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Roundup Rodeo BBQ review: is it worth it?

Roundup Rodeo BBQ review: is it worth it?

Yee-haw! It’s time eat some barbecue in Andy’s backyard and say hello to your favorite Toy Story pals.

Roundup Rodeo BBQ is the newest Table Service restaurant that opened at Hollywood Studios on March 23, 2023.

It’s located in Toy Story Land. It’s as if Andy set up his own restaurant in his backyard, which is evident in the theming, design, interactions, food, and more.

You can either book a lunch or dinner here. Both meals feature the same offerings and are all-you-can-eat served family-style.

While this is not character dining, the theming is beyond fun. You can also expect different interactive elements that Toy Story fans will love.

Here’s our Roundup Rodeo BBQ review based on when dined at the new restaurant on May 4, 2023.

The basics

  • Date we dined at Roundup Rodeo BBQ: Thursday, May 4, 2023
  • Meal we booked: Dinner, family-style
  • Time: 5:50 p.m.
  • Dinner price (plus tax and gratuity): $45 per adult and $25 per child (ages 3 to 9)

Roundup Rodeo BBQ

Roundup Rodeo BBQ is a Table Service restaurant that serves lunch and dinner family-style. The location is themed after Toy Story, but is not character dining.

roundup rodeo bbq in toy story land at hollywood studios

Location type: Table Service
Type of food: American
Meals Served: Lunch and dinner
Seating Available: Indoor

  • On the Disney Dining Plan? Yes, 1 Table Service credit(s)
  • Pros: Fun Toy Story theming, with great BBQ-inspired food for everyone, including vegans and vegetarians
  • Cons: Can get very busy
  • Tips: Roundup Rodeo BBQ is so popular, reservations are extremely hard to get. Be sure to book 60 days in advance.

Booking ahead

Roundup Rodeo BBQ can be a difficult dining reservation to get due it being popular and new. We recommend (like we do with most dining reservations at Disney World), to make reservations as soon as you can.

Reservations for all the restaurants at Disney World currently open up exactly 60 days in advance — and you should book dining as soon as you can.

roundup rodeo bbq dinner confirmation in my disney experience app

Grabbing dining reservations at Disney World is extremely competitive. We were lucky to snag a Roundup Rodeo BBQ dinner reservation 39 days prior to our trip.

You never know when there will be availability, but the most surefire way to get any reservation is booking 60 days before your trip begins.

Other ways to score a Roundup Rodeo BBQ dining reservation

Set dining alerts

If you don’t get a Roundup Rodeo BBQ reservation or want to try to book one last minute, try setting up a dining alert.

Reservation finding services are built to constantly check for openings at restaurants that you choose. Depending on the service, you can receive an email and/or text alert or a push notification when something becomes available.

Keep checking

You can also keeping checking yourself to see if anything opens up. We’ve had a lot of luck with this method. Trust us when we say reservations become available all the time — even the day of!

Join the waitlist

Many Disney World restaurants also have a waitlist option that you can either join in the My Disney Experience app or in person.

If you don’t have luck snagging a reservation, this might be your next best bet. But, keep in mind, it’s not always a guarantee.

Checking in

Like with many Table Service restaurants across Disney World, you are able to check in for your reservation 20 minutes prior using the My Disney Experience app.

mobile check in for roundup rodeo bbq

If you check in via the app, you can only do so up to 20 minutes prior to your reservation time. We checked in at 5:37 p.m., but we had to wait a bit before our name was called.

The restaurant was very busy with a lot of guests outside waiting. We didn’t enter Roundup Rodeo until 6:15 p.m., which was 25 minutes past our initial reservation time.

check-in stand at roundup rodeo bbq

This probably isn’t the case every time, nor do we anticipate it being like this forever. Seeing as Roundup Rodeo is brand new with lots of interest, they have a lot of guests to accommodate throughout the day.

Sometimes it takes a new restaurant to find its groove, especially when it’s located at a busy theme park. This is something to keep in mind if you plan to dine here.

What’s included in lunch and dinner at Roundup Rodeo BBQ

Let’s take a look at what’s included during lunch and dinner at Roundup Rodeo BBQ…

giddy up for barbecue at roundup rodeo bbq

Roundup Rodeo BBQ all-you-can-eat family-style meal includes:

  • Bread Service
  • Salad
  • Sides
  • Platter (meat or plant-based)
  • Salmon (available upon request)
  • Dessert
  • Beverages (select non-alcoholic drinks are an additional price; all alcoholic drinks cost extra)

Roundup Rodeo BBQ food and drinks

For lunch and dinner, you get an all-you-can-eat family-style meal.

Here’s what was included with our May 4, 2023 dinner at Roundup Rodeo BBQ (keep in mind that menus and prices change, so the following may not always be the same).

roundup rodeo bbq menu

Bread Service

Your meal starts with the Prospector’s Homemade Cheddar Biscuits with Sweet Pepper Jelly. Yes, they are as good as they look.

The Prospector’s Homemade Cheddar Biscuits with Sweet Pepper Jelly at Roundup Rodeo BBQ

We cannot express enough how amazing these were. If we hadn’t been so full after our meal, we would’ve easily asked to see if it was possible to take a basket of these back to our hotel.

Tip: You can also ask for plant-based rolls to be served alongside the sweet pepper jelly.

Salads (enjoy all 3)

The table is served all three salads. While none of these were memorable, the salads were light and refreshing after a hot and busy park day.

These are also a lovely change from standard theme park food that can be super heavy.

Rootin’ Tootin Tomato Salad (plant-based)

  • Cucumbers, Pickled Red Onion, White Balsamic Vinaigrette
Rootin' Tootin Tomato Salad at Roundup Rodeo Bbq

Rex’s Romaine and Kale Salad

  • Apples, Dried Cranberries, Pumpkin Seeds, Green Goddess Dressing
Rex's Romaine And Kale Salad at Roundup Rodeo Bbq

Wheezy’s Watermelon Salad (plant-based)

  • Served with Fresh-torn Mint (as you can see here, we didn’t get much mint)
Wheezy's Watermelon Salad at Roundup Rodeo Bbq

Sides (select 4 for the table)

You are allowed to pick 4 sides for the table. While they all sounded pretty darn delicious, we picked the following.

Force Field Fried Pickles

fried pickles at roundup rodeo bbq

We love fried pickles, especially when they’re fried pickle spears. These were really good, but we wish they would’ve been served with a dipping sauce. Maybe some ranch dressing?

Campfire-roasted Vegetables (Plant-based)

campfire roasted vegetables at roundup rodeo bbq

The roasted seasonal vegetables were delicious and seasoned well. The more veggie options, the better, at least in our opinion.

The Married Spuds (Loaded Potato Barrels)

loaded potato barrels at roundup rodeo bbq

These loaded potato barrels are just tater tots topped with green goddess dressing, cheese sauce, and seasoned BBQ spices. While they may look simple, these were actually really good.

Sometimes dishes don’t need to be over the top. Plus, you can really never go wrong with tater tots — just ask Napoleon Dynamite.

Slinky Doooooooooog’s Mac & Cheese

slinky dog macaroni and cheese at roundup rodeo bbq

This isn’t your regular macaroni and cheese. First of all, the name says it all — Slinky Doooooooooog’s Mac & Cheese. You are required to say it that way. Ok, not really, but it’s much more fun to do so.

This macaroni and cheese doesn’t just celebrate Slinky Dog in its name, but also in the noodles. They are supposed to resemble Slinky’s elongated, spring body.

As for the dish itself, the macaroni and cheese was fine. It’s simply macaroni and cheese topped with crumbled cheddar crackers.

The other sides available to order, include:

  • Mean Old Potato Salad (Homestyle Red-skinned Potatoes)
  • Veggie Slaw (Plant-based)
  • Buckin’ Baked Beans (Plant-based)
  • Cowpoke Corn on the Cob (Grilled Street Corn seasoned with a chili-lime spice blend, cilantro, cotija cheese, and lime juice)

Platter (choose one)

The table also chooses a platter that comes with a variety of barbecue options. There is one with several types of smoked meats and another that is plant-based.

House-Smoked Items

  • Evil Dr. Smoked Ribs, Buttercup’s Beef Brisket, There’s a Sausage in my Boot – Fire-grilled Pork Sausage, BBQ Chicken – with Style!
house-smoked meat platter at roundup rodeo bbq

As you can see, you get a lot of meat. Heather and Felicia liked everything they tried, including the sausage and the brisket.

They appreciated the variety, but it would be nice if you could choose 2 or 3 options for the platter, instead of being served everything.

This way, you’re not wasting any food. Heather and Felicia didn’t even touch the chicken, mainly because it was fused to the bone.

But, overall, this is a solid barbecue platter.

Trixie’s Plant-based Trio

  • Combat Carloflower with Harissa Drizzle and Walnut Gremolata, Scrumptious Bratwurst, Rip Roarin’ Rib Chop
Trixie's Plant-based Trio at Roundup Rodeo BBQ

While Heather and Felicia enjoyed the house-smoked platter, Allyson ordered the plant-based version.

Overall, these options were tasty. She really enjoyed the “Carloflower,” which was covered with harissa drizzle and walnut gremolata.

You might be wondering why Allyson’s platter looks so much smaller than Heather and Felicia’s basket. That’s because they brought out a house-smoked platter for 2 guests and a plant-based platter for only one guest.

And thank goodness, because Allyson couldn’t have eaten more than once piece of each plant-based offerings.

Cedar-Plank Saloon Salmon

  • The salmon is available upon request
cedar plank saloon salmon served at roundup rodeo bbq

Since this salmon is available upon request, this means you must ask for it. Otherwise, you will only be served the platter of your choice. And if it entices you, Felicia thought the salmon was absolutely delicious.

Note: there are Spicy, Classic, and Sweet sauces on each table. They are all pretty decent and a nice addition for the platters.

spicy classic and sweet sauces on table at roundup rodeo bbq

For Kids

While there isn’t a separate kids’ menu, there are plenty of menu items little ones will enjoy, including…

Cupcake à la Forky at Roundup Rodeo BBQ
  • Prospector’s Homemade Cheddar Biscuits (probably without the sweet pepper jelly)
  • Wheezy’s Watermelon Salad (plant-based)
  • The Married Spuds (Loaded Potato Barrels)
  • Slinky Doooooooooog’s Mac & Cheese
  • House-Smoked Items (the ribs and BBQ chicken)
  • Billy’s Chocolate Silk Pie
  • Goat’s Apple Pie
  • Cupcake à la Forky (Gooey Chocolate Cake, Graham Cracker, Buttercream, Sugar Cookie)
  • Frozen Cowpoke Cocoa (Frozen Cocoa and Minute Maid Vanilla Smoothie topped with Mini Marshmallows)
  • Molly’s Frozen Iced Tea (Frosty blend of Iced Tea and Citrus flavors)
  • Partysaurus Tex (Minute Maid Premium Lemonade and Strawberry Purée, garnished with Gummy Candy)

Kids also receive a coloring sheet with crayons to keep them entertained!

Desserts (select one each per guest)

Each guests gets to choose one mini pie-in-a-jar. They are absolutely adorable and the perfect amount of dessert after all of the other food you consume beforehand.

While we didn’t try either the Goat’s Apple Pie or the kid-friendly Forky cupcake, we did order:

Bo’s Lemon and Blueberry Cheesecake

Bo's Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake at Roundup Rodeo Bbq

This was Heather’s choice. While she thought it was good, she could barely eat any of it because she didn’t have anymore room after the biscuits, salads, sides, and platter.

Billy’s Chocolate Silk Pie

Billy's Chocolate Silk Pie at Roundup Rodeo Bbq

Even though she was also full (like all of us were), this didn’t stop Felicia from devouring the mini-chocolate silk pie because it was that good.

Gruff’s Peach-Strawberry Pie (Plant-based)

Gruff’s Peach-Strawberry plant-based pie at roundup rodeo bbq

Allyson chose the plant-based pie, and, well, it was disappointing. The pie was pretty flavorless and had a weird texture. Plus, there was just too much whipped topping. Roundup Rodeo definitely needs a better plant-based dessert.

Drinks

Here’s what you can expect from beverages at Roundup Rodeo…

Included

Water, soft drinks, juice, coffee, tea, and milk are all included with the cost of your meal.

Non-alcoholic beverages for an additional price

We didn’t taste of any these, but there are a variety of specialty non-alcoholic beverages available, like lemonade, frozen iced tea, and frozen cocoa. A lot of these are great for kids.

drink menu at roundup rodeo bbq

Alcoholic beverages for an additional price

You can order beer, cider, wine, or themed-cocktails. We all tried one of the “Grown-Up Drinks” and they weren’t quite what we expected or had hoped for.

Rum on the Range (Heather’s choice)

  • SelvaRey Chocolate Rum, RumChata Liqueur, Chocolate, Toasted Marshmallow
rum on the range cocktail at roundup rodeo bbq

In the words of Heather, this tasted like “chocolate milk made with water.” It was not good and seriously tasted like watered-down chocolate milk. You should definitely pass on Rum on the Range.

Rattler Rum Punch (Allyson’s choice)

  • Bacardi Superior Rum, Orange-Pineapple Juice, Lime, and Passion Fruit, garnished with a Sweet-and-Spicy Rim
rattler rum punch at roundup rodeo bbq

Allyson really wanted to love this, but, well, she barely took two sips. Despite the description sounding delicious, the Rattler Rum Punch tasted artificial. The sweet-and-spicy rim also wasn’t her thing.

Whinnyin’ Whiskey Lemonade (Felicia’s choice)

  • Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, Aperol Liqueur, Strawberry Puree, Lemonade, Basil
Whinnyin’ Whiskey Lemonade at roundup rodeo bbq

While Heather and Allyson had unfortunate experiences with their beverages, Felicia enjoyed the Whinnyin’ Whiskey Lemonade (say that 5 times fast). So much so, she drank the whole thing.

The moral of the story is: don’t come to Roundup Rodeo for the “Grown-Up” cocktails.

Important: If you or someone in your party has dietary restrictions, many Disney World restaurants have accommodations and they also sometimes list the allergy-friendly items on the menu (online and in the My Disney Experience app). If you have questions, be sure to chat with a Cast Member and they’ll be able to assist you.

Toy Story-themed interactions

Even though Roundup Rodeo isn’t character dining, the Table Service restaurant is still very much fun and extremely well-themed.

If you want to walk into the restaurant blind regarding these interactions, stop reading now. If not, here are a few things you can expect.

“Andy’s coming!”

What might be the best part of the entire Roundup Rodeo experience, there is a moment where the Green Army Men come over the walkie talkie to announce that, “Andy’s coming!”

Toy Story fans know what that means — you have to freeze in your exact position until he’s gone.

andy's coming at roundup rodeo bbq

To be clear, Andy doesn’t physically enter the restaurant, but you can hear him over the speakers. We are obviously toys in his backyard, so when Andy is around, you have to remain stationary like a toy.

Everyone plays along, too, including the servers! We’ve never seen people listen so well. We all literally stopped what we were doing, didn’t move one inch, and didn’t speak one word, until we were given the clear Andy was out of sight.

It was so much fun!

Yard sale

During your meal, you might even hear the Green Army Men, Woody, and Slinky announcing that there is a “yard sale”!

Toys do not like yard sales, because, well, one day they could become part of one and then sold off to a stranger. So not cool.

This definitely adds to the atmosphere and makes you feel as if you’re an actual toy. It’s super cute.

Ride a horse to your table

Do you see these horse stick toys? Well, you can ride one to your table. We aren’t joking.

stick pony at roundup rodeo bbq

Mainly, they seem to be reserved for kids. Adults can use them too, but you might have to ask. We did not try them out, but we are regretting at least not taking a photo with one.

Signing your bill

If you’re lucky, you might get to sign your bill at Roundup Rodeo with a giant pencil. It’s like one of those mini-pencils you use during golf or trivia, but it’s blown up because you’re a toy!

Now, we say “if you’re lucky,” because we were not given the giant pencil. Two. Thumbs. Down. We had to use a normal-sized pen and it was super disappointing.

We’re not really sure why the giant pencil wasn’t bestowed upon us, but if you want to use it, you may have to ask your server for it — or you’ll end up with a boring pen.

Our most recent review of Roundup Rodeo BBQ

We loved everything about Roundup Rodeo BBQ.

While the cocktails weren’t our favorites and the plant-based dessert was sad, overall, the food was solid.

You definitely get a lot, so make sure you show up hungry! It’s a good option for guests of all ages, especially Toy Story fans. The menu has a lot of variety, including multiple plant-based and vegetarian choices that were actually really yummy.

This is truly a fun Table Service experience. Not only does it add to the already immersive and adorable atmosphere that is Toy Story Land, but Hollywood Studios desperately needed another sit-down restaurant. This is a perfect fit.

details at roundup rodeo bbq

Despite having to wait 25 minutes past our reservation time to sit down, we were only there for about 70 minutes. The service was impeccable, plus we had a friendly server who made our experience go smoothly.

We also appreciated that for as crowded as it was, the restaurant never seemed super loud or chaotic.

All that said, we are excited to go back and try Roundup Rodeo on an emptier stomach and not after a long day of testing touring plans for Hollywood Studios.

We were tired and also somewhat full from eating lunch at Hollywood & Vine that very same day. The fact that we enjoyed Roundup Rodeo so much while not being that hungry and ready for bed, well, that says a lot.

Is Roundup Rodeo BBQ worth it?

Yes, Roundup Rodeo BBQ is worth it.

In addition to the very fun theming and atmosphere, the food and experience as a whole is worthwhile. You get a lot for your money!

If you’re looking for themed dining without characters, we recommend Roundup Rodeo. Even without characters, Roundup Rodeo is great.

We totally understand why people think characters need to be added here. We get it. We really do. But, not every Disney restaurant needs them. And, not everyone who visits Disney World wants to meet Woody and Buzz Lightyear. There are some guests who don’t care about characters.

roundup rodeo bbq dining area

Sometimes guests (those with and without kids) want to be able to dine at a themed-restaurant without having to get up from the table to take photos with a character and to have them sign autographs.

And because there aren’t characters, this makes Roundup Rodeo affordable. It only costs $45 per adult and $25 per child (ages 3 to 9), plus tax and gratuity. That price for everything you get? That’s a good deal and not bad for Disney pricing.

If that isn’t enough, when you get to eat off real plates that look like white paper plates, you know you’re in a well-themed restaurant that is going above and beyond to make you feel as if you’re a toy in Andy’s backyard.

Our apologies, because we forgot to take a photo of the plates, so you’ll just have to try Roundup Rodeo and see them for yourself.

Trust us — it’s worth it.

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Have you ever had lunch or dinner at Roundup Rodeo BBQ? Let us hear your thoughts in the comments!

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Allyson Koerner