Are the ribs at SciFi any good? We have some really delicious BBQ places around here, most being cheaper CS type places. I tried the Sly St. Louis style ribs at the T-Rex in our area a few months ago and they were not worth the money. They weren't bad, they just weren't ribs like I'm used to from a BBQ joint. Same with Chilis and other non-BBQ chains. Just wondering if I should spend money on the ribs or go for the safe option, a hamburger. Are there any good places near WDW or even on the way from Clearwater/St. Pete to WDW where I can get a BBQ fix. We'll be there for 2 weeks, so it'd be great if I can find somewhere.
If you're a ribs snob, I would stick with a burger. You will likely be disappointed otherwise. ETA: I like Sonny's BBQ and Fat Boys' BBQ.
DH had the ribs there in 2006 & said "yuck." He just got them again 3 weeks ago (glutton for punishment I guess?) and said "I forgot just how bad they were the 1st time, they were worse the 2nd time." ETA: I did LOVE the mushroom & swiss burger from the lunch menu. I don't think it's on the dinner menu but I've heard that they will make you something from the lunch menu during dinner hours.
I had them last year and didn't find them all that great. Had the burger before and it was pretty good there.
My experience is that the ribs vary in quality quite a bit. Last time, both the fiancee and I ordered them, and mine were decent (not amazing, but I wasn't disappointed by them). On the other hand, her's were disgusting. They had barely any meat and were really overcooked.
Sci Fi is probably my family's favorite WDW restaurant and the one and only ADR we have made for all of our trips (over a dozen now). Its also the only ADR we are doing next week when we are on the QSDP because we can't not go! That said, I don't think their ribs are anything special. I like my ribs (from Texas) and its rare that anyplace but a really good, authentic bbq place can make me happy in that department and even then, I might not be in rib heaven! Basically, if my cousin Wade from Waco isn't serving them to me off his backyard smoker, I am not going to be ga ga over them! Dh and ds think Sci Fi ribs are delish. I stick to the burgers and I like the reuben a lot too.
We liked the sci fi for lunch when we ordered burgers. Our kids thought it was fun, and the cars were cute. We were on the dining plan in 09 and ordered the ribs - not so good. We'll go back to burgers there! We really enjoy the BBQ at Flame Tree in AK - and the seating behind the restaurant - near the lake overlooking Everest - is one of our family's favorite quiet spots at WDW!
I wanted Ribs last Feb for dinner, and knew better than to try ANY on Disney Property...so off we went to Chili's a few miles away on 535...paid a LOT LESS and got GREAT Baby Back Ribs!
Hubby liked them the first time we went there. Not so much the second time. I'd stick with the burger and go off property to Sonny's Real Pit BBQ to get some real ribs!
Sci-Fi is safe for burgers, rings, and shakes. Any deviation from those three items and YMMV...by hundreds of miles
Second time I had ordered the ribs and each time, I ask myself why. They were fatty, tasteless with little meat -- really yucky.
Why is someone who differentiates between mediocre (or bad) and good ribs a snob? I'm guessing that SciFi par-boils then grills their ribs, then slathers them in sauce/reheats when ordered. That's the typical preparation for restaurants that don't cook using traditional BBQ methods (low/slow/wood/charcoal). Boiling ribs removes a lot of flavor and makes the meat mushy, which gives them that "fall off the bone" thing (which isn't a good thing. Good ribs should require a little pull to get the meat from the bone). Real BBQ doesn't need to be smothered in sauce (which is a cover up for the lack of flavor in the meat). They should be good w/o sauce, or just a little, so you can still taste the meat, smoke and seasoning.
I've had the ribs twice. The first time (about 3 years ago), they were more like beef jerky than ribs. I tried them again this past December and they were not bad at all. I think it really depends on when you go. I also had the ribs at Flame Tree BBQ at AK and really liked them as well.
