As mentioned in an earlier post, September is Magical Dining Month in Orlando. For the fixed price of $19 or $29, participating restaurants offer diners a three-course menu including an appetizer, entree and dessert based on their everyday selections. This weekend, my wife and I decided to take advantage of the offer.

The list of 55 participating locations includes most, if not all, of the restaurants at the Universal Orlando resort (including CityWalk and the hotels). Many of the restaurants at Pointe Orlando and in the International Drive area are also included. Rounding out the list are locations in Downtown Orlando, Winter Park, Celebration, restaurant row in Dr. Phillips and the Millenia Mall area.

For our night out, my wife and I decided to try B.B. King’s Blues Club at Pointe Orlando for the first time. Back when it opened, there were a number of good reviews on both the food and the entertainment. We were hoping to find that to still be true after ten months in operation.

To start, B.B. King’s charges an “entertainment fee” of $5 per person. I think we could have bypassed this cover had we just followed the hostess to our table, but I hesitated and one of the other hostesses waved us over to pay the fee and stamp our hands. Not that I wanted to get away without paying (I was notified of the charge when making our reservation), it just seemed like two separate operations that should probably be more tightly integrated.

After reaching our table, we were presented with menus and had our drink orders taken. The only thing missing was any mention of the Magical Dining Month offerings. I couldn’t find any reference in the dinner menu, and there didn’t appear to be any advertisements in the restaurant, either. Turns out you have to specifically ask for the Magical Dining Month menu, which I find odd (see Note).

B.B. King’s “Magical Menu”, as it appears to be named, included a nice selection of main courses surrounded by a couple appetizer and dessert options. My wife ordered the Fried green tomatoes and Grilled Chicken Dinner, while I went with the Fried dill pickles and BBQ Pork Platter. We both ordered the Strawberry Short Cake.

Overall, the food was decent, but far from spectacular. My pork was bland, except where combined with the BBQ sauce, and my wife’s meal was just a little bit better (the mashed potatoes were pretty good). In looking around the restaurant, it appears that the Magical Dining Month portions are smaller than those found on the regular menu, too. Since we were getting $30 worth of food (by menu price) for only $19, I guess that’s to be expected.

The highlights of the meal were the Strawberry Short Cake and the live music. If I had to do B.B. King’s again in the near future, I’d start with dinner elsewhere and then finish the night with dessert, drinks and a good helping of live blues.

Based on this experience, I believe the Magical Dining Month offer could be improved. First off, the Magical Menu should be offered to all diners. Additionally, if portion sizes are going to be reduced, the available choices should not be limited to a mere fraction of the regular menu.

Note
After re-reading the Magical Dining Month information on orlandoinfo.com, it clearly states that you must ask for the Magical Menu when you get to the restaurant. I still think that’s odd.

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