I only spent one proper day at Disneyland, but I made the most of it! Read all the entries in this trip report here. Onward!
Here’s the first thing to know about Disneyland Resort’s Parkside Market: despite what the name indicates, it is not parkside. It is, in fact, on the opposite end of Downtown Disney from the park entrance esplanade.
So that’s the confusing news. The good news is that if you’re in the, ahem, market for an easy and flexible meal, Parkside Market is well worth the extra steps.
Learn more and see menus at the official Parkside Market page.
WHAT MAKES PARKSIDE MARKET FLEXIBLE?
Parkside Market is in essence a food court, elevated. The building contains four restaurants offering a variety of food and beverages. Should your party be composed of multiple people with differing tastes, they can split off to their preferred restaurant and then come together again after ordering.
That might not seem so unusual in a world of food trucks and theme park kiosk clusters. What gives Parkside Market a little kick is that there’s a full service bar on the second floor of the building. You’re welcome to bring your food up one level for consumption with – or without – cocktails. There are even two outdoor patios with nice views of Downtown Disney.
Parkside Market encompasses four food and beverage establishments. There’s Sip & Sonder, a coffee shop, which has an outdoor window as well. Inside the first floor are Seoul Sister and GG’s Chicken. Finally, as noted, there’s Vista Bar on the second floor.
And baby, I tried something from everyone!*
* Something for everyone: a comedy tonight!
HOW PARKSIDE MARKET WORKS
Perhaps you are thinking: uh, I already know how a restaurant works. Sure, totally, but Parkside Market is set up slightly differently than you might otherwise expect. There’s an explanatory sign that I completely failed to read upon arrival, so we’ll just go over things reeeeal quick so you don’t make the same mistakes I did.
The ordering bit is self explanatory: you get in line at your restaurant of choice and order. You’ll be given a buzzer that will vibrate when your food is ready. That food will NOT necessarily be at the place you ordered from. Pickup from both GG’s Chicken and Seoul Sister is at the counter by GG’s Chicken. This may also be the case with Sip & Sonder, but the inside window was never in operation while I was there; order and pickup were only available outside.
I was told by the GG’s Chicken cashier that I could also order Seoul Sister menu items from her, but I never tested that theory. If you’re hoping to get food from both places, you might be able to order both at once. Try it and report back.
I did ask about the “full service” option at the bar, but I was told I would need to bring my food up myself. The sign is a liar!
WHAT I ATE AT SEOUL SISTER
On my first journey to Parkside Market, I selected Seoul Sister for dinner. Seoul Sister, as indicated by the name, serves Korean food, mostly in the form of bowls. The menu features an assortment of both meat and vegetarian options, all over your choice of rice or japchae noodles.
I selected the tofu bowl, which comes with crispy fried tofu along with a variety of vegetables (avocado!!) and a creamy vegan sauce. I had hoped to wash it down with a matcha green tea as seen on the printed menu; alas, the cashier told me it was no longer available. Oh well – the good news is there’s a carafe of ice water available to everyone by the condiments and utensils.
I really enjoyed this bowl! While the vegetables obviously leant a green and healthy, almost salad-y angle, the crispy tofu adds heft and richness. I also enjoyed the creamy vegan Cali sauce, which was unexpectedly spicy. If you’re spice averse, maybe avoid this one, although I found it more flavorful than overwhelming.
My only slight quibble with my bowl was that the japchae noodles where a tad oily. The flavor and texture where there, though, and as it was really only a tad it’s a minor complaint.
WHAT I ATE AT GG’S CHICKEN
GG’s Chicken, if you can believe it, is centered around fried chicken. Naturally I ordered a salad.
Oh, don’t groan at me – I ordered it with fried chicken on top! GG’s has two salads on the menu, and I went with the California: mixed greens, bulgur, avocado, cucumber, roasted sweet potato, sunflower seeds, sesame sticks, tahini miso dressing. The chicken on top is optional and can come grilled if you prefer.
I don’t eat fried chicken often, so when I do I’m looking for something truly superlative. To me, GG’s fried chicken was good, but – and this is extremely subjective – almost too fresh. Does that make sense? Odd to complain about the lightness of a meal, but I was hoping for decadence.
The good news is that I heartily enjoyed the salad underneath. Here the freshness of the vegetables was very welcome. My personal favorite was the roasted sweet potato, a unique touch that was a step above the run of the mill garden salad. The tahini miso added a pleasant umami flavor to the dish. Were I just after a salad, I’d definitely order this again, but I think I might look elsewhere for my indulgent, once in a blue moon fried chicken needs.
WHAT I DRANK AT VISTA BAR
Now for the fun part! Vista Bar is a nifty retro bar that encompasses the entirety of the second floor of Parkside Market. The ’50s kitsch of the decor and menu touches are light on the first floor, but they really come up to play on level two.
My Walt Disney World denizens might forget they’re in Disneyland, because the Florida flamingo is a running theme at Vista Bar. Many of the cocktails have birdy names, and some even come in flamingo-shaped glasses (and yes, they are for sale!).
A quick perusal of the menu and I knew what I wanted: the Flashy Plumage. This cocktail is a comparatively simple: Bacardi, watermelon juice, and lime juice. I could’ve picked something more impressive or complicated, but I really can’t overemphasize how much I LOVE watermelon. I drink watermelon juice on the regular!
Thus you will not be shocked to hear that I very much enjoyed my cocktail. It tasted just as it sounds, with watermelon being the dominant flavor. Either the bartender had a light hand or this is one of those deceptively dangerous concoctions that makes the alcohol go down real easy. I would definitely order this again, although I might ask for an extra squeeze of lime juice. A little acidity would make this drink stand out more.
Oh, and those aren’t cherries on top – they’re watermelon balls!
WHAT I DRANK AT SIP & SONDER
Sip & Sonder has an assortment of coffee drinks and a small selection of bakery items. You can get your larger majority of espresso beverages here – lattes, cappuccinos, etc. – but what most excited me was the syrups. I love a good floral food, and Sip & Sonder offers both rose and lavender syrups.
Needless to say I tried both! … And I was slightly disappointed by both.
WAIT. Let me explain. As lattes, both drinks were lovely. I tried one rose latte and one “A Serenade” specialty latte, which is build as honey lavender. Unfortunately, neither pumped up the florals enough for my tastes.
I would not be surprised if this is by design. Most people probably don’t enjoy an aggressive flower element in their coffee… or other foods, for that matter. I am rarely satisfied by the horticulture in my floral comestibles. But man, I could barely taste the rose or the lavender. Luckily I think I can solve this in the future by requesting an extra pump of syrup. Oh well, guess I’ll have to go back! Darn!
IS PARKSIDE MARKET FOR YOU?
Parkside Market is perfect for groups of people who can’t make up their collective mind. It doesn’t necessarily compete with Downtown Disney’s table service restaurants, but it doesn’t have to. The advantage here is that everyone in your party can pick what they want, no reservations needed. Then you take your food up to the bar and instantly everything’s a little more special, whether you’re drinking cocktails or mocktails. I can definitely see eating there again on my next Disneyland trip… and maybe picking up one of those flamingo glasses!
Don’t forget, you can follow FRoA on Threads @fairestrunofall and on Instagram @fairestrunofall. If you have any questions or thoughts, leave a comment or email fairestrunofall@gmail.com. See ya real soon!