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The World Showcase at Epcot theme park in the Walt Disney World Resort has always been my family’s favorite place to go for dining. I love eating all the different cuisine from the countries represented there. It’s fun to eat food that I don’t normally eat on an everyday basis, like Norwegian food at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall.
So if you are American or visit America a lot, you might think the other country’s pavillions would be the only ones to visit for a great dining experience. But this would be a mistake. Because the American Pavilion has a great restaurant celebrating American cuisine. And that is the Regal Eagle Smokehouse!
The Regal Eagle Smokehouse is a relatively new restaurant at Epcot, having opened in February of 2020. To me, it is a wonderful idea for a distinctively American restaurant for the American Pavilion. Because it celebrates and serves American barbeque from multiple regions of the country. This is great because when you think American cuisine, you can think of so many different varieties since the country is so large. But by covering barbeque from many regions, it captures a lot of America.
Theming & Atmosphere
But before I get to the menu, let me tell you a bit about the theming and the atmosphere. When I heard they were opening this restaurant, for whatever reason I got it in my mind that all the seating was outdoors. But I was pleasantly surprised that that is not the case. There is plenty of seating indoors.
This matters to me because it can often get quite hot in Orlando and I appreciate the air conditioning. It also rains a lot in Florida so it’s good to get out of the rain.
However, if the weather is good and you enjoy eating outdoors, you can do that, too. So it’s a best-of-both-worlds situation.
Please be warned, though, that most of the seats are picnic style and don’t have backs. But if you get a table inside by the walls, there is a back if you neeed it.
As you might expect from a restaurant in the American Pavilion, the theming is definitely patriotic. There are also a lot of great decor all over the restaurant that is fun to check out. There are advertisements for barbeque sauces and ribbons up for award-winning BBQ. And because this is Disney these days, there are even IPs involved in the decorations. Keep your eyes peeled for the Muppets characters that pop up in the decor.
Regal Eagle Smokehouse is not a sit-down restaurant where you get a server. It is a quick service where you go to the front of the restaurant and order your food.
You can also order ahead of time on your My Disney Experience app, which I personally prefer because it saves time. You can order it for a specific window before you do say a different attraction and then you can walk over when you’re ready and then press a button to ask them to prepare your food. It’s a very convenient feature.
Another thing that’s nice about the fact that it is quick service is that you can pour your own drink from the beverage machine.
That means if you’re still thirsty after your meal, you can refill your drink. This is one of the only places at Disney World where you can do this.
There are also sauces and condiments you can add yourself to your food, like Brisket Sauce, Smokehouse Sauce, Vinegar Base Sauce, Sweet Mustard Sauce, and Ketchup.
Menu & Food Review
So as I said before, I love how the menu covers so much of America. It includes:
- Memphis Dry-rub Pork Ribs
- Kansas City Smoked Half-Chicken
- North Carolina Chopped Smoked Pork Butt Platter
- Sliced Texas Beef Brisket Sandwich
They also have other things like a BBQ burger, cheeseburger, salad options, and more.
But the American touches don’t just stop at the food. They also have craft beer, wine, and lemonade from all across America:
- Angry Orchard Crisp Apple Hard Cider (Cincinnati, Ohio)
- Bell’s Oberon American Wheat Ale (Comstock, Michigan)
- Samuel Adams Boston Lager (Boston, Massachusetts)
- Cigar City Jai Alai IPA (Tampa, Florida)
- Seven Daughters Pinot Noir (California)
- Merf Cabernet Sauvignon (Washington)
- Tennessee Lemonade with Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey
So what was our favorite food? We really liked the cheeseburger and the Garlic Toast!
I thought the burger was good. It reminds me of the burgers you can get on Texas Toast at Whataburger, which is high praise from me because I love Whataburger. I also really like the portions they give. All food at Disney World is expensive, so it’s nice when you can actually get portions that reflect the cost you pay, which is true here.
Oh, also one last note: I really liked the paper the food came on with the map. That was a neat touch.
Conclusion
Regal Eagle Smokehouse is a great choice for a quick-service restaurant at the Walt Disney World Resort. It has a great selection of barbeque and craft beer from different regions across America, which is fitting of a restaurant in the American Pavilion of Epcot’s World Showcase. They also give good portions and have plenty of seating both indoors and outdoors. My family recommends this restaurant if you are visiting Disney World.
You will need a ticket to Disney World in order to visit this restaurant. You can find out how to get discount Disney World tickets here.
And if you are planning a Disney World trip, you may need a place to stay. Find out how to save money on Disney World hotels with this travel hack.
