Blue Bayou Review

[cherrynegra]

I ate here last Saturday, October 22nd, 2004. Managed to snag a rezzie for 7:30 on a rather crowded weekend. Following is my review.

The setting is absolutely beautiful and is very romantic. The restaurant is themed to be alongside a river in the bayou, with a large tree off to the left with paper lanterns strung out above the tables. Remember this is the restaurant you see as you pass by in your boat on the POTC ride. So occasionally you will hear people screaming.

I can't recommend the food here. Upon being seated, I ordered the chef's special which was a fisherman's platter type dish. Fried shrimp, calamari, grilled shrimp, salmon with rice pilaf and vegetables. We were served rolls, and I have this unscientifc theory that if the place has good bread or rolls, the food will be good. The rolls were cold. And by cold I mean fresh from the fridge. The clam chowder was good. Not the best, but it wasn't bad. The fisherman's platter was terrible. The fried shrimp and calamari was cold and chewy. The salmon was totally dried out. I could tell they had prepared tons of it and let if under a heating light. Vegetables were very bland and the rice pilaf was cold and bland as well.

The wait person was very nice and very professional. Nothing spectacular.

Overall, I found my dining experience here to be very disappointing. I'm happy I went because I can say I've eaten there, but other than the beautiful surroundings there isn't much for me to recommend it.

 

[Merlin]

Yikes!! I feel terrible because I just recommended this restaurant to someone in another thread. It's actually been about 4 years since I've eaten there. The food was decent then, but I always felt it was more about the ambience. No ambience can make up for a TERRIBLE meal though. It sounds like things have really gone downhill.

 

[cherrynegra]

Well, you know people usually chalk up the food as "park food." But for the prices they charge, and the fact that this is a full service restaurant, you should expect the food to be a little bit above Denny's quality. I was VERY disappointed.

 

[xfkirsten]

My old roommate thought the exact same thing when she came to visit. In fact, she had the exact same complaints about the food that you did.

 

[ToTBellHop]

I didn't like the food at all when I went to Blue Bayou, and I found the seating extremely cramped. For my money, we will be going to some of the other sit-down restaurants around Disneyland for our next trip--we were not impressed at all with Blue Bayou.

 

[LadyDarling]

I've learned that this isn't the place to go for seafood. Some of thier tenderlion dishes are great though! (But you pay for it$$$)

 

[Merlin]

I've learned that this isn't the place to go for seafood. Some of thier tenderlion dishes are great though! (But you pay for it$$$)

The last time I had dinner there was in 2001. I was there on a business trip and so I expensed it. Consequently, I can't recall what I paid. Roughly what does a dinner run you there on average nowadays?

 

[cherrynegra]

Where is that darn receipt?? Um, I think my meal and my 8 year niece's kids meal, which by the way was awful as well, came out to about $40 something not including tax and tip. The entrees were about $15 to $25 if I remember correctly.

 

[LadyDarling]

Yup. Dinner entrees start at about $15 I think. Lunch is cheaper (the cheapest entree on the menu being around $10). Too bad you didn't try the desserts though! I've yet to be disappointed by one of those! I always leave room! yum yum!

 

[netenyahoo]

Did you complain about your food being cold? You should tell your waiter, so they can fix it for you. If you had taken care of it at the time, you probably would have had a better experience and wouldn't have to complain here.

 

[cherrynegra]

Gee...I thought I was giving a review but whatever. Trust me. I know banquet stye food production and this was definitely it. The salmon being warm but dried out, the calamari and fried shrimp being cold and chewey were evidence of it. Like I said, part of me wanted to chalk it up to being "park food," but one would expect better in a full service restaurant. And I don't think I'm alone in my opinion as others have posted similar experiences.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Did you complain about your food being cold? You should tell your waiter, so they can fix it for you. If you had taken care of it at the time, you probably would have had a better experience and wouldn't have to complain here.

No need to be snappy. Quite a few people have commented similarly about Blue Bayou. I dare say most reviews state that you go for the atmosphere and the food is sub-par, certainly not worth the money. My food was not cold when I went; it was just nasty. There really is no need to complain about someone complaining.

 

[Merlin]

Where is that darn receipt?? Um, I think my meal and my 8 year niece's kids meal, which by the way was awful as well, came out to about $40 something not including tax and tip. The entrees were about $15 to $25 if I remember correctly.

You know, that's actually cheaper than I expected (or recall it being). Of course, as bad as it sounds like it was, no price is probably worth it. Maybe next time I go there, I'll just try the desserts, as someone suggested. Plus, I love mint juleps! If you get free refills, I can definitely put away $40 worth of mint juleps!!

Thanks for your review!

 

[cherrynegra]

You know, that's actually cheaper than I expected (or recall it being). Of course, as bad as it sounds like it was, no price is probably worth it. Maybe next time I go there, I'll just try the desserts, as someone suggested. Plus, I love mint juleps! If you get free refills, I can definitely put away $40 worth of mint juleps!!

Thanks for your review!

The mint julep was delicious. Except don't expect the usual version with alcohol. This is an alcohol free version. It's more like a lime-anade than anything.

 

[Merlin]

The mint julep was delicious. Except don't expect the usual version with alcohol. This is an alcohol free version. It's more like a lime-anade than anything.

Oh yes, I know them quite well. Been drinking them for years. They're actually a Disneyland tradition every time I visit the park. Except I always get them at the Mint Julep Bar. Never thought to have one in Blue Bayou.

 

[ToTBellHop]

I guess you need to develop a taste for mint juleps...I tried one for the first time at Disneyland...ick! Maybe I'm just better suited for food like they have at Redd Rocket's or Taste Pilots

 

[Merlin]

I guess you need to develop a taste for mint juleps...I tried one for the first time at Disneyland...ick! Maybe I'm just better suited for food like they have at Redd Rocket's or Taste Pilots

When I was a kid I couldn't stand them either. The minty taste just seemed too strong. When I got older I tried them again and just loved it. Now I have to get them every time I go. It's like the turkey legs at WDW,...they're a tradition. I had the recipe at one point, but it was kind of a pain to make them. You had to use creme de menthe and boil it so the alcohol would be gone, then you mixed it with lemonade, sparkling water and several other ingredients. Always seemed to make a mess and they weren't as good as the DL ones.

 

[1disneydood]

lol, us Bayou folk don't eat salmon and rice pilaf . It's catfish and jambalaya. :lol: And alligator sauce picante. Boudin sausage. :slurp: