Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree restaurant in Bayou Country is officially reopening on October 25, 2024, and we popped by to taste some of the new menu items.
Here’s what we tried:
Corn Ribs Plate ($14.99) topped with Chile-Lime Aioli, Parmesan, Crispy Onions, Cilantro and Scallions, with Coleslaw and Beer-battered Fries (Plant-Based)
Smoked Angus Beef Burger with Pulled Pork ($18.49) topped with American cheese, Golden Aioli, Picked Red Onions, B&B Pickles, and Crispy Onions served with Beer-battered fries
Coleslaw ($4.49) and Baked Beans ($4.49)
Banana Pudding ($7.29) layered with Bananas, Whipped Cream, Crushed Wafer Cookies, Dulce de Leche and Toffee
And here’s Dusty’s Review:
Barbecue is one of those personal things. Different regions have completely different styles, but for this Midwestern boy, I couldn’t be happier to have barbecue back in the park.
Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree is also very good for theme park barbecue – on par with what’s offered at Epcot’s Regal Eagle. But Big Thunder Barbecue fans may still lament the lack of showstopper desserts, like cast-iron skillet apple cobbler, or bread pudding. And cornbread would certainly be more welcome than a slice of tasteless white bread.
Still, overall, this new location is a slam dunk, and definitely try the brisket and corn ribs!
The restaurant plays music from Walt Disney World‘s revamped Country Bear Musical Jamboree and “Try Everything” from Zootopia describes our feeling about the menu: give the new items a taste and let us know which are your favorites!
Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree Theming
The reimagined quick-service dining location in Disneyland Park is “inspired by the Country Bears and their travels to the greatest music halls in the United States” and offers a new menu of regional barbecue dishes, which guests can enjoy while tappin’ their toes to a soundtrack featuring the Country Bears’ greatest hits.
Full Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree Menu
- NEW Smoked Barbecue Combo Platter ($21.49): A selection of house-smoked meats, served with baked beans, house slaw, white bread, and pickles with a choice of two of the following: Pork Spareribs, Pulled Pork, Sausage Link, or Beef Brisket (available on Mobile Order)
- NEW Barbecue Pulled Pork Sandwich ($15.99) with tangy BBQ sauce, house slaw, bread and butter, and pickles served with beer-battered fries
- NEW Smoked Beef Brisket Sandwich ($16.99) with tangy BBQ sauce, pickled red onions, and pickled jalapeños served with beer-battered fries
- NEW Smoked Angus Beef Burger and Pulled Pork ($18.49) with American cheese, golden aïoli, pickled red onions, bread and butter pickles, and crispy onions served with beer-battered fries
- NEW Corn Ribs Plate ($14.99) with Chile-lime aioli, parmesan, crispy onions, cilantro, and scallions with house slaw and beer-battered fries (Plant-based)
- NEW Loaded Fries ($14.99) topped with smoked pulled pork, queso sauce, pickled red onions, and pickled jalapeños, cilantro, and scallions
- Classic Cheeseburger ($13.99) served with beer-battered fries
- Chicken Tenders Plate ($13.49) served with house slaw and beer-battered fries
- NEW Baked Beans ($4.49)
- NEW House Slaw ($4.49)
- NEW Beer-battered Fries ($4.79)
Kids’ Meals (served with Mandarin orange and applesauce and a choice of small water or small low-fat milk)
- NEW Pork Spareribs ($9.49)
- NEW Toasted Cheese Sandwich ($8.49) (Disney Check Meal)
- Hamburger ($8.99) (Disney Check Meal)
- Chicken Tenders ($8.99)
Desserts
- NEW Banana Pudding ($7.29): Bananas, whipped cream, crushed wafer cookies, dulce de leche, and toffee
- NEW Funnel Cake Fries ($6.49) dusted with powdered sugar. Add Banana Caramel Dipping Sauce for $1.49
Non-Alcoholic Beverages
- NEW Sparkling Strawberry-Pickle Lemonade ($7.49): Lemonade, Strawberry Smoothie, flavors of lime, Sprite, pickle juice and a pickle spear
- NEW Strawberry Shortcake Lemonade ($7.49): Lemonade, Strawberry Smoothie, sweet cream topping, shortbread crumbles, and strawberry dust
- Lemonade-Iced Tea ($6.49): Lemonade and Unsweetened Iced Tea garnished with a lemon wheel
Novelty
- Hungry Bear Mason Jar ($19.49) includes choice of beverage at time of purchase (Additional charge for specialty lemonades)
Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree is not character dining location, but we’re very happy to see a new barbecue restaurant in the park (we’re still pining for Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue, which closed to make way for Galaxy’s Edge).
We’d also love it if Ursus H. Bear would pop out of the kitchen from time to time.
More Country Bears News
A remimagined Country Bear Musical Jamboree opened on July 17, 2024, at Walt Disney World with the bears singing favorite Disney tunes plus a new original song written just for the attraction and an updated version of the original song that debuted with Country Bear Jamboree in 1974.
Check out our review of the brand-new attraction here:
Country Bears History
Walt Disney originally conceived the Country Bear Jamboree in the mid-1960s as a “bear band show” for Disney’s Mineral King Ski Resort, which he planned to build in the California mountains. Walt gave the project to Disney Legend Marc Davis, who brainstormed ideas that included a bear marching band, a bear mariachi band, and a bear Dixieland band.
After Walt died in 1966, plans for the resort continued with the Bears (by then a country band) starring in the resort’s Bear Band Restaurant Show, but when the ski resort idea eventually fizzled out, Marc turned his attention toward Walt Disney World, which was preparing for its grand opening. On Oct. 1, 1971, The Country Bear Jamboree opened in Magic Kingdom with songs written by Disney Legend X. Atencio (of Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion theme song fame).
The Country Bears became so popular that Disney put a replica of the attraction at Disneyland, even inspiring an entire new land—Bear Country—that opened on March 4, 1972. The Bears enjoyed a successful nearly-30-year run in Anaheim, but in August 2001, it was announced the show would close on Sept. 9th to make way for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
Gone But Not Forgotten
As a tribute to the original attraction, the trio of talking animal heads, Buff (an American Bison), Max (a Whitetail Buck), and Melvin (a Bull Moose), still reside in the Hundred Acre Wood. If you turn around and look behind you as you leave the “Heffalumps and Woozles” room and enter the “Hunny” room on The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, the animatronic heads of Buff, Max, and Melvin are hanging above the archway.
Want to learn more about the Disney-designed ski resort that never was? Check out the book Disneyland on the Mountain.
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Who’s Hungry For Barbecue?
What do you think about the Country Bears-themed restaurant? Are you looking forward to trying the new menu (and hearing the Bears’ favorite tunes)? Or do you think this dining location should be themed to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure? Let us know in the comments!
