DebK and I had the opportunity to eat here as part of the Disneyland media event last month, so I thought I’d share our experience.

This is a new eatery – it opened at the beginning of April at the Big Thunder Ranch area in Disneyland. As you might guess from the name, it serves BBQ – ribs, chicken, coleslaw, beans, corn on the cob and corn bread. There are also vegetarian options – there is a skewer with BBQ veggies and tofu, and the beans and coleslaw are vegetarian. The price is $28.99 for adults and $12.99 for kids 9 and under. That includes drinks and dessert but not tax and tip.

It’s an outdoor setting – picnic tables covered with tablecloths. There are awnings above the tables, but depending upon the angle of the sun you might still be sitting in the sun and not the shade. Depending on your party size and how busy the restaurant is, you will probably be seated at a table with other guests.

Once seated, the server will take your drink orders – and if you want the vegetarian option, that’s when you request it – other than that it’s a set menu, and everyone receives the same thing. The meal is served family style and the server brings out buckets of the various menu items, with portions based on the size of your party. If you are seated with other guests each party will receive their own set of food items. The meal is “all-you-care-to-eat”, so if you want seconds of anything, just ask your server.

While not labeled a “character meal”, this is a character experience – Woody, Jessie and Bullseye from Toy Story roam around the area and interact with the guests and pose for pictures. In addition there is a stage show going on, which might feature Miss Chris (the “owner” of the place), Tex Tumbleweed, a piano player, or skits by the Toy Story characters. It’s on-going entertainment rather than a set show with a beginning and an end, so it really doesn’t matter when you come into it. Sometimes they attempt to get the audience involved, which can be annoying when you’re trying to eat. It can be loud, making conversation difficult, so requesting a table away from the stage might lead to a quieter meal.

I tried the vegetarian skewers, and I have to say that they were very good. The rub they use on the tofu and the grilled veggies is the same rub they use on the chicken, and it was just a little spicy – nicely spiced, though and not too hot. This item was apparently cooked to order and was not served with all of the other food – I had to wait about 5 minutes, but that meant it was fresh and hot.

The coleslaw was vinegar-based and not mayonnaise based – I liked that, because it had a nice bite to it, but I know some people prefer the other kind. It was very fresh and crunchy cabbage. The beans were quite good, also. I was a little disappointed in the corn bread – it was pretty dry. They had honey for the cornbread in addition to butter though we had to ask for it.

I didn’t try the chicken or ribs but Deb did, and says: “The ribs were meaty and the sauce was very good. A little on the sweet side and not too smoky at all, which I prefer. The chicken was good, but I noticed our portion was mostly thighs and wings — I would have liked more white meat but didn’t think to ask for it.”

For dessert they brought out the “boing-boing” box, which had Miss Chris’ special Cowboy Cone cakes. There were four different kinds, each served in a big waffle cone. There was frosting on top, then a large cupcake, with a fruit filling in the bottom. The chocolate cupcake has cherries in the bottom with chocolate mousse icing on top, and there’s a red velvet cupcake with chocolate frosting and raspberries. Also a white cupcake with strawberries and whipped cream, and another white cupcake with lemon and whipped cream. I tried the chocolate and red velvet cupcakes and they were pretty good – the cake was nice and moist, though I can’t say the fruit filling (more like canned pie filling) did much for me. Deb enjoyed the cake but found all of the frosting and pie filling to be too sweet. She suggests that another dessert choice, such as a dish of ice cream, would have been a welcome option.

I enjoyed the meal but I probably will not eat here again – $30 for BBQ is just too expensive when I can eat at other Disneyland restaurants for less than half the price. But we don’t have kids, so the character aspect of it is not a draw for us…for those who do have kids it’s cheaper than some of the other character meals. Be aware that there is no separate kids menu – it’s the same BBQ selections that the adults receive.

I really did like the food, though – if Disney offered this menu at a price comparable to their other casual dining restaurants we would probably eat here often.

Deb adds: “I agree the price is out of line for what you get — you’re not even inside, it’s very casual, I just don’t think it’s worth that kind of money, especially not for lunch.”