I spent $58 at Disney World's newest restaurant, a 'Toy Story'-themed barbecue joint, and I'll definitely be back (2024)

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Roundup Rodeo BBQ is the newest restaurant at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Roundup Rodeo BBQ is a family-style, table-service restaurant serving barbecue favorites at Hollywood Studios.It's located only a few steps inside the front entrance of Toy Story Land.

Since this is a new restaurant, it was pretty difficult for me to snag a reservation — I was only able to secure an 8:30 p.m. table.

I don't typically eat late at night (especially when it comes to all-you-can-eat barbecue fare), so I showed up about 50 minutes early to ask if I could get seated.

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There's a fun, themed waiting area outside the restaurant.

The waiting area was outside and there was so much decor to look at, including string lights and pencil structures.

I particularly liked the domino benches, which provided a comfortable place to sit while I waited for my table.

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I was happy and impressed that I was able to be seated 30 minutes early.

I didn't think my early check-in request would be granted since it was only the third day the restaurant was open and it was booked. But I was happy, hungry, and eager to get inside.

Before sitting down, I got my photo taken against a themed backdrop.

I thought the prop horses at the photo spot were a nice touch. It nods to the restaurant's toy theming and added to its overall aesthetic.

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Once we arrived at our table, our server explained the menu.

As someone who enjoys vibrant colors, I loved the playful look of our yellow table and orange and green chairs.

Our server provided us with an overview of each of the menu's sections. The family-style meal costs $45 for adults and $25 for kids 3 to 9.

I liked how each of the dishes was named using the restaurant's themed language, like Slinky Doooooooooog mac and cheese, Force Field fried pickles, and There's a Sausage in My Boat.

The plates were glass, but they were made to look like paper picnic plates.

When our server first brought over the plates, I couldn't believe they were made of glass and not paper.

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For my drink, I tried a sweet tea, which was included in the price of the meal.

I thought the sweet tea was good, but it was significantly sweeter as I got toward the bottom of the glass.

I probably should've stirred it around more while I was drinking it.

We started off our meal with the Prospector's homemade cheddar biscuits with sweet-pepper jelly.

The biscuits were one of the best things I ate here. I liked how the sweet-pepper jelly complemented the savory bread.

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Then we were served three kinds of salad.

Of the three salads — Rex's romaine and kale salad, Wheezy's watermelon salad, and Rootin' Tootin tomato salad — the romaine and kale was my favorite.

I love when salads have cranberries and seeds, and this one had both.

The main skillet was filled with smoked meats.

The hearty main skillet came with beef brisket, fire-grilled pork sausage, and barbecue chicken.

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Since I don't eat ribs, I was able to request salmon.

I read online beforehand that you could request a piece of salmon, so I decided to give it a try.

I was pleasantly surprised that our server was more than willing to swap out the ribs for the fish.

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We carefully selected our four sides for the table.

Our server made sure to walk us through all the side options before ordering. We could choose four of the eight available for the table.

I chose potato salad, baked beans, mac and cheese, and fried pickles. But veggie slaw, vegetables, corn on the cob, and loaded potato barrels were also available.

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Out of all of the sides, the fried pickles were my favorite by far.

I took advice from an employee outside the restaurant, who told me to save the sweet jelly that came with my biscuits to dip the fried pickles in. I was glad I did because it was delicious.

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The mac and cheese was good, but not the best I've had at Disney World.

I liked how creamy it was and the addition of the cheddar fish crackers was fun. I instantly thought of Garden Grill'smacaroni and cheese as the two are similar.

But the version at Gasparilla Island Grill in Disney's Grand Floridian is my favorite on the property.

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The baked beans were good and very filling.

I'm a big fan of baked beans and was impressed with the side here.

They were a bit spicy, but I didn't mind.

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The potato salad was super creamy and delicious.

I typically don't enjoy potato salad, but I decided that since I was at a new restaurant, I'd give it a try. And I was glad I did.

The red-skinned potatoes were delicious, and the salad had just the right amount of creaminess without going overboard.

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I wish the dessert was better (and bigger).

Each guest is allowed to select one of the four mini jarred desserts — Bo's lemon and blueberry cheesecake, Goat's apple pie, Gruff's peach-strawberry pie, and Billy's chocolate-silk pie. I chose chocolate.

I thought it was good, but it was very small and underwhelming in comparison to the rest of the meal. It also wasn't my favorite compared to other all-you-can-eat meals at Disney World.

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Luckily, my server was able to bring me over one of the Forky cupcakes.

I'd seen the Forky cupcake all over social media before going to the restaurant, but I didn't know it was only for kids until I arrived.

I was disappointed, so I decided to ask my server to see if it would be possible for her to bring one over. Luckily, she was able to.

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The restaurant was filled with lots of larger-than-life decor.

The restaurant's decor reminded me of the queue for the Toy Story Mania attraction located across the way.

It evoked a sense of nostalgia as I was surrounded by larger-than-life versions of lots of toys I grew up with.

My favorite was the large statue of Bo Peep.

The massive Bo Peep statue was one of the standout pieces in the restaurant.

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Although the servers were very involved, I wish characters were part of the dining experience.

One of my favorite parts of the meal was when the servers froze when it was announced that "Andy was coming," just like the toys in "Toy Story."

Andy didn't actually come, nor did any other characters, but the announcements made me feel like it could've been a character-dining experience.

I think I would've liked it more if characters were there, especially those you can't regularly meet in the parks, like Trixie and Rex.

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I paid about $58 to dine at Roundup Rodeo BBQ, and it's one of my new go-tos at Hollywood Studios.

My bill came out to $57.93 after tax and tip.

I thought the price was fair considering how much food I was given. I even could've requested more if I wanted.

I'm not a huge fan of many of the table-service restaurants at Hollywood Studios (excluding the Hollywood Brown Derby). But Roundup Rodeo BBQ is one I can see myself returning to in the future with friends and family.