since disneyland has no dining plan

[kristinebarboza]

since there is no dinning plan at disneyland
where are the best places to eat for a family with 5 adults & 3 kids
we are going in aug

 

[sherilaine]

Are you staying on site or off and do you want to eat in the parks and park hotels or are you looking for suggestions nearby?

 

[RedHotMama]

It depends on your family's dining style (sit down, buffet, counter service, kiosk on the go) and food tastes. Out of the 11 places we had meals last month, our family's favorites were Flo's V8 Cafe, Cafe Orleans, and Plaza Inn.

 

[keaster]

We enjoyed Flo's V8 Cafe as well along with the Jolly Holiday Bakery. We also did the buffet at Storytellers Cafe one night for dinner.

 

[kristinebarboza]

we are staying in grand Californian villas
we will eat both inside & outside the park

 

[SteveH]

where are the best places to eat for a family with 5 adults & 3 kids

I'm assuming you are a WDW regular. So the one restaurant that I will say is a MUST do is the Blue Bayou Restaurant. It is inside of Pirates, and one of my favorites. Picture the seating inside of the Mexico Pavilion with the backdrop of Pirates!

 

[figment_jii]

As others have indicated, it really depends on what kinds of foods and experiences you're looking for. DLR has a fair number of dining options (not as many as WDW) and they range in quality and popularity. What kinds of food and experiences do you and your family like?

 

[GenGen22]

I would look at the menus at allears.net for ideas. We like breakfast at Carnation cafe, dinner at Plaza inn thief fried chicken is delicious! And for a Character meal we like storytellers cafe in GCH they have a delicious salted caramel French toast.

 

[agamble]

Are you looking for budget friendly ideas? Or mostly looking for the best places not to miss out on?

Our favorite counter place to eat inside DLR is Rancho Del Zocalo, a Mexican style restaurant. The ambiance is very nice especially at night with the lanterns. You order at 3 separate counters and pay as you exit then seat yourself anywhere in a nice outdoor area. The restaurant uses real plates and silverware and has a nice water spicket you can use at any time to refill water bottles. Similarly, we enjoy the Mexican food at DCA, though the ambiance is not as nice.

Many people love the Fried Chicken at the Plaza Inn. Before we were vegetarian we tried it, and I remember it was pretty good. But that was a while ago. The price has gone up a lot and I do not think it is a value any longer, but that is me. The corndog cart is pretty iconic, but the same corndogs can be found in Frontierland too. DTD has quite a few options, and more coming this summer.

Denny's across the street does not have Kids eat free, though IHOP does. Denny's does have their value meals though including unlimited pancakes for $4. There is also a McDonald's nearby. I feel that most of the restaurants near Disneyland are not really cheap, often charging more than the same restaurant a few blocks away. I actually think the food is priced fair enough in the parks. For example a burger at Taste Pilots is about the same price as one at Red Robin. Of course you don't get unlimited fries at DL and the burgers aren't the same quality, but it saves you on having to leave the parks.

 

[BrianL]

My favorite QS at DLR is Pacific Wharf Cafe at DCA. Also, grabbing a corn dog from the Corn Dog Castle or Little Red Wagon is always a good choice. A good and economical choice at DTD is Earl of Sandwich, though it'll probably be closing soon, so that depends on when you are going (there is no solid date yet though I believe).

 

[Malcon10t]

We enjoy Carnation Cafe for breakfast, also Steakhouse 55 for breakfast. Lunch, French Market, Cafe Orleans, Flos... Dinner, Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta, Rancho, all of the lunch favs.

Nice dinner, Steakhouse 55.

The nice part about Disneyland, there are a lot of choices!

 

[8lovesmickey]

Don't overlook the Whitewater Snacks at the Grand Californian. It's great for a quick meal or snacks (even by the pool). The menu is limited, but we've found everything we've tried to be fresh and awesome.

 

[natfrac]

I agree with the Blue Bayou suggestion, especially since you're going during summer. It will be a great place to relax and cool off. It's always one of our "must-do"s.

 

[Cabius]

I'm assuming you are a WDW regular. So the one restaurant that I will say is a MUST do is the Blue Bayou Restaurant. It is inside of Pirates, and one of my favorites. Picture the seating inside of the Mexico Pavilion with the backdrop of Pirates!

Seconding this. The atmosphere is awesome (though super dark!).

They also have a Monte Cristo, which is indulgent and remarkable.

It *is* pricy though. You can get much of the same food (including the Monte Cristo) at Cafe Orleans for less money, trading the nighttime-in-louisiana vibe for lighter digs. If you go that route, and it’s a nice day, sit on the patio for people-watching along the water. You’ll probably even catch some live music!

 

[Niltiac]

If you're used to WDW food, be sure to give quick service a chance. I've never been to WDW but I've heard the QS options there are not very varied or good quality, which might be part of why restaurant reservations are so important there. At DLR a lot of our favorite meals are QS, so we typically only plan one TS meal (if that) per trip. However, being able to stop and grab whatever we're in the mood for whenever we happen to be hungry suits our style and that's not the case for everyone. Many people are accustomed to having full meals and specific times every day, and if that's the case then having TS reservations for a good number of your meals might feel more comfortable and keep the kids in their routine.

For TS, our favorite place in the park is Cafe Orleans - we always go for lunch and get pommes frites and soup. We didn't enjoy the food at Blue Bayou, but the setting is unique. We thought Carnation Cafe was pretty good, but not a must-do. It has mostly comfort food.

For QS our favorite is Pacific Wharf Cafe, and the other QS places right next to offer variety in case not everyone wants the same kind of food. Jolly Holiday is a nice place to get soup, sandwiches and pastries. Jazz Kitchen Express (in DtD) is good too - I've only been there for breakfast but their lunch menu looks pretty good. There's also the full Jazz Kitchen if you want a sit-down meal.

 

[Indiana Scott]

Our absolute musts:
The Plaza Inn (dinner is non-character)
Carnation Cafe

 

[azdisneylover]

Don't overlook the Whitewater Snacks at the Grand Californian. It's great for a quick meal or snacks (even by the pool). The menu is limited, but we've found everything we've tried to be fresh and awesome.

Perfectly said! Plus, it is usually calm and peaceful inside here or out on the patio!

 

[azdisneylover]

I suggest loading up a couple of Disney gift cards and check out the menus on the Disneyland site and/or the app. This way, you can see where the restaurant is located in the park, check out the menu and see the price so you can plan accordingly. Lunch or dinner at least once during our trips is a must with our family. There are a couple of good threads here that have pictures of food (figment posts lots of great photos) so you can see the size
of the items.
Whitewater snacks, like others have said, is a great place to pop into on your way to and from the parks. I wish they would stay open until 11 instead of closing at 9pm.
In DTD, we eat at Tortilla Joe's, again, at the very least, once for dinner. Jamba Juice is a must for us to have something to sip other than water. It helps when adding the boosts to keep everyone hydrated and healthy!
The fruit and salads at any place in the parks are so yummy and help with hydration. You can eat as healthy or unhealthy as you would like! Plan for plenty of water to stay hydrated.
Have fun planning!

 

[smartlabelprint]

I love French market
Bengal bbq

Boardwalk pizza & pasta
Award wieners.

 

[DizMe]

Be sure to go to Trader Sam's. The outside terrace has great food options along with island music. Oh, and some good drinks I'd do Blue Bayou, Napa Rose lounge for dessert or pub menu (unless you want to go for a good but pricey meal), and Jazz Kitchen. The other restaurants are ok to very good and many have nice settings/views but the food is nothing special IMO.