Review: Flame Tree Barbecue is So Much More Than a Quick Service

If you were to ask me where to grab a bite to eat at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, you might be surprised as I hemmed and hawed over the question. I would likely counter your question with another, like: What kind of food are you in the mood for? The park has many dining options that we consider worthy of a meal. Flame Tree Barbecue is one of them.

I don’t want to spoil this review from the get-go by telling you it’s a great choice. But, for the most part, it’s hard to go wrong with any of the quick-service restaurants at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The majority of them are excellent, and I find myself having a difficult time choosing what I want to eat when I visit. Lately, I’ve put them on rotation and finally accumulated enough meals to share a review of Flame Tree Barbecue.

But the truth is, Flame Tree Barbecue is so much more than a theme park quick-service restaurant. It’s hard to describe, but phrases like “it’s a mood” or “moment of zen” come to mind. The garden-like dining area is one of the most peaceful spots in the park. But, as in life, things aren’t always as they appear. A closer look at Flame Tree Barbecue reveals a theme of predator and prey.

Before we look at a few of the food items, I want to point out a few things not to be missed. Even if you don’t end up dining at this location, you might enjoy a break here at some point during your day. The dining area is outdoors and open to all.

Here, we have a light fixture with an owl and its prey. Owls hunt small animals like the rabbits depicted in the glass.

As you walk down the path to the dining area behind the restaurant, you’ll notice a variety of pavilions. These covered eating areas all have a stand with napkins, plastic ware, and condiments. Each pavilion has a unique predator and prey theme.

Here, we have a snake that hunts the mouse.

Look closely, and you’ll notice that the chairs and tabletops also reference the same theme.

If the weather isn’t too hot, you might enjoy sitting at a table and chairs near the small pond.

You’ll continue to see medallions and statues in the stacked stone and landscaping. Here are a few photos.

Another pavilion has a crocodile with fish.

Here we have an anteater who’s devouring ants.

I believe this is an eel who’s on the hunt for crabs.

My favorite place to eat is near the water. It’s a beautiful area with stunning views.

You’ll have a direct view of Expedition Everest.

Some of the seating areas offer more shade than others. Most of the tables will have an umbrella.

Back out front, we’ll preview the menu. You might notice that even the sides of the menu signage show a snack, frog, and flies. It’s all part of the food chain and circle of life. You’ll participate in the cycle as you enjoy a meal here. As a parent, I’ve not always been the best at recognizing teaching moments. But there is plenty of conversation to be had over a meal here.

If you plan to dine at Flame Tree Barbecue, I have one tremendous time-saving tip: use the mobile order service. If you eat at a regular time, you can place your order well ahead of time. For instance, you might place your order in the morning on the bus ride to the park (hours ahead of time). You can select a time frame for later in the day and order your food. The app will notify you when your window is open. At any time during that window, you can select, “I’m here; prepare my order.” If you change your mind about the time window, you can change it to later. It’s straightforward to use and beats waiting in line. You do not want to walk up to Flame Tree, see a line, and then decide to use a mobile order. Do this in advance!

We like to select “I’m here, prepare our order” on our way to the restaurant. Your food will typically be ready in an average of 10 minutes. Have your family find a seat while you’re picking up the food.

Here is the menu that was posted on our last visit. Note that menu items and prices change from time to time. The My Disney Experience app generally has the most updated version of the menu. Flame Tree Barbecue formerly had onion rings. But I noticed they weren’t on the menu on this last visit. Additionally, the Hot Links plant-based sandwich has also been replaced by Impossible Burnt Ends.

On this visit, I chose something I had wanted to try for some time: the baked macaroni and cheese with pulled pork. It comes topped with slaw and crispy onions. I ordered mine without the slaw. This is not something in my usual wheelhouse, but I had previously tried the macaroni and cheese with barbecue and pickles around the corner at Eight Spoon Cafe and loved it. So, I thought this would be a larger version of the same thing. It was close and a tasty dish. But I felt like the crispy onions were a little heavy and wished this dish was still topped with onion rings. The onion bites were so small they were hard to avoid. I should have ordered the dish without them or had them put on the side.

A few months back, I tried the Smokehouse Chicken Salad. It comes topped with pulled chicken, smoked cheddar, diced Granny Smith apples, dried cranberries, cornbread croutons, crispy onions, and barbecue-ranch dressing. I didn’t mind the crispy onions on this dish, and I loved the cornbread croutons. This was one of the best quick-service salads I’ve had at Disney World. It was filling but not heavy at all.

Lastly, I wanted to mention Eight Spoon Cafe, which is only a few steps from Flame Tree BBQ and uses the same kitchen. (However, this location is walk-up only.) This is where you get the baked macaroni and cheese with pulled pork, and they also have the pulled pork jelly doughnut sandwich, which, from my understanding, is pretty popular.

This is a much smaller serving of pulled pork and macaroni and cheese, but it’s an excellent snack or small meal. I also loved the pickles. So, if you’re interested in this dish but want a smaller serving, you might grab this instead of the full entree at Flame Tree BBQ. Or you might try the French fries topped with pulled pork and cheddar sauce at Flame Tree Barbecue. They are another trendy menu item listed in the sides section.

Preview the Current Menu on Disney

Final Thoughts

Whether you enjoy a meal here or only stop for the theming, I hope you’ll take some time to explore Flame Tree Barbecue on your next visit to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It’s so much more than a quick-service restaurant. You might even take the time to point out the theming to someone else. Most guests don’t realize they’re having lunch amid a work of art.

We have some new and updated dining reviews for Disney’s Animal Kingdom. You might enjoy:

• Satu’li Canteen Review
• Nomad Lounge Review
• Yak and Yeti Quick Service Review
• Harambe Market Review

More Planning

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