Reviews of California Grill
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Menus at California Grill
Reviewed by mangoman18 Review Date: 09/30/2018
Rating: (5) Not Recommended
After hearing all of the positive reviews for this place, I have to say we were really disappointed with this meal. I will say the view is amazing from the top of the Comtempory. The restaurant itself looks a little dated and sterile for my tastes. I ordered the cowboy ribeye and my wife got the filet. Probably not the best place to get a steak, but we had heard good things about the steaks. I will say that some of the other entrees we saw other people get looked really good such as the pork tenderloin. Our server was friendly but he did mess up are order, which is kind of annoying, especially at those prices. He did get it fixed and was apologetic about it. Our desserts were both good. My wife really enjoyed the chocolate lava cake and my creme brulee was fine. Overall I don’t think this restaurant is a good place to spend your money. There are much better signature restaurants on property.
Pros:
View of the Magic KingdomCons:
Food, service, costReviewed by Billjo6 Review Date: 10/22/2015
Rating: (5) Recommended
California Grill has always been one our favorite places to eat when we visit Disneyworld. The food is outstanding and the service has always been top notch. We know this restaurant has become popular with families because of the dining plan. As a result, the atmosphere in the restaurant has changed over the years. But, after our experience at the California Grill last night we our eliminating it as a stop on future Disney visits. We requested to be seated in the Wine room as it always seemed to be a quiet haven inside the restaurant. As we entered the room we were nearly knocked down by two young children having a race around the table. The hostess had to ask the parents to have their children take their seats. We were seated next to a family with two older children who appeared to be behaving appropriately for their age and surroundings. As usual, the service was outstanding and the food was fantastic. Everything was going great until the two children at the table next to us decided to have a burping contest. The took turns seeing who could burp the loudest. Both parents were on their phones and appeared to be oblivious of their children's behavior. The contest ended when their server brought the check to the table. The parents never intervened.
When you visit a restaurant of this caliber and expense you have certain expectation about the experience. If you like great food, service and views California Grill is the peace to go. But, be aware of what else may come with this experience. After last night, we will be spending our dining dollars elsewhere.
Pros:
Food, service, viewCons:
Uncontrolled childrenReviewed by Eean Review Date: 10/16/2014
Rating: (5) Recommended
My husband and I originally ate at the California Grill back in the summer of 2010. Since then, we had been itching to go back. We had a memorable and delicious meal. We went to Disney World in the summer of 2013, but the restaurant was closed for refurbishment. Consequently, I was very anxious when we booked our trip for August 2014 to make a dinner reservation at the California Grill. This time we had our three kids in tow with us. We have boys ranging in age from 6 to 12 years old. First of all, we were very impressed with the refurbished decor, and of course you can't beat the view! Although our table wasn't quite ready, we ordered a bottle of wine from a server in the bar area named Justin. He was very friendly, and he set the tone for what we thought would be a wonderful evening. However, our service once we were seated at our table wasn't quite what we were expecting. Although our server was efficient, she was less than friendly. Unfortunately her attitude put a damper on our evening.The food was fine, but I definitely remember it being better when we dined there before. Our kids actually didn't even like their meals. It's hard to justify spending two credits on a meal that was just so-so. Next time, I'm tempted just to go to the bar, order a glass of wine and maybe some sushi -and of course enjoy the view!
Pros:
Beautiful view and interior decor; great wine listCons:
ServiceReviewed by WarEagleAuburn Review Date: 01/03/2014
Rating: (5) Not Recommended
We usually dine at California Grill each trip, but probably won't do so again. The filets were not at all as good as we got at Yahtsman, and were smaller. The steaks came with a tiny amount of odd flavored risotto instead of a potato. I would have liked to have a choice of the side that comes with a $50 steak. The sushi was $24, which is much more expensive than any other restaurant we tried. Our waitress was overwhelmed with all of her tables and the various wine selections--seemed like she was always pouring wine instead of getting us refills on our drinks. The restaurant is beautiful.
Pros:
ViewCons:
Cost for what you getReviewed by SharW Review Date: 11/14/2013
Rating: (5) Not Recommended
Dined here on October 16, 2013. We have dined at this restaurant every year for the past 10-12 years. The new look to this restaurant is great. Menu is not as good as in prior years and if you want to make a substitution for one of the side dishes be prepared to pay extra. Had to pay extra for the Truffle Mac & Cheese - was not very good - had better Mac & Cheese out of a box. Food was not as good as in prior years - Yachtsman Steak House is far superior. Waitress was very good. Have always recommended this restaurant in the past, but I even have doubts that we will dine here next October.
Pros:
AtmosphereCons:
Food was not as good as in prior yearsReviewed by Jade Review Date: 11/12/2020
Rating: (6) Not Recommended
California Grill is a signature dining experience at the Contemporary resort. You will need to take a specific elevator to go up to the restaurant. California Grill is very sleek and modern with floor to ceiling windows with a view of the Magic Kingdom. They have an open kitchen so you can see all the chefs at work. They use ingredients that are in season so their menu changes a lot. We went for dinner at 6:25. We didn't have a window table but our server said that we could pause our meal at 8 when the fireworks started and go outside to watch the show. They pipe in the music and you get a spectacular view if Happily Ever After. We started with the complimentary sourdough bread which is served with olive oil and tomatoes. The bread was fresh from the oven and tasty. Next, for appetizers we tried the Sonoma Goat cheese ravioli and the California roll sampler. The ravioli was very flavorful and the sushi was very fresh. For entrees my boyfriend ordered the ramen and I had bison with Gouda macaroni and cheese. The entrees were just okay which was a bit disappointing since they were the most expensive part of the meal. For dessert we sampled the warm chocolate cake and butter pecan sorbet. The cake was really good! As an extra surprise our server brought me a complimentary cupcake lit up for my birthday. Overall this meal was just okay. The best part was definitely the fireworks show. Some other tips: you can actually go to the lounge without a reservation and still get an awesome view of the fireworks! The lounge is full service and sells all of the food from the restaurant. Also, they have two outdoor areas for viewing the fireworks. The one closest to the elevators is a "better" view but more crowded. Finally, if you are a pin trader ask to see their wine cork pin board at the check in desk.
Pros:
Beautiful restaurant with view of Magic KingdomCons:
Food could be better, expensiveReviewed by Tamara Ervin Review Date: 09/27/2018
Rating: (6) Recommended
I wanted to like this restaurant more than I did. I had heard so many good things about it, and I was excited to get a reservation. We lined it up so we would see the fireworks during dinner. That didn't happen, there was a delay. Not their fault, but disappointing nonetheless. The location is beyond beautiful. The food was a bit too high brow for us. I couldn't pronounce half the menu, and it was a 1 page menu to start. Experience was worth it, but not sure I will go back.
Pros:
Beautiful location, peaceful dinnerCons:
Menu could use expandingReviewed by disney 522 Review Date: 03/02/2016
Rating: (6) Recommended
The first word that comes to mind is disappointed - we first ate here 2 years ago and i have been dying to return - i was so excited this time when we were able to fit it in to our trip - however, i will not make another reservation here - first of all, the dress code policy applies to no one! There were the sloppiest looking people eating there - i know we are on vacation and busy all day but i did like the fact that we could have one night of getting dressed nicely(khakis) and have a Nice dinner atmosphere - then the food was not nearly as good as i remember - it was no better than any other higher scale chain restaurant - i did like the new decor and we had a wonderful view of the fireworks but really if i was not on the dining plan i would have been upset for the amount i would have paid for a just ok meal
Pros:
Great atmosphereCons:
Not as good as previousReviewed by LLSS Review Date: 09/30/2014
Rating: (6) Recommended
My wife and I went for an anniversary dinner to California Grill. The view is absolutely spectacular.
We started with the appetizer meatballs. The flavoring was great, though they were a bit dry. We had the fillet and Seafood pilaf for our meals. The filet was good, but far from the best I have ever had. The seafood pilaf was actually quite good. We each had desserts which were good, but once again, not over the top great.
After dinner we hung around to see the fireworks from the deck, which was quite spectacular. Honestly, you are paying for the view here, not the food. The food was good, but nothing to write home about for the price we paid. Next time I think we will head elsewhere for a bit better food.
Pros:
View, good foodCons:
Very expensive for what you getReviewed by 1283alex Review Date: 05/23/2013
Rating: (6) Not Recommended
Location is nice being high up with view and all, but food was average - didn't really feel it was worth extra dining plan points - wouldn't go back again on dining plan or as a paying customer - have been to a lot of fine dining restaurants & this one is simply over-rated - have ate at many other restaurant on Disney property that are better than this
