Summer 1977 – July 2024
LOCATION
Critter Country – When entering from New Orleans Square, you’d find the Hungry Bear Restaurant on the right, just as the main path veered left toward Winnie the Pooh.
EXPERIENCE
- Service Type – quick service
- Seating – outdoors, two different patio levels
- Reservations – no
- Entertainment – none
The Hungry Bear Restaurant sat in a quiet corner of Critter Country, and both floors of the patio offered scenic views of the Rivers of America. Guests could order food from the service counter, and then sit down on the covered patio, beneath strings of glowing lanterns. The lower level had large restrooms and gives diners close-up views of the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes, while the upper level offered a great vantage point to watch the Mark Twain Riverboat and the Sailing Ship Columbia as they sailed on the Rivers of America. Whether you were having a meal or just needed a place to sit and unwind, the Hungry Bear Restaurant was a charming place to relax and take in western Disneyland.
CLOSURE
When Disneyland announced plans to revamp Critter Country into Bayou Country in 2024, the land largely remained intact aside from the major mountain. A few shops rebranded slightly, and Hungry Bear leaned a little away from sandwiches and into BBQ with a slight theme adjustment. The shop closed in July, reopening in October as Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree.
TRIVIA
My original 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: its 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. (★★★☆☆)
The Hungry Bear Restaurant’s patio extended farther back than the building. Take a walk to the end and you’d get awesome views of the rear of Tom Sawyer Island.
This restaurant’s name and theme came from the “Country Bear Jamboree”, an attraction located in Critter Country when it was called “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.
used to be my favorite quick stop restaurant at Disneyland but after the menu changes, it’s not that good. my favorite was also the crispy chicken sandwich but they do not have it on the menu anymore. so sad.
I visited the resort last fall and they still had the crispy chicken, but sadly, it was gross! I was hoping I just caught them on a bad day, but I’m sad to hear other park visitors are having similar experiences 🙁