What are the "must eat at restaurants" for you at DL?

[BarbMike821]

In January, we're making our return to DL with our 5 and 4 year olds. The last time we were there we had reservations at Goofy's Kitchen for Dinner and then PCH Grill for the surfs up breakfast. In park we didn't has reservations, just ate in Toontown and had dinner at the Jolly Holiday Cafe since we were there for just one day.

But this time around we're going to be in DL and DCA for three days and need some recommendations on where to eat! One day we'd like to do breakfast at Ariel's Grotto, and the Sunday we arrive we're planning on doing Goofy's Kitchen, but beyond that we're looking for suggestions! We're not foodies by any means, but do love a really good meal.

What are your go-to restaurants while you're in the parks?!

 

[peterpanandwendy]

Everyone will say Blue Bayou for the ambiance. It's lovely, but pricey.

I love breakfast at the Carnation Cafe.

Walking makes me super hungry and so I don't feel guilty about eating burgers. Smokejumpers is my favourite burger spot.

For a decent priced dinner we like Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta. Lots of food that can be shared for a decent price.

For ambiance I like Cafe Orleans or French Market.

 

[Mommy2PrincessAbby]

For table service, we love Blue Bayou and tend to do it for lunch to save a couple bucks. We also really like Ariels Grotto for dinner, Storytellers for both breakfast and dinner, and PCH grill for breakfast. We also usually hit up Rainforest Cafe since we don't have one here and dd loves it in there.

This trip we are only going for two days, so it's going to be all about speed and not sitting and relaxing lol! Corn dog castle is a must, as is a soup bowl from Pacific Wharf. We will likely also get skewers from Bengal BBQ... fabulous protein hit

 

[figment_jii]

It does depend on what kinds of food you and your family like...I went to DL with an almost five year earlier this year and we had pretty good luck at:

• French Market: There was a pretty good variety of food choices and a lively atmosphere (especially if the band is playing).
• Flo's V-8 Cafe: He really likes Cars, so this place was prefect for him.
• Plaza Inn: The kids pasta was pretty bland, but he liked the fried chicken (he shared with us).

For my all-adult family, in DL we like Cafe Orleans (Pomme Frites and Gumbo), French Market (Half Chicken, French Dip Sandwich), Carnation Cafe (Fried Dill Pickles, Meatloaf), Jolly Holiday (tomato basil soup, the desserts), and Plaza Inn (Fried Chicken). Over in DCA, we like Wine Country Trattoria (Linguine and Clams) and Cove Bar (Lobster Nachos - this one doesn't take reservations and the wait can be long). At the hotels ahd DTD, we like Brennan's Jazz Kitchen (Calamari, Shrimp & Grits) and Storytellers (Corn Chowder).

 

[smartlabelprint]

We have kids. We must eat at French market, and Boardwalk pizza & pasta.

My must do that's more a snack but still kind of a meal is the portobello sandwich at award wieners. I even have a recipe to make this at home. Haha!

Places we also eat at times are jolly holiday, rancho del zocalo, plaza inn. These are all good.

We pretty much always go to the restaurants in tomorrowland. DH loves the themeing. eyeroll. Other not greats we go to sometimes are smoke jumpers grill, hungry bear, my sis likes the Chinese place.

Most trips we go to blue bayou on date night if family can watch the kids.

We avoid toontown food!! Avoid Cocina cucamonga. Rancho del zocalo is much better. We still don't go there often since they upped prices and decreased the amount of food. Plus I really miss the salsa Brava.

I'd like to try red rose tavern. Have never enjoyed village haus although we ate there too.

 

[22Tink]

Table service: Carnation Cafe every trip. We really like Cafe Orleans, too.

Counter Service: Pacific Wharf is delicious and we really liked Flo’s and Red Rose Tavern. Hopefully it sticks around!

 

[jina]

table service: Blue Bayou and Carthay Circle for lunch (Break from the heat/crowds)
counter service: Country Bear (DL - love the water view) and the Boardwalk Pizza/Mediterranean place (DCA) especially when the band is playing, or Flo's (sit outside and watch RSR cars race by). We also had a really nice quiet lunch at Storyteller's once which was a nice break during a crowded DCA day.

 

[SteveMP]

Mainly due to cost/value and having already done the "experience" ones that boast overpriced mediocre food, our go tos in DL: Bengal Bbq
Corn Dog Cart

DCA: Smokejumpers Grill
Cars land Cones
Lucky Fortune cookery
Cocina Cucamonga

GCH: Whitewater Snacks

DTD: Earl of Sandwich
Ralph Brennan Jazz Kitchen Express

 

[NannyBeBe]

I absolutely must eat at Brennan's for the gumbo and shrimp and grits.
And I must have a corn dog from the Little Red Wagon.
Other loves are Plaza Inn, Carnation Cafe for breakfast, French Market, Cafe Orleans, Rancho Zocalo, Boardwalk, Clarabelle's for a hot fudge sundae, Earl of Sandwich. I have to plan my meals out so I do not miss any of my favorites.

 

[PoohsFan1]

For us (even though our upcoming trip will be our third trip to DLR):
Table service:
- Cafe Orleans
- Blue Bayou
- Minnie's Breakfast (mainly because of all of the characters that come out....and there are a lot of them)
- Goofy's Kitchen
- Naples Restaurant in DTD
- Ariel's Grotto for dinner
- Carnation Cafe (we have had dinner twice there, this time around we want to try breakfast)
- Napa Rose at GCH (pricey but really good)

Counter service:
- Smoke Jumpers
- Flo's V8 Cafe (Breakfast)
- French Market
- Corn Dog Castle and Little Red Wagon (go there a couple times during our trip, can't get enough of those corn dogs)

 

[wench]

Carnation Cafe, Blue Bayou, PCH Grill for breakfast & Ariel’s for lunch or dinner only (we did not like their breakfast at all).

 

[smartlabelprint]

Mainly due to cost/value and having already done the "experience" ones that boast overpriced mediocre food, our go tos in DL: Bengal Bbq
Corn Dog Cart

DCA: Smokejumpers Grill
Cars land Cones
Lucky Fortune cookery
Cocina Cucamonga

GCH: Whitewater Snacks

DTD: Earl of Sandwich
Ralph Brennan Jazz Kitchen Express

Oh yes. Bengal BBQ is one of our must do's also.

 

[DznyPrnces]

I really love the jolly holiday. We also like bengal bbq, and we usually also eat at village haus/red rose tavern (although none of us liked the grey stuff).

Over at DCA we usually eat at flo’s and the wharf area that has 3 options: Chinese, Mexican, and boudins (I think, the place with the bread bowls).

 

[azdisneylover]

Carnation Cafe is good for any meal. We like Whitewater snacks too.

 

[mpadilla89]

We have kids. We must eat at French market, and Boardwalk pizza & pasta.

Places we also eat at times are jolly holiday, rancho del zocalo, plaza inn. These are all good.


We avoid toontown food!! Avoid Cocina cucamonga. Rancho del zocalo is much better. We still don't go there often since they upped prices and decreased the amount of food. Plus I really miss the salsa Brava.

I'd like to try red rose tavern. Have never enjoyed village haus although we ate there too.

How much better is Rancho del zocalo? I dislike very much the food at Cocina Cuamonga.

Dad always complains that the Mexican food there is not that good. He will be coming with us in 2018 and would like to either avoid both or try Rancho del Zocalo

 

[Diszona]

Blue Bayou is a must, and while it is pricey, we actually found the difference wasn't that much more than a lot of the other places we ate at this week.
Goofy's Kitchen used to be a must but we are rethinking that after they got rid of their creme brûlée.

 

[smartlabelprint]

How much better is Rancho del zocalo? I dislike very much the food at Cocina Cuamonga.

Dad always complains that the Mexican food there is not that good. He will be coming with us in 2018 and would like to either avoid both or try Rancho del Zocalo

Rancho del Zocalo is no longer a must do. It used to be for me. But Cocina is quite bad-I feel like it's "slop" when I have eaten there. (Multiple times). I'd skip if if I were you. There are so many better restaurants in the parks.

 

[Linkura]

CS: Plaza Inn (fried chicken)
TS: Cafe Orleans (gumbo and Monte Cristo)

Snacks: Beignets at Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen/Express, Matterhorn Macaroon at Jolly Holiday, seasonal funnel cake at Hungry Bear

 

[Malcon10t]

DL TS - Cafe Orleans! (And Carnation Cafe too...)

Counter service - French Market

DCA TS - Carthay
Counter service- Boudin and Flo's

 

[tasha99]

Blue Bayou, Brennen's Jazz Kitchen (shrimp and grits and the triple soup appetizer), and Napa Rose

Off site: Gyukaku (cook it yourself Japanese BBQ chain). You can get a really expensive meal there, but we've found that the spicy pork and the yakishabu beef--two of the cheapest cuts on the menu--are our favorites. Happy hour is worth the savings, especially for drinking.