America Booth Menu & Review: EPCOT Food & Wine Festival

The America booth at the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival used to be Hops & Barley. In this Walt Disney World dining review, we’ll share prices, food photos, my thoughts on the menu, and what is a good/poor bang for your buck.

For several years, the Hops & Barley booth has been hit or miss. It has had some great items that inexplicably disappear (like the glorious Pumpkin Mousse), overpriced duds, and some gloriously smoked meats. However, it has always been a good pick in the past for those on the Disney Dining Plan, as it usually offered a couple of expensive options that were bad buys but good uses of DDP credits.

Unfortunately, the Disney Dining Plan is still unavailable for this year’s EPCOT Food & Wine Festival, so that becomes a tougher sell. (Speaking of which, there’s a strong possibility the DDP will return before the end of this event—see When Will the Disney Dining Plan Return? for commentary & predictions.)

To further exacerbate the problem with the Hops & Barley food booth, Regal Eagle’s Distinctly Patriotic Smokehouse: A Salute to All Foods, But Mostly Barbecued Meats ~ A Sam Eagle Craft Drafts & BBQ Joint is now open in the American Adventure pavilion. That renders Hops & Barley largely redundant, and it would’ve been nice to see Walt Disney World shake up the menu here a bit…

With that said, let’s take a look at this year’s Hops & Barley menu:

  • Chesapeake Crab Slider with tangy coleslaw and Cajun remoulade (New)
  • Hot Beef Sandwich with horseradish cream and pickled vegetables
  • Freshly Baked Carrot Cake with cream cheese icing

Hops & Barley Beverages:

  • 81Bay Brewing Co. Strawberry and Lime Wheat Ale
  • Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co. Kentucky Pumpkin Barrel Ale (New)
  • Lord Hobo Brewing Boom Sauce DIPA
  • Bold Rock Roast Coffee Hard Cider
  • Longevity Chardonnay
  • Tribute Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Beer Flight

Now our photos and reviews of each item from the Hops & Barley Global Marketplace at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival…

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New England Lobster Roll ($8.50)On the one hand, this lobster roll is fantastic. It’s real Maine lobster, with big chunks of lobster in it, and not overly loaded with filler. However, it’s small and it’s the most expensive item in any booth at the Food & Wine Festival.

If you’re paying out of pocket, this is an impossible recommendation. It’s simply too small and too expensive. If you’re on the Disney Dining Plan, this is a no-brainer–it’s one of the absolute best uses of a snack credit in all of Walt Disney World.

Hot Beef Sandwich ($6.50)The meat here is tender, smoky, and flavorful, which would lead us to recommend this. However, portion sizes are all over the place–which the picture above makes this appear hearty, we’ve also received one with only a sliver of meat.

This would arguably be worth the gamble if you could use a Disney Dining Plan snack credit. Paying out of pocket? We’d probably avoid the Hot Beef Sandwich.

hops-barley-america-booth-menu-food-wine-festival-epcot-080

Freshly Baked Carrot Cake ($4.50) – Not as memorable as the other offerings at Hops & Barley, and not one of the best desserts at Food & Wine Festival, but good. I still can’t help but feel the dessert representing America should have been infused with bacon.

We don’t recommend this.

Unfortunately, Hops & Barley is once again a big miss for us. Without the Disney Dining Plan to gamble on the pricier options, it’s tough to justify. On top of that, now that Regal Eagle is open, this food booth doesn’t serve the purpose it once did. Basically, you’re better off going elsewhere.

Check out our Global Marketplace Booth Menus & Photos for the 2023 Epcot Food & Wine Festival Booth Menus post if you want to see and read more about every menu this year! You’ll also want to read our full 2023 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Guide before you go to get an idea of what to do, strategy for the festival (yes, you will need a strategy), and much more!

Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!

YOUR THOUGHTS

If you’ve tried any of the marketplace items at Hops & Barley, what did you think? Favorites? Least favorites? What was and wasn’t worth it? Do you wish America’s greatest national treasure–Guy Fieri–had infused any of these menu items with bacon? 😉 Anything on the menu you’re excited to try this year? Hearing from you is half the fun, so please share your thoughts in the comments below!

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