Please, try to keep your posts focused solely on Downtown Disney and the remaining resorts (Old Key West, Saratoga Springs, Port Orleans Riverside/French Quarter, Fort Wilderness, and the Wilderness Lodge/Villas).
The EPCOT - Your Favorite Foods discussion thread.
The Disney's Animal Kingdom & Blizzard Beach - Your Favorite Foods discussion thread.
The Disney's Hollywood Studios & Typhoon Lagoon - Your Favorite Foods discussion thread.
While I have visited Downtown Disney several times, I have predominately focused my dining experiences on two sites: Raglan Road and Earl of Sandwich. One is a fantastic, full service adventure, and the other is a reasonably priced, yet wonderfully fulfilling counter service venue. I highly recommend both establishments.
I have also eaten at Planet Hollywood which I enjoyed but can’t for the life of me remember what I ate!
I’ve visited the Rainforest Café several times and find it to be over-priced but serviceable. There is nothing on the menu I would recommend, but the atmosphere and theming create an environment that can be fun for families.
While I have not been to the T-Rex in DTD, I have visited the original location at the Legends shopping area in Kansas several times. Sadly, I have never found anything good on the menu (except for one or two desserts). T-Rex is an expertly themed, yet overly expensive, and hugely disappointing restaurant. If someone has found anything worthwhile on the menu, feel free to let me know.
Specific recommendations:
Downtown Disney
Raglan Road
Dalkey Duo - battered cocktail sausages with a mustard sauce.
Scallop Forest - forks of sea scallops with a lime sauce.
Fish and Chips - the best FnC at WDW.
Ger's Bread & Butter Pudding - an amazing dessert.
Dunbrody Kiss - for chocolate lovers.
Earl of Sandwich
Original 1762 - roasted beef, cheddar, and horseradish.
Italian - salami, capicola, ham, Italian dressing, etc.
BLT - I am a sucker for a good BLT.
That's all I've got for now, except for a question: anyone been to Wetzel's Pretzels at DTD? There are some interesting items on the menu. Any reviews, Tim? You're our resident pretzel connoisseur!
=)
I LOVE Bongos! Best food in all of Downtown Disney.
Wolfgang Puck and the House of Blues are pretty good too!
Anthony, I wonder if the T-Rex at DTD has a different menu, a better chef, and/or different recipes than the original in Kansas? I want so much to like that place, but the food I have had is just God-awful. What dishes do you like?
I really don't have any favorite foods, I eat about anything placed in front of me. A habit I got into as a hungry child, coming from a poor family without a father.
Pretty much any sundae at Ghiradelli Soda Fountain. My faorites include the Gold Rush, Very Beryy Sundae, and the Warm Browine Sundae. Also they have a great Cafe Mocha.
Baked Four Cheese Macaroni at Wolfgang Puck Express
The create your own desserts at Goofy's Candy Co. are great. I love making my own Mickey Rice Crispy Treat!
I'm also presuming that Bob was only teasing. ( I hope ! )
I enjoy the Sampler Starter, Country Fried Steak, and the Meateor Bytes (doughnut holes). Personally, I think its better than Rainforest.
As for Bongos, for starters, nothing can beat its soups! The Black Bean Soup is just great, but pretty expected, but the Chicken Noodle Soup is suprisingly out of this world! The main courses are excellent as well with my favorites being Bistec de Pamilla which is grilled steak with limes and onions.
As for the rest mentioned, "Earl" gives you the best prices and HOB and WP remind me of home sweet home Chicago.
I also can't say enough about the Butternut Squash Soup and the Pizza. Sorry Floridians, Pizza is not your strong point and Wolfgang Puck (and Giodano's in the crossroads) are the only places I feel confortable about ordering a sausage pizza
As for resorts, I never thought the Wilderness was a DD resort (MK I thought), but here are some of my favorite places:
Gotta go with Olivia's at my home resort, but I know it can be hit or miss. Lunch is usually much better than dinner. Conch Chowder is good there if you like that kind of thing.
Whispering Canyon Cafe at WL is the best family style meal outside of Hoop De Doo. Its also loads of fun and a must do for anybody!
I do , wholeheartedly, agree with you about never wasting food.
I should also add that I don't feel at all guilty for eating some of the nice food on offer either . Also if some of the portions were reduced a tad there'd be a lot less wastage too.
This has actually been an interesting thread that James has started and an good insight into what we like to feed on whilst we're roaming around at Disney.
And yea Olivias is spectacular. Much better than the food at Saratoga. Its Delicious there! Breakfast and Lunch are amazing there and feature perhaps the best food at Disney i've ever had. The Banana Bread French Toast is spectacular for Breakfast, and my favorite lunch includes their Chipotle BBW Chicken Sanddwich with their house chips. Their key lime tart is also very very good.
Another disagreement I have with TPI, at least in the past, has been DCA which I thought did need work, but wasn't as horrible as many TPIers made it out to be.
Personally, Olivia's being spectacular is a strong word for me. While I love my Olivia's, I really feel that its hit or miss. The thing that sticks out to me is a really horrible dinner I once had. Because of that, I only go for lunch.
I also think, and it probably is not just me, but Olivia's is a memory lane place at OKW for DVC members. We always make our first meal at Disney World in Olivias. I wish I got my picture up on the wall!
Second:
I love the atmosphere at T-Rex, noise included. It is the food I do not like. I have tried the dishes you mentioned Anthony and several others to boot (hee hee, Rob). Even had a burger. I really want to like the place because I feel like I am at a theme park whenever I visit. However, all the food is just a twinge off, just enough to make me really dislike it. Usually I go to another restaurant for dinner, then hit T-Rex for dessert and animatronics. All the fun, none of the bad food.
Third:
Bob, I have a selfish reason for these threads. I am planning my May trip to WDW (9 days in May), and I love hidden treasures, especially when food is involved. I figured who better than the TPI faithful to direct me to the best of the best!
Fourth:
Rob, your comment about the boot was hilarious, even though it hit a little close to home for our friend Bob. It is a good thing he has a great sense of humor! ;)
Fifth:
It looks like I will be eating at Earl of Sandwich everyday just to try all the sandwiches everyone recommends!
Last:
No Wetzel's Pretzels? Tim, I thought you were the Pretzel fiend! You failed me! ;)
Sooo...back to the foodie topic ( which I'm loving by the way ).
I saw some positive comments about Bongos. When we went the food was okay ( not bad just not that great ) but the atmsosphere was really good. I think I may have enjoyed Bongos more if we hadn't been shelved up on the balcony rather than down on the main floor where it all seemed to be happening.
I'd definitely go again though. They say you should give a restaurant 3 visits to really get a feel for the place.
James, when Zachary and I were down this year, we did go to Planet Hollywood. Had a hamburger naturally( could have gone to McD for that huh), but the place is fantastic if you like rock and roll stuff. We sat on the upper floor, next to the railing, great view.
Also ate at House of Blues a while back, but I'm not sure where, could be DD. You have to like that style of food, which I did not( hamburger again I believe).
I do like steak, but have not eaten at any places in Disney World, only outside the park in Lake Buena Vista or Rt.192 down by Kissimmee.
As for steak, it is so hard to get one better than what we grill at home, that I almost hate eating them when I am out. And while this restaurant is off a little topic, I have heard that the steaks at Shula's are perhaps the best in the greater Orlando area.... care to comment?
Over the next week or so I will start putting all the recommendations from all these "Favorite Food" threads and post the results in one summarized listing. So please wrack your brains for any other food favorites you have at Disney. Remember, be honest and be specific!
Lastly, if you have not been to Raglan Road, I cannot recommend it enough. The scallop forest appetizer is a wonderful meal unto itself, the fish 'n' chips are amazing, and the bread pudding is quite simply one of the best desserts I have ever devoured. If you never trust me about anything else (and really you shouldn't, as I am a complete deviant), eat at Raglan Road! ;)
I started to do as I said I would, but the list was amazingly long. Best to just bookmark the threads for future reference.
For the record, the list of Favorite Foods at my local theme park, Cedar Fair's Worlds of Fun, is three items long (kettle corn, nachos, funnel cake). Comparatively speaking, Disney sure knows how to make food a key feature at their theme parks!
Still, if that is still on the menu, I recommend trying it.
However, it is tough to beat the fish & chips at Raglan Road...maybe the folks at T-Rex just gave up? =)
Dalkey Duo at Raglan Road (though the best dish is the dancer).
Any dish at Ghirardelli's.
Scallops at Fulton's (be careful with the wine list - no prices are listed).
That's right, the DTD McDonalds is apparently going buh-bye at the end of April, to be replaced by Pollo Campero, which is apparently the world’s largest Latin chicken restaurant chain (yeah, I've never heard of it either).
There is still a Giant McDonalds near AK. Its not too much of a shock since Disney and McDonalds seem to have had some strain for the last few years.
I also like the Fourty-Thirst Street right by the water on the Marketplace side. Great Drinks and a great view! Not too far from Gharedeli's
I'm a bit excited at that. Come on people, if you're visiting some far off place, don't eat at some place that you can easily eat at back home.
I had a "cotton-tini" at T-Rex and I found it absolutely delicious. Very feminine and sweet. I could barely taste the alcohol yet I felt it. Plus you get to keep the shaker. So yes, it's also VERY overpriced.
And Wolfgang Puck-- I had some red pasta there. Although the sauce wasn't very different, they tossed all sorts of veggies in there (spinach, tomato slices, and PEAS) that the texture and flavor of each veggie made the pasta so much better.
There James, am I the first to truly answer this thread?
We planned to head back to ORL in 2011 but our plans fell through this year for Siesta Key so turns out we are going to make it there this year after all. Looking at May 29-June 7. We'll see how many times we get to go to DTD this trip. Wife always has to get her Earl fix first. :)
word!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Or maybe it's because we have an Earl of Sandwich in Tampa so the novelty has worn out.
Then again, my Disney Store discount does NOT work there, but still cheap.
Its also up to opinions of people. I love T Rex and think Raligan Road is ok. Quite the opposite of our KC TPIer out there!
The Raglan Road Holy Trinity of Food
Appetizer
Scallop Forest - Forks of battered scallops served with lime dipping sauce
Main Course
Fish 'n' Chips - Fresh beer battered Fish'n'Chips served with a tartar sauce (and vinegar, if you're worth your... uh... salt!)
Dessert
Ger's Bread & Butter Pudding - Like no other bread pudding you have ever tried.
It is impossible to be disappointed at RR if you follow the three step plan for dietary success I have listed above. I promise. =)
And here's the funny thing: the Raglan Road in Kansas City, less than a mile from where I work, is even better than the one in Orlando! Who woulda thunk it!!!
It would appear to be just another Subway/Quizno's competitor but they seem to have found a better way to do it. Their sandwiches are really that good.
1. Caprese
2. All American
3. Italian
4. Hawaiian BBQ
5. Best BLT
6. Original 1762.
The Caprese might be a bit of an acquired taste, but I loved it. Honestly, though, I am convinced my local sub shop chain, Planet Sub, is far superior to the Earl's fine establishment. When you come to the Midwest, stop in for a bite!