'Ohana

[jenperich]

Can someone tell me what's so special about 'Ohana? I have seen so many people rave about it...but why? I am really intrigued to go, but is it a good place for adults? There will be 3 or 4 of us from 28-55. Thanks!

[LudwigVonDrake]

'Ohana is perfect for adults and in my opinion the food is great :tasty: Make sure you come with an appetite.

[mouseketeer mom]

Yes, it's our favorite. The food, atmosphere, energy of the place, the views, all just wonderful. Family style meal, salad, wings, dumplings, noodles, and a variety of wood grilled meats on skewers, all with amazing dipping sauces..(try the peanut sauce!!!!)..then its topped off with banana bread pudding. This is a feel good place for adults and kids alike.

[Ian]

Can someone tell me what's so special about 'Ohana? I have seen so many people rave about it...but why?Your guess is as good as mine.

I've eaten there three times total and all three times I've had some of the worst meals I've ever had on property. Nasty! :ack:

Mine is obviously a minority opinion here, but if you want my advice steer clear!

[SBETigg]

I've never had bad food at 'Ohana. I think it's a very fun place, great atmosphere, good for all ages. Yes, I've had better meals on property at some of the Signature dining locations, but I don't go to 'Ohana for fine dining. The food is served in courses, family style, and then the main dish is flame-grilled meat skewers. I'm not a big fan of the meat skewers, actually. But I'm usually pretty full by then. I love the chicken wings and the salad, and I always try to save room for the incredible dessert. Oh, and I always have a Lapu Lapu (rum and juice drink served in pineapple) because it just fits so well with the festive atmosphere. :papple:

[DizneyRox]

Can someone tell me what's so special about 'Ohana?

Nothing...

[homeschool mom]

WOW! Views of this restaurant/meal really are pretty much polar opposites. I guess you just have to go and see for yourself. I have gone to places others have hated and ended up loving the place. Not only at WDW, but other places as well. And, likewise, I have hated places that others love - Texas Roadhouse for example. :ack: I guess that's why it's such a wonderful world. None of us like the same things. :mickey:

We are actually doing the O'Hana character breakfast for the first time on our upcoming trip, and I'm looking forward to it. I'm going to have to form my own opinion on it because the opinions on it are as polar as the opinions on the dinner.

[yjgirl32]

I personally loved it. I thought the food was very good and the atmosphere was very nice too. My DH did not like it- he said too much going on and felt rushed. Good luck with your decision.

[ffrda]

Ate there just last weekend for the first time, and loved it. If you like bbq at all, you will love it.....I can only imagine that the people with the over the top negative reviews weren't fans of bbq to begin with, and just made a bad choice of restaurant.

Great Chicken Wing appetizers, salad, and all you can eat barbecued sirloin tips, pork loin, turkey tips, and shrimp...with delicious broccoli and lo-mein type noodles, all followed up with a great dessert (bread pudding with vanilla bean ice cream and warm caramel sauce).

As a pp already said, you really have to decide for yourself, because no matter how many times these questions get asked, the reviews are always 50 - 50.

[Jennifer_and_Chris]

I think it also depends on the time that you go....

We love any meal at ohana's but, don't let that steer your opinion ;)

Breakfast - when we've gone fairly early (like between 7-8 am, it has been fairly empty and mostly adults. This was our first sitdown meal at WDW (on our honeymoon) and it was perfect. By the time we left, it was full and roudy. Now that I'm a parent, we'll go later so that the kids aren't the only kids there! Love the big family style platters, love the bread!

Dinner - we've gone 2 times for dinner. The first was excellent, we had a table that was close to a window and to the grill. It was full but, quieter. I think we had an earlier dinner. The 2nd visit, i got a later ressie so that we could be there for Wishes and I'm sure everyone in the place was doing the same thing. We were seated on the back side of the grill and at first I was kind of mad about the seats but, after dinner was a bit happy that we weren't in the middle of all the hupla. After all, we had just driven 9 hours and rushed to get to our 6:40 ADR's. The kids were stir crazy from being in the car and rushed to dinner. But, the food - especially the beef and shrimp - were better than I remembered. Maybe the 20 hour/2 day drive made everything more magical that trip!

Everytime we have brough someone new with us to WDW, we have always brought them to Ohana's as the first real meal at WDW. And everyone has raved about the Ohana meal (no matter dinner or breakfast) and the Poly resort. But, then again, we are Pacific Islanders and the whole resort is like really coming home to us.

[lightyearfan]

here goes another positve review, me and dw absolutely love Ohana's, and think that it's one of the best resturants in WDW. The service , atmosphere, food are all excellent, whats not to to like about grilled meats????? Not to mention that they have some of the best chicken wings that we've ever eaten. we like so much that we usually start and end our dining experience around it. even the breakfest at ohana's is very good. there are definetly more positive reviews than negative imho, and to those who have had bad experinces there :confused:,

Victor

[Jennifer_and_Chris]

here goes another positve review, me and dw absolutely love Ohana's, and think that it's one of the best resturants in WDW. The service , atmosphere, food are all excellent, whats not to to like about grilled meats????? Not to mention that they have some of the best chicken wings that we've ever eaten. we like so much that we usually start and end our dining experience around it. even the breakfest at ohana's is very good. there are definetly more positive reviews than negative imho, and to those who have had bad experinces there :confused:,

Victor

:exactly:

This is one of those meals that we recreate at home several times. Its our "go to" Disney dinner night menu... especially in the summer when the grill gets more use than the stove.

[Ian]

If you like bbq at all, you will love it.....I can only imagine that the people with the over the top negative reviews weren't fans of bbq to begin with, and just made a bad choice of restaurant.Actually, that's precisely why I didn't like it. I enjoy good BBQ ... this just doesn't happen to be it.

The meat I had was either dramatically overcooked and very, very dry (not to mention largely tasteless), dramatically undercooked and cold, or (in the case of the chicken wing appetizers) cold and obviously microwaved as they were as rubbery as anything.

I've had truly great BBQ all across the country, including Georgia and Texas where some of the best BBQ in the world is made. O'hana's is not good BBQ.

And before anyone says it ... this was not based on one experience. I have had dinner there three times and the experience was identical all three times. And it wasn't just me ... all three times my entire party found the food near inedible.

[mom2morgan]

Our favourite from our last trip! We were a late ADR and seated in a quiet area, so that suited us perfectly. My husband and I loved the food - my kids aren't as keen ont he BBQ meat dishes and the peel and eat shrimp, but the banana bread pudding more than made up for that ;-) Hubby has made me promise we'll got TWICE on our next trip.

[ffrda]

Actually, that's precisely why I didn't like it. I enjoy good BBQ ... this just doesn't happen to be it.

The meat I had was either dramatically overcooked and very, very dry (not to mention largely tasteless), dramatically undercooked and cold, or (in the case of the chicken wing appetizers) cold and obviously microwaved as they were as rubbery as anything.

I've had truly great BBQ all across the country, including Georgia and Texas where some of the best BBQ in the world is made. O'hana's is not good BBQ.

And before anyone says it ... this was not based on one experience. I have had dinner there three times and the experience was identical all three times. And it wasn't just me ... all three times my entire party found the food near inedible.

If the food was THAT bad.....why go back once.....let alone TWICE afterwards????!?!!!?!?!?! Just curious........

[Jillirose]

I loved it, but others in my party were less than thrilled with the entertainment and food. The best surprise this past trip was Cirque du Soileil - WAY better than Ohana!

[eandrsmom]

I've never eaten there for dinner, but we did have a character breakfast there a few years back. It was one of the worst dining experiences we've ever had a WDW. We had ADR's, but it still took us 45 minutes to be seated. Once we were seated, our server brought everything out to our table VERY quickly. While I understand that Disney encourages fast table turnovers, we felt like things were extremely rushed. For some reason, the characters kept skipping our table, which did not make our young children happy. We finished our meal without seeing ANY characters. Our server had cleared everything from our table and had presented us with the bill, yet we hadn't seen one character. I told her that we weren't leaving until we saw at least ONE character. So we waited, and waited, and waited....finally I tracked down a manager, and we were able to get a character to our table. My kids were happy, but my husband and I vowed never to return. I don't mind paying an inflated price for breakfast food, if the experience is there. But, this was way beyond anything we'd ever encountered at any Disney restaurant.

[Ian]

If the food was THAT bad.....why go back once.....let alone TWICE afterwards????!?!!!?!?!?! Just curious........A fair question with a relatively simple answer.

The first time I went back it had been several years since I'd eaten there. I have had numerous Disney dining experiences where I've just randomly gotten one bad meal at a restaurant never to have that problem again, so it was reasonable to go back and give it another shot.

The third time I went under extreme duress and protest. Someone in my traveling party just insisted we had to eat there ... I protested vigorously but finally conceded to the group.

They were all equally as disappointed with it as I was.

I can, however, 100% assure you that I will not make the mistake of going back for attempt #4. :ack: :sick:

[joonyer]

The grilled meat at 'Ohana is NOT BBQ, and does not pretend to be nor is it advertised as such. BBQ is meat that is SLOW cooked (for hours) over low heat, usually with lots of smoke. Don't confuse BBQ with flame cooked grilled meat, which is what is served at 'Ohana.

That being said, if you liked grilled meat (which I do) you'll be happy at 'Ohana. You can have all you can eat, and we've never had a bad meal there. Yes, I've had a better grilled meat at other places, but the food at 'Ohana is still very good and the entire atmosphere is what makes it one of our favorites. The open fire grill, the live music, the kids games, the fireworks view, it's just a FUN family place.

[Ricbr]

I went for my first time on my last trip based on alot of reviews. I have to agree with the majority of them that the place was awesome.

There was alot of food that I normally would not eat if I had a choice but everything tasted great. I was glad I tried some new things.

The view was spectacular from inside there as well. To see the magic kingdom from such a nice location was very cool.

I went in with not a lot of expectations and I left feeling very full and excited about visiting it again (We have a trip planned in July/August and Ohana's is on our list)

[buzznwoodysmom]

Ohana's is a must do on any of our WDW trips. A trip just wouldn't be complete without a meal here. We tend to do both dinner and breakfast on every trip.

[Disney Doll]

The grilled meat at 'Ohana is NOT BBQ, and does not pretend to be nor is it advertised as such. BBQ is meat that is SLOW cooked (for hours) over low heat, usually with lots of smoke. Don't confuse BBQ with flame cooked grilled meat, which is what is served at 'Ohana.

That being said, if you liked grilled meat (which I do) you'll be happy at 'Ohana. You can have all you can eat, and we've never had a bad meal there. Yes, I've had a better grilled meat at other places, but the food at 'Ohana is still very good and the entire atmosphere is what makes it one of our favorites. The open fire grill, the live music, the kids games, the fireworks view, it's just a FUN family place.

I agree 100%. I'm from Oklahoma where BBQ is serious business and Ohana is not BBQ. However, it is good. Not the best meal I've ever had, but the draw for us is a combination of food, atmosphere, and fun for the kids.

[MNNHFLTX]

You won't find me raving about it either. I've been there a couple of times and it's too much meat and too much waste (a pet peeve of mine at restaurants--I bet you could feed a small city with the amount of food that is thrown away each evening at Ohana)

[Belle619]

My husband and I went to 'Ohana for the first time this past fall and we LOVED it. My father owned a meat market growing up and he and my husband both love to grill - so it was definitely our kind of restaurant.

But, aside from the food, the atmosphere and servers were also wonderful!

We couldn't get a time during the fireworks, but we went a little earlier and had a widow seat where we could watch the sun set and see the castle - very romatic! When we finished our dinner, we just walked out to the beach to watch Wishes. :cloud9:

[wildernesslady]

We have always had a good meal there. I think everyone should try it at least once and decide for yourself. Food is very subjective. Ian, it's a shame you had a bad experience 3 times. You won't catch me at Crystal Palace again for the same reasons and that usually gets great reviews.

[ThanxForNoticin]

Can someone tell me what's so special about 'Ohana? I have seen so many people rave about it...but why? I am really intrigued to go, but is it a good place for adults? There will be 3 or 4 of us from 28-55. Thanks!

In our opinion, 'OHana is one of the best restaurants on property. The food, the atmosphere and the service keep us coming back. If you have an all adult group, you might asked to be seated outside the center of the dining room - they have a lot of fun events going on with the kids during the course of the evening. If that's not your bag, you can be seated away from it - but it can be a lot of fun to watch!

We find the variety of food to be amazing - if you love meat, there's all you can eat. The salad is amazing. And the bread pudding dessert is probably one of the top 3 desserts at WDW. If you have not been there and it interests you, I'd recommend you give it a try for yourself. I think you'll find there will be a majority of good reviews here on Intercot, with some very negative responses. The only way to know for sure is to try it! Hope you get the chance.

[Jared]

The grilled meat at 'Ohana is NOT BBQ, and does not pretend to be nor is it advertised as such. BBQ is meat that is SLOW cooked (for hours) over low heat, usually with lots of smoke. Don't confuse BBQ with flame cooked grilled meat, which is what is served at 'Ohana.
You stole the words directly from my fingers. 'Ohana does not qualify as barbecue, nor does it claim to be. Try a true barbecue restaurant in Tennessee or Oklahoma. No resemblance whatsoever.

I have read plenty of negative reviews of 'Ohana lately. So Ian, even if people here think you're crazy, I am not particularly surprised by your sentiments. Fortunately, I have never had a bad experience there.

Like many others, 'Ohana's dinner ranks among my favorite Disney restaurants. The grilled meats have always been cooked perfectly. Any dryness is easily offset by the delicious dipping sauces. Anyway, I can make a meal of the chicken wings and bread pudding and leave quite happy.

For those of you who do not enjoy 'Ohana, please do not imitate Ian and try it three times. It's hard enough to get a reservation there.

:tasty;

[KylesMom]

Other than the long wait times and sometimes crazy service due to the many folks who dine here, Ohana's dinner is on our "must do" list at least once every trip. We ensure that our server knows that DS and I like "red" meat, and that DH likes "well done". Just like every restaurant at Disney, there will be the :cloud9: and the :ack: . You can only decide once you try it on what side of the fence you're on. We never restrict ourselves to dining reports on the boards after this many repeated trips to Disney - all I can state is to try it - kind of like Green Eggs & Ham . . . :D

As far as BBQ - no way. We spend 10-15 hours per week on BBQ'ing all types of meat in the heart of the midwest during all seasons, and we would never classify Ohana as BBQ!

[Jennifer_and_Chris]

To the original poster...

here is a link to another thread (food allergy specific) with my review of Ohana on our last October trip.

it is about 4 replies down.

http://intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=162703

[tpalmer1031]

Was there March 1st-food was great and had window seat for wishes. My 6 yr old loves the food and hula class!


2010-CSR
2007-Beach Club
1997-Carribean Beach
1885--off site

[mickeys_princess_mom]

Let's put it this way--Just booked our surprise July trip and the first thing I did was make ADR's for Ohana's for TWO nights! (And we're going our first night on upcoming April trip with DD....And DH and I went on TWO nights on our last trip in November......):cloud9:

[jmj18]

All I can say is NEVER AGAIN!

Sorry!

[Belster]

For me the good food is just a piece of what makes a restaurant great!

We love 'Ohana becuase of the ambiance and the great food. When you are in there you really feel like you are on vacation. The music food and service is fun. I believe that this place is good for all ages.

Ambiance and good food is the way we chose all of our WDW dining options.

[DisneyorBust]

I guess that I have been lucky, I have enjoyed every meal at 'Ohanas. It's not a restaurant that we do each trip (although I could quite easily!). Like others have said, give it a try!

[pixiesmimi]

I have only been twice, once for breakfast and it was great and once for dinner. DH loved the dinner even though reservations were hard to get and wants to go back for dinner again this trip but I thought the kids would enjoy breakfast better with the characters. I thought the dinner entertainment was cheesy. There was way too much food for two people but if there were more people at our table, there would have been plenty. This kind of food isn't my favorite but it right up DH's alley. He loved it. It was nice and different but if I had to pick one of the two, I would pick the breakfast.

[CaptSmee]

Nothing...

??? Wow. It's my favorite restaurant at WDW. The views overlooking the lagoon with hints of the MK. The open pit fire grill where they cook the meats in the center of the room. The service is fantastic as is the food. There is entertainment provided. And I absolutely love every course & item that they serve to eat from the salad straight through every course including desert. I always leave with an overstuffed belly and a happy feeling. :cloud9:

[Maleficent's Dad]

I'm with Ian on this one for several reasons. The first being that 'Ohana has been home to some of the worst meals I've ever had at WDW. And, like Ian, I did make repeated attempts at the place, figuring I just hit it on an off night.

No such luck.

Consistent bad service, consistent poor meat (and poorly cooked).

There are so many wonderful places to dine in WDW, and for the price, you can find much better meals. I am, admittedly, a bit of a food snob (not a huge fan of buffets or family style servings), but this place is hands down just way too over-rated.

And what I can't get is how many people just love the place and rave about it. Have you never been to Citricos? Narcoosee's? California Grill? All of which are a short monorail ride away??? :scratch:

I know that I'll be criticized for these feelings, but I've been to 'Ohana 3 times within the past 9 years (spread out over sufficient time) - the place has done nothing but disappoint.

Sorry! :(

[mom2morgan]

And what I can't get is how many people just love the place and rave about it. Have you never been to Citricos? Narcoosee's? California Grill? All of which are a short monorail ride away??? :scratch:
1. All of which require 2 TS credits on the dining plan
2. None of which are "all you can eat".

I had a GREAT meal at California Grill. But my husband left hungry, and the tip alone would buy dinner for two back home.

[Scar]

1. All of which require 2 TS credits on the dining planWhat does the Dining Plan have to do with this thread? :confused:

Put me down in the :down: category. Most of the meats etc. were dry and overcooked. I suppose I'd give it another chance if I was with a group that wanted to go, but I would not recommend it.

[mom2morgan]

What does the Dining Plan have to do with this thread? :confused:

Put me down in the :down: category. Most of the meats etc. were dry and overcooked. I suppose I'd give it another chance if I was with a group that wanted to go, but I would not recommend it.
What it has to DO with it is that I can afford Ohana's. I can't afford to eat at too many places that cost twice the price. The implication of the poster I was responding to is that I could have a better experience for a short monorail ride - but at that rate, I'd only be able to eat every second day ;-) I'm sure I'm not alone in that!

[jenperich]

And what I can't get is how many people just love the place and rave about it. Have you never been to Citricos? Narcoosee's? California Grill? All of which are a short monorail ride away??? :scratch:

I know that I'll be criticized for these feelings, but I've been to 'Ohana 3 times within the past 9 years (spread out over sufficient time) - the place has done nothing but disappoint.

We have been to Narcoossee's and California Grill. We do plan on doing Citricos and Narcoossee's this trip. However, I've always wanted to try 'Ohana.

[Scar]

I can't afford to eat at too many places that cost twice the price.But it's only twice the price if you are on the DP. Appetizer, Entre, and dessert for most dishes at a signature restaurant is maybe $10-$15 over the $26 for 'Ohana. Well worth it in my opinion.

[mickeys_princess_mom]

And what I can't get is how many people just love the place and rave about it. Have you never been to Citricos? Narcoosee's? California Grill? All of which are a short monorail ride away??? :scratch::(
Don't care much for this approach. Yes, we have, and like you, we're entitled to our opinions.

[DizneyRox]

But it's only twice the price if you are on the DP. Appetizer, Entre, and dessert for most dishes at a signature restaurant is maybe $10-$15 over the $26 for 'Ohana. Well worth it in my opinion.
Correct and it's part of my problem with the dining plan. We don't use it, we eat where we want and where we feel like we're getting good "value". Ohana is not on that list and won't be.

I don't mind paying for a good meal, and sometimes we're in the mood for something just to rid of us hunger pains. Next time I feel like chewing on an old shoe or feel like being ignored, maybe I'll try Ohana again.

[TikiLounger]

For us, 'Ohana has it all. Ambience, great food, pleasant views, and...TIKIS! :D

[ljgirl]

We were at Ohanas last week and I was very disappointed. The food was good but the service was horrible! Nice servers when you could find one but they were never around! Someone is supposed to come around with skewers of beef, shrimp, pork and chicken. We had one come around with beef ONE time and the rest of the time we had to ask for them. We were in the restaurant for over 2 hours!!!! I just find the "new" way with the skewers to be inefficient!

We won't eat there agan! There are too many other places to try!

[ERJDriver]

Ohana's is great, my family, all adult, eats there every trip. The dessert is wonderful, and it's a very fun atmosphere. That said, service can be a little spotty, as I think they assign the servers to many tables under the guise of all you have to do is bring the same food to every table. But it is good.