Parkside Market — Restaurant in Anaheim

This new food court in Downtown Disney offers table service. Well, actually the table service is optional - you can line up at the vendors and get the food yourself. But we were feeling particularly lazy and were intrigued by the gimmick so we tried it. We headed straight upstairs to the seating area which was decorated with dim overhead lighting and swanky 50's pastel. What caught my eye the most, however, was the bar in the middle of the floor. We couldn't help ourselves to a couple drinks. The cocktails were well-made, not too strong, and palatable. My Flashy Plumage was good, but nothing to write home about - essentially just some watermelon juice and rum. I liked my friend's Smokey Sunset though. It was an interesting twist on a Piña Colada by adding a smokey element. A small critique is that the color was a bit drab and off putting especially with the weird overhead lighting situation.

Now the food. I got the Sweet and Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwich. It was neither sweet nor spicy. In fact, if I would choose a flavor to describe it, it would be sour. The pickled carrots and cucumbers made me feel like they were going for like a "banh mi" vibe, which is a whole different conversation that I'm not going to get into. The main reason I'm disappointed is that Disney advertised this sandwich to me as a "Sweet and Spicy" sandwich, and it was nothing of the sort. I defy you to take a bite and tell me that it is sweet or spicy. Please. Round up all the staff and cooks Hell's Kitchen style and ask them to taste the sandwich.

"Is that sweet or spicy to you?!" "No, Chef!"

The other two sandwiches were pretty good though. Was it $20 good? ...mmm maybe passable considering that it's at a theme park. The sweet corn elote was pretty miserable though. Even just looking at my picture, you can tell it's essentially just a scoop of canned corn. There wasn't even any cheese or spice on it. You can't just put canned corn in a cup and sell it to me as elote! The fries were alright. Pretty good actually. At first, I was iffy on how little spice rub there was, but I found it easier to eat. If only our server didn't take them away from us before we were done with them.

Speaking of service, I thought that if we were going to pay extra for table service, the service could've been a bit more attentive. For example, we had to ask for a spoon for the "elote" (which was in a cup, mind you). I also asked for water and our server only brought us one glass even though there were two other people at our table. I wouldn't be complaining about this too much if the bill at the end wasn't a whopping $130 for 3 chicken sandwiches and drinks (before tip). I just feel like we didn't necessarily get the service or experience we paid for. But hey, I heard the Korean...

Gigi’s Chicken Shop – Parkside Market, Downtown Disney

A Pleasant Surprise in a Sea of Disney Mediocrity

Look, I’m not about to tell you that Gigi’s Chicken Shop is the place you’ll be dreaming about every night, counting down the days until your next visit. It’s not the kind of meal you’re going to crave over and over again. But damn, when you’re standing in the middle of Downtown Disney—a sensory overload of overpriced snacks, flashing lights, and kids on a sugar high—it’s the kind of meal that will surprise the hell out of you.

Ranch Crispy Fried Chicken Sandwich Let’s start with the Ranch Crispy Fried Chicken Sandwich. It’s fried, it’s crunchy, it’s salty—but there’s something almost comforting about it. The brioche bun is soft and buttery, the chicken’s crispy enough to give you that satisfying crunch, and the coleslaw? Yeah, it actually works—and if you’ve read my take on slaw, you know I’m not usually a fan. It’s fresh, it’s crisp, and somehow it doesn’t turn into a soggy mess like so many other coleslaws.

It’s not something I’m going to obsess over or line up for on my next trip to Disney. But in a pinch? Yeah, I’ll take it. It gets the job done and doesn’t leave you regretting your life choices.

Sweet Corn Elote And then there’s the Sweet Corn Elote. I’ll be honest: I wasn’t expecting much from corn in a theme park. But this little side has more soul than I thought it would. Smoky, creamy, spicy, with just enough lime to kick things up. It’s simple, but it works—and it does so in a way that makes you think, “Why can’t more theme park food be this thoughtful?”

The Vibe The atmosphere? Well, it’s Disney. Expect a parade of children, screaming, and a lot of sensory overload. But here, in the midst of all that, Gigi’s manages to carve out a little bit of peace, like finding a quiet corner in the chaos of an otherwise overpriced circus. You’re not here for world-class dining, but for a pleasant surprise that doesn’t make you want to bolt to the nearest fast food joint.

Price & Value It’s $20 for a sandwich and a side, and in the grand scheme of theme park prices, it’s par for the course. It’s not cheap, but it’s not a rip-off either. If you’re going to drop some cash in Downtown Disney, you could do a lot worse.

Final Word: A Surprisingly Solid Choice When You’re Stuck in a Pinch Would I travel all the way to Gigi’s just for the food? Probably not. But if I’m hungry, stuck in a crowd, and don’t feel like settling for the usual theme park crap, Gigi’s Chicken Shop is a decent, no-nonsense option. It’s not going to blow your mind, but it’ll pleasantly surprise you in a way that leaves you thinking, “Well, that was better than I expected.”

And in Downtown Disney? That’s about as...

Came in here tonight with my husband, he got the chicken sandwich and since I wasn’t too hungry my plan was to order the kids bowl from the Korean restaurant. At checkout I was told by the manager on duty that the kids meals are only for children 9 and under and I cannot order off of that menu.

If this were a sit down restaurant I would understand and order off of the adult menu, but this is a quick service place where they ask you at check out if you’ll be ordering “to-go or sit down?”.

This is essentially an upscale fast food place with four different menus. Although the menu states “Ages 9 and under” It doesn’t state adults can’t order off of it. The manager gave no apology or explanation. What if I had my child at a table already and was waiting for me? What if my child was 10 and not 9?

This policy makes no sense, and due to the lack of signage stating so, this makes me believe this is a made up policy that she felt like reinforcing. Although she made a suggestion to go with the adult menu, I ended up not ordering anything. My husbands chicken sandwich and fries were fine. Not the best you’ll ever have, but definitely the best you’ll find at the resort.

As a former Disney Cast Member, I’m not sure if we’ll return to Parkside Market, the manager doesn’t leave the best impression of the place. Based off of other reviews, she seems to not understand the meaning of...