What's your least favorite popular restaurant?

[Hockey Nut]

Curious whether those of you saying 'Ohana were talking about breakfast or dinner? I have high hopes for breakfast!

I was talking about Dinner. The meats were either very overdone and dried out, raw, or tough. The shrimp was a real pain to peel yourself and several pieces weren't cleaned thoroughly (for the money you're spending, they should peel it for you!). I haven't had Breakfast there in the past few years, but I remember it being pretty good at the time.

 

[hmcater]

Curious whether those of you saying 'Ohana were talking about breakfast or dinner? I have high hopes for breakfast!

We are one of those families that LOVE 'Ohana, it's our favorite! Dinner has always been wonderful for us (even my picky eater likes it) and the kids love the breakfast even more, Lilo and Stitch are great (Mickey and Pluto too), the food is good and the kids get to do a little mini parade around the restaurant with all the characters. The breakfast is a really fun time for the kids.

 

[DrunkJam]

'Ohana - had an hour+ wait time with an ADR, and the food was very disappointing.
Pecos Bills - I have seen so many people saying how this is one of their top places to eat in MK and I don't understand it. I am thinking of giving it another try when we go in November. The last time one we ate here was July of 2013, so maybe it has changed? I had also just quit smoking and maybe my taste buds were wonky at the time. (the soda tasted like it was made with chlorinated water)

We like Ohana, but I was really excited to try Pecos Bills, and it was really disappointing.

 

[gillep]

Curious whether those of you saying 'Ohana were talking about breakfast or dinner? I have high hopes for breakfast!

My very negative review of 'Ohana is for dinner only.

 

[park hopping goddess]

(Don't kill me) The Hoop Dee Doo Revue. The food was good but we thought the entertainment was boring and probably wouldve left early if we hadn't pre-paid for the experience. The slapstick humor got old after the first 15 minutes and they put us in the balcony on the most uncomfortable, hard barstools that were attached to the table so you couldnt move and had to swivel 180 degrees away from the table to watch the show. There is not enough fried chicken and cornbread in the world that would make me pay money for that experience again.

 

[chcknctlt]

Tony's...its really bad.

 

[cheerupem0kidx0x]

Everyone has that one restaurant that everyone raves about, but you think is mediocre at best. What is it for you?

My family has a few.

Earl of Sandwich: small sandwiches and a long line
Be Our Guest: fantastic scenery but mediocre overpriced food, even for WDW
Chef Mickey's and Crystal Palace: Golden Corrals with characters at outrageous prices

Please don't judge others for their opinions. I'd love to hear what others have to say.

Via Napoli, didnt like it at all.

 

[married2mm]

Unimpressed with afternoon tea at gf
Not keen on via napoli
Really didn't like h&v
Nor tonys

Worst cs- chh

 

[alyssa18o6]

H&V, Chef Mickey's am Liberty Tree Tavern.

 

[carlymcqueen]

crystal palace. too overpriced for the food and it takes way too long to see all of the characters. chef mickey's was only enjoyable to me when I was under 10 years old. you don't really realize how loud and messy it is until you're older and more aware.

 

[kboo]

Curious whether those of you saying 'Ohana were talking about breakfast or dinner? I have high hopes for breakfast!

I'm interested in this too! We have a breakfast booked next month ... have never been there for either breakfast or dinner. I'm not normally too into breakfast food, but the kids wanted to see Stitch.

I think the breakfast is decent. Standard disney breakfast - eggs, waffles, bacon, fruit, bread, etc. We've been a few times because my kids love stitch, never had a problem. Tried to get them to try garden grill in August, but no, we're back to stitch. Didn't take quite as long as some of the other character breakfasts (CP always seems to take forever for us, always waiting a while for that last character to come around).

We did Ohana breakfast on our last trip, I had to keep scouting for a reservation. The walk from the GF was lovely, I love the Poly, the CMs were terrific, and the parade and the characters were lovely, but the food was blah. There obviously wasn't as much selection as you'd get at a buffet, but then that's the tradeoff for not having to brave the buffet lines. Then again, you're not really there for the food. If you go not expecting anything for the food (lukewarm and rubbery eggs, etc) and focus on the setting and the character interaction, it will be more enjoyable. I'm glad we tried it once, and we may try it again in the future.

 

[Mousemommy1]

Chef Mickey's - without a doubt!

 

[Pirate Mickey]

(Don't kill me) The Hoop Dee Doo Revue. The food was good but we thought the entertainment was boring and probably wouldve left early if we hadn't pre-paid for the experience. The slapstick humor got old after the first 15 minutes and they put us in the balcony on the most uncomfortable, hard barstools that were attached to the table so you couldnt move and had to swivel 180 degrees away from the table to watch the show. There is not enough fried chicken and cornbread in the world that would make me pay money for that experience again.

So sorry to hear this. We went to HDD last month for the first time in 10 years. We sat right up against the stage and had a blast! I think I would probably agree with you on the barstool experience...that doesn't seem smart to limit your ability to move. I do believe the all-you-care-to-drink beers (and a little pre-show prep) helped with the enjoyment of the slapstick humor.

 

[kbwright]

I would do 'Ohana for breakfast but not for dinner again. The wings and noodles were good but I do not like chicken thighs (gag) and wasn't expecting them on the spit (was thinking there would be a choice of chicken parts) and I still cringe thinking about it combined with how loud it was with the singing and just noise. Plus if you wanted more of anything, it took FOREVER. My husband is not a fan of San Angel Inn that was more of a service issue than food - but it left a bad taste in his mouth. Chef Mickey's was ok but the price is not worth the food or experience.

 

[NYCANC]

1900 never again! I know not too many will agree with that!

 

[jrmasm]

Garden Grill breakfast. I kept reading how great it was and how fun the characters were, so I was thrilled when I got an ADR right when the restaurant opened for breakfast for a party of six last December.

Oh, boy, but I was disappointed. First, the seating...the rotating part was fun, and I loved seeing the back of the farm house from our table. But being a large party, we were in one of the long (looooong) booths. It was extremely hard for six people (adults, not kids) to get out of that booth to actually interact with the characters when they came around. What made it harder was the fact that people were walking past getting seated and servers were walking past with huge pans of food. The aisle was narrow and busy, and the characters didn't really do that much other than pose to take pics. I know we're not kids, but every character meal I've been to other than this one, the characters had fun 'playing' with us (Mickey sat down at the table with us at 'Ohana and Piglet was hysterical acting afraid of my 6'6 nephew in CP, for example). They came around a lot, but after a few attempts at pics that didn't work well, we just stayed seating when they came past. It was underwhelming.

That part I would have just brushed off if the food had been good. But the coffee was weak, the eggs dry and rubbery, our first round of tater tots were cold, the bacon was way too dry and the sausage greasy and weird tasting. The only thing I really liked were the cinnamon rolls, but not so much that they were worth the price of breakfast.

All of that said, people with young kids might have a blast. Maybe it was just an off day for food. But with the party size we usually travel with, it's not on our list to go back to.

We were also underwhelmed with Tusker House (just found it chaotic), but are willing to go back there. But seeing as we like Y&Y so much, I don't know when that will be!

You pretty much described our experience at Garden Grill.

That said, the only place I won't return is 'Ohana.

 

[Revf]

We have eaten at 'Ohana the past three years. The first year was fabulous. The next year was awful. Last year was perfection.

I have found 'Ohana depends on three things.

1. Your seating location. Window seat or in the middle of the fun seat is amazing. By the kitchen door in the back corner is the WORST!
2. Your waiter. You either have a really good waiter who looks after you and takes care of everything or you get stuck with the bottom of the barrel waiter who disappears for hours.
3. Your reservation time. 'Ohana is a restaurant I would only take a 6:45 PM or earlier reservation at. The one year our experience was awful we had an 8:15 reservation. UGH. They fall further and further behind the later the reservations get. Those with the 8:30 or later reservations are really pushing their luck. The waiters are tired, the cooks are tired, the food is tired.

So early, get a good seat, get a good waiter and 'Ohana is must do. Otherwise its not going to be a great experience.

The only two restaurants at Disney World that I will never return to are Tony's Town Square(The single worst experience I have had at Disney) and Narcoosee's (I have never paid so much for food that was so bad)

 

[Tigger's ally]

I always laugh at the posts that say they "will never go back" and wonder if they ever do. My first trip to CG was terrible as the server and us never clicked at all. He made suggestions, we tried and they were all terrible. However, we have eaten there a few times since and they have all been good experiences. Earlier in this thread someone said they wouldn't go back to the boathouse due to "seating" error. These things happen. Sometimes a table they have picked out for you and the people stay way past their dinner making the restaurant change you to a less than desired seat. How would you know if you never go back and give them a chance to make it up? My wife wouldn't be my wife if she split after the first bad meal I served her (and there were a few over the last 32 years). Help changes at these restaurants year to year so make a new ressie, it may be good, may be bad but rest assured, it will be different !

 

[rosiebean]

I always laugh at the posts that say they "will never go back" and wonder if they ever do.

I don't think I've ever said "never", but it's highly unlikely I will return to some of the restaurants on my 'meh to ugh' list. That list includes GG (which I wrote about in this thread because it's so popular) and less typically popular options Tutto Italia (which I almost never read about on these boards), Coral Reef (which seems to get mostly negative reviews lately), and the Fountain at the Swolfin (which I also don't hear much about).

If my party, which almost always includes extended family, really wanted to go to one of those listed above for a meal, I'd seriously consider opting out. There are just too many other places in WDW that I enjoy, and given that my trips usually include multiple meals with extended family, missing one or two isn't a big deal.

Honestly, it's unlikely I'll have to consider going back to one of the above any time soon. My family likes to try new places each trip, and in four trips together, we haven't repeated a TS meal. We might repeat 'Ohana breakfast this year (went once four years ago) and Y&Y in AK (went last year and loved loved loved it), but that will all depend on how our week's plan works out. Our other ADRs are all places we've never been.

 

[JenBush]

Be Our Guest! Last summer I was excited to finally eat there, the theming was great, but the food was not good at all. Maybe it was just an off day or something because everyone seems to rave about it.