Reviews of Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto
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Menus at Trader Sam's Grog Grotto
Reviewed by dmh2418 Review Date: 10/07/2015
Rating: (1) Not Recommended
I waited for an hour to get in and was one of the first people there so I was able to get a seat. There were 3 of us and we each ordered a drink and one appetizer to share. It took about 20 minutes to get our drinks and it seemed like they made only one type of drink at a time. The drinks had so much ice in them that the taste was watered down. The pork tacos were dry and had no flavor to them. The atmosphere was nothing really special, I've seen better special effects in Rainforest Cafe or T-Rex. Some of the staff acted up but our waiter just kept yelling at people to stop taking flash photography, which there were no signs not to do so. We had much better service on the patio.
Pros:
noneCons:
too small, poor service, food was blandReviewed by Momof4 Review Date: 07/18/2016
Rating: (3) Not Recommended
We were here on June 30th. We came from a blazing hot afternoon at MK and got right in at opening. We were looking forward to AC and a cold beverage. Huge disappointment. It was super dark and loud. The servers didn't do anything special other than pretend to swim. We ordered 6 drinks- 4 cocktails and 2 beers- no souvenir cups-and a few apps. (Wings and tacos, I think) Our bill was over $150.00. Ridiculous. I've had better food and effects at Rainforest and T-rex. We couldn't get out of her fast enough. We ran upstairs and grabbed some Lapu lapus and dinner at Kona and life was good again!
Pros:
Potential to be funCons:
noise.level, prices, quality of.food.and drinksReviewed by tcg Review Date: 07/31/2015
Rating: (4) Not Recommended
We arrived twenty minutes before opening and were given a pager. At opening, many pagers went off at once, creating a bit of a stampede. The appetizers (sushi and poke) were delicious. I do find it odd that the sushi has a name, Headhunter Roll, but no description on the menu. The food was the only good part. The staff were bored and seemed tired, but we were there at opening. They seemed very tired of the "routine". We tried to play along and ordered the Uh Oa, it was a bowl of crushed ice, ground cinnamon and alcohol. The menu does not list prices for the specialty drinks. We paid $40.00 for the drink, as it came in a souvenir vessel. When we were leaving, the CM at the door handed us the first wrapped vessel he saw. We knew it was too small to be what we paid for so we inquired and another CM corrected the mistake. Sadly, Trader Sam's isn't worth the time or the money.
Pros:
Fantastic AppetizersCons:
Lackluster staffReviewed by EleanorofAquitaine Review Date: 06/25/2015
Rating: (4) Not Recommended
If you are by yourself, you may well enjoy Trader Sam's. But if you are traveling with even one other person, you have to take your chances. I was very excited to go see what all the fuss was about on my recent trip to the Poly. (June 15-17). But the crowds are still flocking and they don't take reservations. They will give you a pager and let you know when there is space for your party--- or so they say. The catch, as noted on this site, is that they let in 50 people but they do not guarantee all 50 will have a seat. They just send you in and you are on your own. My group of 4 was told we'd have to wait, so some decided to hit the pool bar instead. Two of us stayed behind and try out Trader Sam's, but when we went inside, there were several large parties and lots of people sitting at the bar, so there were literally not two seats together anywhere in the room. No one wanted to let even one of us join them at their table-- and I didn't really blame them. And the bar stools were all full. Finally one bar stool opened up, so I took a seat and my companion sat behind me. Someone was having a specialty drink delivered, so the bartenders were all busy doing the fun things they do when that happens. One was running around the room with a ghost on a stick, another was carrying out the drink, etc. It looked like the crowd was having a great time. Ten minutes later, having still not been asked for a drink order, we gave up and left. We felt like the nerdy kids at the popular kids' table at the lunch room--- invisible and unwelcome. I don't go to Disney to feel unwelcome. It was disappointing, because the theming was fabulous and, as I said, those who were seated with their big groups seemed to be having a great time. Maybe if we are there sometime during the slow season, we can get in when the crowds die down and see what the "popular kids" saw that night.
Pros:
cute atmosphereCons:
no seatingReviewed by MouseHouse36 Review Date: 03/28/2022
Rating: (7) Recommended
This is a one and done for me. The drink was ok but not worth the price or the work to get to the Polynesian. I am glad I got to come to trader sams on a not so busy Thursday and break up a busy magic kingdom day. That being said next time I’d rather go some place quieter with better drinks and more food options like steakhouse 71
Pros:
Fun environmentCons:
Expensive drinks, loud, not relaxingReviewed by disneyhardin Review Date: 11/13/2015
Rating: (7) Recommended
We were able to get right in one evening without a wait. The décor is neat and the servers have lots of personality. That being said, the drinks were nothing to write home about and they were expensive. We had 2 beers and one "specialty" drink and it was about $35. It was neat to get to keep the Tiki cup that the specialty drink came in. We did not try any of the food offerings, just drinks.
Pros:
—Cons:
—Reviewed by Iluvvacations Review Date: 12/21/2022
Rating: (8) Recommended
Glad we went since we were staying at the Poly but probably not worth a special trip. I put our name in 30 min before they opened and we got in 15 min after they opened. Atmosphere is as cool as advertised; however, people didn’t seem to order the drinks that cause the best effects. A lot of people order the Zombie and Pearl. I would suggest ordering one of the shareables and if you are not sharing just do your best and accept that you spent a lot of money for cool effects. We were a party of 3 and sat on a loveseat on one side of a coffee table across from another party of 3. It was fine but a little awkward since the others were not very chatty. The servers are where the magic is, but if no one is ordering the “fun” drinks it’s a little too much of a relaxed vibe.
Pros:
Fun atmosphereCons:
A lot of down time.Reviewed by aurora3000 Review Date: 03/06/2017
Rating: (8) Recommended
Trader Sam's is a quirky fun bar with creative drinks and theatrics to match. We enjoyed our experience, but you really need to understand what you are getting yourself into when going in. First, the place is very small. We waited about 20 minutes before we could sit inside. No problem, as we were able to shop and walk around the resort as we waited. We were able to describe our likes and dislikes to our server and she made some recommendations. The drinks are pricey, but this is not your typical bar. We also ordered several items from the kitchen. Everything we ordered was absolutely delicious- a pleasant surprise. Drink orders come with audience and Server participation. What can I say- It's just a fun place!
Pros:
Fun!Cons:
—Reviewed by disneymom35 Review Date: 11/18/2015
Rating: (8) Recommended
We arrived to get a pager and told there was a 45 minute wait. We promptly went out to the patio and ordered drinks and appetizers. Hated having no prices on the menu for the drinks but knew enough to steer away from anything with a "souvenir cup," because that is always $10 or more added on. Ordered portuguese sausages and asian dumplings. There is very little description on the menu of these items and luckily my husband tasted a dumpling seconds before I took a big bite. They contained not only pork but shrimp too. Being allergic to shellfish, it was a close call. There was no mention on the menu of what was in the dumpling. My fault for not asking but I assumed they were pork. There really shouldn't have been some indication of what it was stuffed with.
Anyway, by the time the pager went off, we had each had two drinks (very good, btw), and decided to skip Trader Sam's. Maybe next time.
Pros:
Decent drinks and foodCons:
Menu much too vagueReviewed by ChefsWife70 Review Date: 04/10/2022
Rating: (9) Recommended
What a fun experience! I've been coming to WDW since 1975 and this was my first time at Trader Sam's. Since this was our first time traveling without kids or a big family group, my husband and I were excited about finally having the opportunity to visit the Grog Grotto. We put our name on the return list around 2:45 and were called back via text around 3:45. We were seated with a larger family group at the surfboard table in the center. They were ordering food so we got to see and smell the yummy offerings even though we had already eaten at Capt. Cook's earlier. Since it was our first experience, we ordered several drinks and bought souvenir Tiki mugs. It was a little pricey, but worth it for a special occasion. The drinks were strong, but really good. The fun atmosphere and antics combined with the special effects were really enjoyable. This was a great way to spend a resort day afternoon before a dining reservation.
