Lunch - Cafe Orleans or French Market

[BeckyE]

Getting down to the final planning; we leave in a week (3 adults, 3 kids ages 6, 4, 1). Trying to decide between Cafe Orleans or French Market for lunch. We've never been to either, but both seem to get mentioned a lot.

Our other meals -
Lunches: Jolly Holiday Bakery & Pacific Wharf
Dinners: Tortilla Joes, Ariels (WOC dinner), Storytellers Cafe

Thanks for your help! Any/all feedback is welcomed!

Becky

 

[sonnyjane]

Cafe Orleans hands down. French Market is one of my least favorite restaurants in the park. I've given them many chances and tried many different entrees but my food has always been cold or sub-par.

 

[Honeybee1983]

Well I cannot speak for the French Market, BUT Cafe Orleans... . Soooo, sooo good. Pomme Frites, all I gotta say! HA! Ok, ok, incase you don't know what they are, I will explain! They are these crisy delicious french fries coated in garlic and parmesan and they have this cajun aioli dip served along side. nom nom nom heavenly! People really enjoy the monte cristo sandwich there too, and it is HUGE plenty big enough to share, but personally, although it tasted good, I found it much to greasy and heavy for me. Hurt my tummy. Others in my family got the chicken salad and really liked that and my kids loved the mac n cheese there. OH, and the beignets are very, very good too! Mickey shaped donuts covered in powdered sugar with raspberry and vanilla bean dip. mmmmmm

 

[nicolispicoli]

Another vote for Cafe Orleans. Love sharing the monte cristo, fries and their french onion soup is delish! I do like French Market as well, just not nearly as much as CO.

 

[helenb]

Cafe Orleans is awesome, and the location can't be beat! If the weather is nice, ask for an outside table at the railing and people-watch as you enjoy your lunch. This is probably our favorite restaurant at the entire Disneyland Resort!

 

[oc_tony]

Please choose Cafe Orleans over French Market. I was very disappointed by the French Market.

 

[BeckyE]

You're all the best! Decision done and done! Thanks and happy Friday!

 

[pixiewings71]

I love CO as well and will always recommend it, but I also very much enjoy the FM! I've never had sub-par food from them, I get the mac and cheese and it's soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good.

 

[specialks]

We ate at CO for the first time on this trip. I LOVED it! Here is a picture of my Mardi Gras Chicken Sandwich.

I would like to add that CO is a "Full Service" restaurant while FM is a "Counter Service" location. That'll run you about $5+ more dollars per person/item. We had a family of 6 sit next to us and promptly leave after looking at the menu.
Take a look at the menus and prices here:
Disneyland Dining Menus

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

I love CO as well and will always recommend it, but I also very much enjoy the FM! I've never had sub-par food from them, I get the mac and cheese and it's soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good.

Yeah, I actually like the French Market too and have eaten there several times. I've never tried the mac and cheese. It's that good? I might have to give it a go. I enjoy the chicken at FM, and the potatoes are pretty decent. The cornbread is yummy too if you like sweet cornbread, and there's nothing wrong with the chowder bread bowl and garden salad combo. DH has tried a couple of dishes there and pronounced them decent. I haven't had any problems getting my food warm or fresh-tasting there either. Another thing I love about that location is that there's often life music on the stage there or somewhere else nearby enough to enjoy.

Cafe Orleans I've only tried once and did have a lousy experience with a rude check-in CM, an apathetic waiter, and cold food. Even the highly praised fries arrived at the table limp and cold. It was for my birthday too, so maybe that's why the experience felt so disappointing. I keep reading the great comments about CO and know I should give it another try, but for the expense I have been reluctant to risk another sub-par experience at a place that doesn't harbor good memories.

 

[heatherleigh]

C.O. is my pick. I love the pomme frittes and the monte cristo. We have been to the F.M. but it really wasn't a fave.

 

[pixiewings71]

Yeah, I actually like the French Market too and have eaten there several times. I've never tried the mac and cheese. It's that good? I might have to give it a go. I enjoy the chicken at FM, and the potatoes are pretty decent. The cornbread is yummy too if you like sweet cornbread, and there's nothing wrong with the chowder bread bowl and garden salad combo. DH has tried a couple of dishes there and pronounced them decent. I haven't had any problems getting my food warm or fresh-tasting there either. Another thing I love about that location is that there's often life music on the stage there or somewhere else nearby enough to enjoy.

Cafe Orleans I've only tried once and did have a lousy experience with a rude check-in CM, an apathetic waiter, and cold food. Even the highly praised fries arrived at the table limp and cold. It was for my birthday too, so maybe that's why the experience felt so disappointing. I keep reading the great comments about CO and know I should give it another try, but for the expense I have been reluctant to risk another sub-par experience at a place that doesn't harbor good memories.

I thought the mac and cheese was very good, in fact I almost always get it when we eat there now, I love the cornbread as well, yum yum!!

I also very much enjoy CO, wel ove the Pomme Frites and the Gumbo. I'm sorry to hear about your experience, I do suggest giving it another try. I've had some very very good meals at CO.

 

[melaniemiller2002]

I love the Cafe Orleans, especially since the Monte Cristo are so huge, you can split them 2 ways or even 4 ways if you have smaller children or lighter eaters. The sandwiches are monstrous! And they come with a little bowl of grapes. Order one sandwich with an order of pomme frite and that may be enough for your kids! That would feed them all for under $30. I don't know your kids and their appetites, though. My older two children, ages 12 and 15, split the Monte Cristo this summer and my husband split one. Filled us up and it was delicious. When we went this weekend for the Tinkerbell, it was just him and I....we shared one sandwich. We have always had great service, I love eating out on the patio, watching everyone walk by. Overall, great experience and really good food!

 

[Rhonna]

Does Cafe Orleans still have the crepes? We had seafood crepes for our meal and dessert crepes after. They were both really good.

 

[BMICKEY]

Glad I read this post! We are going in two weeks and have never eaten at Cafe Orleans! Sounds delish!

We've eaten at French Market almost every time we go and have never had a problem. I have two boys and we all always get the clam chowder bread bowl with a salad, sit outside by the walk way and enjoy the sites and sounds of New Orleans Square....The best!!!!