Our family are all big Toy Story fans, so Roundup Rodeo BBQ was a must try on our last trip to Walt Disney World.
Nestled in the heart of Toy Story Land in Hollywood Studios, this all-you-care-to enjoy restaurant is certainly a popular spot. We made our booking in advance, which was a good call – judging by the hords of people gathered outside waiting for their party to be called.
Once we finally made our way through the doors though, it was a real treat for the senses. Basically the restaurant is made to look like Andy’s backyard, you’re dining amongst all his favourite toys.
The whole dining room is a big photo opportunity, filled with colourful characters from the films. You also have to freeze every now and again when the toys shout Andy’s coming over the speakers, which just adds to the fun.
It’s almost easy to forget you’re here for dinner – but let’s get to the nitty gritty – how was the food?
It’s all-you-care-to-enjoy, so it’s not a buffet but the servers bring as much food as you want to the table.
First up is the bread service – which is homemade cheddar biscuits with sweet pepper jelly – so basically translated for us Brits is kind of cheese scones with a sweet pepper jam. This really hit the spot after a long day in the park, the biscuits had a lovely flavour and topped with the jam it was a taste sensation.
Next up is the salad course – Rootin’ Tootin’ Tomato Salad and Wheezy’s Watermelon Salad. These were both really refreshing and let’s face it, it’s always a win to get some veggies in at Disney!
Then the main event is a BBQ feast of beef ribs, brisket, sausage and chicken with some set sides of potato barrels, coleslaw, baked beans, mac and cheese and corn on the cob.
I’m not a huge meat fan but the rest of my family are and it was a real hit with them. The brisket and ribs were tasty and the chicken was really juicy.
The sides were great too – my particular favourite was the corn on the cob covered in parmesan and the creamy mac and cheese.
We were quite hungry and managed to get through the dishes pretty well and my only complaint was that the food didn’t seem that free-flowing for an all-you-care-to-enjoy restaurant.
We asked for some extras but felt a little cheeky for doing so, even though we as a table of four were given the same portions as tables with just two people on. Having said that our server was friendly enough and did bring more food out but it just didn’t feel as friendly and relaxed as somewhere such as Ohana for example, were our server was constantly asking if we’d like more.
But to be fair we were pretty full when it came to dessert time, which you can take your pick from really cute mini portions of cheesecake, chocolate pie, banana-cream pie, strawberry shortcake and the most iconic – the cupcake a la Forky.
Our party tried the cheesecake and chocolate pie, which were both equally delicious but my favourite by far was the Forky cupcake. It’s a lovely little chocolate cupcake with a chocolate filling and buttercream on top with a biscuit shaped like Forky himself – such a fun little dessert to round off a lovely meal.
So, all in all would I recommend? Largely, yes. For Toy Story fans it’s a must in my opinion for the theming and at $49 for adults and $27 for kids, it’s not too badly priced by Disney standards – you’re paying less as it’s not a character meeting opportunity but it’s still a lot of fun and a lot of food.
However, if you’re just looking to enjoy some BBQ food after a long day at Disney and don’t care about the theming, I’d suggest you’re better off heading out to somewhere like the Polite Pig at Disney Springs where the food is cheaper and in my opinion tastier.
It’s on the Disney dining plan though as one table service credit, so I think it’s well worth a go if you haven’t tried it before and one of the better options for a table serve dinner or lunch at Hollywood Studios.
