I decided to give the Blue Bayou a few months before hitting it for a review, as any restaurant needs a little time after opening to work out the kinks. (Plus, the summer just got away from me. If you have kids, you know how that happens.) But today was my birthday, and, coincidentally, the kids had the day off from school, so we hit the road to Anaheim.
First, the good news. The Bayou's food tastes better now than I've had there in years. A spicy (by non-New Orleans standards) cup of gumbo woke up my taste buds and got the meal off to a hopeful start. The Bayou's gumbo didn't skimp on the okra, and offered enough chicken and ham to balance the peppery roux. Most dinner entrees come with a choice of the gumbo or a wedge salad to start the meal. Too bad I overheard diners at all the other tables around me choose the salad, rejecting the staff's recommendation of the gumbo. They missed a great treat by opting instead for an unspectacular hunk of lettuce.
The Cajun-Spiced Salmon delivered smart heat, tempered by a tangy citrus beurre blanc accented with crawfish. The recent spinach scare eliminated that vegetable option, leaving a mix of white asparagus and broccolini, along with the au gratin-like "Blue Bayou" potatoes. The potatoes should please folks who taste buds are tuned to "creamy," "cheesy" and "salty," but they didn't do anything for me. I spent more time with the asparagus, which wasn't among the most flavorful I've ever enjoyed, but I'm always thrilled to find a decent veggie in a theme park.
The rest of the family opted for the Bayou's Five-Pepper Prime Rib. It was, as advertised, peppery, but came out browned, unlike a more traditional, carved-to-order prime rib. Laurie's cut was a perfect medium rare in the middle, however, and far tastier than its appearance suggested. (Keep in mind that these pictures all were taken with a flash. We really couldn't get a good view of our meals until we got home and downloaded the pics. Yep, the Bayou's a very dark restaurant!)
Our waiter had asked the kids how they wanted their cuts prepared, which I found odd since I'd assumed that the "kid-sized" portions would come from the smaller, well-done end of the rib. Sure enough, that's what the kids got. Now, the end's a flavorful, tender cut, and Natalie, at least, enjoyed hers. But I wondered why the waiter would bother asking us to make a choice that we really didn't have.
Which brings me to the bad news. The service at the Bayou, well... falls far short of what any fine dining establishment should consider acceptable. Laurie had made reservations in advance (you can call 714-781-DINE up to 60 days before your visit), and requested a waterside table, as it was to be my birthday dinner. When we arrived, our hostess greeted us with a warm "Happy Birthday," as well as a much-appreciated card and button, but we got a table in the middle of the room. And that was the highlight of the service.
Don't get me wrong. No one ever denied our other requests. And every cast member exuded cheer. But they didn't seem either to understand what was happening in the room, or they just weren't paying attention. Perhaps the crew simply lacks the experience to manage a restaurant this busy. But things that an experienced wait staff would have handled without prompting -- offering bread, refilling drinks, clearing dishes -- didn't get done without our asking first at the Bayou.
The major faux pas? A busboy slammed into the corner of our table, knocking my son's fork from his hand and sliding Laurie's plate to the edge of falling in her lap. Yet the busboy plowed forward without pause, not bothering to apologize or to help us straighten the table. Sorry, but that never happens in a top-quality restaurant. Even in a theme park.
We finished by sharing the Flying Dutchman Cookie Boat, a yummy cookie cake with what looked like a large white chocolate "sail" in the middle but, unfortunately, turned out to be inedible. Still, the cake offered plenty of gooey chocolaty goodness without becoming too cloyingly sweet.
Overall, since the summer's changes, the food at the Blue Bayou is better and the service is worse. Meaning, as usual, the Bayou remains a great choice for its atmosphere, but a disappointing alternative to restaurants in Downtown Disney for an outstanding dining experience.
Sometime, I've got to save up for a trip to Napa Rose, as well, as I have heard so many good things about that Grand Californian restaurant. I almost went this time... but I keep wanting to give the Bayou a chance to make it all right. Even though it keeps disappointing me.
We also ate at the Vineyard the last time we were there and we liked it! We also enjoyed the character breakfast at Paradise Pier.
The first time I saw your report, the pics did not come up so you made my hungry just on your words. The photos taken make it even better. That food looks really good!
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Granted I have only been there once, but I had a great time and the food was excellent! However, it sounds like you had the meal from Hell!! I will admit that the Disneyland Cast Member pales in comparison to the Disney World Cast Member. Do you think thats true? Luckily we had a great Cast Member wait on us which usually makes or breaks you experince, especially at the legendary Blue Bayou. But again, that description sounds really bad for Disney! I am not suprised with the near water issue since I am pretty sure that happens a bunch of times! My mother said that when she came there as a kid, the place used to be darker. Did you notice that and does it mess up the ambiance for you! I think the main problem is that Disneyland was ignored for all those years and now they are starting to get their act together and get the kinks out of it. That busboy thing sounds terrible! I mean if it was an accident, thats fine, but he didn't even try to fix the situation. Very un-Disney!
The description of the food makes me want to go there now! I had the steak mediallions the last time I was there and they were perfect! I will also agree the gumbo was really good (I think we had the same one!)
Also, it is starting to scare me that I really have never had such a bad experince as many have described at a Disney park ever. Do I have some kind of sixth sense to avoid it or am I just a really happy person that doesn't let things bother me? I mean for the amount of times that I went to Disney World, you would think that at least one time there would be a really bad time! I am not saying that there hasn't been any problems, but the ones I reacall were minor and the Cast Members were more the accomidation. Well I am going to Disneyland Paris so I guess my good streak will break :)
Good report on the Bayou!