Harbour Galley Review
Harbour Galley is a counter service restaurant in Disneyland’s Critter Country. To most guests, it probably looks like a snack stand outside New Orleans Square. In a few ways, Harbour Galley is sort of in no man’s land. It’s before the entrance to Critter Country and outside of New Orleans Square. It has a New England theme, which I suppose works with the Rivers of America, but not with either adjacent land. It’s only slightly larger than a snack stand and, in fact, it used to be a snack stand that sold only McDonald’s french fries! It’s now more than just snacks (and no fries) and has seating…plus a “hidden” area that might also be considered part of it. Harbour Galley was the most recent menu to be overhauled as part of Disneyland’s ongoing improvements to counter service options around the park. Soups and baked potatoes are its main menu items, but there are other interesting options. Much like a thick Maine fog, Harbour Galley is a place of mystery and intrigue.
This mystery and intrigue is what keeps Harbour Galley’s legions of loyal fans (some experts have suggested that Harbour Galley actually has a more passionate fanbase than Duffy) returning time and time again. That, or it’s the surprisingly good food. We had never really given Harbour Galley much consideration until after hearing of its new menu on the Disney Parks Blog. We’re glad we gave it a try, as the food was much more than we previously expected.
Harbour Galley’s menu isn’t exactly busting with options, but it does have some good choices. The flagship item on the menu, we think is the Lobster Roll (the first time a counter service restaurant in Disneyland has served one.) We were both impressed with the Lobster Roll. Now, before you New Englanders jump down our throats suggesting that this isn’t a “real Lobstah Roll,” keep in mind that this isn’t New England. It’s Disneyland. Compared to a lobster roll you’ll likely find in SoCal, it was pretty good. There was a decent amount of sweet and tender lobster meat (real lobster–none of that fake business) and dressing to hold it together and punch up the flavor a bit. In fairness, I prefer my lobster rolls to have a bit more mayonnaise than most people, so I had no issue with the amount of mayo on it. Friends who went to college in Maine commented to us that the amount of mayo on the roll was disappointing to them. At around $14 with chips, it’s on the expensive side, but that’s probably to be expected for a Disneyland lobster roll. So take our opinion here with a grain of salt if you have rigid lobster roll standards. We Midwesterners really liked it!
In terms of soups, during our visit, Harbour Galley had Clam Chowder, Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese Soup, and a seasonal soup (I don’t recall what), but we didn’t give much thought to these, as it was pretty hot out. They’re served in bread bowls from Boudin Bakery, so they’re probably just like the soup at Pacific Wharf Cafe and Royal Street Veranda. These bread bowls are fairly polarizing among guests, and even with us (Sarah likes them, I think they’re a waste as I never eat then entire bowl, but have to pay extra for it).
Baked potatoes are the other big menu category for Harbour Galley, and they do these well. We wanted to try the more adventurous Shrimp Salad Baked Potato (or even the Chicken & Slaw one), but both were inexplicably sold out. Instead, we got the plain ‘ole Bacon & Sour Cream one. Now, in fairness, a baked potato is not exactly a difficult food to prepare. In fact, you’d probably have to consciously try to screw it up, but we both really liked the potato. Ours had a good amount of bacon and a lot of sour cream, and was a delicious, savory snack. It’s not something I’d recommend to a first-time Disneyland visitor looking to try the best of Disneyland’s snacks (let’s be honest–a baked potato isn’t exactly unique), but we’ve tried a variety of Disneyland snacks. In any case, it was well-cooked and probably would be sufficient for a light meal. Like everything at Harbour Galley, it was on the expensive side, though.
Harbour Galley also typically has a seasonal dessert. For our visit during Halloween season, it was pumpkin cheesecake. We’ve already covered this cheesecake in our Disneyland Halloween Dining Guide. Suffice to say, it was good but expensive.
Overall, Harbour Galley is a nice little hidden gem that offers a tranquil place to eat along the Rivers of America with a menu featuring some New England favorites. It doesn’t offer something for everyone, and certainly isn’t as good as something like, say, French Market. However, it doesn’t try to be, and exceeds expectations for a counter service location that could be considered a “snack stand+.” In fact, we’d rank it ahead of a number of fully-fledged counter service options, including Redd Rocket’s Pizza Port and Village Haus. If you like the choices it has to offer, it’s a great option, albeit an overpriced one.
Overall Score: 8/10
For Disneyland trip planning tips and comprehensive advice, make sure to read our Disneyland Resort Trip Planning Guide and related articles.
Read our other Disneyland Resort restaurant reviews.
Your Thoughts…
Have you ever tried Harbour Galley? What did you think of it? Planning on going? Share your thoughts in the comments!
My girlfriend and I love Harbor Galley (or Harbor Gallery as we often hear it erroneously called). Last time we dined there, I had the baked potato with bbq chicken (it didn’t come with the slaw at that time) and found it to be delicious. The walkway around the back is often a nice alternative route to Critter Country as it bypasses the crowded Splash Mountain bridge area.
As far as food from a theme park goes, the Harbor Galley’s presentation seems very impressive. I am not picky when it comes to my lobster rolls (actually I think I have only had like 2 in my whole life), but that certainly looks good to me. Plus, $14 is not all that bad when considering it is real lobster and you are getting it at theme park prices. Additionally, I think my fiancee and I would love that pumpkin cheesecake– despite it being a bit overpriced. Thanks for the great review!
Nice review. I will need to try it if I can make it back there sometime. I do like the “hidden seating” area and the walk around to the Rivers of America that leads back toward Splash Mountain.
Same here. We didn’t know about that hidden walkway for the longest time!
I too was waiting for this post. I’ve been wondering whether to even try a lobster roll from Disneyland. Being on the west coast, you learn to only get lobster rolls from New England transplants who opened a restaurant out here. I’ll have to try next time I’m there.
Let us know what you think of it!
Hallelujah! It is here! Thanks for the report!
Interesting, when you were having polls that included a review of Harbor Galley I somehow assumed it was form one of the foreign parks. Somehow we didn’t even notice it when we were in Disneyland.
Haha, nope! Right here in the US. Now that you’ve read this highly anticipated review, do you find yourself looking at airfare just to go dine here?!?
Well, I don’t like lobster rolls (part of my communist upbringing?) so I probably head west just for the food. But after visiting this summer for the first time and seeing your post about $110 round trip airfare I admit I have checked a few more times than usual recently…
Thanks for the much anticipated review! You’re absolutely right about Harbor Galley not quite fitting in with any of its bordering “lands.” It’s a stretch, but I think it really only ties in with the Sailing Ship Columbia when it’s in port.
I know some folks will scoff at the notion of $14 for a small sandwich and chips, but to put that in perspective the same meal is $18 from a local food truck (http://www.redhooklobsterdc.com/menu/) where I live, and you’re getting it off a truck! It doesn’t have Disneyland’s unique ambiance and charm. Just exhaust pipes, honking cabs, and city “aromas.” I think at $14 it’s a steal!
You know how you pay a premium for anything in the Disney parks due to location? I think the same goes for all of DC. Except there, the benefit of that location are a little less readily ascertainable. I can’t imagine living there and not having a well-paying job.
Huzzah! Thanks for finally posting this review. Now I want to try it all the more.