[SillyMe]

Hi Folks,
We will be arriving Friday late afternoon May 9th & staying at the AKL. We already have reservations for Sat night at Bomas and Sunday morning at O'hanas. I am looking for a different place for us to have dinner on Friday night. One of my favorite things to do on vacation is EAT! Being Cuban I wanted to eat at Bongos at DTD, but we've done that already and this trip is about new expreriences. MY DH is a sports nut & since this is our Wedding Anniversary weekend I thought the ESPN Club would be fun. It will be 5 of us. Me, DH and our 3 sons (ages 11, 16, 23). I am also debating eatting at the Big River Grille (DH also likes beer). My son Joe & I are interested in trying Spoodles. All 3 of these restaurants are at the BoardWalk. What do you think? Hows the food? Cost? Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated!

[ilvminnie]

They're all great restaurants, but with 3 boys & a sports nut DH, I'd check out ESPN club. We were there last year during March Madness & absolutely loved it. Great sports atmosphere, no pressure to move on if there's a good game on TV, good & reasonable food...That would be my pick.

[trishb]

ESPN Club has tvs in the bathrooms! You have to check it out!

Plus, they have the best wings! It is just a great, fun atmosphere. It can get pretty busy at night, especially if there is a major sporting event...keep that in mind. The cost is reasonable, a little less expensive than a full-service restaurant and a little more expensive than fast food. I have eaten there many times and have never been disappointed. Fun food in a fun atmosphere.

The whole BoardWalk area is so much fun! You will really enjoy yourself. Lots to do at night from games to shopping to entertainment. Plus, it is just steps away from Epcot.

Happy planning!

[redkop]

i have bben to ESPN and loved it.......of course i was watching the boxing back then in 97 and lennox lewis did win :D :D ...........but the food was fabulaous

chris

[disneypro]

Maria,
I vote for ESPN. Having a former college football player for a spouse, we frequently watch the big games every year there. He also prides himself on being able to rate the bathrooms all over the world, and he gave the ESPN ones a 10!! And, it really is fun even for those of us that aren't sports fanatics, and it is kid friendly, and the menu pretty good. You're already eating at Boma and O'hana, which is pretty diverse, and both quite yummy. Spoodles is very good, but the kids won't get much out of it. Although we took our two year old, and kids are welcome, it definitely had more of an adult atmosphere, and she was bored quickly. Just my two bits. Have fun, we'll be there 7-10th of May.

[DisneyTeacher]

We have always enjoyed ESPN. I think the food is good and the atmosphere is fun. Enjoy!

[minnie]

I love Spoodles!! It is one of my top three at WDW. We eat there every trip, sometimes more than once. If we are voting on food alone, Spoodles wins. I enjoyed ESPN and Big river grille but you just can't beat Spoodles. It is reasonable by WDW standards. We often go just for Tapas, the mediterranean dips are to die for.

[WEDINDISNEY]

I agree with minnie...Go with Spoodles...Yummy Yummy Yummy dips....Awesome food.... We have been to ESPN also but if I had to pick its SPOODLES all the way..... <drool> LOL :laugh

[mickey]

Well, I can't believe that I am saying this, but go with ESPN over Spoodles. With the four "boys", they will enjoy it more, and the food is quite good. Having said that, Spoodles isn't a bad alternative, but you may want to do that one night without the kids when you can just go and enjoy the food.

[Park Hopper]

Well, here's another vote for Spoodles. ESPN, while enjoyable, is just another big sports bar with typical sports bar food. You could probably go to a sports bar in your hometown and have pretty much the same experience.

Spoodles, on the other hand, is a unique dining experience in the Disney tradition that features menu items and preparations you can't get everywhere. The kid's menu at Spoodles has things like burgers and hot dogs and pizza -- the same things they'd be eating at ESPN. Treat yourself to something a little more exciting.

[Natron]

I have eaten at the ESPN Club on the boardwalk. From one sports fanatic to another in regards to your husband and kids will love ESPN.

Just to give you an idea of how much I enjoyed it. I visited DW last September on Saturday I wanted to watch college football so I went to the ESPN Club at 11:00 and did not leave until 8:00 that night. I sat at the bar and do not drink, so it is LOW pressure. Food was good and reasonable, espically when compared to other DW restaurants. I had so much fun on Saturday I went back to the ESPN Club on Sunday for the first day of the NFL Season. I underestimated the size of the crowds and had to stand for a while before I asked some stranger who was at a booth if he had room for one more. So I ended up staying again on Sunday from 12:00 to 5:00.

Good food, good people, a good experience.

Nathan

[Angie]

I'm glad this post came up b/c I'm looking for somewhere on the boardwalk for my family to eat also. Do you need p.s.'s for espn or is it just walk in?

[ilvminnie]

Originally posted by Angie
I'm glad this post came up b/c I'm looking for somewhere on the boardwalk for my family to eat also. Do you need p.s.'s for espn or is it just walk in?

You CAN'T make PSs for ESPN. And if there is a really good event scheduled & you want a good seat, make sure you get there way ahead of time. That's the ONLY draw back from my perspective to ESPN. But it's worth it!

[crystalrp]

Since your boys are 11, 16, and 23 I would definitely have to suggest ESPN. My DH and DS..ages 9 & 12..and huge sports fans to boot...ADORE the ESPN club. We are going there for sure in May. They often tape sports shows and things there if you can hit it right.

[mickey]

OK, here is my suggestion, after reading the posts and thinking about it for hours and hours:

Make a PS for Spoodles for when you want to eat. Show up 30 minutes early and head over to ESPN. If the wait is longer than 30 minutes or so, walk over to Spoodles and eat there. That way you are covered, and have two great options.