The Essential Foods For Your Next Trip To Disney California Adventure

Disneyland Resort is separated into Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure. The easiest way to tell the difference between the theme parks is that Disneyland has the castle, the Haunted Mansion, and Galaxy’s Edge, and California Adventure is the home of Cars Land, Pixar Pier, and Avengers Campus.

They both have great food.

We already shared our food guide for Disneyland — now it’s California Adventure’s turn. Here are the five essential dishes for your next trip to California Adventure!

1. Soup in a Sourdough Bread Bowl

Available at:

Pacific Wharf Café (Pacific Wharf)

Item description:

“Clam Chowder, Served in a Bread Bowl”

The reason to order:

This was my biggest surprise of the trip. I’m not a big soup-in-bread bowl fan, especially when it’s 90 degrees outside. Have I called people who eat soup in the summer “monsters” before? No comment. But this hit the sweet spot. The soup (I got the seasonal cajun offering, but clam chowder is available year-round) is hearty and flavorsome, and the baked-fresh sourdough bread is so good that I brought some back home.

If it’s worth the struggle to fit a bread loaf into a packed suitcase, it’s definitely a dish worth ordering.

The ride it pairs best with:

The soup-bowl bread is from Boudin Bakery in San Francisco, California, and few rides at Disneyland are as uniquely Californian as Grizzly River Run. You will get soaked on the rapids ride, which should cover up the soup stains on your shirt nicely.

2. Not So Little Chicken Sandwich

Available at:

Pym Test Kitchen (Avengers Campus)

Item description:

“Fried Chicken Breast, Teriyaki and Red Chili Sauces, and Pickled Cabbage Slaw on Brioche, served with crispy Potato Bites”

The reason to order:

The $100 family-sized Pym-ini is the Instagram bait at Pym Test Kitchen, where the gimmick is everything comes in comical portions, but skip it in favor of the Not so Little Chicken Sandwich. Also, skip the tiny brioche bun and go straight to the crispy chicken schnitzel. It’s easier to eat with a fork and knife anyway, and you don’t lose anything by rejecting the bun — the chicken topped with slaw and sauces is the real showstopper.

The ride it pairs best with:

Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout! is the best ride in Avengers Campus, but I would not medically advise getting dropped in an elevator after eating a large chicken sandwich. For an easier experience, head over to Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure. There’s nothing like slinging spider-bots to get you ready for your next dish.

Speaking of…

3. Quesabirria

Available at:

Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill (Pacific Wharf)

Item description:

“Braised Beef and Cheese Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa and Consomé”

The reason to order:

Let’s not overcomplicate things here. Sometimes it’s as simple as tender beef + melty cheese + crunchy tortilla + saucy soup = good.

The ride it pairs best with:

In the introduction to “Under the Sea,” Sebastian the crab tells Ariel that “the human world is a mess” and “life under the sea is better than anything they got up there.” I agree with the first part, the human world is a mess. But unless there’s quesabirria tacos under the sea, I respectfully disagree with the second sentiment.

Be sure to let Sebastian know the next time you ride The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure

4. Bacon Mac ‘n’ Cheese Cone

Available at:

Cozy Cone Motel (Cars Land)

Item description:

“Creamy Mac ‘n’ Cheese mixed with Roasted Bacon served in a Bread Cone”

The reason to order:

One of the better on-the-go snacks at California Adventure is the Bacon Mac ‘n’ Cheese Cone. The bready cone is the cup, and the plentiful portion of bacon and gooey mac and cheese will take a while to get through while you’re waiting in a long queue.

The ride it pairs best with:

Look, the thing about the Cars franchise is: I’m in my mid-30s. I’m too old to have a nostalgic affection for Lightning McQueen and Mater (Guido seems cool). But even I have to admit that Cars Land is a blast. The Route-66 theming is attentive and the E-ticket attraction, Radiator Springs Racers, will make you wonder if Cars 2 is underrated.

It’s not. But that’s how fun the ride is.

5. Jack-Jack Cookie Num Num

Available at:

Jack-Jack Cookie Num Nums (Pixar Pier)

Item description:

“Warm Chocolate Chip Cookie”

The reason to order:

Save room at the end of the day (or first thing in the morning, like me) for Jack-Jack Cookie Num Nums. You’ll lose a bit of dignity asking for “one Jack-Jack Cookie Num Nums, please,” but you’ll gain an appreciation for this desert. The chocolate was warm and melty, and the brown butter cookie has the consistency of a brownie.

It’s, well, incredible.

The ride it pairs best with:

As previously mentioned, I’m a roller coaster baby, so the Incredicoaster isn’t for me. But other people seem to like it. You do you. I’ll be chilling at Bing Bong’s Sweet Stuff.