Your help please!

[lpoeppelman]

We are having trouble deciding between the Garden Grill and the Biergarten at Epcot. DH and I love German food and the enviornment sounds like fun! We have 4 boys ages: 9, 7, almost 3, and 9 months old.

Which would you decide on? Or would you do something else?

We're going to Chef Mickey's the night before and will hopefully meet Pluto at Animan Kingdom's breakfast character meal on another day???

Thanks for sharing!

 

[Tink888]

We have been to both Garden Grill and Biergarten and would choose Biergarten hands down. Your younger boys might enjoy Garden Grill more because of the characters. We thought the food there good but nothing great. To us, Biergarten offers more variety as far as the food and the atmosphere and entertainment are so much fun. My boys are 12 & 11 and Biergarten has been one of their favorite places to dine at Disney.

 

[CJ]

Of the two, I would pick Garden Grill..... but I've never been so can't recommend the food. Silly, right?

My decision is based solely on your children's ages. Biergarten is a buffet, which would be difficult with your two younger ones and it is large and loud (which might be fine, but sometimes can be a bit much for little ones) and you can be seated with other people.

At Garden Grill you would have more privacy. The food is served family style, so you wouldn't have to get up from the table. Plus you get the characters...

 

[orangecats2]

I haven't been to either but have ressies for Garden Grill for the characters, the rotation, The Land is one of my favorite pavillions and the food sounds more famiiar. However we are going to do CS in Germany the same day for DH and CS in China for me.

 

[PrincessBelle39]

Its funny, I asked this exact same question a little while ago. We are going with Biergarten. It sounds like a lot of fun and something a bit different.

My girls are currently 3 and 5 and are looking forward to it. And they love a buffet.

 

[pruesmom]

I've never been to the Biergarten in Epcot but I can tell you that I did not like the food at Garden Grill. The character interaction was good but I will not eat there again. This was also one of my daughters (age 7) least favorite. Go to Germany!

 

[wdwrich]

Biergarten! Especially since you're doing Chef mickey's the evening prior.

 

[pixie2416]

My vote would be the Biergarten. Its very entertaining and the buffet is varied enough that everyone should find something to eat. It seems like you've got the characters covered with some other ressies, so this would be a nice addition to the mix.

Whatever you choose, enjoy!

 

[MickeyNicki]

Beirgarten is awesome! The smell from the Garden Grill makes me green so I would never go there.

 

[kathie859]

The character interaction @ GG is fantastic and the food is suited to a child'd palate and you have the revolving aspect of the restaurant (ask for seating the in lower lever); however, the Biergarten has music and lots of activity. I think since you're doing characters @ Chef Mickey's that I'd pick the Biergarten. Either will be fun!

 

[Karnak]

I've eaten at both restaurants several times, and would recommend the Garden Grill for y'all, especially given the ages of your children. (Chip & Dale, Farmer Mickey and Minnie visit often, and the restaurant slowly rotates.)

And, while I usually like German food, the choices at the Biergarten did not impress me. (My grandchildren did not care for the food either.) In addition, I really do not like the long-table setup in the dining room, and if you are seated on the top tier the band becomes difficult to enjoy.

But, either way, I hope y'all have a great time at Epcot.

Karnak

 

[fiveforall]

My three kids did not like Biergarten at all. As a matter of fact, just a few hours after eating there, we had to get them some chicken fingers and fries because they'd eaten so little at Biergarten. Even my middle DD, who usually is the most adventurous eater of the three, sampled most items but found nothing she really liked.

Yes, it's fun, but my family won't eat there again.

 

[cd&kids]

That's really a tough call, because the restaurants are soooo different. Our family has been to both and I have to say NEITHER were big favorites of our kids. I (the dad) liked both very much, especially Biergarten, since I'm German and love that style of food.
My kids really did not care for it though. It is a little noisy and the potential sharing-a-table with strangers bothered them much more than it did me.
Garden Grill -- even for a character meal -- is a much mellower experience. I found the food very good and satisfying. The rotating restaurant was cool for our kids, but they didn't find the food there anything great either.
Hope this doesn't sound pessimistic -- again, I think both restaurants are good and wouldn't hesitate to go to either one.
Without knowing a thing about your family, I might lean toward Garden Grill because I would recommend that for families with little kids more than Biergarten. But then again, German food is pretty rare and if your husband is really into it, Biergarten is tough to pass up. (Although please tell him the sauerbraten is very disappointing. We went last September and it was much worse than our previous visit -- basically a bland slice of beef in a sauerbraten-like gravy -- not the traditional marinated-for-days soft meat.)
Bottom line -- you never go wrong at Disney and no matter what you choose, you'll have a great time! Enjoy!

 

[MMluvsWDW]

I would Recommend Germany. We ate there and I don't know how you couldn't find something to eat. Sausage and Mac and Cheese is there! Plus the music and atmosphere is great. Plus, if you're doing character meets at other meals this would be a great different atmosphere to try.

 

[Bama_C]

Biergarten... the food is great and you get to experience a different type cuisine along with a great floor show. The Garden Grill is your typical "American" food... the kind you can get any day of the week at your local buffet. It does have great characters and the rotating dining area, but I would head for Biergarten and save the character meals for the others you have scheduled.

 

[disneymath]

We were having the same debate ... and ended it just a few days ago by booking an ADR for Garden Grill. The baby (who will be 14 months when we go) is into Mickey Mouse, and the family style service is also a plus.

Biergarten will have to wait for another trip. (Funny, the last three trips, its always made the short list but never the final cut.)

 

[chloelovesdisney]

I vote for Biergarten! You are doing other character meals and it's a different experience for the kids. I went to Disney many times as a child, and loved Biergarten although it was a sitdown meal and not a buffet at the time. It's the one restaurant I actually remember. I loved the setting and the music, it was a really fun time.

As for the food, even if you have some very picky eaters there is something for everyone on the buffet. I don't eat any sausages or the various interesting salads at all, but I like the green salad, roasted chicken and the dumplings.

My sister is a vegan and calls the restaurant to speak to a chef the week before we go. They can special order ingredients that the restaurant may not normally have on hand like tofu. One of the chefs comes to the table when we arrive, discusses what she would like and she gets a special ordered meal that she always loves. They will always try to be sure there is something there that you would like.

 

[tfiga]

I would vote for Garden Grill. When I took my boys they were 4 and 6 and they did not like anything at Biergarten, my oldest son thought the food was sour.