Quickie-dining reviews (Big River; Boma; Narcoosee, Spoodles, bluezoo)

[queenmum2]

Here are some reviews from our quick birthday trip this weekend:
Cast: Me (Tracie), DH (Billy), DS (Tyler - 9) and DD (Sarah - 7); plus SIL (Ody) and her SO (Harry).

Here's where we dined:

Big River Grille & Brewery @ the Boardwalk
BOMA (Breakfast) @ the Animal Kingdom Lodge
Pecos Bill (CS Lunch) @ the Magic Kingdom
Narcoosee's (Dinner) @ the Grand Floridian
Spoodles (Breakfast) @ the Boardwalk
Cantina de San Angel (Lunch) @ EPCOT
bluezoo (Dinner) @ WDW Dolphin Resort
Cape May Cafe (Character Breakfast Buffet) @ Beach Club


First up - Friday Night: Big River Grille @ BoardWalk.

We didn't have reservations Friday night - it was a "play it by ear" type evening waiting to hook up with my SIL and her BF. We got in fairly quickly at Big River -- the hostess said 30 minutes, but we got buzzed within about 15. At first glance, I was dismayed by the atmosphere here. I've come to expect more from Disney Resort restaurants. I know that BR is not their "flagship" restaurant, but the surroundings were bland and noisy. The tables were very close and there was tons of stuff (napkins, food, etc) on the floor on the way to our table.

While waiting for the rest of our party to arrive, DH and I both ordered beers. The waiter expressed his preference for lighter beers. I ordered the seasonal "Wowser Wheat" and DH ordered the "Southern Flyer Light Lager". I was not Wowed by the Wowser Wheat -- it had a sharp flavor that I guess came from the Belgian wheat. I thought it might be helped by a slice of orange and was told by the waiter that they didn't have orange slices, only lemon. I declined the lemon, but was amused that they didn't have oranges in a Florida restaurant DH and I also ordered the Jalapeno Spinach Cheese Dip.

Our party arrived and we got down to ordering. DH ordered the ribs, Ody and I ordered the sirloin, Tyler ordered the kids burger and Sarah ordered the Mac n-Cheese. I can't remember what Harry had other than the beer-cheese soup. In addition, Harry had the Rocket Red and Billy ordered the same. I decided to try the pilsner.

Notes on the food: The sirloin was cooked as ordered and was tender; however, it was not really seasoned and didn't have a huge steak flavor. The veggies that accompanied the sirloin were steamed squash and zucchini plus mashed potatoes. I thought that the squash was great - not over cooked or over seasoned. Just right. The mashed potatoes were kind of dry, but tasted ok. DH's ribs were very flavorful - the sauce was terrific - but there wasn't a whole lot of meat on those bones. The also could have cooked a bit longer for that "fall off the bone" tenderness. Harry's soup was good. The kids burger was OK - Tyler wasn't jumping out of his chair over it -- more like choking it down. The mac-n-cheese was universally (among the kids anyway) rejected. The original plan was for them to split both entrees (for a somewhat more balanced meal) but Sarah ate next to nothing and Tyler ate just most of his burger.

On the beer: For me, anyway, the pilsner was the clear winner. I liked the rocket red - had a few sips of DH's - but it was heavier. Harry tried the sampler flight and seemed to like all he tried. DH liked the rocket red.

Overall impression: Beer...A; Food... C+

Next up: BOMA Breakfast

 

[queenmum2]

We got up early and hit BOMA at 8:00 for breakfast. This was our second trip to BOMA for breakfast -- we loved it in October, so DH - thoughtful hubby that he is - made reservations for us to go again.

I can't say enough how much I love this buffet. Everything is so fresh and tasty. The made-to-order omelettes are almost worth the price of admission just on their own. The carved meats are very tasty as well. The coffee left much to be desired...until Harry ordered the pressed pot. The server confided that she threw in a little extra when she was making it for us. To the moon! A cup of that (or two in my case) will put some spring in your step. Finally, you've got to love the waffles and fresh fruit for "dessert". Oh and that punch is rather tasty, too!

I give this place for food: A; for the coffee they bring with the buffet: C-; for the pressed pot of coffee: A (that's me after 2 cups).

Tracie

 

[tluvstink]

I enjoyed your reviews Thanks for posting.

Terri

 

[Minniespal]

Enjoyed reading your reviews ~ Thanx for sharing.

 

[queenmum2]

We had reservations for a 7:20 dinner at Narcoosee's at the GF. Besides the usual cast (Me, Billy, Tyler, Sarah, Ody & Harry), my Dad and Stepmom (John and Gladys) joined us for dinner.

We arrived promptly at 7:20 - but still had about a 15-20 minute wait. I had never been to the GF before and let me say it is sooooo beautiful.

While waiting for our table, Harry and Ody went over to the bar for a drink. Harry actually got into it with the bartender because he (Harry) preferred to pour his own beer from the bottle to the glass, but the bartender insisted HE do it and they really got into it. I wasn't there - I don't know who poured the beer in the end, but I feel like - especially in a place like Narcoosee's - the customer should be allowed to pour his beer if he wants to.

But any problem with Narcoosee's ends there. The rest of the evening was, well, magical. Billy had told them ahead of time that it was my birthday, so a birthday pin was waiting for me, as were special menus with "Happy 40th Birthday, Tracie" printed across the top. I told Billy "You could have left off the 40th"...

Our waiter was very knowledgeable about the wine selections, and was also very helpful with the menu. And - importantly to us - he was good with the children. Billy had already brought me a glass of Sav Blanc (South African -
Bian, maybe), so I didn't order any more wine; but Ody & Harry ordered a bottle of the Chalk Hill chard - which was a special vintage for WDW - and it was very good (I got a taste).

For starters, we ordered the fried calamari, the beet salad and the seafood chowder. All were excellent. The calamari was extremely tender and lightly fried and the relish served over it was quite tasty and made a nice change from the usual fried calamari and "dip". The beet salad (Gladys and Me) was yummy. There was so much going on in that salad, between the salty goat-cheese, sweet candied walnuts, tangy oranges and dressing and the beautiful golden beets -- but it all married nicely. The seafood chowder was divine! Silky smooth broth with TONS of great fish and shellfish. This was a standout.

On to the entrees - I had the Grilled Salmon with Fingerling Potatoes, Billy had the Grilled Scallops with butternut squash risoto, Ody had the lobster, Harry had the Spicy Tuna, Dad had the filet mignon and Gladys ordered the appetizer crabcakes for her main course.

My salmon was very good. Really, salmon is not my very FAVORITE fish, but I liked the menu description (and Billy was ordering the scallops and I didn't want to copy!). It was cooked perfectly and had a good flavor. The greens and potatoes were very tasty too (the menu description on Debs is different than what was actually offered). Billy's scallops were in a category all to themselves -- they were magnificent! Perfectly cooked and seasoned. The risoto was extrordinary -- again,the sauce was silky smooth and flavored with lobster. YUMMMMMM! Ody's lobster was great. I didn't taste the tuna, but Harry said it was good and spicy. Dad liked his filet, gave his asparagus to Gladys (he's a meat & potatoes man) who said they were good. The crab cakes (appetizer) was extremely tasty. Since it was an appetizer, it was pretty small - three (I seem to remember) golf-ball sized cakes; but they were ALL CRAB - no filler here. Very, very tasty.

The kids ordered a cup of the chicken soup to share as an appetizer and both ordered the pasta (we tried and tried to get at least ONE of them to order the kids fish - which, that night, was salmon). Tyler liked the soup, but Sarah said it was too garlicky. I tasted it and it was garlicky, but not overly so in my estimation. Neither one was jumping up and down over the pasta and much went to waste. Of course, when I couldn't finish my salmon Tyler finished it for me.

OK - so dinner is finished and the dishes cleared and out comes a gorgeous cake. Billy had ordered it before hand. It was covered in milk-chocolate "petals" with milk chocolate roses on top. In the center was a white-chocolate "scroll" with Happy 40th Birthday Tracie writen in chocolate.
The cake was very good - a chocolate torte - but I was so stuffed I couldn't eat more than a few bites. Dad ordered a pressed-pot of coffee, which was very good with the cake.

After dinner, we went out on the deck to watch Wishes. I'm spoiled rotten now as it was better than seeing the show in the park. I loved how they dimmed all the lights and had the music piped in.

All in all, a magical evening!

Food: A+; Service: A+; Atmosphere: A


Tracie

Next up: Spoodles
Coming soon" Cantina del Sol & bluezoo

 

[queenmum2]

We had planned to get an early start and stop at the Bakery at the Boardwalk for a quickie breakfast. But....the line was out the door. We checked the menu and wait time at Spoodles. Both were appealing (we got right in).

The menu is not extensive, but we all found something good to order. DH and I were not extremely hungry, so split the veggie fritatta with homefries. It was very tasty -- maybe cooked a little doner than I might have prefered but overall a good meal.

Ody & Harry ordered a fruit plate for the table and split the ham and cheddar fritatta (which they said was good).

Sarah latched right on to the Mickey waffles, but then didn't like them....then said she wasn't hungry...you know how 7 year olds can be. I thought they were fine - the syrup is different than what we have at home (theirs is probably REAL maple syrup rather than the Hungry Jack we have at home).

Tyler ordered the "all-you-can-eat" kids breakfast. Not surprisingly, half a plate was all he could eat (despite his claims that he was starving). I don't think he cared for his scrambled eggs, though he usually inhales eggs. OH - and he also ended up with half a plate of Mickey Waffles because the waiter mistakenly brought him waffles instead of what he'd ordered. I was thinking that they were part of the ayce breakfast, then when it became obvious that the rest of his breakfast wasn't coming, I realized the error. The waiter told him to eat the waffles while he waited for his breakfast.

So for the food: a solid B; for the coffee: C -- it was pretty weak.

Tracie

 

[Busymom85]

Great reviews! Thanks.

 

[mcarthur205]

Enjoying your reviews, especially Narcoosee's. I've wanted to eat at this restaurant for a long time but we haven't been able to fit it into our dining plans yet. Its a definite for our next trip!

 

[queenmum2]

Enjoying your reviews, especially Narcoosee's. I've wanted to eat at this restaurant for a long time but we haven't been able to fit it into our dining plans yet. Its a definite for our next trip!

Congratulations on your marriage milestone. And what a way to celebrate. I think you'll love Narcoosee's.

Tracie

 

[queenmum2]

After power-touring through Future world with a couple of folks who DON'T power-tour, we figured that some lunch was in order. Ody and Harry were interested in trying the CS in Mexico, so we headed in that direction.

The lines were not long at all...it was about 1:30-ish. The first problem was that my DS wanted a taco. But the kids menu offered only a quesadilla with chips. I might have considered ordering for him from the adult menu, but he didn't seem all that hungry to start with. He reluctantly agreed to eat a quesadila. So for the 6 of us, we ordered two kids quesadillas and two plato combinacion. Billy and I decided to share the dos xx as it was 7.50 for one -- amost the price of the meal! Harry ordered a dos xx for himself and a margarita for Ody.

Here's how things shook out. We had a table right over the lagoon. Great for the view, maybe not so great for the kids actually eating their food as the sea birds (egrets, maybe) kept begging. But they both did actually eat most of their meals -- we made them eat until they had just one chip left to throw the birds.

The plato was not bad at all. It came with a chicken taco, a beef enchillad, a "quesadilla", blackbeans, salsa and lettuce/tomato. The quesadilla on the kids plate is what I've come to know as a quesadilla - flour tortilla with cheese inside, heated - usually - on a skillet or sometimes in the oven. The one on our plate was more like an empanada or something. It was cressent shaped and deep fried. It was just OK - didn't have much inside it. The chicken taco was quite good. The hard part, of course, was splitting it in half. But everyone seemed to enjoy it. The enchillada was pretty good - not great. But for me - what stood out as the tastiest - were the black beans. They were seasoned JUST RIGHT.

The beer was big enough to share for us (20 oz, I guess). The margarita packs a WHOLLOP. I'd had one during our October trip, but it was from a F&W kiosk so I didn't know if it would be more potent than the usual. Well, the "usual" was also quite powerful. They didn't skimp on the tequilla, that's for sure. Ody enjoyed it, but kept passing it to us to share with her. So that's my warning for today, kids: If you get a margharita from Mexico, be ready to wobble!

I know that this is one of those love it or hate it type of places. But we liked it. We'd probably go here again.

Food: a solid B; beverage: B+

Tracie

 

[wilma-bride]

Great reviews - thanks

 

[2manypets]

I loved your description of Narcoossee's. It sounds like you had a wonderful time. I'm so looking forward to eating here on our next trip. Thanks for you reviews

 

[queenmum2]

two thumbs way up! I was a little worried about this place -- I've read some mixed reviews and didn't want to be disappointed. Well, I shouldn't have worried.

The ambience here is way different from anywhere else I've dined in WDW. It is very modern - funky, even - with deep blues and golds and metalic chairs. There are blue "bubbles" draped from the ceiling, giving one the impression of being underwater or,better yet, swimming in champagne.

The first glitch this evening -- and it turned out to be ok, anyway -- was the waiter got the wine order wrong. It really was OK with me, I love Sav Blanc - but Ody ordered the Kim Crawford unoaked chard. The wine came and was poured and the bottle whisked off and I said "I thought you ordered the chard...this tastes like sav blanc". No, says Ody, I'm sure I ordered the chard - and I saw the bottle, it was right. I am familiar with both the Kim Crawford chard and sav blanc -- I like them both -- and was fairly certain it wasn't the chard. Well, when it came time to order another bottle, I had Harry check when it came out and sure enough, it was the sav blanc. So that was a strike against the waiter right there. I guess we'd have made a big deal about it if 1) we didn't like the wine that he brought or 2) he brought a much more expensive bottle by mistake and had charged for it. But he didn't make any excuses or explanations -- didn't seem appologetic for bringing the wrong wine.

In a head-to-head comparison of Narcoosee's and bluezoo, I'd say the staff at Narcoosee's was much more friendly and knowledgeable.

For appetizers, Harry & Ody ordered the clam flatbread; I ordered the beet salad (I wanted to compare it to Narcoosee's) and Billy ordered the clam chowder. The clam flatbread was very good, though in the center, the clam mixture made the flatbread a bit mushy rather than crisp. My beet salad was altogether different than the one at Narcoosee's. It was more like mixed greens with buttermilk dressing, then red and golden beets, with goat cheese, on the side. It was still very good. I might have to give Narcoosee's the nod on the beet salad. Billy's clam chowder was outstanding. The broth was very creamy and silky and there were plenty of clams.

So for our entrees: Billy ordered the fillet, which came with green beans and fingerling potatoes; Odette and I both ordered the Miso glazed sea bass; Harry tried the baccala tortellini, which was melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Tyler ordered the kid's filet with mashed potatoes and broccoli. Sarah ordered the kids cheese pizza.

Entrees arrived and Billy's filet - which he ordered medium rare - came out almost too done to be called even medium. Barely any pink! So we had to send that back. Ody and I got our sea bass and it was extrordinarily good. I enjoyed every morsel of this meal. The miso gave the fish a somewhat sweet flavor. It was served on a bed of sticky rice, with spinach and a salad of pea sprouts. The spinach was flavored with miso (or something else that gave it sweetness) and the salad of pea sprouts and carrots was a simply refreshing side. I've already mentioned that Harry's entree was very tasty. Billy's steak FINALLY came and it was good, but maybe not "all that". (It still bothers me when a restaurant of this caliber messes up a steak like that...it's the equivalent of a pro basketball player missing free-throws. Should be a slam-dunk!)

Tyler LOVED his filet. His mashed potatoes were very runny -- but they were sooooooooooooooo sooooo good. I've never had mashed potatoes like that in my life! He also powered down his broccoli (I've never known a kid to love broccoli like he does...he'll choose it over french fries any time he gets the chance). Sarah's pizza was likewise delicious. It was a flatbread pizza, loaded with cheese. It was huge for a kids entree, but between her and Tyler (who nibbled on it after inhaling his own meal), there were just a few crusts left when dinner was through.

We were quite stuffed -- but somehow felt it necessary to order dessert. The kids ordered the dessert from their menu to share -- basically 3 ice cream sandwiches with 3 different types of cookies. There wasn't a crumb left over when all was said and done. Billy and I ordered the red velvet chocolate cake while Ody ordered the c4 (4 citrus desert samplers). Our cake was really beautiful and tasted very good -- I loved the raspberry sorbet on the side even better than the cake. Ody's desert was hit or miss: The creme brulee was very tasty, the orange "soup" was just kind of wierd, the grapefruit sorbet was tasty but looked....um....like ...well, I won't say it here . By the time she got around to the cake, well - nobody could have eaten another bite.

We left bluezoo completely stuffed and happy and in plenty of time to make it to Illuminations. It was a beautiful evening!

Food: well, MY entree was an A++, but I'll mark the entire evening down to an A because of Billy's steak.

Service: a solid B

Tracie

 

[TigerKat]

So glad to read a good review of BZ! There's been a lot of negative ones lately and I need to make my ADR's next week. I think we'll give it a shot.

 

[nanadeb]

Gordon Biersch does the Big River Grille in Disney World. It is not actually a Disney owned restaurant. I have reviewed that particular restaurant for a mystery shopping company that I cannot name at this point!
For a micro-brwerey, they do pretty well. As a micro-brewery, they focus on the beer, but corporate is very interested in guest responses. If you had problems or things you really disliked, e-mail them. They will be happy to hear from you so that they can correct the problems.
Go to the Big River Grille for bar food, not gourmet dining.
Have fun, try a beer sampler, and don't order anything fancy. You will be much happier that way!
A tip for diners with children: This is an actual micro-brewery and the smells can be overpowering for sensitive people, especially children, when they are in the midst of a big brewing. It is worse on the patio.