We tried Tiana’s Palace, Disneyland’s first new restaurant in years

If you’ve ever dreamed of trying Tiana’s famous gumbo from “The Princess and the Frog,” well, you’re almost there. Disneyland opened Tiana’s Palace on Thursday — and the food is as close to true New Orleans cuisine as you’re going to find in New Orleans Square (or, likely, anywhere nearby). 

I went to Wednesday’s media preview of Tiana’s Palace and was able to try several of the menu items. The new quick-service restaurant replaces French Market Cafe, which also served Creole- and Cajun-inspired cuisine, but to me, that food was always a little flat, especially when I compared it to memories of the incredible food I’ve eaten on my many trips to New Orleans. 

The food at Tiana’s Palace not only shines by comparison to French Market, it’s easily some of the best quick-service food in the entire Disneyland Resort. The menu starts with beignets — “dessert first,” it says — and then offers a slightly spicy house gumbo with braised chicken, andouille sausage and rice, and a plant-based seven greens gumbo topped with roasted okra, yams, sweet potatoes and white beans, served with rice. 

You can order the seven greens gumbo with added andouille and chicken, which is what I chose for my entree. While I enjoyed the meat, the gumbo could easily stand on its own. The brothy, salty stew is one of the best plant-based options I’ve eaten at any theme park. It’s inspired by Leah Chase’s green gumbo; the trailblazing female chef of New Orleans stalwart Dooky Chase’s served as an inspiration not just for the dish, but for the character of Tiana herself. 

I also tried the muffuletta sandwich, made with mortadella, salami, rosemary ham, cheddar and provolone, then topped with olive tapenade and served on bread that Disneyland is bringing in fresh from New Orleans from an unnamed bakery. 

“Sourcing this bread wasn’t an easy task,” Disneyland Resort culinary director John State told the OC Register. “We tried to duplicate the bread here. We tried to make it ourselves. We tried to work with somebody local to make it for us and we just couldn’t get there.”

The sandwich was great — the bread truly was the star — but the side of red beans and rice was outstanding. Rounding out the entree options: a Cajun-spiced half chicken with baked mac and cheese and coleslaw, a beef po’boy sandwich served with red beans and rice, and gulf shrimp and grits. 

The beignet is another gem on the menu. While Disneyland serves plenty of beignets at the Mint Julep Bar and Royal Street Veranda, the beignets at Tiana’s Palace are filled on the spot with lemon icebox pie filling, and then dipped in lemon glaze while you watch. I’m not going to lie: I was so enticed that I really did listen to the menu and ate my dessert first, with a Disneyland cold brew twist on traditional New Orleans chicory coffee. I’m a lemon person, so I was predisposed to love this dessert, but I was absolutely wowed by how delicious the filling was. 

The interior of the restaurant is beautiful, with lily pads and water lilies playing major roles in the decor. There are also nods to Tiana inside, including her coat and hat hanging on a hook by the door; from the restaurant’s patio, it won’t be hard to spot the princess greeting her public outside in New Orleans Square.

Tiana’s Palace is a walk-up, quick-service restaurant, but the lines are sure to be long, especially in its first few months. Your best bet is to place a mobile order several hours in advance on the Disneyland app, then pick up your food from the exterior pickup window.