kellymonaghan
<a href="http://www.wdwinfo.com/dis-sponsor/index.
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2000
The new Sharks Underwater Grill opened on Thursday (8/8) and my wife and I were lucky enough to be in the park.
The restaurant is a real winner but I think the high prices will turn a lot of people away. For now at least, there is no moderately priced full-service restaurant at the parks, since Bimini Bay has closed.
The old Terrors of the Deep exhibit has been completely retrofitted to contain both an attraction (now called Shark Encounter) and the new restaurant.
Sharks Grill is beautiful to look at, the decor a mixture of sci-fi hi-tech and underwater grotto. The main feature, of course, is that the restaurant occupies the former large viewing area of the shark tank. There were 36 sharks in the tank before it was closed for renovations and they plan to put back 55. (At the moment, only about 25 sharks are in the tank while they troubleshoot the filtration system)
The dining area is on three levels and the lighting is kept low to showcase the sharks. The food is a mixed bag.
The two appetizers we had (conch chowder and bruschetta) were good but bland. The desserts were splendid to look at but otherwise lackluster.
The entrees, on the other hand, were spectacular. Very inventive dishes with over-the-top presentations. We has the blackened sea scallops, which is served in a spicy sauce with grilled veggies over a yucca base, and the red snapper, which is served with garlicky spinach puree and a deep fried pastry pouch stiffed with rice and beans. Both of these entreesd were over $20.
The bar will have a mini acquarium along the top, containing tiny fish. It was not ready the other day.
There's no way around the fact that the restaurant is expensive. Figure at least $30 per person for a full meal. There are some less expensive items on the menu, like pizzas. But I was told that if they start selling too many pizzas, they'll pull them from the menu. They obviously hope Sharks will make it as a high-end dining experience. It will be intersting to see if that works out.
The restaurant is a real winner but I think the high prices will turn a lot of people away. For now at least, there is no moderately priced full-service restaurant at the parks, since Bimini Bay has closed.
The old Terrors of the Deep exhibit has been completely retrofitted to contain both an attraction (now called Shark Encounter) and the new restaurant.
Sharks Grill is beautiful to look at, the decor a mixture of sci-fi hi-tech and underwater grotto. The main feature, of course, is that the restaurant occupies the former large viewing area of the shark tank. There were 36 sharks in the tank before it was closed for renovations and they plan to put back 55. (At the moment, only about 25 sharks are in the tank while they troubleshoot the filtration system)
The dining area is on three levels and the lighting is kept low to showcase the sharks. The food is a mixed bag.
The two appetizers we had (conch chowder and bruschetta) were good but bland. The desserts were splendid to look at but otherwise lackluster.
The entrees, on the other hand, were spectacular. Very inventive dishes with over-the-top presentations. We has the blackened sea scallops, which is served in a spicy sauce with grilled veggies over a yucca base, and the red snapper, which is served with garlicky spinach puree and a deep fried pastry pouch stiffed with rice and beans. Both of these entreesd were over $20.
The bar will have a mini acquarium along the top, containing tiny fish. It was not ready the other day.
There's no way around the fact that the restaurant is expensive. Figure at least $30 per person for a full meal. There are some less expensive items on the menu, like pizzas. But I was told that if they start selling too many pizzas, they'll pull them from the menu. They obviously hope Sharks will make it as a high-end dining experience. It will be intersting to see if that works out.
