Tell me about these restaurants

zurgandfriend

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Considering the restaurants below for our upcoming visit. Any insight or impressions would be most welcome.

Thank You

Art Smith's Homecomin

The Brown Derby

Ohana
 

ajrwdwgirl

Premium Member
Homecomin is great, we love the fried chicken and the hush puppies. One meal we got non-fried chicken and enjoyed that too. I got BBQ pork and my husband got the catfish. This restaurant is usually a must do.

I haven’t eaten at ‘Ohana since 2019 and it was a huge disappointment. It was normally a must do meal.

Brown Derby is usually decent but last time I was there the burger I liked was off the menu. It was still a good meal and the atmosphere has that swanky retro feel but it is just a little overpriced for what I had last time.

Is the Boathouse on your list at all? I don’t like seafood or fish at all but my burgers and steaks have always been great. Steakhouse 71 is a good option for lunch or dinner too.
 

Eric Graham

Well-Known Member
Homecomin is great, we love the fried chicken and the hush puppies. One meal we got non-fried chicken and enjoyed that too. I got BBQ pork and my husband got the catfish. This restaurant is usually a must do.

I haven’t eaten at ‘Ohana since 2019 and it was a huge disappointment. It was normally a must do meal.

Brown Derby is usually decent but last time I was there the burger I liked was off the menu. It was still a good meal and the atmosphere has that swanky retro feel but it is just a little overpriced for what I had last time.

Is the Boathouse on your list at all? I don’t like seafood or fish at all but my burgers and steaks have always been great. Steakhouse 71 is a good option for lunch or dinner too.
I agree...The Boathouse is such a wonderful restaurant...so nice to set out on the patio next to the water at sunset..so wonderful..so very good seafood and lobster if that appeals to you...Boma should definitely be on your list at Animal Kingdom Lodge. It is such a wonderful and so tasty buffet with so very friendly and amicable staff.
 

heapster411

Well-Known Member
I second Boma! Polite Pig is one of our faves. Steak 71 for lunch is a good option. Depending how often you go, Ohana is a good one for every couple of years, but not every year. Homecomin is on our bucket list, maybe this year is the year. Turf Club @ SS is a hidden gem, but not for everybody, Look @ the menu and decide. Like others have said, the Brown Derby isn't as great as they think it is. Enjoy what you eat and eat what you enjoy!!!
 

Lilofan

Well-Known Member
Can't go wrong with the Cobb salad and grapefruit cake at BD. There is a private room at BD where you can dine with a cast member who works in Animation.
 

Eric Graham

Well-Known Member
Can't go wrong with the Cobb salad and grapefruit cake at BD. There is a private room at BD where you can dine with a cast member who works in Animation.
Did they ever bring back a meal with an imagineer there. Or is that what you were speking about, Lilofan. I would definitely do it on my own, but my wife isn't in the least bit interested in it. Oh well....
 

Lilofan

Well-Known Member
Did they ever bring back a meal with an imagineer there. I would definitely do it on my own, but my wife isn't in the least bit interested in it. Oh well....
When we were there the cast member at the time advised us of this option . That was pre 2020. Not sure if this is brought back.
 

ajrwdwgirl

Premium Member
The dine with an Imagineer has not been brought back. It was fun though, I was able to experience it twice. If it ever does come back I would highly recommend. The dine with an animator program was long before that, probably ended when the animation studio closed in Florida.

Never really cared for the Cobb salad at the Brown Derby, the times I had it the avocado was more like guac and gave the salad a pasty consistency and the grapefruit cake isn't (in my opinion) that great either. Although I don't care for grapefruit.
 

networkpro

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
IMHO The Derby is consistently good in comparison for the standards, but if you get things off the beaten path you might suffer a bit. I'm not a salad eater and have only ordered it once (I believe it was in 2014) there. We ate there last on the 9th of April for lunch and it was quite tasty (of the items we ordered and actually ate). We started with the Brie-Oyster soup for my wife (only one fried oyster, she skipped) who said it was delicious and I had the Crab Louis which also was very good. We both had the Halibut ( I skipped eating the mussels as I don't like them at all) and it was prepared and tasted excellent. The steaks are usually cooked to whatever you like from rare to burnt offerings (last one we had there was in December) and are a solid choice. We are fans of the grapefruit cake and have enjoyed the many different variations they had over the past two or so decades.

O'Hana to us is a solid pass from our last visit 2022 for dinner. Greasy undercooked wings, the noodles which lots of people rave about but I find to be nothing but carbs in a bland package, and the meat chunks which were overcooked. It has a constant crowd when its open (we hang out at the Tambu lounge and Kona Cafe even with its changed menu) but the only attraction I see would be the view out at the lagoon and its all you care to eat. Even several Lapu lapus cant hide the flavors enough to consider eating there currently for us.
 

Figgy1

Well-Known Member
IMHO The Derby is consistently good in comparison for the standards, but if you get things off the beaten path you might suffer a bit. I'm not a salad eater and have only ordered it once (I believe it was in 2014) there. We ate there last on the 9th of April for lunch and it was quite tasty (of the items we ordered and actually ate). We started with the Brie-Oyster soup for my wife (only one fried oyster, she skipped) who said it was delicious and I had the Crab Louis which also was very good. We both had the Halibut ( I skipped eating the mussels as I don't like them at all) and it was prepared and tasted excellent. The steaks are usually cooked to whatever you like from rare to burnt offerings (last one we had there was in December) and are a solid choice. We are fans of the grapefruit cake and have enjoyed the many different variations they had over the past two or so decades.

O'Hana to us is a solid pass from our last visit 2022 for dinner. Greasy undercooked wings, the noodles which lots of people rave about but I find to be nothing but carbs in a bland package, and the meat chunks which were overcooked. It has a constant crowd when its open (we hang out at the Tambu lounge and Kona Cafe even with its changed menu) but the only attraction I see would be the view out at the lagoon and its all you care to eat. Even several Lapu lapus cant hide the flavors enough to consider eating there currently for us.
The Lapus are worth a quick trip to Poly:hungry::angelic: Tambu midafternoon;)
 

mf1972

Well-Known Member
we did derby once 10-12 years ago. i remember it was pretty good but i don’t knowing the quality is the same. ohana isn’t bad. it’s worth it for the noodles & dessert alone (just my opinion). as far as homecommin, go hungry. they’re generous with the portions. i once made a mistake of ordering a side of mac & cheese. it was good but it was too much food after awhile.
 

JIMINYCR

Well-Known Member
Homecomin is well worth the trip over. Great meals and service. Ohana has been up and down in quality but still worth the ADR. Brown Derby has never impressed me enough to make return trips due to pricing vs value of what you get.
 

Phonedave

Well-Known Member
Considering the restaurants below for our upcoming visit. Any insight or impressions would be most welcome.

Thank You

Art Smith's Homecomin

The Brown Derby

Ohana
I have not yet eaten at Homecomin, so no opinion

The Brown Derby is like the tides, sometimes it is in, other times it is out. I think they change chef's quite often. Last I ate there - maybe 2 years ago, it was on an upswing.

'Ohana is now a hard pass. It has gone downhill in terms of food and service over the years.
 

Weather_Lady

Well-Known Member
'Ohana only has the potential to be "not disappointing" if you've never been before, and haven't read old reviews about how good it used to be.

Brown Derby can be good (just check the menu before you go, because sometimes their offerings are more attractive than others), and Homecomin is excellent.
 

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