Jollywood Nights Food Review: Hits and Misses

We attended the first Jollywood Nights of the year, and we’ve got some opinions on what we liked and just one location that we think you should skip. There are a few things to know about food and bev at this party if you’re planning to attend:

• There’s no Mobile Order during party hours.
• Don’t plan to pay for food and drinks with cash. All of the outdoor food stand locations, like Market and KRNR The Rock Station, are cashless.
• Your Jollywood ticket allows you to enter the park at 5:30 pm, but party food doesn’t start until around 7:30 pm. There are a few locations that opened a bit earlier the first night, but that might not be dependable for other nights.

ABC Commissary – Big Hit

• Empanadas with Street Corn – $6.49
  Chicken Empanadas served with Street Corn Salad topped with Chili Peppers, Lime, and Cotija
• Birria Taco – $5.49
  Shredded Beef and Monterey Jack served with a Beef Consommé
• Yuca con Chicharrón – $5.99
  Fried Pork Belly, Yuca Fries, Red Pickled Onions, and Chili-Lime Seasoning with a Yellow Pepper Aïoli
• Cauliflower Taco – $4.79
  Fried Cauliflower dusted with Chili-Lime Seasoning on top of a Corn Tortilla with Diced Onions, Cilantro, and Plant-based Chipotle Cashew Crema (plant-based)
• Mexican Hot Cocoa Cheesecake – $5.49
  Holiday Chocolate Cookie Streusel, Whipped Cinnamon-Chocolate Cheesecake, and Spiced Whipped Cream topped with a sprinkle of Cinnamon and Mini Marshmallows
• Taco ’bout a Holiday Cookie! – $5.99
  Cranberry Cheesecake-filled Chocolate Cookies dipped in Cranberry-White Chocolate topped with Pistachio Whipped Cream, Gold Crispy Pearls, Chocolate Holly Leaf Décor, and Holiday Sprinkles

We loved this whole menu. The Empanadas with Street Corn were excellent. The Birria Taco with Beef Consommé was our most favorite of the dishes pictured above. We love a dipping sauce or soup, and this was so nice.

The desserts made a pretty picture but an even better bite. The Taco Cookie was creamy and puckery, and the Mexican Hot Cocoa Cheesecake was beautiful. If you decide to spend the $34.24 like we did for all 6 food items, you (and a friend) won’t need another bite to eat the rest of the night.

Hollywood Scoops – Big Hit

• Miss Piggy Strawberry Glam – $9.79
  Strawberry Boba Pearls and Strawberry Cheesecake topped with Chocolate Pearls, Strawberry Ice Cream, and Pink M&M’S® Milk Chocolate candies served in a souvenir cup.
• Kermit Mint Whirl – $9.79
  Green Apple Boba Pearls and White Chocolate Cheesecake topped with Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream and Green M&M’S® Milk Chocolate candies served in a souvenir cup.

There isn’t a bad word to be said about either of these treats. They’re fun, colorful, so very sweet, and you get to keep the cup!

KRNR The Rock Station – Hit-ish

• Churro Sundae – $6.99
  Churros topped with Vanilla Soft-serve, Spiced Apples, and Spiced Chocolate Sauce
• Arepas de Choclo – $4.99
  Sweet Corn Cakes with Cheese topped with Cilantro Aïoli and served with Jícama Slaw

Everyone knows that the only good churros exist in Disneyland, but these aren’t bad for being the Most Magical and not The Happiest. The Arepas de Choclo was pretty decent, and the slaw was plentiful and crunchy.

Dockside Diner – Hit

• Loaded Samosas – $5.29
  Potato and Pea-stuffed Samosas with Curried Chickpeas, Plant-based Herb Crema, and Tomato-Pomegranate Chutney (plant-based)
• Meatball and Polenta – $6.79
  Giant Meatball with Marinara and Creamy Cheese Polenta
• Christmas Tree Cookie Stack – $5.79
  Vanilla Cookie Stack filled with Pistachio Buttercream, Cranberry, and Raspberry Jam topped with Sprinkles and a Yellow Candy Star

We happen to always love all three of these dishes no matter where we can get them, so this one was easy. We’ve rarely met a samosa we didn’t love, and these made our list of things we’ll come back for during our second party. The meatball and polenta is as simple as it sounds, but the serving was large and everything was hot, and tasted good. The Cookie Stack isn’t going to be for everyone, but our dessert preferences won’t allow us to shun buttercream when it’s raspberry jam adjacent. Summary = hit.

Backlot Express – Mostly a Miss

• Sweet Chili Cheer Chicken Slider – $5.79
  Chicken Thighs tossed in Sweet Chili Aïoli topped with Asian Slaw and Cilantro served on a Brioche Roll
• Jolly Jam Slider – $6.29
  Angus Burger with Bourbon-Garlic-Bacon Jam, Smoky Paprika Aïoli, and Chili Pepper Sauce served on a Hawaiian Roll
• Sleigh Bell Brussels Sprouts – $4.79
  With Bourbon-Onion Jam and Crispy Onions (plant-based)
• Holly Jolly Bread Pudding – $5.49
  Warm Bread Pudding swirled with Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread and topped with Cherries, Holiday Sprinkles, and a Chocolate Gingerbread Man
• Hickory Holiday Mac – $6.29
  Macaroni & Cheese with Burnt Ends, Crispy Onions, and Chili Pepper Sauce

With the exception of the truly lovely Brussels Sprouts, we’d skip this whole location. The Hickory Holiday Mac was mushy, and the flavor was false and odd. The slider was overdone, the roll was stale, and the whole dish was just not great. Nearly everything tasted a few steps off, but we would 100% say you should stop in for the Brussels Sprouts with the sweet, tangy onion jam.

Market – Hit

• Mike-arron – $5.29
  Toasted Coconut Cookie with Green White Chocolate and topped with a Sugar Eye
• Spring Rolls – $6.29
  Filled with Buffalo Chicken and served with Jalapeño Ranch Dipping Sauce

Dinner in one stop. Don’t be put off by the green food dye, the Mike-aaron was large and better than what you might expect at a theme park. We really liked the spring rolls, but we wish they were bigger. If you’re feeding multiple folks, get a few orders. You can see how tiny they are next to the average-sized sauce container in the picture above. Other than the size of the savory pick, this spot is a hit.

Fairfax Fare – Hit

• Holiday Turkey Popover – $6.49
  Roasted Turkey and Creamy Mashed Potatoes topped with Gravy and Cranberry Chutney in a House-made Popover
• “Just the Sides” Popover – $5.75
  Macaroni & Cheese and Savory Collard Greens topped with Cornbread Crumbs in a House-made Popover
• Raspberry-Lemon Square – $4.99
  Lemon Filling topped with Raspberry Powdered Sugar and Glazed Raspberries

A whole Thanksgiving dinner for under $18? We’re always going to endorse this idea! It helped that everything tasted so good, too. This location is a hit for us.

We’re headed to the second Jollywood Nights of the season in a few days, so check back for more food reviews!