Favorite DL Restaurant?

[Judy from Boise]

since i hate to be inside on vacation, I vote:
DL - River belle terrace (on the terrace)
DCA - Pacific wharf cafe (on the pier)

 

[kingLouiethe1]

If I were only going to eat one place I would eat at Goofy's Kitchen, but I love the characters.

 

[petrymom]

If I were only going to eat one place I would eat at Goofy's Kitchen, but I love the characters.

this is SOOOO on our list to try when we go in March - but this is because my hubby loves buffets......

 

[spacemermaid]

Favorite Character meal: Goofy's Kitchen breakfast buffet. Expensive, but worth it.

Best atmosphere: Blue Bayou. True, it's a bit pricey, but I've never had a bad meal there & nothing beats being able to eat inside the POTC ride

Tied for favorite non-Character-meal table service restaurant: Cafe' Orleans (must-tries: gumbo, pommes frites, Mickey beignets); Carnation Cafe' (must-try: loaded baked potato soup! The potpies & meatloaf meal are also delicious)

Quick service; another tie: Pizza Port (for the fusilli pasta) and Rancho del Zocalo (for the not-very-authentic-but-still-yummy enchilada plate, and the nicely themed patio seating areas, which are especially pretty at night). Both places have free refills on sodas, which is also a bonus

 

[toby78]

The Blue Bayou is highly overrated, the ambience is nice, but the food is crap for the exorbitant prices that are charged.

 

[aussietravellers]

Carnation Cafe is my favourite
I just could not get enough of that loaded potato soup!

 

[Diznygrl]

Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen in Downtown Disney!

 

[jjstinson]

Thanks for the responses. I booked the Blue Bayou.

 

[ktlm]

For counter service, I would eat the California Wrap at Farmer's Market at CA. In fact, I might pick that over a table service. I was lucky enough to get to go to DL/CA for one whirlwind day while on a business trip last summer and we were looking for something really quick. I haven't gotten that wrap out of my mind since!!! They don't have it anywhere at WDW.

 

[pixiewings71]

The food at BB is not crap. It's not just meh either, it's good food, good service and an awesome atmosphere!! I'm glad you booked it! Our fave sit down is BB, our favorite CS in DL is Rancho Del Zocalo. Our fave CS in DCA is Taste Pilot's Grill. I guess our fave sit down in DCA would be Ariel's Grotto. We weren't all that impressed with WCT at all.

 

[Sherry E]

this is SOOOO on our list to try when we go in March - but this is because my hubby loves buffets......

And Goofy's Kitchen is also my one place I would choose to eat if I could only pick one. That is the place I enjoy the most, but there are lots of places I enjoy eating all around DLR. In keeping with the request of the OP, though, I will just pick one and stick with Goofy's!

It is all very subjective, though. Even the aforementioned thread about the 'places to NOT eat' is mostly based on opinions and subjective viewpoints or experiences that people had at the restaurants on 'off' days, so it can't totally be used as a gauge of what is good on a whole and what is not. (In some case, the posts/reviews were based on bad service or food that made them ill, but most of it came down to what people preferred and didn't prefer.) Some people love Goofy's Kitchen and, like yours truly, go back there every DLR trip. Others didn't have a good experience there at all at won't go back. Some will feel like Blue Bayou is well worth the money and they love the food; others will not feel it is worth the money and didn't care for the food. Some folks will say the Hungry Bear has great food; others will say the food is like cardboard. Some of us have had great experiences at Naples; others hate Naples. And the debate rages on!!

So for every restaurant around DLR, you will probably find a camp of people who love it and a camp of people who hate it. Doesn't mean there is a right or wrong final answer to go by - only people's opinions!

 

[raftislander]

Excellent points Sherry! If you look at it this way, choosing a place for the atmosphere -Blue Bayou - or the characters- Goofy's Kitchen, ensures that you will enjoy at least one aspect of your meal. For example, I don't think the food at Rancho Zocalo is very good Mexican food, but the food is otherwise tasty and the outside dining areas are very pleasant. So I always feel refreshed, full, and relaxed after eating here. The salads and pasta I have had at Redd Rocket's have been very good, but the dining areas are noisy and chaotic (although going to the back area overlooking the entry to SM is better). So I don't enjoy the dining experience as much at RR even though I think that, overall, the food is better. To the op, if you go to BB, wait for a waterside table, it is worth it.