Sunday Brunch: Ferocious Feast at the Flame
Tree
4 September 2011
Before I begin this ferocious feast, I'd just like
to give a hearty Happy Anniversary to my mom and dad! May your
years be filled with more love and food!
Restaurantasaurus'check! Pizzafari'check check!
Restaurantasaurus minus McDonald's'check! Yak and Yeti counter
service'check! Tusker House'check! Yak and Yeti table service'check!
Animal Kingdom is my favorite park and after my first visit in 1999,
it has taken me 12 years to finally eat at all of the restaurants
found within this wild land. Last week I had the pleasure of dining
at the Flame Tree Barbecue, a counter service restaurant on
Discovery Island by the entrance to Dinoland,
USA. Out of all the counter service restaurants in the park, one
would think this would provide the most allure since its name alone
indicates a menu uncommon to other theme park counter service
cuisine. For one reason or another, our family never really found
the restaurant appealing until this year when
we decided to change things up and skip Pizzafari (much to the
chagrin of my brother) and try some of the Animal Kingdom's
barbecue.

Image from
Marciodisneypictures.blogspot.com
If the savory aroma of meat cooking is not enough to
draw you in, then the sign should. With flaming red letters and the
whimsical, brightly colored animal designs common to the
architecture of Discovery Island, Flame Tree Barbecue beckons for
guests to dare to eat such treats. Though fun and colorful looking
at first glance, this restaurant's d'cor is probably one of the most
deceptively morbid; the whimsical colors distract from the gruesome
depictions of animals on the hunt'crocodiles chomping on fish, an
owl in flight with two scared rabbits captured in its claws, not to
mention the other carnivorous predators of the wild, Flame Tree
Barbecue really wants guests to understand that ferocious dining is
up ahead.

A mongoose and its lizard prey decorate the barbecue's menu signs.

The pick-up counter's d'cor depicts snakes on the hunt for adorable
little mice. Rather morbid for Disney World! Go see Fantasmic if you
want to see the mice win over the snake.
With your mouth salivating after seeing all of these
meat eaters on the prowl, it's time to check out the menu. Disney's
somewhat recent pictorial menu items system really works to not only
help those with language barriers, but also to give you an idea of
what you expect to get. At Flame Tree Barbecue, you get exactly what
you see in the picture, sans the colorful dishware. Platters include
the Half Slab of St. Louis Ribs, Half Chicken, Pork Sandwich, Ribs
and Chicken Combo, Barbecued Chicken Salad, Fruit Plate, and Smoked
Turkey Breast Sandwich. Most platters come with a side of baked
beans and coleslaw, while the Fruit Plate comes with honey yogurt
and the Turkey Sandwich with fresh fruit. Children's Menu offerings
include a Baked Chicken Drumstick, Hot Dog, or Peanut Butter & Jelly
Sandwich, all with the usual assortment of side items and kid's
drinks. If you're really ravenous, side orders of onion rings and
French fries can augment your meal with Chocolate Mousse or Key Lime
Mousse available to round out your meal for dessert.

Our order arrives and resembles the pictures in the menu! Also,
notice the Timon and Pumbaa Safety Tip cards, which we will discuss
later.
Our family ordered the Barbecue Chicken Salad,
Smoked Turkey sandwich, and the Ribs and Chicken Combo. My father
tried to substitute his coleslaw for French Fries, and while Disney
is usually more than happy to accommodate your power of choice,
Flame Tree Barbecue's cast members stated they do not do
substitutions. I am assuming it is either the costs of producing
coleslaw and baked beans over French fries outweigh guests choice OR
the executive chef of this establishment believes you cannot have a
barbecued meal without having your baked beans and coleslaw! I am
hoping it is the latter.
Flame Tree Barbecue promised a hearty meal of
barbecued, smoky goodness and they certainly delivered. Portion
sizes were monumental, with enough food for two to share and eat
their fill. My brother's BBQ chicken salad was 'cool and crisp.
There was no dressing but the barbecue from the chicken acts as
enough flavor.' My parents shared the Ribs and Chicken combo platter
and they let me taste some of the ribs. I'm not really much of a
barbecue fan, but the meat was hearty and smoky, which I'm sure was
the intention. The barbecued baked beans were a bit fiery in the
back of the throat, making one wonder the types of spices used for
their barbecue sauce.
My meal was the Smoked Turkey Sandwich with fresh
fruit because I'm lame and didn't order barbecue at Disney's BBQ
restaurant. I have to say I was quite pleased with my selection! I
have had the turkey sandwich at the Board Walk Bakery before and it
was quite fresh and delicious, but the sweet and creamy cranberry
mayonnaise used in this sandwich was an excellent accompaniment for
the smoky flavor of the turkey. This sandwich was part of the
'chilled selections' of the menu and helps remind guests that
barbecue does not always come hot from a grill. Actually, the true
definition of barbecued foods is slow cooked, smoked meats, not
something you slap on the grill and drown in sauce, which in popular
culture has become the new meaning of having a barbecue.
I also admired the move to include fresh fruit as
the side. While a bag of crispy chips or side salad would have been
welcome, fresh fruit not only was a nice healthy forced option, but
also a great way to keep the theme of the Animal Kingdom. We're
dining in the wild, where fresh fruits are an abundant resource and
a welcome side or dessert for a simple meal in the jungle. If you're
really picky you could always order that side of French fries.
Though barbecue is not among my favorite foods, the
Flame Tree Barbecue is certainly tops in my rankings of Walt Disney
World Counter Service Restaurants. I do wonder why we let this place
slip by us all of these years. The portions are a healthy, filling
size with menu items a bit different than the typical fare found
around the parks. The food was fresh and delicious. Other than the
food, there is still much to say about the dining area of Flame Tree
Barbecue; after all, eating is Disney World is much more than
refueling the body. It's a complete dining experience, which we will
have to save for next week's Sunday Brunch! Here's a bit of a
preview:
With the counter of this counter service restaurant
clearly visible from the walkways of Discovery Island, one may
subconsciously wonder where they are supposed to feast on the
marvelous food the restaurant has to offer. Jungle explorers and
adventurous diners alike must discover for themselves the seating
areas for Flame Tree, smartly tucked away among the great towering
trees of the jungle forests of the Animal Kingdom.
Additional Image Source:
http://marciodisneypictures.blogspot.com/2011/07/flame-tree-barbecue-sign-entrance-at.html