Restaurant Recommendations

[njmomboys2]

It has been about 7 years since our last (any only) trip to DL.

This year we will be there for 5days/4nights in connection with my son's trip to march in the Tournament of Rose Parade with his high school marching band.

So there will be 5 of us in the group...staying at the Grand California (on my parent's DVC points)...myself, DH 45, DS 13, and my parents in their 70s.

We will probably do breakfast in our room since we have the full kitchen and are not big breakfast eaters..but what are good lunch/dinner choices?

We are not picky eaters and have been to WDW numerous times. This will be my parent's 1st trip to DL.

My older son will not be with us as he is staying with the band but will be marching one evening in the elec. light parade!!!!!

Thanks!!!

 

[Girimama33]

That is a tough one because there are so many options at DLR. I suggest looking through the DLR Dining page on here and see what places peak your interest. http://www.wdwinfo.com/disneyland/dining.htm

 

[AnabellaAnaheim]

Do you want to go to restaurants on or off property?

 

[KateDrake]

That is a tough one because there are so many options at DLR. I suggest looking through the DLR Dining page on here and see what places peak your interest. http://www.wdwinfo.com/disneyland/dining.htm

I agree! Food is so subjective, it always helps me to check out the menu and see if I even like the type of food folks are recommending.

That said, here are a few of my favs:

DLR
Cafe Orleans - Pommes Frites, Monte Cristo, Gumbo, people watching
Big Thunder Ranch BBQ - tasty ribs and chicken, with traditional sides like beans, coleslaw, etc.
Rancho del Zocalo - Decent Mexican, with platters big enough to share. DH and I like to split the citrus chicken or carne asada platter.
Jolly Holiday Bakery - Good sandwiches, soups, etc. Have to stop at least once a trip for breakfast: a giant cinnamon roll!
Hungry Bear - Decent sandwiches, good onion rings and desserts. Nice place to take a break, with a view of Rivers of America.

DCA
Pacific Warf Cafe - Good soups and salads in bread bowls. I like the shrimp Louis.
Paradise Garden Grill - Kabobs with choice of dipping sauce, pita, cucumber salad. A nice fresh-tasting alternative to normal theme-park fare.
Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta - Good cheese ravioli, chicken pasta dish and flatbread pizzas.

I'm going to try Flo's V8 Cafe, Carthay Circle and the Cove bar on my next trip, because all three are getting rave reviews! Hope that helps! Have a great trip!

 

[Started With a Mouse]

I would definitely make a reservation for the Blue Bayou for lunch or dinner. Maybe for a late lunch, since you mentioned you eat a light breakfast.

 

[Chase8705]

Make reservations for the Blue Bayou for lunch then over to the Carthay Circle Restaurant at California Adventures for dinner if you have park hoppers. I heard that place is really good.

 

[*NikkiBell*]

Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen is my favorite restaurant at Disneyland. It has a great atmosphere and menu. Plus, the staff couldn't be nicer. I really recommend it!

I went to Carthay Circle for lunch two weeks ago and was not impressed. They still have a lot of kinks to work out. However, their lounge menu is much different from the regular menu. I enjoyed it more than my meal (I went to the lounge later in my trip).

For me Blue Bayou is overrated due to its location near the Pirates of the Carribbean attraction. The food is average at most.

 

[pixiewings71]

I disagree with everything that Nikki said about both the BB and CCT. I love them both. At BB it's more about the atmosphere then the food but I've enjoyed everything I've had there with the exception of the ribs. They were amazing, as in they fell off the ribs and were very tender, but I didn't like the sauce they were cooked in. I wouldn't order them again but only for that reason.
We went to CCT July 9th, so a couple weeks after it opened, the service was great, the food was amazing. I'd definitely go back. I've also sat in the lounge at the CCT, it too provided the same great service and good tasty bites.
I'd also suggest eating at Cafe Orleans, very good.

 

[HydroGuy]

There are lots of options and no single answer. I will just tell you the dining plan we made for our trip last month.

Arrival Day
Rainforest Cafe for late lunch

Day 1
Blue Bayou for lunch with res
Planned Plaza Inn for Dinner (no res) but did not work out so we got hot dogs at Coke Corner

Day 2
CCR for lunch with res
Flo's (no res) for dinner

Day 3
Cafe Orleans for lunch with res
BTR BBQ for dinner with res

Day 4
WCT lunch with res
Tortilla Jo's (DTD)

 

[Elk Grove Chris]

GCH has two great restaurants onsite. Napa Rose and Storytellers (we don't do the characters) are worth a look.

Ralph Brennan's is a must for us every trip.

We like BB for the atmosphere, the food is good enough for us to keep going.

We love Cafe Orleans, must do every trip.

We probably do Lucky Fortune Cookery 2-3 times a trip, love the Thai rice bowl.

Another must for us is breakfast at Steakhouse 55, great for a nice dinner as well.

We will occasionally walk over to McCormick and Schmidt's or Cheesecake Factory, but we have both of them near us at home.

 

[momsquad]

I've been lurking several of the food posts trying to have a quasi-plan for our 1st time trip this OCT.

At first I was sold on Blue Bayou (unique), then not so much (expensive and food only so-so).

It appears Cafe Orleans offered similar (if not the same) items, so I thought we'd simply go there instead.

Now I see several veterans plan their visits to include both BB and CO. Are these two restaurants different enough to suggest a 1st timer consider this same plan? Or in your case(s) have you already experienced all the others and simply choosing to go with what your taste buds squirt the most for??

 

[SeanCLV]

We ate at the Cafe Orleans a few days ago. We were between that and the Blue Bayou, but the Cafe Orleans seemed to be the better deal. The French Onion soup was really good as was the Monte Cristo and berry crepe desert. I had never had a Monte Cristo before, I never knew that it was essentially a ham and turkey sandwich inside of a donut.

If you are not a heavy eater, I would almost say you could split the Monte Cristo. What my wife and I would probably do next time is each get a bowl of the French Onion soup, then split the Monte Cristo, and split desert.

We also ate at the Carnation Cafe, which was basically burgers and sandwiches, it was very good.

The service at both places was excellent as well.

 

[KateDrake]

I've been lurking several of the food posts trying to have a quasi-plan for our 1st time trip this OCT.

At first I was sold on Blue Bayou (unique), then not so much (expensive and food only so-so).

It appears Cafe Orleans offered similar (if not the same) items, so I thought we'd simply go there instead.

Now I see several veterans plan their visits to include both BB and CO. Are these two restaurants different enough to suggest a 1st timer consider this same plan? Or in your case(s) have you already experienced all the others and simply choosing to go with what your taste buds squirt the most for??

If it is your first time, you may want to try BB, just because it is very unique. But the atmosphere is really what you are paying for, in my opinion. We usually skip it because it is expensive and kind of a time drain for us, so we usually go to Cafe Orleans instead.

Many of the menu items - I would almost say all of the "signature" menu items - are the same at both restaurants. Like the Monte Cristo sandwich, it's the same (or close enough I couldn't tell) at Cafe Orleans. But at BB you do get a salad or gumbo as a side, so that is part of the added cost. BB also has a larger menu with some nicer menu items like ribs, steak, etc. The portions are HUGE at both(as with many Disney restaurants) and we never need to order more than one entree for DH, myself and DD3. So we also tend to avoid BB for that reason, as they charge a split-plate charge. Though if you order at least one item per person, you are usually OK. Here's what I'll probably be ordering from Cafe Orleans next time:

Pommes Frites for the table
French Onion Soup for me
Monte Cristo for DH

DD3 and I will each have a 1/4 of the Monte Cristo, and we'll share sips of soup and the pommes frites. You can only get pommes frites at Cafe Orleans, and they are the best thing to eat in Disneyland, IMHO!

Hope that helps with your decision. They are both worth a visit at some point, but Cafe Orleans is the one we keep going back to. But I know some people don't consider their trip complete without a visit to BB! Whatever you decide, I'm sure you'll have a great time!

 

[FlameGirl]

We are not Blue Bayou fans. The atmosphere is cute, but not worth it (for us). The food is really mediocre, the service is mediocre, and I've never heard anyone ever mention this before, but to me it just smells funky. I'm not talking about the musty smell...even when floating by on POTC, the food smell is weird. Not awful, but not great.

For what they charge, we are much more inclined to pay a little more and visit the Napa Rose, where the food is impeccable, the service is flawless, and you can actually enjoy a glass of wine with your expensive meal, instead of a mint julep.

 

[rokstedy]

I am personally a very big fan of Fiddler, Fifer, and Practical cafe on Buena Vista street in DCA. Great location, great food. It's best for lunch though I think.

 

[DisneytheKid]

How busy was it when you were there? Did you need to set aside a certain amount of time waiting for people ahead of you?

I am personally a very big fan of Fiddler, Fifer, and Practical cafe on Buena Vista street in DCA. Great location, great food. It's best for lunch though I think.

 

[momsquad]

Oh my. Decisions. Decisions.
Although the family usually goes with whatever I recommend, I think I'm going to have them check the menu out this time for BB. I don't want to waste money on food "just" for atmosphere.
The idea of everybody ordering an item that is shared by all is something we often do - don't know why I wasn't thinking of this in the first place. . . Thanks for the reminder KateDrake

Going to check out FFPC in DCA also! Have noticed several positive comments there!

 

[dr&momto2boys]

I'm currently making our "dining plan" for an October trip. We were just there in February too. (There is a trip report link in my signature for the Feb trip.)

I haven't decided the order yet, but have made a list of where we would like to go...

At DL:
Bengal BBQ for a casual lunch or snacks...love all the skewers there. It is also very close to the Tiki place to get a Dole Whip Float. Both are must-dos for us.

We may skip Blue Bayou this time, but only because we did it in February. If you go, go for lunch and get the first reservation (11? I think.) Make sure to ask for a waterside table. We had an 11:15 res. and still scored a waterside table because we asked at check-in.

This time we'll go to Carnation Cafe. While the Monte Cristo is worth a try, I always regret getting it either place because after a few bites it's just to much. If you're going with someone else who likes it, split it. I'll skip the MC this time, but my big reason for this restaurant is the Mickey Beignets.

We'll hit Hungry Bear this time if we need some fast food. I haven't tried anything from the new menu yet. It's a close walk to Pooh's corner for a Tigger Tail or other yummy treat for dessert too.

I'd like to try the chicken dinner at Plaza Inn. Never been. Hear we should split it.

DH always loves Rancho del Zocalo, so that's a must.

I'd like to do a late breakfast at Riverbelle Terrace for some Mickey pancakes for the kids (after we've taken advantage of the early entry and first hour rides while the waits are low.)

DCA:
We've got to try the new places in Cars Land. (Carthay Circle for lunch or dinner, Flo's for a late breakfast, and a cozy cone sometime.)

I like Wine Country Tratorria for a nice late lunch or early dinner.

Pacific Wharf Cafe is a favorite for us to. We like the soup in a bread bowl. I like to order the soup in a cup and the bread bowl on the side, becasue we usually have leftover bread. If it's not soaked with soup we can save it for the kids to snack on around the park in the next few hours.

Other:
We want to see Trader Sam's

We want to try Ralph Brennans. The menu looks good. Last time we picked up a sack of beignets for breakfast. Messy but yummy.

Notes from past experiences...
Naples was good but surprisingly expensive. Storry Tellers is nice for anytime of day. It's the most relaxed character breakfast ever.

Have fun!

 

[BlueBayou]

I have great memories of Blue Bayou from my childhood (30+ years ago). We went once when our kids were still preschool age. We had a very early Priority Seating in an attempt to get a waterside or near waterside table. We got distracted in ToonTown and when we looked at our watch realized it was time to be there. By the time we got there it was almost 20 minutes past our reservation tim. We were seated but at in the very back. It was fine - but not as magical as my childhood memories.

We are huge fans of Bengal BBQ for counter service. If we are wanting to get away from the crowds - we will grab food (Bread bowl of chowder or gumbo) from there and the Royal Street Veranda (near POTC) and take a raft over to Tom Sawyers Island.

We have always had a good time and a good meals Ralph Brennans and lunch at Wine Country Trattoria. My DH and I have started splitting meals and then eating off of our DDs plates. I know that sounds tacky - but as our daughters have become tweens - there tastes are beyond the kids menus (and they never want the same thing). We realized we were throwing away the food. We had a pretty good split plate meal at the Mexican place in DCA.

We are looking forward to trying the Carthay Circle place for next visit.

 

[marcemc]

Plaza Inn has a good menu and good prices, specially considering that their portions are huge.

We always eat at Hungry Bear, my kids love it and it's a nice spot. Even though it's mostly fast food, their lemon cupcake (the one with the bee on top) is really good.

We haven't been at Ghirardelli's yet, but it's one of the new places that we will try in oct. You can go wrong with chocolate.

Have fun