We had reservations so we got in really quickly. We waited maybe 10 minutes or less for them to get our table ready. Our server actually had the same name as me, but he spelled it differently. I don't remember exactly where he was from, but it was somewhere in the Middle East. He was super friendly, though!
 |
| We could look for these fish while waiting for our food! |
When ordering drinks, I asked for a sweet tea and (*gasp!!*) they don't have that. So our wonderful server suggested I get the pomegranate lemonade, which was even better than sweet tea. I LOVE pomegranate, and I didn't know they had that as an option, so it's like our server read my mind and knew I'd enjoy that beverage. I was very pleased.
For an appetizer, we got Creamy Crab Dip for Two. It was one of the pricier appetizers at $13.99, but we both like crab dip, and this one did not disappoint. Since I grew up not liking fish, trying new fish options is always a little scary for me. I enjoy crab dip at several places we have here in Knoxville, so I wasn't too worried. However, there have been times where I haven't particularly cared for crab, so it could have gone either way.
For my entree, I got Marinated Grilled Vegetables and Vegetarian Chick'n Breast, and Ean got Baked Cheese Manicotti. Coral Reef is listed as a $$ ($15 to $29.99 per adult) restaurant. Everything is definitely more on the $29.99 side of that dollar sign. It wasn't very cheap. Typically vegetarian meals are cheaper, and mine was. It was $19.99. Ean's entree was $29.99 because it comes with lobster! I thought that was interesting that the main part of the dish was the manicotti and not the lobster. You would think that it would be called Griddled Lobster Tail with Baked Manicotti, instead of the other way around... oh well. Was the food worth as much as it cost? Probably not. However, it was still very delicious.
 |
| Marinated Grilled Vegetables and Vegetarian Chick'n Breast |
The marinade on my vegetables was incredible. It was kinda tangy and had a really good flavor. The vegetarian chick'n was very delicious, and kinda soaked up the delicious sauce that was on it. I had a bite of Ean's food and it was very tasty as well. The marinara sauce that was on top of the manicotti was unlike any marinara sauce I've ever tasted before. I thought it was incredible. The portions of both our meals was huge (probably why it cost so much). We could have gotten away with sharing for sure.
 |
| Baked Cheese Manicotti |
We really enjoyed the aquarium view at Coral Reef. Unfortunately, our table wasn't right up next to the glass, but we were still able to see all the cool fish swimming around the tank. The overall atmosphere of the restaurant was very calming and relaxing, as you feel like you're just floating underwater. The reflection of the water was very soothing. I could have spent a lot of time in our booth, just relaxing.
 |
| Ean using the fish guide to spot some fish! |
Coral Reef was definitely an expensive experience. We did enjoy every bit of it and had no complaints, except for how pricy everything was... but we are in Disney, so we didn't really expect anything different! This is a place we would like to revisit in the future. It probably isn't a place we would bring our kids (unless they were a little older) because I feel like the atmosphere is more mature and geared towards adults.
