Hungry Bear Restaurant at Disneyland has a whole new menu. Slightly different from the classic burgers and chicken nuggets, the new menu features a vegan specialty burger and several other more adventurous items.
Hungry Bear Restaurant is located toward the back of Disneyland in Critter Country.
The new menu features burgers and sandwiches as it used to, but the Vegan Burger is what I was really interested in.
Messy Melvin’s Vegan Specialty Burger – $13.49
This item consists of a vegan patty with stewed vegetables on top in a ciabatta bun. It is served with either coleslaw or fries. I was not sure what to expect as I have had amazing vegan food and not so amazing items too. In general I would describe the Messy Melvin’s burger as dry. The flavor was not bad, but it was hard to get around the dry ciabatta bun and dry patty. The stewed vegetables were the best thing about this item and tasted almost like chili, which I enjoyed. I chose to get coleslaw with this entree and it was delicious. It had an orange tang to it which I loved.
The last thing I will say about this item is that there was a lot of bread for how small the patty and vegetables were. The buns were double in thickness as the contents inside of them. I hoped that it would be good for those with dietary restrictions, but I don’t know if I’d recommend it.
Honey-Spiced Chicken Sandwich – $11.49
Out of all of the items I tried, the chicken sandwich was my personal favorite. It was a crispy chicken patty with lettuce and what the menu describes as a “sweet & spicy spread.” This item also comes with either coleslaw or fries, I chose fries this time. The chicken patty was crispy and the lettuce was crisp and fresh. The spread was what takes this item up a notch though. It was spicy and tangy sweet at the same time and tasted great with the chicken. I wished there was more of the spread, next time I’d get an extra side.
BBQ Chicken Salad – $11.99
The BBQ Chicken Salad came straight out of a refrigerator. This is normal for quick service locations but might not be to guests who don’t frequent the parks. The chicken on the salad is flavorful and slightly spicy, but very cold. This item is topped with cherry tomatoes, bacon, green onion, cheese, red cabbage and is comes with a small side of BBQ Vinaigrette. A rolled piece of flatbread was also added on the side. The salad in general was fresh and flavorful and the sweet bbq dressing went well with the spice of the chicken. The only thing I didn’t think was even worth putting on the same plate was the dry and flavorless flatbread. This is a good option for those who don’t want a heavy meal or are trying to stick to more healthy items.
Overall I was less than impressed by the new menu items at Hungry Bear Restaurant. I was really excited to try the vegan burger because I know how important it is to those who are vegan or have diet restrictions. Having something available to eat without worry is important. I was disappointed at how dry it was, but that doesn’t mean that others might not enjoy the flavor of the item as a whole. I wouldn’t write the vegan burger off completely, but I personally wouldn’t have it again.
I’m just going to wait to return to Hungry Bear when the new holidays offerings are released on November 9. You can bet i’ll be back for the Churro Bites with eggnog gelato and caramel sauce coming to this location.