Epcot’s Regal Eagle Smokehouse Menu & Opening

Walt Disney World’s new Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue will at Epcot’s American Adventure pavilion. Now, the menu has been revealed for this fast-casual BBQ restaurant and brewhouse. In this post, we’ll share the news and when you can expect to check out this new WDW dining option! (Updated January 12, 2020.)

As of the latest update to this post in January 2020, the full menu has been released along with prices for each entree, side, dessert, plus the beer and other alcoholic beverages. We have a photo of the full menu towards the bottom of this post.

This menu presents good news whether you’re on the Disney Dining Plan or paying out of pocket, as there are a range of entrees that will make Regal Eagle a great ‘bang for buck’ restaurant. This is the second good news in the last week, following the announcement by Walt Disney World that Sam Eagle of the Muppets will host the restaurant, which is gearing up for its opening this winter…

In terms of background, Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue is joining the World Showcase culinary lineup, replacing the American Adventure’s previous counter service eatery, Liberty Inn. That restaurant quickly closed several months ago to begin overhauling the venue.

Walls went up in short order, pretty much right after Walt Disney World announced the new restaurant. You might recall that we’ve been championing the name “Regal Eagle’s Distinctly Patriotic Smokehouse: A Salute to All Foods, But Mostly Barbecued Meats ~ A Sam Eagle Craft Drafts & BBQ Joint” for this new restaurant.

For starters, Walt Disney World has announced that Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue will open this winter. That’s the same timeframe as the Space 220 Restaurant, and we’re pretty much equally hyped for both venues. As we’ve noted in our commentary about Space 220, “this winter” ends on March 19, 2020.

As excited as we are for both Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue and Space 220, we’d honestly prefer that these restaurants open later rather than sooner.

Liberty Inn wasn’t exactly the most thematically-compelling restaurant, and Space 220 hasn’t been fully enclosed for that long (pictured above as of late last month). More time spent building, decorating, and finishing their interiors is ideal. Waiting a few extra months (or an extra trip, as the case may be) is nothing when considering the reality that these spots will be around for decades to come.

Plus, Imagineering will likely have to redo signage and design details once someone finally comes to their senses and accepts “Regal Eagle’s Distinctly Patriotic Smokehouse: A Salute to All Foods, But Mostly Barbecued Meats ~ A Sam Eagle Craft Drafts & BBQ Joint” as this location’s rightful name. It’s the only logical choice for a dignified and stately venue such as this one.

The menu for the restaurant currently known as Regal Eagle Smokehouse will include a variety of sandwiches and platters as well as a plant-based option.

On the sandwich front, Regal Eagle will offer a sliced Texas beef brisket sandwich with house-made spicy mop sauce on garlic toast and the South Carolina smoked sausage sandwich with tangy mustard sauce and caramelized onions.

For an all-American burger, try the grilled burger topped with BBQ pork and a fried onion ring.

It’s not clear yet whether Regal Eagle will serve normal Walt Disney World counter service burger patties, which feature a proprietary blend of cardboard, capybara, and aged hyena meat, or something like the signature patties at D-Luxe that feature brisket, angus, chuck, and short rib. It should go without saying, but we’re hoping for the latter.

For a lighter option, Regal Eagle Smokehouse will serve the Power Greens Salad with chilled pulled chicken, fresh citrus, and a citrus vinaigrette.

As part of Walt Disney World’s plant-based initiative, there will be a BBQ “burger” featuring a plant-based patty topped with BBQ jackfruit served on vegan garlic toast.

Regal Eagle will also serve Kansas City smoked chicken, Memphis dry-rub pork ribs, North Carolina chopped smoked pork butt. These will be available as entree-only options or as part of platters with sides.

It’s pretty cool to see American Adventure embrace the culinary diversity of the United States–but all via the overarching concept of BBQ. I hope this comes through in the execution of these dishes, and not just their names. It’s an ambitious but achievable idea.

Side items include french fries, beer-battered onion rings, mac & cheese, baked beans with burnt ends, house-made pickles, and creamy slaw. (If the sides are even half as good as what’s served at Polite Pig, we’re in for a treat!) Desserts will include banana pudding, a s’mores brownie, and a cup of fresh watermelon garnished with torn mint.

Barbecue sauces will include a spicy mop sauce, sweet BBQ, tangy mustard, and a vinegar-based sauce. As with the dishes themselves, it sounds like we’ll be treated to a variety of different sauces favored by various regions.

Kids can enjoy their own fun-sized bites including a burger, BBQ chicken salad, BBQ chicken leg or chicken salad, and even a BBQ rib platter, all served with their choice of two sides.

Beverage offerings will include a selection of craft beer and cider from around the United States, wines from the west coast, and specialty regional cocktails with and without alcohol. These will be served at an outdoor bar pouring craft brews on draft, and the outdoor seating area will be a great place to sit back and enjoy the atmosphere of World Showcase.

Here’s the full menu that was just posted on DisneyWorld.com on January 8, 2020:

These prices are actually fairly good news all around. Several items are fairly reasonable (by Walt Disney World standards) and will likely be good buys for guests paying out of pocket. Then there’s the American Platter (which should also be known as “A Salute to All Foods, But Mostly BBQ”), which will instantly make the list of our Best Uses of Counter Service Credits on the Disney Dining Plan. Win-win!

Overall, Regal Eagle Smokehouse shows a lot of promise, and will likely get even better once they fix the name. For years, Walt Disney World fans have clamored a restaurant in American Adventure offering a culinary tour of the United States. As compelling as that’d be in theory, the reality likely would’ve been a ‘jack of all trades, master of none’ dining spot attempting to do too much.

Regal Eagle Smokehouse could sidestep that by only attempting to do one thing–barbecue–but presenting an array of regional spins. If it lives up to its potential, this could end up being one of the very best counter service restaurants at Walt Disney World. We can’t wait, especially now that we know all of this will be cooked under the watchful eye of Sam Eagle!

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

What do you think of “Regal Eagle’s Distinctly Patriotic Smokehouse: A Salute to All Foods, But Mostly Barbecued Meats ~ A Sam Eagle Craft Drafts & BBQ Joint”? Do you agree or disagree with our take on this replacement and addition to World Showcase? Will you be shedding any tears over the loss of Liberty Inn or that “inter-galactic” Guardians of the Galaxy menu? 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!

45 Responses to “Epcot’s Regal Eagle Smokehouse Menu & Opening”
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