There are many choices when it comes to a theme park day – what to ride first, which shows to watch, when to get there and when to leave! Once it comes time to eat, sorting through all of the options can be a bit overwhelming. How are you going to decide where to eat when you can’t tell if you’re having a California Adventure or adventuring in California? You turn to this website where we’ll give our favorite restaurant recommendations and you can pick between them! We started this series with Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom but now are turning our attention to the west coast and California Adventure!
This series is here to serve as a jumping off point on places to eat at different theme parks. I set up a few rules to follow in these posts which will include somewhere between 5 and 10 restaurants each time. Each favorites list will have:
- At least one counter-service restaurant.
- At least one table-service restaurant.
- One restaurant (generally quick-service) that’s not in the park but is very quick and easy to get to.
Typically, I’ll include more than just one from each category! I’m going to try to stick to counter-service spots once outside of the park because it just takes up too much of the day otherwise. Even if it’s a short walk or ride away, eating at a counter-service spot, getting back through the gates and to the land you want will likely take more time than eating a slow meal inside that park.
If you’re looking for just a simple ranking of all of Disneyland resort’s table-service and counter-service restaurants we’ve been to then there’s our posts on the subject! This series isn’t about ranking though. I might mention if one is a favorite or something but this is more to just give you a few ideas on where to eat at California Adventure.
Disneyland Resort’s second park has seen the food scene steadily upgraded for the last decade, to the point where it now offers some of the best food of any Disney Park. As a whole, there’s a definite lack of table-service restaurants but the ones there are excellent. I’ll get to that in a minute. Counter-service options is where the park really shines, especially with the addition of San Fransokyo. I still love a number of Disneyland restaurants but I think California Adventure is the place to go for food at Disneyland Resort right now.
There’s a lack of Muppet or crazy characters to shout out in this paragraph so instead it seems fitting to mention that California Adventure does sport food booths for roughly 4 or 5 months a year. Between Festival of Holidays, Lunar New Year Festival and Food & Wine, California Adventure offers some interesting food that isn’t on the restaurant menus. Having a day snacking around those festivals can be a blast and worth mentioning. Also, the Grand Californian has the amazing Napa Rose and a few wonderful lounges but they don’t fit the rules. Let’s get to the lengthy list!
Carthay Circle (and Alfresco Dining)
Starting with Carthay Circle felt right when talking about California Adventure. It’s the centerpiece of the park, the first building you see as you walk down Buena Vista Street. Modeled after the theater Snow White debuted in, the building is gorgeous and a vestige to old Hollywood. Inside of the restaurant fits that same theme, it’s an elegant place to have a meal. The food lives up to the lofty standard and this remains one of the best ‘fancy’ restaurants in any Disney Park. For a slightly cheaper option, Alfresco Dining offers some small plates and appetizers in a really nice but less formal setting. The value isn’t incredibly strong but it’s some of the best food that the park offers.
All of the counter-service restaurants in San Fransokyo made the list and none have benefitted from the land makeover more than Lucky Fortune Cookery. Before the spot had the Bulgogi Burrito and not much else but now most of the menu is full of great options. I like the Birria Ramen, chicken sandwich and the udon. And there’s always that Bulgogi Burrito!
All of what I said about Lucky Fortune could apply to Aunt Cass, as well. There are some ambitious items on the menu including the Curry Beef. There’s also less ambitious but solid standbys like the Clam Chowder. The real winner is the Turkey Pesto Club though which is one of my favorite items in California Adventure!
The other table-service option at DCA is the best part of Pixar Pier, with respect to Incredicoaster. Lamplight Lounge has beautiful seating right along the water and has a very relaxing environment, making it a nice respite from a park day. There’s the famous Lobster Nachos or, my personal favorite, the Salmon PLT. Lamplight Lounge is the perfect late afternoon spot to take a load off while eating some delicious food.
I’ll get this out of the way to start: Flo’s isn’t as good as it used to be. The options aren’t as creative and some items are pretty hit and miss. That said, the Fried Chicken is always a solid option and the Club Sandwich is sneaky good. Flo’s also offers the best environment of any counter-service spot in California Adventure, with the fun neon and classic American diner setting. It’s not as good as it used to be but still solid.
Two words: Birria Tacos. Yes, you can get better Birria in Southern California but, for being in a theme park, this is exceptional and one of the best items you can order at Disneyland Resort. Add in that the price isn’t over the top then Cocina Cucamonga is hard to top in California Adventure, especially if you like tacos!
Paradise Garden Grill
This restaurant makes the list because it constantly changes out its menu to fit the season and festival going on in DCA. Overall, it can be a little hit and miss but Paradise Garden Grill consistently has the best festival items. This is worth checking out and seeing what the menu is when you’re there, if it looks appealing then chances are good that you’ll enjoy it!
Our out of the park pick for this post is the counter-service restaurant at the Grand Californian. I’ve sang the restaurant’s praises for many years now and it continues to impress. Along with excellent food and a diverse menu, getting to GCH from California Adventure is very simple. It’s just a minute or two outside of the hotel’s park entrance, which anyone can use. This is a great spot that I frequent more than anywhere at Disneyland Resort.
Where are your favorite spots to eat in and around California Adventure? Let us know, along with any questions you might have, in the comments below! If you are planning a trip to Disneyland Resort then check out our planning guide. Looking for discount Disneyland tickets? Check out this site! 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. You can do all of that on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!
Categories: Restaurant Reviews