Regal Eagle Smokehouse Dinner Review

*This gluten free and dairy free dining experience took place in February 2020. It includes information about fish/shellfish free, peanut free, cabbage free, hazelnut free, and chicken & turkey free option too.

Dinner at Regal Eagle Smokehouse

A salute to all foods, but mostly BBQ. That's what we were looking forward to with the newly opened Regal Eagle Smokehouse in the America Adventure Pavilion in Epcot's World Showcase. Brandon and I had been both excited and a little worried to see what was in store for this quick service location that was once Liberty Inn. And, about a week after opening, we had a chance to check it out.

Atmosphere

Both Brandon and I had minimally seen photos from blogs and other Disney outlets about what the newly refurbished quick service location (now rethemed to a Muppets BBQ restaurant) looked like.

Regal Eagle Smokehouse - Entrance / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

Because Regal Eagle Smokehouse is located in the American Adventure Pavilion, it has a slightly colonial feel to it. The building's exterior really hasn't changed much. But, I do love the very regal sign featuring the one and only Sam Eagle himself.

Regal Eagle - Entrance Sign / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

The entrance has changed slightly, in that there is a to-go window for drinks and snacks next to the main entrance. Everything is decidedly patriotic with lots of flags and colonial inspired decor.

Regal Eagle - Smoker / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

Because Regal Eagle Smokehouse is a BBQ themed restaurant, there's a giant smoker near the entrance. I've heard mixed reports on whether this is actually functional or not. Based on our visit, I think Brandon and I both agreed that this is more of an ambiance smoker and not a real functioning meat smoker.

Regal Eagle - Interior Sign / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

Inside the restaurant, there are subtle nods to the Muppets. You'll see Sam Eagle in a variety of locations along with some Muppet themed signs and decor here and there. It's definitely much more understated with Muppet theming than I expected.

Regal Eagle - Interior / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

Even thought the restaurant is no longer Liberty Inn, there are a lot of details that make me feel a little nostalgic for the older version of this quick service location. I do love all the little details and nostalgic nods.

Regal Eagle - Sam Eagle Sign / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

As I mentioned, the Muppets are definitely present in the Regal Eagle Smokehouse but really subtly so. This just might be the most Muppety thing in the whole restaurant!

Regal Eagle / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

I do recommend if you're dining at Regal Eagle to take a bit of time to look around. There's a lot of great features and details in the restaurant's retheming.

The Food

Of course, the main reason we went to Regal Eagle Smokehouse was the food! I had seen the allergy-friendly menu prior to visiting the restaurant, and I was super excited about all of the options.

Regal Eagle / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

In addition to the allergy-friendly menu, I do recommend speaking directly to a coordinator or manager to discuss options. We had a lot of questions on our first visit about dedicated fryers, cross-contamination, and dedicated toasters. The manager on duty was very helpful and gave us a lot of information.

A few details we learned at the time of our visit (and always subject to change) is that the location has a small dedicated toaster for allergy-friendly garlic toast. This is removed from the main kitchen area to avoid cross-contamination.

We also learned that the restaurant does not have a dedicated allergy-friendly fryer; however, the French fries are the only things fried in their fryer. That being said, the manager assured us she would fry a new batch and use fresh tongs and containers to get fries for us to avoid cross-contamination. So, be sure to ask a manager about this and use your own judgement when consuming fries. We actually watched the manager prepare all of our food and were glad to see how cautious she was at preparing things safely.

Another bit of information we learned was cross-contamination with smoked meats for those with specific meat allergies. Because Brandon is allergic to chicken, the manager recommended he get a burger instead as all of the meats are cooked in the same smoker. So, if you have any kind of meat allergy, you'll want to consider the smoked meats.

Regal Eagle Smokehouse / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

As you can see, we ordered a bounty of BBQ! Everything you see on this platter is gluten free, and the only item that contains dairy is the cheeseburger that Brandon ordered. It was kind of amazing how gluten free & dairy free friendly the entire menu was.

Brandon's entree was the gluten free cheeseburger on allergy-friendly garlic toast served with French fries. He said it was actually a pretty good burger but that this was mostly due to the allergy-friendly garlic toast. We both agreed that the garlic toast was beyond amazing. It's made with Bloomfield Farm's allergy-friendly bread, and topped with Earth Balance. It's so good. Greasy, but totally worth it!

I wanted to try several things. First up, was the kids grilled chicken drumstick which came with fries and coleslaw. The coleslaw was not only gluten free & dairy free, but it was also vegan. At first I wasn't a huge fan, but I have to admit the coleslaw actually grew on me throughout the meal. It was actually nice to add on top of the brisket sandwich I ordered.

Up next was the beef brisket sandwich served on allergy-friendly garlic toast served with fries and BBQ baked beans. We had so many fries, so Brandon definitely ate a lot of them while I tried out the other sides. The BBQ baked beans were my least favorite of all the items we ordered. I am not a huge fan of baked beans with a strong ketchup flavor, and the brisket in the beans was very fatty and unpleasant. Next time, I'd skip those.

The beef brisket sandwich, on the other hand, was outstanding. This was the hands down best thing I ordered at Regal Eagle Smokehouse, and I'd definitely get it again. The beef was slightly dry, but by adding coleslaw and BBQ sauce, it would be perfect. As an aside, all of the BBQ sauces at Regal Eagle Smokehouse are gluten free. You'll want to check with a manager about the dairy free ingredients and to get safe versions from the kitchen to avoid cross-contamination.

If you'd like to see our full review and initial reactions to the restaurant, check out our vlog review!

Overall

Both Brandon and I are really looking forward to going back to Regal Eagle Smokehouse again when the Disney Parks & Resorts re-open. We both really enjoyed the food there, and we were both impressed by the amount of gluten free & dairy free options there. It's a great addition to Epcot, especially for guests with special dietary needs!

Have you been to Regal Eagle Smokehouse? What did you enjoy when you dined there?

Liberty Inn Dinner Review

*This gluten free and dairy free dining review took place in February 2019.

Dinner at Liberty Inn

Liberty Inn, located in the American Adventure Pavilion in the World Showcase at Epcot, is a quick service restaurant that serves sandwiches and salads. It's also one of the few restaurants in the World Showcase that is owned and operated by the Disney Company (most restaurants are leased by outside companies). So, it's always nice to stop by this quick service restaurant where I know they have an allergy-friendly menu, and I can speak to a manager about options. Plus, they serve allergy-friendly chicken tenders here, which is almost always what we stop by to get. On this occasion, Brandon and I were at Epcot to check out the Festival of the Arts and wanted a quick bite as we explored all the festival fun.

Atmosphere

I wouldn't say that Liberty Inn has a very detailed atmosphere. It's meant to resemble colonial America. But, the theming is fairly sparse. You'll find a few corners, like the photo below that include some colonial decor.

Liberty Inn Interior / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

Overall, you'll mostly just find a ton of tables for seating because generally this restaurant gets really crowded.

Liberty Inn - Seating Area / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

When we visited, it was only a few hours before the park closed, and we found the restaurant to be pretty quiet. That's a rarity, so we really enjoyed having lots of seating options.

The Food

Since Liberty Inn is a Disney owned restaurant, they do carry an allergy-friendly lunch and dinner menu. You can also speak to a manager at any time if you have additional questions or have multiple dietary restrictions. I always recommend this, especially if you want to discuss food preparation, ingredients, or are looking for customized dishes.

Liberty Inn - Mobile Ordering / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

Liberty Inn is also currently offering mobile ordering. If you have a special dietary need, you can utilize this option. But, it only allows you to select one dietary restriction when ordering. With this in mind, I would only order through mobile ordering if you have one special dietary need that's listed on the option (currently, this includes the top 8 common allergens). If you have any questions or multiple dietary restrictions, I would order in person.

We have used mobile ordering at Liberty Inn and at Backlot Express. We've only ordered allergy-friendly chicken tenders with mobile ordering service too, so I'm still testing out the waters with this ordering option.

Liberty Inn / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

On this occasion, we both ordered allergy-friendly chicken tenders and French fries through mobile ordering. Brandon prefers the allergy-friendly chicken tenders to the regular ones, even though he can have gluten/wheat.

When our orders arrived, we dug in. Currently, Liberty Inn is serving the Ian's brand allergy-friendly chicken tenders. Both, Brandon and I thought our servings were generous, and we both left the restaurant very full.

Overall

While I wouldn't say the food at Liberty Inn is anything special, I'm always glad it's an option in the World Showcase. And, even better is that they have allergy-friendly chicken tenders there, making it a great go-to spot for a gluten free and dairy free fried food option.

Have you been to Liberty Inn? What did you order when you dined there?

Liberty Inn Dinner Review

*This gluten free dining experience took place in August 2018. Notes about dairy free options and modifications are included in this post.

Dinner at Liberty Inn

Liberty Inn is a quick service restaurant located in the American Adventure Pavilion at Epcot's World Showcase. It's been my go-to spot for allergy-friendly chicken tenders at Epcot for many years now and is always a solid option for a quick lunch or dinner in the park. On this particular occasion, we stopped by Liberty Inn for dinner while attending the Disney Vacation Club Moonlight Magic event in the park. The event included a complimentary meal for DVC members at several restaurants. Liberty Inn was one of the restaurants listed. So, I knew allergy-friendly chicken tenders were in order.

Atmosphere

We totally forgot to take a lot of photos during dinner this evening, so I'm included a photo from a visit in December. As you can see, Liberty Inn has a colonial theme to it -- though it's not quite as detailed as say Columbia Harbour House in the Magic Kingdom.

Liberty Inn Sign / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

One of the things that threw us on this visit was that it was jam packed. Usually when we go to Liberty Inn it's busy, but not jammed. On this visit, it was the busiest I've seen it in years.

Liberty Inn - Ordering / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

That's probably due to the fact that almost everyone in Liberty Inn was getting their complimentary meal for the DVC Moonlight Magic event before the restaurant closed for the night. So, both Brandon and I were a little worried about ordering allergy-friendly chicken tenders and having to wait a long time.

Liberty Inn - Exterior / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

On our way out, I did snap a quick pic of the inside of the restaurant. It was still pretty busy in there and seating was at a premium.

The Food

Like most restaurants owned and operated by the Disney Company, Liberty Inn has an allergy-friendly menu. Of course, both Brandon and I knew what we wanted -- the allergy-friendly chicken tenders!

Liberty Inn Allergy Friendly Lunch and Dinner Menu / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

Once you place your order, you are asked to go to a counter near the end of the restaurant. From there, a manager will bring you your special diets order. On this visit, I have to admit, we waited longer than usual. But, given how crowded the restaurant was, we were not surprised or that upset by it. Since we were standing away from the main counters, we didn't feel like we were in anyone's way either.

Liberty Inn -- Allergy Friendly Chicken Tenders / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

When the manager brought our allergy-friendly chicken tenders to us, Brandon got so excited. He prefers the current brand of allergy-friendly chicken tenders served on property (Ian's) over the new allergy-friendly chicken tenders that they are testing out at locations like Columbia Harbour House. I really enjoy both. So, any allergy-friendly chicken tender is alright by me!

The Ian's brand allergy-friendly chicken tenders are free of the top common allergens but are often not soy friendly due to the oil used in the allergy fryers. Sometimes you can find them baked at select locations for those who are soy free.

Overall

As always, we both really enjoyed the allergy-friendly chicken tenders. They are always a great go-to when it comes to a quick and filling meal in the parks. We both love them and always look forward to getting them. Liberty Inn continues to be a good go to spot for them too!

Have you been to Liberty Inn? What did you order when you dined there?