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Author
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Daycounter
Earning My Ears
Registered: May 2008
Location: Houston, Tx
Posts: 35Review Date: Sat May 2, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Good filling food Cons: Out of the way
If you make the trek down to the Caribbean Beach Resort, you should check out this restaurant. They have a friendly and attentive staff, and this restaurant has a "layed back" atmosphere (maybe because not many people go?). The food is good and I remember walking out feeling full (that's a good feeling). I really liked the pork. 
jog58
We have two giant hamsters running in a massive wheel in our secret underground lair.
Registered: March 2008
Location: South of Boston
Posts: 657Review Date: Thu May 21, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9
Positive aspects of the product (pros): food, service Cons:
Before we headed down to the World this month we had heard a lot of things about Shutters, none of them that great. We never even originally intended to dine here but on our second to last night we were not up to heading to our original ADR the next night so we canceled it and made and ADR at Shutters since we were already at the resort. I was bracing myself for the worst but was pleasantly surprised. Our waiter was nice and attentive, had a bit of a used car salesman vibe about him but not in a bad way. Both hubby and and I had the New York Strip. It was perfectly cooked and the side of sweet plantains I had was delicious. We were very pleased with out desserts of Tres Leche and Chocolate cake. We would very likely make another trip to Caribbean beach to dine here.
gray52
Mouseketeer
Registered: September 2007
Location: PA
Posts: 246Review Date: Sat February 27, 2010 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Nothing... don't eat here (wink) Cons: Everything... don't eat here (wink)
Sorry... but THIS is Disney's best kept secret. My wife and I banked our DVC points last year and did the 4/3 and stayed at CBR. We skipped our ADR one night and decided to stay close, so we got in at Shutters... we weren't expecting much, but we got a great meal. We ended up there twice that trip. This year, while on the dining plan this year, we hoped a cab from BLT to CBR for a meal. We really love this place and from our experience, is manageable to get a reservation.
uncleleo
Mouseketeer
Registered: January 2009
Location: Arlington, VA
Posts: 138Review Date: Sat November 6, 2010 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: $52.00 | Rating: 7
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Friendly, solicitous table service Cons: Less-than-festive ambience, no food service at bar
This review was originally posted o the discussion boards as part of a series. While the review should stand on its own, some references will make more sense if you first read this post: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2587491.
An early lesson learned in random resort dining: go to the restaurant first. Alighting at Old Port Royale, I immediately began to explore the visually captivating surroundings. I spent at least 20 minutes perusing the pool area and nearby lodgings before approaching the podium at Shutters. There, I was handed a beeper and told that my wait for a table would be 25 to 35 minutes. I asked whether it was possible to eat at the bar and felt surprised when the hosts answered no. Amusingly, they did make clear that the beeper would work as far away as the pool bar, as if my principal aim were to drink rather than to eat.
I should say that I also felt a little taken aback at the number of questions they asked when I first requested a table. Are you on the dining plan? Are you a guest at CBR? At another Disney resort? Are you with a convention? Perhaps they knew exactly what foolishness I was up to and were trying to make me admit it. To be sure, I never felt unwelcome; I just did not want to have to explain what exactly I was doing at that resort at that time. I would probably enjoy regaling cast members with tales of my creative touring, but the podium at my first restaurant did not seem the right place for such brag.
I passed the next 30 minutes looking again at the facilities of Old Port Royale and purchasing some pins for my daughter. The décor and ambience at CBR certainly attract and gratify. The lighting could stand to be brighter and more festive, though I suppose such brightness at night could annoy people in nearby rooms.
When the time came to be seated, I was a little bemused by the seating. Three or four small tables for two were grouped very closely together, so that they could appropriately be used by separate couples or by a single party. The hostess seated another solo diner, an older woman using an ECV, directly next to me. So the situation pretty much forced me to be sociable. I wasn’t feeling unsociable, but did not like to feel compelled into conversation with this unexpected dinner date.
I began taking notes on my smart phone. This activity had the unintended effect of sealing me off from conversation with my neighbor. It occurred to me that I might appear churlish, like someone on an airplane who responds to conversational overtures by putting on headphones. Oh well, I can’t do this thing without taking notes on-site.
My server (and my neighbor’s) was bright and bubbly Brooke, full of smiles and unoriginal small talk. She had an assistant whose name I didn’t catch. They quickly brought out bread, which came with a very addictive chimichurri butter. I ordered a Beaulieu Vineyards cabernet sauvignon, perhaps a bit overpriced at $11. The flavor did grab my attention, with a spicy bite that is not common in cabs I’ve tried.
Brooke’s attentive service included a lot of friendly overtures of the “isn’t-that good-it’s-my-favorite” variety. My appetizer selection was the shrimp fritters, one of the better values on the menu at $8 for about a half-dozen large shrimp fried in cornbread. My favorite of the three dipping sauces was the mango chili, surprisingly earthy, with heat that hits you late. The lemon aioli provides a nicely fatty counterpoint. The tamarind dip probably sounds the most exotic to average Americans, but its flavor cannot easily be distinguished from the sweet and sour sauce at any Chinese takeout joint.
Jerk-crusted tuna ($23) was my entrée selection. The first bite disappointed, because the crust was not at all crispy. But then, when I began to chew the sushi-quality tuna, its deep flavor made me forget that the crust lacked the crunch I had hoped for. Wisely, the chef had toned down the jerk seasoning so that it never overwhelmed the flavor of the fish. Sides included a tasty squash julienne and cherry tomatoes, prepared with a hint of curry. The fried plantains were competent but bland.
Mentioning jerk and curry reminds me that, unlike my entrée, the dining room did not successfully evoke a Caribbean ambience. Perhaps louder music (that is not so dominated by Jimmy Buffett) and more vibrant lighting would help. But then I’d be complaining about how hard it is to hear.
I did not order desert, mainly because I knew I’d be shopping at Downtown Disney and figured I wouldn’t be able to resist indulging in some sweet treats. Shutter’s dessert menu is very short and uninspiring – key lime pie, cheesecake, tres leches, and something else I don't remember.
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