Recently, I had a chance to enjoy lunch at Paradise Garden Grill in Disney California Adventure during the Plaza de la Familia celebration that honors Dia de los Muertos.
The original Paradise Garden Grill menu, with its Mediterranean-inspired fare, was one of favorite meals in the parks. Currently, the counter service location has a rotating menu based on the season and the festival happening at California Adventure, typically highlighting Asian or Mexican favorites.
The current Mexican-inspired menu includes burritos, flautas, and tacos, plus themed desserts and cocktails.
I was, unfortunately, dining alone, but still chose two entrees to try, the burrito and the flautas.
The Carnitas Wet Burrito [$13.99] includes house-made pork carnitas, Spanish rice, refried beans, cilantro, onions, salsa verde, and salsa roja.
Pork, either carnitas or chile verde, is typically my go-to burrito filling when I go to either local or chain Mexican restaurants. So, I was disappointed to find that the carnitas here was very dry. The rest of the fillings, however, were fine. I took a couple bites from each end of the burrito, but much of the plate went untouched. The chips were unnecessary and, with nothing to dip them in, added nothing to the dish.
The Chile Verde Chicken Flautas [$13.99] were topped with avocado spread, shredded lettuce, crema, queso fresco, tomatillo salsa, and pickled onions.
At first glance, the flautas looked burned, but aside from the crispy ends, they turned out fine. The chicken was tasty, but there was A LOT going on in this dish with all the toppings. I might suggest getting the tomatillo salsa on the side, because it’s vinegary goodness cut through all of the flavors. It was still a nice mix and I ended up finishing both flautas. The beans and rice were well done as well, but I just had a taste or two of each so that I could save room for dessert.
I sometimes say that the simplest desserts are the best, and the Street-Style Watermelon [$6.99] proved my point. The large slice of fruit was topped with lime juice, a chile-lime seasoning, and chamoy.
I can never pick a ripe watermelon in the grocery store, but the culinary magicians at Disneyland must have a special trick. The fresh fruit was perfectly sweet and the spicy and tart toppings added a nice touch. This was a great refreshing dessert to pair with the rather heavy entrees.
The other entrees I didn’t try were the Al Pastor Tacos [$13.99] and the plant-based Huarache [$12.99]. Kids can choose from an al pastor taco or a cheese quesadilla. The other dessert was a Vanilla Layer Cake [$7.59] filled with cinnamon mouse and topped with cream cheese frosting.
In addition to a selection of Mexican beers, Paradise Garden Grill is serving a Watermelon Candy Cocktail [$18.50] that is made with tequila, watermelon Schnapps, and pineapple juice with a chamoy and chile-lime seasoned rim.
Plaza de la Familia continues through November 2nd, however some of these menu items may carry through into the holiday season.
Paradise Garden Grill shares its seating area with Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta, which makes it a convenient option for families with varied tastes. Throughout the day, look for entertainment such as the Mariachi Divas, on the Paradise Gardens stage.
Do you have a favorite theme or menu at Paradise Garden Grill?
