REVIEW: Trader Sam's in Disneyland Just KNOCKED Its New Menu Out of the Park

Is there any bar or lounge more iconic than Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar at Disneyland Hotel? We think not! This bar is known for its fun drinks, food, and shenanigans, and it’s always a treat when we get to see the volcano effect happen when someone orders a special drink.

New food alert!

Well, we recently returned to Trader Sam’s after we got word that the bar was celebrating its 15th anniversary with some new food. So we had to check it out.

Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar…is just that, a tiki bar owned by the infamous Trader Sam, who has created a bar to display many of the artifacts he’s found during his worldwide adventures. These artifacts are generally Disney references, puns, and even a bit of history. The bartenders here are sassy and fun, and the drinks are punny and delicious.

Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar

The menu features some small bites like Gyoza, Tempura-Battered Green Beans (a personal favorite of ours), Shrimp Tempura, and more. If you want to eat something green, a few salads are also available. If you’re hungry, several entrees are also available, including a flatbread, ramen, a Hawaiian cheeseburger, a Poke Bowl, and more. There’s even a small plant-based menu. Of course, specialty drinks are what really bring folks in, including drinks inspired by Disney puns and references.

Outdoor seating

However, we’re here to check out the new eats that were added to the menu to celebrate Trader Sam’s 15th anniversary, starting with the Furikake Fries, which are Beer-battered French Fries, Furikake, Green Onions, and Gochujang Aïoli for $12. The fries are good, yes, but what really makes them great is the Gochujang Aïoli! That sauce is EVERYTHING. It’s creamy and has a slight spicy tang. If we had to pick our favorite new thing we tried here, this would be it.

Furikake Fries

The BBQ Chicken Flatbread is made with Teriyaki chicken, red onions, mozzarella cheese, micro herbs, Fresno chilies, green onions, and pineapple (option to add Kälua pork) for $24. We OBVIOUSLY added the Kälua pork, which just went SO WELL with the chicken and the rest of the toppings. All the flavors combined so perfectly that we can’t imagine it WITHOUT the pork, which is flavorful and juicy. But…there was one big FAIL with this. Our flatbread was doughy and undercooked, and the cheese wasn’t even melted. The flavors were still there, but that threw us off.

BBQ Chicken Flatbread

The Chicken Katsu Curry is also new. It’s made with Crispy Chicken Cutlet, Japanese Curry, Jasmine Rice, Soy-marinated Egg, and Pickled Ginger for $24. There is such a wonderful variety of flavors in this baby, and the chicken katsu is perfectly fried with moist chicken and crunchy breading. The curry is mild, but still flavorful. It also comes with pickled ginger, which adds a sweetness to each bite when combined with the rest of the bowl. However, there is more rice than anything, so be sure to mix everything up so you at least get some of that flavor infused into the ride.

Chicken Katsu Curry

Of course, we had to order a drink to go with this meal, so we ordered a secret menu item, the DOLE Whip Cocktail. It’s a DOLE Whip with rum. We went with a light coconut rum. What can we say? It’s our favorite Disneyland treat as a grown-up beverage, which makes it PERFECT. It’s delicious, it’s refreshing, it’s the DOLE Whip flavor you already love.

DOLE Whip Cocktail

We’ll be back with even more food reviews, so stay tuned to DFB for more.

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What’s your go-to order at Trader Sam’s? Let us know in the comments!