Your Top 5 Table Service Restaurants

[GatorChris]

I realized this weekend that I'm within 100 days of my trip back to DL. Which means that special 60 day reservation mark is coming soon. OK, not that soon, but hey, all those WDW trips made me a 6-month-out planner.

Here's my problem. We ALWAYS made reservations at Big Thunder Ranch BBQ each trip, and sometimes twice each trip. With our favorite place being gutted to make way for Anakin Skywalker and family, I need to come up with new favorites and places to eat. Can anything match the food and experience of BTRBBQ???

I need to get your top 5 Table Service restaurants at DL/DCA/DTD, and your favorite dish if you want to include that. All opinions are welcome! And if you or a family member has Celiac/Gluten issues, your input is most appreciated.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

Our family is not big on table service, but here are ours:

Jazz Kitchen in Downtown Disney
Carnation Cafe in DL

We like Storyteller's Cafe for Thanksgiving because it has become a tradition.

We tried the PCH Grill dinner buffet one time in the last year and would like to go back but haven't managed to fit it in again.

 

[Aladora]

We did the BTR BBQ once and to be honest, we were not all that blown away by it. I know that many people really enjoyed it but for us it was a "one and done" kind of place.

For our top 5 table service, I would go for:

5. Wine Country Trattoria tied with Cove Bar tied with Blue Bayou. We've been to WCT twice and enjoyed he food both times but it wasn't AMAZING. Cove Bar was a lovely place to have a drink and light snacks and although MANY will argue with my placement of BB, we have been there a number of times and have had two quite bad meals there and one quite good one.

4. Steakhouse 55, the breakfast here is lovely.

3. Carnation Cafe, we try and get there once per trip, usually for breakfast.

2. Carthay Circle, we have done the WOC dining twice there and enjoyed both the food and the atmosphere.

1. Napa Rose , we have only done the Chef's Counter but have really loved it both times we went!

 

[rentayenta]

Hmm....top 5....

1. Club 33. The service and food are both outstanding and it's just super cool.

2. Steakhouse 55. Went to a birthday dinner here and it was amazing!

3. Napa Rose. We haven't had full dinner but we did do appetizers, cocktails, and dessert and all 3 were wonderful.

4. Carnation Cafe for breakfast. The food is really good and it's nice to sit and relax on Main St. Plus Oscar is adorable.

5. Storyteller's Cafe at the GCH. We have done the character breakfast and dinner. The character interaction is the best we have had at any meal.

 

[ShaunaM]

We enjoy
1)Carnation Cafe deep fried pickles , baked potato soup and malts (we then waddle out the door like D. Duck.) Sitting outside...find it too loud inside.
2) Café Orleans pomme's grittes and the gumbo. .kids like the pomegranate lemonade..prefer to sit outside here.
3)Blue Bayou for the waterside ambience ..cannot say we have fan Food dishes here
4)Flo's outside around the side at night over looking RSR watching the cars whiz by. We have enjoyed the ribs here .
5) we tried wine country trattoria for the first time on our last trip and everyone really enjoyed it. I love still being in the park yet being outside of it a little bit you were kind of set back from the noise and bustle and could watch it go by without really leaving.
6) tortilla Jo's has become our off day tradition in Downtown Disney we love sitting outside enjoying a margarita the homemade guacamole and just taking it all in.
7) another new 2 us was an was Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen we sat outside and watched the crowds (loved the Grits with the big prawns)... The waiter was super helpful ;we have a very picky vegetarian in our family and he was super accommodating and helping her find something she would enjoy, it was actually one of her most favorite meals.

I guess I listed more than 5 but take from it what you will. Our trips are usually longer so we have identified more than five for our family. For what it's worth we also enjoyed immensely Big Thunder Ranch( okay our vegetarian not so much but the rest of us did)!

 

[gottalovepluto]

I can't think of anything on property that compares to BTRBBQ

With that said, we still love dining at Disneyland! Top 5 in order:

1) Blue Bayou. We love the atmosphere and the food. Our gluten allergy family member loves this place as well. (Please note, she is not celiac.) They have wonderful gluten free rolls, do plan on spending extra time when dining because those rolls take some extra time. In order to get as close to the water as possible we book the earliest lunch of the day.

2) Cafe Orleans. Meal crepes! Check out the menu before you go for the gluten free options. Our gluten free diner is a picky eater and had some issues here (in all honesty I don't remember if it was because the menu had limited options or she was just acting out that day).

3) Carnation Cafe. We started dining here a few trips back and had wonderful meals trips 1 and 2 but our entire meal on trip 3 was "meh" at best (and we ordered the exact same thing- love the shrimp cobb salad!). I asked here and people said the restaurant hasn't changed, we must have just had an off day so we will be returning in the future.

4) ...and I just realized we only have 3 favorite TS restaurants in the DLR area. We had such bad luck TS dining in DCA we don't try anymore (silly I know but they were pretty bad). Are you interested in drinks or appetizers? We do love to visit Carthay Lounge and the Alfresco Tasting Terrace each trip. The drinks are so good at Carthay Lounge they go down WAY too easy fyi. The view from the Alfresco Tasting Terrace at night is pretty and we quite liked the appetizers there last trip. It is outdoors so bring a good jacket, they have heat lamps so half our table was hot and the other was cold- but it was worth it! (we were there in Dec, so Oct won't be as bad) ATT also made sliders for our gluten free diner using lettuce wraps- and they were better than the ones the rest of us were eating!

 

[tlovesdis]

1. Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen - DTD - the garlic bread is to die for and I love their gumbo
2. Tortilla Joe's - DTD - We love getting guac and chips and margaritas and shots!
3. Wine Country Tratoria - DCA - my niece is obsessed with the shrimp scampi pasta
4. Cafe Orleans - DL - Three Cheese Monte Cristo and Pomme Frittes - enough said!
5. Carnation Cafe - DL - pretty much everything is great!

 

[figment_jii]

While the ribs are not identical to the ones served at the BTM RBBQ, I do think the ribs at River Belle Terrace are just as yummy. The plate comes with six of them and it's enough to fill me up. I liked the Coleslaw and Tater Tot side dishes the best (the beans are very different from the BBQ). So for my family, the RBT ribs are a good replacement for the BTMR BBQ.

Other favorite TS locations (in no particular order):
1. Carnation Cafe - A nice, casual location. I really like the fried dill pickles, the baked potato soup, and meatloaf (it's actually the only place where I've found meatloaf that I like).
2. Cafe Orleans - I like the gumbo and pomme frites. The Crescent City salad makes for a nice "light" lunch and the outdoor seating provides great people watching opportunities.
3. Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen - The calamari appetizer and Shrimp & Grits are my favorites. It has a nice mixture of indoor and outdoor seating, and live music (at select times).
4. Storytellers Cafe - The Nebraska Corn Chowder is very rich and tasty. The dinner buffet has a lot of good selections.
5. River Belle Terrace - The ribs with coleslaw and tater tots (see above).

While not TS locations, I also really like the Cove Bar and Carthay Circle Lounge. Neither take reservation (per se) and both can pretty long waits, but the food is really good.

 

[crystal1313]

Hmm. Top 5 are, in no particular order:

5. Steakhouse 55. We love dining there as a couple, but have yet to bring the kids there. It's more of a quiet restaurant, and we like to eat here when we can slow down and really enjoy our meal. Short ribs were incredible!
4. Carnation. Love, love, love eating here and so do our boys. Not a bad seat and service is always great. I like the turkey sandwich and DH loves the meatloaf. We both enjoy the potato soup. And the cherry coke here is yummy, since I think they might get it from Coke Corner.
3. Carthay Circle. Again, we have not taken the kids here yet, but plan to our next trip. Fried biscuits are as great as everyone says!! And the restaurant is gorgeous!!
2. Storytellers. We love eating here as a family. My boys love the build your own pizza option, although I think we will have them share from now on. They can never even come close to finishing it!! I think I usually get a sandwich here and it has always been good. Service is good and it's nice to feel out of the hustle and bustle of the parks sometimes.
1. Naples. We love the margherita pizza. Boys love the bread that comes before the meal. Service is usually really good, and we try to make reservations before hand so we don't have to wait too long for a table. If you have kids, they usually come aorund with a ballon maker., We tell our kids no balloons before we even get there. While cute and fun, we don't want to carry them around the rest of the day.

That being said, we love BB also, but kids could have cared less about it! Granted, they were quite a bit younger when we tried it. We thought they would have loved it, but we were wrong! LOL. We typically don't eat at a table service very often on our trips. Mainly due to wanting to eat and get back to the parks. Plus, our kids are picky. Hoping they grow out of that! Really hoping they like Carthay, but we will see!

Also, special mention for outside the parks:

Pizza Press. Super yummy, and pizza size is great. Boys shared and DH and I got our own and we had lots of leftovers. Great beer selection and homemade cookies with homemade vanilla ice cream sandwiches! Mmm!

Cheesecake Factory. Bit of a walk, nothing fancy, but lots of choices and lots of food. They make a delicious strawberry cheesecake shake here too!

PF Changs. We haven't eaten at the restaurant, but have gotten take out from it and it was a lot of food! My boys love noodles and rice and were happy campers.

We never got around to trying the BTRBBQ, since our boys were little and don't eat a ton yet, we could never justify the cost. Bummed we never tried it, since I have heard so many great things. Hope you are able to find some other TS restaurants you like!

 

[JavaDuck]

I loved BTMR BBQ as well. We ate there during our last trip. I do know that the BBQ menu has moved to River Bell Terrace. It is no longer all you can eat, but the same menu of BBQ ribs, or chicken, etc.

 

[disneyobsessed808]

I don't know if I can say that I've eaten at all the table service restaurants on property.

1. Napa Rose. The food has always been exceptional and the service is always wonderful. I used to do the chef's counter a lot, when I had a per diem and was traveling to California for work rather than living here; but I still like to go to the lounge once in a while.

2. Carnation Cafe. Good food, and reasonably priced.

3. Al Fresco Lounge. Not necessarily a Table Service restaurant, but the food is more interesting than most of the stuff in the park, and delicious at a good price, and unlike the Cove Bar, I have not ever had to wait for a long time

4. PCH Grill. I don't know if many people would agree, but for character interaction, the Surf's Up buffet has been the best for me. The characters seem rushed at Goofy's and I don't really care for the characters at Storyteller's. Plus, they have made my friend gluten-free pancakes and waffles, and there are labels on the buffet items.

5. Blue Bayou and Carthay Circle, just for the atmospheres of both. I haven't been wowed by the food at either, but it's good if not great. The atmosphere of both make it worth eating there for me.

As a side note, we tried going to Cafe Orleans on my birthday, but the staff was completely rude about making any accommodations for dietary restrictions.

 

[beachdreamr1229]

BTM BBQ is really the only plan I enjoyed TS on a regular basis. Unless you count Tahitian Terrace, but that's been gone for years. My family just isn't big on it since it takes so much time out of the day. But, over the years, we've been happy at:

1. Blue Bayou (for ambiance alone)
2. Cafe Orleans
3. Ariel's Grotto for character meals
4. Rainforest Cafe in DTD

Hmm...I think that's it. I've heard good things about Carthay Circle, so it might be worth trying, but I don't think my kids would enjoy it. They're little though. Older kids might enjoy it.

 

[maltdizzy]

We don't eat a ton of TS at DL, we love so many of CS options.

In no particular order ...

Cafe Orleans - We find the food better with better value over the Blue Bayou. We have never been thrilled with food at BB, the food quality seems to peak at average but the prices don't. Does BB have great ambiance? Yes. But not enough for repeat trips

Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen – Never had a bad meal there

Napa Rose - Easily the best restaurant on property, but some magnitude (probably the best between DL and WDW). Expensive, which is why it's not one I normally recommend...but at least the cost seems relative to the quality and experience

Carthay Circle - Not always consistent, but when they get it right, they knock it out of the park

I hesitant to say Ariel's Grotto because it's been a long time since we've been. But in 2010, one of the best meals I ever had was there.

 

[felice]

We never ate at BTR BBQ, but I can recommend a couple of restaurants / places to eat within the DL/DTD/DCA area.

Catal - lovely restaurant with fantastic service, excellent food but can be fairly pricey compared to others.

Wine Country Trattoria - this one at DCA gives lovely punch, reasonably priced food and a great view of the park, overlooking the big wheel and Paradise Pier.

Have also heard good reports about Napa Rose too - must visit them at some point, maybe when my wife and I visit in October

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Will you have a car on this trip? If so, look into a meal at Lucille's (http://lucillesbbq.com). It's not on property, but it can help you get your BBQ fix. (They serve family style as well as a la carte.) I think the location in Orange is the closest to the parks. They do have a gluten free menu. This place is a big hit with our friends for group dinners.

 

[smartlabelprint]

5? Blue bayou. Great ambience. Good food.

 

[Malcon10t]

1. Steakhouse 55. Love it all. Filet Mignon is fantastic!
2. Cafe Orleans. Monte Cristo
3. Carnation Cafe. Chicken Fried Chicken
4. Carthay Circle Biscuits
5.Tortilla Jo's

 

[Keels]

My five - in no particular order!

Steakhouse 55 - I've only been here for weekend brunch, but every time it's been OUTSTANDING. Intimate, white-linen service but completely casual and not stuffy at all. Steak and eggs, omelettes, mimosas, bloody mary's - everything that brunch dreams are made of!

Carthay Circle - Again, I've only been for dinner. The first time, we had all of the appetizers (fried biscuits and sticky wings were legit), the second time? We split a bunch of entrees and had dessert. I equate it with Brown Derby at DHS, but with more of a California flair in the ingredients used. Also, great cocktail and wine list.

Wine County Trattoria - Delicious pasta, love sitting outside under the arbors. Made me feel like I was in a winery. GREAT wine list and bottles of wine were not outrageously priced.

Napa Rose (Chef's Counter) - Worth EVERY. SINGLE. PENNY. Not for everybody, but for me and my husband and/or friends I'm traveling with, it's THE meal of the trip. Plan for at least 2.5 hour for the meal. $100 for food only (five courses) or $150 if you want the wine pairing. Can't wait to do it again in a month!

Cove Bar/Uva Bar - I put these two together because they're very similar. Bars attached to restaurants, don't take reservations and can have lines. GREAT food, unique drinks and another place to sit, people-watch (or in the case of Cove Bar - ride-watch) and take a break to enjoy the weather. Lobster nachos and quesadilla rolls are the stars at Cove Bar, calamari and chorizo fries at Uva are the winners.

 

[Kindermouse]

I hesitant to say Ariel's Grotto because it's been a long time since we've been. But in 2010, one of the best meals I ever had was there.

I agree that it was very good in 2010 but when I was there 4 months ago it was down right terrible.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

These are my Top 5 go-to table restaurants where you have to make reservations...

1. Tortilla Jos
2. Jazz Kitchen
3. Steakhouse 55
4. Carnation Cafe
5. Napa Rose