Agio

Double Tree Hotel

2085 S. Harbor Blvd.

Anaheim, California 92802
Tel: 1-714-750-3000

When we finally arrived at our hotel near Disneyland, we were a bit pressed for time. We decided just to dine at the restaurant in our hotel to save time on our first night there. We stayed at the Double Tree hotel and inside was Agio. I actually like the name Agio, and thought it was strong with good character. Inside was clean and immaculate with a post modern twist on Italian.

I was not particularly hungry due to the fact I ate a big lunch (see our review on Willow Ranch BBQ), but I did order some clam chowder anyway. My wife order the roasted chicken with steam vegetables. We also ordered some calamari for appetizer since I wasn't ordering any entree. The waitress gave us some bread to start, and it was not bad, and there was a nice herbal flavor baked in.

Next came our appetizer which was the calamari. It was prepared nicely with a crispy outside. I particularly liked the marina sauce that came with it. There was garlic mayo sauce served with it and that was pleasantly good as well. Though I must admit I was used to getting a bigger serving size for a calamari appetizer.

Next came my bowl of clam chowder. It was okay. Though not spectacular. I can tell that it is not made fresh on the premises. It had the taste of the same can soup or the same take out soup you get at certain restaurants. If Agio wants to be seen as more of an upscale restaurant it needs to make their soup fresh in house. If it is made fresh, then they really need to alter that recipe.

My wife's roasted chicken was a bit of a let down. It lack that really crispy skin of a well made roasted chicken. There was some Au Jus, but that just made the chicken more soggy than anything else. The Au Jus did not really add anything extra to the flavor at all. The mashed potatoes was okay, and so were the steam vegetables.

The service was okay. It seems to match the quality of the food. It was adequate except you were expecting more. The restaurant was pretty barren at the time, with maybe only 2 to 3 other tables occupied. You would expect us the get more of a personalized attention, but alas we were mainly left to ourselves. Everything from the decor, menu items and the way the personnel was dressed, screamed that this restaurant was meant for something more. However, something went wrong somewhere and it just sits now on just settling for mediocrity.

Final Thoughts: The food and service does not justify the asking price.

Food: 2 1/2 stars

service: 3 stars

Price: high

Overall: 2 1/2 stars