Favorite places to eat OUTSIDE of the parks?

[ryleeranger]

We are going to Disneyland in a week! What are some of your favorite places to eat outside of the parks?

 

[Sherry E]

Do you mean outside of the whole Resort, meaning outside of Downtown Disney and the 3 Disney hotels as well? Totally non-Disney restaurants?

If you mean outside of the whole Disneyland Resort, I know a lot of folks like several of the places at Garden Walk (like Bubba Gump's, California Pizza Kitchen, etc.) Also, many folks recommend both Mimi's and Millie's, near DL.

If we can include the DLR hotel restaurants and the Downtown Disney places, then I like Storyteller's Cafe at the Grand Californian Hotel, Goofy's Kitchen character buffet at the Disneyland Hotel, Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney, Naples Ristorante in Downtown Disney and ESPN Zone in Downtown Disney.

 

[aussietravellers]

PF Changs and Cheesecake Factory at the Anaheim Garden Walk. YUM

We like Rainforest Cafe and ESPN and Naples at Downtown Disney.

 

[Sherry E]

PF Changs and Cheesecake Factory at the Anaheim Garden Walk. YUM

We like Rainforest Cafe and ESPN and Naples at Downtown Disney.

I see you and I have exactly the same taste in our Downtown Disney restaurants!! Good taste!!!

 

[tink2dw]

Cheesecake Factory at the Anaheim Garden Walk

Mcdonalds for breakfast

Wetzel Pretzel dogs with melted cheddar cheese

Plaza Inn Chicken dinner with extra $ for breast/white meat dinner

Oatmeal raisin cookie at Pooh's Corner[took 3 days to finish. it was big, really good, and I nibbled it between rides!]

Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen express window for the french donut Benia's?

 

[bumbershoot]

Millie's and Coco's, and now that we've tried the portabello burger at Cheesecake Factory, we like that place, too.

 

[iheartdisney]

IHOP across the street...kids eat free!

 

[Amommy21]

We love Storytellers at The Grand

 

[jlmarr]

Mimi's Cafe, visible from the Monorail as it leaves the Tomorrowland station. Storyteller in GCH, Cheesecake Factory at Gardenwalk, Tortilla Joe's in DTD.

 

[disheadz]

Mimi's for solid affordable grub, Jazz Kitchen when you want to spend, and Tortilla Joe's when you have a large or very hungry group.

 

[disney-inspired]

I cannot believe no one has said this yet but my favorite is In-N-Out!

 

[SnowWhite09]

Millie's and Coco's, and now that we've tried the portabello burger at Cheesecake Factory, we like that place, too.

I second Coco's bakery, especially in strawberry season - the chocolate strawberry pie is the best!

 

[Amommy21]

I cannot believe no one has said this yet but my favorite is In-N-Out!

I was going to mention this! DH paid $40 for cab right from the hotel to In and Out to get a burger on our first night LOL!

 

[Quilter007]

In-N-Out and El Pollo Loco!!!

 

[tinkcollector]

In DTD I really enjoy Catal's. But, for a choice out of the resort. Just down Harbor is an excellant Italian restaurant called "Bucca de Beppo". I highly recommend this one.

 

[blackjackdelta]

Ruth Chris or Mortons when I have the time.

Jack

 

[Dizneydaz]

And don't forget our local icon-Del Taco! So much better than Taco Bell. And so reasonably priced too! There are 2 pretty close to DLR. One south on Harbor and then one just minutes away on the 5 freeway. Get on the 5 freeway south, exit at Katella, make a left and it's right there, sitting all by itself. (There is currently alot of construction going on in the area around it.) Many times DD10 and I drive thru Del Taco on our way home.

A few more of our favorites are Olive Garden, located at Main Place in Santa Ana. Again, just south on the 5 freeway. There is also another Ca. Pizza Kitchen located there.

In DTD, we eat at Jazz Kitchen Express. Same kitchen as Ralph Brennans, some of the same food. The Gumbo Ya Ya is very good, and a big serving. My DD gets the kid's popcorn chicken, which gives you a ton of chicken-and it's very tasty. We don't get the happy face fries as we find them disgusting! We substitute plain fries.

Also, for lunch, or an early dinner, we regularly eat at White Water Snacks (WWC) at the GC. Easy access through the GC entrance from DCA by GRR. You'll have no problem exiting and returning through that gate. I keep my receipt handy just in case but have never been asked for it.

Besides, Bubba Gumps at Garden Walk we have also eaten at Johnny Rockets. Pretty good and it was a nice break from the crowds at DLR.

The closest McD's to DLR is on Ball Rd, east of DLR. Personally we no longer stop there. Not a very well run McDs.

As PP have stated, Mimi's is very good. P.F. Changs-love the lettuce wraps! So is In 'N Out and Pollo Loco.



Hope this helps.

 

[Mugglemama]

We usually grab a huge meal (we are a family of 6) from El Pollo Loco on days that we are going to spend several hours at the hotel in the afternoon (which we basically only do in the summer, when the parks are too hot mid-day). The chicken is grilled, so it's relatively healthy for fast food, and it tastes really, really good.

Claim Jumper's isn't too far away (near Marie Callendar's, I think) on the 91. We haven't been there in a long time (we always end up opting for taking El Pollo Loco back to the hotel so we can rest/swim, etc., rather than spending all of our non-disney time driving and sitting in a restaurant), but the times we did go there the food was really yummy. I'm not sure if things have changed, but back then they had gigantic servings. We bought one dessert to share among 2 adults and 2 kids, and still had to take part of it home (motherlode cake, OMG).

 

[Dizneydaz]

Claim Jumper still serves humongous portions! Totally shareable. Not sure which location you're talking about. The ones closest to DLR are Santa Ana on 17th and Buena Park, across the street from Knott's at Beach Blvd, just south of the 91. (we sometimes have dinner there after a day at KBF). They started many years ago in Los Alamitos (now closed) and have spread around. Really good food, and large portions.

Couple things really nice about CJ-there are 2 sizes of kid's meals available-Little Jumper and Junior Jumper. Also available for seniors. Their dinners are so large that you can share them between 2, or even 3 people. They have happy hour specials from 3-7 M-F with reduced prices on many of their appetizers (Saloon only). Their desserts area amazing!

We stopped by one on the way home from the Birch's Aquarium in La Jolla on 2/14 and my DM and I shared the I Declair (no dinner, just dessert). This is one amazing dessert! It's a huge custard filled eclair served on top of a bed of really good vanilla ice cream, with chocolate fudge on top of the eclair and tons of whip cream covering the sides of the whole thing. When it's served it looks like a birthday cake! When we get one of these we only get dessert-it's that big. If you have a meal, a family of 4-6 could easily share it for dessert. And at $9.95 it's a pretty good value. 2 sundaes at Baskin Robbins would have probably run us that much, or more.

Being a true Disboarder, I took some pictures-

Here's the I Declair-

And the smaller (Little Jumper)kid's Build Your Own Pasta-choice of 2 sides inc. apples and caramel. All meals come with a whole apple.

And yes, the Motherlode slice of cake is really, really, big! Here's CJ's desc.

Chocolate Motherlode Cake
A twenty-two year tradition. Six decadent layers of chocolate fudge cake topped with walnuts. Featured on the Food Network as one of America's "Top 5 Most Decadent Desserts" 9.95

Hungry yet?

 

[pixiewings71]

Cheesecake Factory at the Anaheim Garden Walk[/COLOR]

Mcdonalds for breakfast

Wetzel Pretzel dogs with melted cheddar cheese

Chicken dinner with extra $ for breast/white meat dinner

Oatmeal raisin cookie at Pooh's Corner[took 3 days to finish. it was big, really good, and I nibbled it between rides!]

Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen express window for the french donut Benia's?

You mean Beignets right? Yes, the Jazz Kitchen has great beignets but be sure to try the ones from Cafe Orleans in the park too, they are Mickey shaped.

IHOP across the street...kids eat free!

NO WAY!!!!! We did Kids Eat Free and had 2 kids, 2 adults, the kids were free but the adult meals were waaaaayyyy overpriced!!!! It still cost us $40-50 and that was with 2 regular (burger or sandwich style) entrees and 2 drinks, NO dessert and no extras.....no way will I eat there ever again.

I cannot believe no one has said this yet but my favorite is In-N-Out!

Meh, I'd rather have Sonic anyday.

And don't forget our local icon-Del Taco! So much better than Taco Bell. And so reasonably priced too! There are 2 pretty close to DLR. One south on Harbor and then one just minutes away on the 5 freeway. Get on the 5 freeway south, exit at Katella, make a left and it's right there, sitting all by itself. (There is currently alot of construction going on in the area around it.) Many times DD10 and I drive thru Del Taco on our way home.

A few more of our favorites are Olive Garden, located at Main Place in Santa Ana. Again, just south on the 5 freeway. There is also another Ca. Pizza Kitchen located there.

In DTD, we eat at Jazz Kitchen Express. Same kitchen as Ralph Brennans, some of the same food. The Gumbo Ya Ya is very good, and a big serving. My DD gets the kid's popcorn chicken, which gives you a ton of chicken-and it's very tasty. We don't get the happy face fries as we find them disgusting! We substitute plain fries.

Also, for lunch, or an early dinner, we regularly eat at White Water Snacks (WWC) at the GC. Easy access through the GC entrance from DCA by GRR. You'll have no problem exiting and returning through that gate. I keep my receipt handy just in case but have never been asked for it.

Besides, Bubba Gumps at Garden Walk we have also eaten at Johnny Rockets. Pretty good and it was a nice break from the crowds at DLR.

The closest McD's to DLR is on Ball Rd, east of DLR. Personally we no longer stop there. Not a very well run McDs.

As PP have stated, Mimi's is very good. P.F. Changs-love the lettuce wraps! So is In 'N Out and Pollo Loco.



Hope this helps.

Actually I would say the closest is the one on Harbor, it's right across the street next to the Millie's.

OP our family really enjoys CA Pizza Kitchen, Bubba Gump, PF Chang's, Cheesecake Factory, all are in the Garden Walk. We also love Joe's Crab Shack and there's a good Red Robin next to it, those are farther down Harbor across from the Target. In DTD we love RFC and the Jazz Kitchen, we didn't like ESPN Zone that much (we felt it was overpriced and the service was very slow) nor did we like Tortilla Joe's (DBF and I got sick, the girls were smart and had take out from the Jazz Kitchen Express so they were fine). We love Mimi's, huge portions of great food and well priced. We liked Millie's, not quite as good as Mimi's but good enough and well priced, we also like the Denny's on Harbor, very fast service and good food with normal Denny's pricing. We avoid at all costs the IHOP & Captain Kidd's....IHOP for pricing as mentioned above and Capt Kidd's because it's simply gross.