Hearthstone Lounge is a bar and restaurant inside of Disneyland Resort’s Grand Californian Hotel. The lounge offers American food and a bevy of alcoholic drinks in a relaxed setting. The restaurant does accept an Annual Pass (Magic Key) and DVC discount. In this post, we’ll review Hearthstone Lounge’s theme, cuisine and value.

Part of the allure of Disneyland Resort is how compact it is. Everything is within walking distance from each other. This is obviously seen when hopping between the two parks, only needing a short walk through the Esplanade to get from one to the other. Downtown Disney and the Grand Californian (along with the Disneyland Hotel) fit this bill too. While the condensed space can be a drawback with limited places to expand, the benefits make it a unique space relative to other theme park resorts.

It especially benefits the guest when they take advantage of all that is offered. That includes when you need to find a place to relax, then you find a very comfortable spot to do just that. There is no better spot for relaxing than in some common places in the Grand Californian. Not only is the lobby comfortable and beautiful but the lounges and restaurants are also wonderful to sit in.

Hearthstone Lounge is full of tables, chairs and couches all inside of a very quiet, relaxed setting. It’s the opposite of the nearby theme park hubbub and makes it an excellent place to go, even if you just want a little something to drink. The easiest way to get there from the parks is through California Adventure and exiting near Grizzly River Run into the Grand Californian. Hearthstone Lounge is off of the main lobby and is, in essence, an extension of that.

Like the rest of the hotel, the lounge celebrates nature and has a national park lodge feel to it. Warm wood tones ruminate throughout the seating area and large windows let natural light in during the day. There’s a forest of green outside to help expand on that nature vibe. Sitting in there, it’s easy to forget that one of the largest tourist destinations in the world is mere steps away.

Along with the outside setting and environment, Hearthstone is cozy on the inside with a large fireplace on the opposite wall of the entrance. While I enjoy the ambiance, I won’t say that the lounge has the grandiosity and beauty of the lobby or Napa Rose. This isn’t some chic experience but instead comforting and relaxed. There’s obviously a place for both and the Grand Californian does an excellent job of having both.

The menu at Hearthstone Lounge matches the setting, offering a mix of interesting creations and classic bar food. Is it odd to see Poke Bowls and Avocado Toast on the same menu as Mini Corn Dog Nachos? Yes! But I’m here for it. Prices range from $16-$22 although the aforementioned Corn Dog Nachos were $12 and the pizzas tend to be a little more. With the discounts offered, prices start to come down to typical counter-service levels. If those aren’t applicable to you then Hearthstone Lounge falls somewhere between a counter-service and table-service restaurant which matches the level of food.

I ordered the Hearthstone Burger which had a Toasted Bun with American Wagyu Patty, Mushroom Spread, Artichoke Aïoli, Greens, Tomato, Beer Cheese Sauce, and French Fries. As you can tell, there’s a lot going on there! The beef was delicious and cooked well, having a great flavor to it. All of the different ingredients make for a pretty good burger, I especially liked the Artichoke Aïoli. My only complaint was that the Beer Cheese Sauce was a little heavy handed. I’m usually not a big fan of Beer Cheese but this was good, it was just a little overpowering compared to everything else. The fries were delicious, as well.

At $22, you’re definitely paying for the better patty. I’m not sure it’s quite worth that steep price for a burger but there’s a large upgrade in quality here relative to what you’ll find elsewhere in the resort. I’d likely be eager to find something else on the menu but this was a solid option.

We also tried the Margherita Pizza with Tomato Sauce, Fresh Mozzarella, Basil, Fire-roasted Tomato, Grana Padano, and Aged Provolone Cheese. I was surprised at how big this pizza was, being much closer to a medium pizza than a personal sized one. It was also delicious as all of the ingredients were fresh and the balance of cheese to sauce was well done. The best part of the pizza was the crust as it was baked very well. While not the best Margherita Pizza I’ve had, mainly because the sauce wasn’t anything spectacular, this was a very good option and easily shareable.

This came in at $23 which, again, is a little on the high side. I do think that you could just get this between 2 people and have enough food so there’s some value there. There are several other options on the menu and they all look pretty good! I’d happily go back for any of the pizzas here.

The food feels a little bit in limbo when it comes to value. It’s on par with the best counter-service options at Disneyland but also priced a little higher than it should be. If you look at Hearthstone Lounge as a quasi table-service restaurant, which it basically is considering you don’t order at a counter, then this is a decent value and being just a step below others on property like Carnation Cafe.

Once you factor in the comfortable seating and relaxed setting then Hearthstone Lounge finds a place among the dining scene. It’s not as fun as Trader Sam’s or as impressive as Disneyland’s top tier restaurants but it’s a lovely place to take a break from the parks and have a meal or snack to share.

Overall Rating – 8/10

Have you tried Hearthstone Lounge? Let us know your thoughts, along with any questions you might have, in the comments below! Planning a trip to Disneyland? Check out our Planning Guide here. If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends, as well as like our social media pages. You can also subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email. All of those links are on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!