Liberty Tree Tavern | the disney food blog

Disney Recipe: Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake at Liberty Tree Tavern

Sometimes I find a dessert in Disney World that takes my breath away (‘Ohana Bread Pudding, I’m looking at YOU!). And I’ll be honest with you — I really didn’t expect it to be this one!

Learn About:Liberty Tree Tavern

Magic Kingdom
Disney World Restaurants

When I first saw the Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake on the lunch menu at Liberty Tree Tavern several years ago, I ordered something else thinking I didn’t really want “cake.”

Man-oh-man did I learn my lesson on the next visit, when I ordered it only because it was the dessert I hadn’t had before. (I know! I can’t believe it, either!)

For those who haven’t tried it, this isn’t “cake.” It’s more like a crispy-on-the-outside, gooey-on-the-inside toffee chocolate chip cookie-ish sort of thing.

Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake at Liberty Tree Tavern in Magic Kingdom

Rich, buttery flavor is complimented by the bittersweet chocolate chips. Ice cream tops the whole thing off, and the dessert is drizzled in chocolate and toffee. Basically? It’s one of the best desserts on Disney property…hands down. And here’s how you make it…

Liberty Tree Tavern Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake Recipe

Cake Bottom

Serves: 5-6
Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 10 min

Ingredients
1 box yellow cake mix
1 large egg
1 stick butter (softened) [Read more…]

What’s Your Favorite Disney Burger?

By AJ 48 Comments

It’s usually my job to smash though the stereotype that theme parks only serve burgers and fries, but today…it’s time to embrace it! We’re going to talk burgers, all! Are ya ready to share your favorites?

It’s time to update our “best burgers in Disney World” list, and we think there are some seriously unexpected meat-and-bun creations that go far beyond what you would expect from a theme park burger. Let’s take a look at some of the most notable in the bunch.

This isn’t an exhaustive list, though! I’d love to hear your favorites in the comments below!

Picnic Burger at Sci-Fi Dine-In

UPDATE: Please note that the Picnic Burger is not currently being served at Sci-Fi-Dine-In Restaurant, but they often feature a specialty burger on the menu in addition to the Build-Your-Own Burger.

The All American Picnic Burger is a flame-broiled Angus burger patty topped with…wait until you hear this…a grilled hot dog! On top of this, you get sauerkraut, sautéed onions, ketchup, mustard, and a pickle spear! Yep — this one is HUGE…and messy!

Served at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, it’s a picnic on a plate. Go ahead and indulge!

Picnic Burger

Beaches and Cream Burger

The simple Beaches and Cream Burger made our very first “Best Burgers” list way back when, and now their upgraded Bacon and Blue version has made our list again!

Beaches and Cream is your spot for comforting food, including malted milkshakes, chicken noodle soup, awesome ice cream sundaes, and Angus cheeseburgers.

Bacon and Blue Burger at Beaches and Cream

Surf and Surf “Burger” at Landscape of Flavors

This is probably the newest on the list, and hails from Art of Animation Resort’s Landscape of Flavors!

Not technically a burger, the Surf and Surf is actually a Crab Cake topped with fried popcorn shrimp, tomato, lettuce, and Cajun remoulade on a brioche bun. There are plenty of other great burgers to choose from at this new counter-service stop, though, so [Read more…]

Guest Review: Liberty Tree Tavern Dinner

By AJ 20 Comments

Learn About:Liberty Tree Tavern

Magic Kingdom
Disney World Restaurants

Join me in welcoming back guest author Aaron Crum as he takes us to the Liberty Tree Tavern in the Magic Kingdom for a family-style meal!

Imagine this: you are walking through Walt Disney World, and suddenly you find yourself immersed in colonial America.

Not only are you reliving some of American history, you discover that it’s Thanksgiving Day and a feast has been prepared for you to enjoy.

Welcome to Liberty Tree Tavern!

Atmosphere

Liberty Tree Tavern is located in the Liberty Square area of Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. The lobby has somewhat of a “lodge” feel to it. There is a lot of exposed wood and very open spaces.

Exterior

When we visited, the computers were down, causing several delays and the restaurant to be extremely crowded. After waiting outside for our table to be ready, we were summoned to the lobby and taken to our table.

Decor

There are several different dining rooms within Liberty Tree Tavern, all themed after historical figures from United States history. We happened to be seated in the [Read more…]

Reader Poll: Rather Eat Thanksgiving Dinner at Home or at a Disney Restaurant?

By AJ 9 Comments

Happy Thanksgiving!

My family is considering having Thanksgiving in Disney World next year, and I wanted to hear some opinions about that! So we asked our Facebook Page Fans:

Would you rather have Thanksgiving Dinner at home, or at a Disney restaurant?.

Our readers chimed in with their holiday preferences! While dining at home was a strong contender due to family traditions, leftovers, cost-savings, aversion to holiday crowds, and a palate for a real home-cooked meal, ordering Thanksgiving dinner at a Disney restaurant was the clear winner!

And these voters didn’t care where they ate at Disney — they just wanted to be in the middle of the magic for the holiday. In fact, we think some of you might be happy with one of these!:

Disney Turkey Leg

Here are some of the other suggestions we received!: [Read more…]

Review: Liberty Tree Tavern Dinner

By AJ 26 Comments

Learn About:Liberty Tree Tavern

Magic Kingdom
Disney World Restaurants

If you’ve been following our blog for a while, you’ll know how much I love Liberty Tree Tavern in the Magic Kingdom. This is one of my veeeeeeery favorite restaurants to visit for lunch, because it’s simple, good food; usually great service; quick; easy; and relatively inexpensive. It’s consistently in our top 5 Disney restaurants at our house!

But I hadn’t been for dinner in a long time. A really long time. Like, “not in over three years” kind of a long time. So one night during our recent trip to Disney World, we decided on a whim to cancel our current dinner reservation and go to Liberty Tree Tavern. My husband had never been, and I was craving some mac and cheese, so… off to Liberty Square!

Liberty Tree Tavern

Atmosphere

When you walk into Liberty Tree Tavern, you can immediately tell that it’s meant to represent colonial days. The wood paneling, candlestick sconces and chandeliers, and thick glass windows along with the absolutely massive cooking fireplace in the lobby make you feel as though you might be in Colonial Williamsburg!

Liberty Tree Tavern Lobby

Table Setting at Liberty Tree Tavern

What you don’t immediately see is some of the best restaurant Imagineering in Disney World as far as I’m concerned. I’ve done an entire post previously about this, but I’ll [Read more…]

Disney Food Trends: Gourmet Mac and Cheese

By AJ 22 Comments

Even Chef Mickey is in on the trend...

I’ve been noticing a few food trends while traipsing through Disney parks, and I think they’re important to mention — especially since they seem to be popping up on every menu re-vamp out there.

First, we gotta take a gander at good old macaroni and cheese. When I asked Disney World’s Sanaa Chef Bob Getchell about the gourmet mac and cheese trend that seems to be taking over Disney restaurants, he mentioned that chefs like to make food they themselves love; many have fond memories of mac and cheese while they were growing up, and they want to create new and improved contemporary recipes for the dish. Here are a few of our favorite versions on and around Disney property:

Yachtsman Steakhouse
Yacht Club Resort’s Yachtsman Steakhouse gets a nod due to a relatively new mac and cheese dish I found on the menu in October. Their truffle mac and cheese uses huge orecchiette noodles and Reypenaer cheese with a touch of truffle oil and a topping of crunchy onions. It’s served in a cast iron baking dish that lends a rustic look — very fun! The best part — it tastes amazing. Rich, tangy, creamy sauce nestles into those pasta pieces and serves as the perfect accompaniment to the meal. This is sold as a side dish only, so be sure to look for it at the bottom of the menu.

Yachtsman Steakhouse Mac and Cheese Side Dish

Le Cellier
Not to be outdone, Epcot’s Le Cellier Steakhouse has also introduced some mac and cheese on the menu. Served in a cast iron skillet, elbow macaroni is [Read more…]

Gingerbread Displays At Disney World 2010, Part 2

By AJ 5 Comments

As you know, Disney World showcases some truly edible artistry when it comes to their amazing gingerbread displays during the holidays! So far this year, we’ve gone on a photo tour of the Grand Floridian’s Gingerbread House and the gingerbread displays in Disney’s Boardwalk, Beach Club, and Contemporary resorts.

American Adventure Gingerbread House

Today, we’re checking out the gingerbread houses at the Polynesian Resort, the fun gingerbread and gum (yep — GUM!) display at Magic Kingdom’s Liberty Tree Tavern, the (non-edible, but food-related) display at Yacht Club, and the life-sized gingerbread house at Epcot’s [Read more…]

Guest Review: Liberty Tree Tavern Dinner

By AJ 6 Comments

Welcome James Hummel (who you may know as @DisneyNorth over on Twitter) as a guest author today! James is a font of wine knowledge, but today he’s reporting on dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern — which serves a menu akin to a typical United States Thanksgiving-type meal each night. Enjoy, and Happy Thanksgiving! (Interestingly, James is from Canada, so he probably has to work today. Poor James. 🙁 )

Having never dined at a Magic Kingdom table service restaurant, I figured it was time to check one out. After reading the great reviews about the lunch that was served at Liberty Tree Tavern, I thought I would “take one for the team” and check out dinner.

Atmosphere
As with the rest of Liberty Square, the Liberty Tree Tavern looks like a stereotypical 18th century American Revolutionary War period establishment. Guests are welcomed into an open common area with a large fire place/cooking area. The room was decorated with an autumn theme when we were there.

Entry Lobby Decor and Chandelier

While I’m used to a certain level of noise at Walt Disney World, Liberty Tree Tavern seemed rather loud. Granted, my 2 year old son had no trouble adding to the noise level. There seemed to be a [Read more…]

Disney Food Post Round-Up: September 26, 2010

By AJ Leave a Comment

Coming to you LIVE from Walt Disney World, here’s this week’s Disney Food Post Round-Up!

Reminders…

First, two reminders for this week:

The Epcot Food and Wine Festival is beginning on October 1st (that’s Friday!). Here’s our quick-click guide that includes menus, photos (even pics of the food you can get THIS YEAR!), and more:
2010 Epcot Food & Wine Festival Guide and Map
International Marketplace Booths & Menus
Free & Low-Cost Attractions and Demos
Special and Signature Attractions
Eat to the Beat! Concerts
The WDW Foodie Fest is happening one week from today! On Sunday, October 3rd, we’ll hold our first ever Disney Food Blog meet-up! Come find us at Ariel’s in the Beach Club Resort between 11am-2pm. Scavenger Hunt through the Food and Wine Festival starts at 11! Read more and register at the WDW Foodie Fest Website!

This Week’s News

MNSSHP Wicked Witch Cupcake

A few news items this week, coupled with some great new stuff I’ve found at WDW:

Disney California Adventure Paradise Pier dining concept art news and photos.
More info on potential price increases at Disney World Buffets
Review of two new menu items at Liberty Tree Tavern in Magic Kingdom
Pics of a few NEW cupcakes introduced for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.

Round-Up

And now, on to the round-up:

Tim Rogerson, the Disney artist extraordinaire (whom we interviewed HERE!), has a cool new time-lapse video of his 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival signature artwork!

2719 Hyperion takes us to the original Captain Cook’s Hideaway.

Frugal Dinks brings us their review of Epcot’s La Hacienda de San Angel Restaurant.

The Disney Chick makes sunflower seed bread from Epcot’s Garden Grill!

Main St Gazette dines at Rose and Crown!

Eating Around the World goes to Biergarten!

Zannaland has a pic of the new Duffy the Bear rice krispie treat!

Disney Parks Blog has an awesome video from Disneyland detailing how they made their Haunted Gingerbread House for this year’s Haunted Mansion overlay!

Two New Menu Items at Disney World’s Liberty Tree Tavern

By AJ 11 Comments

After being a burger devotee at Liberty Tree Tavern‘s lunch rush for years, I decided to change it up this week and order two of the newest items on the menu!

First up — the Freedom Pasta: chicken, sauteed with tomatoes, mushrooms, and fresh basil join fusilli pasta in a cream sauce. The verdict? Delicious. I needed to add salt (as per usual with me and cream sauces), but the chicken was crispy and not overdone, and the sauce was thick vs. watery (WHY do chefs let watery cream sauces exist? Why?).

Freedom Pasta at Liberty Tree Tavern

For dessert, I went with the brand new gluten-free dessert — Decadent Chocolate Terrine. This is like taking a slab of the richest brownie dough you can imagine out of the refrigerator and eating it raw. Some of you (like me) will [Read more…]