Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree is now officially open at Disneyland in what will be known as Bayou Country. After touring from coast to coast performing their tunes, Henry, Wendell, Big Al, and the rest of the gang have put together some of the favorite regional barbecue dishes they discovered along the way. The Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree has a barbecue menu (with three types of barbecue sauce: Classic, Golden, and Hot Smoke), decorations that continue the story of the Country Bears, and also music from the Country Bears. The Daps Magic team stopped by to give it a try on its opening day. Below are Angela’s thoughts and experiences from this first day.
Atmosphere
The Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree appears noticeably spruced up. The flooring looks bright and fresh. The tables and chairs feel polished. The sails overhead are clean and vibrant. New Americana bunting adorns the eaves and brings a little extra charm to the comforting down-home cuisine. The condiment stations have now added three kinds of barbecue sauce in squeeze bottles — Classic, Hot Smokey, and Golden. The Classic is pleasantly bold, not too sweet or too sharp. The Hot Smokey has a nice kick up front and a warm smoke to finish it off. It was my favorite of the three. The Golden sauce seems to be mustard-based but isn’t as strong in vinegar as some others I’ve tried. I enjoyed all of the variations thoroughly and would recommend sampling all of them to find your own favorite. In my book, you can’t go wrong with any of them!
Nods to the Country Bear Jamboree
One of the best parts of the Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree is how it pays homage to the Country Bear Jamboree show, formerly an occupant of Critter Country. Paintings of some favorite bears line the wall of the dining area. Henry, Dude, Wendell, Romeo McGrowl, Shaker, Big Al, and Gomer are all featured prominently. Not to be forgotten, Teddi Barra has her own poster and even a flower-adorned swing hanging from the back gable of the building. A mural towards the back of the seating area pays tribute to Ursus H. Bear, Grr-ill Master, 1848-1928.
Food
Of course, most people will visit the Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree for its food! And at least on opening day, it delivered! On the menu right now are the following delectable dishes:
Platters and Plates
Smoked Barbecue Combo Platter – $21.49
Chicken Tenders Plate – $13.49
Smoked Angus Beef Burger with Pulled Pork – $18.49
Barbecue Pulled Pork Sandwich – $15.99
Smoked Beef Brisket Sandwich – $16.99
Classic Cheeseburger – $13.99
Corn Ribs Plate (plant based) – $14.99
Loaded Fries – $14.99
Sides and Desserts
Coleslaw – $4.49
Beer-battered Fries – $4.79
Baked Beans – $4.49
Banana Pudding – $7.29
Funnel Cake Fries – $6.49
Specialty Beverages
Sparkling Strawberry-Pickle Lemonade – $7.49
Strawberry Shortcake Lemonade – $7.49
Lemonade-Iced Tea – $6.49
Review
My party was lucky enough to try several of the food items on the first day. I got the Smoked Barbecue Combo Platter. It came with a choice of two meats, baked beans, coleslaw, a slice of white bread, and some picked vegetables on the side. I selected the ribs and brisket. My friends chose the Barbecue Pulled Pork Sandwich and the Smoked Beef Brisket Sandwich, adjusted to be gluten-free. The flavor of the meat was just as smoky and seasoned as I expected. Everyone gave good reviews of the overall flavors and said they would be anxious to return, both to order the same items and to sample something new. I especially enjoyed the baked beans. They had a more savory, meaty flavor than sweet, and not too heavy on the tomato. The coleslaw also caught my attention for being zesty and peppery, which I prefer to overly creamy. I had the Sparkling Strawberry-Pickle Lemonade, which was a nice balance of fruity-citrus with a hint of pickle. It was not overwhelming to me at all, but I’m also a fan of pickles. Our only complaint was the temperature of the food. By the time we received our orders, they had cooled significantly. But I am happy to excuse this for the madness of the first day. Overall, we were very impressed with everything we had!
