Sharks Underwater Grill

[ymann68]

I am planning my trip to sea world and have heard a lot about this place. Good reviews by everyone. Just wondering if you need to go in person to make reservation at 10 am where is it located in the park. also does anyone have any pictures they could share. I am trying to pick this or dinner with shamu. thanks for any help.

 

[Manymice]

I may be in the minority on the food review, but I haven't enjoyed the food any time I have gone. For me it was grossly overpriced and the food was just ok. The last time we went it was to watch our son in the dive tank and our server was sooo slow. We didn't even get someone to take our drink order for 30 minutes. Then another 20 minutes to take our food order. I ended up having to leave to go pick our son up on the opposite side of the park, walked back with my son, and my dh and other son were just finishing up!

As for the reservations I think you can go directly there when the park opens. Definitely go early in order to get the time you want. It's always packed.

Here are the only pics that I have and they are really bad as I was having camera troubles, but you can get the idea. The atmosphere and shark tank are really awesome. That's the reason we go back, not the food

 

[LOVETHATMOUSE]

We have decided to do SeaWorld this time around (after putting it off every trip - we have good intentions of going, but always back out and go to a Disney park on that day.) This time we are buying our Seaworld tix before the trip so we HAVE to go. Is this alot like Coral Reef? We are eating lunch there in the beginning of our trip, and don't want to repeat the different theming of restaurants. Thanks.

 

[ymann68]

I have never been but looking at the photos it looks like coral reef. I think we are going to do the shamu rocks dinner package that at least gives you reserved seats for the show.

Thanks for the photos looks great

 

[myprincessgirlisa]

 

[ymann68]

food looks great thanks we will make it one of our stops of the day.

 

[CrimzonFan]

not the clearest pic, bad place to try to take a good pic..

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

So you can't make reservations prior to going to SW?

 

[Manymice]

Yes, you can make prior reservations if you are an annual passholder. If not you have to make reservations when you arrive.

 

[redoschi]

This is the best restaurant that we went on our trip last December!

The prices are normal for theme park restaurants in my opinion and most of them can be shared among 2 people (I shared one with my DGF, DSis shared one with DMom and DDad and DBiL shared both an entree and an appetizer).

DSis doesn't eat seafood so she decided for the Filet Mignon (if I'm not mistaken, but it was meat anyway). DMom thought she wouldn't like the steak so much as it was a seafood restaurant but it ended being the best steak she had in our entire vacation (just to clarify, we did go on some WDW restaurants, but couldn't get reservations for places like Le Cellier, but we did go to Teppan Edo, Marrakesh and Jiko just to name some).

Me and DGF had a wonderful entree called Ahi Tuna! It's spectacular!!! It's a sushi quality tuna lightly grilled which leaves a small crust and a raw interior, and it comes with a terrific sauce on the side.

I highly suggest this place and we made reservations in the morning but not immediatly after park opening (and on a Saturday 3 days before Xmas!) so I believe that except in really crowded days you won't have problems to make reservations.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

Mmmm....ahi tuna!

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

We just got back yesterday and spent a day and a half at SeaWorld.
The kids and I ate at Shark's Underwater Grill.

DD8(she had the kids chicken fingers) and I (had the filet mignon) really enjoyed our food but DS12 had a disgusting oreo milk shake that was so bad even I couldn't drink it and he ordered something BBQ. It was awful too.

Service was so slow I had to go find our server to get drink refills and she never came back to check on us to see how the food was. When she showed up with the bill, I asked for the manager.

I complained to the manager who gave us DS meal for free and didn't charge us for the milk shake. He offered to get something else for DS but I was fed up with the bad service so I declined.

I loved the ambience of the restaurant but the service was too slow. I was happy that the manager was responsive.

This was at 6pm in the evening just before the 6:15p Shamu Believe show and the restaurant wasn't crowded.

I don't know that I'd return to that restaurant since I'd like to try Dine with Shamu if we ever go back.

Oh yeah - I did get DS a quick meal at a CS place afterwards so he'd have some supper.

 

[MelanieC]

We went last July and the food was good. The food was not OMG best food we ever had, but not bad. The ambiance is nice and it's a great way to get out of the heat of the day and relax.

There was one shark there who look like he had buck teeth. My family named him "Buck Tooth Charlie" an would crack up every time he came around the tank.

If I remember correctly, after riding some of the larger ries we went over and put our name in. Then we came back when it was opened and our name officially went in line. We didn't wait too long. We plan on going again next summer and we plan on dining again for lunch with our friend "Buck Tooth Charlie".

Here are some of our pictures.


Menu:

DH's Crabcakes

My meal -Pan Seared Peanut Herb Crusted Grouper

DD's kids shrimp

DS's Pasta

and finally - Meet "Buck Tooth Charlie"

 

[TanaL]

Melanie, did your dh think the crab cakes were good? They are my favorite! I'm planning a trip to SW this December and not sure if we should do Sharks Underwater Grill for lunch or dinner.

 

[d4est]

Is there a menu listed anywhere?

 

[HeatherN]

We just returned from Sea World last week and ate at Sharks Underwater grill.We went right to the place and made our reservation with no problems but I would definitely do it as close to opening as possible.I do have to say that I was rather dissapointed with the whole experience.We were seated in a room kind of off to the side and it was in the middle of the room not near the tank.If you are not near the tank it really isn't quite the same.The food was ok but not great.My husband ordered a seafood dish and said it was ok. I hate seafood and ordered a BBQ chicken.The portion was quite small and it was average.I left feeling like I didn't get enough to eat and I usually walk away from a table with lots left over.My two children had chicken fingers and fries and that was average.They didn't recieve their drinks in the cool shark cup like I had seen in previous posts.Overall it was a place to cool down in the air conditioning and the atmosphere was kind of cool(but not spectacular like I expected) We spent almost $100.00 for 4 to eat lunch and we did not have any alcohol with that.We felt it was rather overpriced for what you got and not that special of an experience.I am glad we went to experience it but probably would not return.

 

[kellymonaghan]

Is Sharks overpriced? Well, consider these two facts:

a) it's in a theme park.
b) it's perhaps the most visually stunning restaurant you've ever eaten in.

My feeling is that a percentage of what you're paying is for the ambiance. Like they say about real estate: location, location, location.

And if lunch at a gorgeous sit-down restaurant comes to $25 per person, less alcohol, but presumably including tip, then I see little to complain about. Welcome to 2008. Now if you compare it to Chili's or Applebee's . . .

I like the food, especially the filet mignon and the blackened scallops. The desserts are also very good. Have I had better food elsewhere? Absolutely, but Mythos aside, I've usually had to pay a lot more for it.

No one has mentioned the beautiful presentations, which is another thing you are paying for. If that's not important to you, try the stew in a bread bowl at The Deli or the barbecue platters at Smoky Creek -- both very good.

As to poor service, there's no excuse for that. However, as one poster noted, the management was responsive, which is as it should be. Personally, I have never had that problem. But I mostly eat at the bar and I'm a regular, so the staff knows me.

Finally, if the negative comments about the food have turned you off, I should mention that you can experience Sharks without eating there. Just go to the bar (which has a terrific view of the shark tanks) and linger over a drink. Take time to visit the rest room. Getting there will take you (slowly) along the length of restaurant for an even better look.

Going to the bar also has the advantage of no wait -- at least every time I've done it, which has been many times. They also serve the full menu at the bar, so if you do want to eat you can avoid the wait. There are several high-top tables that seat four.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

They didn't recieve their drinks in the cool shark cup like I had seen in previous posts.Overall it was a place to cool down in the air conditioning and the atmosphere was kind of cool(but not spectacular like I expected) We spent almost $100.00 for 4 to eat lunch and we did not have any alcohol with that.We felt it was rather overpriced for what you got and not that special of an experience.I am glad we went to experience it but probably would not return.

I have never eaten here but I'm wondering if maybe you have to specifically order the shark cups. There might be an extra charge.

Also, I really don't think $100 for four is all that unreasonable for a table service special meal in a theme restaurant.

 

[tink too]

I've always wanted to eat there, but just haven't managed to fit it into our schedule on previous trips. Hopefully we'll finally make get to try it out next April!

I wouldn't mind paying $25 per person - that's not expensive to us here in Scotland I'm afraid. Last time we went out for a late lunch, my entree would have worked out at $17 on it's own! The restuarant was non-descript and the presentation was plain - nothing fancy for that sort of prices over here in the UK I'm sad to say.

 

[Jason71]

We were seated in a room kind of off to the side and it was in the middle of the room not near the tank.

There is a world of difference between the side room and the main room. The main room is plush and awe-inspiring; the side room has less amazing views of the shark tank, no mood lighting and cheap plastic chairs/tables (like something you'd find in a college cafeteria). Large groups tend to get shipped off to the side room, but if it's busy smaller groups seem to end up there as well. I don't know if you can request the main room, but it wouldn't hurt to ask (and worth it even if it means a longer wait).

That said, I've found the food at Sharks to be very good (probably as good as it can get and still be located in a theme park). Pricey, yes, but roughly in line with what you'd expect to pay at a nice restaurant on Sand Lake Road.

And shame on fellow regular Mr. Monaghan for giving out the locals' best-kept secret at SW, the "shark bar"! I know who to blame if I can't get a seat next time..