Only non-fan of Le Cellier?

[andreallybadeggs]

Just read a Le Cellier post and, as usual, rave reviews abound. Am I the only one that just doesn't get it? Yes, I liked the cheese soup;
breadsticks were good but not "to die for".
Family enjoyed the meal but it certainly was not our favorite. It was dark and the service was mediocre. I was glad we went and would be happy to pick up a cup of soup on the next visit but would not be crushed if I couldn't ever get another ADR there.
So what's wrong with me?:confused:

[Ian]

Not a thing ... I've never understood the rave reviews about Le Cellier either.

I mean yeah, it's okay food, but it's hardly anything out of the ordinary. I can get similar at any of the local bars around here. There's nothing complicated about a sliced roast beef sandwich.

Anyway, I hear ya ... never understood the Le Cellier thing ...

[Hammer]

Not a thing ... I've never understood the rave reviews about Le Cellier either.

I mean yeah, it's okay food, but it's hardly anything out of the ordinary. I can get similar at any of the local bars around here. There's nothing complicated about a sliced roast beef sandwich.

Anyway, I hear ya ... never understood the Le Cellier thing ...

Ian, you needed to try the filet or other cut of steak and you may have had a better view of the restaurant. If you know of a Philly bar where I can get a filet with mushroom risotto, my sister and I will have to try it!

But other than that, I feel that some things, not just Le Cellier, are a little over hyped. People love Ohana and I really don't like it. I found the meat to be overcooked. Over on Accommodations, people adore Port Orleans Riverside. I have never had a good experience and now refuse to stay there. It really is a matter of preference.

For the record, I don't understand the love of the soup and breadsticks, either. Tried the soup once, and it was just okay. I like the mussels much more. We don't have to eat there every trip, but we are happy if we get an ADR, considering we NEVER book our meals at 180 days out. I personally do not think there is any dining experience at WDW, with the exception of Victoria and Albert's, worth calling 180 days out.

[JoDisney]

I was the least impressed with the service. We have gone two times, now. The servers were not friendly and this could be because they are rushed. Yes, the steak and bread sticks are good, but the atmosphere is not great. You get the feeling of forced "nice," but you don't feel it. I remember the last time we were there, someone going by my son knock his arm and his hand knocked over a water glass on the table. The server looked so annoyed, as she was impatiently soaking it up. My son felt so bad and she did not offer any comfort to a child. I told him it was not his fault and later tried to explain to him that the server just had a bad day.

[alpro2]

For the record, I don't understand the love of the soup and breadsticks, either. Tried the soup once, and it was just okay. I like the mussels much more. We don't have to eat there every trip, but we are happy if we get an ADR, considering we NEVER book our meals at 180 days out. I personally do not think there is any dining experience at WDW, with the exception of Victoria and Albert's, worth calling 180 days out.
I agree Christine. Soup was ok. Breadsticks??? Does one actually go to a restaurant for breadsticks? (go buy a soft pretzel at a ball game ;)). I do not make ADR's until last minute either. Most of the restaurants at WDW are good for their respective cuisines - not 5 star, but good.

Last year at LeCellier, I was crammed at a small table near the entrance and had guests walking by the table gawking at my food all night. Not a nice experience.

[Squeaky Mouse]

I'm with you. I remain less than impressed with LC, although we are trying it again (for lunch this time) during our July trip. Since I've read so many great reports lately, I thought we'd try it again. It has been close to 1 1/2 years since we last visited LC. BTW, we've never had a bad meal here; the food just hasn't been anything special. I love the soup, but we make it at home now.

[Kairi_7378]

DH ate at Le Cellier during a family tip. He doesn't understand the hype at all. (He said that the meal was good but not worth getting up at 5:00 180 days before for a reservation.) I am not a steak person so I have no interest in eating there. But I'm glad that it is there for the thousands of people that love it so much.

[IC10]

This thread makes me feel so much better. After reading the reviews we just had to eat there and it was hmmmm ok. We can get the same meal at any restaurant here with great service not the lack luster approach we had at LC.

[TheRustyScupper]

1) Le Cellier gets the reputation through "crowd dynamics".
2) People keep talking about it, so it MUST be great.
3) I think the food is good, but not up to the reputation.
4) I get asked for recommendations.
5) I would always put this way down on the list of WS eateries.

[Mickey'sGirl]

I don't get the hype either....except that it is a steakhouse, and people often want to eat the familiar when they are away from home...We tried it last summer because of all the rave reviews -- The food was good, but not phenomenal....and the soup was salty. (Salt does not equal flavour in my books). We found it dark and "close" .... not one of our favourite spots for sure.

[Jenemmy]

With me, I liked it -- but I think after hearing all the RAVES about it, I was expecting something extraordinary!! I wound up feeling a bit let down, just because I was expecting so darn much out of it. That being said, there was not a thing wrong with it, although with the prices I was REALLY glad I ate there during free dining a couple years back

[pooh0601]

LeCellier seems to have lost its luster over the years. We've eaten usually once a year for the past 3 or 4 years. April 2007 was our last visit there for lunch actually and as others have said, it is a dark crowded restaurant and the service was not up to par with most of the other WDW restaurants. We waited forever for just our drinks. And our food seemed to take a lot longer than it should have too.

They also have modified their menu a bit, and what once was a decent steak sandwich there is no longer.

I think we will be trying something new at our next visit to WS for lunch or dinner.

[faline]

I've gone back and forth about Le Cellier. We had an excellent experience there in the past and put it on our list of favorites. A less than stellar experience there a couple of years back took it off our list of favorites.

We've now had three excellent experiences in a row and it's back on our list of favorites!

[disneymom2000]

I have read through all the posts on this thread and agree with almost everything here. The food is good, but I can get a much better steak at the Yachtclub Galley at the Yacht Club or the Portabella Yacht Club in Downtown Disney. They don't have to worry that their service isn't the best because with all the raves they get on this board they know they will continue to get a lot of bookings. But each person has his preference and it may be the only place they can get their cheddar cheese soup or that chance to experience this atmosphere.

[Hull-onian]

I wasn't nuts about LeCellier either. I would rather go to the Concourse Steak House instead. The ambiance wasn't there. The food was okay, not great.

[SodaPopMGK]

My family and I did not find Le Cellier to be anything special. I have had better prime rib at the Kona and the Concourse, our prime rib was cut very thin, like a slice of roast beef. The cheddar cheese soup was delicious but the pretzel breadsticks were such a disappointment, we were expecting something special and all of us tried it and said these are like the frozen pretzels you throw in the oven. Our waiter was very nice but didn't seem to know how to handle a problem customer at another table. The one humorous memory we all have is our youngest is allergic to soy and the busboy came to the table with a bowl and asked who wanted the extra soy sauce. Apparently he misunderstood the notation about the soy allergy, we thought it was funny but he couldn't apologize enough, no matter how many times we told him it was ok. We will probably try it again someday but it is not a must do for us.

[Spaceship Tigger]

Le Cellier is a place that we loved on our first trip but was just 'okay' on our second and we haven't been back. The soup is great but the breadsticks are nothing special. The filets are good but really no better than what I've had many times at places near home. So overall I enjoyed the food there but as a WDW dining experience I feel that there are better options.

[kathymk616]

Finally, a Le Cellier thread where I'm in the majority! :mickey: My family also found this place just "OK". The food was pretty good, but not outstanding. And I am baffled by the apparent love of the breadsticks! What we really didn't like was the lack of speed. We were seated a half-hour after our reservation (at 8:30) and several of the tables in the restaurant were empty. By the way, this was a Friday evening in the summer, so I can't think of why they wouldn't be operating at full capacity. Also, our server was not especially speedy...and we were paying OOP, so you would think she would have hustled a bit for a more generous tip. Oh, well. No big desire to hurry back from any of us.

[kathymk616]

Finally, a Le Cellier thread where I'm in the majority! :mickey: My family also found this place just "OK". The food was pretty good, but not outstanding. And I am baffled by the apparent love of the breadsticks! What we really didn't like was the lack of speed. We were seated a half-hour after our reservation (at 8:30) and several of the tables in the restaurant were empty. By the way, this was a Friday evening in the summer, so I can't think of why they wouldn't be operating at full capacity. Also, our server was not especially speedy...and we were paying OOP, so you would think she would have hustled a bit for a more generous tip. Oh, well. No big desire to hurry back from any of us.

[Joanna]

Tried the soup once, and it was just okay. I like the mussels much more.
The Prince Edward Island Mussels are worth the trip---they are SCRUMPTIOUS:chef:

[MsMin]

I agree that there is a lot of "group think" mentality. We ate there for the first time in Dec. and it was okay, not our favorite but not bad. I wouldn't fight to go back. I didn't like the soup that much I prefer the lobster bisque @ the CR. Our server was inexperienced and flat but that can happen most anywhere. We enjoyed the pretzel bread @ CRT before the change so that was not biggy for us. We did order the filet. I have to say I enjoyed it more than Concourse but I'm sure so much is what you order b/c my dd had the filet @ concourse and said it was good - late b/c the first was overcooked but good.
Honestly I had a much better meal @ Spoodles, a great steak w/ great accompaniments. I agree it's not bad but not "to die for" either....:blush:

[Disdad13]

1) Le Cellier gets the reputation through "crowd dynamics".
2) People keep talking about it, so it MUST be great.
3) I think the food is good, but not up to the reputation.
4) I get asked for recommendations.
5) I would always put this way down on the list of WS eateries.

I don't necessarily disagree with you, but I am curious if LeCellier would be way down on your list, what would be way up on your list? We are going in September and currently have LeCellier as one of our ADRs. We have been there before, however, and if there is someplace better to go to, I would be willing to change. Here are our other ADRs:

Whispering Canyon
O'Hana
50's
Hoop Dee Doo
Maya Grill
Kona Kafe
Garden Grill
Rose & Crown

What would you suggest instead of LeCellier?

[magicman]

Is it possible that these posts are clandestine:spy: attempts to help reduce demand for Le Cellier reservations?

We all know that EVERYONE loves Le Cellier, so I'm not going to be taken in by any attempts to disparage its deliciousness.;)

[andreallybadeggs]

Ok, then-- I'm not totally nuts although some of my family members would beg to differ. DisDad, we've had good experiences (food, fun, and service) at Marrakhesh but know many will disagree. Magicman, glad you've found your niche and if you have problems getting those ADR's just let me know and I'll write another post.;)

[Terk24]

The food is good but not spectacular. It only became hard to get into once DDP was 'invented'. I think people just see it as the best value for the DDP, b/c it can be a very expensive meal.