Oooo Blue Bayou, how cool! I've always wanted to eat there.
My favorite Disney restaurant is Napa Rose, located in the Grand Californian Hotel. It's a bit pricey, but the food is amazing and the service is wonderful! Best restaurant on any Disney property hands down!
I completely agree with Nicole!! Napa Rose is awesome if it falls within your budget. Let's put it this way - my mom like the Filet Mignon at Napa better than California Grill! The restaurant has floor-to-ceiling windows that have a view of Grizzly Peak in DCA. However, be aware that if go when it's dark and request a view right up against the window, you may see more glare from the restaurant's lights than the Peak itself. I haven't seen them use the outdoor patio in a while, but whatever the case, it's a great restaurant. If you aren't able to get a restaurant reservation, like CA Grill, you can basically eat in the bar area and get the same menu.
I've also heard great things about the recently re-opened Steakhouse 55 at the Disneyland Hotel.
Obviously I like Blue Bayou, but primarily for the Monte Cristo and the ambience. In my personal view, our in-Park restaurants are nowhere near the caliber of WDW's in-park restaurants. Blue Bayou is good, but I would personally rank Tony's, Liberty Tree, and most World Showcase restaurants above it. Still, if you've never eaten there, you almost have to. And the dessert!! Get the Pirate dessert!! If you are familiar with BJ's Bar & Grill Restaurant, it's sort of like a Pizzaookie. Ask for a waterfront table for your 1st time - there's almost no point in eating there if your 1st experience doesn't include a waterfront table. Sometimes, the jazz band comes out on the balcony and plays for diners. Just behind where they play is part of Club 33. Blue Bayou has a huge following, partly a result of its reputation. So prices are not cheap b/c, well, frankly the demand is there that allows them to charge for it.
I'm personally a big fan of Rancho del Zocalo (buffeteria-esque, in Frontierland, next to and with views of Big Thunder), with a richly-done Zorro-esque theme and Mexican food that's way better than what you'll get at Epcot's Mexico pavillion. I also like Cafe Orleans, right across from Blue Bayou but outdoors so you can look out at the bustle of New Orleans Square. It's got a wider variety of Monte Cristo's than Blue Bayou does and it has other lighter fare as well. It's table service. My other favorite is Redd Rockett's Pizza Port (or as CM's in my day used to call it, R2P2, also buffeteria-ish) in Tomorrowland, right next to Space Mountain. The local favorite is the Chicken Fusili but they have a wide variety of pizza, pasta, and salads as well. My mom also likes the Plaza Inn at Central Plaza, Tomorrowland side (buffeteria-esque). Think of it as a weaker version of Liberty Tree. They have pot roast, fried chicken, basically the same Chicken Fusili as R2P2, but good salads and great desserts. Plaza Inn is the restaurant that Walt touted would feel like a gourmet, elegant restaurant but with cheap prices.
You should probably temper your expectations of Disneyland food quality compared with Walt Disney World. For some reason, table service restaurants just don't do as well here as they do in Florida - maybe b/c our average length of stay is not 5 days like it is there. Disneyland has 3 table service restaurants in total. Most others are buffeteria-esque (various serving stations that you walk up to order what you want from that station - think: a MUCH nicer version of the Land's food court that doesn't feel like a cafeteria) or fast food. California law does not permit the same type of toppings bar that WDW has so you won't find that here. There's one place at DCA that does have a toppings bar though.
Anyway, haha, I think I've typed way more than you want to read so ask if you have other specific questions.
Blue Ribbon Bakery (on Main St) is our version of Starbucks and the lines bear that out.
) but they had recently remodeled and it was wonderful. I never had any bad run-ins with the staff. My room key even decided to stop working one day, and it turned out to be the card reader on the door. After two trips to the front desk for new cards, they sent the manager back with me and he changed the card reader. All was well.
