Adrian F.
Yelp
Regal Eagle proves America runs on smoke, sauce, and sarcasm from a Muppet.
Regal Eagle Smokehouse is proof that Disney finally admitted what we all knew: the old Liberty Inn was about as inspiring as a wet paper napkin. For years, America's pavilion served burgers so bland you wondered if they were designed by committee. In February 2020, Disney pulled the plug, lit the smoker, and brought in Sam the Eagle (yes, that Sam the Eagle from The Muppets) to make barbecue the official food of patriotism. And thank god they did.
The theming is spot-on. It feels like you're at a backyard cookout hosted by George Washington if he had a smoker, a craft beer menu, and a sarcastic eagle judging your life choices. Historical detail? Disney leaned hard into Americana -- red, white, and blue décor, competition-style BBQ posters, and nods to regional BBQ traditions, all while Sam the Eagle insists it's "a salute to all cookouts, but mostly barbecue."
Now, the food. You're here for the barbecue, and the best thing on the menu? The Kansas City Smoked Half-Chicken. Juicy, smoky, and slathered in sauce that makes you question whether you should salute it before digging in. Pair it with baked beans and garlic toast, and suddenly you're not in EPCOT anymore, you're in some roadside joint on Route 66 where the pitmaster has a PhD in smoke rings.
I roll my eyes at the corporate Disney veneer, then taken a bite, leaned back, and admitted, "Okay... this is legit." Because sometimes barbecue just hits, no matter where you are.
Pro tip: wash it down with one of their craft drafts. Nothing says freedom like sipping a beer brewed by a microbrewery while sitting under a giant mural of Sam the Eagle frowning at you.
Regal Eagle Smokehouse is the glow-up the American Adventure Pavilion desperately needed. It's smoky, saucy, patriotic, and actually worth eating at -- something the old Liberty Inn could never say with a straight face.