lost weekenders

Best Quick Service Dining in Disneyland

Basics, FoodKelseyComment

I was recently asked about the best places to grab a meal in the parks without a reservation, so I thought I’d share that info with you all as well. 

Gumbo from Royal Street Veranda

Gumbo from Royal Street Veranda

There’s so many great quick service options at the Disneyland resort, to the point where we’ll typically only have one to two reservations on any given trip at the most. If we’re doing one of our lil baby weekend trips, we’ll skip reservations all together and just go with quick service.

We generally stick with quick service, not only because they’re, ahem, quick, but they’re also some of our favorite places to eat. Plus they’re low fuss, we can eat when we want, and we can split up depending on who wants what.

And just to define my terms, when I’m talking about “quick service” I mean a restaurant where you can grab a full meal without a reservation, order up at the front, and seat yourself. 

Our Favorites (with suggestions)

Disneyland

Plaza Inn

  • Fried chicken plate

  • Chipotle-pineapple glazed salmon

Jolly Holiday

  • Toasted cheese sandwich and tomato soup


Rancho Del Zocalo 

  • Honestly everything. Go with your heart.


Golden Horseshoe

  • Chicken tenders and fries bc I’m five.


Docking Bay 7

  • Smoked Kaduu pork ribs

  • Tip Yip

  • Yobshrimp noodle salad

  • Felucian Kefta and Hummus Garden Spread 

  • Oi Oi Puff


Hungry Bear

  • Honey spiced chicken sandwich and onion rings



Galactic Grill (breakfast)

  • Breakfast burrito

  • Loaded breakfast sandwich

  • French toast sticks


French Market Restaurant

  • Beef stew

  • Jambalaya 

  • Everything else. I love it here. 


DISNEY CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE

Smoke Jumpers

  • Signature mac and cheese 

  • Chicken tenders


Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta (highly contested)

Kat and Stephen hate it here but I (Kelsey) love it.

  • Boardwalk field greens salad

  • Breadsticks w dipping marinara


Cocina Cucamonga 

  • Haven’t been here since they re-did the menus but the street tacos plate looks v good.


Lucky Fortune Cookery

  • Vegan bahn mi

  • Szechuan chicken


Boudin (Pacific Wharf Cafe)

  • A whole friggin loaf of bread

  • Chinese chicken salad in a bread bowl

  • Soup in a bread bowl 


Honorable Mentions

Award Wieners

  • I don’t love boiled hot dogs, but if you’re okay w that there’s a ton of options and now there’s lots of seating.

Bengal BBQ and Tropical Hideaway

  • You kind of have to piece together a full meal but we like to order from both Bengal BBQ and Tropical Hideaway since they’re so close to each other, and eat everything at Tropical Hideaway (way more seating).

Harbour Galley

  • Great for food, not great for seating.

Royal Street Veranda

  • Once again, awesome for food, terrible for seating. 

Taqueria at Tortilla Jo’s

  • Once again again, good food, not a lot of seating.

Alien Pizza Planet

  • It used to be great, now it’s okay. I prefer going over to DCA for pizza, salad, and breadsticks at Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta. 

Red Rose Tavern

  • We really don’t like it here but everyone else does so I guess I’ll let you know about it. 

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And there you go! I hope this was helpful. What’s your favorite quick service on property? 

Oi Oi Puff from Docking Bay 7

Oi Oi Puff from Docking Bay 7

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