When cruising around Cars Land, you can stop to fuel up at Flo’s V-8 Café, a family diner located at the crossroads of the newly paved Route 66 and the aptly named Crossroad Street.
This diner is reminiscent of the diners found along Route 66 back in the day that families traveled cross country on road trips across America. The special Disney twist is that this diner has been transported right out of the Cars animated movie and brought to life right in Cars Land.
During the annual pass holder previews, I had the opportunity to have lunch at Flo’s V-8 Café twice with different friends, so we were able to try a variety of the dishes offered.
Before I get to the food, though, let me tell you about the diner itself. The main entrance opens on to Route 66, and is lined on either side with gas pumps. Tucked between the pumps, in the shade of the awnings are tables, giving diners a nice place to enjoy their meal while enjoying the ambiance of the town of Radiator Springs.
On the other side the of café are more tables, some under shade, where diners can enjoy an outdoor meal overlooking the panoramic Ornament Valley, and what a beautiful view it is!
When you enter the café, cast members give you a menu to look over as you wait in the queue to order your food. You will be entertained with music of the 50s and 60s, while the colored lights in the ceiling change to the tune of the music being played.
Once you get your food, you can either choose to eat indoors or outdoors. The inside of the café is split into two sections. To the right, on the town side, you dine amid the mementos in Doc Hudson’s museum. Views from this section look out into the town. I really enjoyed the décor in this room when I ate here on Monday.
The dining area to the left is dedicated to the singing career of Flo and the Motorama Girls. This side of the café may very well prove to be the more popular area guests will choose to dine due in large part to the spectacular view of Ornament Valley and the Radiator Springs Racers. I ate in this fun room on Saturday, and I have to admit, this is my favorite area of the café.
On Saturday, I ate at Flo’s Cafe with Disneyland DIS Unplugged podcaster, Wayne Toigo. Wayne had the turkey, and the two sides he picked were the coleslaw and vegetarian baked beans. I ordered the Citrus Turkey salad. Both meals came with a roll. Since we were in a diner, we decided on strawberry shakes. We both really enjoyed our meals. My salad was tasty, and was actually pretty filling. Wayne said his turkey was delicious, and we both enjoyed our strawberry shakes. I was pretty surprised when I tasted the little candies in the shakes. They were a tasty little surprise.
On Monday, I had lunch with my daughter Kelly, Disneyland DIS Unplugged podcaster Tony Spittell, and our friend, Chris Vettel. I had the Veggie Tater Bake with pasta salad, Tony had the pork loin with baked beans and coleslaw, and Kelly had the NY Strip Loin with baked beans and corn medley. Kelly and Tony were not too impressed with their lunches. They thought the meat was a little bland. I thought my lunch was delicious, and my veggie tater bake tasted a lot like shepherd’s pie. It was really good. I would definitely order that again. Chris just had some dessert, and ordered the apple pie with cheddar. She shared it with all of us. I thought it tasted pretty good. Kelly (being a chef) thought that they should have put more apples and less cheese.
In addition to lunch, Flo’s Cafe also offers breakfast and dinner. I have seen the diner in the evening, and eating here at night will bring a different experience, enjoying meals while surrounded by the neon lights, or overlooking Ornament Valley while it is lit up at night.
I really enjoyed our lunches at Flo’s Cafe. With the atmosphere reminiscent of a time when families made long road-trips, catchy music playing throughout, friendly service, and decent food, I think this eatery will be a popular choice for families who want to have a meal together without breaking the bank.
(Thank you to Nancy Johnson and Wayne Toigo for the use of your photos.)
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