Blue Bayou050

The atmosphere's the thing at this so-called fine dining restaurant in Disneyland's New Orleans Square, and the atmosphere is, without a doubt, quite stunning. The restaurant, made to look like it's located on the patio of a grand New Orleans house, overlooks the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Lights are very low, night sounds fill the air, paper lanterns are strung overhead, and diners can watch boats from the ride navigate a dark bayou twinkling with fiber-optic fireflies.

When we ate here, however, we felt beat up when the check arrived. Although most adult entrees range from $22.95 to $38.95, the quality of the food doesn't match up to the prices. Menu choices sound appetizing, with Cajun- and Creole-influenced seafood, steaks, and pasta, but the dishes we tried were poorly executed and relied more on sheer volume on the plate than on quality ingredients. A dour member of our party dubbed the place "Denny's in the Dark".

The salad that comes with all entrees (soup is the other choice), a plate of mixed greens, basil-tomato relish, sweet-hot sugared pecans, carrots, and peppers, was the best part of the meal. The vegetables and nuts provided a tasty counterpoint to the large mound of mostly fresh greens. The spinach-stuffed chicken leg in our Chicken Florentine was moist, flavorful, and skin-on greasy, but it rested on a huge bed of warm, underseasoned and undersauced pasta. The evening's special was a four-ounce steak and five batter-fried shrimp that tasted faintly of overused cooking oil, plus passable scalloped potatoes and undercooked carrots.

Kids' meals start off with a pirate's hat menu, and a choice of soda, milk, juices, or Mint Julep in a covered cup. Kids can order Mickey chicken nuggets or mini corn dogs with mashed potatoes and a corn "cobbette", or pasta with tomato sauce. ($6.99) Jello cut into a Mickey Mouse shape and served with whipped cream ends the meal. At 5pm, with the restaurant not even half-full, the potatoes arrived stiff and the corn tough and lukewarm. The Mint Julep and Jello were the only real hits with the kids, who aren't especially picky eaters. Service was quick and child-friendly, although the restaurant's dark interior and close tables don't make it the best choice for groups with smaller children.

Since the interior of the restaurant might make the place irresistible to some visitors, go armed with the knowledge that you'll be charged a premium for some very average food. Make reservations beforehand and go for an early dinner so you can be sure to sit at a waterside table...the view is what you'll be paying for.