Review: Stage Door Cafe Classics in Disneyland’s Frontierland

[Disney4me]

Howdy, pard’ners! We’re traveling back to Disneyland’s Frontierland for a trifecta of favorites at the Stage Door Cafe!

Stage Door Cafe sign

Seriously, this simple little spot holds more Disneyland food legends than you can shake a stick at. It’s pretty much a must-visit every time I’m in Disneyland. (I say that a lot, don’t I? ;-D) Let’s take a quick look around.

Atmosphere

And I do mean quick, because Stage Door Cafe is a pretty darn tiny counter service spot tucked around the corner from The Golden Horseshoe. Still, it’s got some cool old-timey details outside, like wrought iron on the doors and lanterns overhead.

Stage Door Cafe

Once you step inside, you’ll discover that the ordering area is TINY, especially considering the popularity of the place.

Stage Door Cafe Ordering Area

Even so, you’ve still got a few details to take in. More lanterns. Lots of wood. Stained glass. You know the drill. It’s all… Frontier-sy.

And theatrical! What with being right next door to the Horseshoe, where real, live performances take place throughout the day. It IS the stage door after all. (The tragedy and comedy masks just so happen to capture my before-funnel-cake and AFTER-funnel-cake emotions perfectly.)

Stage Door Cafe Decor (and menu)

They’re hanging right over the list of options “For Yer Sweet Tooth” and to “Wet Yer Whistle.” But even though the menu here is small, there IS more to see.

Stage Door Cafe Registers

So step right up, cowpoke.

Eats

Like I said, the menu is small.

Stage Door Cafe Menu

But with nothing but classics on the list — Fish & Chips, Chicken Breast Nuggets, Hand-dipped Corn Dogs, and Funnel Cakes — it’s everything it needs to be.

Stage Door Cafe Inside Menu (Click to Enlarge)

Now, I do consider Chicken Breast Nuggets to be among the classics, and it’s worth noting that Stage Door Cafe offers Dipping Sauces with them (!!!): Ranch, Honey Mustard, BBQ, Marinara, or Buffalo Hot Sauce. You can get these over at Horseshoe, too. Here’s what they look like:

Nuggets with Sauce Uncovered

But on this visit I opted for the Fish and Chips.

Stage Door Cafe Fish and Chips

Always a solid purchase if you’re hankerin’ for something from the sea. The narrow strips offer a good crunch from the batter, and the fish itself is pleasingly flakey. They’re really served with the regular ol’ thin French Fries as opposed to proper thick-cut chips, but they do the trick.

Next up, we snagged a Corn Dog. Because when you’re in Disneyland, you simply must.

In this case, it really doesn’t matter whether you grab yours from the Little Red Wagon, Corn Dog Castle or right here at the Stage Door Cafe. All you need to know is you’re getting an authentic Disneyland Corn Dog, which is hand-dipped.

Stage Door Cafe Corn Dog

And that makes all the difference. Check out that thick, sweet-savory golden fried batter surrounding the hot dog. (Nobody does cornbread…or corn dogs…like Disneyland.)

Stage Door Cafe Corn Dog Interior

Now, technically you can find Hand-dipped Corn Dogs in Disney World, too, thanks to the Fantasy Fare Food Truck, which is most often found in Exposition Park in Disney Springs. But, in my honest opinion, it still doesn’t quite compete with the Disneyland original.

Speaking of dishes where Disneyland holds a slight edge over Disney World… let’s talk Funnel Cakes. In this case, the House-Made Funnel Cake with Strawberry Topping.

Stage Door Cafe Funnel Cake with Strawberry Topping

Disneyland tends to step outside the box a little more with their funnel cakes. For a spell, Hungry Bear Restaurant had that ridiculous (and by ridiculous, I mean awesome) Churro Funnel Cake, and if you act super-fast you might still be able to grab the Blueberry Lemon Funnel Cake. And right here at Stage Door you can sometimes catch the Holiday Funnel Cake… like, during the holidays, for instance .

But even if you’ve simply got the regular options available (which here also include chocolate brownie toppings or simply powdered sugar), just look.

Stage Door Cafe Funnel Cake with Strawberry Topping

Basically,  before the soft-yet-crispy, golden funnel cake is bathed in berry sauce, it’s dusted with powdered sugar. Finally, it’s topped with actual strawberries. All great.

But, seriously. That Whipped Cream Mickey.

Stage Door Cafe Funnel Cake Mickey

I die.

By the way, a few pre-packaged treats are also available. (Even though we’re always going to recommend the Funnel Cakes.)

Stage Door Cafe Packaged Treats

And pssst... don’t forget that Stage Door Cafe has a Secret Menu Item, too!

Overall

Stage Door Cafe may not garner the same headlines as other Counter Service spots in Disneyland, but it remains a perennial favorite for one blissfully obvious reason: the food is awesome. Whether you order one of your favorites or, hey, one of each , I don’t think you’ll regret you stop at the Stage Door Cafe!

What would you order on your visit to Stage Door Cafe? Please let us know with a comment!

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Related posts:

1. Review: Stage Door Cafe in Disneyland
2. Dining in Disneyland: Holiday Funnel Cake at Disneyland’s Stage Door Cafe
3. Dining in Disneyland: Secret Menu Mozzarella Sticks at Stage Door Cafe

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