Five Reasons to Eat at Regal Eagle Smokehouse
When’s the last time you visited The American Adventure at EPCOT?
Disney has updated the host pavilion to reflect one of the country’s greatest passions: BARBECUE!!!
Here are five reasons to eat at Regal Eagle Smokehouse, the World Showcase’s savory new restaurant.
The Location
You’ll never have a problem finding this restaurant. It’s at EPCOT, the park with a giant ball overlooking the front of the park.
Photo: MagicalNewsLIVE
Regal Eagle Smokehouse resides in the back of EPCOT, virtually in the middle of the World Showcase.
This restaurant anchors the American Adventure pavilion. In the main building to the left of the entrance, although many elements are outside.
You’ll notice the giant barbecue smoker as you approach the seating area for the restaurant. And you’ll smell the tantalizing aroma, as well.
This place will appeal to your senses subconsciously, which makes its central placement almost diabolical.
Barbecue fans will have a hard time walking past this place without ordering.
By the way, here’s a bit of World Showcase trivia you may not have noticed.
When you face the World Showcase from Future World, you can view all 11 pavilions, which is by design.
There are five to the right of The American Adventure and five to the left. It’s the middle pavilion, which makes sense, given that it’s the host country.
Also, the location features one more selling point. You’re just across the road from America Gardens Theatre, home to many concerts.
You can order food and/or beverages and listen to a show!
The Theming
Regal Eagle Smokehouse admittedly sounds like a strange name. There’s a reason for it, though.
Sam the Eagle, the most patriotic of all Muppets, plays heavily into the theming here.
The character hosts Sam’s Centennial Cook-Off: A Salute to All Cook-Offs but Mostly Barbecue.
How did that happen? Well, it’s kind of a funny story…
For a few years, Magic Kingdom hosted a show called The Muppets Present…Great Moments in American History.
The show performed quite well, but Disney closed it early in 2020. While planning a replacement for Liberty Inn, park officials took note of The Muppets.
This comedy act plays quite well with children and adults alike. Over the years, The Muppets have starred in several successful movies and TV shows.
Park officials knew that Muppet*Vision 3D had lost a bit of its luster, but the characters still play well as storytellers.
So, Imagineers constructed this restaurant as one prolonged story. The theming reflects an ardent love of Muppets characters and history.
Cast members have adorned the walls with inside jokes about various Muppets, especially Sam the Eagle.
Also, the menu consists of noble dishes that have earned Sam’s approval.
As a wall poster indicates, the meals here come from “a competition fit for patriots and pit masters.”
So, your party will have a wonderful time admiring all the Muppets touches while you order and await the arrival of your food!
If you’re not in a rush, take the time to read the official competition rules posted on the wall. They’re quite entertaining.
The Barbecue
All the theming is terrific, but let’s be blunt. You’re dining here for the barbecue.
Disney has dialed up the savory offerings in recent years, as Flame Tree Barbecue is no longer the unquestioned ruler.
The restaurant at Disney’s Animal Kingdom had held the title almost by default, but then The Polite Pig arrived in 2017.
At that point, Disney fans felt conflicted over which place provided the tastiest barbecue. And now, the debate has extended to a third place.
Make no mistake on this point. The barbecue at Regal Eagle Smokehouse is as good as any place on the Disney campus.
Many have gone so far as to say that it’s usurped the throne from The Polite Pig, which had only recently stolen the title from Flame Tree Barbecue.
The real winners in this battle are the fans of savory cuisine, as they have three times as many food options at Walt Disney World.
At Regal Eagle, the menu consists of the foods you’d expect. You’ll discover ribs, chicken, and pork butt options.
Oddly, the joint sells some burgers, too. Fittingly, the main option is the BBQ Burger, though.
When you look at a plate of food from Regal Eagle, it’ll remind you of a July 4th picnic. That’s not coincidental.
Disney plays up the patriotic theme of Sam the Eagle and The American Adventure as a whole.
So, the fixin’s here resemble the ones that you’d slap on your plate while spending time at a family reunion.
I’m talking baked beans, mac and cheese, French fries, coleslaw, and Texas toast. So, it’s the good stuff.
Also, the place sells the greatest of all desserts, Banana Pudding. Nothing screams family dinner more than that!
The Sauces
I’m not sure when sauces became a huge thing in barbecue culture.
Ten years ago, a place that offered multiple sauces seemed fancy. Now, any place with less than five sauces looks weak, bordering on inept.
Regal Eagle doesn’t quite match The Polite Pig, at least in terms of sheer volume, but its sauces will perfect your pig.
Inside the restaurant, you’ll find serving stations that dispense sauces like Blue Ridge Vinegar League, Old Glory Sweet Mustard Sauce, and Sizzlin’ Pit Dry Rub.
Perhaps the most surprising flavor comes from Blue Ribbon Brisket Sauce, as it delivers a sturdy kick.
However, I favor Spicy Mop Sauce for a different reason. One of the wall illustrations demonstrates how the mop sauce gets made.
Yes, a bear uses a mop to make this sauce. Now that’s good eatin’!
The Beverages
Look, it’s the World Showcase, and you’re gonna want a drink.
This place serves some stuff that will open your eyes right up until you’ve had too much, causing your eyes to close while you sleep it off.
I’m not even joking, as two of my Tennessee friends have a strong presence at Regal Eagle.
You’ll find Jack Daniels in the bottom of your Tennessee Lemonade glass.
Also, Ole Smoky Moonshine, a Smoky Mountains favorite, has gained a presence at Walt Disney World.
You’ll find good ol’ fashioned moonshine at several places, especially at Fort Wilderness, but the Moonshine Sour is available at Regal Eagle.
This drink combines two of my father-in-law’s favorites, Blood Orange and Blackberry. And I’m not joking about this.
We ship him Ole Smoky Moonshine for Christmas each year. We do it for some of our Secret Stalker gifts, as well, and our friends rave about it each year.
Fans of hard liquor owe it to themselves to try Ole Smoky Moonshine when you notice it on the menu at Walt Disney World restaurants and bars.
Oh, Regal Eagle sells a Frozen Mint Julep with Jim Beam in it that will make you feel like you’re at the Kentucky Derby, too.
This place is sneaky-great for grabbing a drink and watching an Eat to the Beat show.
Overall, Regal Eagle has quickly established itself as one of the best Quick Service restaurants at EPCOT, which is no small feat. USA! USA!
