Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Café Review
Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Café is a counter service restaurant in Magic Kingdom. This Walt Disney World dining review features food photos, a look inside the eatery, and our analysis of cuisine quality and value for money. (Updated July 26, 2022.)
As one of the two largest restaurants in Magic Kingdom, Pecos Bills is essentially the Frontierland equivalent of Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café. Both are high-volume fast food eateries aimed at serving a ton of Walt Disney World guests per hour, with relatively standard menus.
That had changed for the better a few years ago, as Pecos Bills really stepped up both its menu and toppings bar in an effort to offer elevated cuisine. Essentially making it the Walt Disney World equivalent of Chipotle, albeit not as addictively good. Unfortunately, it’s taken a big step back in the last couple of years…
When Walt Disney World reopened two years ago, Pecos Bill returned with Magic Kingdom–but without the toppings bar. That was unsurprising, as there were still fear about transmission via surfaces or guests congregating in close proximity to one another while serving themselves from the toppings bar. These same fears resulted in buffets transforming into family style offerings, and many of those still have yet to return.
However, with Magic Kingdom as crowded as ever and mitigation measures dropped over a year ago, the Pecos Bill toppings bar has yet to return. It’s still likely that it will at some point, but right now, this appears more like a cost-cutting measure than anything else.
Walt Disney World’s “solution” to this problem is providing pre-portioned toppings on the side of each dish, which typically means smaller amounts of everything. From our perspective, this makes Pecos Bill much less attractive–but with pretty much every Magic Kingdom restaurant experiencing their own cost-cutting measures, it’s still one of the best choices in the park. Here’s hoping that toppings bar returns soon!
With that preface out of the way, let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of Pecos Bill, and the restaurant’s atmosphere…
One thing Pecos Bill and Cosmic Ray’s still do equally as “well” as one another is get ridiculously crowded at lunch and dinner time. Consequently, we typically do lunch here before 11 am or dinner here after 7:30 pm.
Another thing Pecos Bill still does do well, at least as far as Counter Service restaurants go, is theme. Located next to Country Bear Jamboree (at least it has location going for it!), Pecos Bill nails the atmosphere despite being such a large restaurant. Although most of the seating areas are large, at least they are split apart to make it feel less like a mess hall.
The inside of the restaurant looks pretty cool, and the textures and detail throughout the restaurant make it feel like you’re dining at a western inn.
The problem here is that there is little opportunity to enjoy the tranquility of the Old West, because this restaurant is rarely ever tranquil. In order to really enjoy Pecos Bill’s ambiance, you need to go late at night for a relaxing meal.
There’s also outdoor seating at Pecos Bill, which is a quieter and more tranquil option throughout the day.
Depending upon where you sit, this can also be a halfway decent option for parade viewing or people-watching. The fence separating this seating area from Frontierland gets gradually higher towards Splash Mountain, so you want to grab a spot in the other direction (towards Country Bear Jamboree) if you want to a view.
More importantly than all of this, for me at least, Pecos Bill doesn’t have an awesome Audio-Animatronics singing alien, which really is a deal breaker. Now, you might be thinking, “an Audio Animatronic singing alien wouldn’t really fit the Frontierland theme.”
To that, I say, obviously you haven’t seen the critically-acclaimed and Academy Award-winning piece of cinematic brilliance, Cowboys v. Aliens. Disney should be remiss for passing up this synergistic opportunity.
Still, Pecos Bill is adjacent to UNESCO World Heritage Site Grizzly Hall, the world-renowned home of Country Bear Jamboree. The restaurant often has tie-ins to that national treasure and cultural landmark, so those are definite pluses.
Speaking of Country Bear Jamboree, let’s start there with our review of the menu at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe.
In honor of Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary, Pecos Bill currently has several Country Bear-inspired menu items.
This is the The Big Al Burger: Double Bacon Cheeseburger with Lettuce, Tomato, and Maple Whiskey Barbecue Sauce.
While relatively basic, the sauce does provide a nice sweet and savory twist. It’s still not enough to earn an enthusiastic recommendation, but this might be the best counter service burger at Magic Kingdom right now. That’s less an endorsement and more a “for lack of better alternatives.”
Skipping right to desserts, there’s Teddie Berra’s Swingin’ Shortcake: A Peach and Raspberry Truffle with Crumbled Cake, Strawberry Pearls, and Flowers.
This is surprisingly good. The layers provide a variety of textures and flavors, all of which coalesce remarkably well. The flavors are subtle and not overly artificial–all in all, quite tasty!
If you’re looking for the intersection of healthy-ish entree and dessert, there’s the Sun Bonnet Trio Strawberry Salad.
This is a Mixed Green Salad with Strawberries, Tomato, Red Onion, and Edible Flowers. It’s relatively inexpensive and lighter, but there are also versions topped with chicken or pork carnitas if you’d prefer. (I’m not sure those would work with the salad as well–you’re probably better off sharing this and the Pork Carnitas Rice Bowl.)
Speaking of which, here you can see my Pork Carnitas Rice Bowl piled high with toppings. Some of the choices are evident from the photo, but here’s a full list of what’s available: shredded Monterey Jack cheese, banana peppers, onions, sour cream, roasted corn, tomatoes, Chipotle Ranch dressing, salsa verde, salsa, limes, Pico de Gallo, and Guacamole.
This is not currently possible with the sides pre-portioned; you’d maybe get 20% of these toppings.
The loss of the toppings bar is huge for the rice bowls and fajita platters. It previously offered fresh, decent-quality veggies and salsas and really elevated Pecos Bill above all other counter service restaurants in Magic Kingdom. That’s no longer really the case.
Now, the food is served in partially-prepared form with guests being responsible for making these into full meals by way of the small plates of toppings on the side. The results are nothing special, typically.
Most of the photos for the bowls and fajita platters are piled high with stuff from the toppings bar and not even remotely representative of what you’ll get when you order something at Pecos Bill right now.
However, one thing has remained unchanged–the chicken, pork carnitas, and beef that’s served in all of these dishes. Before, which you chose didn’t much matter since the toppings could mask the meat flavor. This was particularly relevant with the chicken.
In our experience, the chicken at Pecos Bill is always dry, flavorless, and tastes like “clearance” meat. I’m guessing this stuff was one step above the grade of meat they put in dog food.
By contrast, the pork carnitas is juicy and relatively flavorful. It’s nothing special…unless you’re comparing it to the awful chicken. The beef is somewhere in between; it’s just fine.
Without the toppings bar, I would now place Pecos Bills near the middle of the pack in my Magic Kingdom Counter Service Restaurant Rankings.
We have to reiterate that pre-closure it was the #1 counter service restaurant in Magic Kingdom and has gone downhill since due to the loss of the toppings bar. The only reason it doesn’t rank lower now is because everywhere in Magic Kingdom has decreased in quality in the last two years. It’s far and away the worst park at Walt Disney World for fast food.
Ultimately, the current menu at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Café makes it underwhelming, even by the low standards of counter service restaurants in Magic Kingdom. It’s still a shell of its former self due to the loss of the toppings bar, and the current menu coupled with higher prices makes it a nonstarter for us. We remain optimistic that this is temporary and it’ll be back by 2023, but there’s no real reason for hope at this point.
In terms of quality, Pecos Bills is only okay at best. The basic entrees themselves are “meh” but at least there is a decent amount of variety. That’s more than can be said about most counter service restaurants at Magic Kingdom right now. In terms of crowds, it is still a headache that I’d recommend avoiding during the middle of the day, but great for odd hours or late evenings when it’s not as busy.
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Your Thoughts…
Have you eaten at Pecos Bill since they eliminated the toppings bar? Have you tried any of the Country Bear-inspired dishes for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary? Did you enjoy the experience? What did you order? Do you agree or disagree with our review? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
03/12/16 this was so good. Disney dining plan we ordered 2 #1 fajitas, 1 chicken & 1 steak and got an order of beefy nachos. This fed 3 adults and 1 9 year old. At the toppings bar grab a few extra lime wedges. Squeeze one in your water bottle for later.
Was in the Magic Kingdom last week with a school group (which makes it really hard to specifically plan out eating) and we ate here. It was one of the best meals I had on the trip! Plenty of food and tasty. Was not expecting this type of food at the Magic Kingdom and it was a great alternative to the standard hamburger and fries!
I think that Pecos Bill is great for people who are gluten-free. All of the other counter-service restaurants tend to have pizza, burgers, sandwiches, and fried chicken fingers. I found Pecos Bill to have some good gluten-free options, such as rice, chili, beans, guacamole, and pulled pork. The food also seems less processed than some of the other counter-service places – black beans and salsa and guacamole vs. burgers and deep fried everything. It definitely isn’t the most amazing food I’ve ever had in my life, but it is sufficiently tasty and a nice change of pace from most of the other junk at the parks!
We just got back from Disneyworld a few days ago, and up until a couple weeks prior to the trip basically stalked your blog since i hadnt been in 10 years and the boy had never been. Now the boy loves hamburgers full of everything and was so excited to go to cosmic rays or pecos bill for the burger and the sides. We researched everything!!…but apparently never thought to see if the menu was no longer burgers. Well our decisions lead us to leave cosmic rays and go to pecos bill (it was closer to our next, and one of my favorite stops the country bears!) and while were disappointed at first the toppings bar was a lot of fun and we too split the fajitas. Our first stop next trip will be cosmic rays though you can bet on that!!
I have been finding it strange to read your posts now that you’ve removed the dates off everything. For instance, even though I know this post was written in the last few months since the Fall 2015 menu change, it isn’t evident to anyone who doesn’t know that. Also most of the comments above mine are from the previous version(s) of this write-up and therefore no longer apply, or make much sense. I’ve been a fan for almost 4 years, but I wanted to share that.
Awesome everything else, though!! Big fan.
I just tried out this new menu the other day and couldn’t believe how good the guacamole was! I was fully expecting it to taste horrible, but it was actually good! Not better than my homemade guac, but still tasty! :p
Yeah, it’s definitely not going to win any awards, but for what it is, it isn’t bad!
“Since Tortuga Tavern is basically only open from 11 p.m. until 2 a.m. on days when the Magic Kingdom closes at 10 p.m”
Did you mean 11 AM until 2 PM? Since it would be hard to be open at 2 AM when the park closes at 10 PM? Although that could be fun!
That’s the joke.
I totally got the joke! 😀
First off, a big +1 for Sonny Eclipse. The first place we eat every trip to MK is Cosmic Ray’s. The food is actually a secondary consideration. Where else can you hear the Space Angels? Some things are just tradition, even if you can’t figure out why you have the tradition.
I am happy to see that the menu has changed at Pecos Bill’s. We usually eat a late meal there, after the crowds have thinned out, and it has been about the same as other counter service in MK for us. We will not be back until 2017, so here’s hoping that the toppings bar survives.
I really appreciate the food reviews. They have helped us find new things to try. However, food is not why we go to WDW. If we were food tourists, we would probably be somewhere other than Orlando.
I want to second the request that day stamps be returned to the posts and comments. It really helps to make sense of what is written, especially the comments.
Although it can be difficult, I think there are plenty of high-end dining options in and around Walt Disney World. It’ll definitely cost you, but dining can be a primary consideration of a WDW trip…if you want.
We’ve dined here for a later lunch on our last two MK trips. We discovered that, if the weather is good and you time it just right, the outdoor dining area can be a great place to catch the FoF Parade. We were able to get a table right by the fencing and, even though the dining area is depressed, we still had a great vantage point!
Ooo, I’ll have to remember that. Time efficient & comfortably seated for the parade. Plus, by being near the start of the parade, may be able to hit some rides before the masses come back from Main St.
Two can split the $15 Steak Fajita with extra toppings. Dinner and a show for $7.50, in WDW to boot! ^.^
OK, Tom. I should be commenting on your great Grandma Sara’s review, but we all know since it is TDL that barely anyone cares. So, I’ll return to it. First, kudos on the photography. Only you could make Pecos Bill’s — a place known for being sticky, icky, greasy, humid and altogether unpleasant as any place at WDW — look, dare I say, classier.
I never got the love fans held for this place and its burgers over the years. I generally wound up here once or twice a year due to bad planning on my part and lousy operations on Disney’s. In other words, because I had no other choice. And I always wondered why I was spending $14 for one person when I could have just waited and done the Wendy’s drive-thru (I know, those burgers at PBC at pixie dust and MAGIC in them) and spent $3-7 and been very happy.
That said, I tried the place last month (when we were unable to meet up) and thoroughly enjoyed it. I would disagree (slightly) with your comments on the quality of the chicken and actually stand up for the Mouse here. I got the chicken salad and thought it was fine and typical of what you’d get at WDW. But that fixins bar?!?! I fully expected the guac to be removed within days of it appearing. But it was there as were a wide variety of peppers and salsa and that great chipotle ranch dressing. I even asked for, and was gladly given, a side dish to place my guac and other ‘toppings’ in.
Judging by the average weight and diet of the typical 21st century Guest in the swamps, I don’t think Disney is gonna lose any money by the few Guests who will overindulge in guac and veggies (like me). Not when the average person will still be spending $15 a person to dine there.
My only hope is they leave it alone. They likely won’t. It isn’t nearly as popular now because the food is better and healthier. You have to realize the average WDW Guest wants a burger with no veggies on it and fries or a plain or pepperoni pizza or mac n cheese. These adults eat like petulant, poorly trained eight-year-olds. So, no, it isn’t likely to last. …
I’ve heard the same reports about diminished popularity since the menu change, which is disappointing. Chipotle is mainstream and popular (even in the Midwest!), so I’m not really sure what the deal is. We are talking cuisine that is *slightly* more exotic than Taco Bell. I wouldn’t mind Disney adding a Southwestern burger to the menu (that could actually be pretty good considering those toppings and that chipotle ranch dressing), but I hope they don’t stray from this concept.
Also, good call on the side tray for the toppings. We received the same, and it’s almost necessary given how the fajita platter is oddly put plated.
I’m really hoping this stays. I am actually wanting to eat here now, as opposed to 2013 when we last went (although it was closed every time I looked). I love fajitas and guac, and this would be totally something my family would love. We enjoy burgers as well, but only about once a week… maybe. And as for pizza, I’d rather enjoy that in my room watching a good movie in my pj’s while relaxing without feeling the need to run to the next thing.
Tom – Your toppings bar description and photos seem to be fantastic mini-meal for a picky vegetarian, so I will need to remember it for my SO. I am always trying to find new places to try that she will eat at. We have been to Pecos Bills but I don’t think we have ever eaten there – it is a great spot for extraordinarily hot days or raining days.
I think you will enjoy Pecos Bills much more if your Country Bears friends popped over and serenaded (???) you and Sarah!!!
On a separate note, your blog no longer shows date stamps for your blog posts or reader comments. The dates are important as it helps the reader (at least those who may have some familiarity with the topic) to determine the age of the post and comments and to assess the current validity / reliability / relevance of various comments. There is probably a setting in your theme that you can turn back on.
The lack of dates at present is due to an error between the new theme and Google. For whatever reason, the new theme was submitting the original publication date of posts to Google to display in search results, despite me updating those dates when I edit and republish articles. For example, each year I update my Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party post with info and tips based on the current year. For whatever reason, my 2015 MVMCP post showed a publish date of May 2011 on Google…and people don’t open it when they see such an old date.
I’m trying to fix this issue as I don’t like the lack of dates, either, but for now, that’s my best workaround. Sorry!
What a weird problem to have encountered.
May I suggest a temporary solution?
The first paragraph in this post currently reads as “Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Café is a counter service restaurant in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. This review features food photos from the new men” which appears in the Google search results.
At the very start of the paragraph, insert the date (use the words: Written or Updated, whichever applies)
E.G. “[Written: Nov 18, 2015] OR [Updated: Nov 18, 2015] Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Café is a counter service restaurant in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. This review features food photos from the new men”. That will look nice in the Google results.
Unfortunately, my suggestion won’t give a datestamp for comments.
Also, if you do use my suggestion, don’t use numeric dates such 11/18/2015, especially if the month and day are 12 or less. Americans use 7/4/2015, British use 4/7/2015 and us Canadians supposedly use the British version, but many of us, including me, actually use the American version as we (or at least me) work with Americans frequently.
I hope this is still around in February. We always go to Pecos Bills, probably out of habit.
We are at Pecos during one of the early Very Merry Parties to fuel us through the night.
It was better than expected, was super quiet, and smelled much better than the Pinocchio village haus!
I really liked the chicken tortilla soup. It was tasty and quick to slurp down pre-fireworks. It was only a side dish and I was eating it as a main, but it was such a relief to have a meal I didn’t have to take out a mortgage on a second stomach to complete!!
(Not sure if that sentence works, but hey, I thought I’d give it a try!)
One of the ’10 Commandments of Disney Tourist Blog’ is “No sentences must make sense to be used in writing.” Personally, I would gladly take out a mortgage if that would get me a second stomach…think of all the extra snacks! 😉
In seriousness, thanks for the feedback on the soup!
Has the menu changed since you wrote your review? Pretty much nothing that you mentioned was on the menu when we were there. And, nothing on the menu is mentioned in your review. It was all fajitas, burritos, quesadillas and taco salad when we were there. A little on the pricier side and not Chipotle standards. But, not “typical” theme park food, either. Why does everyone go to Disney, order burgers and fries, then complain about “typical” theme park food? Order something more atypical if you want a better experience.
Not a fan of this place and in not totally sure why. I feel like it’s just OK and usually avoid it for a different option.
I would have rather read a review of Peco’s Bill’s not a comparison with Cosmic Ray’s.
We ate there last week and were really disappointed in the food. My husband ordered the steak and chicken combination and the steak was dismally tiny and overcooked (don’t think you could call it a steak) and the cornbread was the worst my daughter has ever ate (hubby doesn’t eat it). The burgers were okay but cold by the time they served them up to us and it wasn’t even a busy time. It just wasn’t a good experience. We probably won’t be back there anytime again. We were looking for options after the one place we picked was closed.
One of the reasons to go to this restaurant rather than Cosmic Ray’s is the quiet. Sometimes you just don’t want the singing, alien Barry Manilow(and I am a big Manilow fan). It is just right for a quiet meal off hours and perfect for a rainy afternoon.
Not a bad point! Although how could you ever get sick of Sonny Eclipse?! 😉
I Love Peco’s Bill! It always plays into my touring plans in Magic Kingdom, whether on purpose or by accident. I enjoy the burgers and fries! I do not think it is as good as say a burger from Le Celleir but it’s the best you will get as counter service in my opinion. I do like the ambiance and I always sit in one of the more secluded rooms and eat during off meal times!
We love Pecos Bill in fact we were there last Sunday 9/2/14. Yes it was busy but it never spoilt for us. The one thing I would change is that it would be better to have 1 tray per person because by the time we’d got our drinks and desserts there was hardly any space for napkins, cutlery and ketchup etc.
Good tip with multiple trays. If you ask for them, they’ll give them to you.