What could be better than bourbon and barbecue? (short answer: NOTHING) The Polite Pig has it all.
We’ve been to Disney World probably a dozen times, but it wasn’t until this year that we took advantage of the amazing menu at this excellent restaurant.
The Polite Pig is a quick service dining location in Disney Springs. It’s got bourbon. It’s got barbecue. And it’s got a 2022 Michelin Star Guide award for Best Plate. Read on to hear about my solo dining experience at the Polite Pig in September 2022.
1. Polite Pig Food
Y’all. I’m a barbecue junkie. There’s not a barbecue style I haven’t tried and loved – at least when done well. I smoke meat. I grill meat. I make traditional barbecue sides. Barbecue. Is. My. Jam.
But I couldn’t eat everything on the menu (that’s a lie; I could have. But we’re not independently wealthy, so I had to pick one thing to order). So I went with the slider trio, which gave me a great sample of three different styles of barbecue.
The trio slider gives you a small sandwich of three different styles of barbecue. This version includes three (duh?) different sliders: brisket, fried chickent (SMOTHERED in barbecue sauce), and pulled pork. Here are my thoughts:
The brisket slider was…fantastic. If you’re as in to barbecue as I am, you know brisket is the gold standard, and this did not disappoint. Polite Pig brisket (oh the irony) was both smoky and tender – two traits essential to good brisket. This slider came with a pepper slaw that had just a touch of that peppery heat but was mostly there to cut the fatty goodness of the brisket. This was definitely my favorite of the three sandwiches.
The fried chicken slider was also extremely good. The chicken was crispy despite being covered in barbecue sauce. This slider was delicious in a different way from the brisket slider – the combination of the pickle and the barbecue fried chicken … chef’s kiss. Having said that…if you’re not a barbecue sauce fan (Amber is the one and only no-sauce person I know), this slider will not be your choice. Or if you’re not a pickle fan (also Amber…she should probably avoid this slider like the plague), you should definitely steer clear of this slider. The barbecue sauce was VERY sweet with a little bit of a tangy bite to it. You definitely need the sweetness of the barbecue sauce with the acid from the pickle to get a complete bite.
The last slider was the pulled pork slider and was easily my least favorite of the three. This pulled pork had a lot of gristle in it which made it hard to chew. The pork itself tasted great – I’d give my left arm to learn how to pack that much smoke flavor into my smoked pulled pork. Admittedly, being in Iowa (por country!), we are extremely spoiled with the pork that’s available to us. But even taking that into account, the pork was a miss.
Food Rating: 7
2. Beverages
If you’re looking for a full bar, the Polite Pig is not for you. But that might be the only “negative” thing I have to say about the beverage experience there.
Instead, the Polite Pig is a bourbon bar. They have a handful of bourbon-based cocktails on the menu, and they offer a few good beers, a couple basic wines, and a red sangria. I was there for the bourbon, so I didn’t even look for non-alcoholic beverages. I chose the Ravenous Pig beer flight to enjoy with my meal and enjoyed an after-dinner old fashioned made with my bartender’s choice of bourbon.
The Ravenous Pig beer flight has four different beers across the entire color spectrum for beers: Lone Palm Golden Ale, Five Points IPA, Red Drum Amber Ale, and Working Man Porter. All four beers are local Florida beers which is always fun for me, a true blue beer snob. There’s nothing better than trying the local brewery’s libations.
Before I give you my rating of the beers, full disclosure: red/amber ale was my gateway craft beer and is my go-to anytime I’m in a restaurant that has limited selection or mostly IPAs. I love an amber ale (I mean, they’re named after my wife…right? RIGHT?!?). Here’s my ranking:
- Red Drum Amber Ale reminded me ever so vaguely of Old Forester’s bourbon: roasty with a slightly peppery, almost bitter finish. The description on the card was “hoppy amber ale”. I’m not sure I got so much hoppy, though the peppery finish could be due to the hops.
- Lone Palm Golden Ale was excellent – light and crisp with big flavor, this beer was EXCELLENT with the brisket sandwich. I love a blonde ale, and this one did not disappoint.
- Working Man Porter came across exactly as billed on the card. I did find it to be a little bit smoky, though that could have easily been the pork talking (Note: if the pork overpowered the porter, you KNOW it was smoky).
- Five Points IPA was a perfect example of why I really, really, really…really…don’t like IPAs. So. Much. Hops. Like, hops just for hops’ sake. Ew. #hottake
I love a good old fashioned, and this one did not disappoint. Too often I order an old fashioned at a bar or with dinner and it comes full of ice cubes and with a “splash” (read: significant pour) of water. This old fashioned was proper: bourbon, simple syrup, and bitters garnished with a spear of half an orange slice’s and a dark cherry.
Beverage Rating: 8
3. Atmosphere
Earlier this year we ate in the dining room at the Polite Pig, so I can give you a little feedback about the indoor area. The inside dining room is actually themed after an old farmer’s market, which seems somehow on-brand for a classic Texas barbecue restaurant. It’s got black iron pipes for the table legs, wooden table tops, etc.
This trip, I chose to eat outside at the bourbon bar. This was…a choice…since it was full-on pouring when I arrived at Disney Springs.
The rain had stopped by the time I sat down for supper, but even when the ridiculous late-summer Florida heat combined with the post-downpour humidity, I had a lovely experience and enjoyed chatting with the bartender about how she chooses which bourbon (or rye) to enjoy. As with most bars, your bartender can make or break the experience, and this visit was greatly improved because my bartender was excellent.
The outdoor bar was a fun change from sitting in a dining room. The bar is covered, so even though it had just rained (a LOT), both the bartop and my seat were dry. As a bourbon bar, The Polite Pig attracts bourbon lovers (that’s me!), so I felt like I was surrounded by people who get me. Plus, sitting in the roped off dining area gave me a break from the crowds while still letting me do the people watching I enjoy so much at Disney Springs.
Atmosphere Rating: 7
Conclusion
The Polite Pig represents the best true barbecue I have had on Walt Disney World property. However, I tend to judge a restaurant by whether or not I could replicate the food and drinks at home. In this case, the food fell a little short. We don’t do fried chicken – we’re from the West for pity’s sake – and the brisket was among the best I’ve had. But my simple crockpot pulled pork is better than the pork slider that came with the trio. If you’re gonna call yourself a barbecue restaurant, you gotta do smoked pork right. This was a miss.
Dozens of different bourbons? Very yes. Craft beer? Yes please. The Polite Pig is a winner in the beverages column, if you ask me.
You don’t go to a barbecue restaurant for the atmosphere (typically, anyway). Anything higher than a 7 in that category would be truly exceptional at a restaurant like this.
All told, I would definitely recommend the Polite Pig if you like barbecue or bourbon. If you like both, then you’ve gotta try this restaurant at Disney Springs.
Composite Rating: 22
