Author: D’land Diva
Once upon a time, this area of the Paradise Pier in Disney California Adventure Park housed a McDonald’s restaurant and a boat themed water play area for the kids. In 2008, when the agreement between McDonald’s and Disney ended, the area sat vacant.
There were many guesses as to what would move into the vacant space here, and then Disney announced many new and exciting projects that were coming to Disney California Adventure. In addition to re-theming previous attractions, new attractions were going to be added and even a new land- Cars Land. This is an exciting time to be an annual pass holder!
One of the first new projects was the re-design of the McDonald’s area. The area transformed into a beginning of the century boardwalk theme, complete with new seating area, two new restaurants and a re-theming of Mulholland Madness to Goofy’s Sky School. One of these restaurants happens to be my new favorite place to eat in the Park- Paradise Garden Grill. It serves Mediterranean food in a quick service fashion.
The theming here is divine, especially at night when the gazebos and signs are all lit up. There is plenty of seating, with most of it offering shade from the hot sun or protection from the rain on rainy days. In fact, it is an 800 seat complex! Twice a day, a band performs in a small gazebo and there is always an audience.
Like many counter service restaurants in the Park, orders are taken at the front and then you walk forward to wait for your order to be ready. The waits have never been long, the half a dozen times I have eaten at the Paradise Garden Grill. Like many customers, I often stand to the side of the line and spend a few minutes trying to decide which delicious food I want to have for lunch or dinner. There are some great options at this place, and a chance for you to design your meal to your liking:
First, you select a skewer or the Greek Salad. There are steak, chicken, ground beef and tofu and veggie skewers available. Next, you choose your sauce for the skewer. There is a Chili sauce, a Chimichurri sauce, a Tandoori sauce and a Tzatziki sauce. For kids (on that cute little Mickey plate they have), there is the option of a chicken or a beef skewer and it generally comes with the mild Tzatziki sauce. That is not all your plate offers, however. Along with your skewer, there is a mild flavored rice, a cucumber salad and a soft, warm pita. In case you were wondering, yes, that is a lot of food for your money!
My favorite is the chicken with the Chimichurri sauce. The chicken is grilled to perfection, with a nice crust on the outside and juicy on the inside. The Chimichurri sauce is a wonderful compliment to the chicken, with a mix of spices and tangy flavor. I have also eaten the steak with the Chimichurri sauce and the Tzatziki sauce. The Tzatziki sauce is a mild, creamy flavor that is also a good sauce to dip your pita into! My Z loves the chicken skewer and the rice, and of course, the apples. He is not too crazy about the sauce, but he is not a kid that likes sauce normally.
Should this amazingly large, rich meal not be enough and you are left with a sweet tooth, there are also dessert options. There is a crispy, yet sweet baklava or a chocolate brownie and strawberry skewer with a healthy dose of caramel and chocolate sauce.
The next time you are in Disney California Adventure and find yourself wondering what to eat, I strongly recommend you stop by the Paradise Garden Grill. I consider it to be one of the best deals in the Park for the amount of food you get for the price. It is also some of the tastiest food the park has to offer.
I’ve never tried that place! Looks like a good, fresh option 🙂