If I am going to make plans for a counter service lunch in the Magic Kingdom, I have two choices. Sure there are lots of places in the Kingdom with copious amounts of good things to masticate. But I will tell you my two favorite and usually really quick and easy places to eat. The first is Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe and the second is Columbia Harbor House.
Frontierland is where you will find Big Thunder Mountain, Tom Sawyer's Island, a little something called Splash Mountain and of course Pecos Bill's. Now who among us except the very young don't know who Pecos Bill was? Well for you youngsters, Pecos Bill is a legend of the Old West; he was raised by wolves and could lasso a tornado and ride it in to the sunset. So head in and take a load off while I load up a story for you. Step on to the porch, stroll through the swinging double doors of an old west saloon and make your way over to the counter to order. Here you can find a good burger, a decent barbeque sandwich and a chicken wrap that is pretty standard for Disney counter service. The item that sets me off is the taco salad. It’s delicious and a great value. For the burgers and taco salad, you have at your disposal a fixin’s bar, with lettuce and tomato, salsa, cheese, pickles for your burgers, peppers, salad dressings, onions (raw and sautéed), mushrooms and still more tasty toppings.
The front of the restaurant looks how you would imagine a saloon from the days when the cowboys were taming the wild frontier. Inside are hardwood floors that seem old and dusty and creak under your feet. The transition to the dining area becomes tile floor and the exterior is in a Spanish style that would have been popular from Texas to California. The two story stucco façade includes a balcony that protrudes over the outside seating and looks towards Splash Mountain. Other noticeable construction cues are the wooden fence that surrounds the outside seating and the lamp posts that use lanterns at the top. As with everything that the Disney does, theme of the area is to the extreme so take a moment and scope out the area before throwing away your trash and running off to the next ride.
Next week I will talk about my other favorite Magic Kingdom counter service restaurant, Columbia Harbor House.
I agree about Pecos Bills but during the summer, go early - lunch it chaotic. They have added self-service ordering kiosks so you have to punch in your own order and pay by credit/debit/room charge. Works ok but the lines were long. We had the taco salad and we made it enough for two of us because they give you the shell and meat and you add your own toppings off the bar - lettuce, cheese, tomato, grilled onions, nacho cheese, etc.. It's great AND the porch is usually a great place to catch any parades that travel that route.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great comments Jen!
ReplyDeleteSplitting the salad is a good tip. The entrees at Disney are almost always good to share. Saves money and gives you more room for dessert!