DL dining: Appearance over Appetizing

[katyringo]

Me from rural Iowa where our fancy night out is to Applebees...

Some of my favorite food on the planet is at Disneyland.

 

[NannyBeBe]

Me from rural Iowa where our fancy night out is to Applebees...

Some of my favorite food on the planet is at Disneyland.

I totally agree. I have looked at the menus of the "fancy" restaurants at DLR. I see ingredients that I either would never eat or cannot pronounce, or have never heard of and my interest is turned off. I just want "normal" food.

 

[LKing]

I totally agree. I have looked at the menus of the "fancy" restaurants at DLR. I see ingredients that I either would never eat or cannot pronounce, or have never heard of and my interest is turned off. I just want "normal" food.

What do you consider to be "normal"? Maybe we can help direct you to restaurants with food you will find appealing.

For what it is worth, a recent meal at DLR included nage. I had never heard of that before.

 

[LAS2AMS]

As an East coaster.........In N Out is mid at best *runs and ducks for cover*

When I was younger I’d go for quantity over quality, like East Coadt garbage Five Guys . Now that I’m older and have to eat far less, I appreciate the high quality standards of In-N-Out. In-N-Out’s restaurant fleet is built out here but they keep adding more and it doesn’t do much to alleviate lines. Meanwhile… Five Guys locations have nearly all went out of business here. We ain’t studpid .

Side note - In-N-Out was supposed to open a new restaurant two miles from DL straight up Harbor, in the parking lot of Target. Garden Groove blocked them as the Coco’s they were to replace is a historic building (former Bob’s Big Boy.. the ugly Target was a FedMart, they must think it’s historic too). Now that Coco’s is all but out of business, I wonder if we’ll finally get an In-N-Out near the hotels.

 

[Smugpugmug]

When I was younger I’d go for quantity over quality, like East Coadt garbage Five Guys . Now that I’m older and have to eat far less, I appreciate the high quality standards of In-N-Out. In-N-Out’s restaurant fleet is built out here but they keep adding more and it doesn’t do much to alleviate lines. Meanwhile… Five Guys locations have nearly all went out of business here. We ain’t studpid .

Side note - In-N-Out was supposed to open a new restaurant two miles from DL straight up Harbor, in the parking lot of Target. Garden Groove blocked them as the Coco’s they were to replace is a historic building (former Bob’s Big Boy.. the ugly Target was a FedMart, they must think it’s historic too). Now that Coco’s is all but out of business, I wonder if we’ll finally get an In-N-Out near the hotels.

Haha, Five Guys isn't that great either. I just don't get the worship that in N Out gets when the food is just meh.

I would probably take In N Out over Disney food though lol

 

[LAS2AMS]

Haha, Five Guys isn't that great either. I just don't get the worship that in N Out gets when the food is just meh.

I would probably take In N Out over Disney food though lol

It’s really good, high quality food - and cheaper than McD’s, BK, etc. Gotta remember, the nationally advertised $5 meal deal at Wendy’s is $8-$10 here.

 

[irlandaise]

It’s really good, high quality food - and cheaper than McD’s, BK, etc. Gotta remember, the nationally advertised $5 meal deal at Wendy’s is $8-$10 here.

I've only been to In-N-Out a few times, but I do know that their food is fresh. You can even see them peeling the potatoes for the French fries.

Since we've veered off topic already, a cute story: About 10 years ago, I was invited to attend a taping of "Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me" in San Francisco. The guest for the "Not My Job" segment was famed restaurateur Thomas Keller (French Laundry, Per Se, etc.). Perhaps not widely known is that he loves hamburgers; I have relatives in Napa who say he's ruminated for a long time about opening a burger joint in the valley.

Anyway...he shows up at the theater with some little cornets for the panelists, like the ones served to arriving guests at Per Se. (Maybe with salmon filling? I don't recall.) He's also carrying...wait for it...bags from In-N-Out. He thinks very highly of that chain and figured the WWDTM panelists, mostly being from the Midwest and East Coast, might not have had a chance to try its food.

The friend I was with at the taping had never been to In-N-Out, so as we were driving home from SF about 10:00 p.m., we stopped at one and got some food.

I definitely have independent burger places I prefer to In-N-Out, but there's no doubt it stands out among fast-food chains.

 

[NannyBeBe]

What do you consider to be "normal"? Maybe we can help direct you to restaurants with food you will find appealing.

For what it is worth, a recent meal at DLR included nage. I had never heard of that before.

Actually, I never have any issues finding food at DLR that I find appealing. I enjoy a good burger, fish tacos, pizza, corn dogs, fried chicken, skewers, Mickey waffles, grilled cheese and tomato soup, etc., just common food.

 

[ClaraOswald]

As an East coaster.........In N Out is mid at best *runs and ducks for cover*

As a midwestern...I'd take Culver's over In N Out any day! I agree....they are mid.

 

[ClaraOswald]

I don't think any true foodie would enjoy things at Disneyland OR Disney World. In the big scheme of things...it's pretty low level stuff.

I'm not a foodie at all. We pretty much stick to quick service because we like the options we have there and it doesn't take a bunch of time to eat meals. We're there for the theme park aspect, not the food.

WDW is meh as well. They had 1 sit down restaurant I enjoyed but it's gone now - Restaurant Marrakesh.

The worst part of WDW is trying to track down fruit and vegetables to pair with our son's quick service meal. If you like like Cutie's Oranges, you're basically out of luck! At Disneyland, we always find grapes, strawberries, carrots, broccoli, celery in various spots in the park. (Not to mention the delicious fruit plate at the QS place in the Grand Californian.) Do Floridians have an aversion to produce?!

 

[LAS2AMS]

I don't think any true foodie would enjoy things at Disneyland OR Disney World. In the big scheme of things...it's pretty low level stuff.

I'm not a foodie at all. We pretty much stick to quick service because we like the options we have there and it doesn't take a bunch of time to eat meals. We're there for the theme park aspect, not the food.

WDW is meh as well. They had 1 sit down restaurant I enjoyed but it's gone now - Restaurant Marrakesh.

The worst part of WDW is trying to track down fruit and vegetables to pair with our son's quick service meal. If you like like Cutie's Oranges, you're basically out of luck! At Disneyland, we always find grapes, strawberries, carrots, broccoli, celery in various spots in the park. (Not to mention the delicious fruit plate at the QS place in the Grand Californian.) Do Floridians have an aversion to produce?!

Probably has more to do with SoCal culture - hence why OBB is mostly healthy snacks vs. pure candy at MNSSHP. Lots of parents at OBB won’t allow their kids to take anything… whereas MNSSHP, many people bring huge bags.

They opened up some Culver’s in Saint George UT, near In-N-Out. Guess which one has no business and which one has lines blocking traffic . Culver’s custard is pretty good though.

 

[DizMe]

I just got back yesterday from my annual DLR Dec Christmas trip. We had lots of good food in all different sorts of restaurants. Our worst meals were at Napa Rose (pretty terrible) and Club 33. I have a good friend who is a member so I've been to Club 33 a lot, but it sure has been disappointing the last few visits. I know it's great fun to get to go, but the quality has declined tremendously. It was quite a bit more special 15 years ago, and though it's still a treat, it's sad to see so much of what made it special being reduced/removed.

We had great food and service in Hearthstone, though the crush of people trying to get in was a shock. Maybe it was the dance thing going on because I've never seen crowds pour in like that before.

Here's one of my "secret" tips: if you're looking for a nice breakfast/lunch, order the kid's Parmesan-crusted grilled cheese at Craftsman Bar (by the pool in GCH). It comes with fruit, is less than a drink, and is delicious! It's also filling. My sister and I shared one and barely finished. It's quite rich.

 

[LKing]

We had great food and service in Hearthstone, though the crush of people trying to get in was a shock. Maybe it was the dance thing going on because I've never seen crowds pour in like that before.

Hearthstone used to be a hidden secret. Not anymore. The past 2-3 mos have been much more busy.

 

[LAS2AMS]

If you split a grilled cheese sandwhich and barely finished, you’re either a small eater or had a large meal earlier in the day .

DLR hiked up prices within the hotels a few years ago… food use to be priced similar to the parks, but now you can get the same food for much less in the parks. The only reason to eat at the hotels these days is convenience. You can get a hearty sandwich and soup a short walk away at Earl of Sandwich for about the same price the hotels charge for a kids’ meal with an Uncrustable.

 

[DizMe]

If you split a grilled cheese sandwhich and barely finished, you’re either a small eater or had a large meal earlier in the day .

DLR hiked up prices within the hotels a few years ago… food use to be priced similar to the parks, but now you can get the same food for much less in the parks. The only reason to eat at the hotels these days is convenience. You can get a hearty sandwich and soup a short walk away at Earl of Sandwich for about the same price the hotels charge for a kids’ meal with an Uncrustable.

Ha ha! Well, I suppose you're right! I eat often but not a lot of food. I'm on the small side (5'2", 118 lbs), so a kid meal suits me fine because I'm also picky. The nice thing about that grilled cheese is that it's not made like the usual kid fare but a slightly smaller-sized portion of a nice adult meal. I can't imagine eating the whole thing by yourself, LOL.

But I love the restaurant experience. I like a nice sit-down meal. I'm not keen on take-out, fast food, character meals, or cafeteria style. A big part of my DLR pleasure is reserved dining (and the candy shops).

 

[joseph821]

I have to try Hearthstobe...never been there

 

[LAS2AMS]

Ha ha! Well, I suppose you're right! I eat often but not a lot of food. I'm on the small side (5'2", 118 lbs), so a kid meal suits me fine because I'm also picky. The nice thing about that grilled cheese is that it's not made like the usual kid fare but a slightly smaller-sized portion of a nice adult meal. I can't imagine eating the whole thing by yourself, LOL.

But I love the restaurant experience. I like a nice sit-down meal. I'm not keen on take-out, fast food, character meals, or cafeteria style. A big part of my DLR pleasure is reserved dining (and the candy shops).

Sadly, I’m twice your size and the grilled cheese would barely qualify as a snack . I’m guessing that any teenage boy could probably devour multiples, so I know I’m not alone .

I agree with your comments about the restaurant experience. But beyond Napa Rose and Carthay Circle, most DLR restaurants try to get you out as quickly as possible, since that’s what most guests want.

 

[DizMe]

I have to try Hearthstobe...never been there

It's a little out of the way if you're staying off site and easy to miss if you don't go into GCH. I believe the hours are different than they used to be and it doesn't open until 4. I recommend a reservation though they do accept walk-ins and will text you if/when they have a table for you. However, we went the other night, got there around 6 and put in our name. We were given an estimated wait time of 15 minutes. Two hours later, they told us they wouldn't be able to get us in (party of 2). We didn't have a reservation that night but we were kind of shocked at the massive amount of people pouring in. It may have been due to the dance event, which we didn't know about at the time, but I've never had that happen before.

 

[KimberMama]

It's a little out of the way if you're staying off site and easy to miss if you don't go into GCH. I believe the hours are different than they used to be and it doesn't open until 4. I recommend a reservation though they do accept walk-ins and will text you if/when they have a table for you. However, we went the other night, got there around 6 and put in our name. We were given an estimated wait time of 15 minutes. Two hours later, they told us they wouldn't be able to get us in (party of 2). We didn't have a reservation that night but we were kind of shocked at the massive amount of people pouring in. It may have been due to the dance event, which we didn't know about at the time, but I've never had that happen before.

I don’t know if you tried Friday or Saturday, since the dancers were there both nights. We ate at Hearthstone Friday night (13th) with a reservation, and they did seem busy with a lot of people waiting. Our food was super slow and my burger was warm at best (cooked, just not hot). Honestly, I was underwhelmed. Everyone had talked up Hearthstone and I was looking for a nice meal without having to deal with the Napa Rose prix fixe which we had no interest in. The food was decent and would have been better if had been hot, but it was incredibly loud in there, and way too cold.

In terms of sheer ambiance, our meal at BB on Thursday was better. This was the best table we’ve ever had at BB, and we have sat waterfront more than once. I didn’t even ask for a waterfront table, we just got lucky, and it was a two top which they pretend not to have when you’re making reservations. But the prime rib was dry — I don’t even know how they managed that with a medium rare piece.

I like good, simple food, but I agree that overall, food at the DL resort is more about looks than taste. I’d rather have a burger at Habit Grill than inside DL. As to my thoughts on In N Out, I grew up with them, they are decent and fresh, and they are also affordable and much better than any big national chain. The fries are fresh, but only okay, and it honestly depends on which In N out you go to, which doesn’t make sense, but is still true. We have three within 10 minutes of us and one has really good fries consistently. The fries would be better if they double fried them, like Five Guys. But Five Guys is so expensive you might as well go to Red Robin.

Best food of my most recent trip was Bengal BBQ, which is consistently good. Prior visit, best food was the short rib from Carnation, ordered with mashed potatoes instead of mac ‘n cheese.

 

[LKing]

It's a little out of the way if you're staying off site and easy to miss if you don't go into GCH. I believe the hours are different than they used to be and it doesn't open until 4. I recommend a reservation though they do accept walk-ins and will text you if/when they have a table for you. However, we went the other night, got there around 6 and put in our name. We were given an estimated wait time of 15 minutes. Two hours later, they told us they wouldn't be able to get us in (party of 2). We didn't have a reservation that night but we were kind of shocked at the massive amount of people pouring in. It may have been due to the dance event, which we didn't know about at the time, but I've never had that happen before.

They are doing the tea there during the holidays. I think it normally opens at 11 am or noon on weekends.