Dining review from 25Jun-10Jul

[ForceofWill]

We just got back from our 15 night stay with 10 day tickets last weekend, so I figured I would post up a small review of the food and places we ate at since the shock of my bank account is somewhat recovered. This trip was the biggest splurge we've had at Disney, and we ate at a Table Service every day. Enjoyed some excellent meals while here.

TLDR: Top 3 - Tiffins, Jiko, Steakhouse 71

Saturday we pack up the Explorer this time and head out from VA, our first meal is at Jiko on Sunday since we don't start the parks until Monday. Animal Kingdom lodge is just awesome, we love it now.

We ate at Jiko three times and the service is impeccable. The included bread service is also great, we loved both options. For appetizer we get the wild boar and it is unreal, it's easily our #2 app pick being edged out by the famed Bacon and Eggs. I ordered the filet each time with a vanilla Manhattan and the Wife get's the seafood tagine, lamb shank and fish. I'm honestly not much of a filet guy but I refuse to give Disney money for short rib. I see the trend they're doing, it's cheap and they can cook it all in advance and just heat to serve. For the money I wanted something that they had to try and cook correctly. It was cooked perfect and the seasoning is on point, nice crust on steak. The cauliflower is also cooked perfect, not soggy at all and the mac is great. I can't fault the meal, I just wish it was a little more adventurous flavor wise. The vanilla manhattan here becomes one of my favorite drinks.

Wild Boar


Filet


The Wife's Seafood Tagine is fine but a little bland for our taste. The seafood is cooked well and it tastes good, it's just the couscous and broth could really be turned up a notch. The lamb was her favorite dish followed by the fish(sadly no pics)


Giraffes!!


After some shopping and looking around, it's back to the room to prepare ourselves for the first park day.

Day 2 - Magic and Jungle Skipper Canteen

We've always enjoyed this place for in park dining, it's not the best but our favorite in MK. This time I tried the noodle dish which seems to have changed to something that sounds better now. My option at the time was tofu or chicken so I got chicken. The wife got the fish that I forgot to take a picture of. We got the butterfly table upon request which was really nice since they're my Wife's favorite. It's a very cool booth.



Noodles themselves were nicely cooked. The chicken seemed like pieces of thighs that tasted good but were very unevenly and roughly cut, it really looked like an after thought. The sauce was soy based and delightfully spicy for Disney but it was far too thin, very watery. Overall the dish was satisfactory for in park MK dining. I put it all into the hole under my nose.



The wife enjoyed her fish but didn't rave about it being anything amazing. Following days to come.

 

[ForceofWill]

Day 3 - San Angel Inn

Sadly it was very dark here and I didn't get any food pictures. We were seated waterside where the kids could watch the ride which made the price worth it. I eat a lot of Mexican food, I mean like a lot. This place surprised me. Wife got the Pescado Veracruz which was cooked well and tasty and I had the Ribeye Tacos that come out like fajitas basically. I was very pleasantly surprised with my dish. The tomatillo salsa was excellent and the steak fajita mixture was tender and seasoned excellent, I ate all of it. It's Disney so you don't get chips and salsa but for $6 we got the chips with queso and salsa and found it very enjoyable. The chips are take it or leave it, almost like hot tostitos but the queso was correct and the salsa was actually fresh and tasty. I really expected to be served canned salsa. I had the San Angel Margarita with the black ant salt. It was tasty, small glass but you get the shaker and I got 2.5 glasses from it total.

The table we got with the atmosphere made this dinner. Three Caballeros is one of our favorite rides so we're biased. I think if we got a regular table I might have felt different given the price but overall the meal really surprised me.



Tiffins!

We ended up eating at Tiffins three times during the trip so I'm going to put them all here. Tiffins has officially become our favorite restaurant on property(spoiler). We were seated in the expedition room(not our favorite) and then the awesome room with the butterflies twice. This is THE room, the artwork on the walls is awesome and the wood pillar sculptures that were hand carved with the story behind them are very cool. I enjoyed a Tempting Tigress each time here and it's top 2 for drinks on property for me.

The first day we got the bread service which we don't find worth it. If you don't get the bread service they give you one of the breads for free anyway, the other two are actually my favorite of the three but one is basically a chip and the other a flat dense pita style. The three sauces included are fine but again nothing to write home about and we didn't spend $12 on it again.

The second time we got Tiffins version of the Bacon and Eggs from the wave(our favorite app on property) so we couldn't pass it up. Sadly it doesn't match up at all. The pork belly has a nice smokey flavor but was dry and tough(sad). The egg was correct but the biscuit was just ok and nothing compared to the grits at Steakhouse. Overall it was a pass.


The third time we enjoyed the charred octopus and really enjoyed it. It's a bit on the small side but has a nice charred flavor and the texture was good. It's obviously slightly tougher since it's grilled but it was tasty and not too chewy. This was our favorite app we tried since it was tasty and something actually different!


For entrees I got the Braai-spiced Veal and was so impressed that I got it each time. Likewise the wife got the fish and loved it so much she had it three times in a row. These two meals were the best meals we've ever had on property and some of the best meals we've had in general. I mean it, I was incredibly impressed with these plates of food from Tiffins.

The veal dish was perfect every time. Earthy delicious spice rub on the medium-rare veal tenderloin on top of a mushroom ragout that is out of this world. The ragout is reduced to a perfect thickness with tender wild mushrooms and a cheesy/creamy base that was divine. The polenta cake was buttery and perfectly fork tender and the slightly bitter black garlic puree married perfect with it all. I can't say enough about this dish, it's incredible.




The Wife's whole fish which I believe was striped bass each time was perfect as well. Crispy skin all over, fork tender and delicious. Probably a little intimidating for the average guest but man, it was just awesome.


We can't say enough about Tiffins.

 

[ForceofWill]

Steakhouse 71 x4

Again we eat somewhere four times. Steakhouse 71 is third on our favorites and we ate here for lunch a lot. I tried the Fig Martini(too sweet for me) and the Cocoa Boulevardier which is now my 3rd favorite drink on property. The Wife loved her salmon dish so much she had it every time. It was her second favorite plate of food next to Tiffins whole fish. I had the Grilled cheese, Ribeye sandwich and the Steak Frittes twice. I know, I know, everyone says get the burger but honestly I can get a decent stack burger anywhere and it just didn't seem that impressive to me. My favorites were the Steak Frittes followed by the Grilled Cheese, the ribeye sandwich was fine but forgettable and a little greasy. The "horseradish" crema that comes with the sandwich is basically whipped sour cream with a toothpick dab of horseradish in it, I was put off by it as I enjoy a strong horseradish flavor with this type of meal normally. I almost thought they gave me the wrong sauce at first. The grilled cheese was cooked well and tasty if just a little sweet for me. What really surprised me was the Steak Frittes. The steak was cooked perfect both times and nice and tender. It comes with a truffle aioli for the fries and a nice chimichurri. I was pleasantly impressed for the price. It goes without saying we had the Bacon and Eggs every time and it's still the best app hands down on property.

Salmon


Perfection


Steak Frittes

 

[ForceofWill]

Grand Floridian Cafe

I dragged the family here because it was the only other burger on property I hadn't tried that I "needed" to. I described this place as perfectly fine but not something I would go out of my way to eat at. If I was staying at the Grand, I for sure would eat lunch here. Wife got the salmon and I had the lobster thermador burger. The salmon dish was good and cooked well, the green beans with it were also fresh and not overcooked, it just didn't wow us. I had high hopes(and price) for the burger and was a little let down. It was plated nicely and cooked spot on to temp but I just found the flavor a little muted. The burger patty was a nice grind but woefully under seasoned. I'm not sure if that's so they didn't overpower the lobster sauce on top which was fairly mild. The lobster was great though, I was expecting just a sauce but there were giant pieces of lobster meat on top of that burger. If the burger was seasoned a little more appropriate I think I would have LOVED this dish.

Salmon


Burger

 

[erinch]

Awesome report! Thanks!

 

[LeeLee'sMom]

oh great reviews, eating at Steakhouse 71 in August and was debating among a few thing but after much consideration and your review I think I will go with the Steak Frites. Do like Grand Floridian as 1) very pretty atmosphere 2) great service and AC 3) usually easy to get a reservation and 4) food is fine/good 5) easy access from MK. Now that Steakhouse 71 opened and it's location and reviews had to bump GF off our list and book us a lunch at 71. Heard such great reviews about it.

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

Awesome that you found so many meals worth repeating! Thanks for the reviews.

 

[cheshiregoofy22]

Great reviews!!

 

[gosalyn_mallard]

Enjoying your reviews!

 

[igrsod]

Day 3 - San Angel Inn

Sadly it was very dark here and I didn't get any food pictures. We were seated waterside where the kids could watch the ride which made the price worth it. I eat a lot of Mexican food, I mean like a lot. This place surprised me. Wife got the Pescado Veracruz which was cooked well and tasty and I had the Ribeye Tacos that come out like fajitas basically. I was very pleasantly surprised with my dish. The tomatillo salsa was excellent and the steak fajita mixture was tender and seasoned excellent, I ate all of it. It's Disney so you don't get chips and salsa but for $6 we got the chips with queso and salsa and found it very enjoyable. The chips are take it or leave it, almost like hot tostitos but the queso was correct and the salsa was actually fresh and tasty. I really expected to be served canned salsa. I had the San Angel Margarita with the black ant salt. It was tasty, small glass but you get the shaker and I got 2.5 glasses from it total.

The table we got with the atmosphere made this dinner. Three Caballeros is one of our favorite rides so we're biased. I think if we got a regular table I might have felt different given the price but overall the meal really surprised me.
View attachment 684534


Tiffins!

We ended up eating at Tiffins three times during the trip so I'm going to put them all here. Tiffins has officially become our favorite restaurant on property(spoiler). We were seated in the expedition room(not our favorite) and then the awesome room with the butterflies twice. This is THE room, the artwork on the walls is awesome and the wood pillar sculptures that were hand carved with the story behind them are very cool. I enjoyed a Tempting Tigress each time here and it's top 2 for drinks on property for me.

The first day we got the bread service which we don't find worth it. If you don't get the bread service they give you one of the breads for free anyway, the other two are actually my favorite of the three but one is basically a chip and the other a flat dense pita style. The three sauces included are fine but again nothing to write home about and we didn't spend $12 on it again.

The second time we got Tiffins version of the Bacon and Eggs from the wave(our favorite app on property) so we couldn't pass it up. Sadly it doesn't match up at all. The pork belly has a nice smokey flavor but was dry and tough(sad). The egg was correct but the biscuit was just ok and nothing compared to the grits at Steakhouse. Overall it was a pass.
View attachment 684536

The third time we enjoyed the charred octopus and really enjoyed it. It's a bit on the small side but has a nice charred flavor and the texture was good. It's obviously slightly tougher since it's grilled but it was tasty and not too chewy. This was our favorite app we tried since it was tasty and something actually different!
View attachment 684537

For entrees I got the Braai-spiced Veal and was so impressed that I got it each time. Likewise the wife got the fish and loved it so much she had it three times in a row. These two meals were the best meals we've ever had on property and some of the best meals we've had in general. I mean it, I was incredibly impressed with these plates of food from Tiffins.

The veal dish was perfect every time. Earthy delicious spice rub on the medium-rare veal tenderloin on top of a mushroom ragout that is out of this world. The ragout is reduced to a perfect thickness with tender wild mushrooms and a cheesy/creamy base that was divine. The polenta cake was buttery and perfectly fork tender and the slightly bitter black garlic puree married perfect with it all. I can't say enough about this dish, it's incredible.

View attachment 684538
View attachment 684539

The Wife's whole fish which I believe was striped bass each time was perfect as well. Crispy skin all over, fork tender and delicious. Probably a little intimidating for the average guest but man, it was just awesome.
View attachment 684540

We can't say enough about Tiffins.
View attachment 684542
View attachment 684543

Tiffins is mine and my husband's favourite restaurant on property for excellent food. He raves about it to everyone who asks. Last time we were there, there was a welcome back card with our names on it waiting at the table with some chocolate to take with us. What a nice touch for returning guests. I hope they never dilute this restaurant to be more palatable for the average park goer. It is perfect the way it is.

 

[igrsod]

So question... did you make all these return visits as reservations, or did you walk up?
I don't think in all of my WDW trips, I have done a repeat restaurant in the same trip. We have many that we repeat every trip and some we repeat depending on whether the kids (adults now) are with us or not.
I find that fascinating to do the same restaurant multiple times. I have a hard time eliminating restaurants from our list, as I want to try them all.

For our upcoming trip we have booked: Chefs de France, Boma, Skipper's Canteen, Tiffins, Sebastians, Storybook Dining, Ale & Compass (hidden gem), Sanaa, Coral Reef and Hoop Dee Doo Review.
Now having seen your review, I want to try and fit in Jiko and Steakhouse 71. But we would have to bump something lol. Oh what to do?

 

[cruisin5]

Thanks for posting. That fish at Tiffins is very intimidating.

 

[ForceofWill]

So question... did you make all these return visits as reservations, or did you walk up?
I don't think in all of my WDW trips, I have done a repeat restaurant in the same trip. We have many that we repeat every trip and some we repeat depending on whether the kids (adults now) are with us or not.
I find that fascinating to do the same restaurant multiple times. I have a hard time eliminating restaurants from our list, as I want to try them all.

For our upcoming trip we have booked: Chefs de France, Boma, Skipper's Canteen, Tiffins, Sebastians, Storybook Dining, Ale & Compass (hidden gem), Sanaa, Coral Reef and Hoop Dee Doo Review.
Now having seen your review, I want to try and fit in Jiko and Steakhouse 71. But we would have to bump something lol. Oh what to do?

They were all reservations but we switched up a lot daily depending on what we liked and time we wanted to sit down and eat. We actually had 3 Sanaa reservations at the beginning but after we ate the first time(we liked it fine), they turned into Jikos. Only started with 1 Tiffins but after the first we changed and made the others. We went back and forth with Kona a couple times too but ended up always swapping it for something like 71 or GF Cafe.

Last trip we ate almost exclusively at Disney Springs restaurants, this time we only ate at boathouse once(was upset they got rid of my burger).

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Fantastic reviews! I also love your top three. That wild boar tenderloin at Jiko is the stuff dreams are made of. It's been a while since I've been to Tiffins - may need to rectify that soon. And love Steakhouse 71 as well. Curious as a burger lover, and it sounds like you've tried a lot of them on property, where are your favorite burgers in WDW? Great to hear you were pleasantly surprised by San Angel. I LOVE Mexican food but for whatever reason this spot seems to have big swings up and down in quality ... and the darn tables are SO close together.

 

[Angela63]

I love the fish at Tiffin's. This used to be a must-go place for me but the service was so perfunctory last time and sitting in the Expedition Room is a bummer... If you get the main room with the artsy walls and a great waiter it makes all the difference!

 

[Eastern]

Thanks for posting. That fish at Tiffins is very intimidating.

That reminds me of the time I was a server and served a whole trout to a young boy. The look on his face I immediately said, 'do you want something else?' and spun around and took that fish away

 

[PcolaGolfer]

Great review & pics!