Owned and run by the Orlando-local owners of The Ravenous Pig, this quick service barbecue joint in Disney Springs boasts slightly higher prices than adjacent quick service, how does the food and dining experience compare?
Prime Location
Situated to the right of the Disney Springs entrance from Lime Garage, the restaurant is the easiest to find in almost all of Walt Disney World® Resort. That is also likely because you'll see the line extending far beyond the entryway, but it often moves quickly due to the restaurant's structure. The line is only for ordering, as a server will bring food directly to your table once you're seated. It adds a premium feel to a quick service experience while also mitigating significant wait times in line—giving the best of both worlds.
There is both indoor and outdoor seating, as well as a bar to match your style and mood. Do now that in all my experience here, the closer I sat to the restaurant building, the more often I have seen servers during the meal. Some seating is situated near Uniqlo—across a busy walkway—so keep that in mind when choosing your preferred dining location. Either way, a server will visit throughout your meal to refill drinks, dispose of trash, and assist wherever else is needed.
Prime Dining
Quick service food does not get better than this. From the rubs, to the sauces, to the meats themselves, to the sides, every single menu item at Polite Pig is in a league of its own. A case can be made for every single dish as not only the best quick service, but the best dining item in all of Walt Disney World Resort.
The hop salt pretzel and chicken wings appetizers are as straightforward—and excellent—as it gets. That will be the trend for most of Polite Pig, as most dishes leave behind the eccentricities in favor of perfecting creative-but-simple barbecue.
The southern pig and low & slow brisket sandwiches do elevate it a bit, and are still some of my favorite items on the menu. As outstanding as the barbecue and smoked meats are on their own, combining it with ingredients like pimento cheese, porter BBQ, pickled jalapeños and onion straws makes it the star of the show.
The sides are not to be ignored or skimmed over either, as they are among the best Disney has to offer. The crispy Brussel sprouts are the best I have had anywhere—whether cooking them myself or ordering at a restaurant. Every side is a standout, so pick your preference, but if you even moderately enjoy Brussel sprouts it should be your first choice.
The butcher board (pictured above) is one of the best values on the menu, providing chicken, BBQ cheddar sausage, brisket, pulled pork, slaw, pickles, cornbread and two sides. Intended to feed two, this dish came in at $39 and was a perfect try-all with the option to add additional meats for an uncharge. The meat matches the quality of any local barbecue joint I've tried, with their house-made rubs adding complex layers of flavor to the tender, smokey selection. This hybridization of casual and upscale barbecue makes Polite Pig a standout, local-feeling restaurant that stands apart from the other options in the area. A star among many great restaurants in Disney Springs, it should be added to your list of must-do dining as soon as possible.