Let’s be real. No one wants to waste time (and stomach space) eating mediocre food on their Disney World vacation. Many menu items sound great in theory; however, the expectation doesn’t always meet reality. Here at MouseHouseNews.net, we’re all about giving you our honest opinions and experiences. That means both the good and the not-so-good. Today, I’m excited to share another food review with you!
Flame Tree Barbecue
Come along with me to Flame Tree Barbecue, a quick service location on Discovery Island in Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park. As the name implies, Flame Tree Barbecue serves up a number of barbecue entrees including smoked chicken, pulled pork, and ribs. Side offerings revolve around mainstays like French fries, cornbread, coleslaw, and signature baked beans. You can quench your thirst with standard fountain beverages or one of a few speciality options including slushies. It all sounds delicious, right?
Location
Before we talk about the food, let’s first discuss the restaurant itself a little more. Flame Tree Barbecue’s location on Discovery Island is very convenient when entering the park. You’ll find it across from the Discovery Trading Company merchandise location, on the path leading to the bridge towards Asia.
Mobile Ordering
A huge advantage of grabbing food from Flame Tree Barbecue is mobile ordering availability. As we’ve discussed in other posts, mobile ordering can save you significant amounts of time. Why wait in line when your food can be ready right when you are?
It works the same way here as at other Disney World quick service locations. Simply type in “Flame Tree Barbecue” on the My Disney Experience app’s search feature, or tap on the Mobile Order symbol on the map. From there, choose your arrival window, build your order, enter your payment, and hit submit.
When your arrival window opens, you can tap “I’m here, prepare my order”. Here’s a tip: you can tap the “prepare my order” button a few minutes before you actually arrive at the location. This saves additional waiting time once you get there. The app will notify you when your order is ready for pickup. Then, simply collect your food, find a place to sit, and enjoy!
Seating
One of the best things about Flame Tree Barbecue is the large amount of seating available behind the restaurant. Just follow the path to the left of the building to find plenty of tables. Even more exciting is that many tables are covered/shaded. Personally, I embrace every opportunity I can to enjoy a bit of shade!
Watch out for the birds, squirrels, and other critters constantly trolling the area for food. Remember, don’t feed the wildlife!
The Food
Now that we’ve gone over some of the details about Flame Tree Barbecue itself, let’s move on to the most important part: the food. Flame Tree Barbecue generally opens at 10:30am each day, just in time for lunch. As I previously mentioned, the location serves up several variations on smoked chicken, pulled pork, and ribs. You can order individual items or combo platters to try a little bit of everything.
Baked Macaroni & Cheese with Pulled Pork
On our recent visit, I decided to try the Baked Macaroni & Cheese with Pulled Pork. The menu describes this dish as baked macaroni & cheese topped with smoked pulled pork, crispy onions, and coleslaw.
Let me start by saying, I thought it sounded pretty good based on the description. However, what I actually received blew my mind! First, I’ll address the portion size. I was expecting a container that was the size of a side of Disney fries. Thankfully, it was actually bigger than that. It’s easily enough food to be a meal for one person, or sharable if you’re looking for something that’s not too much.
The Flavor
Normally, when I think of baked macaroni & cheese, I think of it as being on the drier side. In contrast, the macaroni & cheese in this dish was cheesy and creamy. It was definitely not dry, even when eaten by itself without the toppings. As a cheese-lover, I really enjoyed it! The extra drizzle of barbecue sauce on top was delicious, too.
As far as the pulled pork is concerned, it was melt-in-your-mouth tender. I also thought it had the right amount of sauce-to-meat ratio. Ultimately, the savory flavor balanced out the cheesiness of the baked macaroni & cheese perfectly. Admittedly, I am someone who can eat macaroni & cheese by itself and consider it a main dish. This being said, I appreciate the protein boost the pulled pork gave to the dish (along with the delicious flavor, obviously).
Now, let’s move on to the toppings. I really enjoyed the flavor of the coleslaw. I can’t say that I’ve ever had coleslaw as a topping before, only as a side. Here, paired with the savory pulled pork and cheesy macaroni, it provided a nice contrasting textural element. In addition, the crispy onions were really good. They provided that final crunch to give some interest to the overall combination. It’s certainly not a one-note dish!
The Verdict
I have dreamed of getting the Baked Macaroni & Cheese with Pulled Pork again ever since I had it. It’s the kind of dish that makes it hard to want to try anything else, because it’s so good you’ll want it on repeat. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that I highly recommend this item. Not only is it delicious, but it’s an excellent value for the price (currently $12.99). Try it for yourself, you won’t regret it!
Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwich
I wasn’t the only one who got pulled pork from Flame Tree. On the same visit, Marcus opted to go with the Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwich. This menu item is described as a smoked pulled pork sandwich topped with coleslaw and served with signature baked beans.
The Flavor
He felt that the pulled pork was flavorful, smoky, and had just a bit of sauce. Speaking of the sauce, he said it didn’t taste “cheap”. There wasn’t a lot of it, which allowed the taste of the smoked pork to shine. As far as the bun goes, it held up well to the filling. It was firm enough that it didn’t fall apart under the weight of the contents.
Marcus wasn’t sure that he was going to like the coleslaw on top. However, he ultimately thought it was a good complement to the overall flavor. In fact, it tempered the pepper in the pulled pork recipe, and added a crunchy texture that Marcus enjoyed. Probably most importantly, the slaw added some additional moisture in lieu of the minimal sauce included.
The pulled pork sandwich is served with a side of signature baked beans. The sauce from the beans wasn’t very thick, so eating it with a fork means you won’t get much of it. The flavor and texture were fine (no tough beans here!). He thought they were good overall, but the side wasn’t the most memorable part of the meal.
The Verdict
Marcus said he would absolutely order the Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwich again. He loves the taste of smoky meats so the lack of sauce was not a problem. If you like a saucy pulled pork, however, you might feel this sandwich is a bit dry. When you consider typical Disney prices (especially in the parks), he felt it’s a decent value for something different.
Bubbling Pink Lagoon
The final menu item we tried was one of the specialty beverages. The Bubbling Pink Lagoon is Minute Maid® Premium Strawberry Lemonade, Sprite®, and kiwi flavor. It’s available both with and without a souvenir glow cube (we opted for without).
Knowing that we’re both fans of strawberry lemonade, we were hoping this would be a refreshing option on a hot day. Bonus if it went well with the food. I’m happy to report that both things are true! The strawberry lemonade was obvious, but the Sprite® added the perfect fizzy carbonation. Finally, the kiwi gave an additional sweet-tart element. Don’t worry, this won’t make your mouth pucker by being too sour though!
The Verdict
Marcus thought it was thirst-quenching, which is definitely a plus. I really enjoyed the sweet flavor and fizziness from the Sprite®. It was a fun novelty beverage with a cute pink color. We would definitely consider getting it again. As a reminder, it’s available both with and without a glow cube. Ordering without the glow cube will save you a few dollars!
Final Thoughts
Animal Kingdom is certainly not lacking delicious dining. Flame Tree Barbecue is an excellent choice for those who are:
- craving smokehouse specialties
- want the convenience of mobile ordering
- desire something filling and familiar
Here’s a final tip: Flame Tree Barbecue is also an excellent place to stop for a cup of complimentary ice water. You’ll find a self-serve water dispenser with refreshing, ice-cold water on the left hand side of the building. Whether you’re dining here or not, feel free to stop by and hydrate!
Plan A Trip To Animal Kingdom and Beyond
Is your mouth watering yet? If you want to plan a Disney trip to try Flame Tree Barbecue for yourself, you may be wondering where to start. Planning a Disney World vacation doesn’t have to feel overwhelming! Click the button below to request a free Disney vacation quote from Marcus with Purely Luxe Vacations. He’s ready to share his knowledge and expertise on everything Disney World with you!
If you’re looking for other bites we recommend around the park, check out Marcus’s review of Nomad Lounge (spoiler: he’s a big fan of the Bangkok Crispy Chicken Wings and churros!). Personally, I’ll recommend the Cheeseburger Steamed Pods at Satu’li Canteen for a unique meal, or the Tiger Tail Chocolate Twist and a Macaw Specialty Beverage from Isle of Java for a quick snack. Stay tuned to MouseHouseNews.net for more reviews, suggestions, and information to plan your trip to the magic. We’ll see you real soon!
