One thing I don’t want this blog to become is a venue to “dog” or “diss” local businesses. If anything I want to bring them support. However, I think it only fair that if our adventures led us to experience something not all-too-great, then we owe it to our readers to let them know about it. Given that, I feel it necessary to share my opinion of a recent visit to Gloria Estefan’s Bongo’s Cuban Cafe, located at Downtown Disney in the heart of “tourist town.” Now, you might be asking yourself why I as a local resident was spending time at Downtown Disney. Well, I can honestly say it’s all because of Virgin Megastore, which is located across the plaza from Bongo’s.
A friend of mine is in town from Colorado and we wanted to make a trip to the music store, and we decided to couple that with a bite to eat and a cocktail to wash it down with. While the atmosphere at Bongo’s is certainly festive, our dining experience–albeit merely appetizers–left much to be desired. Firstly, the barstools are extremely uncomfortable. They’re extremely fitting with the theme of the venue — after all, they are bongos. But anything past 20 minutes just becomes a pain in the rear. Literally. Secondly, three items I inquired about on the menu were no longer being served. This includes one type of beer and two dishes. For a restaurant located in a prime tourist location, to not have a current menu is not a plus in my book.
Lastly, the two dishes I ordered were lukewarm. I’m not typically a fan of super hot [temperature] food, but the rice & black beans and french fries were borderline cold, which is not enjoyable to me.
Like I mentioned earlier, I don’t want this to be a forum of negativity or bashing, but I would have to say I would not recommend visiting Bongo’s Cuban Cafe, either for locals or for tourists. Unfortunately, I don’t seem to be alone in my opinion. “Gloria,” I say, “stick to makin’ the music.”
Do you have your own Bongo’s experience you’d like to share? If so, please let us know by leaving a comment in this post.
