With seventy-five visits to the Disneyland parks, I have never been to the Cove Bar at California Adventure. It’s a full service bar on the boardwalk, behind Ariel’s Grotto that overlooks Paradise Bay. It’s a cozy space, with a great view of the park and a nice place to sit back and unwind.
One of the reasons the Cove Bar remained unchecked on my list of places to explore, is because there was always a line to get in. For some reason the Sunday after July 4th we found Disneyland to be unusually empty. So I decided to take advantage of this and finally go check out the bar.
My cousin was raving about an off menu drink called the “Fun Wheel” and recommended that I try it. Phranq and I sat at the bar and ordered it along with a Red Superfruit Sangria, and a tray of Tri-Tip Sliders. The “Fun Wheel” did not disappoint. It was ascetically pleasing, like a rainbow in a glass, and it tasted great! Don’t ask me what’s in it, because I did not think to ask at the time. I recommend everyone should try it. Phranq felt the Sangria was a little too bitter. He ended up adding a shot of peach juice and it made all the difference. We split a plate of three Tri-Tip Sliders, served on tiny brioche buns each with a different topping. There was one with bacon, another with cabbage slaw and one with mojo criollo sauce and fried onions. The Tri-Tip is cut into thick slices, so you get a mouthful with every bite. The explosion of flavor from the mojo criollo and fried onions, made me wish I could order a full Tri-Tip sandwich prepared that way!
The Cove Bar can expect to have me as a returning customer. On my next trip there I hope to dive into the Lobster Nachos!