When you’re in Disneyland, there are tons of different dining locations to choose from, but you want to make sure you’re choosing one that you’ll be happy with.
We’ve tried all the restaurants around Disneyland Resort to help you decide what’s the best fit for your vacation. If you’re hoping to book an Advance Dining Reservation for your trip, we’re here to help you decide what reservation is the right fit for you so you’re not disappointed in your choice and know what to expect going in. If you’re heading to Disneyland soon and are thinking of checking our Carnation Cafe, we’ve got our full, honest review for you!
Atmosphere
Carnation Cafe is located on Main Street U.S.A. and is known for its striped umbrellas outside! This old-fashioned piece of Americana is reminiscent of the older times, but offers modern versions of cafe classic dishes.
Seating is available both inside and outside, and you’ll even find some classic old photographs in there, right up against the wallpaper that will remind you of your grandparents’ house and/or the house you grew up in.
The seating inside is pretty close together, so it’s not a very large space, so if you’re not wanting to sit close to other families and want some more room, you may want to request sitting outside in your dining reservation.
Outside, the red and white striped umbrellas offer shade outside, so even if you’re seated outside, you won’t be directly in the sun’s rays.
But enough about the restaurant — what’s on the menu here?!
Menu
Breakfast classics are served alongside fan favorites like Mickey Waffles and comfort menu options like Country-fried Steak and Eggs.
For lunch and dinner, you can enjoy options like meatloaf and Walt’s Chili, in honor of Walt Disney’s favorite dish.
Malts, shakes, and sundaes are also offered for dessert, and alcoholic beverages are available as well. But how does it all taste? We’re about to find out!
Eats
For our starter, we grabbed Walt’s Chili for $12. This is Hearty Chili topped with Cheese, Sour Cream, Chives and Cornbread Crisps, and it’s hard to skip a classic like this!
This has a little bit of kick to it, so keep that in mind if you’re spice adverse. We couldn’t reall ytaste the corn bread crisps and the chili soaked them, which took away the crisp — we think Fritos would’ve been the better option! This didn’t ruin the dish or anything though, thankfully, so if you like a meaty dish and don’t mind a bit spice or want to get one of Walt’s favorites, we’d highly recommend this.
One of our two entrees was the Guacamole Burger for $22. This is an Angus Chuck Patty, Monterey Jack, House-made Guacamole, Grilled Onion, and Lettuce on a Brioche Bun. It’s also served with your choice of fries or seasonal fruit, and we chose the fries.
This was a little messy, but REALLY good! The guacamole soaks the top bun and the lettuce got the bottom one, so if you’re texture sensitive, that’s something to be aware of. The burger was cooked to a perfect medium, and it has a peppery seasoning that adds a little kick to it. The grilled onions had a nice and sweet flavor that complimented everything else, but the fries might’ve been our favorite part! They were nice and crispy with what tasted like a light Cajun seasoning on them, so overall, we were impressed.
Our other entree was the Chicken Fried Chicken for $22, which is Herbed Mashed Potatoes, Seasonal Vegetables and Country Gravy. The country gravy added a savory, almost bacon-like flavor to the fried chicken, and the chicken’s skin had that gravy flavor mixed with herby and buttermilk flavors. The chicken itself was tender, but most of the flavor came from the skin.
While this tasted good, our only complaint is the fried skin was a pretty thick layer compared to how much meat there was. The potatoes had hints of herb and vegetable flavors mixed in, and the seasonal vegetables at the time of dining were peppered green beans. They weren’t too chewy and had a light spice, so it’s flavor central over here. Again, we were impressed, but we do wish there was a better balance of chicken to the fried skin.
For dessert, we snagged the Peach Pie à la Mode, which is Warm Peach Pie served with Vanilla Ice Cream for $10.
We ADORED how sweet and fresh this was! All of the ingredients went perfectly together — the vanilla ice cream was fresh, rich, and creamy, and the peaches tasted fresh, no artificial flavoring at all. The pie crust was sweet and buttery with a flaky texture. We couldn’t love it more — 5/5 stars from us.
Nosh or Not
This Disneyland restaurant is a must-visit if…
- You love classic comfort food
- You’re looking for a smaller restaurant in Disneyland
- You enjoy food that has a kick to it
You should skip this Disneyland spot if…
- You’re someone who is spice adverse
- You don’t want a sit-down meal and want something faster
- You’re looking for food that’s more adventurous
Overall
We think this is a great spot to go if you know this menu is something you and your group will be big fans of. It’s exactly as it describes — it’s modern takes on old, comforting classics. Will it be the fanciest meal? Not by a mile, but will it be delicious and fill you up for your day? We say yes!
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Have you ever dined at Carnation Cafe? Tell us in the comments!
















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