Counter Service - How's the food?

[BCKatie02]

We're planning our first trip to Disneyland this July. I was reading a trip report earlier and was disappointed to hear the reporter say how awful the food was in DL and DCA at the CS restaurants. Now, his trip was in 2004, so I was hoping things have improved since then. I've checked out the menus and lots of stuff sounds good. So can anyone tell me about the CS food?

THANKS!

 

[Katie0677]

Rancho del Zocallo has good mexican food. 2 adults could easily split the meal if you have lunch there.
Club Buzz was also pretty decent with a good fruit plate and burgers. At most of the cs places, if not all, the kids meals come in a little plastic kit type thing and include a drink.
Have fun!!
Katie

 

[hlbtimes2]

We find the food ok. Its not great. Meaning, if a local place sold the same food for the same price I probably wouldnt make it a point to eat there. If a local attraction (zoo, water slide, etc) sold the same food for the same price I would be very happy. Most of our local venues have worse food at the same price. I should also add, eating at Disneyland isnt a big thing for us. We dont go for the food, we go for the whole experience.

A run down of places we've eaten:
Pizza Port- great salads and pasta, pizza is ok. Great kids ravioli meal
Hungry Bear- good burgers, slow service
Village Haus- havent eaten there in years. The last time the burgers were horrible, but I think they may be the same as hungry bear now- I'm not willing to spend the money to find out!
River Bell Terrace- great for any meal. BBQ combo meal is big enough to share.
Plaza Inn- great fried chicken and pasta. The salads look good, but we haven't ordered them.
French Market- also had good friend chicken
Royal street terrace- very good clam chowder in a bread bowl- one of our favorite meals.
Coke corner- chili in a bread bowl- very good, lots of cheese!
Corn dog cart on main street- best corn dog EVER!

DCA
Taste pilots grill- great burgers. You add your own lettuce, tomatoes, etc from a topping bar
Pacific Warf- good corn chowder in a bread bowl. Good salads in a bread bowl. SAndwich just ok.
Corn dog castle- Great corn dogs- like the ones on main street.
Pizza- I think their menu has changed is much like pizza port now. I would guess good pasta and salads, ok pizza.

GC-
White water snacks- good burgers. I've heard the nacos are good, but havent tried them.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Well, I guess its what you're used to! I happen to think the food at Disneyland is better than the cs food at WDW. But I have seen some WDW regulars who think the food at Disneyland isn't good. I think they are shell shocked by the prices and are expecting something more maybe? Its that Southern California price difference I guess! But the portions are generally huge so you can share which helps with the cost factor. I also think the atmosphere at most Disneyland cs places is nice. For instance at the French Market in New Orleans Square they have lovely outdoor seating and sometimes have a live jazz combo playing. And at many of the Disneyland cs places (Plaza and French Market come to mind) you are served on a real plate and not some paper basket type thing. Several of the cs places at Disneyland are buffeteria places. Meaning you go through a line, choose your food, they plate it up for you and then you pay at a central cashier. You see what you are getting which is kind of nice.

I won't lie, its theme park food so its not going to be a five star meal but I don't think you'll go hungry. The only cs place I have had that I thought was crummy at DL is the Village Haus. Everything else has been good to great.

My favorites are:
Plaza Inn
Rancho del Zocalo
French Market
Redd Rockets Pizza Port
Hungry Bear
Riverbelle Terrace (go for breakfast, they have Mickey pancakes!)
Those are all Disneyland, at DCA I like Taste Pilots Grill for burgers and chicken sandwiches. I also love the bakery and the Mexican place in the Pacific Wharf area of DCA. Go there at night, eat outside and enjoy the beautiful lights of Paradise Pier!

 

[stampinshauna]

I think it is just a personal opinion. It isn't the best food I've ever had, but I've also had a lot worse.

We like Taste Pilot's Grill in DCA, they have all the fixings that you get put on your sandwiches and burgers.

Also in DCA is the Pacific Wharf (I think) where you can get soup, salads, or sandwiches with Sourdough.

Red Rockets Pizza Port isn't bad in Tomorrowland.

Our favorite snacks are Dole Whips by the Tiki Room and Ice Cream in a Waffle Bowl at the Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor.

If you expect fantastic food, you may be disappointed. If you just want something to eat, there are a lot of choices that are pretty good.

 

[iceskatejen]

Personally I won't touch Village Haus with a ten foot pole--slow service and not the best. Here's where I eat regurlarly:

Golden Horseshoe (Ok, I live in there)--Love the chicken strips (recently changed--different breading and more flavorful), the fish is good and they also have mozzeralla sticks and chili. They also have funnel cakes, but the best dessert in DL is their 5 layer chocolate cake (you will be sharing this--it's enough for 5 people). GH is the only place in DL to get this cake.

Stage Door Cafe--same food as GH (minus the chocolate cake and chili) but the service is faster. But they are skimpier with the dipping sauce.

Pizza Port--Personally I hate their pizza--too bready, but I like the pasta. I've had the chicken fusilli (probably the most popular), the tomato basil pasta, and the kids ravioli. I've only had their side salads.

Bengal BBQ--Love the chicken skewers and the veggie skewers. Also, the bacon wrapped asparagus is very popular.

I like the chicken at Plaza Inn, but I find if kind of pricey.
I don't care for River Bell's pancakes myself--not cooked enough.

I like Club Buzz's breakfast.

DCA:

Taste Pilots--overall pretty good. I've only had the BBQ chicken Sandwich (I don't eat beef).

Pacific Wharf: I like the brocolli cheese soup and the chicken & apple salad a lot.

Strips, Dips & Chips--pretty much the same menu as Stage Door in DL.

Pizza Oom Mow Mow--Pasta, pizza. Again, the chicken fusilli is what I get there.

In the Grand Californian:
Whitewater Snacks (DLR's best kept secret)--the best counter service in the resort--great charbroiled chicken sandwich. The nachos are also great. Yummy guacamole. Here's one place you would go even if it weren't in DL for the same price.

 

[DevilDuckie]

On the whole I find the food to be much better and with better portions over in DCA. Taste Pilots and Boudin are our favorites although the hot link corndogs are to die for too.

In DL HusbandMan likes the fried chicken at the Plaza Inn and the pizza over in Tomorrowland was pretty decent. Mostly we eat over in DCA unless we're doing Blue Bayou or Club 33. We're also shameless at the sweet shop in Pooh Corner.

Biggest disappointments:
Hungry Bear
Dole Whips



No reason, I just like the blinkie dancy guys

 

[ladyjayhawk]

Golden Horseshoe (Ok, I live in there)--Love the chicken strips (recently changed--different breading and more flavorful), the fish is good and they also have mozzeralla sticks and chili. They also have funnel cakes, but the best dessert in DL is their 5 layer chocolate cake (you will be sharing this--it's enough for 5 people). GH is the only place in DL to get this cake.

Stage Door Cafe--same food as GH (minus the chocolate cake and chili) but the service is faster. But they are skimpier with the dipping sauce.

If we go to the GH at 3:30 for the 4:00 show (on a weekday), do you think we will have any trouble getting food in time for the show? I was going to send DH to the Stage Door Cafe because I thought it was the same, but we want to try the cake and chili so it looks like we need to line up at the GH. It will feel like 6:00 pm to us, so this should be a great way to have dinner and a show. Thanks!

 

[Amy&Dan]

If we go to the GH at 3:30 for the 4:00 show (on a weekday), do you think we will have any trouble getting food in time for the show? I was going to send DH to the Stage Door Cafe because I thought it was the same, but we want to try the cake and chili so it looks like we need to line up at the GH. It will feel like 6:00 pm to us, so this should be a great way to have dinner and a show. Thanks!

I would get there earlier than that. We love to combine our love of Bill Hill and Hillbillies with our love of chicken strips and fried cheese, so we dine and watch the show most every trip. We generally get there about one hour before the show for that. That way we can generally eat and take the kids for a bathroom break (across the street by Rancho) before the show starts. Although 45 minutes might be fine since that is more of an "off" time to eat. The line can get long and move slow however.

 

[crzy4mk]

Don't know if you've been to WDW recently, but I find that DL and DCA has better counter service food than WDW. I love the sit-down restaurants at WDW, and have been there many more times than DL, but in the past 2 years on my trips to DL, I have found the quick meals at CS to be much better. Here are my favorites:

Bengal BBQ - good skewers (especially the beef, and the asparagus)
Award Weiners (in DCA) - good hot dogs w/a variety of toppings.
Corn Dog Cart on Main Street - awesome corn dogs!

Also, don't know if you are wine lovers, but the Wine Tasting in DCA is a good "snack" as well. You can try 3 different wines, and it comes with toasted bread, cheeses, and a fruit compote for about $10.

 

[smilingmouse]

Where in DCA is the wine tasting? I didn't realize that is an option, and I would like to try it.

 

[crzy4mk]

Where in DCA is the wine tasting? I didn't realize that is an option, and I would like to try it.

In the Golden Vine Winery Area of Golden State. Start at the main entrance, and walk around Grizzly River Run, with it on your right. As you get to the back part of it, you will see the "Wine area", with the winery, restaurants, and the Terrace Wine Tasting. It's really good, you should try it.