Wolfgang Puck Cafe.....not what we expected
 

There used to be a WPC at Fashion Island in Newport Beach. Right before it closed, a friend and I were there for lunch. We ordered the popcorn shrimp salad and got an extra bonus -- live maggots.

The manager was horrified, but not nearly as much as we were. He gave us each his card, with a handwritten note for a free meal there anytime we wanted it. Nearly five years later, I still haven't wanted it.

They really are bollocks arent they? I too had high expectations when I spied my first WP at ORD many years ago. Been badly disapointed at every one of their airport locations but I keep giving them the benefit of the doubt (silly me).

I've been to the WPC in Terminal 2 of LAX. I thought it was typical overpriced, uninspired airport food.

Good review.
 

ALadyNCal,

Thanks for "takin' one for the team." I was thinking of going there with a few friends, simply because it is now an iDine restaurant. Having never been there, I didn't know what to expect. After hearing your review, I asked a few of my other friends that had been to other WPC's and they said it wasn't all that great either.

Guess we'll try some other iDine location.

Thanks,
Steve

I went to one. Once. Never again.

I ordered a "signature meatloaf" dish, but it tasted terrible. According to the waiter that was normal, "because it is European".

Idiots.

I got a good laugh out of that one. Yeah, those Europeans - especially the French and Italians - don't know a darned thing about food. :D I *always* avoid Europe because the food is so terrible and, amazingly, across the entire continent. :rolleyes:

Anyway, I've eaten at ORD & MSP airport locations. Completely underwhelming, though maybe a preferable alternative to a fast food burger. Or maybe not. My conclusion is to get nothing but pizza if I go there because everything else has been completely disappointing -- especially the burger.

I too was completely underwhelmed by my experience there, but I don't believe that a restaurant or cafe or whatever is good because some famous chef puts his name on the place.

On what planet is a Puck restaurant considered good? He sold his soul a long time ago, and remains the most over-extended, lowest-quality-managing, most-infrequently-visiting superchef ... an order of magnitude more over-extended at Ducasse, Robuchon, Emeril and others.

A Puck name on a resto has as much to do with Puck as a YSL logo on a Chinese knockoff has to do with the former coutorier. Heck, a McDonald's has more to do with Ray Kroc than a WPC has to do with Wolfgang.

An Applebee's menu with prices doubled and a Wolfgang Puck logo is just like a K-mart jacket with a piece of paper that says "Armani" on it stapled to the lining.

Actually, I've eaten at the WP in ORD a couple of times (fool me twice, shame on me) and I would prefer Applebee's.

That was *exactly* my thought when I read the previous post. Give me Applebee's over Puck's (which I have for sometime been calling Wolfgang Puke's) anyday.

We went to WPC in Denver:
-Bad service!
-Lousy food!
-Not expensive.

Bottom line: It's a fast food thing with a famous name .. I guess Wolfgang has never been there.

I agree on the cafes, but Chinois on Main is pretty good (they just did a complete revamping of the menu for the first time since the opening in the mid-1980s).

I had a dining experience at the same location as the OP sometimes last year. Good but highly overrated. Not worth making a 2nd visit.

I have eaten at the WPC in LAX Terminal 2, and agree that it is just average. My question is what is the difference between his cafe and a Wolfgang Puck Grille? A Grille is opening this fall at the new MGM Casino here in Detroit. I am much more interested in the two Michael Mina restaurants going in there instead, but am still curious.

Prepare to be underwhelmed if you go to a WPG. :td:

On Earth, in Los Angeles/Santa Monica/Beverly Hills - Spago (esp. the tasting menu), Cut, and Chinois on Main are all excellent restaurants. I agree the rest of the chain-type stuff is pretty lousy & if I were him, I'd be embarrassed to have my name on them. Although, I'm sure the revenue from them is hard to walk away from. But he should.

The difference in the airport locations is that the employees are all HMS Host or some other contractor. The food is prepared by cooks that are not at the same skill level as WP Cafes owned by Wolfgang Puck and parent company Compass Group. In all fairness, I see the same thing happen with other concepts in airports run by contractors.

The preparation methods for gourmet food doesn't always work when you try to do it assembly line/fool proof style.

My complaint here (one example) is that if you try a Chinois Chicken Salad at an airport location, the proportion of ingredients in the salad is wacked which makes is taste different. Especially when the salads are DRENCHED in dressing.

Go to a WP "company" cafe or even the Express locations in some of the Gelson's and the food is fresher and made to what the standards should be.

Despite that, it is always packed - especially during the evenings.

Absolutely!

Probably lots of first timers that THINK it will be good ;)

Lack of other choices, perhaps? :)

Whatever you may expect, franchised airport and mall food should be mediocre, there. no other way. This being said (by one of those arrogant French, you know...) the real WP restaurants such as Chinois on Main in Santa Monica are extremely good, inventive and service is nice. I have no idea about the 2 or 3 WP in Las Vegas, possibly overpriced, flashy and mediocre so as not to fall out of the local line.

T2 @ LAX habituee (Thanks, AirCanada!) ~ I can attribute the popularity of the place to dismal choices in T2 (alluded to already).

Trattoria del Lupo @ Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas several years ago ~ remarkably mediocre.

Sorry the OP's experience was found wanting... but thanks for sharing it with this community.

I'd rather dine at the nearby Burger King instead. :p Or head up to the NZ lounge.

Have also been to the South Coast Plaza WP - in addition to the ordinary at best food I'm surprised that no one has complained about the noisy, cramped environs. I have to believe that if it wasn't for name recognition this restaurant would have closed long ago. The Puck's 5 mi south in Irvine Spectrum is better but that's not saying much