcome us to the restaurant or anything else. Given that we had drinks in front of us, he had to have known that we had already spoken to at least 3 Cast Members (check in desk, elevator, waiter, and food runner), but did not bother to ask any of them about his hat (or worse, did ask them and spoke to us anyway). By this time I was angry. I calmly explained that I had already told the previous four Cast Members that asked what the situation was (again explaining the religious issue), and said that if it was not that I saw our food coming, I would just have left right then. He said, that he did not realize that someone had already spoken to us (which must have meant that he either thought that we had brought our own bottle of wine and glasses, that we had stolen someone else's or that this policy is so randomly enforced that he could not have expected the previous 3 staff members to have explained it to us).
Shortly thereafter, our food arrived. My spicy tuna roll, was completely bland. Even with all my wasabi it was almost flavor-less. Our wait asked if our food was OK and I explained that my spicy tuna roll was neither spicy nor flavor-ful and asked for some more wasabi. He said OK and left (my water glass is still empty in case you were not following this). He returned with some extra wasabi and turned to leave. I asked if I could get some more water. He said yes and soon returned to fill my glass.
He never refilled it again, even though I emptied it almost while I was standing there.
We finished our wine and food, and our plates were cleared. He asked if we would like anything else, we said no, just the check.
He did not ask anything about our experience, never responded to my comment about the spicy tuna roll, or interact with us in any other way.
I asked my colleague to meet me downstairs and I stopped one of the managers and asked to who the managers there reported. She explained that they reported to the hotel F&B manager. I said thank you and asked her for that person's name. She wrote that name down on her card (as it turns out she was the new General Manager - she did not tell me that, I discovered it when I read the front of her card). She asked why I was asking and I said I wanted to convey how bad my experiences there were. She asked if I had already spoken to a manager, and I explained that one of the managers was in fact part of the problem, and told her what happened. She did not apologize, but said that she was surprised that it had happened that way because the elevator Cast Member had spoken to her and she had said it was fine.
It did not seem to bother her that three other Cast Members (including one of her managers) had ignored her and hassled us over it. She did not apologize but said that she hoped my next experience there was better.
I replied that I was unlikely to have another experience there as I did not expect to ever return. She said that she was sorry about that (it felt like she was disappointed about her lost revenue, not my experience).
I was very glad that I was eating with a colleague not a potential customer and that he had suggested that we go there. Had it been my suggestion, I would have been even more embarrassed and angry about how we were treated.
Two other comments.
We arrived at 7:00 and left at 8:45. The whole time we were there, there were open seats at the sushi bar, there were open tables in the restaurant and open chairs and tables in the bar. Three years ago, there were never any open seats. I am not sure if this is due to their new policies or just the decline in quality of experience (although at $20 a person without having to deliver any service, maybe their profit margins have gone up).
While we were eating, at least two other families came in with adult males wearing hats. I am not sure if they were or were not asked to remove them or if my colleague was singled out because he stated that he was Jewish.
Disney Food and Beverage (in general) and California Grill (in particular) seem to tweak policies on a regular basis to ensure the worst possible guest experience. Starting with moving the check in downstairs (making it painful to go at the last minute for drinks and sushi at the bar), adding a randomly enforced dress code, charging $20 a person for reservations, etc., etc.
In the last year, I have eaten at every one of Emeril Lagasse's restaurants (I am usually at one of these restaurant several times a month), at Mario Batali's Babbo Ristorante, Rick Bayless's Frontera Grill and quite a few other high end restaurants. Not one charges $20 a person for reservations, most either have no dress code at all, or a recommendation of smart or business casual. All have much better service and food.
Even Emeril's Tchoup Chop at Universal's Royal Pacific Hotel, a mid-priced restaurant has more courteous staff and higher quality food, than California Grill.
We arrived at check-in around 7:00 on Monday evening after spending the day wandering around the Photo Marketing Association trade show at the Orlando Convention center and the late afternoon and early evening walking around Magic Kingdom. The Cast Member at check-in asked if we had reservations and I replied that we did not, but just wanted to go to the bar for drinks and sushi. She said that we should wait for the elevator and that another Cast Member would take us up to the restaurant, but that my colleague would have to remove his hat. I explained that he was an observant Jew and that he always keeps his head covered. She just sneered at us.
We waited for the elevator. When it arrived, the Cast Member inside, went over to the check in desk and conferred with her associate while we waited in the elevator. She returned and as we rode up to the restaurant, she again told my colleague that he would have to remove his hat (she did not welcome us to the restaurant, ask us if we had been there before, or explain anything else). I again explained that he wore his hat for religious reasons. Once again, I received a condescending look, but nothing further was said. When we arrived on fifteen, she went to speak to the hosts and managers at podium and we went to the bar and sat down, finding only a few tables occupied. Within moments of sitting down, another Cast Member came over to us from the podium area and once again told my colleague that he would have to remove his hat (still no welcome, just more orders).
I again explained and she left (no welcome, apology, explanation of the restaurant, or even a goodbye).
Next our waiter came up and again told my colleague that he would have to remove his hat (still no welcome). I again explained, and he started to walk away with out asking if we would like anything to drink or eat! When he turned his back and started to walk away, I said, we would like to order some drinks and see a sushi menu. He turned back and asked what we would like to drink. I asked for water and the reserve wine list, my colleague ordered an ice tea. Even though there were many open two and four top tables, he did not ask us if we would like to sit in the restaurant. He returned with two menus, and our drinks.
I ordered a spicy tuna roll and my colleague ordered a salad. I also ordered a bottle of Qupe Syrah ($65). Our waiter repeated our order, but instead of my spicy tuna roll he substituted something from the menu that had crab and some other shellfish in it, I explained, that I just wanted a standard spicy tuna roll (as I did not eat shellfish). He again offered a different item from the menu that I could not eat (also contained shellfish). I patiently explained that I just wanted a plain spicy tuna roll. He said fine and left.
He returned with our wine and although my water glass was empty, he did not refill it. As we sat and drank waiting for our food, a manager came over and again told my colleague that he would have to remove his hat. He did not welcome us to the restaurant or anything else. Given that we had drinks in front of us, he had to have known that we had already spoken to at least 3 Cast Members (check in desk, elevator, waiter, and food runner), but did not bother to ask any of them about his hat (or worse, did ask them and spoke to us anyway). By this time I was angry. I calmly explained that I had already told the previous four Cast Members that asked what the situation was (again explaining the religious issue), and said that if it was not that I saw our food coming, I would just have left right then. He said, that he did not realize that someone had already spoken to us (which must have meant that he either thought that we had brought our own bottle of wine and glasses, that we had stolen someone else's or that this policy is so randomly enforced that he could not have expected the previous 3 staff members to have explained it to us).
Shortly thereafter, our food arrived. My spicy tuna roll, was completely bland. Even with all my wasabi it was almost flavor-less. Our wait asked if our food was OK and I explained that my spicy tuna roll was neither spicy nor flavor-ful and asked for some more wasabi. He said OK and left (my water glass is still empty in case you were not following this). He returned with some extra wasabi and turned to leave. I asked if I could get some more water. He said yes and soon returned to fill my glass.
He never refilled it again, even though I emptied it almost while I was standing there.
We finished our wine and food, and our plates were cleared. He asked if we would like anything else, we said no, just the check.
He did not ask anything about our experience, never responded to my comment about the spicy tuna roll, or interact with us in any other way.
I asked my colleague to meet me downstairs and I stopped one of the managers and asked to who the managers there reported. She explained that they reported to the hotel F&B manager. I said thank you and asked her for that person's name. She wrote that name down on her card (as it turns out she was the new General Manager - she did not tell me that, I discovered it when I read the front of her card). She asked why I was asking and I said I wanted to convey how bad my experiences there were. She asked if I had already spoken to a manager, and I explained that one of the managers was in fact part of the problem, and told her what happened. She did not apologize, but said that she was surprised that it had happened that way because the elevator Cast Member had spoken to her and she had said it was fine.
It did not seem to bother her that three other Cast Members (including one of her managers) had ignored her and hassled us over it. She did not apologize but said that she hoped my next experience there was better.
I replied that I was unlikely to have another experience there as I did not expect to ever return. She said that she was sorry about that (it felt like she was disappointed about her lost revenue, not my experience).
I was very glad that I was eating with a colleague not a potential customer and that he had suggested that we go there. Had it been my suggestion, I would have been even more embarrassed and angry about how we were treated.
Two other comments.
We arrived at 7:00 and left at 8:45. The whole time we were there, there were open seats at the sushi bar, there were open tables in the restaurant and open chairs and tables in the bar. Three years ago, there were never any open seats. I am not sure if this is due to their new policies or just the decline in quality of experience (although at $20 a person without having to deliver any service, maybe their profit margins have gone up).
While we were eating, at least two other families came in with adult males wearing hats. I am not sure if they were or were not asked to remove them or if my colleague was singled out because he stated that he was Jewish.
