Big Thunder Ranch BBQ or somewhere else?

[bramble4]

Hi everyone! We're doing a quick three day visit to DL/DCA at the end of our trip to LA this summer. We've visited before but never tried any of the sit down restaurants in the park. I'm thinking about doing one sit down dinner and sticking with quick service for the rest since we don't have much time. Do you have any recommendations? We're regulars at WDW and wanted to try something different out in DL. The Big Thunder Ranch BBQ looked like a good deal- but is the food okay? Or do you have other recommendations? Thank you in advance!

 

[Aladora]

I wasn't a huge fan of BTRBBQ, the food wasn't anything that wowed me and since no one in our family is a big eater, the price was high for what we got.

Having said that, I love Carthay Circle and would recommend it anytime! If you are looking to go all out, I highly recommend the Chef's Counter at Napa Rose. It's pricey but you will not have a meal like it anywhere else in DL or DCA.

 

[figment_jii]

I like Big Thunder BBQ. The atmosphere reminds me a little of HDDR (corny jokes and folksy music) along with BBQ. I really liked the ribs, corn bread, and beans. It's AYCTE, so you won't leave hungry! The only real drawback (for my family) is that it's entirely outdoor seating, so in the summer it can be hot and the winter it can be cold.

Blue Bayou is the most iconic of the restaurants at DLR. It's located inside the start of the PotC ride. The food gets hit or miss reviews, but I've always enjoyed my meals there. If you do go, be sure to request a waterside table; it's well worth the wait. I also like Cafe Orleans, which has similar food to Blue Bayou, but a slightly less expensive prices. It has a mixture of indoor and outdoor seating. Carnation Cafe, on Main Street, also has some good, middle America-comfort food options. I like Carnations for an early lunch.

Over in DCA, I like Carthay Circle and Carthy Circle Lounge. Both have very good food and a nice atmosphere.

 

[ParkHopper1]

I live BTRBBQ but if you are looking for a table service restaurant...it very much has the feel of more of a counter service place even though you are served. If you have big eaters...it is a great choice, just make sure everyone likes the menu as there is only ONE menu that is served family style.

 

[gottalovepluto]

The BBQ is your best bang-for-your-buck TS option. We did it once found the food to be so-so and the seating hot. If you like a French infused menu look at Cafe Orleans. It has shade (SO important during summer lunch hour) and limited indoor seating. That's our favorite casual TS.

 

[Carolynleanne]

I loved Big Thunder Ranch BBQ! We aren't big sit down diners either, but you can put away a lot of food for what you buy so we really enjoyed it If ambiance is what you are looking for or a real 'experience' then I'd suggest Blue Bayou.

 

[Imdboss]

Big Thunder Ranch BBQ is on our list of places to try so not sure on that one but we ate at Cafe Orleans last trip and the Monte Cristo and fries were AMAZING!!!

 

[YukonMommy]

We love the BTRBBQ. We find it entertaining and the food good. It is always a must do for my hubby when we go!

Have a magical time!

 

[pinkprincess30]

We went to BTRBBQ and did enjoy it. The only thing I would say about it is no one in our family likes coleslaw and since that is one of the four main items offered, it was kind of a bummer. Also, the cornbread has chunks of actual corn in it so my picky eaters would not touch it (we love corn but I think it was a texture thing). If you like the food, it's an ok value and great for filling up. The Chicken had a very distinct seasoning on it which our group thought was just "ok". The atmosphere was fun and very laid back. Great for kids to unwind a little and not be in a stuffy restaurant environment. The entertainment was great! For the price, it was nice to sit and stay sitting for a bit....table service was nice. Overall, I'm not sure if we'll go back again but I certainly wouldn't warn anyone against it!

 

[Carolynleanne]

We went to BTRBBQ and did enjoy it. The only thing I would say about it is no one in our family likes coleslaw and since that is one of the four main items offered, it was kind of a bummer. Also, the cornbread has chunks of actual corn in it so my picky eaters would not touch it (we love corn but I think it was a texture thing). If you like the food, it's an ok value and great for filling up. The Chicken had a very distinct seasoning on it which our group thought was just "ok". The atmosphere was fun and very laid back. Great for kids to unwind a little and not be in a stuffy restaurant environment. The entertainment was great! For the price, it was nice to sit and stay sitting for a bit....table service was nice. Overall, I'm not sure if we'll go back again but I certainly wouldn't warn anyone against it!

I think you make an excellent point about it being a great sit down restaurant without being stuffy. As a Mom with very young children, it was such a relief to be at a sit down dining option where our kids could run around without being disruptive!

 

[ImDMous]

We love BTRBBQ! I really love the sausage, so dinner is a must. And I love the cornbread with actual corn in it. Their coleslaw is the only coleslaw I will eat, I hate the really mayonnaise-y stuff. DH loves the beans. We've never made it to dessert but I've heard that they are huge and delicious.

 

[scrapshappen]

We've done BTRBBQ twice. I love the sausage and the chicken but was not a big fan of the ribs. The cornbread was our family's favorite part of the meal but I can see how some kids might not like it. The coleslaw dressing is more of a vinaigrette than and I liked it too but my kids wouldn't touch it. Thumbs up on the beans and the all you can drink soft drinks being included too for those really hot days is a major plus for us.

We also love Cafe Orleans and have enjoyed Carnation in the past as well. We did find indoor seating to be very loud at Carnation Cafe. We have a child with sensory issues and after watching him suffer for the first 15 minutes of the meal from the noise, we asked to be moved outside. Much better. I've never sat inside at Cafe Orleans but I imagine it's probably pretty similar. We've never done table service at DCA so I can't comment on that. We have our favorite CS places there that we always do: Corn dog Castle and Pacific Wharf Cafe (and Flo's V8 before they changed the menu. Now we just like their breakfast).

 

[scrapshappen]

A couple of more thoughts about BTRBBQ that I forgot to mention. The first time we went we were a group of 13 including 7 kids ranging from 20 months to 11 years. We were offered two tables, but because we had two in high chairs that could sit at the ends of the picnic tables and a bunch of skinny bottoms (the kids), we decided to squeeze into one so we could all be together. I thought the server was great and the chef came out to talk with us about the food allergies two of the kids have. My favorite part was that Tex Tumbleweed called all the kids up on stage with him to learn how to yodel. Even my 11 year old cool kid went up. It's one of my favorite memories from that trip.

The second time we went, it was just DH and our two DSs and me and they asked if we would mind sitting with another small group so we could be sat faster. That was fine with us. Disney seems to bring us out of our shell a bit since we already know we'll have at least one thing in common with the people (Disney!). We were sat with a lovely young couple who were there without their toddler on a date. I kind of felt bad for them being sat with us and our kids, but they were very nice and I'm sure they were given the option of sharing a table too. They did bring out separate buckets of food for each of our groups so that was nice. We didn't have the same magical experience with Tex that time, but we still enjoyed the entertainment.

 

[Canuck16]

We just did BTRBBQ with a group of 13 and it was really good. We went at dinner so that we could get the sausage as other people have said.

We had a group with smaller kids so the laid back atmosphere was great for them. There is no way we could have done TS meal with them in Blue Bayou or something like that.....it is like herding cats with them! LOL

We will go back for sure.

 

[lovebug33]

Big thunder is my favorite place to eat in Disneyland.

 

[RemainSeatedPlease]

I love Big Thunder Ranch BBQ, it is my favorite place to eat in the parks. How can you go wrong with all-you-can-eat?? Well, I guess if you're a vegetarian you're not going to get much out of it. I LOVED the BBQ chicken and the cornbread, beans were really good too. You sit outdoors and are served family style, so it's more casual than your typical TS.

 

[rwhistler92]

I just ate there tonight. So good!
I also ran into some members of the DisUnplugged pod cast while eating there.

 

[GatorChris]

This is my #1 place to eat at DL. As a BBQ lover, the food is really good. Not Texas/Memphis quality, of course, but I'm not real picky when it comes to BBQ. I like it all. The cornbread with honey butter is really great. As far as food goes, this is the best and best bang for your TS buck.

That said, in the summer, you never know when a heat wave is coming through. It may be a pretty hot meal. Then again, SoCal is usually nice all year.

 

[bramble4]

Thank you all for the responses! It sounds good to DH and I, but I know the kids won't go for the corn in the cornbread and they don't eat slaw. I never thought about it being hot since the seating is outside! Thanks for pointing that out.

I appreciate the info based on all of your experiences!!

 

[chrisaman]

If I was to choose one place it would be the blue bayou not thunder ranch bbq. Thunder ranch is good but nothing beats the experience of blue bayou. To me it is no contest