Carnation Cafe -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Disneyland
*This dining experience took place in October 2017 at the Disneyland Parks & Resort in California.
Breakfast at Carnation Cafe
There's nothing more magical than dining on Main Street U.S.A. Carnation Cafe, a table service restaurant in Disneyland, is hands down one of the best places to enjoy a meal on Main Street with a ton of charm and great food. We recently went to Disneyland for a very quick 3 day trip. And, one of our must-do's was to have breakfast at Carnation Cafe. I hadn't been to Disneyland since 2006 (my only previous visit) and Brandon hadn't been since he was a kid, so we were both looking forward to classic Disneyland charm. And, we definitely weren't disappointed when we had breakfast at Carnation Cafe.
Atmosphere
We were lucky enough to be at Disneyland during the Halloween/Fall season, so everything, including Carnation Cafe were decorated for with fall decor. It made it even more memorable, and we loved all the theming.
I had previously had breakfast a few times on my trip back in 2006 with my mom. We fell in love with Carnation Cafe, and I'm so glad we got to go back on this trip. From the classic Main Street U.S.A. signs to the restaurant theme, it was a cozy and perfect spot for a breakfast before exploring the park.
The Carnation Cafe theme is spread throughout the restaurant, from the wallpaper, to the actual carnations at every single table. We both loved the dark wood interior that really reminded us of the classic Victorian era.
In addition to the indoor seating, guests can also enjoy a meal outside too. If you really love people watching, this is the location for you. We liked that we were inside, but close to the outdoor seating, for some added ambiance.
Each and every detail in the restaurant was a nod to carnations. Even the menus had carnations on them.
The Food
Of course, one of our favorite things about Carnation Cafe was the food. Carnation Cafe currently is not offering an allergy-friendly breakfast menu, so I don't have an update to the older one, but the chef came and spoke with me, which was great. The chef was super accommodating, and it felt like I was at Disney...just on the other coast. We opted to each get Oscar's Choice, named after Carnation Cafe's famous Chef Oscar (who recently retired) and as added bonus, we ordered a kid's portion of allergy-Mickey waffles.
For the Oscar's Choice, this can be made both gluten free and dairy free. I got mine with eggs over-easy, breakfast potatoes, bacon, an allergy-roll, and fresh fruit. The roll was easy to recognize as the Deanna's Gluten Free rolls. It was decently heated and worked well with breakfast. The only bummer was that they do not carry a dairy free butter alternative, so no Earth Balance for me.I did love the crispy bacon (no stringy bacon here) and the fresh fruit. All of this made for a nice touch and a wonderfully hearty breakfast. Both of us really enjoyed this entree, and I wouldn't hesitate to get it again at breakfast. It's a classic, but sometimes a classic is just what you need!
I had initially asked if we could order allergy Mickey waffles as a side instead of getting the allergy roll. The chef said they don't do that there, but that the kids portion of the waffles would be a good option. He said that the recipe they use at Carnation Cafe is doctored up a bit, so it's Bob's Red Mill gluten free pancake & waffle mix along with some secret ingredients that he wouldn't share with me. I'm sure it's pixie dust because these tasted incredible!Hands down, these were legit some of the best allergy Mickey waffles I've ever had. They were warm, crispy, and perfectly cooked. I'm not sure what was in them, but they were amazing. Brandon and I each ate one of the waffles, and we both enjoyed them a lot. I gotta admit, I sort of regret not ordering a big plate of them or getting a chance to go back. I know when Alexis from Alexis' Gluten Free Adventures went, she didn't have quite the same experience I did, but I'm hoping this is a trend that these waffles continue to be outstanding because they were amazing when we visited.The kids portion was also pretty decently sized as you can see from the photo. In addition to the two waffles, it came with fresh fruit and a side of breakfast meat. We got sausage on that round, and while it was good, we both preferred the bacon.
Overall
I can't say enough good things about Carnation Cafe. We both agreed that the food, atmosphere, and fact that we got to eat on Main Street U.S.A. made Carnation Cafe one of the best breakfast spots we've been to at any Disney park, even at home in Orlando. I have to admit that I'm just a little jealous that the West Coast has this amazing table service location. We only got to dine there for breakfast, but we both said on our next trip, we have to eat there for another meal too. Until then, I'm going to keep dreaming of my Oscar's Choice breakfast and those amazing allergy Mickey waffles!Have you been to Carnation Cafe at Disneyland? What did you think of the offerings there?