What chain restaurants would you compare NCL restaurants to?

[Vyhanek]

I also love the Olive Garden and the Outback. Nothing on NCL compares in any way!

 

The MDR is your average banquet food.

 

Cagney's is like Ponderosa steaks. The atmosphere is much better on NCL but we're talking steaks, and they rival Ponderosa. Nothing in the range of Ruth Chris!

 

Teppenyaki, again the atmosphere might rival Benihana but the food on NCL is more like the chinese food you'd get in the mall food court. The presentation is fun but average food court level food.

 

Does NCL have any restaurants where they serve warm bread?! It's all room temperature. Even at the Olive Garden and the Outback, you get warm bread. What about salad dressings.......NCL waters their dressings down so much they are bland. At least at the Olive Garden and the Outback the salads are delicious!

 

Same with the coffee......You will not get a hot cup of coffee the entire week on the ship. You go to any of the chains we are talking about here and if you were served a luke warm cup of coffee it would be sent back and the tip adjusted!

 

Also, what chain resteraunt do you go to where your drinks come 20 minutes after you order them?! Never. Even if you get a soda on NCL, you won't see it for 20 minutes. You go to the Outback and you have all drinks within 5 minutes of sitting down! Again, if you were at the Olive Garden and you had to wait for your soda that long, you would ADJUST THE TIP DOWNWARD!!

[dasmonkey]

I also love the Olive Garden and the Outback. Nothing on NCL compares in any way!

 

LOL!

 

Sorry, nothing was worth paying any attention to after this statement.

[cruisecrazy82]

LOL!

 

Sorry, nothing was worth paying any attention to after this statement.

 

I enjoy these 2 restaurants as well.:confused:

[dasmonkey]

I enjoy these 2 restaurants as well.:confused:

 

I have no problem with either place as well as I am far from a food snob.

 

I also love the Olive Garden and the Outback. Nothing on NCL compares in any way!

 

I was replying to the bolded part.

 

To say Le Bistro, Cagney's etc can't compare to Olive Garden or Outback is just silly.

[NH Cruisers]

For anyone to compare the food quality to a chain on any of the specialties, debatable. Texas Roadhouse I really like. Cagney's had deffinitly more upscale food, and it was good.

 

But to compare the service to a chain? Man, you musta got hosed. I have always been given impecable service. Only in very nice boutique resturants have I had sevice like them.

 

The MDR has acceptable, not always but sometimes great, food too. The buffet was similar to $10-$15 breakfast, $20 lunch and $30 dinner ones around here. More expensive in the larger cities like Boston. Not an Old Town Buffet, Golden Corral or Bonanza.

Edited February 3, 2014 by NH Cruisers

[e2011]

I don't think this question can be answered. Taste is such a personal thing from one person to another. I can say the quality of the meats in Moderno and Cagneys is very good. Its borderline Choice/Prime. I would say Choice + which is not an official category but good for this description.

[UpTheBanner]

We have been to two Golden Corrals in Atlanta and Orlando. Absolutely no comparison to NCL's buffet. We Have not been on the ships that feature O'Sheehan's Irish Pub yet. Can you get Guinness on tap?

[drhry]

it totally depends on the ship and even the time: I would probably say, the MDRs are similar to a mid priced chain. the difference being the size of the servings, which are much smaller. I like that. The difference between NCL MDR food and a "TGIF" would be the appeal and way the dining rooms are set up. They resemble nice hotel dining rooms, not the look of a fast food sit down chain. I like the comparison to a good banquet in a mid priced hotel. That comes closer.

 

As for the specialty dining rooms: They are equivalent to a 4 star dining experience in our estimation. I would put most of the NCL Asian restaurants on a par with PF Changs, maybe even a little better. Modernos is like most Brazilian steak houses with great meats and a wonderful salad bar. We don't often do Cagney's but it is a step up from Outbake, that is for certain. I can't compare Le Bistro because we don't, normally eat at French restaurants on land and I do not know of any chain French restaurants. I would put Blue Lagoon more in the category of a "TGIF" or something similar. It is a good place, for a quick snack type meal in a very casual atmosphere.

 

Have never heard of Outbake, is it a steak house? Have always enjoyed food on every NCL ship we have been on. Love Le Bistro, Have no problem with the buffet, Many evenings we are not very hungry, a salad and cheese plate and soup is great at the buffet. Can not compare NCL food with any chain .

[drhry]

OMG!! How silly of me, Just realized you meant Outback. Of course have heard of Outback. We have one in our area have not tried it. Went to one in the early 90's never had a desire to go back.

[cruisecrazy82]

I have no problem with either place as well as I am far from a food snob.

 

 

 

I was replying to the bolded part.

 

To say Le Bistro, Cagney's etc can't compare to Olive Garden or Outback is just silly.

 

Ahhh gotcha lol since I have yet to sail with NCL I am interested in all the different food opinions :)

 

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[dasmonkey]

Ahhh gotcha lol since I have yet to sail with NCL I am interested in all the different food opinions :)

 

Sent from my SCH-I405 using Forums mobile app

 

As you should be! Just throw out the hyperbole in either direction and you should get a pretty good idea.

 

I have done over 30 on 5 different lines and have found the food to be far more alike than different. I just have to roll my eyes when I see some of the descriptors tossed about.

 

I have been fortunate to eat at some of the finest land based restaurants in the nation and a lot in Europe due to work and leisure travels.

 

I am as comfortable in the Fountain in Philly as I am at Golden Corral in middle town USA.

 

If your taste simply can't abide the MDR fare the specialty restaurants are a great option especially in light of the generally lower fares on NCL.

 

Certainly don't let the food keep you from trying NCL.

[spidybabe]

I also love the Olive Garden and the Outback. Nothing on NCL compares in any way!

 

WE ARE MUST OFF THE GEM AND BREAKAWAY

The MDR is your average banquet food.

DISAGREE. THE MDR FOOD ON THE GEM WAS VERY VERY GOOD. HOT, SERVED FAST, AS ORDERED

 

Cagney's is like Ponderosa steaks. The atmosphere is much better on NCL but we're talking steaks, and they rival Ponderosa. Nothing in the range of Ruth Chris!

DISAGREE DELICIOUS STEAKS AND SIDES

 

Teppenyaki, again the atmosphere might rival Benihana but the food on NCL is more like the chinese food you'd get in the mall food court. The presentation is fun but average food court level food.

DISAGREE GREAT FOOD. MUCH BETTER THAN MALL FOOD AND SO MUCH OF IT

Does NCL have any restaurants where they serve warm bread?! It's all room temperature. Even at the Olive Garden and the Outback, you get warm bread. What about salad dressings.......NCL waters their dressings down so much they are bland. At least at the Olive Garden and the Outback the salads are delicious!

 

Same with the coffee......You will not get a hot cup of coffee the entire week on the ship. You go to any of the chains we are talking about here and if you were served a luke warm cup of coffee it would be sent back and the tip adjusted!

DISAGREE ALWAYS GOT HOT COFFEE IN MDR, SMALL CUPS BUT DEF HOT-- AND I USE MILK WHICH COOLS IT DOWN FASTER, AND STILL HOT

 

Also, what chain resteraunt do you go to where your drinks come 20 minutes after you order them?! Never. Even if you get a soda on NCL, you won't see it for 20 minutes. You go to the Outback and you have all drinks within 5 minutes of sitting down! Again, if you were at the Olive Garden and you had to wait for your soda that long, you would ADJUST THE TIP DOWNWARD!!

DISAGREE WE NEVER HAD TO WAIT LONG FOR ANYTHING IN MDR. EVERYTHING SERVED HOT AND TIMELY

 

Sorry you had poor experience on NCL. I guess the staff isn't the same on all ships

Safe sailing

 

 

 

 

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[Valen9]

Great thread idea, OP :)

It really helps us know what to basically expect in the dining aspect on NCL.

It all sounded fine enough until someone said GOLDEN CORRAL :eek:

We had the displeasure last year, in the Orlando area, of trying to eat at one.

Good heavens...... it was nasty, gross and disgusting soooo,

we are hoping the buffet isn't THAT bad.

We have been fairly happy with the buffets on CCL & RCCL.

Someone pleeeease say the buffet it is not like Golden Corral !

 

Let me assure you that it resembles Golden Corral only in that it's a buffet.

 

Food is generally fresh and well-tended and they don't let spaces stand empty long, except during breakfast crazy-time when they sometimes have trouble getting access to the island areas thru the crush of people. They clean up messes quickly. Breads are generally interesting and well made. They select foods that stand up to being on a buffet pretty well, and of course their hot and cold stations are well separated. There's something to fit pretty much any person's food needs. Most ships have "theme" areas at lunch and dinner where they will concentrate on an ethnicity like Indian. At set mealtimes there will be made to order stations like omelets or crepes, and at dinner there's usually a carving station with some meats.

 

Around here we have some buffet restaurants that are Chinese/Japanese/Seafood and run about $35 for dinner. It's more like that... though not with the same dishes!

[e2011]

I also love the Olive Garden and the Outback. Nothing on NCL compares in any way!

 

 

Olive Garden and Outback? I would never eat that trash. McDonalds is better!

[jakeT]

Can you compare the MDR to anything on the outside. I just fine, that they do not want to do any of the foods the special restaurants do. So there menu is very limited. No Italian, no Chinese. No Mexican, because one time they had a Mexican restaurant.

No speciality restaurant does USDA PRIME meat. Or is it DRY AGE, OR WET AGE. Not the same type of meat land base steak houses used.

Edited February 3, 2014 by jakeT

[Va. Plumber]

I get a little ticked when I see people comparing MDR and specialty restaurant food to various chains or substandard cafeteria food. Now I realize I have 70 year-old taste buds but I have had some excellent meals on NCL.

 

Firstly, the Garden Cafe is a cafeteria feeding the masses three meals a day. The diversity of their offerings is amazing. It is not designed to be gourmet.

 

La Cucina seems to be one of the whipping boys of the Italian crowd. I am sure there are fantastic Italian restaurant in the Northeast, and I have eaten in a few around Boston and New York. I also think that that RCCL's Giovanni's Table is head and shoulder above Cucina. But, the food at La Cucina is pretty good. Think about it, how many Italian restaurants offer appetizer, salad, soup, entree and dessert for $15.00

 

I think the French restaurant is fantastic. ($20.00) We found Shanghai wonderful. ($15.00) And Cagney's is not serving chopped liver or substandard beef. ($30.00). As with La Cucina, they are offering pretty substantial meals that you couldn't purchase ashore for the same price.

 

Don't know if the term "wedding food" was meant as a compliment or not with regard to the MDR, but I don't know of too many 4,000 guest weddings. I have been to a few weddings where the food was way over the top.

 

All in all, it is meant to be a seven day dining experience that I am sure the average NCL passenger does not partake of on a daily basis. In most cases it is not gourmet but on the other hand it is not garbage.

Edited February 3, 2014 by Va. Plumber

[NH Cruisers]

I get a little ticked when I see people comparing MDR and specialty restaurant food to various chains or substandard cafeteria food. Now I realize I have 70 year-old taste buds but I have had some excellent meals on NCL.

 

Firstly, the Garden Cafe is a cafeteria feeding the masses three meals a day. The diversity of their offerings is amazing. It is not designed to be gourmet.

 

La Cucina seems to be one of the whipping boys of the Italian crowd. I am sure there are fantastic Italian restaurant in the Northeast, and I have eaten in a few around Boston and New York. I also think that that RCCL's Giovanni's Table is head and shoulder above Cucina. But, the food at La Cucina is pretty good. Think about it, how many Italian restaurants offer appetizer, salad, soup, entree and dessert for $15.00

 

I think the French restaurant is fantastic. ($20.00) We found Shanghai wonderful. ($15.00) And Cagney's is not serving chopped liver or substandard beef. ($30.00). As with La Cucina, they are offering pretty substantial meals that you couldn't purchase ashore for the same price.

 

Don't know if the term "wedding food" was meant as a compliment or not with regard to the MDR, but I don't know of too many 4,000 guest weddings. I have been to a few weddings where the food was way over the top.

 

All in all, it is meant to be a seven day dining experience that I am sure the average NCL passenger does not partake of on a daily basis. In most cases it is not gourmet but on the other hand it is not garbage.

What he said, I feel is right on.

[johnsak123]

I think teppanyaki would compare to benihna for the experience but benihana definitely puts teppanyaki to shame

La cucina i would compare to olive garden

Pleasantly surprised with the food at both

[jakeT]

Yes the prices of the specialty restaurant is cheaper then restaurant on the outside. BUT in your cruise fair are paying there rent, electric, paying the help. And some of the food cost. I sure that bread, butter, vega come out of the common food supply. And you are not eating your diner in the MDR or Buffett

So you have to figure in that cost

Edited February 3, 2014 by jakeT

[Disney Dreamgirl]

I'm sailing on the NCL Sun to Alaska next year and was wondering about the MDRs. Would they be in the Applebees, Chilis or 99 category or on the lower scale of a Dennys? By some of the reviews I've read I get the feeling they would in the latter category.

[Susie51]

Cagneys for breakfast and lunch perk with suite was delicious. I would compare it to Mimis.

 

I am also a fan of Olive Garden and Outback. I've never had a soup on a cruise that is similar to Zuppa Tuscana. However, I do like most of the soups at the buffet for lunch. The cold soups are not as rich as they use to be though.

[Valen9]

I'm sailing on the NCL Sun to Alaska next year and was wondering about the MDRs. Would they be in the Applebees, Chilis or 99 category or on the lower scale of a Dennys? By some of the reviews I've read I get the feeling they would in the latter category.

 

The MDRs are nothing like ANY of those places. There are many choices reflecting different cuisines. Maybe the best chain comparison is Cheesecake Factory... if the portions were about a quarter of the size! (Well... two pages of the menu at Cheesecake Factory, but they change one of the pages every day.)

 

But small portions are just what I want on a cruise. There are so many food opportunities so often, it's nice to have small portions. You can almost always order more if you are still hungry.

 

Plus, don't go dissing EVERY Denny's. There was one right outside my hotel in San Antonio last summer and the food was excellent. I was very pleasantly surprised.

[RJ2002]

The MDRs are nothing like ANY of those places. There are many choices reflecting different cuisines. Maybe the best chain comparison is Cheesecake Factory... if the portions were about a quarter of the size! (Well... two pages of the menu at Cheesecake Factory, but they change one of the pages every day.)

 

But small portions are just what I want on a cruise. There are so many food opportunities so often, it's nice to have small portions. You can almost always order more if you are still hungry.

 

Plus, don't go dissing EVERY Denny's. There was one right outside my hotel in San Antonio last summer and the food was excellent. I was very pleasantly surprised.

 

IMO the MDR food is nothing like Cheesecake Factory. As many others have stated, this is mid-range banquet food. I do agree with your comments on the portion size, but you can always request more if desired.

Edited February 4, 2014 by RJ2002