Blue Bayou Restaurant in New Orleans Square reopened this spring with a pared-down food menu. It also, for the first time, now offers alcohol. Blue Bayou is the second Disneyland restaurant ever to serve alcohol (third, if you count Club 33). We stopped in for dinner and drinks on a lovely California evening.
Like many restaurants around Disneyland Resort, Blue Bayou is primarily utilizing a QR code menu.
Interior
We love the faux-outdoor bayou aesthetics. However, be advised that the restaurant is very dimly lit.
One of the best features of Blue Bayou is that you can catch a glimpse into Pirates of the Caribbean.
The low lighting certainly enhances the atmosphere.
Hurricane Cocktail – $15
Bacardi Reserva Ocho Rum, Myers’s Original Dark Rum, Simply® Orange Juice, Passion Fruit Purée, Grenadine and Lime Juice, Luxardo Maraschino Cherry, and Orange garnish
We’ve never wished for more sugar in a drink until now, but the Hurricane was very tart. The rum was indiscernible behind the bitter citrus. We do not recommend this cocktail.
House Salad – $7
Baby Greens, Blue Cheese Crumbles, Candied Pecans, Dried Fruit, Onions, Cherry Tomatoes, Sherry Vinaigrette
The house salad is good for a simple appetizer. Everything was very fresh, and the sherry vinaigrette is light. The salad had a very diverse texture palette, and the candied pecans added a perfect crunch.
Petite Filet and Cold Water Lobster Tail – $52
Country Mashed Potatoes, Heirloom Carrots, and Wilted Greens, and Charred Onion-Bourbon Demi
Blue Bayou’s take on the classic “surf and turf” had highs and lows. The petite filet steak was perfectly seasoned, but the lobster was overcooked and served at room temperature.
Likewise, for the sides, the mashed potatoes were tasty with just the right amount of garlic, while the carrots and greens were hard and unappetizing.
Skuna Bay Salmon – $43
Cajun-style Brown Butter, Heirloom Carrots and Wilted Greens, Jasmine Rice, and Huckleberry Vinaigrette
We do not recommend this dish. The salmon was extremely dry, and the huckleberry vinaigrette was very bitter. The highlight of this dish was the rice, and even that was dry.
Vanilla-Bourbon Crème Brûlée – $9
with Macerated fresh Berries, Vanilla Bean Chantilly, and Madeleines
The Crème Brûlée was the best part of the meal. The light, smoky bourbon undertone complemented the fresh fruit and balanced out the sweetness.
Overall, the best parts of our meal were the fairly standard salad and the delightful Crème Brûlée. The entrées were lackluster and not worth the price point. There are plenty of better places to dine at Disneyland, and even the drink wasn’t worth it.
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We ate there for dinner 4 years ago for our 20th anniversary, and here’s what happened:
My son and I walked over there in the morning with an anniversary card and asked they put it in my wife’s menu as a surprise. They failed and had to bring it out later, and then handed it to our son instead. Then they got all three of our orders wrong.
We finally got our food and it was very mediocre. Rather than comping our meal, they gave us 30% off and some free deserts… which were the best part of the meal!
C’mon now, there is one – and only one – entree to get at the Blue Bayou, and that’s the Monte Cristo! Everyone knows that! :-)
When I are there a few years ago, the MC was a lunch-only menu item!! I was super disappointed. ☹️
We had the same experience. Chicken entree was mediocre and they had no flexibility for vegetarians.
This echos my review: love the restaurant, the food not so much!
Hello, do you have to make reservations for the Blue Bayou at the park for reservations? The app isn’t allowing me to make reservations. Thank you!
Because they’re gone lol
Come on! This article can only be for people who have never heard of Disneyland or are from Mars. We all love Blue Bayou! It is a magical restaurant and when they get back to normal, I can’t wait for my Monte Cristo sandwich and Mint Julep! I can only assume it isn’t at full steam yet due to the close proximity of tables and large number of people keen to be seated. Give it time. This is one of the best restaurants in Disneyland.
I’ve eaten here like 10 times and it was good once.
Good review. I have always been underwhelmed with the Blue Bayou. The concept is tricky since you could call it higher end, but the quality of the food never delivers. Obviously the higher prices are due to its incredible ambience and huge lack of reservation table service restaurants inside the park. Keeping with the theme, the cuisine could be a little different than what others are used to. Cafe Orleans has better food IMO.
With all that said, I continue to visit Blue Bayou every trip, as I have somewhat of a tradition to get a Monte Cristo sandwich. I firmly believe the Sandwich tasted better and was smaller around 12-15 years ago. It has gradually gotten larger and the taste has changed, but still good enough. Just wish they could take a few bucks off the price and decrease its outlandish size!!