Where to eat in DLR or near-by?

[TLPL]

Hi! I am starting to plan our first D23 Expo/DLR trip for this August. We are staying at the Grand Cal for 6 days. Would you guys suggest places to eat in or around the resort area for breakfast, lunch and dinner? We like to eat any cuisine, and would like to try different things - not just burgers and frys, also want to avoid places that charge tourist price. (So far I learned the IHOP near the resort is overpriced). 6 days worth of meals I just not sure where to start.

Please help!

 

[brocklesnar69]

I would recommend the Rainforest Cafe and Tortilla Jo's in Downtown Disney for Lunch and/or Dinner. I ate at both of those places multiple times during my last trip and loved them every time.

Since you're staying at the Grand Californian, you should try out Napa Rose. I haven't been there, but family members have told me it was really good. Pricey, but good.

 

[Miss Peach]

Our favorite off-property eats--

http://www.cortinasitalianfood.com/

http://www.bucadibeppo.com/

http://www.whichwich.com/

http://www.joesice.com/

http://www.zankouchicken.com/

These are all within a short drive of DL.

Cathy

 

[JH87]

There is this little Thai place that me and my friends found by just doing a search on his phone for Thai food close by. It was yummy and the service was really good!
It's called Fa Sai Thai Cuisine on Lincoln Ave in a little shopping center place. It's small but good if you like Thai food! And it's not a typical chain restaurant that you would find surrounding the resort. Prices are fair too.

 

[skiingfast]

Hi! I am starting to plan our first D23 Expo/DLR trip for this August. We are staying at the Grand Cal for 6 days. Would you guys suggest places to eat in or around the resort area for breakfast, lunch and dinner? We like to eat any cuisine, and would like to try different things - not just burgers and frys, also want to avoid places that charge tourist price. (So far I learned the IHOP near the resort is overpriced). 6 days worth of meals I just not sure where to start.

Please help!

As some posters are mentioned there is a lot of variety in DTD which the GHC is adjacent to.

In garden walk which is going to be about a 15 minute walk from the hotel you can find a variety of fairly nice chains.
http://www.anaheimgardenwalk.com/dining/

In the parks you will find a huge variety beyond typical foods. On the left check the cousines you would like to see.
http://disneyland.disney.go.com/dining/list/

Also look at Menus here.
http://allears.net/dlr/din/menu/menus.htm

 

[Huff]

ALL restaurants in DLR are tourist priced! Even McDonalds across the street from DLR is tourist priced.

If you don't wish to go offsite then the restaurants in Downtown Disney or the resorts are your best bet. Those inside the parks are even higher priced and mediocre food.

Napa Rose, Storytellers, Steakhouse 55, House of Blues, ESPN Zone all have very good food. Rainforest is good but we have one in our local city.

Offsite theres a multitude of restaurants within a few mile drive. We like Benihanas Japanese Steakhouse on Ball rd. Roys Restaurant on Katella is excellent with some very interesting menu selections.

 

[oc_tony]

We love Napa Rose at GCH. It's expensive, but so good. Storytellers is good too, especially for breakfast. In DTD, we like the pizza at Naples, and La Brea Bakery. In DCA, Ariel's Grotto was nice for dinner (they have a WoC package) and the soup bread bowls at Pacific Wharf are tasty. At DLR, we like Cafe Orleans for table service and Village Haus and Troubadour Tavern for counter service.

 

[TLPL]

There is this little Thai place that me and my friends found by just doing a search on his phone for Thai food close by. It was yummy and the service was really good!
It's called Fa Sai Thai Cuisine on Lincoln Ave in a little shopping center place. It's small but good if you like Thai food! And it's not a typical chain restaurant that you would find surrounding the resort. Prices are fair too.

Oh I love Thai food! I will put that one on my list.
I love Mexican food too, being in Canada, we don't have as many good Mexican restaurant as they do in US. Any good ones in the area?

 

[TLPL]

ALL restaurants in DLR are tourist priced! Even McDonalds across the street from DLR is tourist priced.

If you don't wish to go offsite then the restaurants in Downtown Disney or the resorts are your best bet. Those inside the parks are even higher priced and mediocre food.

Napa Rose, Storytellers, Steakhouse 55, House of Blues, ESPN Zone all have very good food. Rainforest is good but we have one in our local city.

Offsite theres a multitude of restaurants within a few mile drive. We like Benihanas Japanese Steakhouse on Ball rd. Roys Restaurant on Katella is excellent with some very interesting menu selections.

You got a point there Huff. I suppose we will rent a car. I don't mind driving off site, but not too far as I don't want to waste time in traffic jam. If within a few miles that's not a problem. We got a Rainforest in town too, so no on that one.

 

[TLPL]

We love Napa Rose at GCH. It's expensive, but so good. Storytellers is good too, especially for breakfast. In DTD, we like the pizza at Naples, and La Brea Bakery. In DCA, Ariel's Grotto was nice for dinner (they have a WoC package) and the soup bread bowls at Pacific Wharf are tasty. At DLR, we like Cafe Orleans for table service and Village Haus and Troubadour Tavern for counter service.

Ariel's Grotto for the WoC package.... Do you like it there better than the Wine Country Trattoria? Is there a specific reason?

 

[Leash]

A couple of places DH and I always go are http://www.portillos.com/portillos/ and http://www.fuddruckers.com/ (well not so much with fuddruckers anymore because we have them in Vegas now but it is really good).
Both are in Buena Park which is right next to Anaheim and just a short (maybe 10-15 minute) drive and we've never gotten stuck in a traffic jam coming or going. They have good food and are reasonable price wise, DH and I can both eat for around $20 at either place.

 

[Huff]

Do any of the restaurants along Harbor that are within easy walking distance affordable with decent food? IHOP is very over priced. Even McDonalds seemed quite high compared to our local MCD's because of a lack of value menu items.

We'll eat a few nice meals on our trip but need to find budget oriented ways to feed 2 adults and 2 hungry kids. Seems everywhere we went inside the parks or in Downtown Disney it would cost $40+ for a simple lunch such as a burger or pizza, fries and drinks and have everyone filled up. I can't afford to do that daily along with breakfast and dinner as well.

 

[SKShields]

My husband and I really enjoyed Carnation Cafe, we ate there for dinner and had a perfect view of the Christmas Parade! We also had lunch at Cafe Orleans, which was really nice as well. We had great service (obviously). There are some good places in CA Adventure that are a little different than your normal theme park fare, we really like Pacific Wharf cafe for the soup in bread bowls. I know people say that the food at DLR is overpriced and not that great, but you're paying for the ambience and experience, and anyone who is expecting a 5 star meal in the Park is setting themselves up for disappointment.

 

[Funball]

Hi! I am starting to plan our first D23 Expo/DLR trip for this August. We are staying at the Grand Cal for 6 days. Would you guys suggest places to eat in or around the resort area for breakfast, lunch and dinner? We like to eat any cuisine, and would like to try different things - not just burgers and frys, also want to avoid places that charge tourist price. (So far I learned the IHOP near the resort is overpriced). 6 days worth of meals I just not sure where to start.

Please help!

hi TLPL ! so disboards has a link that includes dining and menus in DL....

so i think you would benefit from looking at this

http://www.wdwinfo.com/disneyland/dining.htm

the mimi's across the street on harbor is in walking distance and they have decent food, in fact they have very good food!

there is lots of places in DTD to eat at also..

 

[chrissiecutie]

Ok, so I know you said no burgers and fries...but you simply MUST try In-n-Out. You MUST!!!

It's not your standard burgers and fries, trust me on this one!

 

[the donut]

There is this little Thai place that me and my friends found by just doing a search on his phone for Thai food close by. It was yummy and the service was really good!
It's called Fa Sai Thai Cuisine on Lincoln Ave in a little shopping center place. It's small but good if you like Thai food! And it's not a typical chain restaurant that you would find surrounding the resort. Prices are fair too.

Good to hear a favorable review of this place. We've been meaning to try it since they'll deliver for free to the Grand Cal. We usually end up going to Thai Nakorn, just a couple of blocks down from the hotel, because we don't want to risk bad Thai food, even if they do deliver!

There's amazing Vietnamese (Westminster) and Korean (Garden Grove) food in this area if you're willing to drive.

 

[Huff]

Ok, so I know you said no burgers and fries...but you simply MUST try In-n-Out. You MUST!!!

It's not your standard burgers and fries, trust me on this one!

I haven't got the In-n-Out burger thing myself! I tried them a few times. Very plain, dried out burger and plain tasteless fries. So I just don't get it! For fast food burgers I like Sonic or Whataburger. At DLR I like Jazz Kitchen counter service. Great burgers at a decent price.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

I haven't got the In-n-Out burger thing myself! I tried them a few times. Very plain, dried out burger and plain tasteless fries. So I just don't get it! For fast food burgers I like Sonic or Whataburger. At DLR I like Jazz Kitchen counter service. Great burgers at a decent price.

Yeah, I have to agree with you about In-n-Out. The burgers are better than other fast food burgers but don't really excite me. The fries are serviceable, but I like even McDonald's fries better than In-n-Out's. We've got some good burger places around us plus we like to grill them occasionally at home, so we don't often bother with burgers at Disney. I did try the filet mignon burger at the Jazz Kitchen restaurant a couple of times though, and it was excellent. My sons had the regular burgers at the Jazz Kitchen Express and really enjoyed them, so if I get in a burger mood and want something simple I would probably try there next.

 

[chrissiecutie]

I haven't got the In-n-Out burger thing myself! I tried them a few times. Very plain, dried out burger and plain tasteless fries. So I just don't get it! For fast food burgers I like Sonic or Whataburger. At DLR I like Jazz Kitchen counter service. Great burgers at a decent price.

Dried out and tasteless?!?

I can't help but think that maybe you just hit them at a bad time? Did you NOT have a double double with cheese?? Please tell me you had ALL the fixin's on it! Taste and texture has always been spot on every single time I've been there. IMO, if you just want a good cheeseburger done right, then In-n-Out is the place.

One of the things that I love the most about them is that they are 100% natural. For some folks, their taste buds just aren't used to the un-processed and natural flavors of foods in their original states. A few years ago my family and I went totally organic and natural foods only. I can say from experience that I can really taste a difference now between those foods that have chemical "helpers" and those that dont. Perhaps this is where the "plain" factor came in for you??

Either way, I'm sad to hear you guys didn't like In-n-Out. They've been a favorite of mine for well over 20 years and I just love me a double double with cheese!

 

[Funball]

Ok, so I know you said no burgers and fries...but you simply MUST try In-n-Out. You MUST!!!

It's not your standard burgers and fries, trust me on this one!

i agree hands donw on in n out! lol i am a long time fan of that place! and its cheap and you get lots of food for your buck!

I haven't got the In-n-Out burger thing myself! I tried them a few times. Very plain, dried out burger and plain tasteless fries. So I just don't get it! For fast food burgers I like Sonic or Whataburger. At DLR I like Jazz Kitchen counter service. Great burgers at a decent price.

I have yet to try sonic or RBJK, i heard the gumbo is awesome.. soo i need to try that