Dino-Sized Disappointment: Worst Restaurant at Disney World?
If Electric Umbrella isn’t the worst, what is? A reader asked this question on our Walt Disney World’s “Worst Restaurant” Is Not So Bad post. My stumbling answer listed a few possibilities, including Casey’s Corner, Lotus Blossom Cafe, and Restaurantosaurus. As I noted in my reply, the last one was my first instinct.
As we state in our full Restaurantosaurus Review, no one in their right mind should eat here with the excellent Flame Tree BBQ and Satu’li Canteen in the same park. Even if you have picky eaters with you, there have to be better options. It’s restaurants like this that give Walt Disney World dining a bad reputation, and Restaurantosaurus is one of, if not the, worst restaurants in Walt Disney World.
That pretty much says it all, but in fairness, it had been a while since we last dined at Restaurantosaurus (for reasons that should be obvious). Since we still had some bonus bucks left on a gift card after our adventures in dining at the “Mini Food & Wine Festival” at Animal Kingdom, we decided to head off to Dino-Rama to see what Restaurantosaurus is cooking up these days.
“Eager” to give Restaurantosaurus another chance and a fair shake, we opted to dine there over the wealth of other great options at Animal Kingdom. Actually, there was much consternation and debate about whether revisiting Restaurantosaurus was really necessary, or if literally every meal we’ve ever had there was evidence-enough of its terribleness.
Not one to miss out on an awful meal, we were joined by Josh of easyWDW.com, whose enthusiasm for skipping out on Flame Tree Barbecue in favor of Restaurantosaurus can charitably be described as “tepid.” However, this is the true roller coaster you sign up for when taking up Walt Disney World blogging. One moment you’re breathing the rarefied air at a new otter exhibit, the next you’re plummeting into Restaurantosaurus. So it goes.
Withholding further suspense about our exciting meal, I’ll start with the first entree. I ordered the Grilled Chicken BLT Sandwich: “Grilled Chicken Breast and Thick-cut Hickory-smoked Bacon, Tomato, Arugula, Spicy Aïoli, Toasted Parmesan Crumbles on a Brioche Roll and served with French Fries.”
The description sounds modestly ambitious, but that’s a ruse. The predominant flavors here are dry chicken and dry bun. The bacon is of the rubber and paper-thin variety, and I couldn’t even taste the aioli and parmesan crumbles over the dryness of everything else.
After a few bites to fairly judge baseline flavor, I loaded up with mushrooms and onions from the toppings bar. At least the sandwich was fine and filling with those enhancements.
Sarah ordered the Black Bean Burger: “Spicy Southwestern-flavored Patty on a Toasted Bun with Provolone and House-made Avocado Spread served with French Fries.”
I was cautiously pessimistic about this. We’ve seen strides in vegetarian options around Walt Disney World, but I didn’t expect that to extend to Restaurantosaurus. No surprise–it didn’t. It was about what you’d expect in a black bean patty from the grocery store freezer section, and none of the base toppings did anything to improve upon that.
Josh ordered the Grilled Chicken Salad with Mandarin Oranges and Cranberries: “Grilled Chicken on top of Mixed Greens tossed with Feta Cheese, Pecans, Mandarin Oranges, Dried Cranberries and Raspberry-Walnut Vinaigrette.”
He seemed reasonably content with this, and I won’t question that as the salad itself looked fine. However, I think the photos convey the dryness of the chicken, saying everything else that needs to be said.
We also ordered the Potato Soup. It was easily the best thing we ate, but that’s still not saying much.
In addition to our “interesting” entrees, Restaurantosaurus also serves the standard Angus Burger (elsewhere around Walt Disney World, this dry patty is wisely masked with other toppings), chicken nuggets, and breaded shrimp.
All of those things are Walt Disney World counter service staples found on menus throughout the parks. Everywhere you go, they are exactly what you’d expect them to be, for better or worse.
The reason there’s a question mark in the title is because I’m truly not sure which Walt Disney World restaurant is the worst. I do feel like making a definitive proclamation that Restaurantosaurus is the absolute worst restaurant at Walt Disney World would be hyperbolic. It’s simply not that clear-cut.
If I’m being fair, Restaurantosaurus has a few things going for it, including the free toppings bar. Piling anything high with toppings can mask even the worst sandwich, and improve the substance of a meal without increasing its cost. That’s huge, and one of the reasons why we like Cosmic Ray’s.
There’s also the drink refill station, plus the kitschy decor. While the latter will also be addressed in what Restaurantosaurus has going against it, this dining spot is the high point of Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama. And of course, everyone loves free, unlimited caffeine on a long day at Walt Disney World.
So what, potentially, makes Restaurantosaurus the worst? The menu is truly pathetic and has been for at least 5 years, so there’s that. It’s the epitome of stereotypical theme park fare, and virtually everything we’ve ever ordered there has tasted like it’s been dry-aged under a heat lamp for a duration best measured in days.
However, this same criticism could be levied at a handful of counter service restaurants at Walt Disney World. Every park has its “safe and bland” option, and these arguably serve an important purpose for fussy eaters or those beholden to their children’s palates.
Choosing a worst among those restaurants isn’t easy, but my tentative vote would go to Restaurantosaurus, even despite the toppings bar and decor. A big reason why is its quality relative to other dining options at Animal Kingdom. There’s an assumption that Walt Disney World’s best dining is in World Showcase, but for my money, the ‘most stacked’ counter service lineup is at Animal Kingdom.
Every restaurant is varying degrees of good or great…except for Restaurantosaurus. Relative to the other quick service options at Animal Kingdom, Restaurantosaurus is really bad. From a practical perspective, most visitors are only choosing among restaurants at the park they’re visiting. As such, that should be the key metric for evaluating dining. (We already grade Walt Disney World restaurants on a curve relative to other on-property options in terms of theme, quality, and price–extending that to individual parks is only logical.)
I’d go a step further and argue that even the fun and kitschy decor of Restaurantosaurus is a case of squandered potential. I’ve lambasted Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama for its half-baked theme and dumpster fire design numerous times on this blog (most recently as a dishonorable mention in my Tom’s Top 7 Backstories at Walt Disney World), so I’ll spare you that.
Usually, when it comes to Dino-Rama and Dinoland, I go easier on Restaurantosaurus. In an area of unmitigated awfulness, it is the unequivocal highlight. However, it’s still not good, and a meticulously-themed dinosaur restaurant could be so, so much better. Dinosaurs are one of the greatest subject matters ever, and they don’t deserve the theme park treatment given to them thus far.
On balance, is all of this enough to tip the scales in the “favor” of Restaurantosaurus as the worst restaurant in all of Walt Disney World? I’m not sure. That toppings bar is really compelling, and the decor makes lemonade out of the lemons that are Dinoland and Dino-Rama’s theme. On thing I can say definitively is that this is the Walt Disney World restaurant we are least likely to (willingly) revisit. There are just too many excellent alternatives at Animal Kingdom to waste your time with Restaurantosaurus.
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Your Thoughts
Are you a fan of Restaurantosaurus? Do you avoid it in favor of the superior options at Animal Kingdom, or is Restaurantosaurus a guilty pleasure for you? Or is it simply the most crowd-pleasing option for your family? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Many of you disagree with me and raise some valid points–I can totally respect that.
My question, then, would be: which counter service restaurant do you consider to be the worst at Walt Disney World?
It has been at least 6 years, but Cosmic Ray’s at the Magic Kingdom was equally as bad if not worse than Resto. It turned me off for ANY Disney burgers for years until Disney Springs rolled out their lineup of delectable burgers and generally superior options as far as dining. There is no place in today’s society for crappy burgers. I did enjoy the hilarious alien at Ray’s though. That dude almost made me forget about the taste of that burger.
That one before Canada has some sad food. Something like the cronut should never be sold in less it is fresh out of the fryer. The staff never seem to be real into their jobs either.
I like this restaurant. It is one of the few places in WDW where my picky-eater kids have an easy time finding something to eat. Also, the sand buckets are a huge hit! While the food is just okay, the large seating area and great A/C makes for a more enjoyable dining experience than some other places on property. So while I agree that the food won’t win any awards, it is definitely not the worst counter service restaurant in WDW.
I have to say that even though you slam the Lotus Blossom at the beginning, it’s has two hidden gems that are a must-do for our family every trip. The Caramel-Ginger Ice Cream and the Lychee Ice Cream are amazing and should be given a try at least once if you have never done so before.
While not the best restaurant we like it for the kids meal selections such as turkey wrap you can really spruce up with toppings bar and some guacamole. We like the air conditioning and free refills. Mobile dining is also another benefit for us! So to each their own.
Simply said. My daughter and I eat there every time we go. And we go a lot. Sorry we don’t have the pallets that you have. So we disagree. Thanks.
Don’t get Tom wrong. YOU can go, but there are others who don’t want to waste their time and money eating bland, uninspiring food especially when there is a choice! I have a little girl so I know how picky kids can be. You shouldn’t take offense just because you have dined there in the past. However, do NOT try to tell any visiting guests that the pizza in Animal Kingdom is any good!
And this is why Disney has the “safe” choices, because there are plenty of people who prefer it. My family are those of the adventurous palates, including my son, so I frequent blogs like this so I can avoid paying 30 bucks for generic, bland food. I get stuck with that at our local zoo already. 🙁
Chef Mickeys is my family’s pick for the worst restaurant. It is truly awful. Not even my the 4 year old enjoyed her meal.
I love all things WDW, so even things that are “terrible” to me are still tolerable. If I had to point out a restaurant or two that I have been really disappointed in, though, I wouldn’t hesitate to name Tony’s Town Square Restaurant and, sadly, Be Our Guest (for lunch…I have yet to experience dinner there).
A couple of things to know: 1) I’m Italian; 2) I’m from NYC. So, I have high standards for Italian food, but I also mildly enjoy the Olive Garden, so I’m not a total snob when it comes to the food of my people. Heading into my meal at Tony’s, I wasn’t expecting Little Italy caliber food, but I wasn’t expecting it to be really, really bad, either. I had chicken parm and spaghetti. The chicken was basically fried to a crisp, the cheese was thick and basically elastic, the spaghetti was waaaayyyy overcooked and mushy, and the sauce (which was PLENTIFUL…and not in a good way) gave me terrible heartburn. The rest of my party felt the same way about their meals. I tasted my son’s meatball, and it was like chewing on a rubber balloon. I really felt bad about how grossed out I was because the service was great, but the food…it was bad enough to say I will never go there again.
I have heard such glowing reviews of BOG, and though I wasn’t able to get a reservation for dinner there, I was happy enough to get one for lunch. The lunch selections were fine, and everyone found something they liked. The restaurant itself, though, seemed very chaotic. We were unsure of where to sit and found it odd that you just kind of wandered around until you found a spot…like not having someone to guide you was weird because the place was packed. I figured they had a system to find you so they could bring you your food, so I wasn’t concerned about that. Our food found us, but it took a really, really long time…like 25 minutes in between ordering and arriving. Maybe I’m being unreasonable, but I feel like that’s a long wait for quick service…I mean, “quick” is kind of the operative word, isn’t it? When the food came, it was kind of a mess on our plates. I had the turkey sandwich which was pretty bland and very dry, and the sandwich itself was kind of falling apart. The fries were really good, so that was a plus…but all the soda from the machines was flat and warm…probably just a temporary malfunction and just rotten luck for us…but it was disappointing, especially when all you want is a cold soda when you’ve been in the hot sun all morning. Anyway, the experience wasn’t terrible or anything…there are far worse things in life than flat soda and just ok food…but it was disappointing considering all the hype. I’m guess dinner is way better, so maybe next time.
I think the atmosphere of dining in the caste (to me, especially the West Wing) is what makes it so immersive and exciting. It is very busy and chaotic, though, especially, at lunch, and at night, you may find yourself seated about 3 inches from the tables on either side of you. I do think the food is some of the best in MK. Would be very average in Epcot or AK, but I guess it’s all relative.
While I can agree, this restaurant isn’t offering food of a certain “quality”, when it was 110 degrees in the middle of summer and you’re kids are miserable and hot and tired, the food was irrelevant in comparison to the air conditioning and shovels and buckets, along with burgers and fries that suited our kids’ palettes more than the 3 times we tried to go to the other quick serves around this park. For that, I could have sat in their air conditioned glory for hours and munched on fries and drank cold drinks!
I believe you may have buried the lead here with this tease:
“One moment you’re breathing the rarefied air at a new otter exhibit, the next you’re
plummeting into Restaurantosaurus. So it goes.”
Are the otters back? Now that would be some news worth reporting on. Dammit man, we MUST know!
Yes, the otters are back and they are spectacular. The Otter Grotto habitat looks fantastic!
Yes! The Good: Otters are awesome. The Bad: My wife will once again spend 45+ minutes taking pictures of the otters on every trip because she is a photography nut-job, much like someone else we won’t mention…
To all negative nellys, go to other places for meals instead of wasting time commenting. We have been to Walt Disney World and never had bad food experiences whether at Epcot, Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom. We also enjoy the restaurants not in theme parks.
For a post like this one, aren’t the “negative nellys” wasting time commenting technically the ones who have something *positive* to say about Restaurantosaurus? 😉
Or are you calling out Tom himself? If all he offered was positive commentary on all things Disney I wouldn’t have any reason to visit this site.
There are definitely bad choices at all the parks and personally, I like to know where not to waste my hard earned money. I have always found Tom’s advice to be really spot on!
Top kek. Restaurant-o-saurus is my favorite restaurant in the entirety of Walt Disney World.
I was ok with the food, it was the insanely busy atmosphere that killed me in there. We went at a busy time so it’s to be expected but it made me feel anxious. I had wanted to eat at flame tree but we couldn’t find a place to sit down, idk what the trick to that is, and the kids couldn’t wait much longer to eat so we settled on restaurantosauras. Probably wouldn’t do it again.
It was definitely better when it was a McDonald’s. I’m surprised you left that part out.
Restaurantosaurus isn’t part of the Dino-Rama storyline.It falls under the Dino Institute/Dig site story. It used to be a former fishing lodge before dinosaur bones were discovered by paleontologists there on a fishing trip. They quickly bought up the surrounding land and turned the lodge into the very first version of the Dino Institute.
Very much like a few landowners when Disney was buying land in Central Florida, there was one couple in Diggs County that refused to sell. Chester and Hester noticed all the tourists visiting the Institute and decided to turn their filling station into a Dino-themed shop.
As the Institute continued to grow in stature and ambition, they outgrew the old fishing lodge and built a brand new building nearby. The old building is where they started to house the unpaid interns who worked in their labs and at the local dig site. Wanting to make some money the interns turned the old institute into a restaurant to feed hungry travelers along Route 498.
That’s why there’s a mixture of the reverent and the silly throughout the Restaurant. The “serious” paintings and exhibitions of dinosaurs are indicative of the 1940’s and 50’s, the time period that the Institute was founded. These outdated displays were left behind when the Institute moved out. Left with a bunch of old junk, the interns decided to make everything they could into a dino related pun or sight-gag; and that is why we have the humorous look of Restaurantosaurus today.
I don’t know if this is the “real” back story, or if you just made it up, but either way–I love it! And I also love Restaurantosaurus, despite uninspired food, because of its awesome ambience and wonderful details.
I definitely don’t think this the worst restaurant on WDW grounds..granted it’s not the best thing I have ever eaten, but it’s not that bad. I have had far worse meals at restaurants there that were supposed to be good. That polite pig restaurant in Disney springs, for example, gets my vote on worst food. It was barely edible. Disney in general has a few things that are really good and a lot of things that are average and very below average in their counter service choices. I have had that black bean burger a couple of times at restaurantosaurus and it wasn’t bad. Dress it up on the toppings bar and it was yummy! Better than a lot of things I have had at WDW quick service. That being said as far as animal kingdom goes, flame tree is the best, as you said..If not the best counter service on the whole grounds of Disney in general. But on a crowded day and if we are by restaurantosaurus, we eat there and are ok with it.
Restaurantosaurus is bad, but I think the toppings bar and refill station put it above Pizzafari. Pizzafari is awful.
I totally agree about pizzafari..that pizza is AWFUL!!! Worse than frozen pizza you buy at home and the other choices are awful as well. They used to serve an Italian sandwich there a few years ago that was delicious. They have since taken it off the menu, which is ridiculous because it was the only thing that was good there.
We love that restaurant! I love the toppings bar, and I particularly love that I can let me daughter loose at the gated playground across the walkway and I can eat without being out of sight of the playground entrance.
Also, unlimited drink refills are amazing.
And it’s a great place to rest after/before the Dinosaur ride (one of my favorites) and dancing with Donald.
There are much worse – I would say Casey’s is the worst I’ve been to, though I’m open to the notion that I’ve missed the absolute worst places. 🙂
“Dinosaurs are one of the greatest subject matters ever, and they don’t deserve the theme park treatment given to them thus far.”
Shakespeare himself could not have written such a compelling sentence!
It’s true. Both Disney and Universal have done an abysmal job honoring the incredible legacy of dinosaurs.
Universal does a better job than Disney with its Jurassic Park lands, but there’s arguably even more squandered potential there. Jurassic Park is perfectly conducive to a theme park experience, and they’ve only managed to create a “meh” land out of it.
For our family, Tonys Town Square Restaurant in MK was hands down the worse food we have ever eaten! Like I cannot believe that that’s a sit down restaurant in DW. Everything tastes like it was frozen and reheated…. huge disappointment. Makes me sick thinking about it!
Ha, yeah. Our Tony’s Town Square Review is less than positive: https://www.disneytouristblog.com/tonys-town-square-review/
However, this post is in regards to counter service restaurants.
Hahahah! I can’t believe I got a response for you Tom! I’m a little star struck! 🙂
In defense of my response, your title says “worst restaurant”, so I had to add my two cents worth.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE your posts!!! Keep up the amazing job…. I look forward to each review and you have helped my family have amazing DW vacations with all your excellent tips!
I totally agree. Gave it three tries (the last one my son made the reservation) and each time was worse than the one before. They’ve burned me too many times to even give it a try when someone reports they have totally revamped the place.
“It’s restaurants like this that give Walt Disney World dining a bad reputation, and Restaurantosaurus is one of, if not the, worst restaurants in Walt Disney World.
I won’t disagree with that, but in large I think it speaks to the overall good quality of food in WDW. It’s far beyond standard “theme park fare”. Try eating at Kings Island here in Ohio (or *shudder* the Studios park in Paris) and you will long for ABC Commisary or Restaurantosaurus.
Oh, I totally agree with that. As noted in the article, Walt Disney World restaurants are graded on a curve, relative to other restaurants at WDW. That benefits them when compared to similarly-priced real world restaurants…and disadvantages them when compared to almost all other amusement or theme parks.
There’s also a “to each their own” element; I really enjoy ABC Commissary, for example, even though so many others hate it!
I’m at Kings Island waaay too often, so maybe I have built an immunity for theme parks blah food??? The Great Wolf lodge next to it is as bad as Pizzafari as well.
Is this the restaurant that gave you a bucket and shovel with the Kids meal the kids can use at the “dig site”? If so that’s why we went there. We put the kids first and food didn’t matter so much.
Totally agree it is about the kids – ours love the area of the park and we stay there and let them run and play – and of course this makes them hungry and wanting food instantly … and not just snacks! So we eat here. They love the toppings bar and enhancing their meal and in doing so, will actually eat it! While not the best, it’s not the worst food. Besides it’s never crowded – so for a super quick meal – we don’t mind going here.