One of Disneyland’s best patios is hiding in plain sight, and guests often walk right past it as they enter the theme park. This patio offers one of the best views of the most historic area of Disneyland. We always include it as one of our favorite Disneyland restaurants.
Keep reading for all the details on this restaurant, why we think it has one of the best patios at the theme park, and our favorite food items from the restaurant. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including the pricing information for all the Disney After Hours events and the expansion of Disney Visa card member discounts.
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Walt’s Favorite Restaurant Offers the Best View
Walt Disney’s favorite restaurant, Carnation Cafe, offers the best view of Disneyland with its historic Main Street, U.S.A. patio. If you want to take in the charm and nostalgia of Disneyland, this restaurant is one of the perfect spots to enjoy it.
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During our most recent visit, we specifically requested the patio so we could take in the ambiance for one of our favorite parts of Disneyland.
Carnation Cafe is also a great spot to enjoy seasonal cocktails. During our visit, we tried the Rum Punch, which was the perfect summer cocktail with our dinner. The Rum Punch includes silver rum, dark rum, grenadine, pineapple, orange, and lime.
You can’t go to Carnation Cafe without ordering the Fried Pickles as an appetizer. This is one of the best Disneyland snacks.
My son loves the homemade mac and cheese at Carnation Cafe, so even though he’s now a teenager, he still prefers to order the kids meal here.
The Turkey Club Sandwich features turkey, applewood-smoked bacon, vine-ripened tomato, Monterey Jack, lettuce, avocado mayonnaise, and lemon aïoli on toasted sourdough, served with a choice of fresh fruit or seasoned French fries. This was a great and filling sandwich.
Carnation Cafe is also home to the Hearty Veggie Burger, which is one of the only homemade veggie burgers left at Disneyland that hasn’t been replaced by Impossible. The burger features a house-made bean patty, vine-ripened tomato, chipotle mayo, slaw, and crispy onions on an artisan bun, served with fresh fruit or fries. I love this veggie burger, and I look forward to it on every visit!
The patio sits adjacent to the restaurant in this nostalgic courtyard offering great views of Main Street, U.S.A. If you want to soak in the ambiance of Main Street, this is the perfect restaurant to do it.
We love to sit here for dinner so we can enjoy the transition from dusk to evening and see the street lit up. Guests often tend to race past Main Street, U.S.A. in their hurry to get to attractions, but dining here at Carnation Cafe offers a great excuse to slow down and take in this historic restaurant.
If you time your meal just right when Disneyland is offering a daytime or evening parade, you can also be on the patio to watch and listen to the sounds of the parade. Keep in mind this isn’t exactly a great viewing spot for a parade, but it’s a great choice if you just want to enjoy the atmosphere of one without necessarily watching up close.
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