Regal Eagle made me sad.

[mkb3]

I finally got the chance to try The Regal Eagle out and was sadly disappointed. I'm not a bbq snob. I think good bbq can be found everywhere if cooked properly, but sadly it cannot be found at Regal Eagle. I got the brisket sandwich and it tasted like Arby's roast beef. Easily the worst item I ate all week in Disney and might be the worst bbq I've ever had. Next time I'll just stick with Flame Tree for those pulled pork cheese fries. The baked beans however were really good and I would get those again.

 

[NYCgrrl]

I never understand why EPCOT seems to showcase the worst of American cookery. There are so many good barbecue styles throughout the country

 

[Aimeedyan]

I'm a Texan, so I refuse to order brisket outside of TX, but we LOVE the chicken at Regal Eagle! It's very, very good.

 

[mkb3]

I'm a Texan, so I refuse to order brisket outside of TX, but we LOVE the chicken at Regal Eagle! It's very, very good.

I'm a Texan too. I believe you can find great brisket outside of Texas because I have. Did I expect to find exceptional brisket at Epcot like I do in TX, no but I expected it to be way better than it was given the hype.

 

[Aimeedyan]

I'm a Texan too. I believe you can find great brisket outside of Texas because I have. Did I expect to find exceptional brisket at Epcot like I do in TX, no but I expected it to be way better than it was given the hype.

Man, I wish I could find some! We haven't lived in TX in 15 years so the BBQ restaurant is the first stop when the plane lands there. I've been burned too many times to even bother trying anymore.

 

[maggnanimouse]

I was shocked by how good the mac n cheese was at the Regal Eagle!

 

[mkb3]

Man, I wish I could find some! We haven't lived in TX in 15 years so the BBQ restaurant is the first stop when the plane lands there. I've been burned too many times to even bother trying anymore.

4 Rivers isn't all that bad. I've had worse in Texas.

 

[LiteBrite]

Clearly I'm easy to please with BBQ, because I thought the brisket sandwich was delicious, and I even had to get it on gluten free bread, lol!

 

[olwyngdh]

Try Polite Pig in Disney Springs.

 

[mkb3]

Try Polite Pig in Disney Springs.

I have it's not bad.

 

[SteveH]

This is sad to hear, but thank you for sharing. I was hoping it would open up on our last trip Feb 2020, but it didn't. I'm not a snob either but I know good BBQ, I make it at home. We have a local place that does it right, consitently. They get crtizied for running out of things, but that's how good BBQ works. Day old or rushed BBQ sucks. My fear about any mass produced Disney real BBQ (adding BBQ sauce does not make it real) is that you have to guestimate how much you're going to sell. Problem is if you over estimate you lose and meat is expensive, if you underestimate people are mad you ran out. I always felt the Arby's BBQ sandwich was there was of reusing meat left over from the previous day, drenched in sauce so nobody knew!

 

[Scubadaddy32]

I'm from Texas as well and I'm simply not a fan of lean brisket, period. It really doesn't matter where you get the lean stuff, it's just not going to be as tasty as the moist brisket with all the fat. IMO. I mean we are talking about a "well done" piece of beef regardless. I'm sure WDW isn't using the most high quality marbled brisket to begin with, which is highly important when it comes to any beef product.
It's like comparing Outback Steakhouse to a fine dinning steakhouse, there is just a big difference in select versus high end choice and Prime 1 cuts of meat. In Texas, most BBQ places know they have to compete with other establishments around the area, so they are basically forced to use high grade beef brisket. At WDW, they have a captive audience, so cheaper meat = more money. They are appealing to people who just want a smoky flavored piece of beef with BBQ sauce slathered all over it, for the most part.
Although I'd put myself in the "I'm not a BBQ snob", I do always keep this in mind when I do choose to eat BBQ.
I've seen plenty of reviews that state the brisket is dry and not moist at Regal Eagle so I just assume the grade of beef is likely the issue.

 

[cgattis]

Yeah, we did Flame Tree on our first trip (2008) and that’s our last Disney BBQ LOL. I think everyone from TX or TN is a bbq “snob,” whether we mean to be or not. I mean, I can make pretty good pulled pork in my slow cooker but “that don’t make it bbq.” If it’s not real hickory pit shoulder, I just don’t want it. So as excited as I got when I first heard about Regal Eagle, I pretty quickly also figured we’d just be disappointed. We’ll probably stick to Sunshine Seasons for our Epcot lunches (veggies are kinda hard to come by on vacation lol) and maybe do RE one night for dinner IF DD is needing some BBQ because her picky self can’t find anything else that grabs her fancy. BBQ snobs, unite!!!

 

[mkb3]

Oh if done right Lean Brisket is glorious.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

I finally got the chance to try The Regal Eagle out and was sadly disappointed. I'm not a bbq snob. I think good bbq can be found everywhere if cooked properly, but sadly it cannot be found at Regal Eagle. I got the brisket sandwich and it tasted like Arby's roast beef. Easily the worst item I ate all week in Disney and might be the worst bbq I've ever had. Next time I'll just stick with Flame Tree for those pulled pork cheese fries. The baked beans however were really good and I would get those again.

I think it's all relative and I think BBQ becomes that food that people get very accustomed to what's in their hometown and very easily snub all others. Now having said that, Regal Eagle is def nothing to write home about. It's fast food BBQ. I live in the Carolinas and people here get crazy when it comes to BBQ. I don't think Regal Eagle is authentic BBQ by any stretch but it's decent all things considered for QS. We had a pulled pork plate and while the pork itself wasn't anything special, the sauce selection was decent. I do wish that the American Pavilion had better quality food. Outside of a dessert I got from F&G American booth one year, I've never had anything that great in America @ Epcot.

 

[mkb3]

I think it's all relative and I think BBQ becomes that food that people get very accustomed to what's in their hometown and very easily snub all others. Now having said that, Regal Eagle is def nothing to write home about. It's fast food BBQ. I live in the Carolinas and people here get crazy when it comes to BBQ. I don't think Regal Eagle is authentic BBQ by any stretch but it's decent all things considered for QS. We had a pulled pork plate and while the pork itself wasn't anything special, the sauce selection was decent. I do wish that the American Pavilion had better quality food. Outside of a dessert I got from F&G American booth one year, I've never had anything that great in America @ Epcot.

I agree 100% folks base bbq on what they grew up with. I love the craft. For the last decade I have traveled the country from HI to FL eating bbq and enjoying the different styles. I honestly cannot think of any place with worse brisket than Regal Eagle. I know food is very subjective, especially bbq. That's what makes it fun to discuss! I HATE piling on and normally don't call out bad bbq as most places I visit are Mom and Pops trying to make a living, but I have no problem calling out a corporation like Disney. Epcot has so many wonderful food choices and I would hate to see anyone waste money and stomach space here, especially if you don't visit Disney often.

 

[GAN]

I think the same could be said about almost every restaurant in Epcot depending on what region of the Country you're from.....

 

[Jennasis]

Food is subjective. You like what you like and I like what I like. Pizza, BBQ, bagels, fried chicken whatever it may be.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

Disney is not so much a dining destination for us anymore. We have our go to places where we live for steak, Chinese, Mexican, BBQ, etc.. and they far exceed Disney. I think I like the snacks better than the meals. LOL!

 

[Disneylover99]

I'm a Texan too. I believe you can find great brisket outside of Texas because I have. Did I expect to find exceptional brisket at Epcot like I do in TX, no but I expected it to be way better than it was given the hype.

Was there much hype for the Regal Eagle before it opened or when it first opened? I really don’t remember any. I didn’t even recognize the name of the place when I first opened this thread. Lol.