Lamplight Lounge – Great Ambiance and Fun Drinks
At the recently renovated Pixar Pier, there is only one place to go if you want to sit down and eat a meal, Lamplight Lounge. The newly remodeled Cove Bar has become a hot spot for people looking to drink away the afternoon heat at Disney’s California Adventure.
The expansive drink menu features specialties based on all the classic Pixar Movies and shorts. The options cater to any drinker’s taste. You can find drinks such as the Scream Canister from Monster’s Inc, the Celtic Cure from Brave, and the Sunrise Spectacular from Coco.
Do not worry; the Lamplight Lounge also has Mocktails for the little ones. Catchy names include the Falling with Style from Toy Story and the 2319 from Monster’s Inc.
I did not order an alcoholic drink. However, the people next to me seemed to enjoy their Scream Canister and Nectar in the Rye from how they described them.
However, I did order a 2319. The non-alcoholic mocktail has Frozen Strawberry Purée, Cream of Coconut, Pineapple Juice, and topped with Coca-Cola.
I picked this drink for one reason only; it was the most exciting looking mocktail on the menu. However, it is pretty much just a strawberry slushy with a splash of pineapple and coconut. The most depressing part, in my opinion, is the name. A 2319, coined from Monster’s Inc, was a White Sock stuck to a character after leaving a scare door causing a raid of the yellow-clad CDA agents. Being a huge fan of the movie, I would have much rather seen a yellow or white drink instead of the odd pink beverage that did not fit the name.
Of course, there is also a nice selection of beer and wine, if you desire those options.
Food Options at the Lamplight Lounge
Now let us move onto the food choices at the Lamplight Lounge. I only tried two selections on this visit. I look forward to going back again and reviewing additional options in the future.
The menu was designed off the kind of food the artists from Pixar would go and eat after work. I think that was a clever decision by the teams involved. Except for one problem, nobody knows what that food is except for the artists. Moreover, much like a take on someone else’s idea, it is only half unique. The Lobster Nachos make a return from the Cove Bar and still remain a number one recommendation from people.
I was really excited about the Potato Skins which turned out to be a massive let down. The potato skins themselves are more similar to potato pancakes than potato skins with it just being a stack of shredded potatoes fried into a puck like shape. The choice of Yukon gold potatoes, I think was a mistake. As one of the drier potatoes, they left me desperately scraping the plate for more of the brown butter-caper yogurt or smoked paprika aioli. Both of which were quite delicious. However, after finishing about half of the potatoes, I had already run out of the sauces which made the dish not worth finishing.
I also had to try a dish from my favorite Pixar movie, the Ratatouille. I had high hopes remembering the beautiful looking dish from the movie. Instead, the plate featured a pretty standard ratatouille. I did leave off the cheese in hopes of making it more allergy-friendly only to be told that the tomato sauce and basil aioli both use crème in their makings. This typically vegetarian meal would not work for someone on a paleo diet. However, it may work if you are following a keto diet. The dish itself is not bad, but with only a small amount of zucchini noodles buried under a large pile of onions and a lack of flavor, it was not something I would consider ordering again.
Lamplight Lounge is a gorgeous restaurant decorated with Pixar quotes, team shirts, artwork, and unique memorabilia. For that reason alone it is worth a visit. However, it is diminished by its lack of a more distinct menu. While at first glance the menu seems exciting, the two plates I tried did not live up to their expectations. I feel the drink menu, but especially the food could have benefited from a second look at the fantastic worlds that Pixar has created over the years for inspiration. If you are looking for alcohol, make your way on over. However, if it is a great meal you are after, I would look elsewhere.