Exploding geysers. Racing thrills. Heroic encounters. Old-time boardwalk excitement. A fusion of San Fransicso, Mexican and Asian favorites. A day inside Disney California Adventure Park offers plenty of variety. This abundance of fun and thrills spills over into the dining options, as well. You’ll find a variety of food types that correspond to the many ethnic influences in California, from Asian to Mexican to American, and other foods influenced by Disney and Avengers movies. (Speaking of Avengers, hop on over to our Avengers Campus post. We are toadally excited about the fun and delicious themed foods at the Pym Test Kitchen and Shawarma Palace carts.) Here are the best California Adventure quick-service options.
Our Frog Family thinks that food is one of the things this park does best. And with many quick-service California Adventure restaurants offering Disneyland Mobile Order service, we have enjoyed getting our food even quicker by skipping the order line.
Best Quick-Service Restaurants at Disney California Adventure Park
Here's a look at our favorite Disney California Adventure quick-service restaurants by land. They'll give you a great taste of California's variety of flavors!
Drive into Cars Land
Flo’s V8 Café
Flo’s V8 Café in Cars Land is designed after a roadside diner and features comfort food favorites. Breakfast has not returned since the pandemic, but Flo's still opens about 9:30 in the morning for people needing a fill up before lunch time. For lunch and dinner, try Flo’s Famous Fried Chicken, chicken fenders, a club sandwich, burgers, a salad and more. We recommend going at night when it is all lit up with neon lights.
You can also enjoy the shakes. Standard flavors are chocolate, strawberry and vanilla, although you can get all three in the secret menu Neapolitan shake, or even try a seasonal shake. Shakes come topped with “road gravel,” (aka chocolate cookie crumbles) and you can even take home a souvenir old 50s themed classic shake glass! If the line seems daunting, try the Disneyland Mobile Order service as a drive-thru option. However, we don't always see the shakes on mobile order, which can mean waiting in line in rush-hour traffic. We like the seating options. You can park yourself at a retro booth, fuel up next to a gas tank out front or chill out on the back patio as Radiator Springs Racers zoom by.
Cozy Cone Motel
You'll also find the Cozy Cone Motel in Cars Land. There are a number of tasty eats to be found here (usually in some kind of cone-shaped food or wrapper or theme — ice cream cone or "popcone"). But our absolute favorite quick meals is the Bacon Mac ‘n’ Cheese Cone or the Chili Cone Queso wrapped in an edible bread cone and topped with cheese and Fritos. With mobile order, no need to deal with traffic (aka the “rush-hour” line) for this meal you can eat on-the-go. Look for tasty special seasonal cones, too! These cones rank highly among the best on-the-go Disneyland foods.
If you just need to top off your hunger, Cozy Cone is a great place to take a pit stop for some snacks. The tadpoles like the flavored popcorn, churros and soft-serve ice cream (most toppings have not returned, but it's still delicious soft-serve ice cream). The ice cream is one of the best Disneyland snacks and treats. It's so yummy and worth a stop when visiting Radiator Springs!
This is also a great spot to grab an adult drink on the go to pair with your snack. Our favorites are the Vodka Lemonade and the Vodka Pomegranate Limeade. We recommend mobile order at Cozy Cone.
Asian/Mexican/Bay Area Fusion at San Fransokyo Square
The Pacific Wharf area has been re-themed to San Fransokyo Square. Many favorite foods remain, but we have new items to add to our best California Adventure quick-service dining post. We are hopping with excitement about them. All these dining locations accept mobile order and we definitely recommend ordering ahead of time.
Aunt Cass Café (formerly Pacific Wharf Café)
I always make a beeline for this dining location. I love its fresh sandwiches, salads or soup in a freshly baked bread bowl.
One of my favorite foods at Disneyland Resorts can be found here — clam chowder in a fresh sourdough bowl (although the recipe changed slightly to add bacon and a hint of white miso). But there are many new items to try, including curry beef in a bread bowl (so good), a shrimp soba noodle dish with veggies as well as a plant-based version and the most delicious seasonal bread puddings. You need to order the cheesecake in person; it's not on mobile order. But the bread pudding is, and we recommend that more anyway.
The tadpoles love the mac and cheese in a bread bowl. The Turkey Pesto Club is huge and has fresh tomatoes and arugula. It does not taste like a theme park sandwich.
Lucky Fortune Cookery
While I order my food, Leap usually picks up some Asian food at Lucky Fortune Cookery, which recently updated its menu. And ding ding ding, I think I found a new winner! I'm always on the hunt for more veggies in the theme park and the Yaki Udon bowls are full of mushroom, sugar snap peas, roasted red peppers, bok choy and sauces.
Besides classics such as teriyaki chicken, there are fun additions such as beef birria ramen (good for cold weather), beef bulgogi burritos and Thai tea with boba. The Karaage-inspired crispy chicken sandwich is delicious too! Then there is a Baymax macaron filled with chocolate-hazelnut and butter cream for dessert.
Cocina Mexicana
Tad jumps for Mexican at Cocina Cucamonga, especially the street tacos. May we recommend the highly popular QuesaBirria tacos? (They are so popular that you are limited to two per transaction.) If you are vegan we recommend the Tacos Dorados de Papa. It's all so good!
San Fransokyo-style street corn just joined the menu, and it's one of our favorite items! It's a solid snack or side to one of the other offerings.
The San Fransokyo Square area is designed like a food court, with several California Adventure quick-service restaurants sharing a dining area. You'll find something sure to please each picky eater in your family. We pick up our favorites and all meet up to eat together at a table in the middle of these three restaurants. These restaurants all offer mobile order, which makes it even quicker and easier for us to divide up and come together with our favorite meals.
After giving ourselves some time to digest, we swing into Ghirardelli to satisfy our sweet tooth with ice cream sundaes. You can never have too much ice cream! If you choose to indulge, we recommend Land's End Salted Caramel Brownie Sundae or Muir Woods, full of black cherry vanilla ice cream. #nom
Snacks
If you are hungry, get a Baymax sourdough loaf. Or you might overlook the Sonoma Terrace, just across the street from San Fransokyo Square, thinking that it only serves drinks. But this spot offers some quick bites, such as Bavarian pretzels and other seasonal eats. You might enjoy some seasonal cocktails, beer, hard cider or California wines to wash down your food. Look for special additions during festival and holidays.
Satisfy Heroic Appetites in Avengers Campus
Pym Test Kitchen
You can get breakfast, lunch or dinner at this food-based lab turned restaurant. Our Super Foodie Guide to Avengers Campus will give you all the yummy details. But the main concept is that this lab uses Pym Particles to grow and shrink foods. In the movies, Ant-Man and the Wasp use Pym Particles to grow and shrink just about anything, including themselves.
At breakfast, try the Calculated Breakfast, which is eggs two ways with potato bites and focaccia toast. The real star is the potato bites (tots). We also like the Cinna-Pym Toast with bacon and syrup. The kids Full-Grown French Toast Sticks with turkey bacon are a hit as well for smaller appetites.
For lunch and dinner we seem to keep going back to the Not So Little Chicken Sandwich. It is a fried chicken breast with teriyaki and red chili sauces, pickled cabbage slaw on brioche with crispy potato bites. The chicken is delicious, but you'll want to grab a fork and knife to eat it! The sandwich is more of a gimmick than a real sandwich. The sauce has a little kick to it, but we did not find it too spicy.
If you are looking for a salad, get the Humongous Taco salad. Romaine, chipotle ranch, chicken, corn, bell pepper, cojita and avocado served in a taco shell bowl. Yum! Vegetarian guests will enjoy the Impossible Spoonful — Rigatoni and ditalini pastas, plant-based meat-balls, tomato sauce, dairy-free Parmesan and micro basil.
Note the gigantic condiment bottles and soda cans. Speaking of soda, try the Pingo Doce green drink that's only available in Avengers Campus.
And there is the giant Quantum Pretzel. Weighing in at 453.8 grams, this Bavarian style pretzel with sauce is big enough to share. Plus there are seasonal pretzels with interesting (but good) toppings and other seasonal menu items.
Shawarma Palace
After an epic battle, the Avengers go for some shawarma. Now you can too (maybe after watching the Avengers duke it out in a stunt show). There are two Shawarma Palace carts in Avengers Campus. They are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In the morning, the plant-based Impossible Breakfast Sha-warm-up wrap comes with spiced maple syrup.
In the afternoon/evening there are two choices: New York’s Tastiest (chicken wrap with garlic sauce), the plant-based Impossible Victory Falafel (hummus and crusted cauliflower). The Shawarma Palace by the Hyperion also offers a third choice. All are delicious, but the coconut yogurt tahini dipping sauce is the bomb. This is a great snack or meal when you are on-the-go!
Shawarma Palace Too at Hyperion accepts Mobile Order, and you can grab the new Al Pastor Shawarma (pineapple-achiote-marinated pork with a side of avocado salsa). You might even get to enjoy some limited-time seasonal items.
Land Yourself in Grizzly Peak
Smokejumper's Grill
After you ride Soarin’, fly on over to Smokejumper’s Grill. Now, the menu isn't too fancy, with mainly cheeseburgers and chicken sandwiches, but they do offer some special items for festivals and holidays to keep it interesting. The kids like the chicken tenders. You can get crinkle-cut fries (they used to have waffle fries) or onions rings here. This location also serves up breakfast burritos and sandwiches in the morning.
Don’t froget dessert! You can get a chocolate, vanilla or a fun seasonal shake and colorful seasonal beverages. This location offers mobile order.
Hop into Hollywood Land
Award Wieners
Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggity dog! Are you a hot dog or sausage connoisseur? Try a new twist on an old classic at Award Wieners. Add in a supporting cast of Filmstrip Fries and Funnel Cake Fries for dessert. You'll find this quick-service restaurant on the streets of Hollywood Land. Vegetarians may appreciate the Plant-Based Philly Dog with mushrooms, grilled onions and peppers on a plant-based hot dog. If you're hankering for a classic meatball sub, you'll find it here! You can try some not so classic foods such as the PB&J Sweet Potato Fries as well. Be sure to check out seasonal offerings.
Studio Catering Co.
You’ve just exited Guardians of the Galaxy and your hunger is out of this world. What’s that in Hollywood Land? Is that a food truck? It is, and it’s serving up seasonal eats with an always changing menu. You'll find plant-based options, slushes and usually some fun festival offerings, as well. Check them out for a quick snack. Keep in mind that this is one spot where the food can run a little spicy.
Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Cafe
This Starbucks location is found in Carthay Circle, and it can be the cheapest place to fuel up with breakfast sandwiches and protein-rich egg bites under $6. Plus, sometimes this restaurant carries Disneyland seasonal favorites such as Mickey gingerbread and other treats at Holiday Time. The only drawback is that the line can get long and there is no mobile order here.
Go Down by the Boardwalk at Pixar Pier and Paradise Gardens Park
Angry Dogs
Angry Dogs is our go-to spot for simple hotdogs (with different degrees of temper toppings) on Pixar Pier, so we sometimes hop by for a quick bite. We just make sure we've ridden the Incredicoaster first. ;)
Corn Dog Castle
Tad prefers his hot dog in the form of a deep-fried, juicy corn dog from Corn Dog Castle. You can also opt for a Hot-Link Corn Dog to spice it up a bit. If you want a meat-free choice, try the fried cheese on a stick.
Poultry Palace
When you are on Pixar Pier and you need a little pick-me-up, get a box of chicken legs, a buttery ear of corn on the cob or a turkey leg to tide you over at Poultry Palace.
Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta
Every family has that tadpole who only wants pizza or pasta, so it’s good to know that you can find these options cafeteria-style at Disney California Adventure. I love that they have freshly-tossed salads that you can customize if you need to, and they offer pasta dishes that will please an adult palate in addition to the tadpoles. It’s also a good place to stock up on kid-friendly, healthy snacks or Uncrustables.
There's a kids mini personal pizza, regular pizza slices of different varieties and you can even order a whole pizza to share with the family. Did you know you can order a gluten free and/or dairy free pizza? Just ask the chefs. Be sure to check out their seasonal pizzas.
Paradise Garden Grill
We love the variability of the Paradise Garden Grill, depending on the season. Chances are that you will encounter a completely different menu when you visit. This spot completely reinvents the food it is serving from Halloween through holiday time (Mexican) and again for Lunar New Year (Asian) and the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival (various dishes and beverages).
No matter when you visit, be sure to also check out the musical entertainment while you eat. If you are visiting during a festival, you can also enjoy a huge variety of tasty bites and beverages at the various festival booths along the parade route. We love the adventurous array of flavors we can get from the best quick-service California Adventure restaurants and festival booths!
Cappuccino Cart
This is not what we'd call a full restaurant, but it is a quick place to mobile order a breakfast burrito or croissant in the morning. Burrito flavors vary seasonally but make sure to always ask for the yummy salsa offered! This is also, of course, a great place for a liquid pick me up from coffees to adult beverages.
Even though our favorite quick-service California Adventure restaurants are not the only places we like to eat in the park, these are some of our most frequent stops. We have mostly focused on meal time food in this post; however, there are a few more spots we like to hop into to find our favorite Disneyland snacks. When we want to have a special occasion to celebrate or want a table-service restaurant, I make reservations a few weeks in advance through the Disney Dining Reservations system. We’re pretty sure, though, that your taste buds will be satisfied at any of these Disney California Adventure quick-service restaurants!
What's your favorite quick-service California Adventure restaurant? Share in comments below, and don't froget to tell us your favorite dish and why you love it! Want to increase your food budget? Then save money with discount Disneyland Resort theme park tickets and get get hoppin' deals on Los Angeles and Anaheim hotel stays near Disneyland with Undercover Tourist.
Related: Our Favorite Disneyland Quick-Service Restaurants
Related: Best On-the-Go Disneyland Foods
Hoppy planning!
