One of the most important things to strive to do as a person doing food reviews is to write for a larger audience. Now, it is nice to tell people if you liked the food or not. Yet, the key variable comes down to whether other people will like it. The highly sought-after dining reservation on today’s agenda is Be Our Guest restaurant at Magic Kingdom. This signature dining option offers the guest many solid features. There are lots of reasons to visit Be Our Guest.

The Be Our Guest restaurant sits themed around the idea of Beast’s castle. This place functions a bit differently than you may remember if you have not visited it in a while. Currently, the restaurant serves lunch and dinner only. Lunch starts at 10am. However, from 10am-12 noon, guests may purchase limited “Brunch” elements for their meal instead of the lunch/dinner options. All diners order from a Prix Fixe menu here. If you remember the days of ordering counter service for some meals here, that is not an present choice.  Current pricing:

$62 per adult (ages 10 and up), plus tax and gratuity

$37 per child (ages 3-9), plus tax and gratuity

The current three course Prix Fixe menu looks like this:

Appetizers (choose one)

—Captain Nemo Octopus- Seaweed Salad, Cucumber, Pickled Beets, Hearts of Palm, Tapioca Crackers, Beets Mousse, and Carrot-Ginger Silk

—French Onion Soup- Toasted Crouton, Gruyère, and Provolone

—Country Seasonal Salad- Toasted Walnuts, Fresh Fruit, and Seasonal Vinaigrette Dressing

—Assorted Meats and Artisanal Cheese Selection

—Maine Lobster Bisque-Garnished with Crème Fraîche and Poached Lobster

Entrées (choose one)

—Herb-salted Pork Tenderloin-Crispy Pork Belly, Seasonal Vegetables-Two Ways, Pork Jus, and Candied Pecan

—Sustainable Market Fresh Fish with Rock Shrimp, Leek Sauce, and Seasonal Vegetables

—Vadouvan Spiced Vegetables-Sautéed Seasonal Vegetables, Crispy Corn Cake with Coconut-Vadouvan Jus and Pickled Mustard Seeds

—Center-cut Filet Mignon-Robuchon Yukon Potatoes, Seasonal Vegetables, and Mushrooms with a Red Wine Sauce

—Poulet Rouge Chicken-Savory Bread Pudding and Seasonal Vegetables with a Chicken Glace

For dessert each guest gets a dessert trio. Plant based diners may request a vanilla cake with lemon curd as an alternative.

The kid’s Prix Fixe menu reflects a similar pattern. For appetizers, they choose one item between a salad, applesauce, and a fruit/cheese plate. The entrée choices range from beef tenderloin, chicken breast, or mac and cheese. These entrées come with a choice of two sides such as zucchini, green beans, sweet potatoes, fries, and wild rice. The dessert choices are a kid size dessert trio or seasonal fruit,

Now, if you wonder about those brunch options, I did not forget. The two most commonly available ones are an omelet or mickey waffles. As of the time of writing, I hear more brunch options could be commonly available. This “brunch experiment” could expand or contract at any time.

Okay, so is this worth your time and money?  I shall start with the easier aspect. How does your group wish to use their time. This three-course meal will take more than an hour out of your Magic Kingdom Day. Some guests have reported the meal taking two hours from being seated to leaving the restaurant. You will need to decide about the time issues based on if you only have one day at Magic Kingdom or will visit more often.

Related to that, the biggest issue revolves around if the children (and adults for that matter) need to see the incredible setting within and/or interact with Beast. If so, then make a reservation for this place now! If not, please read on.

The bigger question for me rotates around if the dining experience provides value for money spent. If your child (or another adult in your group) qualifies as a picky eater, you should get a dining reservation somewhere else. The Prix Fixe menu limits your choices. Therefore, in an earlier review I suggested “Skipper’s Canteen” as a more cost-effective table service option. I can confidently state if you have a picky eater over the age of 10, since they would cost $62 plus, this place will disappoint in terms of food options.

If you want/need an alcoholic beverage with your table service meal, those will cost more so your price tag went up again. Of course, this is Magic kingdom so alcoholic beverages will only be found at table service places where you will pay a premium.

Based on the current Prix Fixe menu, this place is hard to recommend with limited menu options. The set price point fails to make a recommendation easier. This place and others give people like me good reason to suggest taking a break from Magic Kingdom to visit a monorail resort table service dining option. The food will be of equal quality and cost less that way. Also, depending on your experience, you might use less time dining at Steakhouse 71 for example compared to Be Our Guest.

However, the setting within Beast’s castle looks wonderful. The overall theming works exceptionally well. Beast comes out to interact with guests. This serves as the only place you can count on seeing Beast.

If you choose to make a reservation here, I suggest on the adult menu to order the French onion soup and the filet. In fairness, in both cases, you will find better versions of those menu items at numerous other Walt Disney World resort restaurants. Yet, if you want to soak up the theming, the price point makes sense for you.

On the negative side, for a signature dining three course meal, the environment creates too much noise. Since reopening, service quality ranks as average. You do get bread service before your first course. However, the rolls often taste dry and the butter for them arrives in too solid a form to spread well on the rolls.

Last thing, this menu offers some hearty style entrees. For me, this looks like a dinner location. I have a hard time visualizing eating a three-course meal then riding the Space Mountain attraction. Is this place worth paying almost $150 with tax and gratuity for just two adults? I think not but can understand that for some people this would be ideal. If children are a primary consideration, they need to like Beast. You also need to be comfortable with the chance they will not eat very much for over $40 when you think tax and tip.

I realize I sound negative about this place. The food served here is good. Yes, this shows common theme park pricing. Yet, even considering you are in Magic Kingdom, the price point exceeds what I would expect for a signature dining three course meal of this quality. I will wait and hope that the Prix Fixe menu goes away. Yet, I respect the table service options look bleak in Magic Kingdom. I still proclaim a trip to Steakhouse 71 or Grand Floridian Café would be a better use of time and money. Please bear in mind my own offspring are past high school age, so the pull of character dining often gets lost on me. However, you are paying for theming so consider than when making advance dining reservations for your vacation. As always, eat like you mean it!

The food offerings within Disney’s Animal Kingdom vary from high quality to below average theme park cuisine. Many bad dining choices call to guests as they experience the theme park. Some of the counter service options rank as best in Walt Disney World theme parks, like Satu’li Canteen. Sure, the standard below average burgers and pizza can be found at counter service options. However, Animal Kingdom also offers some of the best table service options within the Walt Disney World theme parks. Of course, Rainforest Café exists here also. Poor Rainforest Café must compete with Tiffins and Tusker House in this park.

The other table service option at Animal Kingdom is Yak & Yeti. Ironically, both Rainforest Café and Yak & Yeti are run by same third-party company. However, Yak & Yeti might provide the best table service overall value at Animal Kingdom. Yak & Yeti, according to Disney’s website, serves American, Asian, Chinese, and Seafood style dining. Usually when a restaurant tries to provide a wide variety of cuisine, they fail. Yak & Yeti presents many solid options. I would suggest ordering the Asian style food here. Though, the Kobe Beef Burger tastes great

A popular entrée here at Yak & Yeti is the “Chicken Tikka Masala.” This entrée costs $25.99. The menu description reads “boneless chicken breast marinated in yogurt and freshly ground herbs cooked in a traditional Masala sauce (with) jasmine rice.” This menu item also comes with garlic naan bread.

Photo by Jon Self

Chicken Tikki Masala comes from an Indian cultural origin even though other cultures have modified it a bit for their purposes. Traditionally, the chicken gets marinated in a spicy curry sauce with plain yogurt. The cooking preparation involves tomatoes, more spices, and perhaps a few more vegetables. This dish generally comes with rice. If you are familiar with a version of Indian Butter Chicken, this one function usually as the slightly spicier cousin.

So how does this menu item measure up? Well, that depends on your perspective. For theme park dining, the portion size exceeds expectation. If desired, this dish could be shared. This hearty dish comes in a larger than normal bowl. When the meal arrives at your table, the aroma helps prepare guests for their dining experience.

Photo courtesy of Main Street Magic Podcast

All components of this dish come well prepared. The chicken offers solid flavor and tenderness. The spice level fits well for this dish in a theme park setting. For those looking for some spice, you will find it in this tikka masala. Now, if looking for a proper amount of spice for this dish, you will be disappointed. However, the compromise level should work for most guests. The quality or grade of chicken could be higher but functions well within this tikka masala.

As you can see, you can get the rice on the side. I do not recommend this.

For some guests, the bread shines as the star of this dish. The bread dipped in the sauce works very well for flavor. I have heard more than a few guests express a desire for more bread. Also, as you would expect, the rice helps balance out the strong flavors overall.

Personally, I see this entrée as a safer option for guests concerned about spice level at an Asian themed place. When dining here, I seek out dishes with a more authentic spice level. For example, I would order the Malaysian Seafood Curry. That might be a perfect choice for me. Now, I just need them to remove the zucchini. However, most guests will enjoy the Chicken Tikka Masala. Of the many good choices here, I hear the most positive statements about this and the Ahi Tuna Nachos. I suspect if you give this menu item a try that you will be a satisfied customer also. As always, eat like you mean it!

Sometimes I hear people speak about the good old days. I appreciate the sentiment. However, I often remind people that the good old days were not as good as you might sentimentalize. Do you remember warming up leftovers without a microwave? What about party line phones? Speaking of phones, can you imagine going back to no mobile phones? Perhaps, the greater torture would be going back to the bag-style car phones.

If you are too young to remember any of those scenarios being possible, please forgive me. My real vocation often causes me to remind people that with every positive in life comes some negatives also. The sentiment to go back to the good old days forgets about the difficulties of those good old days.

Yes, the nostalgia of Formica counters reminds many people of simpler times. Yet, if you want old-fashioned comfort food during your day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, then 50’s Prime Time Café should be on your short list. Of course, 50’s Prime Time café offers many features of that era, including Formica counters. As you might expect the best dining reservation timeslots for table service dining options at Hollywood Studios disappear quickly. Now, they fail to disappear as quickly as Genie+ slots for Slinky Dog Dash. Yet, table service reservations at Hollywood Studios disappear quickly. If you want to eat during peak hours for 1950’s comfort food, you should prioritize 50’s Prime Time Café.

Waly Disney World marketing tells us that at 50’s Prime Time Café we will find classic USA comfort food. Disney proclaims we will experience “50s kitsch and a good old-fashioned family gathering take you back to a bygone era.” A signature comfort food item shines here as “Aunt Liz’s Golden Fried Chicken.” Since the theming revolves around a traditional old school family gathering, the touch of naming this menu item after a relative adds to that. Based on your server, your waitress may come over to introduce herself as your “aunt.” Did she make this chicken? Guess we will never know.  Usually, waitresses will remind you that “mom” is hard at work back in the kitchen making dinner.

This chicken entrée costs $25. The menu describes it as chicken served with roasted garlic mashed potatoes, chicken gravy, and seasonal vegetables. Having not grown-up in the 1950s, I cannot evaluate the authenticity of this fried chicken. However, based on my experience growing up in the southern area of the USA, this tastes like I remember, good and bad. The sides also match the comfort food idea, good and bad.

On the positive side, they call this comfort food for a reason. If you grew up eating fried chicken often, this would bring back some of those memories. When combined with the old school TVs, vinyl seating, and kitschy decor, the setting for old school comfort rises to prominence. Though I would choose Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ fried chicken menu items over this, the chicken quality rates high. Still, this fried chicken offers a good outer coating. In addition, the chicken meat hidden within tastes juicy and tender. Of course, this theme park entree comes with vegetables. Actual vegetables to create a balanced meal at a theme park can be hard to find sometimes. This restaurant makes sure you eat your “veggies” but more about that later. The sides with the chicken work very well in terms of theme and balance.

On the negative side, this chicken stays on theme by being greasy. However, good thing you must put your mobile devices away here (or mom will be very upset). I doubt most phones could survive the grease factor if you eat this fried chicken and then play on your phone at same time. Though many disagree with me, I find the portion size small for a $25 menu item.

One more thing, the chicken and sides will be hearty and filling. Despite portion size, your will experience a solid mela that might weigh you down. Plan accordingly since your Tower of Terror Genie+ lightning lane time slot might follow this meal. If you want to enjoy one of the old school desserts here, the hearty nature of food should be evaluated when ordering.

No discussion of this place will be complete without a warning about the theme. Though some people see this as a negative, you may see this aspect as glorious. Unless your “relative” serving your food is told differently, they will enforce “mom’s” rules. That means no elbows on the table. That means not phones at the table. You will also be admonished if you fail to eat your vegetables or make other poor nutritional choices. The antics involved with this might be worth the price of dining depending on your group. Parents often love this since someone else is “yelling” at their kids to behave and eat their vegetables.

Yet, if your group hates being “that guy” over at the Magic Kingdom, have someone politely inform your servers that you are not interested in the friendly family-style banter. If you want to surprise a friend (or maybe lose a friend) take a timid person here but fail to warn them about the rules. That plan presents potential enjoyment for many. Yet, you might lose a friend, so be careful. Still, I have heard several stories of people who are still angry about being taken to 50’s Prime Time Café and being picked on for their table manners.

Overall, the theming and food explain the reason this place has difficult to get reservations. If you would love “family” interaction, simple comfort food, and a place to sit down to enjoy a meal, this place merits consideration. The fried chicken provides a great example of quality here. Though, I may squawk at the $25 price tag, the menu item and theming build on a good them park day. As always, eat like you mean it!

Disney’s Hollywood Studios offers some incredible attractions. With the addition of Toy Story Land and Galaxy’s Edge, this theme park returns to being a standout in the industry. Even the counter service dining increased in terms of quality with the addition of those two new areas. As of time of writing, neither of those areas added a table service dining option to Hollywood Studios. We know one will arrive later this year though. For now, the crowds have increased but table service options stayed the same. Not only are park reservations often challenging to get here, but so are table service dining options.

On the evening I am typing this, I checked for advance dining reservation options in Hollywood Studios for 60 days from now. On this evening, Hollywood Brown Debry offered no timeslots. Even Hollywood and Vine showed limited dining timeslots. The other three table service dining option only had a few timeslots left even 60 days in advance. If you want to take a break from the crowds and warm weather for table service dining, options can be hard to find. If you want a calmer themed table service dining experience, then your options become smaller at Hollywood Studios. Now, if you want a sit-down dining level burger, you have only one choice here. With the demise of the burger at Hollywood Brown Derby, Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre offers your only table service burger option at Hollywood Studios. Even their menu currently offers a limited number of burgers.

Photo courtesy of BrianAndAmanda.net

Despite that, Sci-Fi Dine-in Theatre provides guests with a well themed dining experience. Also, the Drive-in BBQ Burger there offers a solid burger. In a previous article, I ranked it as the best burger at Hollywood Studios. Still, the competition literally disappeared in that contest.

The Drive-in BBQ Burger costs $22 and comes with fries. The menu description reads “Our Signature Blend of Beef and House-made Seasoning served on a Brioche Bun topped with 9-hour Smoked Pork, Bourbon-Bacon Jam, Cheddar, Lettuce, and Barbecue Sauce.” That description alone should convey that this burger functions as more than a standard Disney below average frozen burger patty. Sometimes, you just want a good burger, right?

Besides the quality of the burger, your dining experience revolves around a trip to the old school drive-in theatre. Once you are checked in, your parking attendant takes you to your car. You will dine in a classic style car. The setting offers low light like a drive-in movie theatre. Guests will view classic movie trailers, concession ads, and cartoons from a bygone era on a movie theater type screen.  The carhop will take your order. I suggest you have a good plan of what you intend to order before you arrive at your seat. The low lighting of a drive-in theatre setting creates a problem looking at the menu. Theming within the restaurant shows off what old school Disney magic can do.

So how is the burger? The burger comes well prepared. Yet, this burger falls short of the top burgers on property. However, remember this was my table service burger suggestion for Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Yet, the quality of beef could be higher here, but preparation generally ranks high. The burger patty itself offers a nice portion size. The BBQ sauce compliments the burger patty nicely without taking over the burger. I prefer a different style of BBQ sauce for a burger though. Still, the sauce works well with this combination of ingredients. The pork and bacon jam serves as supporting cast in this burger presentation. Of course, lettuce and cheese play their role well also. This burger is not messy as prepared which is a plus when eating with limited light. Of course, a brioche bun adds to the quality.

Photo used with permission from BrianAndAmanda.net

Before moving on to the potential negatives about the burger, I need to mention one additional variable. The fries provided with this burger get high marks. In fairness, these fries will not change your world. However, they exceed the quality of most fries on Disney property. Ful disclosure, when it comes to fries here, I lack proper luck. My experiences with the fries here have been disappointing. Yet, a vast majority of guests enjoy the fries here.

On the negative side for this burger, my largest disappointment revolves around the pork. The menu advertises it as 9 hour smoked pork. The pork presents a decent flavor. However, the flavor falls below the buildup. Additionally, this burger, as currently prepared, suffers a potential texture issue. The pork and lettuce are supposed to add crunchy texture. Yet, they taste good but go wrong in terms of crunch. Ideally, I would add a touch of slaw to this burger. Yes, I know that would probably make it cost $2 more. We could use crunchy bacon but that might cost $5 more.

Photo courtesy of BrianAndAmanda.net

The theme of this restaurant shines as the star of this dining experience. However, be careful not to stay too long because the video on the big screen starts repeating portions you have already seen while seated. Still, the cars themselves create a great atmosphere but seating can be awkward. If you are a group of 4 or less, you may be seated in a “car” with other people. With some people sitting so close to you, you may have a tendency not to talk. Now with the movie theatre theming, I get the being silent and watch the move thought process. However, if you are a small group, you may be seated in a “car” with people in front and behind you. Once again, expect very low lighting so it may even be hard to read the menu or even pay your bill at the end of a meal.

Despite that, the Drive-in BBQ burger here offers a nice experience at Sci-fi Drive-In. MouseDining could be a lifesaver if you want a reservation at Sci-Fi Drive-In Theatre. Remember, advance dining reservations go very quickly here. If you miss out, maybe MouseDining can help. As always, eat like you mean it!

In preparation for one of my upcoming trips to the Orlando area, I asked my spouse which of the Disney Springs restaurants she wanted to visit. Since we will be staying at the B Resort, located in the Disney Spring/Hotel Plaza area, those restaurants would be easiest for us to visit. The walk from those hotels to Disney Springs works as very relaxing and helps burn off calories from too many Everglazed Doughnuts.

Unsurprisingly, she desired to dine at places that reservations will be needed. As expected, she wanted to eat at Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’. She has never dined there. I, of course, have visited there several times (see reviews of chicken biscuits, fried chicken salad, and deviled eggs). I have a few more reviews of menu items there planned for upcoming weeks. Also, my talented spouse requested to dine at Raglan Road. Ironically, I have never eaten there. Of course, I made a reservation with the assistance of MouseDining for a 7pm seating there. She also asked to see the inside of The Edison.

Yet, the one dining request that surprised me was to dine at the House of Blues. I have visited the House of Blues in Orlando before. Being a theme park food blogger with a request from their spouse, I quickly tried to make a reservation there. I knew I was within the magical sixty-day window at Walt Disney World for advance dining reservations. I went to book a table only to see there were no timeslots available fifty days in advance.

Based on my recent partnership with MouseDining, an expert in getting advance dining reservations at Disney theme parks, a failure would look tragic. Sure, I acquired reservations for Raglan Road, Homecomin, “Skipper’s Canteen”, and The Boathouse already. Yet, I could not figure out why a less difficult reservation to acquire would derail my spouse’s plans.

For full disclosure, since I started working on this article/review, I got a reservation at Ohana. Sorry, House of Blues loses to Ohana. Thanks to MouseDining reservation alerts for finding that reservation at a time I wanted 13 days after the magic 60-day window. However, inquiring minds needed to know the reason no reservations were available. Did House of Blues have a big event happening? Did this place become far more popular without my knowledge? Was all the data showing the most sought-after reservations wrong? I could understand if I wanted a reservation for the weekend brunch, but I just wanted a table during the week.

Photo used with permission from Main Street Magic Podcast

Photo used with permission from Main Street Magic podcast

If you have made it this far in this article, you probably want to know also. Showing my ignorance, the reason for the lack of reservations available was obvious. House of Blues Orlando does not take reservations more than 30 days in advance. As of time of writing, I cannot book a reservation there because my August trip is still more than 30 days away. Just so you know, I have been confirming this 30-day rule with the restaurant via phone and checking reservation availability each day.

So, what does this mean for you? First, if you want the jambalaya at House of Blues, my go-to order there, the reservation window will open later than other Disney Springs places. In addition, reservation availability historically will last longer here. Second, if you put in a reservation alert for this with MouseDining.com, expect plenty of options 30 days in advance. Third, many people interested in going here might assume no reservations are available when they check around 60 days in advance. Now, walk-up availability functions as more likely here. Yet, if someone in your group must eat here, get a reservation.

So, what should I order here? I suggest the jambalaya. Some people always order shrimp and grits if it is on the menu. Some always order chicken parmigiana wherever they go. Of course, some people just get the burger or the chicken. I always order the jambalaya if it is on menu (and currently not assigned to review something else). The jambalaya here costs $21. The menu description tells us to expect sautéed chicken, andouille sausage, onion, bell pepper, and celery. This comes served with Cajun style rice. Guests may add Cajun shrimp for $7 more.

Would I classify this jambalaya are one of best I have ever enjoyed? I cannot say that. Did the chicken and sausage taste tender and well-seasoned? That gets a positive response. The overall flavor of this menu item lives up to the theme of deep southern USA cooking. The spice level rates higher than normal at Walt Disney World but nothing overwhelming. I would prefer more spice in fact. The portion size meets standard expectations for a sit-down restaurant at a theme park resort. Of course, this potion size matches the size at the other locations of this chain.

Photo Credit: House of Blues

The jambalaya here provides exactly what guests should expect for their money. Still, this will not rank as a must-do entrée for most people. Would I order it again? Well, yes, I have already ordered it more than once. Remember, I am the person who selects jambalaya. However, if this place falls back on my dining schedule, I might select a burger or the pulled pork sandwich next time. The menu even offers some great salads with some of the best tasting dressing you have ever enjoyed.

House of Blues offers quality food. The food here cannot compete with the heavy hitters of Disney Springs. However, it easily defeats the lower quality table service options in Disney Springs. When you factor in the quality level and the weekend brunch options, this place merits consideration. However, a meal at Ohana won out in my case. For your trip, things may be different. As always, eat like you mean it!

National Fried Chicken Day falls on July 6^th. Even though I have been writing/editing theme park food blogs for some time now, I continue to be amazed by all the made-up food holidays. However, I have a suggestion for National Fried Chicken Day this year. Before I make that suggestion, I have a little story to tell.

A long time ago in what felt like a galaxy far away, I earned a contract to train athletically. When companies sponsor you, they tend to micro-manage your lifestyle. You sign contracts to avoid risky behavior like skydiving, motorcycles, skiing, and similar activities. Companies start to make strong suggestions about your sleep schedule. As you would expect, your food and beverage intake get supervised heavily. Next time you watch an Olympic athlete compete, remember most of them have gone through incredible standards to reach that point. On the other hand, I never even got close to that level of skill. However, I remember a meeting in Colorado Springs, CO, where they told us to eat a full salad each day.

For context, from the Olympic Training Center dorm rooms in Colorado Springs back in the day, many fast-food places could be seen. Now, several fast-food places were directly across a major road on the other side of a huge fence keeping athletes inside. I recall several fellow athletes telling their sponsors they had a salad every day. Of course, those salads came from fast food places. Those “salads” contained over 2000 calories at least. In my opinion, that might have defeated the point.

Why would I make you read about a memory from over 30 years ago? Well, today, we are looking at the “Fried Chicken Salad” from Art Smith’s Homecomin’. I formally apologize to Art Smith for using fast food salads to transition to this menu item. The quality in terms of preparation for this salad exceeds table service dining standards. However, I confidently declare this salad would not be approved by my former coaches or sponsors. For example, I cannot find a reputable source on the number of calories in this Art Smith designed salad. Still, it is a salad, right? It would be good for you, right? In fairness, this menu item offers some quality nutrition. Nutrition can be tough to find when dining at a theme park resort.

Photo courtesy of Main Street Magic Podcast

The “Fried Chicken Salad” at Art Smith’s Homecomin’ costs $19. For table service of this quality, that price rates as fair. The menu description of this salad brings thoughts of yummy goodness. This salad features crispy fried chicken pieces over mixed greens. In addition, the salad comes topped with pecan-smoked bacon, egg, heirloom cherry tomatoes, red onion, fresh herbs, and cucumbers. The salad can be prepared tossed with icebox dressing or dressing on the side. I suggest having it prepared tossed. For the final touches of this salad, guests enjoy cheddar biscuit croutons. A little extra spice comes from this salad via garlic and paprika.

Yes, you read that correctly. This salad presents guests with croutons made from the Art Smith biscuits. Guests sometimes take a crouton of their salad covering it in the dressing and just enjoy. Speaking of the icebox dressing, this adds a pleasant lemon flavor.  This light dressing nicely enhances the flavor of the chicken and other toppings.

When the salad arrives at your table, the aroma indicates you made a good choice by dining here. The produce on all menu items here tastes fresh. A good reason for that involves the 100-mile rule here. All produce, of any type, must come from inside a 100-mile radius for enhanced freshness. As always, better ingredients make better meals. Sometimes the key to being a good chef comes down to your ingredients. The chefs at Homecomin’ start with an ingredient advantage.

Related to that, the chicken served here avoids being frozen. In addition, the chicken sits in brine for over twenty-four hours. This brine creates a more flavorful and tender piece of chicken. In my opinion, the chicken combined with some dressing and the pecan-smoked bacon extend a masterful flavor combination.  Your taste buds might prefer a different combination of flavors. Still, whatever mixture on this salad you lean towards, the freshness will shine.

Yes, I made an easy joke about calorie count at Homecomin’. However, if you want a taste of Art Smith’s special chicken without as much dietary guilt, this salad calls to you. Sure, you might be jealous of people ordering fried chicken and donuts here. However, Walt Disney World guests should pace themselves when it comes to meals. You want to survive to fully enjoy another great meal followed by another one. This salad will help. However, this salad works as one of many reasons that reservations can be tough to get at Homecomin’. MouseDining offers a variety of services to help you get those tough to find reservations.  Feel free if this salad, or any other menu item at Homecomin’ beckons you. A place where reservations are tough to get generally indicates quality food. MouseDining can help with that quality food acquisition.

If you choose to celebrate National Fried Chicken Day this year, Art Smith’s Homecoming should get strong consideration. As always, eat like you mean it!

Many people turn up their nose when you start talking about dining within a theme park. They begin to describe some of the worst overpriced dining experiences ever heard by mankind. Of course, I have suffered through some awful theme park meals in Orlando area and at regional parks in the USA myself. Hopefully, you are reading this blog because you want to avoid the sinking feeling of wasting money on below average dining. When visiting Walt Disney World, below average dining can be found. However, some high-quality dining may also be found.

However, what if you just want a quality burger? Can those be located within the Walt Disney World theme parks? I suggest far better ones may be located on property but outside the theme parks. Yet, you can find a few decent burgers within the theme parks. For good reason, the counter service burgers inside Walt Disney World theme parks deserve ridicule. Though Disney dresses then up with some decent toppings the actual hamburgers fall flat in most cases.

So, what about the table service options within the Walt Disney World theme parks? Your options improve but in double-checking my facts, I noticed something interesting. To get a quality burger inside the theme parks, you will need to plan on spending $22 or so. Since the Lobster Thermidor Burger at Grand Floridian Café costs $25, you can see why taking a lunch break outside the parks looks appealing. Still, most visitors chose not to leave the theme parks for breaks.

What are my suggestions for a good burger within the parks? I will propose one for each Walt Disney World theme park.

Photo Credit: Disney Parks Blog

Magic Kingdom- The Main Street Burger at The Plaza Restaurant

This burger functions as one of the very few table service burger options at Magic Kingdom. Once again, Magic Kingdom continues to be the worst park in Orlando area to be hungry. The Main Street Burger costs $22 with fries. This 7oz beef patty comes topped with cheddar cheese, house-made bacon, lettuce, tomato, sunny-side up egg, and a beer-battered onion ring. As you can read, a significant amount of flavor resides within this burger. Then, roasted poblano-mayonnaise adds more flavor. All of this exists within a flour-dusted kaiser bun.  Make sure you ask for extra napkins. However, if you enjoy a burger with an egg on top, this burger provides decent flavor. However, of the four selections on this list, this burger ranks lowest—sorry Magic Kingdom.

Epcot- Welsh Pub Burger at Rose and Crown

This burger also costs $22. The menu description reads angus beef patty with beer cheese sauce, bacon and beer-battered leeks served with a side of Branston mayonnaise. If you enjoy pub-style burgers this one should be considered. The beef quality rates high. The leeks function as the best aspect of the toppings. The combination of saltiness, tangy mayonnaise, and a well-prepared burger offers guests a solid table service burger.

Hollywood Studios- Drive-In Burger at Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant

Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre Restaurant can be a tricky reservation to obtain.  Also, most people, including myself, visit here for the experience not the food. Still, if you want a burger at Hollywood Studios, this place offers a wide variety. I suggest the Drive-In BBQ Burger. Guests who order the Drive-In BBQ Burger can enjoy a signature blend of beef, some house-made seasonings, a decent brioche bun, slow smoked pork, house-made BBQ sauce, bourbon-bacon jam, and cheddar cheese. Once again, the potential mess factor ranks high with this one. The flavors with this burger offer enjoyable bites all along the way.

Animal Kingdom- Kobe Beef Burger at Yak and Yeti

My strongest table service in-park burger recommendation goes to this burger. Yak and Yeti offers surprisingly high-quality table-service dining. This place can often present a challenge getting a table. However, my top suggestion breaks the trend of $22 table service burgers. These costs $22.99.

The Kobe Beef Burger here features a 10 oz. grilled American Kobe beef burger served with sesame-soy mayonnaise, crispy shoestring fries. You can then top the burger with either shiitake mushrooms, scallion compote, or Asian slaw. I suggest the Asian slaw but all three will do nicely. Yak and Yeti may be known for the quality Asian food and excellent appetizers, but this burger deserves some praise. You get 10 ounces of beef along with the quality toppings.

If you crave a decent burger (or have someone in your group that does), I strongly suggest making a reservation for these places. MouseDining can assist you in your quest to avoid below average dining. Many table service dining options at Walt Disney World fill up their reservation slots rapidly. If you do not have time to sit and refresh the Walt Disney World dining page hoping for a coveted timeslot, MouseDining can do that for you. Feel free to check out the options on the MouseDining homepage.

Finally, good burgers can be found in the parks. However, it takes a bit of planning and effort. Try to avoid the counter service burgers if possible. As always, eat like you mean it!

To some extent, we are all products of our life experiences. I know that I often show signs of my upbringing. Of course, sometimes I make decisions very differently than people my age with similar backgrounds. In fact, many people express shock with my decisions. As my current twitter handle (@pastorjonself) indicates, I express a certain worldview. For understandable reasons, ministers, like many vocations, get made fun of by comedians.

One of the classic examples of comedians making fun of USA church culture would be from Saturday Night Live. Yes, Dana Carvey introduced us to the concept of the “Church Lady.” The catchphrase “Well, isn’t that special” became part of pop culture during that time. For me, every time I hear about one of the very popular appetizers at Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’, that is all I can visualize. I realize for people of a certain age; I have ruined this excellent appetizer. If you are one of those people visualizing “The Church Lady”, I apologize. Please send all angry messages to my twitter account.

Photo Credit: Entertainment Weekly

Yes, I am talking about the “Church Lady Deviled Eggs” from Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’. Before I discuss this appetizer, I do not dislike deviled eggs. Yet, I fail to be a fan of them either. However, having served in vocational ministry in the USA and other countries, I have tasted my fair share of deviled eggs.

Also, I would like to apologize that more Homecomin’ dining reviews will be written over the next few months. I asked my spouse where she wanted to eat in Disney Springs. She quickly replies with Homecomin’. I may not know much. Still, if you ask your spouse a direct question and get a direct answer, respond appropriately. I quickly put in an alert at MouseDining for a lunch reservation for two. In fact, I have adjusted my lunch timeslot three times using MouseDining. If you are unaware, Homecomin’ presents some challenge in terms of getting a reservation.

Now, the Church Lady Deviled Eggs cost $13. Each appetizer order includes 6 of these eggs. You can order a half order if you only want three. However, you will want six! The menu description tells us to prepare to enjoy HFK-style whole deviled eggs. As mentioned, these eggs are not merely cut in half then filled like a common everyday deviled egg.  Some Art Smith voodoo happens making each deviled egg basically the size of a normal egg filled with yummy goodness. So do not visualize each one being half an egg. These deviled eggs will provide a nice solid portion size for groups of 4 or more to share.

The “filling” for each deviled egg functions with some voodoo power also. Why do I say that? Well, the filling offers an incredibly smooth texture. Even great tasting deviled eggs struggle with texture issues though. If you are person who avoids certain foods due to texture issues, these should be fine for you. Unlike most deviled eggs, the smooth consistency and steady flavor makes for incredible bites every time

Also, the flavor of the filling offers the expected mustard-based taste. However, the mustard, yolk mixture, and special HFK seasonings taste like they were intended to always be used this way.

Okay, I know I am overselling this appetizer at this point. Yes, sometimes guests find that these deviled eggs taste just average. However, those experiences work as an exception not the norm.

If these do not sound good enough, each egg comes with a piece of candied bacon on top. Yes, you just read candied bacon. Risking over over-selling again, visualize giving Chef Art Smith the ability to improve bacon. Clearly, no church potluck I have ever attended offered candied bacon on deviled eggs. However, I think that should be mandatory now.

In addition, the deviled eggs come delivered in a type of ceramic container. This container holds the eggs perfectly. Also with some Chef Art Smith voodoo, the container helps keep the eggs cool for your enjoyment.

The appetizer makes a great option if dining at the bar at Homecomin’. Now, I would not visit Homecomin simply for this appetizer. Yet, if you find yourself fortunate enough to have a reservation to dine here, this appetizer makes a great starting place for your meal. As I have written previously, Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ creates a challenge to get a reservation. I got a reservation for my next trip (in addition to one with spouse). Yes, I woke up at 4:30am to be ready to select a time 60 days in advance. Yes, the spots went quickly.

Historically, I have shown great proficiency in acquiring boarding passes for Walt Disney World new “e-ticket” level attractions. Yet, I confess that getting a dining reservation to some Walt Disney World restaurants early in the morning 60 days in advance stresses me more. If you want to lower that stress, MouseDining can help. Of course, no guarantees exist when it comes to anything related to Walt Disney World technology. However, the success stories using MouseDining bring hope for that long sought-after dining reservation. Good luck in planning your Walt Disney World dining. As always, eat like you mean it!

Magic Kingdom offers so many wonderful experiences for guests. You can find attractions for all ages. You can find shows and character interactions to make everyone smile. The parades, cavalcades, and fireworks create a magical day. Still, a day at Magic Kingdom presents the difficulty of survival. When I say survival, I mean making it through the day without your feet giving out. This potential negative grows if staying off-site. Your day begins at the Transportation and Ticket Center. You then must navigate your way across the lagoon to the Magic Kingdom entrance. Since you wanted to arrive early, your day will be long to make it to fireworks that night.

As a theme park food blogger, my concern for people in this situation revolves around settling for overpriced below average quality counter service food inside Magic Kingdom. Sure, you could settle for a below average burger at Cosmic Ray’s. Yes, the basic hot dogs at Casey’s Corner will suffice. Yet, what do you do if you want a a good meal? You could make a reservation for a table service dining option within Magic Kingdom. This choice brings air conditioning, a beverage, and an actual place to sit.

If you decide to take a break from the business of Magic Kingdom with table-service dining, your choices are mostly average (The Plaza, for example) and/or expensive (Be Our Guest, for example). However, I would suggest an alternative. Have you considered taking an early afternoon break to go dine at one of the monorail resort hotels? Since you are already at Magic Kingdom, the monorail trip will be short. Also, you get to see a deluxe level resort hotel at Walt Disney World. To recharge yourself for the rest of the day and night, this excursion outside Magic Kingdom might be perfect.

As you might deduce, I suggest making a reservation at Steakhouse 71 located within the Contemporary Resort. When checking reservations 55-60 days in advance, lunch spots were open but very few.

As you may know, this restaurant used to be called The Wave. After some redesigning of the space and the menu, Steakhouse 71 became a highly desired reservation. Steakhouse 71 serves three different menus with a breakfast one, a lunch one, and a dinner menu. The lunch and dinner menus share some similar menu items but not many.

Crab Cake Sliders with petite wedge salad

In the first few weeks of Steakhouse 71 opened in October 2021, I visited here for lunch in a large group. My primary purpose that day involves testing out the burger here. Having been back a few more times, I can attest this place offers excellent lunch options. The “Crab Cake Sliders” here provide a great example. Even crab cake snobs find these crab cakes high quality. Now, this is Walt Disney World so you should expect high quality at their deluxe resorts. These sliders cost $19. The menu description sounds wonderful. It reads lump crab cakes, old bay remoulade, tomato, pickled slaw on a brioche bun. These sliders come with a choice of sides (petite wedge salad, parmesan fries, or pasta salad).

Before I describe the sliders, a few words should be said about the sides. Though improvement has happened, the sides pull the lunch down. In fact, with an incredible onion ring appetizer, these sides pale in comparison. For this entrée, I would get fries. If you decide to get the other two, beg for less dressing and/or oil. Both tend to get soggy. The flavors work but texture suffers.

Regarding the crab cake sliders, these sliders taste exceptional. The crab cake offers way better flavor than the previous version with The Wave. My main negative revolves around the sliders being a bit small. Still, you get two of them. Also, the piece of crab cake looks tall. I advise gently pushing the top piece of bread down on the crab cake before taking a bite.

Far away, the star of these sliders is the crab cake itself. The crunchy outer portion looks and tastes exactly as it should. The crab cake interior presents a soft texture. The sweetness of the crab meat balances well with the spice of the Old Bay Remoulade. Yet, Jeremy Stein, of Main Street Magic Podcast, would suggest the crab cake slider could use a little more “Old Bay” seasoning. Jeremy meets my crab cake snob definition. He knows good crab cake and approves of these.

Photo courtesy of Main Street Magic Podcast

The flavor and consistency of the brioche bun adds to the enjoyment of these sliders. This lunch menu item provides value, quality, and an overall light lunch. This lunch should charge you back up for rest of your day at Magic Kingdom.

Since Steakhouse 71 has been open less than a year, reservations are coveted here. MouseDining offers subscription plans to help you get this reservation as well as many others. If you want to enjoy excellent dining options like this for your Walt Disney World vacation, consider signing up for a subscription to get alerts when hard to find reservations become available. I respect that planning a table service reservation can feel like it takes away some of the magic. Still, eating nothing but counter service chicken tenders and below average burgers will not help the magic either. As always, eat like you mean it!

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa reigns as one of the most prestigious resort hotels at Walt Disney World. The location, quality service, and deluxe level amenities attract guests to this hotel. Some of the best table service dining on Walt Disney World property resides at Grand Floridian Resort. Narcoossee’s and Citricos (and of course Victoria and Albert’s) headline the table service dining here. The more casual table service dining option here is the Grand Floridian Café.

Grand Floridian Café serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Normal operating hours are:

Breakfast – 7:30 AM to 11:00 AM

Lunch – 11:05 AM to 2:00 PM

Dinner – 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM

If you are unfamiliar with the Grand Floridian Café, Walt Disney World, on their website, calls this place a hidden gem. That wording always confuses me since how can you declare your own restaurant a hidden gem at your signature deluxe resort hotel? Despite that, reservations are recommended here. On the day of writing this article, around 7:00am Florida time, only two time slots were open for breakfast 60 days in advance. Yet, most lunch and dinner spots were still available. However, 30 days in advance, limited spots were available for breakfast and dinner. Based on that, it sounds like many people know about this place. Of course, Walt Disney World also says on their website that advance reservations are highly recommended.

So, what makes this place a “hidden gem” and a place where reservations are recommended? One reason relates to the fact that Disney calls a large portion of menu “Blunch.” I confess my lack of knowledge of that term until starting to write this article. Still, if you want a brunch menu with way more lunch style items on it, Grand Floridian Café provides that. Grand Floridian Café offers a wide variety of breakfast and lunch items.

However, they offer the Lobster ‘Thermidor Burger all day. If you want to have a high-quality table service burger for breakfast, then you can. You are on vacation, right? If the concept of lobster on a burger intrigues you, this one should be on your list.

Grand Floridian Café Lobster ‘Thermidor’ Burger costs more than your average table service burger at $25. Yet, as I compile an updated list of the best burgers at Walt Disney World, this one deserves to be named. This artisanal burger patty comes with a lobster-parmesan thermidor sauce. Yes, that type sauce at this “hidden gem” comes with a burger. If that is not enough, guests get a seared brioche bun and actual quality lobster inside it. This burger does come with signature seasoned French fries. However, you did not order this table service burger for the fries.

So how is this burger? First, the overall flavor of the burger patty wins high adoration. This artisanal blend, as Disney calls it, proves that Disney can do better than below average quick service burgers. Yes, this burger patty is covered with scrumptious toppings. Disney likes to use the trick of covering below average burger patties with a bunch of toppings hoping you do not notice. The artisanal meat blend used in this burger could be better and perhaps have more seasoning. Still, the burger could shine by itself if needed without the toppings. Based on my sources, this burger also gets help with incredible preparation. For example, if you ask for a medium-rare burger, that is what you get.

A unique touch of a parmesan cracker resides on top of this burger also. That aspect does not appear in the menu description. The cracker provides a solid contrast in terms of texture. The parmesan flavoring could have been more for me. Yet, this burger comes with plenty of flavor already.

Now, how do I describe the sauce and the lobster? I cannot tell which of those offers the most satisfying taste. As you might expect, this flavor of lobster and sauce presents a rich decadent shock to your taste buds. The combination of the unique blend burger patty, the cream sauce, some actual lobster, and the salty parmesan wafer delivers near perfection within the brioche bun.

The negatives of this menu item, in my opinion, are three-fold. First, the fries sometimes taste inconsistent in quality. Second, the price point might alarm the person in charge of your budget. Third, the sauce often leads to probable mess factor. If you tend to leave restaurants wearing some of your meal, get your napkins ready.

Photo courtesy of mainstmagic.com

The final question revolves around the issue of the worth of this burger (and fries) at $25? As theme park fans, we find ourselves asking this question so often these days in terms of a Walt Disney World vacation. If you want a high-quality table service level burger, then this should be near the top of your list (if not the top!). Some Walt Disney World restaurants offer burgers with better overall value. Still, very few burgers anywhere provide better taste than this one.

Obviously, if you dislike parmesan and/or lobster, skip this one. However, if you want a larger burger with great flavor, this one should be tested. You might find larger burgers off-property, but this is large enough to share if you are willing to do that. Once again, this burger resides on the menu for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. In theory, you can eat this exclusively while at Walt Disney World. If you choose to accept that contest, you might need to get a few reservations. I understand that MouseDining can assist with that. As always, eat like you mean it!