Best Food in DLR?

[emerald3582]

October will be my 5th time to Disneyland. Sadly, there are many things I have not eaten yet:

Dole Whip - I'm lactose intolerant, nuf said, but the rest of the fam loves them
Fried Chicken - is there a difference between Plaza Inn and Flo's V8?
Monte Cristo - I know Cafe Orleans is cheaper but I've never eaten at Blue Bayou either
Lobster Roll at Harbour Galley - I know I've eaten there before but I was probably too cheap to get it at the time
Lobster Nachos at Lamplight - are they really worth $20?

However, I do have my own favorites:
Clam Chowder bread bowl - I could probably eat one every day with lactaid pills, of course
Earl of Sandwich Holiday Turkey sandwich - not quite as good as Capriotti's but I love leftover turkey sandwiches
Turkey leg - did I mention yet that I love turkey?

We don't eat fancy meals when were at Disneyland, but this year I WILL go to Blue Bayou and kill two birds with one stone. Just wondering what your go to/can't live without favorite foods are? And no, churro ice cream sandwiches, mickey ice cream bars, etc. do not count as I feel those are just a given. I'm talkin' about meals, particularly lunch and dinner.

 

[PHXscuba]

Baked potato soup at Carnation Cafe.
Crispy corn dog from the Little Red Wagon.

Honestly I could do a whole day of just snacking as long as I got some protein in there.

PHXscuba

 

[Becca1007]

October will be my 5th time to Disneyland. Sadly, there are many things I have not eaten yet:

Dole Whip - I'm lactose intolerant, nuf said, but the rest of the fam loves them
Fried Chicken - is there a difference between Plaza Inn and Flo's V8?
Monte Cristo - I know Cafe Orleans is cheaper but I've never eaten at Blue Bayou either
Lobster Roll at Harbour Galley - I know I've eaten there before but I was probably too cheap to get it at the time
Lobster Nachos at Lamplight - are they really worth $20?

However, I do have my own favorites:
Clam Chowder bread bowl - I could probably eat one every day with lactaid pills, of course
Earl of Sandwich Holiday Turkey sandwich - not quite as good as Capriotti's but I love leftover turkey sandwiches
Turkey leg - did I mention yet that I love turkey?

We don't eat fancy meals when were at Disneyland, but this year I WILL go to Blue Bayou and kill two birds with one stone. Just wondering what your go to/can't live without favorite foods are? And no, churro ice cream sandwiches, mickey ice cream bars, etc. do not count as I feel those are just a given. I'm talkin' about meals, particularly lunch and dinner.

The dole whip is dairy free ... so no lactose worries there fyi!

 

[disneycat321]

Well, it's kind of snacky, but you can make a meal out of it if you eat enough of it - we love Bengal Barbecue. DH loves the Banyan beef (spicy) and I love the regular beef. The tiger tail breadstick is good, too. That followed by some Dole/raspberry whip from Tropical Hideaway is my favorite. Maybe the raspberry is dairy free, too?

 

[Mike_M]

The dole whip is dairy free ... so no lactose worries there fyi!

I’m lactose intolerant too and don’t seem to have issues with real dole whips. I always thought they were dairy free too.

I don’t think the recipe that’s been floating around since the parks closed (which uses ice cream as a base) for at home dole whip Is the real thing.

Menchies has a frozen pineapple sorbet that tastes exactly the same as a dole whip to me and is labeled dairy free So I say give it a shot next time you’re there!

 

[Mike_M]

I love most of the options at Rancho Del Zocalo, but the Carne Asada is especially good.

Jambalaya at French Market
Beast’s Forbidden Pastrami Burger and Beef Poutine at Red Rose Tavern
Stuffed Baked Potatoes at Troubadour Tavern
Everything at Bengal BBQ
Bao and Lumpia at the Tropical Hideaway
The Pot Roast at Docking Bay 7 in SW:GE
Surf & Turf at Blue Bayou

Of course Churros

 

[MillauFr]

Most of the food in the parks is meh. We do love Napa Rose though. Excellent food and service every time. Steak House 55 is a must stop for us, although I miss the 24 layer chocolate cake. It took a whole day in the parks to burn off all of those calories. In the parks we like Rancho Carne Asada best.

 

[Becca1007]

I’m lactose intolerant too and don’t seem to have issues with real dole whips. I always thought they were dairy free too.

I don’t think the recipe that’s been floating around since the parks closed (which uses ice cream as a base) for at home dole whip Is the real thing.

Menchies has a frozen pineapple sorbet that tastes exactly the same as a dole whip to me and is labeled dairy free So I say give it a shot next time you’re there!

You can ask for the allergen menu / ingredient list at the dole whip stands and it does not include dairy.

https://www.foodservicedirect.com/s...MInJWAg_7o6QIVKRitBh0X9AlMEAQYASABEgLYN_D_BwE
See this link for nutritional info on the mix

 

[taaren]

Fried Chicken - is there a difference between Plaza Inn and Flo's V8?
Lobster Nachos at Lamplight - are they really worth $20?

Personally we like the Chicken Fried Chicken at Carnation Cafe better than the Plaza or Flo's. For Flo's we usually go for breakfast, the Brioche French Toast is yummy, although obviously not very protein-ey, so we usually get one Brioche and the Chicken Tamale for the protein which is decent but not special.
My friends think the Lobster Nachos is worth it every time, and I enjoy them, but I also enjoy them more after I've had at least one drink (Fun Wheel usually) since it seems like they pour generously on the alcohol part of the drinks there.

 

[Ross Kratter]

Napa Rose is a must-do restaurant for me on every trip. The food is amazing and the service is outstanding.

 

[DonnerB]

My sister has a photo of me sitting on a bench throwing a "Disney tantrum" after being told the standby line to what was then the Cove Bar was about an hour long Clearly, we think the lobster nachos are worth it. I also love the potato skins, which are really more like smashed potatoes. Those two together are easily a meal for two people.

I'm also a fan of Carthay Circle for lunch. I really enjoy the ceviche and fire cracker duck wings. I'm usually there with the same friend, and we will share those for appetizers and split the seasonal burger (which are quite good by Disney standards).

I'll choose DCA over DL to eat 9 times out of 10, but the 10th time would be for the three-cheese Monte Cristo at Cafe Orleans.

 

[lalasmama]

Our "can't miss" foods:

Bengal BBQ--their sweet zulu skewers, and their veggie skewers. But we need 3 of them per person to make a full meal.
Cafe Orleans--we refer to our typical meal here as our "Disneyland heart attack." Pomme frites for appetizer, Monte Cristo for entree, and beignets for dessert. Of course, 2 lactaid tabs as an appetizer to my appetizer.
Dole Whips--whatever flavor sounds good, until my tummy and heart are content. Bonus points, Dole Whip is dairy-free, so no Lactaid needed beforehand!
Blue Bayou--if it's just hubs and I, or hubs and I with our teenager, we will do one of the dining experiences here. They say its typically a fixed menu, but they have always let us order off the regular menu.

Sigh. Now I'm hungry, and manwich for dinner just doesn't sound as good as Bengal BBQ.

 

[NannyBeBe]

It's funny how people's tastes are so different. I've lost track of how many times I've been to DLR, but I have never eaten at any of the super fancy restaurants. I always say I will, but when I look at the menus, everything sounds weird to me. I'm a simple girl from the country so I guess that has something to do with it.
I do enjoy the roasted chicken at the French Market, the fried chicken at Plaza Inn, the corn dogs, the Holiday Sandwich and macaroni and cheese at Earl of Sandwich, the Shrimp & Grits at Ralph Brennan's (as fancy as I get), etc. I must have a snack every day so I can eat everything I want to eat in the five days I am there.

 

[AndrewC]

I’m a fancy Disney restaurant person all the way. It makes for an expensive trip, but as an adult without kids (and either going solo or just with one friend) it isn’t toooo bad and to me it really adds to the enjoyment for adults. While the food doesn’t always match the price, to me having 45 minutes to an hour to sit down at my own table, in air conditioning, and enjoy a good meal is part of the whole package and recharges me so I can stay in the park all day.

Usually arrival day is Afternoon Tea at Disneyland Hotel, this justifies my 5am flight (which lands near 11am and gets me to the DLH right around noon for the tea!). A nice glass of champagne, hopefully a Halloween themed menu, and a beautiful dining room gets me into the Disney mood.

Dinner at Blue Bayou is a must. I really enjoy the “fake” outside atmosphere and the food is good enough for this vegetarian. If I’m with a friend, chances are she hasn’t been there before and it’s always fun watching the eyes light up and reactions to the theme. I truly wish there were more locations like this, Star Wars land could have offered an amazing restaurant that could have demanded any price for Disney.

Carthay Circle is always on the list. It makes for a nice lunch in another beautiful location. Somewhere I can get a well made cocktail and usually have some creative vegetarian friend courses. A bonus is that it gets me preferred seating to Frozen so I’m still knocking something off the attraction list while I’m eating.

Recently I’ve added dinner at Napa Rose (Chef’s Counter). This is a big time investment but I love watching the kitchen activities and again if I have a friend with me she almost never has experienced that. Often the “chefs tables” at fine restaurants require a minimum party of four or eight, which usually makes it impossible for a single person or if I’m lucky and have someone with me. Disney didn’t pause at all when I made a solo reservation before. Again I usually can get a great vegetarian meal and I enjoy telling the chef to go crazy with whatever he wants to make me (while being vegetarian).

I used to love Ariel's Grotto for lunch. Again a nice cocktail outside overlooking the World of Color lake and hearing the rollercoaster in the distance. I also appreciated that this was one of the few character dining options where the “characters” (princesses) changed their attitude a bit since I was an adult. Instead of slightly too drawn out one sided awkward conversations with someone in a suit, they would just come by and say “hi”, maybe comment on whatever cocktail I had saying it looked refreshing and kinda giving me a look like how crazy kids go all the time when they see them, or asking if I was enjoying my day in the park and then moving on. I like seeing the detail and work that goes into them, and it’s amazing how close some look to the actual princesses, but I’m also an adult that totally is aware it’s just an actor and is fine with a nice little “hi” and letting them move on to the crazy kids. Again, food isn’t amazing but good enough to keep me happy. (I still go now, but the Pixar theming isn’t as good)

Cafe Orleans is a must for me because it’s the only place I can get a vegetarian Monte Cristo! I also can get my fake Mint Julep and enjoy the nice outdoor area. It’s heavy food, but thankfully the price isn’t too bad and I usually don’t finish it all.

Oga’s Cantina gets added to the “always do list” now because of how well themed it is and the great Fuzzy Tauntaun. It gets consider “fancy” because nothing in there is cheap. Again if I’m with a friend this place always surprises and delights. If I’m solo, it’s just a fun atmosphere and a wild drink. Disney needs more of these extremely themed dining locations.

—————————

Of course I have a number of non fancy locations that I try to pack in (maybe skip breakfast and get something mid morning instead from one of these places).

At least one churro during my trip, hopefully a seasonal Halloween one.

A stop by Corn Dog Castle for a cheddar cheese stick (!) because you never see a vegetarian options for a corn dog replacement at theme parks or carnivals and honestly most the flavor is in the batter...

Milk Stand... didn’t expect to get addicted to these things, but I love them. Perfect size for enjoying while walking to an attraction and then toss by the time you get in line. Nice and super cold but doesn’t feel heavy/syrupy or anything. Price kills me though (I get a lot over the week...)

Dole Whip... enough said

Usually some other random Halloween or seasonal themed items randomly throughout the day....

 

[VandVsmama]

My favorites:

• corn dogs from the Little Red Wagon on Main Street. I hate corn dogs everywhere else outside of Disneyland, but these are out of this world good.
• salad and gumbo at the Blue Bayou
• any sort of soup in a bread bowl at the French Market, where you can sit outside while the Dixieland band is playing
• the fried chicken dinner at Plaza Inn
• Walt's chili at Carnation Cafe

 

[MillauFr]

Napa Rose is a must-do restaurant for me on every trip. The food is amazing and the service is outstanding.

Yes we always request server Rodney. He is the best

 

[Ross Kratter]

Yes we always request server Rodney. He is the best

Rodney was my server when I ate there. He was fantastic.

 

[MillauFr]

Rodney was my server when I ate there. He was fantastic.

Wendy is also top notch. We request her if Rodney is on vacation. We also like assistant server Victor.

 

[AndrewC]

Wendy is also top notch. We request her if Rodney is on vacation. We also like assistant server Victor.

Is Wendy an older lady? I think I had her one night and while she was good and prompt and told little stories about her daughter, when we asked the dessert station to make us their favorite thing, she just steamrolled over the [very young, early 20s?] dessert station girl and picked for us. It kinda crushed us a little because the dessert station girl looked extremely excited (yet super professional) to be working all night & had made a little small talk and comments to us throughout the night that she hoped we were saving room for her station. When we finally got to dessert and told her “make us her favorite” her eyes lit up and she told us she would make something extra special. The way she reacted honestly felt like she never got to give her input or do something special for a guest and then when Wendy came by again and said “oh no, you can’t do that for them, the most popular is blah blah (can’t remember which dessert it was), they’ll like this more, I’ve worked here x (10,15? It was a lot) years and everyone loves it!” the dessert girl looked completely deflated and sort of clammed up & just professionally handed it off to us so Wendy could come describe it. We felt terrible because we honestly were excited for how much energy she showed when we told her to pick her favorite for us and thought we might be getting something custom or at least modified and then.... not... we tried telling her right before we left that everything was wonderful and we loved her dessert but she just smiled and said she hoped we would be back sometime :-/

 

[MillauFr]

Yes Wendy is on the older side. All of the servers are. I think the promotions are generally seniority based.