Get A Taste For Disney’s New Barbecue Treat!

Amongst the welter of new events and happenings at Walt Disney World this spring – which include the imminent opening of the fabulous TRON attraction at the Magic Kingdom – there is a newly-opened restaurant that should definitely be on your must-try list for your next visit.

Serving up huge helpings of delicious barbecue food alongside some tempting cocktails, side dishes and desserts, the Roundup Rodeo BBQ at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is a really welcome addition to the park’s dining scene.

Just to start with, the newcomer is significantly overdue. We were expecting to see it in time for the start of Disney’s 50th anniversary celebrations in 2021 (and which conclude at the end of this month). Sadly, the pandemic has had quite a delaying effect on many much of the House of Mouse, hence it is only just being unveiled (as of March 23!).

But we can certainly say it has been worth the wait, after we were able to do a taste test at the restaurant just recently, with Disney showcasing the full range of food that will be on offer.

What IS the Roundup Rodeo?

For those who have visited the Studios park since 2018, the latest addition is in the Toy Story Land area, which opened in June of that year. As you enter the land, it is practically the first thing you see on the right hand side.

For most of the last three years it has been out of sight behind a large hedge and construction boards immediately behind the giant figure of Woody that welcomes guests to the area.

Like with the rest of the land, the basic premise is that visitors have been shrunk to toy-size, and the restaurant is an extension of that idea. Inside, various games and play sets have been created to set the scene.

The main play set is Andy’s Rodeo Roundup, which features various characters from the well-known films, including Jessie and Bo Peep, and diners are surrounded by an absolute welter of Toy Story imagery and figures.

What Does Roundup Rodeo Look Like?

Glad you asked! This is a HUGELY immersive setting for the Toy Story characters, with the two-dimensional cartoon-type box entrance quickly revealing the interior theming via a giant Sheriff’s badge inside the main entrance (look behind the badge and you’ll see that it even has a safety-pin fastening).

Inside the restaurant, it splits into two main sections, the first being the Rodeo section itself, with one wall given over completely to an illustration of the Western Rodeo PlaySet involved, while the second section has more Buzz Lightyear touches, including the entire ceiling!

You will quickly gather that this is an absolute riot of visual splendour, with no surface left untouched in the kaleidoscopic array of Toy Story imagery. It is quite jaw-dropping in its variety and all-encompassing style, and children in particular will get a big kick out of seeing so much that is aimed at them.

There are also some clever ‘Easter egg’ type moments from the films hidden amongst the welter of themed decoration, and you will also see pieces of a Scrabble set, wooden blocks, and a Brio train set, along with an over-sized ruler to remind everyone they are, in fact, toy-sized.

What is the food like?

This is the key question, and the short answer is that it’s very, very good. But it’s also important to know that meals here are all served family-style, which means you pretty much get everything on the menu, and your only choice is whether to have the full meat version or the vegetarian.

There isn’t an a la carte selection, except for a separate one-off choice of Cedar Planked Salmon instead of either of the main course selections.

Crucially, you can order more of the things you like most, such as the delicious Beef Brisket and BBQ Chicken, while you also choose four of the eight side dishes, but can order the other four if you get through your initial choices!

Everyone starts off with the scrummy American-style Cheddar Biscuits (scones to us) with sweet pepper jelly, followed by a serving of three salads, including the refreshing Wheezy’s Watermelon Salad.

Then comes your selection of meat or vegetarian dishes, and THEN there’s your dessert choice – four different options for the grown-ups, while kids get the trademark Cupcake a la Forky (and adults can, too, if they ask for it!).

In short, this makes for a LOT of food, and you definitely need to arrive hungry to get full value for your meal, which costs $45 per adult and $25 for children 3 to 9.

What Are the Highlights?

It’s easy just to say ‘Everything!”, as all the dishes we tried were truly delish, and there isn’t anything we wouldn’t happily have again.

But, in the interests of being as useful as possible, here are our must-try suggestions:

• The cheddar biscuits, especially with the pepper jelly
• Buttercup’s Beef Brisket (an absolute highlight)
• BBQ Chicken – nuff said
• Buckin’ Baked Beans, slightly sweet
• Mean Old Potato Salad, a real standout
• Bo’s Lemon and Blueberry Cheesecake

The dessert was a major highlight for us, while the smooth, smoky brisket will be what we most look forward to trying on our next visit. However, the Plant-Based Trio that we sampled was a real surprise as it didn’t lack for flavour or eye appeal, and we could certainly imagine ordering that in future.

Woody’s Roundup Rodeo In Summary…

This is a really appetising and welcome new option for the Studios. We didn’t get the chance to sample the cocktails, but the non-alcoholic Peach Iced Tea was a hit with us and we’re definitely ordering the Rattler Rum Punch next time, too!

It’s a genuinely winning family formula and we can’t imagine anyone leaving hungry, simply because there’s so much food on offer as part of what is effectively a set meal.

It might be a tad expensive for a family of four, but if you made it your special meal for the week, we think you’ll get good value for money.

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