There’s something BIG coming soon to Magic Kingdom!

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is opening summer 2024, replacing the former Splash Mountain. With such a major new ride in the park, we’re left wondering what else might change over in Frontierland to adapt to Tiana’s arrival. One thing that has been speculated for months is that Disney will turn the nearby Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe into a Tiana’s Palace restaurant…but should they REALLY do that? 

A Tiana’s Palace quick service restaurant opened in Disneyland Park in 2023, and many have wondered if Disney would do the same on the east coast. Pecos Bill seems the obvious choice for a retheme, but the restaurant has some pretty unique offerings as is. Would it be worth it to replace the Tex-Mex food with Louisiana fare? I took a trip recently to Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe to do a full review, and to see if the restaurant is worth scrapping for a change of scene!

Atmosphere

When you walk into the main entrance of the restaurant, you’ll head straight into the ordering counters. One side of this room is occupied with Cast Members taking orders…

…while the other is often dedicated solely to Mobile Order pickups. Mobile Ordering through the My Disney Experience app is usually pretty easy and straightforward here.

Once you’ve got your food, don’t forget to stop at the condiment bar! This used to be a full-fledged toppings bar, but now it’s just home to prepackaged condiments like mustard, ketchup, and mayonnaise.

There are a few different dining spaces throughout the restaurant. One of the rooms is themed like an outdoor marketplace at nighttime. 

The main dining room has dozens of tables, and it’s usually the easiest place to find a seat. It also has access to the outdoor seating area.

The outdoor seating area is great for those nice-weather days. Some of the tables have umbrellas for coverage, but this is probably not your best option when it rains. 

If you can’t find anywhere to sit, a great place to scope out is the upstairs seating area. Simply find the ramp and head on up!

This space is shared seating with Tortuga Tavern, but it typically only fills up on really busy days. It’s also a little bit quieter up here.

Throughout Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe, you’ll find some fun wild west artifacts and nods, like Annie Oakley’s pistols.

And of course, they’ve got the Code of the West posted on the wall as well. You think you can handle these rules?

Now that we’ve fully explored the restaurant, let’s dig into the menu.

Menu

The list of entrees here is pretty hefty, with 13 different options on the main menu. They’ve got everything from tacos to cheeseburgers to fajitas to rice bowls. It’s a smorgasbord!

If you’re a plant-based eater, you can get the Veggie Rice Bowl. For sides, they serve offerings like tortilla chips, guacamole, rice, pinto beans, and Uncrustables.

Your kiddos can get in on the Tex-Mex menu as well, with meals like tacos and rice bowls.

And of course, we can’t skip dessert! They have mini churros, a strawberry limeade slush, doughnut holes, and a trifle.

Now let’s see if the eats taste as good as they sound!

Eats

During my visit, I wanted to try a variety of items to really get a feel for Pecos Bill. Here’s the full spread that I ordered.

Starting with an appetizer, I got the Chips and Queso for $5.99. You can order each of these items separately or as a combo through Mobile Order.

The chips here are pretty authentic chips like you’d get at your local Mexican restaurant. They’re corn tortillas, fresh-fried, and covered with just the right amount of salt so that they’re not too salty. They have a nice crunch, and honestly, I wish Disney served these as a side all around Magic Kingdom instead of those house-made potato chips that are often overcooked.

The queso is also a winner! You get a pretty large cup of it, and it’s cheesy with a little creaminess. There’s a tiny hint of pepper spice to it, but not too much that your kids or spice-averse friends should avoid it. Delicious.

From there, I moved on to the entrees, and things got significantly less exciting. First I went for the Fajita Platter, which is served with pork carnitas and seasoned chicken with cilantro rice, pinto beans, fajita vegetables, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, salsa, and flour tortillas. You can get this hefty platter for $15.49.

Starting with the pork carnitas, the meat was tender and shredded, but it didn’t have a lot of flavor to it overall, coming off kind of bland. A few pieces were overly fatty, as well.

The chicken wasn’t much better, as it had some gristly pieces and wasn’t seasoned very much either. Meat is the big area where Pecos Bill has let me down in the past, and that trend seemed to continue with this meal. I would just expect a little more spice and pizzazz from Tex-Mex meat.

The platter comes with pinto beans, but I think black beans would’ve been a better choice. The beans were really mushy and once again, underseasoned. They felt like just a plate filler.

The same goes for the peppers and onions. Disney really piles a LOT of them on the platter and it seems like they’re just doing it to keep from giving you a decent portion of meat.

I didn’t really have any complaints about the tortillas, as they were just plain flour tortillas. The rice, however, was fairly bland but pretty severely undercooked. Many pieces were still quite crunchy and hard to chew.

Okay…so the Fajita Platter didn’t fare too well. But what about the Pork Carnitas Rice Bowl for $12.29? It’s made with cilantro rice topped with seasoned pork, grilled peppers and onions, pinto beans, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, and salsa.

This meal is a smaller size overall, but you get a decent portion of pork. I had the same problems with the meat here that I did in the fajita platter though — it wasn’t seasoned very well and some pieces were a bit on the fatty side.

The bowl is half filled with peppers and onions. They had a nice crunch, but the portion size is a bit excessive. And again, you’ve got pinto beans. Fine, but not really interesting in any way.

The description says the bowl comes with cilantro rice, but I couldn’t detect the cilantro flavor in it at all. It was fairly bland, and like the rice on the platter, it was undercooked…leaving plenty of crunchy pieces throughout.

With your entrees, you can also opt to purchase a side of guacamole. This will raise the cost of your meal by $2.

The guacamole they give you is prepackaged, but it’s not bad! The avocado flavor is strong and it’s pretty creamy with a few little chunks throughout. It has a nice bright lime flavor to it as well. If you’re a big guacamole fan, it might be a good addition to your meal.

So I had a good appetizer, some questionable entrees, and a yummy side of guac. What’s next? The final part of the meal was dessert, and I opted for the Peach and Raspberry Trifle for $5.99. It’s made with crumbled cake, strawberry pearls, and edible flowers.

And this? This was a pretty good way to wrap up! There are legit chunks of peach in the cake layer, and the raspberry sits at the bottom, just waiting to be scooped up in every bite. The cake might be dry without the whipped cream and raspberry sauce, but the fruity and tangy flavors meshed really well together.

So how does Pecos Bill fare? Should it be replaced?

Overall

Honestly, this isn’t on my list of go-to restaurants in Magic Kingdom. I’ve had enough rough experiences here (typically with their meat!) to warrant me avoiding it often. The entrees aren’t particularly interesting, and the Tex-Mex food isn’t quite good enough for me to say that this restaurant deserves to stick around. I’m personally team Tiana’s Palace instead!

The redeeming qualities here are the chips, queso, and trifle. But if Disney could just move those items to another nearby spot (like Tortuga Tavern, for instance), I would be totally okay with Pecos Bill getting a full overhaul.

Nosh or Not?

Mosey out to the wild west and dine at Pecos Bill if…

• You’re REALLY craving some Tex-Mex food. There aren’t really any other Tex-Mex options in Magic Kingdom, so Pecos Bill would be your best choice if that’s what your craving. The queso is worth a try for sure!
• You’re sick of burgers, hot dogs, and pizza. Outside of those three food options, there aren’t too many choices leftover in Magic Kingdom. Columbia Harbour House might be another good spot if you’re craving seafood, but Pecos Bill adds a bit of variety for sure.
• You want a seat indoors. There are lots of indoor seats at this restaurant, and if you walk a few laps, you’re bound to find one…even during the lunch rush.

Saddle up and stroll to the next place in town if…

• You have a high standard for Mexican food. This place certainly isn’t going to blow your local Mexican restaurant out of the water, and I’ve personally enjoyed meals at chains like Moe’s and Chipotle more than Pecos Bill.
• You’re okay with walking to another part of the park. If you don’t have to eat in Frontierland, there are great options in both Adventureland and Liberty Square. I had a delicious review at Tortuga Tavern recently, and Columbia Harbour House is a fan favorite.

That’s a wrap on my visit to Pecos Bill! Stay tuned to DFB for more food reviews from Disney World, and all the updates you need to know for your vacation.

Click Here to Read Our Review of Tiana’s Palace in Disneyland!

What do you think about this restaurant? Tell us in the comments!

The post REVIEW: Should Disney World Turn This Restaurant Into Tiana’s Palace?! first appeared on the disney food blog.