Looking for a new place for dinner...

[peaches0313]

Hi! Past couple of years we have gone to DL we have eaten dinner at Storytellers Café our 1st night, after walking around CA for a bit. We stay at the GCH so I guess we picked it just so we were already back at our hotel. (we have young kids). It's kind of pricy though, and not that exciting. Was considering something new this trip in Cal Adventure. Was looking at Ariels Grotto possibly but sad to see princesses aren't there for dinner. Is that still a nice experience sitting outside? Any other dinner suggestions? We will be there again this November and our girls will be 3 & 5. TIA!

 

[thatgrljme]

We ate at Flo's in Carsland and it was super cute. There is one side that over looks RSR and another side that is 50's diner style. I think my son really liked all of the decorations and he's 2.

 

[tiffjoy]

Flo's is CS, but I second it. My DDs love it, and they don't even like the Cars movies. The food is not typical theme park food. We usually eat there several times on a trip.

If you want TS, we thought our meal at Wine Country Trattoria was pretty good. Not great, but good.

ETA- Storytellers is a new favorite of ours (DD4 and I love to share the salmon entree), but I love branching out. Storytellers was actually a new stop for us on our last trip, and I made ADRs for this next one for lunch on DD's bday. We sat outside for Ariel's and did the character meal. It was really pleasant and nice, but of course, that depends on the weather. It was fun to look out over the rides.

 

[robinb]

I ate at Naples in DTD the last time I was at DL. It was very good and there was very little wait even through we were there Christmas week.

 

[peaches0313]

Thanks everyone.. We looooove Naples for pizza lunches. I'm sure we'll do that once or twice while there. And we also love Storytellers for Breakfast. Also do love the dinner, just trying to see if we should branch out and try something new this time for dinner, as we are only there usually for a short time. Maybe we will try the Wine Country Trattoria... I do love my wine Do you think the kids would like it though? I do like the kids options at the Storytellers dinner buffet....

 

[crystal1313]

My family likes Carnation Cafe on Main street in DL. We also love Tortilla Joes in DTD. Naples is a hit too.

 

[HydroGuy]

In DCA...

- I second (or third) Flo's Diner
- Pacific Wharf Cafe - awesome breadbowls
- Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta - decent not great
- AG is really nice in the summer for dinner if you can get an outside table on the water
- In DTD, my family really goes for RainForest Cafe and we almost always eat there on our arrival day
- In DTD we really like Tortilla Jo's - guacamole is extremely good

 

[crystal1313]

- In DTD we really like Tortilla Jo's - guacamole is extremely good

That's exactly why we eat there!! Love the guacamole! DH has been trying to replicate the recipe. So yummy.

We ate at Rainforrest Cafe in October. The food was good. Service was good, but my DS4 was totally freaked out by the animatronic animals! I spent a majority of our time there trying to calm him down and get him to forget about them, which was hard because the giant gorilla went off every 20-30 min. He got a bit distracted when his dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets came out, so I was able to eat. LOL. We won't be going back until he is older, or asked to be seated by the fish tank

 

[Hojoanaheim]

There is also Goofy’s Kitchen and Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar by the Disneyland Hotel.

Goofy’s Kitchen is has characters all day, but is probably similar in price to Storyteller’s. Food is pretty good; basic potatoes, veggies and meats. People say the peanut butter pizza is really good! I thought it was different, but it put a smile on my face. So definitely worth trying.

I think Trader Sam’s is really fun. Everything is tiki themed, and inside, when adults order special drinks, “enchanted” things happen. Kids are allowed in the bar until 8 pm, but they can stay in the patio area all night. Food it decent, think Hawaiian / Asian fusion.

HTH,
Kriss

 

[Iceman93]

Carthay Circle Theater FTW.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

I also agree with Flo's if you're looking for something in the parks.

In DTD we really like Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen.

 

[aliceindisneyland]

Thanks everyone.. We looooove Naples for pizza lunches. I'm sure we'll do that once or twice while there. And we also love Storytellers for Breakfast. Also do love the dinner, just trying to see if we should branch out and try something new this time for dinner, as we are only there usually for a short time. Maybe we will try the Wine Country Trattoria... I do love my wine Do you think the kids would like it though? I do like the kids options at the Storytellers dinner buffet....

My kids love it at Wine Country Trattoria! They just don't eat the kid's meals! They are really bad and bland.
My kids get one or all of the following: calamari appetizer (ordered without the mussels), shrimp pasta [adult; my 10-yr-old can eat it all; shares a couple of shrimp sometimes!], side of meatballs, and they always order a Shirley Temple/Roy Rogers. They serve bread for the table as well, which a lot of kids will eat right off then not eat their meals anyway!
They always have cute activity placemats and crayons, so drawing and people watching and eating outside (I have never actually seen the inside and we've been there so many times!) keeps them fairly entertained. It's very pretty in the evening, so it would be a great start to your trip, and it's in DCA so you're close to home!
The restroom there is semi-private and always very clean.

 

[Congo Queen]

There is also Goofy’s Kitchen and Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar by the Disneyland Hotel.

Goofy’s Kitchen is has characters all day, but is probably similar in price to Storyteller’s. Food is pretty good; basic potatoes, veggies and meats. People say the peanut butter pizza is really good! I thought it was different, but it put a smile on my face. So definitely worth trying.

I think Trader Sam’s is really fun. Everything is tiki themed, and inside, when adults order special drinks, “enchanted” things happen. Kids are allowed in the bar until 8 pm, but they can stay in the patio area all night. Food it decent, think Hawaiian / Asian fusion.

HTH,
Kriss

I would second this suggestion. If you are staying at GCH and are ending your midday break but having dinner before returning to parks, then you can take the short walk over to the DH (its across the street) and have dinner outside on the Tangaroa Terrace. They v often have free live music. If you can eat inside Trader Sam's then that is neat but it is more crowded around dinner time and it is a tiny space so likely no tables free. But the Terrace outside the bar is spacious, lovely and well themed and many more tables. I think the food is v good (I actually like it better that Storytellers for dinner). After dinner, you can stroll through the beautiful DH garden to the entrance to DD and catch the Monorail back into the parks.

 

[5forMickey]

I thought it was just me with Storytellers.....dang it! I want to like it so much, and it's not bad, it's just not exciting and for the price??? We stop there usually each visit and then are like -- maybe we should try something different.

For something a little more reasonable I love Carnation Station also as a previous poster stated, but it is in the park. Actually I shouldn't have read this post in the monring everything sounds so good -- it's making me hungry. Soup bowls, guacamole, Italian food -- yummy, yuumy, yummy!

DTD has been a hard one for our family, there are some really good resturants, we just can't all seem to get on board with the same one.

Good luck.

 

[GatorChris]

Like HydroGuy, we like to hit Rainforest Cafe on our first evening there. It's a fun environment and the food is good. It's pricey, but what isn't at DLR?