Food quality in DL and CA. WTH??

[SpaceMan5]

I have been chiming in on the LL food and drink thread as of late. In the past I have always heard that the LL is a must ressie but now I am hearing the food is somewhat sub bar. Some are saying the tater skins are a must and others say now way. Some are even saying that a quick service meal would be better. I do understand that opinions can vary and you can get a wide variety of pos and neg comments.

Do you feel these are more extreme points of view from posters that you might hear from about all the food offerings and not just the LL. Or is the food really not that hot anymore as a whole? I can remember in years past that the food was decent but now I feel that after 3-4 days in the park I am tired of the park offerings. Sometimes even longing for a hot dog that has been on the warmer rollers for 48 hrs at 7-11....just kidding. Do you need to drop the big $$$$ to get good food?

I would love to hear others input on what is the good, the bad and ugly (for the young'uns out there, check out the Clint Eastwood spaghetti western classic)

 

[LKing]

I believe, in the other thread, the OP mentioned that they were a picky eater. People were making suggestions based on that comment.

I think people are giving their honest opinions. We have our go to restaurants that we really like. I'm always surprised when people ooh and ahh over restaurants that we think are just okay (ex. Trader Sams, Cafe Orleans). To each is own.

 

[Lisa24jks]

In any given internet thread about ANY restaurant, whether it be Disney related or outside of Disney, you will ALWAYS see negative and positive reviews. Sometimes it's different tastes, sometimes it's the people who complain about everything vs. the people who are easy to please, sometimes it's someone went there on a bad day, while someone else went there on a good day. You just have to use your best judgment on anything like that. Food can be very subjective at times.

(Now if ALL you ever hear is bad, then probably listen to that for sure.)

And no, I don't think you need to drop big money to enjoy the food at Disneyland. Quite honestly, some of my favorite foods come from quick service places there. I cannot afford to eat at places like Carthay Circle or Napa Rose regularly (or ever, lol), and I don't have expensive tastebuds anyway. So eating quick service or going to Carnation Cafe for a sit-down dinner is what works for ME. Some people here hate Wine Country Trattoria, but I've only had good experiences there. It's really all about personal preferences.

 

[Disneyland1084]

Personally, I don't think any food at DL or CA Adventure is out of this world delicious, except for the steak at Blue Bayou. I've only eaten at CA Adventure probably twice. So maybe there's a good restaurant I don't know about? The ice cream however is amazing. I know it's Dreyer's, but you can't buy ice cream THAT fresh tasting at any store.

 

[Aladora]

So, here are some thoughts from our recent stay last month. On the whole, our meals were good.

The good:
Blue Bayou. This one was a big surprise to us, we have eaten there multiple times over the last decade and a half and have never been wowed but the food. So much so that we had decided to skip it in the future. We did end up booking here because this was the first time my sister had a chance to eat there (closed her first visit in 2022). We did warn her that the food was not likely to be great but the ambiance was worth it. Turns out the food this time was really good and we are now putting BB back into the meal options!

Napa Rose, chef's counter. DH and I had done this 3 times in the past, DS once, and my sister had never been. Tried to get it during our March 2022 trip but could not so I was really happy we were able to book it this time to celebrate our son's 18th birthday, his high school graduation, and DH and my 24th wedding anniversary. Food as always was really good, we had a lovely chat with Chef Sutton, and they were able to accommodate our various food likes and dislikes with the exception of one course given to me and my sister had mushrooms which we both said we didn't eat. Quite pricey, especially when you convert to Canadian!

Cathay Circle. This one was interesting, we had skipped the restaurant in 2022 because our last meal there in 2019 had been just ok so we did the lounge that trip. Had a great time there so we booked dinner here this trip. Food was back up to previous standards in our opinion and they were great at making sure I could eat everything. (I had an odd allergy, bell peppers)

Wine Country. My sister LOVED this her first trip in 2022 so it was a must do this trip. Food was good, service was good, drinks were good.

The bad:
Lamplight Lounge. This was our second time there and I think it will be our last for a while. Food was not great, sister and I shared the potato skins and the nachos. Definitely better places to eat in our opinion.

Trader Sam's. I hesitate to put this on the "bad", it should probably go on the "meh" list. Food was okay but nothing I would eat again, good drinks though! DS had a burger which he said was ok, DH, Sis, and I all did the Pu Pu Platter. We underestimated the amount of food on each platter, we could definitely have shared 2 between the 3 of us and still not finished everything! I had previously had the Long Beans and loved them, this time they were just not good at all.

The Meh, not bad but just not great:
Carnation Cafe. We had breakfast here one morning and it was okay. Sad that they have taken the "American" breakfast off the menu. (eggs, bacon, toast, potatoes)


We also did QS at Pym's and Red Rose for breakfast, happy they are still available and will go there again for sure. Loved the pretzel at Pym's!

Not dining but we also did the World of Color dessert party. Loved it as always, will 100% do it again but we never go expecting to have great food, for us it is ALL about the seats for the show. As expected, the plate was okay. Terrible brie, which is sad because that is my all time favourite cheese. Cannot remember any of the actual desserts which says a lot about them.

 

[lindyv321]

I started the original thread about Lamplight and yes I am picky and yes it is getting mixed reviews. I think that’s typical with any restaurant though.

I personally have never been super impressed with the food in either park or DTD. Aside from a few things the food is all passable but nothing to rave about.

 

[irlandaise]

I've only eaten at CA Adventure probably twice. So maybe there's a good restaurant I don't know about? The ice cream however is amazing. I know it's Dreyer's, but you can't buy ice cream THAT fresh tasting at any store.

Are you talking about the ice cream at the Ghirardelli Soda Fountain or somewhere else at DCA?

I visited the mother store a few years ago (Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco) and asked them whose ice cream they used in their sundaes. It is Dreyer's, but a special formulation for Ghirardelli. (I only asked about the vanilla ice cream but likely the others are the same.)

So yeah, good stuff.

 

[SpaceMan5]

In any given internet thread about ANY restaurant, whether it be Disney related or outside of Disney, you will ALWAYS see negative and positive reviews. Sometimes it's different tastes, sometimes it's the people who complain about everything vs. the people who are easy to please, sometimes it's someone went there on a bad day, while someone else went there on a good day. You just have to use your best judgment on anything like that. Food can be very subjective at times.

(Now if ALL you ever hear is bad, then probably listen to that for sure.)

And no, I don't think you need to drop big money to enjoy the food at Disneyland. Quite honestly, some of my favorite foods come from quick service places there. I cannot afford to eat at places like Carthay Circle or Napa Rose regularly (or ever, lol), and I don't have expensive tastebuds anyway. So eating quick service or going to Carnation Cafe for a sit-down dinner is what works for ME. Some people here hate Wine Country Trattoria, but I've only had good experiences there. It's really all about personal preferences.

Well said Lisa24jks. Great viewpoint

 

[DizMe]

Overall, I never thought the food at DLR was amazing. It's not bad, it's just not a reason I go to DLR.

I am a picky eater. There are lots of things I don't like, at DL and everywhere else. I'm not surprised when I don't find a lot of things I like at a restaurant in DLR.

However, if I'm being charged an extra+ ton of money, I expect to find something really delicious. I've mostly been disappointed by Napa Rose and LLL (which I don't consider premium in cost, but still one of the more popular sit-down choices). I liked the Chef's Counter and the wine pairing dinner I did with my sister several years ago, but since then I feel it's not as nice. I liked the old lounge setup where you could get dessert or appetizers by the fireplace. NR regular restaurant now just feels like a money grab to me which isn't always in line with the food quality.

I've nearly always enjoyed my meals at Carthay Circle and they work with me on the pickiness issue LOL. I don't feel this is anything that has changed over the last few years other than that time just past covid when things were hinky.

I love Blue Bayou and enjoy the food, though I wish they'd bring back some of the old favorites.

I do agree that Carnation has gone downhill. I miss the old menu and the old chef (Oscar).

Love the Magic Key terrace and Bengal BBQ. Always loved Pacific Wharf Cafe but not sure about the new version as I've not been (has it changed over yet?). I like Hearthstone and Trader Sam's.

I'm not big on QS as there are not very many things I like. This includes hot dogs, burgers usually, fries, turkey legs, dole whips, nachos, pizza slices, etc etc. It's just blah junk food to me.

 

[SpaceMan5]

So, here are some thoughts from our recent stay last month. On the whole, our meals were good.

The good:
Blue Bayou. This one was a big surprise to us, we have eaten there multiple times over the last decade and a half and have never been wowed but the food. So much so that we had decided to skip it in the future. We did end up booking here because this was the first time my sister had a chance to eat there (closed her first visit in 2022). We did warn her that the food was not likely to be great but the ambiance was worth it. Turns out the food this time was really good and we are now putting BB back into the meal options!

Napa Rose, chef's counter. DH and I had done this 3 times in the past, DS once, and my sister had never been. Tried to get it during our March 2022 trip but could not so I was really happy we were able to book it this time to celebrate our son's 18th birthday, his high school graduation, and DH and my 24th wedding anniversary. Food as always was really good, we had a lovely chat with Chef Sutton, and they were able to accommodate our various food likes and dislikes with the exception of one course given to me and my sister had mushrooms which we both said we didn't eat. Quite pricey, especially when you convert to Canadian!

Cathay Circle. This one was interesting, we had skipped the restaurant in 2022 because our last meal there in 2019 had been just ok so we did the lounge that trip. Had a great time there so we booked dinner here this trip. Food was back up to previous standards in our opinion and they were great at making sure I could eat everything. (I had an odd allergy, bell peppers)

Wine Country. My sister LOVED this her first trip in 2022 so it was a must do this trip. Food was good, service was good, drinks were good.

The bad:
Lamplight Lounge. This was our second time there and I think it will be our last for a while. Food was not great, sister and I shared the potato skins and the nachos. Definitely better places to eat in our opinion.

Trader Sam's. I hesitate to put this on the "bad", it should probably go on the "meh" list. Food was okay but nothing I would eat again, good drinks though! DS had a burger which he said was ok, DH, Sis, and I all did the Pu Pu Platter. We underestimated the amount of food on each platter, we could definitely have shared 2 between the 3 of us and still not finished everything! I had previously had the Long Beans and loved them, this time they were just not good at all.

The Meh, not bad but just not great:
Carnation Cafe. We had breakfast here one morning and it was okay. Sad that they have taken the "American" breakfast off the menu. (eggs, bacon, toast, potatoes)


We also did QS at Pym's and Red Rose for breakfast, happy they are still available and will go there again for sure. Loved the pretzel at Pym's!

Not dining but we also did the World of Color dessert party. Loved it as always, will 100% do it again but we never go expecting to have great food, for us it is ALL about the seats for the show. As expected, the plate was okay. Terrible brie, which is sad because that is my all time favourite cheese. Cannot remember any of the actual desserts which says a lot about them.

Thanks Aladora for playing my little movie game and offering up some great insight. I will definitely think about this for our next trip.

 

[WAstateDVCDaddy]

Do you need to drop the big $$$$ to get good food?

These days it feels like you have to drop $$$$ to get any food at Disney!

For my family, I think it’s probably less a matter of $$$$ and more a matter of expectations. When we go to the “nicer” restaurants, we expect more, since the prices are higher. LL has not been good in our last couple of visits, so a major disappointment. Blue Bayou was okay, but with the hassle to get reservations and the pricing, it’s fallen into the meh category for us.

On the other hand, giant pickles, turkey legs (also giant), Bengal BBQ, and Ronto wraps never disappoint. And Napa Rose was really good a couple of trips ago.

Assuming “Bad” is better than “Ugly”…

Eastwood : Turkey legs, pickles, Bengal BBQ, Wine Country Trattoria, Plaza Inn, Carnation Cafe, Napa Rose, Ronto wraps

Van Cleef : Blue Bayou, Cafe Orleans, Pizza Planet

Wallach : Lamplighter Lounge

One note : We don’t do many sit down restaurants at the parks, and we only get down 2x per year so my list is based on most recent experiences, but a few of those may be out of date.

 

[AstroBlasters]

Our family’s guidelines:

LL: Go for brunch.

Carnation Cafe: Go for lunch if you like comfort food. My order every time is Walt’s chili, fried pickles for the table, and chicken fried chicken.

Blue Bayou: Go for lunch. Gumbo for my first course, please!

Napa Rose: Go for dinner. Will be $$$ but usually worth it unless you have pre-teens who are forced to eat off the adult menu.

Carthay: Go whenever you can get a reservation.

Wine Trattoria: Avoid except the shrimp salad. Not an impressive wine list, you have to go to Carthay and Nappa Rose for that.

Magic Key Terrace: My wife really likes this one. Fun cocktails.

Ronto Roasters: Go for breakfast.

Bengal BBQ- possibly the best value on property.

 

[gelatoni fan]

I think DLR has good food for a theme park and the food prices aren't outrageous. It's way better than like a decade ago but there still isn't anything particularly amazing. I haven't been to lamplight lounge since 2021 but I thought the food was good. I don't think it's worth paying extra for which is why I haven't returned but it is better than quick service.

I think an issue if you're in the parks multiple days is that even with all those restaurants, the style of food is pretty limiting. It's all basic American food and some American style Mexican food. You'd think with San Fransokyo, they'd at least try to do some Asian food but the "Asian" place is even lower quality than you'd get at a mall food court other than their Mexican fusion dishes that don't even fit the Asian theme.

 

[Epcot Forever Forever]

Disney made food quality a focus at their US parks maybe 15 years ago. Really invested in it. And for a while they had some great stuff. Made some of their restaurants famous.

Later on, a lot of stuff got cost optimized. All the French fries became the same. Fewer cooking oils were allowed to be used. Condiments were replaced. Sauces, cheeses, and meats became more standardized across different menu items. Certain fresh foods were replaced with frozen. Side dishes were eliminated and replaced with cheap pasta or rice. And most noticeably, menu options were whacked, whacked, and whacked again. Cafe Orleans had around a dozen entrees the first time I went. I think it has 5 now.

Despite all of it, some Disney restaurants have managed to continue to offer some pretty good options, I think in large part typically because some bull headed lower level employee worked their *}] off to make sure they did. But overall, the food quality has definitely fallen over the years.

Corn dogs are still good though. At least at Disneyland (WDW’s are meaningfully worse).

 

[irlandaise]

Always loved Pacific Wharf Cafe but not sure about the new version as I've not been (has it changed over yet?).

Doesn't appear to have, according to the DL website.

They're adding some new items but keeping the faves. This DL blog page:

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2023/07/disney-eats-foodie-guide-to-san-fransokyo-square/

says the clam chowder will be "new" but really they're just supplementing the Boudin chowder with a few things like white miso. They're keeping the turkey pesto sandwich and the mac 'n' cheese.

 

[DizMe]

Doesn't appear to have, according to the DL website.

They're adding some new items but keeping the faves. This DL blog page:

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2023/07/disney-eats-foodie-guide-to-san-fransokyo-square/

says the clam chowder will be "new" but really they're just supplementing the Boudin chowder with a few things like white miso. They're keeping the turkey pesto sandwich and the mac 'n' cheese.

Thank you!

 

[Mommy2PrincessAbby]

Been going to DL every year for years… my biggest rule when my munchkin was little was always have a sit down restaurant booked for dinner on Friday and Saturday nights—everything was way too crowded, and trying to negotiate getting food and a place to sit with a kid under about 10 is a royal PITA. Our go-tos were always Blue Bayou, Wine Country Trat., Ariel’s (man, I wish this would come back), and Storytellers.

Nowadays my munchkin is not so little, and can go hard in the parks. We don’t bother making many sit down ressies anymore. We will do Blue Bayou every other trip or so for the F! Package and that is about it. Our go-tos now, that we find good to excellent food include Lucky Fortune, Bengal BBQ, Tropical Hideaway, Rancho del Zocalo and Cocina Cucamonga—with preference being toward Rancho del Zocalo and Tropical Hideaway because of seating. We don’t eat park pizza or burgers and dd tends toward Asian anything… which we find the parks to do a decent job with—we don’t go hungry!

 

[SpaceMan5]

These days it feels like you have to drop $$$$ to get any food at Disney!

For my family, I think it’s probably less a matter of $$$$ and more a matter of expectations. When we go to the “nicer” restaurants, we expect more, since the prices are higher. LL has not been good in our last couple of visits, so a major disappointment. Blue Bayou was okay, but with the hassle to get reservations and the pricing, it’s fallen into the meh category for us.

On the other hand, giant pickles, turkey legs (also giant), Bengal BBQ, and Ronto wraps never disappoint. And Napa Rose was really good a couple of trips ago.

Assuming “Bad” is better than “Ugly”…

Eastwood : Turkey legs, pickles, Bengal BBQ, Wine Country Trattoria, Plaza Inn, Carnation Cafe, Napa Rose, Ronto wraps

Van Cleef : Blue Bayou, Cafe Orleans, Pizza Planet

Wallach : Lamplighter Lounge

One note : We don’t do many sit down restaurants at the parks, and we only get down 2x per year so my list is based on most recent experiences, but a few of those may be out of date.

I love it! What a great way to break it down! I have a feeling there are a number of ppl here on the boards that don't have a clue about the movie and actors as you noted. We do like the Bengal BBQ and will try out the Ronto wraps. thks

 

[Disneyland1084]

Are you talking about the ice cream at the Ghirardelli Soda Fountain or somewhere else at DCA?

I visited the mother store a few years ago (Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco) and asked them whose ice cream they used in their sundaes. It is Dreyer's, but a special formulation for Ghirardelli. (I only asked about the vanilla ice cream but likely the others are the same.)

So yeah, good stuff.

Clarabell's at CA Adventure, Gibson Girl at DL. I believe it's the same all over the park.

 

[NVDISFamily]

LL - we loved our first go at it and we'll be looking forward to future visits. The main issue with Disneyland sit down is that it's not that much better than most of the quick service places and I'd rather save that $$$. I didn't think the prices at LL were bad given the quality of the food and the atmosphere.

Overall I'm impressed with the quality of Disneyland Resort food vs some of it's main competition. I actually have a hard time enjoying food at Galactic Grill from having one of the worst dining experiences in the early 2000s where I paid 13 bucks for a cold burger and fries to now when I have to say I've had it three or so times in the last year and each time was great. Disneyland's food blows WDW food out of the water (WDW does resort food well but for some reason quick service and snacks at WDW leave a bit to be desired).

Some quick service highlights of recent trips -

Spicy Dog at Corn Dog Castle - we are fans!

Chili Cone Queso at Cars Land Cones - a dense "snack" that will feed multiple people or one hungry person. The mac con queso isn't too bad either

Galactic Grill @ Tomorrowland - Great breakfast burrito, awesome breakfast sandwich. Good "signature" burgers. We like to take our food from here to the DVC lounge.

Ronto Wrap @ Galaxy Edge - we like them both but the veggie ("fake meat") one is the best

Jolly Holiday @ Main Street - Birria Sandwich Please!