Finally...some honest reviews....

[1team1dream]

About the most overrated restaurant on the planet!!!!!!!! The Blue Bayou

These were posted at Trip Advisor!

“Oh no don't go”

Not having read any reviews about Disneyland dining prior to my trip, my group of 6, (2 kids, 2 teens & 2 adults) happened to stumble upon the Blue Bayou while looking for somewhere to eat dinner and got immediate seating with no reservation. We are from New York and were not shocked but the prices. Hey, this is Disneyland; we expect to get ripped off. We also didn't expect a fine dining experience but this place was so bad it was really beyond all belief. The servers were quite pleasant and did refill our soda glasses but those are the only positives I can say about this place. One of the younger kids ordered the children's macaroni & "cheese" for $7.99 (not a bad price) . When my 12 year old said he would like that too, the waitress offered an adult sized portion that was not on the menu. My son said OK and was served an identical plate to the one the 7 year old received but for this identical portion we were charged $19.99. This tasted like macaroni and some kind of greasy slop and was totally inedible. No one would touch it. My 9 year old ordered the salmon on the kids menu which he ate and promptly thereafter went to the restroom and threw up. My friend’s 18 year old son and I ordered the short ribs. They were extremely salty and greasy and just about inedible. We did manage to eat the potatoes that came with it. My friend who is a mushroom lover ordered the portabellos with couscous and was able to eat the couscous but she said the mushrooms were vile. When I complained to the manager about all of the above, he did agree to take the $19.99 off the bill as he said he could see no one touched the macaroni and "cheese".

About the ambience: It is so dark in there it is hard to see much of anything including the menu. Yes. you can see the boats going by in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and there are some colorful paper lanterns and some fake foliage. BIG DEAL - DON'T EAT HERE IT STINKS. Go on the ride it is great. The fast food in the park stinks as well. Your best bet is to leave the parks and eat in the Downtown Disney area. I really can't understand why Disney can't do a better job with the food. I guess the answer is that they don't have to. Too bad, because the crappy food left a bad taste in mouth for what was otherwise overall a great Disney experience.

“This Place Blows”

This restaurant's atmosphere has the amazing ability to make dining at this restaurant worth the expense. I do not concur. The food is just mediocre and not worth the high price you will be paying for it. Save your money and go to one of the other restaurants at the resort. They have over 20 and everyone swears they have to eat at this one which I affectionately refer to as the "pretty toilet" because it's nice to look at but, smells like crap (thanks to the water) and the food tastes like crap. Save your money people. Go next door to the Cafe Orleans and sit outside. It's nicely shaded and you can listen to bands, people watch, and see pirates roaming around all with a nice breeze blowing through off the water. The most expensive entree at the Cafe is under 16 bucks! Don't be fooled by fellow reviewers and websites like Mice Chat or Disboards!

[Princess Susi]

Were these reviews posted at another site or are these your reviews? It appears that some were posted at another site, but is the opinion at the end of your post, yours? I am confused.

I believe the food at Blue Bayou is great and the ambience is wonderful. Maybe not everyone wants a nice romantic type dimly lit restaurant, then they should go out to Cafe Orleans. We love the Blue Bayou and try to get a reservation there every time we go and I wonder why it is so hard to get one, maybe because it is SO CROWDED because people love it and we usually get our ressie for the afternoon, around 2 or 3 PM to have a little quieter time in there. Many of the patrons are return diners. I LOVE the Blue Bayou and it is one of DL's finest restaurants. We will enjoy it every trip we go.
I have to respectfully disagree with you, if that was your review.

Susi

[1team1dream]

Were these reviews posted at another site or are these your reviews? It appears that some were posted at another site, but is the opinion at the end of your post, yours? I am confused.

I believe the food at Blue Bayou is great and the ambience is wonderful. Maybe not everyone wants a nice romantic type dimly lit restaurant, then they should go out to Cafe Orleans. We love the Blue Bayou and try to get a reservation there every time we go and I wonder why it is so hard to get one, maybe because it is SO CROWDED because people love it and we usually get our ressie for the afternoon, around 2 or 3 PM to have a little quieter time in there. Many of the patrons are return diners. I LOVE the Blue Bayou and it is one of DL's finest restaurants. We will enjoy it every trip we go.
I have to respectfully disagree with you, if that was your review.

Susi

As I mentioned in the beginning of the article those reviews were posted at Trip Advisor's website a third party website where people can review restaurants all over the world. Although I did not write either article I fully agree with both of them. If the Blue Bayou is the only "nice" restaurant of ours you have tried then you have cheated yourself. You must try Napa Rose, Catal, Steakhouse 55, Jazz Kitchen, or even Storyteller's Cafe. Those restaurants are a real treat. Take it from a former Culinary Arts student!

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

As I mentioned in the beginning of the article those reviews were posted at Trip Advisor's website a third party website where people can review restaurants all over the world. Although I did not write either article I fully agree with both of them. If the Blue Bayou is the only "nice" restaurant of ours you have tried then you have cheated yourself. You must try Napa Rose, Catal, Steakhouse 55, Jazz Kitchen, or even Storyteller's Cafe. Those restaurants are a real treat. Take it from a former Culinary Arts student!

I have eaten at all those places, and I like the Blue Bayou.

Take it from someone that eats.

You don't have to study food to know what's good. Between my DW and I, we have travelled all over Europe, myself, The far East, Asia, and Japan, and have had many diverse dining experiences.

We like the Blue Bayou.

I don't think that posting an obvious negative review of a restaurant, on a web site visited by some of the CM's that work there, is a good thing.

It kind of insults them and their work, know what I mean?

[Amphigorey]

I don't think the food at the Blue Bayou is awful, but it's certainly far from outstanding. It's not much better than mediocre. They also don't do very well for vegetarians, and since they're in California, for goodness' sake, they should know better. (I get very tired of the mushroom-as-meat-substitute shtick that so many restaurants use. It shows a distinct lack of creativity.)

The atmosphere is lovely and unique, but don't go expecting a great meal.

[1team1dream]

Negative threads are not a new concept at this board. I was merely reposting the other side of most reviews about that restaurant. I was just agreeing with the second reviewer who stated that "the ambience has the amazing ability to make the food taste better than it actually does" Honestly how many people would truly frequent that restaurant if it was located outside of the gates? I am not convinced it would last more than a month!

[Disneyguy85]

I don't think that posting an obvious negative review of a restaurant, on a web site visited by some of the CM's that work there, is a good thing.

It kind of insults them and their work, know what I mean?

That's a good point.

I have enjoyed the Blue Bayou every time my sister and I have gone. Of course, it is pricey. So we don't too often.

But still, the atmosphere is great. It is considered the for-runner of all themed restaurants.

And honestly, some of those reviewers where being a little childish and trivial.
"Too dark"?? Come on, as if people couldn't have anticipated the lighting in the place. Besides, there are lanterns and candles.

The point is, you know what you are in for as far as the atmosphere, there are no surprises there.

And as far as the faux plants, Well, that is the Disney difference of course!
You are supposed to feel like you are dining outside of a manor house in New Orleans near a moonlit bayou. Again, as far as the atmosphere, everybody knows what they are getting into. As the restaurant can be seen from POTC and all, and most people have seen the place before eating there.

But, that's enough from me. :)

Oh and BTW for the record, I also enjoy the other restaurants that were mentioned in this thread so far.

[BRWombat]

I don't have problems with people expressing negative opinions, and not having either worked at the Blue Bayou or eaten there, I "don't have a dog in this hunt," as they say here in Texas, but... I am a bit curious about how it fits in this forum, since it isn't a Disneyland stupid guest trick.

[Elena (aka: Bubble Lady)]

I don't have problems with people expressing negative opinions, and not having either worked at the Blue Bayou or eaten there, I "don't have a dog in this hunt," as they say here in Texas, but... I am a bit curious about how it fits in this forum, since it isn't a Disneyland stupid guest trick.

[font="Palatino Linotype"]it'll probably be moved soon[/font]

[Natural Selection Fan]

This tasted like macaroni and some kind of greasy slop and was totally inedible.

My 9 year old ordered the salmon on the kids menu which he ate and promptly thereafter went to the restroom and threw up.

My friend’s 18 year old son and I ordered the short ribs. They were extremely salty and greasy and just about inedible.

My friend who is a mushroom lover ordered the portabellos with couscous and was able to eat the couscous but she said the mushrooms were vile.

BIG DEAL - DON'T EAT HERE IT STINKS.

“This Place Blows”

Hmm... I can't help but ask: What was it REALLY like
for this reviewer?? :p: I sense they aren't being truly
frank. :D:

My Spidey sense tells me that someone has a serious
axe to grind by writing this review.

No review will ever stop people from visiting. No more
than a bad review from the LA Times would stop people
from going to see The Dark Knight.

I haven't been to BB since the menu revamp, but in
the past it has been wonderful. The people I took had
never been and raved about it.

If you have a true problem with a business, the weapon
of choice is to withhold your money and stop your
partonage. Give them a good Alexis Carrington bitch slap via your wallet.
There is a brand new Ruth Criss steakhouse down Harbor, several Outback
Steakhouses, you name it.