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Skip the sausage at Disneyland's new Village Haus Restaurant

By Robert Niles
Published: January 26, 2011 at 8:27 PM
The Village Haus Restaurant in Disneyland's Fantasyland recently debuted a new menu, so I stopped by to give it a try during my visit to the park this afternoon.

Disneyland's Village Haus

The Village Haus is themed to Pinocchio - set high in the Dolomites, where Italy meets Germany. The menu reflects this mix of German and Italian: Choose a pepperoni pizza for your lunch, and an apple strudel for dessert.

Apple Strudel
Apple Strudel with Vanilla Sauce ($4.99)

For my entree, I chose instead the chicken sausage topped with sauerkraut on a pretzel roll ($8.49). I chose fries over a fruit cup for my side (neither German nor Italian, but still.)

Chicken sausage with sauerkraut on pretzel roll

I was expecting a German-style sausage, but got instead what tasted to me like a very mild sweet Italian sausage instead. However German and Italian cuisine might blend, an Italian sausage on pretzel bread, topped with sauerkraut, doesn't qualify.

Italian spices just don't get along with pickled cabbage. Nor do they sit well with the doughy saltiness of pretzel bread. They need the lighter, crispier crust of a pizza instead. And let's not talk about adding mustard to the mix, as I'd heartily recommend on a brat-like sausage.

The lesson? Always go with the special. At Disney's counter-service restaurants, stick with the options presented in a fancy bordered box on the menu board. At the Village Haus, those three options are:

  • An Angus 1/3 lb. Pastrami Cheeseburger ($10.49)
  • A "BLT" Flatbread Pizza ($9.49)
  • An Apple & Cheddar Salad ($7.49)
I'd skipped those because I was looking for something that fit the theme of place a bit better. A pastrami burger is as LA as food gets. A BLT on a pizza is another American combo, to be sure. And I'm not a big fan of Cheddar, especially on a salad.

But Disney's usually got those options in the boxes for a reason, and it's not just to steer you toward the higher-prices selections. Those are the items that location focuses on, and presumably does best.

So I'm not ready to judge the Village Haus until a return and give one of those entrees a try. Until then, though, I can recommend that you skip the sausage.

The strudel, however, is well worth a taste. I felt a twinge of disappointment when the lady at the counter brought me my strudel, as I eyed the spectacular Black Forest cupcakes in a cooler behind her. Topped with billowing whipped cream and chocolate shavings, the cupcakes shamed my ordinary-looking strudel.

"The cupcakes are good," another lady behind the counter said, noticing my expression. "But, honestly, the strudel tastes better."

I can't speak of the cupcake, but the strudel lived up the billing, with sweet apple flavor and a vanilla dip that tasted like great vanilla-bean ice cream, reduced to a sauce.

Readers' Opinions

From M. Ryan Traylor on January 26, 2011 at 8:56 PM
They need to add Figaro Fries to the menu here.
From Anthony Murphy on January 26, 2011 at 9:04 PM
The Pretzel brat at DLP, on the other hand, is excellent!

That strudel looks tasty! DL seems to be the park with the good sweets.

From 84.56.101.135 on January 26, 2011 at 9:56 PM
Its bad, its expensive and has not much to do with the original. If they wouldnt just slash together pre made food so they can pay the staff 7$, that would not happen. Its not like a cook that knows how to cook standard Bavarian food (looks closest to Bavarian) would be very expensive.
From Joshua Counsil on January 26, 2011 at 10:27 PM
Pizza, pastrami, and fries? The quest for good ethnic theme park food continues...
From Anthony Murphy on January 26, 2011 at 11:29 PM
Ethnic theme park foods?

Does EPCOT not count? LOL! Its ok if that is the exception, but, when in doubt, EPCOT has the food!

Even with all of Disney's faults in fast food, it fares much better than many parks

From Rod Whitenack on January 27, 2011 at 9:55 AM
Robert, I'm starting to get the idea that you're actually a closet/frustrated food critic with a Theme Park writer day job! Just kidding. I know it's a slow news season.
From Nancy Mast on January 28, 2011 at 1:13 PM
I have never eaten at the Village Haus because I've heard that the food they used to serve there were so blah and boring. But I am excited for the new selections. Too bad the sausage was not good. I am totally with you that they should have done a bratwurst or other German sausage, though the ones they serve at the stand near the Princess Faire are pretty good. Will have to try both the strudel and the Black Forest cupcakes. I hope the cupcakes aren't too sweet.
From 166.205.139.59 on January 29, 2011 at 9:12 PM
I ate the new BLT flat bread pizza and I'm happy to say that it was amazing.

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