Repurpose of Disneyland Hotel's steakhouse space on front burner
`Imagineering in progress,' a sign reads on restaurant that closed in 2021
Disneyland is exploring new options for a hotel restaurant location that was home for decades to an upscale steakhouse steeped in Disney history before being permanently shuttered during the pandemic.
Walt Disney Imagineering and Disneyland teams are in the early stages of exploring opportunities for the former Steakhouse 55 restaurant space, according to Disneyland officials.
An “Imagineering in Progress” sign has been posted in front of black curtains screening the space at the Disneyland Hotel, according to MiceChat.
“We’re not sure what’s happening here, but we would absolutely love to see this restaurant return,” according to MiceChat.
Steakhouse 55 at the Disneyland Hotel permanently closed in July 2021 during the phased reopening of eateries, shops and attractions at the Disneyland Resort following its yearlong COVID-19 closure.
Fans of the steakhouse cheered a few months later when the high-end restaurant concept was revived at Walt Disney World.
Steakhouse 71 opened in October 2021 at Disney’s Contemporary Resort during the kickoff of the 50th anniversary celebration of the 1971 debut of the Magic Kingdom.
The clubby and pricey Steakhouse 55 opened in 2006 at Anaheim’s Disneyland Hotel with an elegant atmosphere of old Hollywood.
Steakhouse 55 replaced Granville’s Steak House, which opened in 1983. The 55 in the restaurant’s name refers to the 1955 opening date of the Disneyland theme park.
The dimly lit and dark woodappointed Disneyland Hotel steakhouse promised to take diners back to a bygone era of lavish decadence and old Hollywood glamour.
An Orange County Register restaurant review called Steakhouse 55 the place to go for dirty martinis, bone-in rib-eyes and the “legendary” 24-layer chocolate cake.