The exterior of River Belle Terrace in Disneyland in June 2025.

If you check Yelp reviews and fan forums, one restaurant comes up again and again as the worst place for a sit-down meal in Disneyland. And word has clearly gotten around: If you’re looking for a same-day reservation, there’s almost always availability at the River Belle Terrace.

Situated in a no man’s land between Frontierland, Adventureland and New Orleans Square, River Belle Terrace has gained a reputation for forgettable food, a stodgy indoor dining room and empty seats. Although it’s now one of the most overlooked eateries in Disneyland, it was once one of its most popular — and controversial. 

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Originally called the Aunt Jemima Pancake House, the restaurant opened in 1955. As the name suggests, it was sponsored by the pancake company, and Disney took the brand’s image one step further by adding a live actor to portray Aunt Jemima. Although it wasn’t explicitly stated, descriptions of the 1955 version of the restaurant indicate the restaurant was meant to evoke the pre-Civil War era — making Aunt Jemima an enslaved person. The restaurant was a “faithful reproduction of a southern plantation mansion,” the Orange County Register wrote before its opening. 

“A trip to Aunt Jemima’s Kitchen will be a memorable visit to the Old South,” the story concluded.

The concept was a roaring success, skyrocketed to popularity in part by Aylene Lewis, the actor who played Aunt Jemima. Along with pancakes, it served waffles, sausage, bacon and coffee. Although they’re now ubiquitous brunch items, at the time it was a novelty; for many, it was the first time they’d ever tried a waffle. The........

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