Best Table Service and Counter Service in DLR

[Lindslou]

Hi all,

Planning our very first DLR trip (we normally frequent WDW since we are on the east coast). We don't know where to start with dining at DLR! We are thinking we'll do one table service meal and the rest will be counter service in the interest of time. We will be 3 adults so we are looking for a non-character meal, food-first types of place for our table service meal. And for the counter service we love places that offer more variety than the typical burgers, fries etc. What do people like best? We are open to either DL or DCA for the table service meal.

Thank you in advance!!

[BrerGnat]

My favorite sit down restaurant at DLR is Napa Rose at the Grand Californian. Cathay Circle is at DCA and has the same head chef so I assume it is also wonderful. I also am a huge fan of Naples in Downtown Disney as well as Ralph Brennan Jazz Kitchen. Uva Bar is also very good but much more casual. It is in the middle of Downtown Disney. Cafe Orleans is decent in DL although the menu is quite limited.

As for QS, it is all good! Honestly, there is SO much variety and with the exception of Tomorrowland Terrace, every QS place has great food. Standouts include the Bakery for sandwiches, Plaza Inn for fried chicken, and Bengal BBQ at Disneyland.

At DCA, I like Taste Pilots (soon to be renamed?) And the Mexican place in the wharf along with the Pacific Wharf Cafe.

The Disneyland Hotel has a great QS out by the pool. Really good food cooked fresh. Very much like the Polynesian resort QS.

[Melanie]

Hands down my favorite table service is Steakhouse 55 at the Disneyland Hotel. Such wonderful old Hollywood history/feel, and the food is wonderful at both breakfast and dimmer. Another highlight is Carthay Circle, which also has the old Hollywood feel/decor. And another I really enjoy is Carnation Cafe. Nothing like sitting down and dining right on Main Street!

There are so many good CS restaurants at Disneyland. Seems like every place offers something unique beyond the typical burger and fries.

[Lindslou]

Thanks guys!! I'm putting all of this on a spreadsheet! Feels great to get the chance to learn two whole new parks including dining. So exciting!

[NewDVCowner]

The only restaurant that I didn't like was the Chinese restaurant at the Pacific Wharf at DCA. Flo's V8 Café is really good, both for lunch/dinner and breakfast. I really like Boudin bakery (Pacific Wharf Café), also on the Pacific Wharf, they have great bread bowl salads and soups - but the line grows quickly so if you're not there right when they open be prepared to wait.

In Disneyland I like the Mexican restaurant near Big Thunder (Rancho de Zocalo) and the Hungry Bear Restaurant near Splash Mountain - it does lean towards the hamburgers, but I really like their fried green tomato sandwich. The Jolly Holiday Bakery on Main Street is a nice 'soup and sandwich' type place. Their grilled cheese and tomato soup is surprisingly good.

One thing I do every time I'm at Disneyland is to get beignets at the Mint Julep Bar (in New Orleans Square close to the train station) and a cappuccino. They open at 10:00. It's a nice place to stop and enjoy people watching.

[HiHoKermitTheFrogHere]

You are going to have a great time! Like you, we have been lifelong and frequent WDW visitors. We have now mixed in DL twice in the past three years and everyone in my family absolutely loves it. But to keep the focus on the topic of your post...........

I agree with a previous poster about Napa Rose. If you are all adults and don't mind dropping a few extra dollars on a meal, Napa Rose is excellent. Fresh, local ingredients used to produce creative and delicious dishes. The dining room is very nice, but if you are up for an experience, I have sat at the chef's counter several times. It is fun to watch the food being prepared and to see the speed at which the kitchen staff operates.

We also really enjoyed Wine Country Trattoria at DCA. We liked it so much that we filled our only open night on our recent trip with a second reservation there. Eating outside (where most of the tables there are located) is a nice treat. If the temperature is cool, the outdoor seating area has abundant heaters.

Storytellers Café is good, too. It is a nice buffet at the Grand Californian, right next to Napa Rose. We particularly like the breakfast buffet here. I would describe it as a scaled-back version of Chef Mickey's. The breakfast food is very good and boasts a nice variety, but not so much as Chef Mickey's that you feel sick to your stomach after attempting to try every single item on the buffet. It is a character meal, but recognizing your comment that you'd like to stay away from character meals, you barely even notice the characters here relative to other character meals. It is a forest theme including characters such as Miko, Chip and Dale, Koda and Kenai. When the characters come, they are very pleasant and interactive, but you are otherwise able to enjoy a good meal.

My family likes Naples in Downtown Disney for table service pizza. I am not a huge pizza fan (very un-American, I know), but putting my views on pizza in general aside, my entire family really likes this restaurant.

I'd also note that Catal in Downtown Disney is good. If you like Mediterranean food, this table service restaurant has very good food and a very relaxed atmosphere for a nice restaurant.

For CS, you almost cannot go wrong. The CS choices and food quality both are significantly better than what you find at WDW. Here are a couple that we really like (some of which echoes prior posts):

--Flo's V8 Café -- good food and a neat spot to eat if you sit outside, right along Route 66 in Cars Land.

--Cocina Cucamonga -- this is the Mexican restaurant at Pacific Wharf that was mentioned previously. I eat here once on every visit. (To repeat another comment from above, stay away from the Chinese restaurant on Pacific Wharf. This is one of the very few food locations at Disneyland that is subpar.)

I'm sure you weren't looking specifically for dessert recommendations, but since ice cream is my favorite food, definitely take advantage of the Ghirardelli's located inside DCA. It is on Pacific Wharf. Kind of dangerous for an ice cream fanatic like me that a place with such good ice cream and hot fudge is located right inside the parks. Here is my little tip: rather than spending time sitting down and eating my ice cream, I usually get it, then get into a line that is typically a bit on the longer side (e.g., Radiator Springs Racers). That way, I get to enjoy my ice cream while also eating away at the wait time for a fun attraction. (Nothing wrong with sitting at a table or bench and relaxing while you enjoy a good ice cream sundae, of course, if that is your preference.)

Enjoy your DL dining!

[Lindslou]

You guys are so helpful. I'm tracking the restaurants that get recommended multiple times and there are several! Thanks for also letting me know about sub-par restaurants... that's equally important! Stay tuned for my upcoming thread about best bars/nightlife. Oh my!

[dtootsie42]

Like a couple of people have said Napa Rose is simply awesome. It is the one place that we never miss when we visit. The second miss is Steakhouse 55, we have been for breakfast and dinner. Breakfast is nice and soothing a great way to start the morning.

We also love Naples in downtown Disney. Last visit we went twice!

[Disney_pups2]

so, I have to say that table service is Blue Bayou in DL and Carthay in CA.
Catal or Rainforest for DTD

Counter service in DL is the Village Haus
CA was Cocina Cucamonga

[Lindslou]

Still assembling this info on my spreadsheet!

Thanks very much!

[magicofdisney]

I've only been to DL twice so my experience isn't vast. However, we truly enjoyed Royal Street Veranda for counter service. They offer soups in bread bowls. When we were there it was corn chowder or beef stew. I got the corn chowder and LOVED it! The location is right next to the Mint Julep Bar mentioned previously. Additionally, we had some beignets from the Mint Julep Bar that were fabulous.

[BrerGnat]

I've only been to DL twice so my experience isn't vast. However, we truly enjoyed Royal Street Veranda for counter service. They offer soups in bread bowls. When we were there it was corn chowder or beef stew. I got the corn chowder and LOVED it! The location is right next to the Mint Julep Bar mentioned previously. Additionally, we had some beignets from the Mint Julep Bar that were fabulous.

Yes! Love this spot. They often have gumbo and its pretty great!

[larjani]

I'm surprised not many mentions of the Blue Bayou. Is it still good? For the curious, it's the restaurant Pirates of the Carribean boats pass by at the beginning of the ride. It's Cajun style food If I remember right. Even though it's indoors, the theme is night time veranda outdoors.

[BrerGnat]

I'm surprised not many mentions of the Blue Bayou. Is it still good? For the curious, it's the restaurant Pirates of the Carribean boats pass by at the beginning of the ride. It's Cajun style food If I remember right. Even though it's indoors, the theme is night time veranda outdoors.

It kind of hasn't been good for a long time. It is popular because of the theme but food has been mediocre to bad since about 2007.

[Christine]

Jolly Holiday for quick service and steakhouse 55 for sit down (bfast is amazing!!) as seen with fellow INTERCOTEEs!

[Lindslou]

Thanks so much! The planning is seriously so much of the fun. Love the pics.

Now, do people have bar recommendations??

[Christine]

Thanks so much! The planning is seriously so much of the fun. Love the pics.

Now, do people have bar recommendations??

Beer truck in DCA, and of course, TRADER SAMS at Disneyland hotel!

[BrerGnat]

Thanks so much! The planning is seriously so much of the fun. Love the pics.

Now, do people have bar recommendations??

Uh, all of them?

[Melanie]

Thanks so much! The planning is seriously so much of the fun. Love the pics.



Now, do people have bar recommendations??

Love the Carthay Circle Lounge at DCA. It's my new favorite. But like Nat said, all of them!

[Lindslou]

Ooh, in which land is the beer truck? Someone also told me the Cove Bar attached to Ariel's Grotto is a nice hideaway.

I suppose we'll have to sample the lounges at each of the 3 hotels....