Oct 30

Smokejumpers Grill – Anaheim, CA

Disney California Adventure Park

1313 S Disneyland Dr.

Anaheim, CA 92802

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ 

One of the newer dining destinations in California Adventure, Smokejumpers Grill opened its doors less than a year ago and sits right next to the Soarin ride. As you enter this quick service restaurant, you will find large menu boards above the registers surrounded by indoor and outdoor seating.

After reviewing the menu, we decided to order the bacon cheddar burger with fries and the grilled chicken and jack sandwich with chili cheese fries. We had to wait a couple of minutes before our food was ready. All of the condiments are actually self-serve in what seemed more like salad bars. All of the fresh veggies and sauce were laid out nicely. The bacon cheddar burger had some crispy bacon, but the burger patty had no flavor at all. Even with the dressing and mayo added in, the burger lacked flavor and the meat was not juicy. The grilled chicken sandwich tasted better because it came with its own chiptole aioli, but it was still pretty bland. The chicken was fairly juicy and not dry. The chili cheese fries had a bit too many beans and lacked a lot of flavor. Like most of the meal, the chili was quite bland. I also wished they melted the cheese over the fries.

Overall, Smokejumpers Grill was quite the disappointment especially for the price paid just for two meals. If you really wanted a burger and could not leave the park, then this may be a decent option, but just don’t expect too much. Leaving the park and heading to Downtown Disney would have resulted in a better meal.

Oct 26

Cafe Orleans – Anaheim, CA

Disneyland Park

1313 S. Harbor Blvd.

Anaheim, CA 92802

Rating: ★★★½☆ 

Located in the New Orleans area of Disneyland, Cafe Orleans serves up southern cooking to Disney visitors looking for a sit down restaurant. We had scheduled a reservation with the day before to ensure we would receive a table. After checking in with the hostess around 30 minutes early, we were called back for seating within a few minutes. The hostess provided us with menus and a server came by for our drink orders. After reviewing the menu, we were set to try some of their offerings.

Today, we decided to order the pomegranate lemonade, Monte Cristo sandwich, and the flat iron steak. The pomegranate lemonade had hints of pomegranate flavors, but was extremely sour. While waiting for our entrees, the fire alarm went off, so we had to wait outside for around 30 minutes while Disney employees figured out what was going on. The entirety of New Orleans Square was evacuated. After the alarms subsided and staff started getting back to work, the restaurant was preparing to let the guests back in. Staff basically had to discard of all the food on all the tables and start over. Once seated again, we were provided with our drinks again and our order was confirmed. Soon, we finally received our food. The Monte Cristo sandwich had the perfect amount of crispness on the outside and was coated well with the powdered sugar. The berry puree went perfectly with the bread. I was a bit disappointed in how little meat and cheese was inside the sandwich because I was expecting more. The flat iron steak was cooked perfectly to order and was seasoned well. The meat was juicy, but was quite small. The mashed potatoes were also tasty and creamy.

Overall, Cafe Orleans serves up some good tasting food, but parts of the meal in terms of quantity and filling were a bit disappointing. We were definitely expecting a bit more based on the prices paid. The fire alarm fiasco was a bit annoying, but staff seemed to have handled it well. If you are in Disneyland and wanted to try some good food, Cafe Orleans is still a good option.

Oct 23

Paradise Garden Grill – Anaheim, CA

Disney California Adventure Park

1313 Disneyland Dr

Anaheim, CA 92802

Rating: ★★★★½ 

Located on the outskirts of Paradise Pier, Paradise Garden Grill serves up Mediterranean dishes in a partially shaded patio area. After reviewing the menu at this quick service facility, we decided to order the lemon oregano chicken skewer with chimichurri sauce and the grilled steak skewer with tzatziki sauce. The chicken was actually very tender and seasoned well with herbs. The accompanying rice and salad went well with the chicken and sauce. The pita was still warm and tasty. The steak skewer was also seasoned well and went well with the mild tzatziki sauce. The steak was tender as well. As with much of the other food on the Disney property, prices are a bit high for the amount of food received, but this time around, the meal came to a decent price. If you are at California Adventure and wanted something healthier, then Paradise Garden Grill will be a great option.

Oct 19

Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles – Long Beach, CA

730 E Broadway

Long Beach, CA 90802

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

Located just a short drive away from my hotel, Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles serves up southern cooking to Southern California. An adequate amount of parking is available via the attached parking lot and street parking. As I entered, a hostess quickly seated me at a table and provided the menu. A server promptly came by and took my drink order and answered any of my menu questions. After mulling through the menu, I decided on my order.

Today, I decided to order Herb’s Special, which included 1/2 a chicken prepared southern style and 2 waffles. For the 1/2 chicken, I opted for all dark meat. After sipping on my iced tea for a few minutes, the server brought over the chicken and large waffles. The chicken pieces did not seem very big and looked a bit dry. The drums were definitely dry, but the thighs had some juice in them. I was really expecting more flavor from the southern breading, but it was actually a bit bland. The waffles were a lot more interesting because they were very soft and not crispy at all. Their mix produces a soft, yet very sweet waffle. Each syrup-covered bite was enriched with brown sugar while coated with excessive amounts of soft butter. The plate did come with three containers of syrup, but I really only needed 1 and a half.

Overall, Roscoe’s serves up OK chicken and great tasting waffles, but it was not worth the money. If the chicken came out juicier or tastier, then the cost may be worth it. The waffles are great, but I felt like I was eating a ton of sugar. If you are into waffles, you should definitely give Roscoe’s a try, but don’t expect too much from the chicken.

Oct 16

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. – Long Beach, CA

87 Aquarium Way

Long Beach, CA 90802

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Located at the Pike, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. serves up fresh shrimp to the masses. I entered the restaurant near closing time, but staff were still friendly and accommodating. I was seated near the bar, where I learned about the menu and their license plate style signaling system to flag down a server. After receiving my iced tea, I was ready to order.

Today, I decided to order the shrimper’s heaven, but I requested to substitute the french fries for broccoli. The fancy shrimp cone holder was lined with four different types of shrimp and three dipping sauces. The coconut shrimp were very big and came heavily breaded with tasty coconut. Each bite was hearty and full of shrimp. The grilled shrimp was one of my favorites because it was cooked perfectly and tasted fresh. The golden shrimp was classically breaded with a thin coat. The tempura shrimp had the lightest and tastiest breading coating the large shrimp. Out of the three sauces, the tangy Asian and Cajun marmalade were my favorite and both went well with all four types of shrimp. The broccoli was cooked fresh and had some delicious butter over the crowns. The broccoli added a great balance to the fried shrimp.

Overall, Bubba Gump serves up delicious tasting shrimp at reasonable prices while providing excellent service. Closely located to plenty of shopping and the aquarium, Bubba Gump is a great option for shrimp lovers. If you are in the area and love shrimp, then you must give Bubba Gump a try.

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