Steakhouse 55 Lounge Review

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Steakhouse 55 is a restaurant in Disneyland Hotel, and attached to that restaurant is a bar & lounge, serving drinks and appetizers. (You can also order the full Steakhouse 55 menu at the bar.) In this review, we’ll take a look at some things we recently ordered at this new favorite of ours, which we think is deserving of hidden gem status.

My reaction to the lounge: where have you been all of my life?! Or, if not all of my life, all of the time we’ve been locals in search of a good place to go when Cove Bar is too busy.

Frankly, I’m a little embarrassed it took us so long to “discover” the Steakhouse 55 Lounge. We’ve known of its existence for some time, but we figured it wasn’t really anything of import, more along the lines of an overflow waiting area for Steakhouse 55 and Goofy’s Kitchen. (In fact, it’s not even on our Guide to Drinking at Disneyland–a problem we will correct in short order.)

So, why does the Steakhouse 55 Lounge score so big with us? Really, it’s the same reasons as Cove Bar: quality food and drinks at relatively reasonable price points, including a couple of menu items that should have cult followings on par with those legendary Lobster Nachos. (Now do we have your attention?)

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The ambiance is relaxed as compared to Steakhouse 55 itself, but still with a well-appointed and classy vibe. It’s a lot like Carthay Circle Lounge in this regard. The plush furniture and low lighting would make this an easy place to fall asleep–or at least decompress a bit after a long day in Disneyland and Disney California Adventure.

We haven’t even begun to sample the entire menu at Steakhouse 55 Lounge (it’s on the agenda), but we wanted to report back ASAP to help spread the good word about a couple of these items.

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First, let’s start with the less exciting option we tried: the Margherita Flatbread. Topped with tomato, basil, and mozzarella, the quality was strong here. The crust was not cracker thin and the size was decent given the price.

The only downside, and this seems the case with most Disney flatbreads, is that the toppings only covered two-thirds of the crust. We’d still recommend it, but only if other options aren’t more appealing.

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Then there were the Smothered Potato Chips. These are topped with chopped pastrami chunks, cheddar cheese sauce, piquillo peppers, green onions, sour cream, and local corn (because anyone willing to eat all that other junk really cares if corn is not local).

When I pointed these out on the menu to Sarah, she wasn’t too enthusiastic. I roll the dice with a lot of bizarre foods dreamt up in Buddy the Elf’s Test Kitchen, and I’d say a good 75% are complete whiffs. However, it’s all worth it when you find one of the rare hits, because they are usually grand slams. (Disney is basically Jim Thome with these things.)

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These Smothered Potato Chips were, indeed, a grand slam. The chips were house made, and–apparently–cheese sauce and cream cheese can fuse to form the perfect dressing mix to glue/compliment the other toppings to the chips.

It may sound like the concoction of a 3 a.m. fridge raid, but everything worked shockingly well together. There was an ample amount of pastrami, and this was a really filling dish. We highly recommend this.

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Finally, the 24 Layer Chocolate Cake. Whether it be casseroles or Double Doubles, any food with layers scores points in my book. (I just wish I could 24-layer burger from In-N-Out?!) That’s especially true when it comes to dessert. (This cake is not listed on the lounge menu, but it is available to order–it’s on Steakhouse 55’s regular menu.)

The 24 Layer Chocolate Cake tasted like Christmas. Seriously. My first bite instantly had me longing for the holidays. With its rich chocolate flavor (consisting of Nutella, cake, plus dark & milk chocolate layers) offset with refreshing mint chocolate chip gelato, it felt like the perfect Christmas treat.

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While rich, the creamy and cake-y mix of the layers, plus Nutella made the cake itself more than just a big, rich block. I was worried this was the case, but it was not. A dab of raspberry sauce also provided a little tang to the flavor, and the ice cream was the perfect compliment.

I probably still wouldn’t eat one all by myself, but that’s because the thing is huge, not because the flavor would become monotonous. This is another item that we highly recommend.

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Overall, Steakhouse 55 Lounge is definitely worth your time. In fact, we’d recommend going out of your way to dine here, perhaps as part of the “Disneyland Drinking Debauchery” Tour, or as a meal (I’d say light, but with those chips and the cake, it won’t be) before heading to Trader Sam’s. With other intriguing menu items like the French Dip, Bacon-Cheddar BBQ Burger, and Maine Lobster Roll Sliders, we most definitely be revisiting the Steakhouse 55 Lounge sooner rather than later (all in the name of research!).

If you’re preparing for a Disneyland trip, check out our other planning posts, including how to save money on Disneyland tickets, our Disney packing tips, tips for booking a hotel (off-site or on-site), where to dine, and a number of other things, check out our comprehensive Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide!

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Your Thoughts

Have you ever dined at Steakhouse 55 Lounge? What did you like or dislike there? Do you agree or disagree with our take on these dishes? Share any questions, tips, or additional thoughts you have in the comments!

7 Responses to “Steakhouse 55 Lounge Review”
  1. Jeff September 26, 2016
    • Doug Anderson September 30, 2016
  2. KittyJ September 25, 2016
    • Tom Bricker October 23, 2016
  3. Ashley September 24, 2016
    • Christina September 25, 2016
    • Tom Bricker October 23, 2016

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