Restaurant Review: Regal Eagle Smokehouse
For all the turnover at EPCOT’s food booths throughout the year, the park doesn’t get many new restaurants.
In fact, over the past few years, only two have opened. One is the currently closed Takumi-Tei at the Japan pavilion.
Recently, my party of four had the opportunity to dine at the other one.
Here’s my review of Regal Eagle Smokehouse, which features arguably the best barbecue at Walt Disney World.
About Regal Eagle Smokehouse
You’ll find Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue at the American Adventure pavilion in EPCOT.
Yes, that’s the one at the center of the World Showcase. So, no matter which direction you take, it’ll be in the middle near the place you watch concerts.
Disney themed Regal Eagle to The Muppets. In fact, one particular Muppet is in charge here.
The patriotic Sam the Eagle loves barbecue and holds competitions here. Well, that’s the premise, although there’s not an actual event occurring.
The imagery on the walls will reflect that Sam’s Centennial Cook-Off is underway. This competition for “patriots and pit masters” drives the menu.
Obviously, we’re talking about a BBQ joint with a focused set of entrees and sides. Still, I warmly encourage you to look at the walls when you eat here.
Imagineers love the Muppets and had a lot of fun creating illustrations. For example, Gonzo apparently cooks from the inside of a Revolutionary War cannon!
Little in-jokes like this make a visit here a lot of fun for Muppets fans.
Check-In Process and Getting Started
The Check-in process wasn’t the smoothest we had during our most recent visit.
Demand at Regal Eagle was incredibly high on this date, even though a festival should have siphoned off some of the would-be diners.
We had ordered while we were standing in line for Frozen Ever After. That allowed us to pick a window for our food 45 minutes from the current time.
This approach may not be for everyone, as three pavilions stand between Norway and the American Adventure. So, it’s a bit of a walk.
Thankfully, when using Mobile Ordering, you can signal the restaurant when you’re ready for your food. It won’t start preparing anything until you do.
So, we thought we’d timed Regal Eagle perfectly given the time window for meal prep.
Alas, when we got there, our food wasn’t ready yet and needed several more minutes.
As such, I wish I’d signaled at the China pavilion rather than waiting until I was midway between Germany and Italy.
Still, I visited Disney many times before the days of Mobile Ordering. Getting my food in a few minutes still seems way better than the Before Times.
Once we arrived at the restaurant, we had our choice of indoor or outdoor seating. Since Florida’s outta nowhere rainstorms are a thing, we went inside.
I loved our table, as it was socially distanced and the closest one to utensils, napkins, and (most importantly) sauces!!!
The Dining Experience and Entrees
I love eating here and always did, even when it was Liberty Inn Restaurant. In fact, that place used to offer one of my favorite options at Walt Disney World.
This Quick Service (QS) restaurant served a steak that counted as a QS entitlement on the Disney Dining Plan! It was a tremendous value.
Disney has honored the spirit of Liberty Inn value here, though. The entrees cost between $11.49 and $15.99. That’s a grrreat deal.
We had three adults and one teenager in our party for this meal.
One of them isn’t a meat-eater, which is usually fine. All Disney restaurants offer plant-based options now.
My wife went with the BBQ Jackfruit Burger, which came on Texas Toast buns (!!!) and a side of baked beans.
While the garlic toast was amazing, she didn’t love the Jackfruit flavor much. As a result, she indicated she probably wouldn’t get it again.
I’m mentioning this because it’s a potential problem for vegetarians. If you don’t love Jackfruit, you’re getting a salad here. Those are the only options.
Everyone else in our party went all-in on the barbecue, which meant we were MUCH happier.
Folks, if you’ve had donuts as the “bread” in a sandwich, you know the deal here. Texas Toast as a hamburger bun is decadent.
The Sliced Texas Beef Brisket Sandwich proved a massive hit with our party, as we shared some bites of our dishes.
Still, I’d favor the North Carolina Chopped Smoked Pork Butt Platter is slightly superior as a near-perfect savory dish.
I’m from East Tennessee, which touches up against North Carolina. Their sweet BBQ is my favorite. They’re both strong dishes, though.
For my part, I went with the Memphis Dry-Rub Pork Ribs, which were tasty albeit a touch too dry.
Sides, Desserts, and Final Thoughts
Overall, the entrees mostly hit the mark, although my wife and I were a bit jealous of our companions. Their dishes were better than ours.
Still, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how happy we all were with our sides. At a BBQ, the fixin’s mean the most, and Regal Eagle gets that.
The Macaroni & Cheese, coleslaw, baked beans, and French fries all felt right. That’s crucial at a BBQ joint.
In fact, I’m not even a fan of baked beans, yet I liked theirs. Also, I got Texas Toast on the side – two pieces because I’m obsessed – and it was phenomenal.
Even though we were full, we’d already ordered dessert. So, it wasn’t like we were NOT going to eat it.
In truth, dessert is one of the reasons I wanted to eat here. It’s Banana Pudding! That’s my absolute favorite of all desserts.
While I could have done without all the whipped cream, this dessert proved that you cannot ever go wrong with Banana Pudding.
We also shared some S’mores Brownie, which was fine but nothing special, at least to me. The other members of the party happily ate the rest of my share.
Overall, we left with the impression that Disney would want us to have.
While Regal Eagle isn’t the greatest place for vegans (go figure), BBQ fans will love dining here.
Between the fabulous entrees, sides, and desserts, you’ll find something to satisfy your cravings.