ALFRESCO EATS

IN ANAHEIM

If there’s been one positive from the pandemic, it’s that alfresco dining has become the new norm. And there’s no better place to enjoy it than Anaheim, which boasts some of the world’s best weather and tasty bites. We toured the downtown area to find the best eats with outdoor seats. | By GREG NAGEL

For an epic experience outside, begin at Center Street Promenade, where the sidewalks and patios bustle with outdoor dining. Start off with breakfast at the Good Food Hall, which has a large patio that’s open to all nearby restaurants. Locals swear by K&A Cafe in the mornings for its excellent chilaquiles, topped generously with fresh-sliced avocado and either red or green sauce.

A must-stop spot along the Promenade,

Okayama Kobo Japanese Bakery &

Cafe’s kawaii (meaning “cute”) fresh-baked goodies live up to the hype, especially the sought-after fluffy milk bun.

New to the block is Craft by Smoke and Fire, which mixes California comfort food with traditional Texas-style barbecue. Grab a finely crafted drink with your favorite piled-high meat plate, like the foodie-friendly Mac Rib Sandwich, which is a monolith of smoked beef rib on top of a crispy smash-burger melt.

On the other side of the Promenade is Pour Vida Latin Flavor, which serves up modern

CRAFT DRAFTS

Anaheim has become a mecca for award-winning breweries. Sip a cold one on patios at these locations (many of them pet- and familyfriendly):

Ballast Point Brewing Anaheim Brewery X Brewheim Bottle Logic The Bruery Golden Road Brewing Company JT Schmid’s Brewhouse & Eatery Karl Strauss Brewing Company Modern Times Leisuretown Radiant Beer Co. For an in-depth guide to Anaheim’s lauded brewery scene, check out page 40.

PALI WINE CO.

twists on Mexican street food with a curated selection of local craft brews and cocktails.

Local wine enthusiasts swear by Colony Wine Merchant, which has seasonal tasty bites matched with curated flights. You can’t go wrong with a cheese and charcuterie board paired with a seasonal sommelier suggestion.

Just up Anaheim Boulevard in the Packing District is the Anaheim MAKE Building. This former marmalade factory now houses southern-style barbecue staple Jav’s BBQ, the comic book/superhero themed Unsung Brewing, California-grown Pali Wine Co., and an artfully arranged patio to relax on.

Across the train tracks lies the Anaheim Packing House, home to over two dozen acclaimed small restaurants and a charming backyard. Brunchaholics gravitate to Poppy & Seed, the glass-greenhouse restaurant that sits in the Packing District’s Farmers Park. You’ll be seated among trees and an herb-vegetable garden that’s the source of most of the restaurant’s incredible dishes.

If you’re craving a juicy burger, dine on the deck of a real vintage train car at the Iron Press beer and burger bar, and imbibe at the outdoor beer garden of the highly anticipated Monkish Beer Co., which is opening inside a historic Packard car dealership.

Downtown Disney® District

You can enjoy all of the District’s delicious eats outdoors! For an updated list of restaurants, check disneyland.disney.go.com.