We are heading to one of my favorite Walt Disney World restaurants today — Liberty Tree Tavern at Magic Kingdom!

“This place is awesome, why?” you ask? Because it’s FOOD and LEARNING all in ONE! Shazam!!! Beat THAT, Be Our Guest!!! ;-D

OK, so I clearly have a soft spot in my heart for LTT, and it really is a bunch of comfort food with a hearty side of history blended in. Ready to take a peek? Time to board the learning train! Woo-woo!

Atmosphere

Liberty Tree Tavern is situated in Liberty Square, just a stone’s throw from Cinderella Castle. While the main focus of Liberty Square and the restaurant itself is a celebration of Colonial American History, it’s also an important spot in Disney History; Liberty Tree opened with the park on October 1, 1971. See? Staying power.

Enter the lobby and check in at the podium just to the left of the door. The lobby itself is cozy and rustic, with wood paneling and wrought iron chandeliers. A huge fireplace — the kind used for cooking and big enough to stand in — is the focal point of the room. But soaring, two-story ceilings and all of those hard surfaces can make for a lot of noise. Be prepared!

Be sure to arrange an advance dining reservation if you’d like to eat here, as it’s usually a pretty busy place. And keep in mind that lunch and dinner have different menus and service styles. More about that in a bit!

Once your table is ready, you’ll be announced by a cast member — Town Crier style! Talk about an entrance. 😉 But get your head out of the clouds, already; we have learning to do! En route to your table, have a look around; there are some interesting details here and you don’t want to overlook them.

Within Liberty Tree Tavern, you’ll find six distinct rooms or seating areas, each named for a notable historical figure. See if your favorite Colonial American hero numbers among them; the list includes Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Paul Jones, Paul Revere, Betsy Ross, and George Washington.

This spot with hats and coats hanging by the door has always been one of my favorite details. There’s John Paul Jones to the right!

Walls in all of the seating areas are covered with Colonial-Era paintings and portraits, and you’ll also find super detailed decorative touches, like this model ship.

You’ll know Betsy Ross’s Room by the flag, of course!

Founding Father Benjamin Franklin’s portrait hangs in the room commemorating his life and work.

You’ll also find his famous kite! I love this. You’re SO going to impress your friends by knowing about all of these details. You can see your kids’ “what I learned on my vacation” report writing itself, can’t you?

Here’s more from the John Paul Jones room.

When it comes to seating and surroundings, you may find yourself feeling like you’re dining in someone’s home. Tables and chairs look like they’re straight out of your grandparents’ (great grandparents’? great great grandparents?) dining room.

While chairs comprise most of the seating, you’ll also find some mixed banquette and chair seating.

Time to turn our attention to the food! Let’s take a look at what we enjoyed during our most recent visit to Liberty Tree.

Eats

If you’ve never dined at Liberty Tree Tavern, you should be aware that Lunch and Dinner are different types of meals. While dinner is an all-you-care-to-enjoy meal (Thanksgiving!!!), served family style, lunch is an a la carte situation. You’ll choose each of your courses from the menu and pay for everything accordingly, rather than a set per-person price.

The good news is that if you’re trying to get a dinner ADR but can’t manage to swing it, you can still get some of the dinner options on the lunch menu — you just can’t get seconds and thirds. 🙂

I decided to start off my meal with Today’s Soup Kettle option — the Soup of the Day. The hearty Vegetable Beef Soup featured a rich Broth, and was loaded with Roast Beef and a ton of Vegetables. Very satisfying.

My friend decided to give the Freedom Pasta a try. The dish includes Farfalle Pasta tossed with Vegetables, Mushrooms, and Chicken in a Cream Sauce. The dish came topped with a spinkle of grated Parmesan Cheese. While it’s nothing fancy (or particularly colonial 😉 ), it IS very good.

I can remember when this one was new on the menu (using a different pasta) and how much I liked it! It was better back then (a thicker cream sauce, more flavorful chicken-with-skin, etc), but it’s still a filling, very comforting option.

Now, my favorite thing to order when I come to Liberty Tree is their Angus Chuck Cheeseburger. I hardly ever miss a chance to enjoy it — it’s one of my favorite Disney Burgers!

But during this visit, I decided to try another dish that Liberty Tree is known for — the Pilgrim’s Feast.

Craving Thanksgiving Dinner in the middle of July? No problem. Whether you visit Liberty Tree for lunch or dinner, you can enjoy a Traditional Turkey Dinner with many of the trimmings! You can see from the photo — this is the real deal, with real Roasted Turkey Breast Meat, complete with Skin!

There’s also mashed potatoes, green beans, and STUFFING!!!!!!

This one’s tough to photograph as there’s so much hidden beneath the stack of turkey…and the gravy tends to get a little skin on it, so it looks weird…but it is a delicious meal. Even for people like me who don’t LURVE Thanksgiving dinner.

With a delicious meal under our belts, it was time to check out our options for a sweet ending. I can never resist a Fruit Crisp, so that was our first choice. Topped with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream, this classic combo of peaches and cream, and hot meets cold, didn’t disappoint.

But while it was just as delicious as it looks, it couldn’t steer me away from ordering one of my most favorite desserts in all of Disney — Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake!

So pretty, right!?

Warm, sweet, gooey, and delicious, this one is the perfect vacay indulgence. And if these pics are causing you to crave this treat like I am, check out our handy recipe!

Overall

If you’re looking for surprises…you’ve probably come to the wrong place. I have loved Liberty Tree Tavern for lunch in the past, and I continue to love it. Its terrific track record holds, and I’m happy to continue recommending to anyone who will listen!

It’s the complete package: the food, while nothing particularly fancy, is always good and fresh. The decor does just exactly what it’s supposed to do — it immerses you in another time and place. And with every delicious meal I have here, I recount countless memories of good times with friends and family from years past.

Plus, I often (not always, but often) have great service here. I think a lot of the servers have been at LTT for a long time, and they really know how to handle a tired, stressed park-goer who just wants some good food fast. ;-D

And so, I’ll continue to eat at Liberty Tree Tavern (especially for lunch), and I’ll keep recommending that you do the same!

Is Liberty Tree Tavern one of your Disney favorites as well? Leave a comment and tell us what you think of this beloved Disney World restaurant!