The Hungry Bear Restaurant

Summer 1977 – present

LOCATION

Critter Country – When entering from New Orleans Square, you’ll find the Hungry Bear Restaurant on the right, just as the main path veers left toward Winnie the Pooh.

EXPERIENCE

• Service Type – quick service
• Seating – outdoors, two different patio levels
• Reservations – no
• Entertainment – none
• Menu

The Hungry Bear Restaurant sits in a quiet corner of Critter Country, and both floors of the patio offer scenic views of the Rivers of America. Guests can order food from the service counter, and then sit down on the covered patio, beneath strings of glowing lanterns. The lower level has large restrooms and gives diners close-up views of the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes, while the upper level offers a great vantage point to watch the Mark Twain Riverboat and the Sailing Ship Columbia as they sail on the Rivers of America. Whether you’re having a meal or just need a place to sit and unwind, the Hungry Bear Restaurant is a charming place to relax and take in western Disneyland.

MY RATING – ★★★☆☆

The Hungry Bear Restaurant has a limited menu, and the food is average. However, this eatery has one feature that sets it apart from many other restaurants in the park: it’s two-story waterfront patio. In fact, this area is one of my favorite places to sit down and take a break in the park. Whether you eat at the Hungry Bear or grab food from a nearby vendor, consider stopping here and enjoying a meal on the waterfront.

MY FAVORITES

• Crispy Chicken Sandwich
• Fried Green Tomato Sandwich

TRIVIA

The Hungry Bear Restaurant’s patio extends farther back than the building. Take a walk to the end for awesome views of the rear of Tom Sawyer Island!

This restaurant’s name and theme come from the “Country Bear Jamboree”, an attraction located in Critter Country when it was called “Bear Country”. Though the Jamboree is now closed, the Hungry Bear Restaurant kept its theme and is now all that remains of Bear Country.

Hungry Bear offered a short-lived Fantasmic! dessert package that included fast passes. But the option never gained much popularity, and the Hungry Bear stopped participating in show dining packages after just three months.