DLR Food: Where to eat and where not to!

[dweezil78]

Psshhh... Little Red Wagon is for tourists. Go to Stage Door instead. Same exact corn dogs, but served with fries instead of chips. Oh, and almost always no line whatsoever.

Also, I would put Hungry Bear on the list. The food is decent enough, but IMO, it has some of the best atmosphere in the park. I love to sit there away from the crowds (when possible) and lookout at the water and watch the boats go by. One of my favorite spots in the entire park.

Also, another vote for Storytellers. Love that place and can almost always grab a table w/o reservations for lunch on a not too crazy busy day.

 

[Californian Elitist]

^^^ Stage Door Cafe's corn dogs don't taste the same as the Little Red Wagon's.

Hungry Bear is good. Stage Door has really good fish and chips.

 

[nemofinder22]

Yes-
Plaza Inn- Fried Chicken dinner is the best and overall priced alright in terms of Disney food and portion size. Plus its always hot and fresh. Oh and the Cast Members here are just some of the greatest.
French Market- I think the layout inside it weird but the food is wonderful and the atmosphere outside can't be beat.
Cafe Orleans-Monte Cristo and the pomme frites, that's all you need to say. Although I still think French Market has a better seating area.
River Belle Terrace -A pretty good breakfast, followed by a ride on Pirates great way to start the day!
Seasonal offerings- I tend to like anything that DLR will offer as a seasonal item at its dinning locations. The yule log from Plaza Inn takes the top.

No-
Tomorrowland Terrace, I swear after it returned from a major refurb the burgers were pretty good and then it went down hill.
Village Haus- I swear the same thing happened here after it got a major refurb as well...

Yes/No
Stage Door Cafe, it has its moments IMO go when its really busy the food seems fresher instead of sitting for a bit under the heat lamps.
Harbor Galley- the soups seem fresher at Pacific Wharf Cafe, as is the bread of obvious reasons.
Redd Rockets Pizza Port- just for the Chicken Fusilli
Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta- it sucks they did away with the flat breads but the sundried tomoto pasta is wonderful with a fair price point to match.
Taste Pilots Grill- This place was amazing when DCA first opened, waffle fries, great burgers, chicken poppers, ribs, and the wonderful condiment bar. Its defiantly gone down hill compared to its 2001 version but I still enjoy the place.

 

[dweezil78]

^^^ Stage Door Cafe's corn dogs don't taste the same as the Little Red Wagon's.

I dunno... I find them to be pretty neck and neck and have friends who are way more diehard about their corn dogs that don't taste any difference. If there is a difference, I would argue that whatever that difference is, it's not worth the discrepancy in wait times between Wagon and Stage Door. But for those who think otherwise, more power to 'em!

Also want to give a nod to River Belle. They have a pretty solid pulled pork sandwich there!

 

[ljs1691]

Thanks for this info! These posts usually show up after I've visited but thankfully I have three weeks. Corn dogs are totally on my list of things to try. Might have to compare the two mentioned and let you know my results.

 

[gsrjedi]

I gotta give a recommendation to the skewers at Bengal Barbecue. It takes quite a few to fill up on them, but I'm a fan of all 3 meat skewers they offer.

Some of the other places/foods I particularly enjoy
-Paradise Garden Grill skewer plates are delicious
-Cajun meatloaf at French Market was one of my favorite things ever
-Tuna Poke at Trader Sam's is just another reason that place is a must-visit
-I've had excellent food at Carthay Circle, but they tend to change their menu and the next time I visit the food I liked is gone and have to try something new. Yet to be disappointed though.
-fried chicken at Plaza Inn is excellent, if you have an aversion to veggies like me get 2 sides of mashed potatoes instead; they give you so much chicken this can easily be shared between 2 people, I don't think I've ever finished my meal there and I eat a lot.
-the quick-service part of Tortilla Jo's is a bit like Chipotle (though nowhere as good), but we enjoy it.
-Earl of Sandwiches is great

 

[Californian Elitist]

Yes, Earl of Sandwich is great!

 

[Axoman]

Yes-
Plaza Inn- Fried Chicken dinner is the best and overall priced alright in terms of Disney food and portion size. Plus its always hot and fresh. Oh and the Cast Members here are just some of the greatest.

Had the friend chicken there on my trip last month. Was great!

Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta- it sucks they did away with the flat breads but the sundried tomoto pasta is wonderful with a fair price point to match.

Had this on the same trip as well. It was delicious! One of the best meals I had.

I fell in love with Red's Apple Freeze from the Cozy Cone in Cars Land. I think I had 6 or 7 of them during the 4 days I was there. It's also available as the Boysen Apple freeze from Maurice's Treats in Fantasy Faire in Disneyland.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

Earl of Sandwich portion sizes are too small.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Earl of Sandwich portion sizes are too small.

You really think so? I think they're huge.

 

[TP2000]

I figure I'll ask about restaurants (fast food or otherwise) unique to California/the west coast not on Disneyland property that we don't have here in Florida since someone brought up In n Out already.

Two words: Umami Burger. There's one a mile or two north of Disneyland, in downtown Anaheim. Gourmet burgers, a full bar, fabulous pickles, etc.

It's in the hipster Anaheim Packing District, in what used to be Anaheim's Packard Dealership from the 1920's. When they were refurbishing the building to turn it into Umami Burger, they found hundreds of old California license plates from the 1920's and 30's under the floorboards and turned them into chandeliers and wall art for the restaurant. It's the type of place that has homemade artisanal ketchup, and it's addictive.

The Welsh Rarebit Burger is my favorite, and the bartender does some great things with small batch Bourbons.

It's at 338 South Anaheim Blvd., just a few blocks east of Harbor Blvd, south of Lincoln Ave. http://www.umamiburger.com/

 

[TP2000]

A block south of Umami Burger is the Anaheim Packing House; an old citrus packing warehouse where local farmers would pack and prep their citrus crops for shipment via train on the Santa Fe line adjacent the building.

The Anaheim Packing House has been turned into a European-style Food Hall and Hipster Haven. Think of it like a giant multi-level food court, except without the chain restaurants and dull corporate mall vibe. It's all local restauranteurs from around SoCal who have set up shop, and it has pretty much something for everyone in about a dozen different restaurants, a few bars, and a handful of gourmet food shops.

You get your food from one of the stands or restaurants, then take your meal to communal tables in the atrium middle or out on the terrace made from old box cars.

Some of the longest lines are found at PopBar, a custom-creation gourmet ice cream bar stand. The kids go crazy for these things!

The Packing House can be very busy on weekends, and it's kind of a "scene". But on weekdays when its slower it can make for a nice break from Disneyland and theme parks, and offer up a huge selection of very good food that definitely didn't come from a theme park kitchen. http://anaheimpackingdistrict.com/packing-house

 

[Figments Friend]

I know Pizza Port is consistent in getting fairly low marks, but i rather like their tomato basil pasta dish.
It is the only dish i have ever tried there, or had any interest in trying, and have gone back many times to have it again over previous visits to the Park.
Maybe i just hit it right with my timing...as i always seem to arrive when they are just putting out a fresh batch.
I usually have to wait for the CM to finish the batch before being served a plate, and i often arrive about 30 minutes before they close for the evening.
I like to have pasta when traveling once in a while, and did*nt find this particular dish to be terrible.

I have also had good luck over at the Pinocchio Village Haus..but i only get the apple & cheddar salad and dessert offerings.
Being vegetarian, i don*t order any of the meat dishes so perhaps this has been a saving grace for me in these cases.

Places i would recommend to a newbie visiting for dining at DLR from personal experience so far would be these -

Cafe Orleans - Flavorful side salad ( with goat cheese, pecans, and a sweet dressing)
Pomme Frittes ( garlic and herb encrusted fries with fabulous dipping sauce )
Outdoor seating ambiance, particularly seated where you can openly see the Rivers of America.

Hungry Bear Restaurant - Fried Green Tomato sandwich with sweet potatoe fries. Yum.
Honey Lemon cupcake ( can be split between two )
Outdoor seating on the upper level, overlooking Tom Sawyer Island.

Rancho Del Zocalo - Unique choices and some yummy options with a Spanish-Mexican flavor.
Free *tap water bar* is a plus when roaming the Park
A beautifully lit setting in the evening.


Blue Bayou - a signature * once & done* type of experience every newbie should experience at least once.
Food is mixed results, but the ambiance created inside the *Pirates* show building is stellar.
You do pay for that experience however in the pricing, particularly at Dinner.


Over at DCA -

Lucky Fortune Cookery - Noodle options are quite tasty, as is the sauce selections.
Good for take out, and taking to another area of the Park to enjoy on a bench.

Flo*s V8 Cafe - Great breakfast spot...with some interesting alternative choices.
The views from the seating areas outside and in the back indoor dining area are nice.

 

[Sage of Time]

There's a NOLA-inspired restaurant in DtD that's also really good. Name escapes me and google has failed me.

Good counter service, there, too. I had a nice fried chicken po boy.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

There's a NOLA-inspired restaurant in DtD that's also really good. Name escapes me and google has failed me.

Good counter service, there, too. I had a nice fried chicken po boy.

Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen, and it is indeed excellent.

 

[CheshireCat12]

Our favorites:
Rancho del Zocalo, this was our favorite QS food at DLR. Huge portions and very tasty!
Pommes Frites at Cafe Orleans- the sauce makes the dish!
For a dessert, the Smores bake at the Big Thunder Ranch BBQ was really good but make sure you have 4 or 5 people to share it with! The BBQ menu was very good as well.

 

[Sage of Time]

Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen, and it is indeed excellent.

THANK YOU. Sheesh. Googled nearly everything with New Orleans restaurant and Disneyland and only got NOS stuff.

And yes, great place. We ate outside and just drank in our first night in California and that sweet, cool, summer air. And then we went over to Sam's and fell in love with the bar and the decor and everything at the Disneyland Hotel.

What a cool place. Good memories.

 

[Californian Elitist]

I mentioned Ralph Brennan's on the first page lol.

 

[Sage of Time]

I mentioned Ralph Brennan's on the first page lol.

Whoops. HA. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[gsrjedi]

Is the Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles open yet, or opening soon? I feel like I first heard about them opening one years ago. Just wondering what the status was.

I love Umami Burger, but haven't been to the Anaheim location yet.