Belisle's Restaurant - Harbor and Chapman

[Ortizmo2000]

Did anyone get a chance to visit Belisle's on Harbor and Chapman before it was (tragically) closed over a decade ago?

For those who never got the chance, this place was a food-lover's dream. Opened right around the time Disneyland opened, the place was famous for its ridiculously immense portions. If you were dieting in any way, shape, or form...this restaurant was verboten!

If, like me, you were young and thin and didnt care about watching your weight, Belisle's was a dream. I visited most often for breakfast, and one rare time for dinner. The omelettes were the size of doormats, the desserts were gargantuan whipped-cream dreams.

I still remember my first visit with a couple of friends in the 90's. We showed up for breakfast on a sun-drenched Sunday on the suggestion of one of them in particular who had visited before. It was stupidly excessive. We started out with biscuits the size of CD's (width, not height) and then our entrees were brought. The pancakes should've had their own gravity pull. Omelettes that would choke a Florida gator. Then, someone decided to suggest a friggin banana split for "dessert".

The drive home was slow and PAINFUL....we could feel every bump we drove over. I must have visited again at least a dozen time before its departure.

Replaced by an OUTBACK???? Bleh...give me a break. I miss this place like no other.

[SwankbelliedPirate]

My first experience was as a teen in the 80's. I remember having to wait outside and looking into the window of the kitchen and seeing giant ingredients. Then when we got in I remember the pies in the pie case being like a foot tall like mini Matterhorns. Living 300 miles away, I only got to go there a couple of times as an adult. I remember one trip to Disneyland when I felt My kids were finally old enough to be impressed with Belisles, we drove down Harbor, me bragging about all the size of the food and the decor building up the hype and... it was gone. I even drove further thinking I forgot where it was.

[ExCandyMaker]

I had many experiences there as a kid and as an adult. They had delicious boysenberry pie, even better than Knott's.
The last few years that the restaurant was opened I worked for the California/Anaheim Angels. I found out from some of the players that when opposing teams came into town, they had a unique rookie hazing ritual. The older veterans would bring them to Belisle's for breakfast and make them order a certain breakfast that I wish I could remember what it was called, but this breakfast was known for being huge, even by Belisle's standards. If the rookie could not finish this breakfast, there would be hell to pay when they got to the ballpark.

It's too bad that Garden Grove wanted to develop a theme park there and let one of the few places worth going to in town be torn down, only to not build a theme park. Sad.

[seenoevil]

We called it the Big Food Place! I don't think I ever knew the real name. I ate there about 15 years ago? Would that be right? Besides the big food, I remember the ridiculously long straws they gave my boys! Too bad it's gone.

[JesterMn]

I remember the sign out front read:

"5 out of 4 people eat here"

That always killed me.

[Neverlandtink]

I loved Belisles! They had jurassic food. Their rib plate always reminded me of the end of the Flinstones where the car hop brought out the Mammoth ribs and knocked over Fred's car.

ExCandyMaker, I believe that breakfast was called "The Texas Sized Breakfast", and it featured a dozen eggs and a 64 oz steak. Mark Kriski from KTLA news visited there one morning and ordered that.

The story I read about the restaurant was that it opened about the time the 5 freeway/Disneyland was being built and the restaurant catered to construction workers. I was so sad when we last saw it. My husband and I decided to go there for dinner after a trip to the park and when we got there it was a big pile of rubble. It's too bad they couldn't keep it going, or at least relocate as I'm assuming someone bought the land out from under them.

[MickeyMaxx]

I ate there a lot when I moved to Anaheim after college in the early 70's. It was bountiful and affordable. It was a favorite stop after bar hopping on Fridays and Saturdays. Used to be a long wait to get in on the weekends. Many years later, Rick and I went there, and the prices were through the roof. It was more like the Five Crowns, than a coffee shop. Big food or not, the prices didn't make sense! As I recall, we had enough money on us for perhaps a small salad each. Despite that, I have nothing but fond memories of it.

[Ortizmo2000]

Originally Posted by Neverlandtink

I loved Belisles! They had jurassic food. Their rib plate always reminded me of the end of the Flinstones where the car hop brought out the Mammoth ribs and knocked over Fred's car.

"Jurassic Food" Hilarious....and accurate.

ExCandyMaker, I believe that breakfast was called "The Texas Sized Breakfast", and it featured a dozen eggs and a 64 oz steak. Mark Kriski from KTLA news visited there one morning and ordered that.

Yes, I recall seeing that on the menu. Was never brave enough to order it.

[pixie chick]

Oh yeah! Every now and then I'll remember it out of the blue. I used to go there with my grandparents when I was little for a special dinner or treat every once in a while. It was always an exciting trip & it seemed so far away at the time. Good memories!!

Does anyone have any pictures? I seem to remember them having free postcards with a picture of the front of the restaurant on them.

[DannyB]

I ate there once or twice when I was a student at Chapman University. I think they could have charge people an admission fee just to see their pies!

I didn't know what happened to it, and am sorry to hear that it's no longer there.

[Dopey's Girl]

For years I lived about 4 miles from the place but only ate there a couple of times. There were other places to eat in town that had much better food at much better prices and with way shorter lines.

[Ortizmo2000]

Originally Posted by Dopey's Girl

For years I lived about 4 miles from the place but only ate there a couple of times. There were other places to eat in town that had much better food at much better prices and with way shorter lines.

Yeah, but did they have omelets that could feed five and drink straws three feet long?

[WJNM]

Aww, I loved this place! I grew up off of Harbor and Garden Grove Blvds, close enough to Disneyland that I could watch the fireworks from my front porch. We lived in the same house as my grandfather ... he was an electrician in OC in the 1950's and worked on Disneyland, Crystal Cathedral, and Anaheim Stadium among other projects. His crew would always go eat there after work, then head to the Rainbow Room (bar) in downtown GG.

I only had the chance to go there once ... due to the prices, unfortunately. But amazing place! And I had that boysenberry pie ... much better than Knott's indeed!

If I recall correctly, Belisle's refused to sell, and the land (along with H&H and the Comic Book Store) was taken by imminent domain, since the city was all intent on building a theme park there ...

Sad and stupid move; not surprising for GG.

[Dopey's Girl]

Originally Posted by Ortizmo2000

Yeah, but did they have omelets that could feed five and drink straws three feet long?

That's the line I tried to feed my parents.

[Dopey's Girl]

Originally Posted by WJNM

Aww, I loved this place! I grew up off of Harbor and Garden Grove Blvds, close enough to Disneyland that I could watch the fireworks from my front porch.

I'm a Brookhurst and LaPalma girl. What the heck are we doing in the desert?