Originally Posted By vbdad55 That is certainly not cheap - and would be expensive to most people from other places -- the range across the US is great --
Originally Posted By NikkiLOVESMickey I've eaten at several of the "expensive" places here in New Orleans that have stellar reputations and in most cases I wasn't all that impressed. Restaurant August, Palace Cafe, Delmonico and Arnaud's were all pretty disappointing. For the amount of money I spent ($50-$75 per meal), I expected to have my socks blown off, and it just didn't happen. One of the best meals I've ever eaten is at Andrea's here in Metairie (right outside the city). It was somewhat pricey ($50), but it was fantastic.
Originally Posted By WDWVET <<Although I take your work for it the place you go is probably good....Disney has no lock on good restaurants - there are plenty everywhere...and most of the best are small places, not chains>> Nice thought... But some of the top rated (Zagat) steak houses in the world are chains or franshises... Example.. Ruth's Chris , Morton's , they have been ranked #1 or close to it for years, and the are a chain.. and I've eaten at both.. $$$$$ dosen't always mean good.. I now pick and choose where I want to spend my money, and it won't be at overpriced Disney restaurants... I know there are many visiters with children that go to Disney that would love to save a few bucks on food... Not everyone can afford to pay the prices that they charge... Including Shula's.. they are very close to Ruth's Chris when It comes to $$$$$ If you look at my original thread, I never said the food was bad there... I don't need to do the splurge thing anymore.. special occasions are fine.. But Disney no longer has me in their clutches like they did when I was a tourist...
Originally Posted By trekkeruss <<But Disney no longer has me in their clutches like they did when I was a tourist...>> No one forces anyone to eat at WDW; people go willingly. We know it might cost more, just as we know that the hotels on-property are more expensive than off-site hotels. Everyone has different wants and needs. You can't tell me that if you went to Disneyland Paris, that you wouldn't want to eat in their restaurants? Can better or cheaper food be found in the city of Paris? Sure, but unless you're a local, how many opportunities are you going to get to eat at the Blue Lagoon inside PotC, or Walt's on Main Street? So it is with WDW. It's understandable that as a local you don't want to pay tourist prices (not that I think Disney restaurants are particularly expensive.) But many don't care about the price. I can't eat a steak and watch the fireworks over the MK at Longhorns, but I can at California Grill. That's worth something, don't you think?
Originally Posted By jkayjs For anyone that vacations @ WDW there has always been options if they have a car. Just google the Orlando Visitors Bureau and there is a free vacation planning kit. It comes with info and very user friendly maps of all the national chains of hotels and places to eat as well as some local. So no one is "chained"(get it)to the property unless they don't have a car. Our daughter regularly takes us to places off property and we rarely see a difference in price. Now these are not chains and they are very nice. That being said if I have a way to get off site I always go to Checkers don't ask me why but I just love this place and we don't have one in our area. BTW even if I left property it wouldn't be for the servers. Maybe I'm lucky but I have never had bad service at TS at WDW. Back on topic I will have to try the steak at CG. Of course I'll take almost anything at CG. A glass of water tastes better with that view.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <Nice thought... But some of the top rated (Zagat) steak houses in the world are chains or franshises... Example.. Ruth's Chris , Morton's , they have been ranked #1 or close to it for years, and the are a chain.. and I've eaten at both.. $$$$$ dosen't always mean good..< and both Mortons and Ruth Chris's originals were stand alone restaurants- and those chains are small..Arnie Morton had a number of steakhouses - by different names -- calling them a chain is a stretch. I've eaten at the original's many times and some of the follow ups...they have maintained quality. Most chains go in the crapper -- after they spread out -- there are a number of places with Chicago style pizza ( the Uno's by Corssroads for instance) - that doesn;t even come near what the original name would say- it's horrid. show me Longhorns in Zagat's and then I'll take this discussion seriously. Or Outback or Lone Star or wherever. You statement was we weren't food critics - they are. If other places suit your needs, fine that is your choice and increaingly your argument is shifting to cost not quality. I have no problem with that argument...but saying Longhorns is as good as cali grill- or any Mortons' or Shula's, is a pipe dream., That evil mouse doesn't have you under it's clutches anymore -- geez ..sounds like an axe to grind to me... Again if you don't feel the need to spend top $ anymore- I respect that, but don't make the discussion something it isn't.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 very very few can be called chain's - Ruth Chris more than any other...but the minute they put a Lone Star quality steak on anyone's plate - they will cease to be popular... Zagat's top Steakhouse's Chicago Chicago's Top Steakhouses Rank Steakhouse 1 (tie) Gibson's 1 (tie) Morton's 3 Chicago Chop House 4 Ruth's Chris 5 Lawry's Prime Rib 6 Capital Grille 7 Magnum's 8 The Saloon 9 Sullivan's 10 Smith and Wollensky 11 The Palm (previous location) 12 The Butcher Shop 13 Gene and Georgetti 14 Riva 15 Eli's -------------------------------------- Zagat Names Six Disney Restaurants Among Orlando's Best - Awarded November 2004 Three Disney restaurants have been named among the top 5 restaurants in Orlando according to the most recent edition of the Zagat Survey of Best American Restaurants. The three Disney restaurants awarded this culinary distinction are Victoria & Albert's at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, the California Grill atop Disney's Contemporary Resort, and The Flying Fish Café at Disney's BoardWalk Resort.
Originally Posted By mouse of the south Nikki - I love Bozo's, they have great po-boys, Mike Anderson's is good food for the $.
Originally Posted By LuvDatDisney VBDAD55, I am always suspcious of anyone who comes to a forum like this and either is overly critical like a certain poster here or overly positive like that old Goofball troll. Balance. That's what it's all about. FWIW, I have enjoyed many steaks at Lone Star , Longhorn and Outbacks. But to put them in a category with California Grill, Shula's or Morton's, which there's one near Universal in the Dr. Phillips area, is just laughable. It would be almost like comparing a Filet-O-Fish to the Flying Fish ;-)
Originally Posted By vbdad55 I agree LUV -- I saw the number of posts and the guns blazing approach -- which usually tells me there is an alterior motive.... and your post is right on.....I have no problem with the food at many places - it's just being honest enough to acknowledge most times there is a difference -- Heck my wife worked for McDonalds Corporate for 17 years -- and I ate there...is it the best burger in the world - heck no...but at times it is all I wanted to spend and sufficed...now Shula's 2 has a steakburger that is out of this world -- and it's a lot more money...is it worth the difference - yes - if that is what I am in the mood for. them comment about not being under the greedy mouse's clutches any more said all I needed to know about the fairness of the review
Originally Posted By WDWVET You know ... I said the food was excellent at Disney But I prefer not to spend that kind of money... you brought brought Zagats.. and I'e real proud of you... but most people dont care.. I dont need the restaurants that I go to on Zagats to enjoy a good meal... if you don, power to you... and you got all the support you ned from your little friends on here.. cause you guys are like that... I could care less either way where you eat... it seem to bother you so... why is that... I said how I feel and you shiuld repect that... dont attack me... for my likes and dislikes... and have all your little buddies protect you... but thats nothing new on this board...
Originally Posted By pixiedust1 I know that I just love all the restuarants in Disney.. I wish that we could afford to eat at them all...
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <You know ... I said the food was excellent at Disney But I prefer not to spend that kind of money... you brought brought Zagats.. and I'e real proud of you... but most people dont care.. I dont need the restaurants that I go to on Zagats to enjoy a good meal... if you don, power to you... and you got all the support you ned from your little friends on here.. cause you guys are like that... I could care less either way where you eat... it seem to bother you so... why is that... I said how I feel and you shiuld repect that... dont attack me... for my likes and dislikes... and have all your little buddies protect you... but thats nothing new on this board... < you know what go read you original 2 posts - nobody attacked your likes and dislikes - and your condescending attitude is not something I will spend any more time on -- you brought up we weren't critics and Longhorns meals were as good as Cali Grill -- then when I gave you a critic comparison it didn;t fit your agenda - tough ! nobody attacked your likes and dislikes - and your condescending attitude is not something I will spend any more time on the thing that's not new on this board are a few new people coming in - trying to BS their way thru something and pretend they know it all and that their word is gospel because they say so --and then when called on it don't like it Did it ever dawn on you that those people who has similar opinions as mine are not protecting me ( which I surely don't need from you )- but have the same opinion because it may be right. I went out of my way to tell you that if you chose to spend less somewhere else and were ahppy - I certainly understood that- people buy Fords and Mercedes - but let's not put the two in the same class... but you obviously have another agenda and axe to grind -- you may want to do it elsewhere if you think everyone here is wrong...
Originally Posted By Coachbagfanatic1 <<I went out of my way to tell you that if you chose to spend less somewhere else and were ahppy - I certainly understood that- people buy Fords and Mercedes - but let's not put the two in the same class...>> Not that VB needs defending because God knows he is very well capable of doing that himself but I have been reading this thread and have to agree. No one was attacking you WDWVET as we all have our own opinions. Some of us will agree and some of us will disagree but as a poster you should try to respect someone's opinion. I just think that this has gotten blown way out of proportion. Now lets find some good eats!!
Originally Posted By Black Pearl Personally I do not enjoy the meal if I feel that I have spent too much money on it. I am on a tight budget and I would rather get more fun from riding something or an ice cream snack on the go. I do not eat steak at Walt Disney World because I cannot afford to do that and everything else. Now bare that in mind as I tell you that I do not care who attacks me. My skin is not made of paper the last time I checked. So, dude, chill out and just be WDWVET. Like you may want to brush up on your English a little bit too friend. I did not know that Vet's typed English was as bad as their handwritten English.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss i still have it in my mind to try the $14 Prime Rib buffet over at the Shades of Green Garden Galley restaurant. If it is about price, it can't get much better than that... unless we're talking Vegas, baby!
Originally Posted By Coachbagfanatic1 Black Pearl - My son likes the name as he loves the move POTC. My parents are the same way that you are and I don't have a problem with that at all. A lot of people don't like to spend a lot of money for food. Totally understandable.
Originally Posted By Coachbagfanatic1 Oh I so want to go to Vegas. Have to wait until my son is a bit older.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <Personally I do not enjoy the meal if I feel that I have spent too much money on it. I am on a tight budget and I would rather get more fun from riding something or an ice cream snack on the go. I do not eat steak at Walt Disney World because I cannot afford to do that and everything else.< perfectly good reason and totally understandable...everyone needs to prioritize.. we all do that for different things....
