Recommendations for first-timers? Underrated restaurants?

[plutosgirl]

For our quiet date type dinner we love going to the Captain's Grille at the Yacht Club. Great food and service and we never feel rushed. It's also nice to sit in the rockers on the porch afterwards or walk the Boardwalk.

 

[fly girl]

Restaurant Marrakesh in Epcot is underrated. I rarely read anyone mentioning this spot and when we went the food was quite tasty.

They also have a belly dancer that the kids can dance with. My daughter really enjoyed herself!

 

[Jadyreen1282]

BoatWrights has Prime Rib on one credit.

 

[horner89]

For a first visit I'd highly recommend:

Sci-Fi Dine-In at HS - such a cool and unique dining experience with some really good food too.

Boma at AKL - awesome buffet with really diverse menus.

Garden Grill in Epcot - the time you spend with the characters is great (Mickey, Pluto, Chip and Dale) which you might want to do on a first time visit. Plus I think the produce comes from The Land, so combine the ride with the meal and it's a fairly unique dining experience.

California Grill at Contemporary Resort - not underrated, but for a first time it would be a very memorable meal as you get to over look the MK as you eat (time it right and you get to see the fireworks). Plus the food is sensational, so worth it all round.

 

[dalt01]

the only really "underrated" table service is Olivia's Cafe at Old Key West resort.

 

[BoatDriver]

Wow, this is such a personal preference question. I've seen some I agree with, and a couple I think are grossly OVERrated.

We've always thought Trattoria Al Forno was the most underrated on property, but with Bon Voyage bringing more people there, that secret may well be a thing of the past.

 

[alex9179]

The Wave, Boma, Sanaa, Trails End, Yak and Yeti, Raglan Road, Rose and Crown, Tokyo Dining, Via Napoli to name just a few

I agree with Andi, for the most part.

The Wave
Sanaa
Raglan Road - 3x and menu changes often on the dishes we've tried. They do have some perennial favorites that stick.
Via Napoli - 4x and counting. My favorite pizza and a family favorite.
Yak & Yeti - we all loved our dishes and the Landry's card is nice when paying OOP
Yorkshire county fish shop (CS by R&C) has huge and fantastic fish & chips. We split 3 orders with 5 big eaters and had trouble finishing the chips.

Columbia Harbour House - I love the tuna sandwich and I've managed a visit 4x
I don't hate Sci-Fi or 50's Primetime. The food has been fine (my burger was dry the one time I ordered it) and our experiences were fun.
Boatwrights
Morimoto Street Food - not sure if it's on DDP but the ribs and buns were delicious
Kona for breakfast
Capt. Cooks - the pork nachos were surprisingly yummy and I don't usually like pineapple on my savory dishes. My kids enjoyed the stir-fry noodles and pork sandwich.
Satu'li Canteen - the whole family loved their food. We shared some cheeseburger pods that were good but the bowls with beef and chicken were delicious. I'm going back on my next trip, for sure!

All have served good food, overall, and we've either visited more than once or want to. That's saying something since we like to try different places.

I don't enjoy buffets and haven't been to any at WDW that are worth doing more than once except for the breakfast buffet at The Wave. I've been to Biergarten for lunch, Trail's End for dinner (chicken was good but went really fast and there was a long line). We did enjoy breakfast at Akershus but princess meals aren't a big draw for our kids.

Places I haven't been but are on my list for options next time.
Brunch at CG or Narcoossee's/their lounges for "dinner"
Artist Point/Territory Lounge and not DDP
Jiko/Lounge not DDP
Tiffins/Nomad lounge not DDP
Boulangerie in France (can't believe we didn't eat there while at YC!)
Frontera Cocina
Homecoming
Skipper Canteen
Olivia's
Probably several more

I'm sorry if I listed something that doesn't take DDP and didn't note it. I've never used it but tried to only list WDW places that would likely be included. Character meals can be fun but often feature lackluster food. Buffets will follow that trend, more often than not. Restaurants at the hotels or DS tend to be better than the parks for food quality. That's not a rule, though!

A good rule of thumb is to look at the menus and overall reviews. You'll see plenty of differing experiences but a trend toward positive will usually serve you well.

 

[Mikeb1892]

Another vote for Ohana, specifically dinner. Amazing. BoG is great for atmosphere, food was good but not amazing.

 

[danikoski]

Our must dos are Tusker House and Hoop Dee Do Review. Whispering Canyon at WL is pretty tasty, all you care to eat. Spice Road Table is awesome, and they now have both small plates and regular plates, so should work on DDP. Sunshine Seasons is one of the best QS on property, IMO. BOG is okay... breakfast is actually a really good use of QS credit, especially if you can get a pre park open reservation.
At DHS, we did like 50s Prime Time Cafe. It was tasty and a well themed restaurant. AK, besides Tusker, we also like Yak and Yeti QS. Epcot has soooooo many good places. The fish and chip is great, with large portion. Les Halle's for sandwiches is yummy and Les Glaces has amazing ice cream desserts.

 

[reking96]

I'll probably be in the minority here, but I think Coral Reef in Epcot is great. I've eaten there 3 times and have never had a bad meal. The steak was amazing ... and yes, I've been to Le Cellier and Yachtmans and so on. I am not saying it is of the level of the Yachtmans, not at all. But for a single credit TS, it is totally worth it.
But like other have said, look at the menus and go to places that appeal to you.

MK - TS: Liberty Tree of Lunch, QS - Columbia Harbor House
Epcot - TS: Coral Reef & Via Napoli (too many to pick from for me!) TS - Sunshine Seasons & Tangerine Cafe
HS - Mama Melrose (Honestly I have never down a QS here. I usually eat at the Brown Derby)
AK - I never eat here!! Well Tusker House for breakfast. But I am trying Yak & Yeti for the first time on my next time.

 

[samara]

Raglan Road is always a must-do for us at Disney Springs. Also love Boma at AKL, Ohana at Poly for dinner and Via Napoli in Epcot.

Counter service...love the waffle sandwiches at Sleepy Hollow in MK!

 

[Allie B]

I have not heard anything negative about the food at BOG - I know it's a quick service but is it bad? I think we are wanting to go there more for the aesthetic but I obviously don't want to feed my family something I could easily get at Casey's Corner for all the struggle I've put into finding reservations!

I've done BOG for lunch and dinner. Both were good to us. Def not Casey corner food! Worth it to me for the atmosphere

 

[samara]

I've done BOG for lunch and dinner. Both were good to us. Def not Casey corner food! Worth it to me for the atmosphere

Agree with that. Haven't done dinner, but for a counter service credit at lunch, it seemed very good to us. DS thinks they have the best fries in MK!

 

[Allie B]

I will also say that for a first timer your dining reservations and where you catch a QS have to do with your plans. A lot of the best restaurants are at the different resorts which includes time traveling that can cut into your day.

On our first trip we had reservations at Kona cafe. We planned on hopping right on the monorail for a quick trip. Happened at that time the monorail broke down and boat was loaded so we missed Kona. Just keep time to travel to these places in mind.

 

[Aliceacc]

For starters, keep reminding yourself that you're going to a theme park. The ambiance is part of the attraction in dining. You can get great food at home- WDW is about immersing yourself in the experience. That said, I've only had one BAD meal at WDW, and I'm the only one I've ever heard of who did at this particular restaurant. Obviously a fluke, so I won't name it, even though I'll never go back. My point is that you should trust your gut more than reviews--- people are more prone to write a review after a disappointing experience.

Some of my personal favorites-- not all of which are general favorites:

Epcot:
- Coral Reef
-La Cellier--- 2 meals on the DDP, but we love it!

Epcot area: Cape May (a 5 minute walk from International Gateway in the Beach Club.)

Magic Kingdom: Crystal Palace breakfast
- Be Our Guest. Yes, it's gorgeous. But I've also really enjoyed my meals there.

Animal Kingdom: I love the Tusker House breakfast buffet!
Yak n Yeti

 

[blueeyesrnc]

Love, love Plaza Restaurant in MK. A table service restaurant with good burgers and sandwiches. Oh, and let's not forget the ice cream treats!!! View of Cindy's castle, charming decor, and not as costly as most other table service restaurants. It's a win, win, win!!!

 

[North of Mouse]

My "not thought of" recommendation: Get a one table service credit table at the Hoop-De-Doo. Best time spent at Disney.

Thought the Hoop De Doo was two TS credits!!

 

[Simba's Girl]

Artist Point at WL has always (for the last 20 years anyway) been on point for a signature TS meal.

 

[karly05]

Another fan of The Wave here! Good food & service, relaxing atmosphere, and easy to get to from MK.

My favorite counter service is Tangierine Cafe in Morocco at Epcot. Love the lamb shawarma platter. The French bakery (Les Halles) is full of goodies; I had a great QS breakfast of quiche Lorraine and a strawberry tart there this year.

Also enjoyed lunch at the Plaza this year.

 

[Pipkin]

I have not heard anything negative about the food at BOG - I know it's a quick service but is it bad? I think we are wanting to go there more for the aesthetic but I obviously don't want to feed my family something I could easily get at Casey's Corner for all the struggle I've put into finding reservations!

We had lunch there and were hugely disappointed. Won't go back.