Jiko was a HUGE disappointment!

[KelNChrisKYDis]

Were you by any chance in that wine room off to the side?

Jiko was our most favorite restaurant on property, then we went for the hub's birthday last year and it was the worst meal we had all week. They sat us in that off-shoot room and, honestly, it felt like the practice room. Our server was so...so...slow and inattentive, just like you're saying. We didn't even stay for dessert. Super disappointing for a special birthday dinner at our heretofore favorite restaurant.

We were seated there on our trip in October, and it was wonderful. I had read that Jiko has kind of a weird, open, and (can be) somewhat noisy main dining area, and since this was an anniversary trip, we appreciated the quiet and the privacy. Our server was attentive without being disruptive, and the atmosphere was perfect.

 

[married2mm]

My first thoughts were oh no!
That's dh s fave restaurant-

then I realised anyone/everyone can have different experiences from the initial meet & greet upon announcing your arrival, your time being seated, your order taken, the actual food experience etc..

However; whether I'm spending $20 or $200-I expect my food to be as ordered,and waited on appropriately.
I would have addressed my issues there & then.

 

[KenHutch]

Sorry about your experience and you are a far far nicer person than me. Here in KC a couple of months ago I was at a higher end steak house and my rare steak was almost well done. When my waitress did to me what yours did to you I did the following. I waited 15 minutes then got up walked to the front podium (with my steak) and asked for the manager. He asked why I didn't like my well done steak. I told him what I ordered and why I had to talk to him. They made me a new steak and comped deserts to my family. Other here are correct about service. When I am paying a lot of money I do expect the wait staff to do more than phone it in.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I agree that if I was the OP I would not have sat quietly and waited on the waiter. I would have gone and asked someone to send over a manager! Speak up folks otherwise the Mouse will continue to take advantage of you!

 

[Eastern]

Signature restaurants in WDW, as well as upscale restaurants in the "real world", are typically going to have smaller portions.

But that steak looks extremely tiny. It's not a tasting menu, it's a $49 entree. Unacceptable!

 

[hertamaniac]

Maybe each head chef has some control over the grade they order? Different grades, different sizes? No idea, just a stab in the dark.
DH ordered the filet at Jiko and I can't recall his portion honestly but I know he wasn't hungry afterwards, and he's a big eater.

I will say that the mac-n-cheese was very tasty, just not memorable. I do plan on giving Jiko another shot, but not before we spend our $ at other restaurants (specifically California Grill and Citricos).

For reference purposes, I'm akin to a linebacker in stature (but age allowed gravity to win!).

 

[cleopenn]

Your ADR time is not a reservation in the traditional sense. It is a place in line for the next table available for your party size. 20-30 minutes is not unheard of.
I would NEVER. Give a CM name on the Internet. Seems risky to me.
Sorry your meal was such a disappointment for you

This was a big shock to us during our trip as we were routinely keep waiting more than 30 minutes when the restaurants were les than half full.

Honestly, I don't think the signature restaurants should be allowed an off night or even an okay night. Generally, I'm not even that picky of a person. I understand OPs feelings. We won't be back to Narcoossee's...everything was fine and service was adequate, but when I'm paying that kind of money for a meal, I would expect a a good to exceptional experience, not just adequate.
I just won't let signatures off the hook...they should always be really good to exceptional. At a restaurant of that level, I also expect to be checked on by the manager to make sure everything is okay. (Not to have to flag down managers or servers)

Agreed. We dine out a lot in our normal life and I worked as a server. I have no problem speaking up, even if that means getting out of my chair and seeking out a manager. At a Jiko price point, I would be proactive about getting the meals or the bills corrected.

I only have one Disney trip under my belt so my perspective is different than most on this forum and that’s likely makes me a harsher critic as I a less likely to overlook disney’s Slips in service. That being said, the best meal of our trip was at Jiko.

If your spending that type of money you should complain. On the spot. And I agree with a previous post that signature restaurants should never have an off night. You are already paying a premium just by eating on property. So there's no excuse for an off night.

Off can happen but a good server and a good managgemrnt team knows how to make it right.

 

[AZMermaid]

We didn’t have a bad experience but also didn’t think it was any better than a nice steakhouse at home. Our experience was good... just not the WOW it seems to be for a lot of people.