The 10 Most Popular Eateries At Disneyland's Downtown Disney, According To Yelp

If you're looking for some evening entertainment with decidedly fewer mice and princesses than that offered in the parks, you can kick back with a martini and enjoy a different musician at Jazz Kitchen Coastal Grill & Patio every night. Part jazz club and part Creole restaurant with a Southern Californian twist, it was previously known as Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen until it reopened from a lengthy refurbishment in June 2023.

While you can never go wrong with the drinks, patrons have varying opinions on Jazz Kitchen's food. Dishes like seafood gumbo, jambalaya, and salmon are served in massive (and tasty) portions, but some reviewers have complained that they're slightly blander than what you'd expect from Creole cuisine. "If you are looking for traditional Louisiana food, this is definitely not the place," one reviewer wrote on Yelp, where Jazz Kitchen Coastal Grill & Patio has a 3.9 score. 

One thing patrons can agree on is that the restaurant's refurbishment has been for the worse, not the better. Back when it was Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen, its decor felt more authentic to its New Orleans inspiration with a wrought-iron balcony and nightly jazz performances. While the restaurant still hosts different jazz musicians each evening, the restaurant now, as one guest noted, "looks like any typical modern eatery." Regardless, it still has a good atmosphere and makes for a lively evening meal.

Like Jamba, nobody is heading to the Downtown Disney Starbucks for a hearty dinner. While there are Starbucks outlets inside both Disneyland and California Adventure, this location is great for a pre-park caffeine boost or end-of-day snack. Reviewers have given it a Yelp score of four stars, praising the cheery attitudes of the baristas who always try to infuse the coffee shop with a bit of Disney magic.

Ultimately, it is just another Starbucks. The quality of its lattes, Frappuccinos, and muffins is as consistent as it is anywhere else, and the same seasonal drinks pop up in the store as they would at your local. The biggest difference is that it has a select range of rare blends usually limited to the Starbucks Reserve, such as Guatemala Antigua and Komodo Dragon, and that it bears the brunt of Disneyland traffic all day long. It's located next door to the massive merchandise store World of Disney, right at the point where guests flood out of Disneyland and California Adventure at the end of a long park day. 

While the location is pretty big and the staff is more than capable of juggling the crowds, reviewers have also described it as "chaotic," "loud," and "super busy." Our pro tip is to order your drink through the app ahead of time. Also, don't count on it being the kind of Starbucks where you can sit down with your laptop and knock out a few hours of work.

Nothing hits the spot after 25,000 steps quite like copious amounts of bread, cheese, pasta, and wine. Naples Ristorante E Bar is one of the first eateries you pass if walking into Downtown Disney from the parks, and for that reason, it's usually packed and can take a while to be served if you haven't managed to make an advanced reservation via the Disneyland app.

If you're a pizza lover, however, it's worth the wait. Even Naples Ristorante E Bar's most negative Yelp reviews name its pies — wood-fired and stacked with fresh mozzarella — as a highlight. Its weekend brunch options are also well-regarded by diners, especially the ricotta pancakes. "Not only was the presentation beautiful, they were so light and fluffy that I am still thinking about it post-Disney vacation," wrote one Yelp reviewer.

Like a lot of restaurants in Downtown Disney, the biggest issue most reviewers seem to have with Naples Ristorante E Bar is the prices. While it's admittedly quite expensive (a large margherita pizza will set you back $35), it's definitely not up there with the most luxurious outlets on Disney property. Others have also complained that it's axed a lot of its vegetarian dishes, as well as the fan-favorite risotto. Yelp reviewers give Naples Ristorante E Bar an average score of 4.1.

It may be a chain, but for many, Earl of Sandwich is very much a "Disney" restaurant. The sandwich shop can be found at Disneyland, Disney World, and even Disneyland Paris, and often crops up in rankings of the tastiest and most affordable places to eat at the resorts. This affordability is its biggest selling point to most patrons. "Under $10 for a gourmet sandwich?!" one Yelp reviewer wrote. "That actually exists in Southern CA?"

Its menu of made-to-order sandwiches covers all the classics, such as tuna melt, Italian, and ham and Swiss cheese. The real standout is its holiday sandwich, which combines seasonal favorites like turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce, and is available year-round. If you're looking for something a bit more filling, this location also includes an attached sit-down restaurant known as Earl of Sandwich Tavern where you can order entrees such as burgers, ribs, and fish.

Yelp reviewers have given Earl of Sandwich a score of 4.3. Most criticisms are directed at its restaurant side — which doesn't have a separate listing on the site — and not the sandwich shop. Unhappy reviewers claim that the Tavern doesn't offer the best service, with one visitor encouraging future diners to "just stick with the sub-sandwich section of Earl that's right next door." Worth noting is that this grab-and-go sandwich option and its outdoor seating are moving as of winter 2023 to make space for Porto's Bakery, while the Tavern will remain in its current spot.

Forget your Mickey Premium Bars and Dole Whips; the best ice cream at Disneyland isn't in the parks. Salt & Straw arrived at Downtown Disney in 2018 with its hot, handmade waffle cones and famously eccentric flavors – including vegan flavors — in tow. Some of its most unique scoops include pear and blue cheese, strawberry honey balsamic with black pepper, and Arbequina olive oil. Its seasonal flavors have included everything from spiked eggnog to turkey and cranberry sauce. Even its vanilla ice cream isn't straightforward; it's made with Singing Dog Vanilla, which promises twice as much flavor.

While its flavors definitely won't appeal to everyone, Salt & Straw has an extremely dedicated fanbase. It has a 4.5 star rating on Yelp, where one reviewer dubbed it "next level creamy goodness." If you're not sure which flavor is for you, its staff are extremely generous with samples and committed to making sure you order the right one. Despite its small size and long lines, service tends to be quick and efficient and you can mobile order. Although it's not cheap — a single scoop will cost you $7.25, a double scoop is $9.95, and a waffle cone is $2.25 — you get a lot for your money, and you're ultimately paying for the novelty.

Nobody knows restaurants best than the people who dine at them on a day-to-day basis. While we used our personal experiences as a starting point, we delved into the Yelp reviews of all 26 eateries in Downtown Disney to get a fair, unbiased idea of the pros and cons of each outlet.

Although the overall rating was a pretty good indicator of how patrons felt about a restaurant, we were also looking to gauge general opinions on food quality, prices, service, and — for Downtown Disney's table-service restaurants — general atmosphere. Of course, everybody's taste buds are different, and every outlet has its good (and bad) days, so just because a restaurant didn't make the list, doesn't mean it's not worth trying. However, these are the ten eateries that manage to most frequently impress Downtown Disney guests.