Fine Dining Down at the Blue Bayou

The other restaurant we were really excited about visiting at Disneyland was the Blue Bayou. When we were in Disneyland Paris in 2011, Noel got really excited when we discovered that there was a restaurant attached to the Pirates in the Carribean ride. Sadly when we were there, the restaurant was closed. But when I began doing preliminary research for Disneyland and discovered that their Pirates ride had a similar set up, I knew we HAD to eat there. I asked Noel and he got really excited. So onto the must do list it went!

Blue Bayou is in the New Orleans Square area of Disneyland, an area that we really enjoyed since it was totally new to us–there isn’t a WDW counterpart. The themeing in this area is perfect–it feels just like a little street in the French Quarter. I loved all the little shops, and the multiple little restaurants with outdoor seating areas. We enjoyed one of these, The Mint Julep Bar, before our visit to Blue Bayou, so we had a little taste of what to expect.

As for Blue Bayou itself, the concept is that you are at a fancy restaurant on the Bayou. It’s nighttime, it’s dark, and your meal is lit by lanterns as you sit by the water and watch the boats (from pirates) drift by. It was fantastic. The restaurant does a really good job of creating this atmosphere, and I really felt like we were stepping into another world. There were crickets chirping and everyone was hushed at their tables and lost in the world. It was a wonderful change from the bustle of most theme park restaurants.

Blue Bayou’s menu is pretty classic, with a set of well loved Creole staples like the Monte Cristo and Jambalaya. But we had never been there before, so we were excited to try the food out, and see how authentic it was. Long time blog readers know we have a pretty awesome Creole restaurant near the Broadkill Beach Club, so our standards are pretty high.

We decided on a few entrees (Dad and I ordered the same thing) and got down to eating. Each of the entrees came with either a side salad or chicken gumbo, so I ordered the gumbo and Noel had the salad. The salad was nothing special but the gumbo was good. Not spicy, but still very flavorful, and I really enjoyed the dirty rice. So tasty. And Dad was happy he could eat it, because it was shellfish free.

For my (and Dad’s) entree, we had the cajun salmon with herbed goat cheese. Delicious. Really, it’s the only way to describe it. It was nicely blackened without overpowering the fish, and the herbed goat cheese added another flavor level to the dish. The sides were okay, but the fish made up for it.

Noel ordered the strip steak, which he also said was very good. A good cut of meat, cooked to order, and served with fried onions to boot. Always makes for a very happy Noel.

And all through the very tasty meal, we enjoyed the ambiance and watching the Pirates boats float quietly by. It was really the type of total transportation to another place that you expect from Disney. Our server was also excellent, and he offered us a ton of tips to make the most of our first visit to the resort. The lunch was delightful, and easily our best table service experience of the entire trip.

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