The Secrets You Didn’t Know About This Popular Disney World Restaurant

When a rootin’, tootin’ hunger hits as you stroll through Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland, you know where to go to round up some vittles: Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe!

This popular Quick Service restaurant serves fast-casual Mexican or Tex-Mex food, and it’s typically packed with hungry guests, no matter the season. You can pick up your food with Mobile Order and take it right to your table, enjoying a seat indoors or outdoors.

Even if you get the fixin’s at Pecos Bill regularly, you may not know about the restaurant’s storied past!

History

This restaurant originally opened with Magic Kingdom in 1971, and at the time it was known as Pecos Bill Cafe. It was originally two separate dining locations: the Cafe and the Mile Long Bar. Glancing at the facade of the restaurant now, the blue section is where the Mile Long Bar used to be.

In 1998, both locations were closed and combined into one restaurant, receiving the name Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe. With the refurbishment, this spot got more seating, new decor, and a brand new backstory (more on that in a minute).

The menu was changed in 2015 to include the southwestern-inspired options which also altered the options on the toppings bar inside the restaurant. (Unfortunately, this was also when we lost the cheese sauce!) Disney’s Mobile Order feature became available in 2017 (although it became much more prominent when Disney World reopened after the COVID-19 closures), making Pecos Bill’s a good spot to get food fast.

Backstory

Like nearly everything in Disney World, this Quick Service spot actually has an impressive backstory! If you head inside the restaurant and look near the stone fireplace, you’ll find the tale of Pecos Bill himself written on a piece of rawhide. The story states that while his birthplace and birthdate aren’t known, we do know that he was raised by coyotes and named after the river in Texas.

The story shares, “Considered by many as the meanest, toughest, roughest cowboy of them all, Pecos Bill has been credited for inventing all things western, from rodeos to cowboy dancing, to spurs, hats, and lassos. He can draw faster, shoot straighter, and ride a horse harder than any man alive.” Pecos Bill and his horse, Widowmaker, have made quite the name for themselves on their adventures.

The information in the restaurant also shares some of the great legends of Pecos Bill. It’s said that he once hopped on a tornado and rode it like a bucking bronco and that he dug out the path to make the Rio Grande himself — when a drought threatened his beloved Texas. Thanks to him, Texas is known as the Lone Star State because one day he was so bored that he took out his six-shooter and shot down every star except one.

Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe came about when, in 1876, his friends convinced him to open his own watering hole. It became a popular hangout for many of his famous acquaintances, and they left him many gifts to adorn the walls of the restaurant. The story on the rawhide ends with the phrase, “Seems that every trail eventually led to the Tall Tale Inn and Cafe.”

Decorations

And those famous friends? Some of them you might remember, especially when you spot their memorabilia while you’re dining! In various places around the restaurant, you’ll spot items like Johnny Appleseed’s pot-hat, Paul Bunyan’s ax, Buffalo Bill’s boots, and Kit Carson’s scouting tools.

But some of his friends are even more famous still! We’ve also seen Davy Crockett’s satchel, powder horn, and coonskin cap as well as the Lone Ranger’s mask. You may find a hammer and iron nails from John Henry or even a revolver and playing cards (with bullet holes in them) from Annie Oakley. 

And speaking of interesting decorations, if you look outside you’ll find that the date on the front of the building is 1878. That’s right, the year that this restaurant was originally founded in the wild wild west!

Fun Facts

Besides the cool backstory and interesting history, there are several other fun facts you may want to know about Pecos Bill’s watering hole. If you look at the outside of the restaurant, you’ll notice that things look distinctly western on the Frontierland side where the main entrance is, while the Adventureland side has a more Spanish theme to fit with the land.

There are other references to the Tall Tale Inn & Cafe elsewhere in Frontierland. Have you noticed the advertisements for the restaurant in the Big Thunder Mountain queue? And you may have seen Pecos Bill before; he was first introduced as a character in the 1948 Disney film Melody Time.

So the next time you stop for a quick bite at this Frontierland watering hole, make sure to take a look around and see what you can find! We’re constantly impressed by the thought and detail that Disney puts into every aspect of the park, where else do you find a Quick Service restaurant with such an incredible backstory?!

Want to Learn More Fun Details from Disney World? Click Here to Check Out the Backstory of an EPCOT Icon!

Have you ever dined at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe? Tell us in the comments!

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