REVIEW: Blue Bayou Has Disneyland Charm, But Food to Forget
The Blue Bayou is the most legendary and renowned restaurant at Disneyland (not counting the private Club 33), but why is that? It’s undoubtedly for the ambiance, with seating overlooking the bayou as boats from Pirates of the Caribbean slow fully list by. I’ve been here on four occasions over the years, and only one of those meals did I think was worth the price.
I will warn you that these won’t be the best pictures we have posted, as we did not want to use a flash inside of the dark restaurant. Regardless, we will do our best to guide you through the menu via text.
Blue Bayou Menu (50th Anniversary Edition)
We visited Blue Bayou on March 17, the evening before the 50th Anniversary. The special menu and entrees were available for several days around the anniversary date, but we don’t know exactly when they reverted to the regular menu.
Complimentary Bread
Honestly, this was probably the highlight of the meal. It was warm and fresh, and if that’s a highlight of the meal, well then, we are probably in trouble moving forward in this review.
Blue Bayou House Salad
The house salad was fine if you like blue cheese, but nothing special.
New Orleans Gumbo
The gumbo is very good, as it always is. But there’s no reason to come to Blue Bayou for the gumbo when the same thing is served at the Royal Street Verandah. If you do have to chose between this and the salad, I would choose gumbo.
Broiled Filet Mignon ($46)
Served with Blue Bayou Au Gratin Potatoes, Seasonal Vegetables, and Béarnaise Sauce. Choice of Blue Bayou House Salad or Cup of our signature New Orleans Gumbo
The filet was the best entree out of those we ordered. If everyone in your party wants a filet, then you probably won’t be as disappointed in Blue Bayou as we were.
Royal Street Seafood Jambalaya ($35)
A robust combination of Shrimp, Sustainable Fish, Tasso Ham, Andouille Sausage, and Chicken with Louisiana Popcorn Rice. Choice of Blue Bayou House Salad or Cup of our signature New Orleans Gumbo
The jambalaya was good, but not great. It’s a decent budget option, but your money would be better spent elsewhere.
Fruits De Mer ($42)
Pan Seared Red Snapper, Sautéed Shrimp, Scallop, and Hush Puppy, served on a bed of Spinach with Spicy Shrimp Sauce and Remoulade
This limited time dish (which may or may not still be available) was solid, but not fantastic. While nothing on the plate was bad, none of it tasted any better than anything you would order at a Red Lobster. Don’t get me wrong, I like Red Lobster, but I don’t want a $42.00 Red Lobster entree at Disneyland. The hush puppy was very good, too bad they only gave you one.
Bone-In Rib-Eye ($44)
Blue Bayou House-made Rub, Seasonal Vegetables, and White Cheddar-Smoked gouda Mac and Cheese. Choice of Blue Bayou House Salad or Cup of our signature New Orleans Gumbo
This was not a great steak. It was a little tough and the flavor was almost nonexistent. If you want steak at Disneyland Resort, I’d highly recommend getting the filet instead or going to Steakhouse 55.
OVERALL
The Blue Bayou is a legendary restaurant and very difficult to get into compared to most other restaurants around the Disneyland Resort. However, the selling point here is not the food. Similar to Cinderella’s Royal Table at WDW’s Magic Kingdom, the draw here is the location and the ambiance. Much better meals can be had at Carthay Circle, Napa Rose, and even Steakhouse 55. If you’ve never been to Blue Bayou, it may be worth going once just for the experience, but the food is certainly no reason to come back for a repeat visit.
