Best off-site restraunts?

[kymom99]

We rarely eat out at sitdown restaurants anymore. Simply not in the budget with DS in private school. When we do, it is usually O'Charleys or something similar. When we travel we like to eat at different places, even if they are a chain. I was looking at loactions in CA for Cheesecake Factory because there is only one near us and it is in an area we do not frequent. I looked at their menu and was very impressed with their low calorie menu options. Not one or two items, but TONS of unique choices. IMO, Disney restaurants have such limited menus that I would much prefer to eat a sitdown meal somewhere else. So if OP or ayone else is concerned with eating lower calorie offerings, this is one place that may deliver.

 

[DisneytheKid]

I have heard a lot of talk recently about Gardenwalk and how it could be used for a third park but (may be a silly question) is Gardenwalk within walking distance of the gates or would we need a cab?

I have 4...

1. Mimi's.. its so close to park and I love the food
2. Joe's Crab Shack
3. Cheesecake Factory
4. PF Changs...both CF and PFC are at the gardenwalk

 

[kymom99]

Not speaking from experience, but if you look at the map links in the sticky, it looks like it is within walking distance.

 

[larina]

i haven't really found a lot of great food in orange county. i'm mostly dedicated to disneyland so it is much harder to explore when i'm so focused on getting in my disney fix. lol

I agree with this 100% We rarely get further away than down the block. That leaves us with mostly on-site or chain choices. We prefer to support local businesses in general, but it is less practical at DLR than it is many other places.

Tiffy's isn't a chain. They have decent food..and really good ice cream!

I don't know that you can call the food decent or even mediocre. We had a HORRIBLE meal there in December, only bad meal of the trip! We went to support the non-chain restaurant. Joke was on us. We had a pretty decent meal at the Coco's chain though.

Wow-not eating at nonchain restaurants because of food poisoning????? You're missing a lot of great food!...

And chain restaurants aren't any safer in this regard. My entire family got sick at a Cheesecake Factory. Seems we weren't alone either. When we called about it the next day, we weren't the first to do so. Seems it was a grease problem. GROSS! They handled it well, but we're reluctant to go back to use the giftcards they gave us. We'll probably give them away.

 

[DisneytheKid]

Not speaking from experience, but if you look at the map links in the sticky, it looks like it is within walking distance.

Oh too easy! Thanks for pointing me in the right direction kymom99

 

[DharmaLou]

Thanks for the sushi rec - I'm putting that on our list, though my guess is that the nights we don't eat at DLR we'll either be in LA or with family up the coast.

Chain restaurants are no safer than a locally/independently owned restaurants. That's a very ignorant comment to make. Most restaurants, regardless of ownership are provided with food by the same sources. Food handling techniques can lead to food poisoning and you're no safer at one restaurant than another.

And I'm sorry you didn't like Belisles, they were dear friends of our family and I was sort of insulted by your comment, since I did mention that they were friends of our family.

 

[nannyz]

DharmaLu, I am sorry if I offended you about Belisles -- it wasn't the food that I disliked; it was the amount of food. All the servings were so huge and I just found it offensive to serve so much food. Apparently it was their trademark.

I do eat at several family-owned restaurants here in my city, because they have stood the test of time and experiences with me. I would not just pop in to any little diner in any city because I don't know what their standards are and whether they keep a clean kitchen. (Actually, you can judge the cleanliness of a restaurant by the cleanliness of their bathrooms.)

 

[DisneytheKid]

Chain restaurants are no safer than a locally/independently owned restaurants. That's a very ignorant comment to make. Most restaurants, regardless of ownership are provided with food by the same sources. Food handling techniques can lead to food poisoning and you're no safer at one restaurant than another.

Agreed.

 

[PinkBudgie]

I have heard a lot of talk recently about Gardenwalk and how it could be used for a third park but (may be a silly question) is Gardenwalk within walking distance of the gates or would we need a cab?

Not speaking from experience, but if you look at the map links in the sticky, it looks like it is within walking distance.

Yes, Gardenwalk is walking distance. We've done it before. I found the stores to be uninteresting so I would only go there for the food. Maybe that's why it isn't doing so well.

 

[mouseymommy]

We have ordered from El Pollo Norteno and it was very good. We had chicken, carnitas, and carne asada. They deliver too! One of our favorites is Slater's 50/50. It's not walking distance, but it's really good!

 

[disneegrl4eva]

I do not eat at a non-chain restaurant that I know nothing about -- too easy to get food poisoning. You can't know what kind of quality control they have or if they are clean.
I know lots of folks loved Belisles but I am glad it's gone. My husband always wanted to eat there but I found it disgusting.
To the OP, your best bet would be to ask the locals where the good restaurants are.

hey are you saying I would post links to restaurants that give food poisoning????

Original Pancake house is still a chain

you know, I never knew that...ive only ever seen or heard about the one in Anaheim...so i assumed it was a local eatery only...

 

[rramstad]

When traveling I have always found suggestions at Chowhound to be very helpful, especially if you are willing to do some searches on the board, weed out a few things that don't look interesting, collate the things that get mentioned over and over again, and then ask very specific questions, if you have some...

http://chowhound.chow.com/boards/2

We found a great Thai place in Long Beach, and a great Japanese place a bit further south, near San Juan Capistrano, thanks to Chowhound...

I'm subscribing to this thread as we'll be there in a few days, and will have a car this time... and are keeping the car almost entirely so we can get in some late lunches or early dinners off site.

(Personally I'm never terribly interested in chain restaurants as usually we've got one here in greater Seattle... I'm more interested in things that are unique and local, especially if the cuisine is something we don't get up here. That said, it's really interesting that some of the best Thai and most unusual Japanese I've had was in OC, considering that we've got TONS of Thai and Japanese places here, very authentic.)

 

[disneegrl4eva]

We found a great Thai place in Long Beach,

whats the name of it?? there are a couple I like...just want to see if one of them is the same

 

[limace]

Chowhound's a great rec-that's the first place I always go to plan my food when traveling.

 

[rramstad]

whats the name of it?? there are a couple I like...just want to see if one of them is the same

Thai Nakorn in Garden Grove?

http://thainakornrestaurant.com/

 

[disneegrl4eva]

Thai Nakorn in Garden Grove?

http://thainakornrestaurant.com/

no the restaurant in Long Beach

 

[CurlyGirlyGirl]

If you have a car, go to Knott's Berry Farm and eat at Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner restaurant. You don't have to pay to get into the park, and parking is free for a couple hours.

 

[rramstad]

no the restaurant in Long Beach

I am geographically challenged, and it wasn't a Thai restaurant in Long Beach, it was in Garden Grove, on our way from the airport to the park...

(More to the point, I totally understand how some folks get totally confused by Seattle neighborhoods as there are never any clear indications as to what ends where and why -- same deal with OC and LA, it seems!)

 

[disneegrl4eva]

I am geographically challenged, and it wasn't a Thai restaurant in Long Beach, it was in Garden Grove, on our way from the airport to the park...

(More to the point, I totally understand how some folks get totally confused by Seattle neighborhoods as there are never any clear indications as to what ends where and why -- same deal with OC and LA, it seems!)

hahaha ok

 

[BayGirl22]

DharmaLu, I am sorry if I offended you about Belisles -- it wasn't the food that I disliked; it was the amount of food. All the servings were so huge and I just found it offensive to serve so much food. Apparently it was their trademark.

I do eat at several family-owned restaurants here in my city, because they have stood the test of time and experiences with me. I would not just pop in to any little diner in any city because I don't know what their standards are and whether they keep a clean kitchen. (Actually, you can judge the cleanliness of a restaurant by the cleanliness of their bathrooms.)

While I see what you mean, I think this varies quite a bit by location. In a city like San Francisco virtually all the great restaurants are not chains. They would not stay in business if they were consistently sketchy, and there are plenty of online reviews to guide you. In fact, if you were to limit yourself to chains in SF you would be missing out on most of the city. I can see how in a smaller town or city or a more remote area the non-chain places could be mostly diners and be more questionable.

Although Anaheim itself is a bit more suburban, I'd put the LA/Orange County area more in the same category as SF. If a restaurant is local, busy, and recommended, its probably got something to offer.

Just my perspective. Not sure where you are from.