Nestled in Grizzly Peak at the Disney California Adventure Park awaits a quick-service hotspot dedicated to the heroic men and women who risk their lives fighting wildfires in California’s dense forests. Smokejumpers Grill offers a wide variety of tasty American classics like a Bacon Cheese Burger or a Spicy Buffalo Chicken Sandwich. But this place also adds a little twist in some of their offerings, like Campfire Chili made with Bison and a BBQ Sandwich made with jackfruit. You read that right, jackfruit!
This location has an ample amount of seating both inside and outside, so don’t worry about not finding a spot to sit and eat. All over the restaurant are items to pay homage to the people who fight the wildfires of California. You can even spot a parachute that Smokejumpers use to get to fires in remote locations.
This location also offers Mobile Ordering on the Disneyland App. Mobile ordering for this location offers the full menu plus allergy-friendly menus for gluten/wheat, egg, fish/shellfish, milk, soy, and peanut/tree nut allergies! This comes in handy if you would rather order ahead to reduce your wait in line. Every minute counts, so this can help you can get back outside and enjoy another attraction!
I decided to try the Gluten-Free Bacon Cheeseburger with waffle fries. I am not a big fan of American cheese so I asked if they could substitute it for Jack cheese instead. The only item on this burger that I couldn’t have was the Signature Smoked Sauce. Off to the side of the restaurant there is a salad bar where guests can add extra ingredients to their sandwich like the classic lettuce, tomato, and pickle combo. For the more adventurous folks who like to kick it up a notch, guests can add pickled jalapeños. There are also condiments and utensils in this area as well.
The burger at first seemed really dry, but then I tried another section and it was surprisingly juicy. The bacon is the standard Disney “paper bacon” that was a tad overcooked but still gave it that salty component which made the burger as a whole stand out. The waffle fries were piping hot and were crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. I was really happy that these were freshly fried and not sitting under a heat lamp where they can dry out.
Tyler went on the adventurous route and tried the BBQ Jackfruit Sandwich with Bear Paw Slaw, House-made sweet pickles, and Crispy Onions on Ciabatta. At Smokejumpers Grill, guests have a choice of Waffle Fries or Onion Rings, so Tyler decided to try the Onion Rings.
He has tried a jackfruit sandwich in the past so he already knew what to expect, but for me, I tried a little bite of the jackfruit and was amazed at how it tasted. It was playing tricks with my mind because from a distance it looks like pulled pork, so that is what I was expecting it to taste like. It had the texture of an artichoke and tasted like the smoky BBQ sauce that it was mixed with. There really is no other flavor that I could taste. Tyler really enjoyed it and thought the added jalapeños gave it more flavor and texture. The onion rings were hot and beautifully golden brown! Even though all the rings were cooked to golden perfection on the outside, some of the rings were not fully cooked inside.
Time for dessert! We couldn’t go to Smokejumpers Grill and not try their Instagram-worthy S’more. The chocolate covered graham crackers are layered with a decadent chocolate brownie and a house-made marshmallow. The incredible part was that the marshmallow was toasted right before your eyes! It will take all your might not to eat dessert first! This s’more is definitely shareable and for the price of $5.49 you can’t go wrong with this ooey-gooey campfire staple.
Since Tyler got a dessert I thought, “Why not try their gluten-friendly brownie?” They also offer a gluten-friendly chocolate chip cookie, but I will try that on another day. I have tried these brownies before at the Disney Parks, but what I really appreciated about having it here was that they warmed it up for me! This rich chocolate brownie is so fudgy and decadent that even someone without a gluten allergy will never know it is gluten-free!
Tyler and I were really impressed by Smokejumpers Grill and their wide selection of food. When we sat outside surrounded by pine trees it was so peacefully quiet that we forgot we were in a theme park. If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the the theme park and enjoy some food, this location will do the trick!
