If you had the option of dining at the Carthay Circle Restaurant or having a corn dog with mustard from the Corn Dog Castle, which restaurant at Disney California Adventure would you choose?
There was a lot of hype leading to the opening of Buena Vista and the Carthay Circle Restaurant was touted as a new premier dining destination. My family visited the restaurant last summer and had a really nice lunch. But it seems that experiences can vary.
Brad Johnson of the Orange Country Register wrote that a corn dog would be preferred over eating at the swanky new restaurant. Brad said, “If I’m being honest, [the entrees] are not better than a corn dog. Entrees are good, but they don’t rise to great.”
Why the disappointment? It seems that Brad had very high expectations heading into the restaurant, and he isn’t alone. When I dined at the Carthay Circle, I was expecting something akin to the Napa Rose. Andrew Sutton manages both restaurants and the Napa Rose consistently provides an impeccable level of service. Despite its lavish building, the Carthay Circle is much less refined than the Napa Rose and seems to cater to a different crowd. Brad Johnson’s comment about wearing jeans and a t-shirt to the restaurant seems to support this theory.
Although Brad had several critiques about the food, I personally enjoyed my meal at the Carthay Circle. If I were to poke holes in the experience, it would be with the service, which felt far too casual for such an elegant space. I also have to agree with Brad about the cheddar biscuits. Although delicious, they were deep fried balls of dough (like Brad said) and not biscuits as advertised.
Disney’s choice to include an upscale restaurant inside Disney California Adventure was a gamble, as several others have failed before it. The Golden Vine Winery previously was run by the Mondavi family and offered one of the best meals I can remember. I was there for the press event when Wolfgang Puck himself cooked at his Avalon Cove restaurant. The location is now used as a character buffet with the little mermaid.
The reality is that most theme park visitors just want simple, quick food options. Disneyland only has two table service restaurants. The quick serve restaurants offer a variety of options that won’t scare off the casual diner and don’t need a special wine pairing to enjoy. If you have ever seen the line for corn dogs at the Little Red Wagon or the Corn Dog Castle, it would be hard to argue about their consistent popularity.
Fine dining options won’t appeal to every theme park visitor, and the Carthay Circle Restaurant needs some polish before it can equal the Napa Rose. I would take dinner at Carthay Circle over a corn dog any day, but I do agree with the Orange County Register that there is something ridiculously satisfying about eating a corn dog at Disneyland.
Corn Dog photo via Flickr, Carthay Circle photo via Disney
