Encore Specialty Dining Recommendations

[tx121]

We will be sailing on the Encore on Sunday and we are looking for recommendations for specialty restaurants. We have been to Le Bistro, Cagneys before and we are definitely booking Teppanyaki as 1 of our 3 choices. I am wondering if we should consider booking Ocean Blue, Onda, Q, or go to the Food Republic and use our reservations at those venues. 

If anyone has any input on these new restaurants, please share your experience. Cagneys has been hit or miss lately and Le Bistro although good, I feel I have always left hungry an hour after. lol! 

Any recommendations is appreciated!

Edited January 27, 2020 by tx121

[bkrickles1]

5 minutes ago, tx121 said:

We will be sailing on the Encore on Sunday and we are looking for recommendations for specialty restaurants. We have been to Le Bistro, Cagneys before and we are definitely booking Teppanyaki as 1 of our 3 choices. I am wondering if we should consider booking Ocean Blue, Onda, Q, or go to the Food Republic and use our reservations at those venues. 

If anyone has any input on these new restaurants, please share your experience. Cagneys has been hit or miss lately and Le Bistro although good, I feel I have always left hungry an hour after. lol! 

Any recommendations is appreciated!

We got off Encore yesterday and it was fantastic.

We ate at Teppenyaki, Q and Los Lobos.

Los Lobos was the best of the 3. My group of 5 ordered almost everything on the menu and it was all good. And the desserts were equally good. Just a great meal.

Teppenyaki was also great. Fun with fresh and tasty food.

Q was very good. The apps were great, main course good and desserts good.

We did speak with a lot of people who went to Onda. Some loved it, some didn't. I was told it was pretty noisy and the service was hit or miss. Some, like myself, who are from NY said it was different and didn't love it.

And again, some just simply loved it.

[tx121]

1 minute ago, bkrickles1 said:

We got off Encore yesterday and it was fantastic.

We ate at Teppenyaki, Q and Los Lobos.

Los Lobos was the best of the 3. My group of 5 ordered almost everything on the menu and it was all good. And the desserts were equally good. Just a great meal.

Teppenyaki was also great. Fun with fresh and tasty food.

Q was very good. The apps were great, main course good and desserts good.

We did speak with a lot of people who went to Onda. Some loved it, some didn't. I was told it was pretty noisy and the service was hit or miss. Some, like myself, who are from NY said it was different and didn't love it.

And again, some just simply loved it.

 

Thanks for your input! I totally forgot about Los Lobos...thanks for making my decision even harder especially since you said it was the best of the 3! lol! I'm with you and others about Onda. Growing up in NY and visiting family there (Brooklyn, SI and LI), we are spoiled by so many great Italian restaurants! I think I will also pass on Onda. 

Thanks again!

[CazV]

I ate in Onda, Q, Food Republic and Cagney's in November.

Onda was my absolute favourite. 
Food Republic was the only one I had been to previously on another ship and I thoroughly enjoyed it again.

Q was good but nothing to rave about.

I was underwhelmed by Cagney's and expected much better after reading so many people praise this restaurant. Service was the worst I experienced on the ship too (this was the first sailing out of Miami back in November though so may be relevant.) I wished I had gone to Teppanyaki instead, which was my original plan but I changed it to dine with some new friends. 
I'm going back on the ship in March and have booked Onda, Teppanyaki and Los Lobos. I will probably go to Food Republic for lunch. 

[Isabella Benjamin]

Onda was our favorite specialty restaurant.  Ocean Blue wasn't that great the night we went.  

[Phaedrus78]

Just sailed Encore a couple of weeks ago, ate at Cagney's, Q and Food Republic.

 

Cagney's was excellent, on par with most high end steakhouses I've visited.

 

Q was decent, but I wouldn't do it again.  I can get better BBQ here at home.

 

Food Republic was OUTSTANDING.  Can't recommend it enough.  Try the tuna poke nachos.  

[thatjoeguy]

Food Republic is amazing. We are thrilled that we can now use the SDP there. (Previously on the Escape, we just always paid out of pocket.) Looking forward to that again soon, as well as the other new ones on the Encore soon!

[BirdTravels]

Onda and Food Republic. 4 dishes is actually enough for two people. We use it for two lunches at FR, Onda and Ocean Blue. 

[Peachypooh]

We ate at Q and Cagney's. Both were decent. I think the food in Q is excellent BBQ and we

live in BBQ country.

Edited January 31, 2020 by Peachypooh

[tx121]

Thanks everyone for the recommendations and reviews! 

Another question, can you use the Dining Package for take out at Food Republic ,Los Lobos?  I am traveling with a very picky eater and he would not eat anything at those restaurants. He would instead order something from American Diner if they allow take out as well. 

[sid_9169]

Most definitely Onda and Los Lobos by a mile... 

[megansdad1]

Another thing to consider to to go to Los Lobos al a carte.  I plan on going there outside of dinner times to do the table side guacamole and an app. 

[tx121]

Thanks! I booked Onda, Cagneys and Teppanyaki. I will probably do al a carte Food Republic and Los Lobos. Any specific dish you recommend from there?

[imlulu]

We were on this past week. We had Carney’s,  , onda, and Le bistro. Carney’s was fine but I’d then 3 the least favorite. Onda we ate outside as it was very noisy inside. It was great! Le bistro was also excellent. 

[tx121]

31 minutes ago, imlulu said:

We were on this past week. We had Carney’s,  , onda, and Le bistro. Carney’s was fine but I’d then 3 the least favorite. Onda we ate outside as it was very noisy inside. It was great! Le bistro was also excellent. 

A lot of reviews has said Cagneys was not that great. I may end up switching it to another restaurant.  Can I ask, what did you feel was missing? The seasoning? The service? Etc.. 

Thanks for the advice!

[imlulu]

10 minutes ago, tx121 said:

A lot of reviews has said Cagneys was not that great. I may end up switching it to another restaurant.  Can I ask, what did you feel was missing? The seasoning? The service? Etc.. 

Thanks for the advice!

The steak was not the best.  I had the filet and it was not very tender. It was very tender at Le Bistro. The set up also is iffy. They have tables in what I would consider the foyer right along the bar and overlooking the Manhattan room. If bar is busy, it is very noisy. Service was fine. I know folks say it’s higher end steakhouse. I would not say that at all. I’ve had much better filets at Long horn. Hopefully, your steak will be better. You are on vacation and Enjoy is what I say. 🙂