Restaurants: Pleasant Surprises!

[darthmacho]

Most of us here plan our WDW dining plans far in advance. I, for one, not only make my ADRs six months in advance, but I start researching months before that. Anyway, my point is that despite all of the planning and anticipation, there is always a meal that ends up being the highlight of the trip or a pleasant surprise.

Using whatever criteria you wish (food, atmosphere, characters, etc.) tell me about some of your dining experiences that left you saying: Wow! Now that was a pleasant surprise! Feel free to include quick service places if you'd like.

You can pick one, or do like I'm going to do and do one from each trip...so, here are my answers:

1998: Lunch at Akershus! We had a lot of great meals on this trip, but the one that surprised me the most was Akershus. I really had doubts as to what Norwegian food could have to offer, but the food was amazing. There were no princesses back then, but the waitresses were so pretty, they could easily have been princesses themselves.

1999: Breakfast at the Garden Grill! Not only was the rotating dining room fascinating, and the characters a lot of fun, but the food was so delicious! Spiced eggs, cheesy grits, and sausage gravy! It's still the best breakfast I've ever had at WDW.

2003: Breakfast at Crystal Palace! We'd had dinner there before, but this was our first breakfast. The food is good, but the characters and atmosphere were so wonderful that morning that we've made this a tradition ever since.

2010: Dinner at Boatwright's! We had a lot of amazing meals at WDW on this trip, but Boatwright's really exceeded my expectations, and it was mainly because of the food. Another surprise was or Lunch at Yak and Yeti. I loved it so much, it might be a new tradition too!

2012: We have 13 ADR's planned. I can't wait to see what this trip's pleasant surprise will be!

[MaterializedHaunt]

Garden Grove (in the Swan) has a dinner buffet. Wanted to try something new since we been to pretty much all of them. Went here, the waiter was Amazing and funny. The food was to die for and we had the pleasure of meeting a couple characters from the 100 Acre Wood! Since then this is a top choice for us. (Other note is that it was very quiet there, not alot of people the times we went and it was the same $40 as Chef Mickeys and the food was better IMO!) We have since put this restuarant in the top 10 list of restuarants we HAVE to do. This never happens! Cant wait to go back!

[TinkerbellT421]

Love this topic!

For me, my favorite pleasant surprise was this trip.

Beirgarten: I had many reservations about this place in my head. Two trips ago DBF and I had reservations for this restaurant, but due to our mood that day we ended up canceling. So this trip we talked ourselves into making ADR's again and keeping them. Personally, I was a little EH on the whole idea of eating with strangers. I do not like people that much, never mind strangers who could have rude, ignorant behaviors and me being a germ-a-phob the thought or sheer idea of any above possibilities interfering with the sanitation of us eating by ourselves completely freaked me out. Also, not being one for German food in general, I was very hesitant that I was going to like this place, nevermind love it. But DBF and I having this whole concept of trying to eat at almost every restaurant eventually, it was bound to happen. Well, upon arrival I fell in love with the theming. Walked into the restaurant and I absolutely LOVED IT! It had this whole feel of eating outside at night with the low lighting, picnic/wood type table, trees and flowers everywhere. I swooned at the theming. After sitting down and being seated with a middle aged local couple who loved to talk with us, I was immediately put at ease that we were not going to have these strange "awkward" silences, that was a pleasant surprise! And the food? Oh my goodness, I LOVED IT! I don't know what exactly I originally had pictures in my head, but I know I was pleasantly surprised by the selection, especially the deserts. I was STUFFED to the gills by the time we got ready for desert but I literally forced down ONE OF EACH desert because they looked THAT good! And normally I'll eat a few bites of desert if at all especially at buffets. But this place, I had to make an exception and it was so worth it!

[Crow]

dont remember the yrs...
Akershus, pre princess..i agree the food, the cost and the women all were good. wish they still had that..
Kringla bakery in Norway, schoolbread used to b bigger. it was first time i had it a few yrs ago
Trails End. buffet took the place of Akershus after the princesses arrived and lunch was a good deal..now its not a lunch buffet i guess.
Kimonos- my first sushi yrs ago
Tokyo Dining. sushi, service,the view...the women. i go back every trip
Artist pt. had some firsts here also, once first buffalo steak, another time first cedar plank salmon.
Garden Grill. food was good and fresh

[SBETigg]

First Dinner at California Grill: It was date night with my husband, seventeenth anniversary. Our teens went to Epcot. Our server was perfectly attentive. Every dish was amazing (cheese plate, sushi, sonoma goat cheese ravioli- don't even remember the main dishes). They made us a special dessert. We arranged to pay the bar tab for newlyweds next to us. And the view-- spectacular. The first observation deck was crowded but we had the second all to ourselves and it was so magical I cried. I felt so fortunate and blessed with everything in my life, one of those moments when everything falls into place and you know you're supposed to be there with your beloved just taking it all in. We keep going back, and have brought the kids.

San Angel Inn, every time. It's always a pleasant surprise because the reviews can be so bad that we always expect it will be bad for us eventually. And it has been mediocre, at times, but has never been a truly terrible meal. We have fun. My kids love it there.

Kouzzina, Sanaa, Via Napoli New to us, had no idea what to expect, and have had fantastic meals and service at all three.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

TS-Well on our last trip in 2011 although we knew it had good reviews, we were really amazed at how great Ohana's food was. It was simply the best Disney meal we've ever had by miles. I would say a distant second would be our 2008 meal at LeCelliers.

CS-This one is easy. Wolfgang Puck's blew us away. Gourmet pizzas and creme brulee too. Actually we also loved Flame Tree BBQ and Starring Rolls as well.

For character interaction (not food) I would say that we were really surprised with how much fun we had at the 1900 Park Fare restaurant with the Mad hatter....

[KatrinaJ91]

We ate at Rose & Crown for our anniversary a few years ago. I was blown away by the attention we received because of our anniv. Several cast members stopped by our table and wished us a happy anniversary. At the end of the meal, our waiter brought us an amazing dessert to share that said Happy Anniversary and then he brought us a certificate that was signed by the entire staff. I framed that certificate and still have it hanging up. Made our day so special!

[AllDisney]

Raglan Road's - We really love the entertainment & the food was pretty good.

San Angel Inn - I agree that there are lots of negative reports on this place but we have never been disappointed. We love the atmosphere & food

We are trying Kona Cafe for the first time in September 2012 & can't wait.

There are other restaurants that surprised us but these 2 come to mind first

[joonyer]

I would say our first time eating at Sci-fi Dine-In was a pleasant surprise. I was familiar with a lot of the negative reviews of the food, but our kids really wanted to eat there. I was expecting to be disappointed with the food, and DW and I would have chosen another place to eat if it wasn't for the kids wanting so much to try it. We ordered burgers, onion rings and milkshakes. The burgers were great, and the onion rings and shakes were some of the best I've ever had anywhere. we had a great time and the kids thought the whole experience was totally cool! We have been back several times since.

[DonaldDuckUSA]

Even though we all talk about the Ohana, my first experience there was unexpectedly fantastic.

Dad remembered eating at the Poly when it first opened. He couldn't remember anything about the restaurant except that he had a great meal.

We never did fancy meals when I was a kid and we never stayed on site, so when he wanted to give this Poly place a shot it was a real treat. We made the reservations that morning, not knowing anything about it except it was in the Poly and it may be the location. Imagine that!

When we got in there, the first thing he said was "Oh...this isn't what I remember..don't think this is the same place..." and from there, we had a great meal at a nice Disney restaurant in a fancy resort. I was 13 and it was a real father/daughter treat for both of us. I guess that's what Disney is all about!

[Kairi_7378]

Sanaa exceded our expectations during our last trip for food and service. Having a view of the animals, and the special birthday song that was performed throughout the restaurant (starting with my son) was especially memorable.

[johnO]

Biergarten I really wanted to try eating here because the theming seemed so cool. So we went in January 2012. Wasn't sure what to expect from the food, but knew at least that I could eat brats and the like if nothing else. The food there was fantastic. Quite a surprise.

Sanna in 2010 after our best vacation ever (a 7 night Disney Cruise) , we stopped in WDW for two days before driving home. Between the cruise and two days in WDW we were thrilled and all had a great time. So on the morning of check out we decided to eat lunch somewhere in WDW before heading home. We chose Sanna. I'm certainly not what I would consider an adventurous eater but over the years I've expanded my palate. So we headed over to Sanna and it was fantastic!! The food, the atmosphere, the savanna views.

[beksy]

Over-all favorite is Kona Cafe which surprised me since I hadn't heard much about it. We have gone there on every trip since 2008, multiple times and have had breakfast (Tonga Toast), lunch and dinner here and enjoy each one. Some of the best steaks I've ever eaten have been here and I love the sticky rice.

Another is Narcosssee's. I love lobster and theirs is huge and so delicious. I have RA so it is difficult for me to crack the lobster but here they crack it before bringing it to the table so there is only enjoyment. The crab cake appetizers are great too. We always ask for the same waiter, Tom. He is excellent--great service and a great sense of humor. I try to arrange the meal to coincide with Wishes and we enjoy the location with the piped in music and watching the water parade while we wait for our table. I always get a virgin strawberry daquiri and Tom makes it into a Mickey with strawberries for ears. With my water he gives me a plastic Mickey straw so it is just a magical meal with special touches that keeps us going back.

[azcavalier]

Chefs De France - In 2010 (I think) my DW and I came for a week without the kids to celebrate our anniversary. Since it was just us, we decided to eat at some nicer places, like the Cali Grill and Brown Derby. We also ate at Le Cellier that week. The Cali Grill was nice, the Brown Derby underwhelmed (especially for the price...sheesh!) What blew us away was Chefs De France. It was a relatively simple meal, but it was just SO GOOD. We loved the French Onion soup (and asked for their recipe...we've made this at home now once or twice).

We've only had a couple of less-than-impressive dining experiences at WDW over the last ten years, and none of them were downright awful. But that time, Chefs De France became a must do for us.

[BhamWriter]

My last trip earlier this year, my youngest son (24) and I had lunch at Brown Derby. We each ordered an entree, him chicken and me pork. They were both fantastic. He loved mine so much he stole it, but his was great, too. I also love their margarita sampler.

In 2011, my wife and I took a longer trip. She's not as big of a Disney fan as I am, so I have to make sure she's fed extremely well when we go. Our favorite, among many, was Artist Point. I had a bison filet and she had a hot pot with a massive prawn on top. BTW, my wife who can still be eating long after I'm stuffed weighs 95 pounds! So much for the idea that life is supposed to be fair.

[Cinderelley]

Crystal Palace - I booked breakfast here for our very first trip expecting to be completely underwhelmed. I am not a Pooh fan, nor am I a morning person. Boy was I surprised. The character interaction with the kids was fantastic. The staff was amazing, and everyone was happy with the food (which is quite a feat with a large group like we had).

Liberty Tree Tavern (R.I.P.) - We did this dinner when the characters were there. I haven't been back since they took them out. The antics of Chip and Dale are still talked about to this day.

[phillydan]

The Wave at Contemporary. I really missed the Concourse Steakhouse and decided to give The Wave a try. The menu looked like it would be difficult for the kids, so I did not expect a good experience. However, they substituted alot of the sides to make the meals more kid-friendly and everything was just delicious. Needless to say, we were licking the plates clean! I would definitely go back again.

[KAT1811]

I really missed the Concourse Steakhouse . . .

We really miss the Concourse Steakhouse too. By far one of our favorite restaurants in Disney.

'Ohana is always fun. . .

1900 Park Fare breakfast was a pleasant surprise. The Mad Hatter is worth the trip alone. He is by far the funniest character I have come into contact with in Disney. He is simply fantastic.

Yachtsman Steakhouse is a big favorite of ours. We dine there at least once each trip and have started to get to know some of the staff. It is such a great feeling to get a great big smile and be welcomed back.

I will never forget a dinner in Tutto Italia with just my mother, our oldest DD, and myself. It was a girls trip and we were eating a nice quiet dinner the three of us. The waiter asked my DD if she know she had a very beautiful mother. It made my trip, let's face it every woman likes to be told she is beautiful. We go back every trip. Although when DH is around I don't get many compliments just lots of smiles. His simple presence is a bit intimidating to most.

Portobello is one my mother and I never miss. We usually leave the guys and the children at the resort and head to DTD for some shopping and a quiet dinner. We love to eat outside, grab a nice bottle of win, and the chocolate cake with the toffee in it is amazing (and I don't like cake all that much). One year the staff brought it out to us when they sang Happy Birthday to one of our children. Otherwise we never would have tried it but no we go back time and time again!