Black Tap is a counter-service restaurant in Disneyland’s Downtown Disney. This burger spot started in New York before coming to Disneyland, Las Vegas and several international cities. Located in the middle of Downtown Disney alongside Naples and below Ballast Point, the restaurant serves burgers, sandwiches, salads, a few appetizers and some very elaborate milkshakes as well as offering a full service bar. Black Tap does accept a Magic Key (annual pass) and DVC discount. In this post, we’ll review Black Tap’s offerings as well as the atmosphere and value.

Starting in SoHo in the 1980’s, Black Tap has continued to gain notoriety over the past few decades while expanding in very select areas. It’s easy to see why the place is accessible no matter where it is in the world. Burgers and milkshakes transcend countries and language, obviously. On top of that, the atmosphere is inviting.

Black Tap in Downtown Disney strikes somewhere between a friendly brewery and a happenin’ fast food spot, like In-N-Out. While I can’t speak to Black Tap’s around the world, this version is trendy and easily accessible. By doing that and being a counter-service restaurant, there’s a void filled in Downtown Disney. There’s a few quick spots in the area but none of them offer the indoor and inviting seating that Black Tap does.

Due to the dearth of other options (and because we’ve already described burgers and milkshakes as transcendent) Black Tap almost always has a line outside of it, making it one of the most popular spots in Downtown Disney. It will be interesting to see if there’s a challenger in the future, as the area is set to evolve and grow over the coming years. I would imagine the restaurant will remain popular regardless of whatever changes are coming though.

That’s not to say the atmosphere in Black Tap is really anything special, it’s just modern and easy. The inside follows the trend of the last few years with an open (or exposed) ceiling. It looks like most of the fast-casual places that have popped up and become the norm. There’s large windows to add in quite a bit of natural light and some colorful art pieces. All of this makes way for a good amount of comfortable seating in air-conditioning. Never discount AC, especially in the midst of Southern California’s current heatwave!

There’s also outdoor seating that is shaded and has some shrubbery around it. Downtown Disney can lead to some, ummm, ‘interesting’ people watching. Outside of that, I’d probably recommend eating inside here as it’s a little more enjoyable to look at.

Guests order at the counter at Black Tap before finding their own seat and having the food delivered. If you’re of age then there will likely be seating at the bar where you can avoid the line and be waited on. As I mentioned, the line can get long for the counter but it moves pretty fast. Overall, the atmosphere is fun but nothing out of the ordinary.

Moving on the food, let’s take a look at the menu! The prices on Disneyland’s website may be out of date by a dollar or two but the menu is the same. As you can see, it’s mostly burgers and appetizers but there are a few vegan, gluten and diet friendly options on the menu. Milkshakes are also a point of pride at Black Tap and there’s a bar complete with toppings to make the shakes. There’s also a window to order shakes near the outdoor seating section.

Much of what I’ll say about Black Tap’s food offerings is going to sound the same, and we’ll start with the milkshake: It’s good but overpriced. On the bright side, this looks like a timeless ‘riding my bike to the soda fountain and getting the biggest milkshake’ that everyone thinks of from their youth. We went with the Oreo Classic Shake that was $12. It’s not as elaborate as some of the ‘Crazy Shakes’ but was tasty and paired well with the burgers, especially if you want to see how many calories you can put in your body!

This is the Old Fashioned which consists of a Prime Burger, Crimini Mushrooms, Swiss Cheese, Caramelized Onion, and Horseradish Sauce, Lettuce, Tomato, a Pickle, and is served with French Fries. I really enjoyed this one, as it’s among the top burgers at Disneyland Resort. That probably isn’t as high of praise as it sounds as burgers aren’t the forte. Still, the patty, mushrooms and sauce were all delicious. It was a bit messy but most good burgers are! The fries were fresh and crisp but nothing out of this world. 21 bucks is a high price to pay for a burger but I would recommend it if you’re going here.

We also tried the All-American Burger which comes with a Prime Burger, American Cheese and Special Sauce, Lettuce, Tomato, a Pickle, and served with French Fries. This option wasn’t as good, although the patty was still delicious. Otherwise, I thought this could use a little more of the Special Sauce and wasn’t worth the $19.50 price tag. Still, I like the patties at Black Tap and that is half the battle when it comes to hamburgers.

Finally, this is the Crispy Chicken Sandwich that includes Buttermilk Coleslaw, Cilantro, fresh Lime and Spicy Mayo and Korean BBQ served with French Fries. We had this on a subsequent visit to the restaurant and liked all of the options more this time around. The slaw was sweet and didn’t overpower the sandwich with a vinegar taste. The lime and BBQ sauce added to that sweetness. I didn’t think this was overly spicy but there was a kick to it so if you don’t like spice then maybe stay away. The chicken itself was juicy and a more than generous portion. At $19, I thought this was the best value of anything we’ve had on the menu.

Overall, I thought Black Tap Craft Burgers & Shakes fits in well at Downtown Disney, filling a fast casual void. Unfortunately, the place is a little bit overpriced and might not quite live up to what you have to pay. If you’re in the mood for a burger while at Disneyland, then this is one of the better options and it’s a fun atmosphere, especially if you’re not going into the parks. I’m not sure I’d take time out of your park day to go here though.

Overall Rating – 8/10

Have you tried Black Tap? Let us know your thoughts in the comments! Planning a trip to Disneyland Resort? Check out our Disneyland Trip Planning Guide to help you out. If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends and 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!