Best food at Disneyland

[kermit116]

Looking for tips for an upcoming weekend trip to Disneyland. I'd like to get opinions on what are the "don't miss" food and drinks.

What are the best...

(1) Counter Service (fast food) meals...

(2) Snacks...

and

(3) Full service (sit down) meals...

at Disneyland/California Adventure/Downtown Disney?

I'm a WDW fanatic, so I think I'm spoiled with the array of choices there are at all the parks, resorts, etc. at Disney World. I've only been to Disneyland a couple of times, and I haven't eaten there a lot.

I have tried the Blue Bayou twice. My first experience was overall good (several years ago), but our last experience was disappointing because the food was terrible, and so was the service (although I do love the atmosphere inside).

I love Dole whips, but I'm wondering what other meals and snacks Disneyland experts put on your "must do" list. I'm also interested in items that are specific to Disneyland. I heard a discussion a while ago on the Disneyland podcast about some of their favorite items, and there were several that sounded really interesting and unique to Disneyland (I think there was mention of a chili-rub corn on the cob that sounded delicious).

 

[Tasscrapper]

I have no idea if they are specific to Disneyland or not but my favorite treat is the Tigger Tails at the little shop by the Winnie the Pooh ride.

 

[bondgirl007]

We love the corn dogs from the Little Red Wagon on Main St., the caramel milk chocolate aplles from Pooh's Corner, and the gumbo at Blue Bayou.

 

[TinkBride]

I have no idea if they are specific to Disneyland or not but my favorite treat is the Tigger Tails at the little shop by the Winnie the Pooh ride.

Ditto!!

 

[kermit116]

Okay, I must know - what is a Tigger Tail?

 

[tlovesdis]

Here are my familes favorites and places we avoid at all costs! LOL

Favorites:

Sit down - Cafe Orleans
Counter - Plaza Inn
Snack - caramel apples, pickles and pineapples from fruit carts, chili cheese fries in Horseshoe

We avoid:

Naples in DTD
Redd Rocketts Pizza

 

[furb & dez]

Okay, I must know - what is a Tigger Tail?

Marshmallows on a stick covered in orange-flavored chocolate.

EDIT: possibly also caramel. I forget.

 

[ArchOwl]

Some of my favorite counter service places are:

Hungry Bear for the Fried Green Tomato Sandwich with Sweet Potato Fries

Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta for either the Pesto Ravioli with Pine Nuts or the Chicken Sun Dried Tomato Pasta (a little spicy!)

Pacific Wharf/Royal Veranda for soup in a bread bowl. I like clam chowder, DH loves the steak.

Sit down places:

Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen in Downtown Disney for New Orleans food. The gumbo, seafood pot pie, and jambalaya.

Carnation Cafe for lunch, baked potato soup and half a sandwich is one of my favorite lunches in Disneyland.

Cafe Orleans for gumbo, pommes frites, ragout, or crepes. (yep, we love New Orleans food! )

Trader Sam's for when you are without the kids () such a fun Tiki bar with tasty snacks. We had the panko crusted long beans and chicken lettuce wraps, which were very good.

Hands down the best sit down restaurant in the entire resort is Napa Rose. Of course, it has a price tag to match, but it is easily the best restaurant in Orange County for us (and DH grew up there and returns frequently).

Snacks:

Matterhorn macaroon at Blue Ribbon Bakery is fun if you like coconut. Sometimes hubby and I split a cinnamon roll here for breakfast, it is quite tasty!

The chili-lime corn at the cob is at Edelweiss snacks and is good for something different. However, if you have had traditional elote, it is not that. Elote has a roasted taste from being directly over the fire. At DL, they steam it or something. Anyway, it doesn't have that fire taste. But when you are desperate for a vegetable, it can taste quite good!

We also like the Mickey beignets at the Mint Julep bar for a quick snack. Hubby likes the mint juleps, but I think they are nasty!

I always like going to the candy shop at the end of the Pooh ride (dang, what is the name of it?) and they always have something cute and sweet!

Many times I will end up buying a caramel apple in some fantastical shape, last time it was the World of Color apple. It is so beautiful that I don't eat it. Maybe this time I should get a regular apple and maybe I will actually see how it tastes!

P.S. have fun this weekend, DH and I will be there as well. You will see us eating New Orleans food, apparently.

 

[scion5220]

http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2010/06/30/tigger-tails-vs-tiger-tails/

 

[ArchOwl]

Oops, forgot Bengal Barbeque! Such a great little counter service spot with tasty stuff on a stick and that yummy bread. How could I forget! Of course, it is Monday.

 

[MukilteoSailor]

(1) Counter Service (fast food) meals...

We enjoy Bengal BBQ.

(2) Snacks...

I am always partial to the Chocolate covered caramel pretzel sticks with cashews. They sell them on Main Street and at Pooh's Corner candy shop.

(3) Full service (sit down) meals...

We like Carnation Cafe for breakfast and lunch and Cafe Orleans for dinner.

 

[SailorsWife]

Best sit down, get out of the parks and go to Napa Rose in the California Grand. Wonderful wonderful food and wine. I will warn you , it's a budget buster. If I am staying in the parks, Ariel's Grotto. I know it's a character meal. But the food was darn good for the price.

Favorite Quick Serve. It can be crowded, but I love Pizza Port in Tomorrowland. Always something there to please the entire family. Salads, pasta and pizza. Also love Stage Door Cafe in Frontierland.

Snacks. Guilty pleasure is a the turkey leg in Frontierland/Port Orleans. Not sure if those are just seasonal. The snack carts with fresh fruit always hits the spot in the afternoon when I need something sweet but don't want a ton before dinner.

Blue Bayou will always be a favorite, a sweet boyfriend took me there while in HS. So my memories of the place are much more about the magic and feel of the place over the food. SO I love going back. And I love New Orleans food too. But tend to agree, depending on the menu, it can be blah sometimes. I know it's food for the masses, but a little spice in the gumbo would be nice.



Krista

 

[kik050]

Snacks: Churros at any Churro stand. Rolled in cinnamon sugar right in front of you.

The Churros at Disneyworld are stale and premade. I think they're microwaved. Two totally different Churros.

 

[moonbill2002]

It was my first time eating a Monte Cristo at Cafe Orleans and OH MY!!! Absolutely delicious I used to eat those sandwiches all the time at Bennigan's and Disney's Monte Cristo put those to shame. And they were huge...my older kids shared a plate and then I shared mine with my other son. I also really enjoyed our meal at Carnation Cafe....I had the soup and sandwich...it was pretty good and not too heavy. And of course, the Matterhorn Sundae to end the meal wasn't too shabby, either! As for snacks, I didn't care for the popcorn and am probably the only one! But I loved my Mickey Bars and churros. Oh, and the turkey legs were always a good "snack" if we had a late lunch, etc. We would eat those instead of dinner. The corndogs were absolutely delicious as well...hubby got the spicy one, whatever that is and he liked it a lot. I gained 5lbs in the week we were there and am trying to get rid of it now that I'm home.....

 

[ukstitch]

We love Napa Rose, Steakhouse 55 and Storytellers for full size meals.

For counter service, the Paradise Garden Grill looks really good.

 

[Potterswife]

For us we love:

(we are huge breakfast fans)

Carnation Cafe: Cinnamon roll french toast (breakfast) and the baked potato soup (lunch)

Riverbelle terrace: *any breakfast, we love sitting out and looking over the park in the mornings before it gets busy

Corn dog wagon: $5.99 corndog and apple slices (or chips)

Goofy's kitchen: Brunch...love this place

Bengal bbq: anything on a stick and the bread...tiger tail (not tigger)

DH loves: the pickles, not sure why, guess there is some extra magic in them, nice and cold and huuuuge

DD loves: the cupcakes

I grew up on the Disneyland mint juleps, so so good. Imagine my suprise when we went to New Orleans and they had mint juleps!!...bad suprise, it was so gross I was expecting Disneyland's julep with an adult kick...oh was I wrong oh so wrong.

 

[starry_solo]

I like Boudin's bakery at the wharf area in DCA. You can ask for the soup or salad to be on the side of the bread and have the bread sliced. That way, if you can't finish it all, good for snacking later on.

The mediterranean food at the new eatery outside Goofy's Sky School is also pretty good. You can get the salad w/o the blue cheese and they make it fresh for you!

 

[DisneyLovin]

(1) Counter Service (fast food) meals...
-Bengal BBQ. Usually get the one of the Beef Skewers and an Outback Vegetable Skewer. Fast way to get some protein in me.
-Pacific Wharf Cafe. I love the Bakersfield Broccoli and Cheese Soup in a bread bowl. I'll usually get one for brunch. I feel like the bread helps me carb up and get through the day.
-River Belle Terrace. Get breakfast there every time from now on. I always get the Mark Twain with is potatoes, scrambled eggs, bacon or sausage, and a biscuit. I think its the best bang for your buck when it comes to a breakfast at Disneyland.

(2) Snacks...
-Churros
-Turkey Legs

Both are must haves every time I visit.

I usually don't eat at any of the full service restaurants because I'm eating small meals and snacks all day.

 

[SilentFeline]

I went to Disneyland a few times as a kid, but my memory is horrible, so not only can I not remember what I ate back then, I know the food also must have changed quite a bit. Unfortunately, I went through a long DL dry spell and have only been on one recent trip to Disneyland ('09) with my bf, so I can only comment on my last trip.

DL:

My favorite counter service place was probably Riverbelle Terrace, but we only went for breakfast. As some people have already said, they're one of the more affordable places in the park and the food is excellent. I also liked Red Rockett's Pizza Port, but only for the chicken fusilli pasta. A few of the salads sounded good, but I made the mistake of getting pizza instead. Don't make the same mistake.

As for full service restaurants, my vote goes to Carnation Cafe, hands down. My bf and I only tried the baked potato soup, and both of us fell in love instantly. We're planning another trip for next year and will try the breakfast and sandwiches as well, but that soup is a must-have.

I can't really comment on the snacks at DL because we had very few. The churros were pretty decent. We tried the Dole Whip float and I hated it, but my bf liked it. I desperately want to try Bengal Barbecue when we go next year so I can try the bacon-wrapped asparagus!

DCA:

I wasn't too impressed with the food at DCA. The best thing I had there was the corn dog from the Corn Dog Castle (I didn't get a chance to try them from the Little Red Wagon). I guess the second best thing was lasagna rustica from Wine Country Trattoria, but it wasn't the best I've ever had.

Also, although it's not in either of the parks, we both loved White Water Snacks at the GCH. They were also very affordable and they served huge portions, so all the dishes were easily splittable. The breakfast was great.

DTD:

My favorite food items here were the chicken strips from ESPN Zone and the baked macaroni and cheese from Napolini. Both were excellent, and easy to take back to the hotel if you're staying on-site or at another close hotel.

As I said, this report of favorites is only based on one trip. There are still many things we didn't get a chance to try.

 

[rentayenta]

Dark Chocolate Rocky Road (not ice cream). It's amazing.