Where to eat in Disneyland and California Adventure

[JanetRose]

Looking for some suggestions to include the hotel restaurants and Downtown Disney. Thank you!

 

[eduk8r26]

I really liked Tortilla Joe's in DTD. That's the only place I've eaten other than Rainforest Cafe, which is overpriced, in my opinion. At DL, we like Plaza Inn and Rancho del Zocalo.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

What kind of food do you like? What price points are you willing to pay?

For character meals, we like Minnie's breakfast at the Plaza Inn in Disneyland.

For DtD, we usually go to the Jazz Kitchen for lunch since the dinner menu is pricier than we like. We feel like lunch is a good value for the money, and we really enjoy the food there. ESPNZone is a good place if you or anyone in your group are big sports fans.

For quick service, Pizza Port in Tomorrowland is good for the pasta but not so much the pizza. Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta in DCA is a good new choice. We like the fried chicken plates at Plaza Inn and find them to be big enough to share. The clam chowder bread bowls at Pacific Wharf Cafe in DCA are a favorite of mine. You can get the soup in a cup rather than in the bread if you don't like your bread getting soggy. There are choices other than clam chowder as well if you're not a fan. Oh yeah, we really like the stuffed potatoes served at the Troubadour Tavern in Fantasyland. Big enough for a meal.

For dessert, there are lots of great selections at the candy shops, especially if you're a chocolate fan. There are also some tasty new treats being served at the Jolly Holiday Bakery in Disneyland. I also like the fresh made ice cream sandwiches served at the Main Street Cone shop.

Since everyone has different tastes, I'm sure others will post about lots of places I didn't mention. Another good resource is here: http://allears.net/dlr/din/menu/menus.htm

 

[SilentFeline]

My boyfriend and I have favorites scattered all over DLR. At DL, our absolute favorite is Carnation Cafe, but we also really enjoyed Jolly Holiday Bakery. The baked potatoes at Troubadour Tavern were a great meal too, but you have to go there for lunch since they're not open in the evenings (at least not when we went in January). Riverbelle Terrace is a good place to go for breakfast.

At DCA, I recommend Pacific Wharf Cafe (I personally like the Sonoma chicken and apple salad) and the Corn Dog Castle for the hot link corn dogs.

In DTD, DBF and I like ESPN Zone for the chicken strips. We went to Jazz Kitchen Express only once on our trip last month, but it seems promising.

Our favorite restaurants outside of the parks are Storytellers Cafe (the corn chowder and four cheese ravioli are delicious and decently priced) and White Water Snacks. Both of these restaurants are at the Grand Californian.

If I had to choose my top 3 places to eat, they would be:
1. Carnation Cafe (the loaded baked potato soup is unbeatable)
2. Storytellers Cafe (seriously, try the ravioli)
3. White Water Snacks (splittable portions, great prices, and delicious food)

There are lots of great places to eat at DLR, and you'll get so many different responses. Try to go somewhere different for every meal to get a good mix and pick your own faves. Have fun!

 

[ols386]

Goofy's Kitchen is good for character dining.

Napa Rose at the GC is very nice, but a bit pricey.

La Brea bakery for breakfast is good.

 

[LuvLuvLuv]

We loved Goofy's Kitchen as a brunch! We did Magic Mornings then took the monorail over and it was great!!

We had a great dinner at Blue Bayou--that will be our MUST DO.
We knew we'd love Naples--tastes just like Via Napoli/Tutto Italia.
Cafe Orleans was pretty good.
White Water Snacks as the most AMAZING nachos--it says shredded beef... but it's delicious steak!!
The Lucky Fourtune Cookery wasn't too bad either!

 

[pixarmom]

We loved Goofy's Kitchen as a brunch! We did Magic Mornings then took the monorail over and it was great!!

We had a great dinner at Blue Bayou--that will be our MUST DO.
We knew we'd love Naples--tastes just like Via Napoli/Tutto Italia.
Cafe Orleans was pretty good.
White Water Snacks as the most AMAZING nachos--it says shredded beef... but it's delicious steak!!
The Lucky Fourtune Cookery wasn't too bad either!

Welcome Back, Luv! Blue Bayou is high on our list - we're returning next trip for lunch!

We also enjoy Carnation Cafe (closed for refurb now, unfortunately), Wine Country Trattoria and Cocina Cucamonga (CS in DCA, but with tables overlooking Paradise Pier.) We're excited to try Napa Rose soon!

 

[Olallamom]

On my list for my upcoming trip:
Blue bayou
Goofy's kitchen for brunch
Wine Country Tratorria

 

[Midnightred]

The one meal that really stood out above all the rest we had last trip was the meal at the Wine Country Trattoria. The kids even asked for seconds on their pasta dishes! I personally did not find Blue Bayou to be worth it, my steak was good however, just not worth $45. The Plaza Inn was fun. We were a group of 9 and had a great time. The food was good.

Midnightred

 

[vettegirl]

My favs include, The Hungry Bear, Taste Pilot's Grill, Little Red Wagon corn dog stand, Blue Bayou and Whitewater Snacks (Wow, those nachos are good!)

 

[GrandBob]

The one meal that really stood out above all the rest we had last trip was the meal at the Wine Country Trattoria. The kids even asked for seconds on their pasta dishes! I personally did not find Blue Bayou to be worth it, my steak was good however, just not worth $45. The Plaza Inn was fun. We were a group of 9 and had a great time. The food was good.

Midnightred

See, this is what I love about comparing experiences with other DISers. Everyone has such a unique experience!

Ours was the opposite. Our meals at WCT were awful, and service terrible. We've never gone back. OTOH, we loved Blue Bayou - wonderful surf & turf, with the steaks cooked to perfection and delicious lobster tails. And wonderful service. We're going back on our upcoming anniversary trip.

YMMV.

-Bob

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

See, this is what I love about comparing experiences with other DISers. Everyone has such a unique experience!

Yep. I love it too! Our bad place that gets all the raves was Cafe Orleans. It was such a lousy experience from start to finish that we have never gone back.

 

[Olallamom]

I believe that Disney lacks consistency with their restaurants. This is often the case when I visit WDW. I can absolutely love a place one trip and then have a horrible experience then next trip.
The Blue Bayou only gets on my list because of location. I have had some very poor quality food at this place especially for the price.

 

[sophies*mom]

My two favorites are Plaza Inn and Hungry Bear. Hungry Bear's new menu has gotten good reviews.
Taste Pilot's in DCA was good, too.

 

[FunNut]

Had lunch yesterday at Cafe Orleans, outside on the terrace. Food was good, service quite slow. Had Pommes Frites (very good)' split a salmon sandwich, then the Mickey beignets (A+). We were very happy with our lunch.

 

[curiouslittleoyster]

Steakhouse 55 at the DLH: The dry aged Bone in ny strip is very good. Steak was tender and flavorful. I highly recommend it.

Napa Rose: Truffled Mac and Cheese Orechiettte-I love this. It is the best little dish of mac and cheese I have ever tried. It is sinfully rich and it melts in your mouth. The pasta is cooked perfectly, too.

Jolly Holiday Cafe: Hot Angus Beef sandwich--pretty good size for lunch and it's wonderful paired with their Practically Perfect Punch(I think it's a berry limeade?) and of course, end it with a Lemon Strawberry Cupcake. It looks like it might be uber sweet but it is not. The frosting is a little too much but you can always scrape the excess off with your fork. The lemon cupcake has a nice texture and not too sweet taste. It also has a strawberry preserves center.

Cafe orleans: Pomme Frites--garlic parmesan fries with a little parsley. Very tasty and comes with dipping sauce

Whitewater snacks a the Grand Californian Hotel: The make the best nachos. Both the chicken and steak are very good. served with nacho cheese sauce, guacamole, tomato, onion, sour cream, and jalapenos. You can ask for any of those toppings on the side if you would like.