ChallengerHK1
Registered: January 2013
Posts: 3
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Review Date: Tue January 29, 2013
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Some of the best food I've ever eaten
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Cons:
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Price, but you do get what you pay for
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I had the filet, after being disappointed that the bison wasn't on the menu. I have never before had a steak that literally melted in my mouth. I thought it was just a figure of speech, but I was wrong. This was a truly outstanding meal.
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bosslady79
Registered: September 2012
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 15
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Review Date: Wed January 23, 2013
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Everything
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Cons:
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Nothing
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First time dining here. Absolutely the best! Food was great(sushi, steak, purple potatos, scallops), server was Awesome, fireworks were the best! Will make this a must!
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peters
Registered: January 2006
Posts: 83
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Review Date: Sun January 20, 2013
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 3
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Pros:
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The view
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Cons:
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(This visit) food preparation & terrible service
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I can't believe I'm giving the CG a poor review, but after at least a dozen wonderful visits there, this was our worst dining experience during our January 2013 trip.
Host staff was pleasant and helpful, but it went down big time once we were seated. Our server visited our table exactly 4 times during the meal... to take the drink order (which was wrong), to take the food order (steaks overdone, no silverware to eat it with), deliver the bill & to collect the payment. I think she literally forgot about us since it appeared her "main" section was a few tables over from us. It didn't help that a guest at the next table obviously worked at the Contemporary as I would say 60% of the staff stopped by to say hi and check on his meal.
Since this is the first time in a dozen + visits that we've had anything less than exemplary service, this was VERY unusual. We had much better service at the AKL Mara quick service.
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docdebbi
Registered: January 2013
Posts: 3
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Review Date: Fri January 18, 2013
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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location, service, atmosphere
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Cons:
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We visit Cali Grill every trip. It is a must do for us. Mostly because of the interesting and well prepared food. It is a fight every trip to decide what to get, I want them all. We have never been disappointed with our meal, and that always includes entree, flatbread, appetizer, and dessert. We also enjoy their wine selection, although I must admit, sort of pricey. But you pay for location and atmosphere and quality. We bite the bullet and do it.
The service is impeccable and the atmosphere very pleasant- I am interested to see what the New Cali Grill will look like.
I am soooo pleased with the recent change, that if you dine here earlier in the evening, you can return to view the fireworks. There for awhile, folks were making 6:30 and 7:00 reservations and staying at their tables until 9:00, so those of us arriving at a proper time to view fireworks during our meal had 45-60 minute waits. This issue has been resolved with the change. The only down side? Now the observation deck is PACKED, but I'll trade that for an hour wait for my table.
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CupcakePrincess
Registered: October 2011
Location: Baltimore
Posts: 4
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Review Date: Mon January 7, 2013
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Service, View, Atmosphere
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Cons:
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I ate here on 1/7/13 and thought it was fantastic! We had a reservation at 5:40, and we checked in just after 5 and were on our way up the elevator to the restaurant. We were seated around 5:40 by a very nice man who explained the restaurant to us since none of us had ever dined here before. Our waitress was VERY knowledgeable of the menu and was happy to explain some dishes to us. We ended up ordering three appetizers to share between the three of us. My favorite was definitely the Spicy Kazan Roll. We each had our own entree, but I sampled some of my parent's food. My dad's pork tenderloin was very well cooked and had amazing flavor. My mom had the scallops which were fantastic. I had the Dragon sushi Roll which I didn't care for. I'd rather have more of the Kazan Roll. Our waitress kept our glasses of water full and would check in on us after we received our food. The icing on the cake was the observation deck for Wishes. Our meal ended 45 minutes before Wishes started so we decided to just hang out on the deck and peacefully wait for Wishes. It was the best meal I've had on property!
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earthmom7
Registered: January 2007
Posts: 10
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Review Date: Thu January 3, 2013
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Food, service, atmosphere, fireworks viewing
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Cons:
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kids menu
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Had dinner here on Christmas (12/25/12) specifically to watch the fireworks. I love this restaurant. The sushi is absolutely wonderful with some unique rolls. We were finished with dinner about 90 minutes before the fireworks so we decided to take a ride over to the Grand Floridian; they allowed us to come back up to the roof to watch the fireworks, we just had to show our dinner receipt. My only complaint is that the kids menu is a little limited and when you have a picky eater in your group the lack certain items can cause some minor problems. That aside I would say this is a must if your budget or dining plan can cover it.
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AundreaSmith
Registered: December 2012
Location: Caledonia, Michigan
Posts: 13
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Review Date: Thu December 27, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Gorgeous View, excellent service, great food
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Cons:
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Strange check-in process
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DH and I ate here on 12/1 to celebrate my birthday. I was blessed to have a beautiful window view of the Magic Kingdom...that ALONE was worth the trip! Our server was Daniel and he was FANTASTIC. He didn't hover or push, he was attentive and kind. We came for dessert and wine. He offered us suggestions on the wine (we bought a bottle) and on dessert. It was simply delicious.
My Husband and I don't get out much (2 small children) so this was a REAL treat. Watching "Wishes" from our table with the lights dimmed and music playing was really magical. Then Daniel brought out my dessert with a candle in it and a wedge of chocolate saying, "Happy Birthday from the California Grill."
I was stunned, I have never been treated so well at ANY restaurant. This place is FIRST CLASS all the way.
I would love to come again to see what it will look like after all the renovations that will take place in 2013.
Very elegant.
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lovingeire
Registered: October 2009
Location: NC
Posts: 9
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Review Date: Mon December 17, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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View, food, service
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Cons:
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Ate here for the second time for my birthday on 12/9 and it did not disappoint! We had what was reported to be the best table in the house, decorated with confetti! (Last visit we did not have a window table) The view was spectacular, as was holiday Wishes from the warmth of the restaurant!
From the bartender, to Fred who sat us, to Roberto our waiter the service was impeccable. Everyone was a delight and tool great care of us!
I had the filet, my favorite, and DH had the pork shank. Both were delicious! The bottle of wine by Cline recommended by the bartender was fabulous and the manager brought each of us a free glass of champagne which was tasty and a treat! Dessert was delicious as well. I had the lava cake and nit was tastefully decorated with edible chocolate for my birthday with birthday greetings.
For many reasons, this was a magical meal. We really enjoyed a romantic evening out this visit, California Grill remains my favorite restaurant at Disney World!
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TiggerTrigger
Registered: December 2010
Location: Texas
Posts: 55
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Review Date: Thu November 29, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Everything Else
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Cons:
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Beef Filet, Ravioli
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We had great service at the bar prior to the meal and were seated quickly. Our server was very attentive and the majority of the food was excellent. DH found his filet to be mediocre and I felt the same way about the ravioli, but my smoked salmon flatbread and sushi platter were amazing! The girls' mac & cheese was also quite tasty. Plus, you can't beat the view up there.
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John
Registered: December 2010
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 49
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Review Date: Tue October 30, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Food and Service
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Cons:
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Noise Level
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Our family of six ate for the first time at the California Grill in October. We found all the food to be excellent and our server Bill was great. The only negative was the level of noise. Even though we did not have a window table to see the firewroks of Magic Kingdom from this level it was wonderful. This is a great place, but not for a romantic or quiet dinner.
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artgal227
Registered: June 2009
Posts: 16
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Review Date: Wed September 26, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Everything
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Cons:
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Nothing
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Our dinner at the Califirnia Grill was the best I have ever eaten anywhere. Our server Andy made this dining experience. There are not many instances where you can say you have received perfect service at a restaurant, but this was one them.
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zettarooski
Registered: September 2012
Posts: 23
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Review Date: Tue September 25, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Amazing food, service, view
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Cons:
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Our party of 2 ate here on 9/17 using the dining plan (2 credits each). With the dining plan we could get a main course, a non-alcoholic beverage and a dessert. Some cool things we found out was that we could have some of the sushi rolls as our main course and we could exchange a dessert for the cheese plate. It is also possible to have a coffee/cappuccino as your non-alcoholic beverage with your dessert.
We started by checking in on the second floor (a bit tricky to find, but we did it) and then taking the private elevator to the 15th floor. There we were greeted by our seating attendant who explained to us about the restaurant and took us on a little tour ending at our table. We had a window view, but we were facing Epcot/HS.
Our server came and he was very friendly. He explained the menu and what was included in the meal plan. We both ordered a glass of wine, which was very good. My companion had a Shiraz and I had a glass of champagne (it WAS vacation after all).
We ordered the Dragon sushi roll and the oak-fired veal. Our server then brought us some sourdough rolls and salted butter along with our drinks.
The Dragon roll was very good. They did not bring a dish for soy sauce (or even soy sauce for that matter), which I thought was odd. It was still very good without it, though. I was looking for a bit more kick, but it was still good. The sushi was very elaborate and filling.
The oak-fired veal was the star of the show, though. It was on a bed of potatoes and veggies in an amazing lick-the-plate-clean sauce. We both thought this was the best dish of our entire trip. The veal was tender and cooked perfectly.
For dessert we ordered the banana and caramel dessert and the chocolate sampler. The banana dessert was good and the wafers in it were very crispy. The chocolate sampler was great and had a myriad of different flavors in it. The peanut butter bite was the best. We both ordered cappuccinos with our desserts as well, which was perfect. They even put some cinnamon in them!
After we ate and paid we went out and watched the fireworks on the deck. The deck wasn't very fancy (really just like a catwalk almost), but it was a great view. It seemed like there were fewer people on the back/far deck. It was nice how they piped in the music too. Much better than waiting among the masses on Main Street! However, it had just rained and there wasn't a lot of drainage on the deck so large puddles formed. Be warned if you're wearing flip flops!
All in all, this was a great dinner that we really enjoyed. We will definitely be back!
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mickeymom5
Registered: September 2008
Posts: 44
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Review Date: Sat August 18, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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observation deck, food
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Cons:
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none
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My husband and I ate here on July 27, 2012. We wanted a late reservation so we could watch the MK fireworks, but the latest we could get was 5:45. We arrived right at 5:45 pm and were immediately seated. We both ordered the tomato salad for a starter. I liked it. DH wasn't too impressed. DH had the red snapper for his main entree. He said it was very good. I had the grilled pork tenderloin. I loved it. The polenta was so creamy! We did not leave room for dessert. They told us we could come back to view the fireworks, but we decided not to come back. We did go out on both observation decks. It is a great view of the Magic Kingdom. The food is a little pricey, but it was fun to splurge this one time!
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WhovianLuvsDisney
Registered: May 2012
Location: NJ
Posts: 3
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Review Date: Tue July 24, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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FOOD, view, waiters
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Cons:
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price...
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This place is my family's favorite to go to to eat. We have gone three times, and each time has been better than the last. Our waiter twice was Ron; he was utterly fantastic. He was funny and suited our every need.
Each time, the food was amazing- my favorite dish was the Filet Mignon with potatoes. It was cooked to perfection, and the potatoes and veggies were amazing. I'm not sure if they have it anymore, but I got the chocolate lava cake with raspberry drizzle, and it was delicious. Also, I love how after your dinner you can go out onto the balcony and see the fireworks, if you time your reservation well enough.
The only problem with this restaurant is the price. The food is very expensive, and if you are on the dining plan, it takes two table service credits. Using it with the plan is definitely worth it, and if you can afford it, the price is worth it too.
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miked
Registered: May 2012
Posts: 6
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Review Date: Wed July 18, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Food quality
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Cons:
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Rushed through dinner courses
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Ate here on 07/13/2012. The local beet salad was excellent, as was the heirloom tomato salad. However, I must wonder how much of this produce really is a product of California(more comments to follow...)?
My spouse and I ordered the filet with Teriyaki BBQ, of which the server continually kept trying to explain to us that it is not really BBQ sauce, and not really Teriyaki sauce...who cares...just serve it! Once served, the filet was excellent.
I can only assume that the announced closing of California Grille in January 2013 for a six month renovation, is based solely on a move away from predominately California based cuisine. Are we destined to see Disney's first Florida upscale "local-vore" restaurant? If the current chef stay's on, I would wager that being a solid bet.
We hope to eat there at least one more before the renovation.
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