Reviews of California Grill
Read prices, menu items, and more
Menus at California Grill
Reviewed by allec999 Review Date: 10/01/2015
Rating: (10) Recommended
Had dinner here Sept 14. CG never disappoints, Food was outstanding and service was as well. The whole fireworks aspect just makes it a must-do every trip. And I want to point out that this time, there were a couple tables nearby with small children who were actually very well behaved! (I've read complaints about loud children at such a nice restaurant, and I've had that complaint myself, so I figured it's only fair to point out the good as well as the bad.)
Pros:
Food, service, atmosphereCons:
noneReviewed by clayalex02 Review Date: 09/08/2015
Rating: (9) Recommended
My sister and I ate here on August 31 and we very much enjoyed the meal after having to reject the first table we were offered. They tried to seat us at the very first table in the restaurant, not sure why there is even a table there as it is in the middle of traffic and would have been horrific. Our next table was in the very back of the restaurant in what looked like an addition. We could not see the Magic Kingdom but could see Epcot and Hollywood Studios, unfortunately by the time we were seated the fireworks for both were over. Ordered cocktails off the menu, both were very good, but the names escape me now. The waiter was very personable and we liked him, even though he thought we were a couple and tried to give us ambiance with the candles. We started off with the Dragon Roll, which was yummy! I ordered the pork two ways, which I thought was very well done and enjoyed it very much. Sister had a filet which she also enjoyed. For dessert, I ordered the breadpudding, which was not bread pudding and was not even the cobbler that the waiter tried to say it was. Not good! So I helped Sister eat her fritters which were warm and doughy pillows of goodness. The only disappointment of the night was that we were in the middle of eating when the fireworks show started which we went to watch and our food was left out on the table. We saw others that had been covered.
Pros:
food, viewCons:
noneReviewed by Sparrow Review Date: 08/29/2015
Rating: (10) Recommended
Party of 9 celebrated my birthday on August 8, 2015 at California Grill. Service was wonderful - food was excellent. Everyone in the party enjoyed the meal.
They brought a small birthday cake to the table and then sliced it into 9 pieces for everyone - no charge. We each had already ordered desserts which were delicious.
The view outside was really nice and we all enjoyed the night breeze and views.
I don't have one negative thing to say about this restaurant. Service, food, wine - everything was exceptional and I really enjoyed my birthday dinner.
Pros:
Service and food greatCons:
noneReviewed by mhw Review Date: 08/22/2015
Rating: (4) Not Recommended
My family has visited WDW for the past nine years and Cali Grill has always been a favorite place to go for a nice evening out. However, the past couple of years, the menu selection and quality of the food has declined drastically. In fact, when my family and I rated our favorite meals during this past stay, Cali Grill did not even make the top five. The only saving grace was the location of the restaurant, fireworks and the excellent customer service. Note to Chefs, check out The Boathouse because the food quality and selection is what Cali Grill used to be.
Pros:
Beautiful setting.Cons:
The selection and quality of the food has declinedReviewed by Harrimans Review Date: 07/11/2015
Rating: (9) Recommended
We thought the service was very adequate if not overly friendly. I actually prefer this but can understand why others would be put off a bit.
The food was excellent! Pork flat bread was very good. Sea Scallops and filet were to die for. Creme Brûlée was the best we ever had.
The view outside on the deck made our night. Most unique view of Wishes in all of WDW.
The pacing of dinner was just right. Wine selection is superb.
A great night out...
Pros:
Food, viewCons:
Loud and crowdedReviewed by Mattingly5 Review Date: 07/07/2015
Rating: (7) Recommended
We have dined at the California Grill several times before so we had certain expectations. We expect a good meal and we expect the prices to be completely inflated, but in return, we always get some magic (especially because I try to time our meal around the fireworks). Our most recent meal was on July 5, 2015. We entered the elevator and the gentleman manning the buttons had a Disney badge on, but since he didn't say a word the whole trip up, and by the uniform he had on, we thought he was a maintenance worker. The waitstaff, as it turns out, wears the same uniform just with an apron so they look a little more like restaurant servers. When we got upstairs, nobody greated us or told us to check in at the desk (which is closer to the bathrooms than the dining room). Our bright spot was our table location so we could view the fireworks from our seat. Beyond that, the server we had was not very friendly, didn't go out of her way to make recommendations or even to banter. We didn't get an pixie dust from anybody "upstairs". We had just sailed on the Disney Dream where we had been spoiled and attended to -- something you grow to expect when paying Disney prices.
Pros:
The viewCons:
Wait staff , uniformsReviewed by fitziek Review Date: 06/03/2015
Rating: (10) Recommended
This was the overall family favorite this trip with very good reason! We had a 9:00 reservation and we were seated immediately. The views from the restaurant are absolutely amazing! Even if you don't get a table right next to the windows there are several view decks available to view Wishes from.
I had the Ahi Tuna and it was my favorite meal of the entire trip. It was perfectly seared and the lo mein noodles it came with were to die for! I finished the whole thing and I am definitely never a member of the clean plate club!
Desserts were outstanding as well. We had the homemade fritters, creme brule, and the sundae sampler. The fritters were everyone's hands down favorite of the entire trip. They are like banana flavored donuts and come with different dipping sauces.
I've read a lot of reviews saying the California Grill has gone downhill but our service and food was exceptional. I definitely recommend to anyone looking for a unique date night or a fun splurge!
Pros:
Service, Food, ViewCons:
None!Reviewed by caltex Review Date: 05/24/2015
Rating: (9) Recommended
The sushi and sashimi are outstanding! In particular, the pork belly nigri was the best I have eaten. The Yuzu marinated sashimi was flavorful and the texture was superb.
The other entrees that my wife and I had was the oak-fired filet of beef (she loved the super tender filet, but the risotto was too strong) and the pork two ways - loved it. The downside was the service. Started off great, but trickled down as the evening progressed. Specifically our server did not always check in on us as our drinks needed refills on several occasions. I'll leave with a positive note, it was great to walk on the observation deck and watch Wishes. It gives the observer a different perspective of the fireworks show. Overall, we might just visit the bar and order the sushi. The bar offers the full menu, but it is first come first serve.
Pros:
Sushi, Observation deckCons:
ServiceReviewed by Dispro Review Date: 03/22/2015
Rating: (9) Recommended
The view from California Grill is what keeps us coming back! Unfortunately, some of the menu items that used to be our favorites are either missing (Valrhona chocolate cake) or not as good as they used to be (sushi). However, if you order the right things, it is still awesome. As someone else mentioned, the pork tenderloin with goat cheese polenta is incredible. However, you will need to ask for the "retro pork" or the "pork old school" in order to avoid the pork two ways that is on the menu (that I ordered once and found to be disgusting). The flatbreads are also delicious. My husband chose to order some type of fish this time, and it was just okay... So he will go back to the retro pork next time. I still don't know why they took away the Valrhona chocolate cake, and I voice my displeasure every time (although it doesn't change anything). I rated Cali Grill a 9 because there is no 8.5 on the rating system, however, if my husband had ordered the pork, it would have been a 9 anyway. We did have a tablecloth and always have, so I'm not sure why the last reviewer did not. FYI, they do have a good bar here if you like alcoholic beverages. The lemon drop with the sugared rim glass is delicious.
Pros:
Best view at WDW (my opinion)Cons:
Some menu items aren't as good as they used to beReviewed by ileanrinaldi Review Date: 03/11/2015
Rating: (8) Recommended
The California Grill is our favourite restaurant in WDW. We are from Argentina and we try to travel every other year and every time we go to have dinner here. They gave us a fantastic table facing the castle, and we saw Wishes while dining. The food was very good, as always (oh my, the pork with the goat cheese polenta!) but some dishes were very small!
The service, impecable, but there are no tablecloths and we expect that when you paid those prices.
