Garden Grill Open on Sun 4/24/2005

[CTXRover]

I for one commend the direction the food at the Land has gone. The food court in particular. All theme parks offer the same hamburger and fries and Chicken Sandwich and fries meals. I'm thrilled they have started to offer heartier offerings for the food court than the traditional fry baskets, much like the AK fast food shops.

As for this Garden Grille change, I personally think it was needed. I usually like the all-you-can eat dinners (The Liberty Tree Tavern and Ohana's are two of our favorite WDW restaurants), but the meal we had there was nothing we were anxious to go back to (I honestly don't even remember what we were given). Maybe we just had a bad experience, but we just didn't think it was very good. Now that the menu has changed, we'll probably give it another try. I can understand though the questioning of this choice to offer another more fine dining-like experience for Epcot. WS is filled with them and The Coral Reef is also of similar caliber. It was probably a good idea to have the Garden Grille an all-you-can eat family style meal for contrast. But, I'll have to check it out first to see if the change was right or not. Does anyone know if they will still have the Mickey cucumbers in the salads (or any salad at all as it seems to be missing on the Allears menu, no?)? That was the main reason we decided to give it another try last year.

 

[The Genii]

I've never seen a buffet at the Garden Grill: it's always been a skilleted all-you-can-eat meal delivered to your table. You don't have to go stand on line at a buffet, so why is everyone calling it a buffet? And if they bring the food to your table, why aren't posters calling it "table service"?
The food was very good, and we never had to wait very long even with no reservations.
I think they should be commended for trying to bring a high-end restaurant to the front part of Epcot, but this is the wrong place to do it. All they'll do is alienate all of the fans which the Garden Grill has cultivated over the years.

 

[General Grizz]

I didn't expect this... I would assume the kid's menu features more in the Macaroni and Cheese/dirt and worms fare?

Interesting...

 

[MissM]

The lack of buffet isn't any big deal to me - I am such a small eater I never benefit from a buffet anyway - but the menu is far too foo-foo for my tastes. I'm a meat and potato girl and I like simple foods. This isn't something that would appeal to me. I've never eaten there in the past and if that's the menu, won't be in the future.

The only thing that sounds yummy is the foundue, but I'd expect fondue at Artist's Point or something, not The Land. It seems very much out of fitting.

I'm always disappointed when places try to get all fancy with their food. It's off-putting to me.
-m

 

[mousermerf]

Hmm...

Right now this is all word of mouth and speculative - but according to Disney's systems it reopened to the public today. How it's actually operating? Who knows..

They do print Menus for hosted-parties etc... But the Garden Grill Ice Cream Social is said to have gone away, but Disney's systems says it still exists and reopens today. Short of walking over there and asking, we don't really know.

 

[PhotoDave219]

I was physically there and held the menu in my hand. Whether its working today, i have no idea.

They were open last night, Mickey was out and Managers were serving.

 

[General Grizz]

I was physically there and held the menu in my hand. Whether its working today, i have no idea.

They were open last night, Mickey was out and Managers were serving.

Any chance of seeing the kids items or having a general image in your head of what was offered?

 

[manda0125]

Garden Grill Menu

When I was told the Garden Grill was closed, I had a feeling that it wouldn't be the same when they opened it back up. But I figured they would change the characters, not the food. My fiance and I loved eating there. I thought the food was just as good as home cooking. I was very surprised to read the new menu.
I 've been reading alot of posts about new menu's in different places in Disney. Cinderella's Royal Table, the quick service in Tomorrowland, and now the Garden Grill. I know that they can't serve the same stuff for too long. It's nice that they change it up a bit, but I am finding that they are going alittle too fancy in some areas with the food. I thought that Disney had a nice balence between the quick service offerings, and the table service offerings. It almost seems like they are starting to stray away from the family style or buffet style, and going with a limited menu for a set price. I would hate to see buffet phased out. It's much eaiser to help plan your money situation, and the best part, all you can eat!!

 

[PhotoDave219]

Any chance of seeing the kids items or having a general image in your head of what was offered?

Nope... i was too busy drooling over the steak :slurp:

 

[disnyfan89]

For all of you that never ate at Garden Grill and are saying you don't like buffets I would like to point out this was a very different buffet! They brought all of the food to the table and when you wanted more of one item you would just ask the server. It is much like the Dinner at the Liberty Tree Tavern in the Magic Kingdom.

I for one would like the old menu to return! If I wanted to go to a big fancy dinner I would go to World Showcase and eat in France or Mexico or Japan. I felt the Garden Grill was a wonderful place to go to have a nice relaxed meal with my Family along with some of my favorite Disney pals! What could be better than that? Besides now where in Epcot will you be able to go to a nice sit down restaurant that is affordable that doesn't have princesses destroying the theme of the restaurant? Germany better watch its back! Just my two cents!

 

[TravisMT81]

I will really miss the old menu, this was on of my families favorite place. Similar to the Liberty tree it offered a traditional "meat & potato" meal.

 

[PhotoDave219]

There still are other meat and potatoe options ..... Electric Umbrella added some toasted roast beef sammy that looked good, as well as a could of other sammy options....

 

[longfamily]

I've never seen a buffet at the Garden Grill: it's always been a skilleted all-you-can-eat meal delivered to your table. You don't have to go stand on line at a buffet, so why is everyone calling it a buffet? And if they bring the food to your table, why aren't posters calling it "table service"?

Welcome to the boards! The buffet being talked about was not a physical buffet but an all-you-can-eat family style buffet which means that you are served on your table by waitstaff but that you can keep ordering anything you want. It's just quicker to call it a buffet because everyone assumes that we all know what others mean by the reference. The Garden Grill has always been considered Table Service because it is a sit down meal. Other true buffets like the Crystal Palace are also table service. the other option is counter service, which is fast food. There you order from a cashier and pick-up your food when it is ready.

Sorry for the confusion

 

[TravisMT81]

There still are other meat and potatoe options ..... Electric Umbrella added some toasted roast beef sammy that looked good, as well as a could of other sammy options....

I know but I like the concept of getting all the flank steak, chicken, mash potatos and stuffing I could eat. Not "care" but "can" LOL!

 

[mikeb_86]

I neaver had the chance to eat thare but will it still rotate?

 

[CSUFSteve]

Hello,

I 've been reading alot of posts about new menu's in different places in Disney. Cinderella's Royal Table, the quick service in Tomorrowland, and now the Garden Grill. I know that they can't serve the same stuff for too long. It's nice that they change it up a bit, but I am finding that they are going alittle too fancy in some areas with the food. I thought that Disney had a nice balence between the quick service offerings, and the table service offerings. It almost seems like they are starting to stray away from the family style or buffet style, and going with a limited menu for a set price. I would hate to see buffet phased out. It's much eaiser to help plan your money situation, and the best part, all you can eat!!

I can respect this viewpoint. I think part of the disagreement for me is that, coming from a Disneyland perspective, one of the things I *most* enjoy about WDW are the nice restaurants. There is so much more diversity and quality at WDW, so many more table service options, than at Disneyland. Unfortunately, table service is just not as economic for us as it is at WDW. Napa Rose is really our only "California Grill"-caliber restaurant. And while I truly love Blue Bayou, food quality wise it doesn't hold a candle to most World Showcase restaurants. As a result, we miss out on a lot of great experiences that WDW table service restaurants provide. Our castle won't ever have a Cindy's, we won't ever have Alfredo's, heck we don't even have a Flame Tree-equivalent anymore! It's nice at WDW to break from the counter service and buffeteria mold (no pun intended ) at Disneyland and be able to enjoy sumptuous surroundings and high quality food, and this usually means table service. That said, I'm a huge Pecos Bill fan!

 

[General Grizz]

I neaver had the chance to eat thare but will it still rotate?

Yep!

 

[DisneyPhD]

Yes it has always been an all you can eat, but they bring it to your table with waiters, not a buffet. It stil is all you can eat (how they can charge just one price.)

We are going in a few days and the Land is one of our favorite places, so we will try to get in there at some point in the trip if it is open.

I think if the menu is not well accepted it will change. I want my catfish!!!! After all they "grow" all those there!

I hope it is open, I really missed not eating there on our last trip. I think it was the 1st trip in 7 years that we didn't eat there!

So read my trip report after May 7ths and I will let you know what happend! :lol:

 

[maxime29]

I am sort of upset about the new changes myself. Ate there in June and December trips in 2004 and loved it for the "buffet style" service.

 

[TinkerBell9988]

I am sort of upset about the new changes myself. Ate there in June and December trips in 2004 and loved it for the "buffet style" service.

Its alright, I agree with you as well. So much for the Garden Grille dinner I planned for my birthday...

I will greatly miss my catfish and stealing my brother's macaroni and cheese...