Dining Review: American Q Brings Destination Barbecue to the Heart of the Walt Disney World Resort

Hi everyone!

American Q is serving up delicious barbecue at the B Resort in the Downtown Disney Resort area, with a new concept that truly makes it a destination restaurant. Just minutes away by car or foot from Downtown Disney (soon to be Disney Springs), American Q delivers on its slogan of “BBQ and Beyond”. We had the chance to review the restaurant, and include plenty of photos that are sure to make you hungry! We will be talking about American Q on our Mousesteps Weekly show this week, and I will add that video when posted.

For those who aren’t familiar with the B Resort, it is where the Royal Plaza Hotel used to be. The B Resort not only gave the hotel a name change, but an entire facelift from top to bottom. American Q is very easy to find in the lobby – both by sight and smell! Self and valet parking are free.

What you won’t be able to miss when walking up to American Q is the red ’51 Ford F1 pickup truck parked near the entrance. This isn’t just any pickup truck, this truck holds the Flatbed Buffet where guests can enjoy unlimited salads and appetizers, including the potato bar (the potatoes were huge!), not-to-miss chili, corn in the husk and grilled vegetables. On the menu but not on the buffet that night was the peel and eat shrimp.

Dinner is from 5pm – 10pm, and the bar is open from 2pm – 12am on weekdays, and 12pm – 2am on weekends. For those looking for a Thanksgiving option, the price stays the same here (which is not often the case with restaurants), and there will be a Cider Brined Turkey Breast as one of the special meats, along with Chimichurri Marinated Turkey Thighs. Roasted Pumpkin Chili, Spiced Acorn Squash, Candied Sweet Potatoes and Whipped Mashed Potatoes will be on the buffet (along with other seasonal items). If we didn’t have somewhere to go on Thanksgiving, I think American Q would be at the top of the list – the meal sounds exceptional!

One of the things we really like about American Q is that it offers both an ala’ carte menu in addition to the buffet. The buffet with carved meats costs $34.95 for adults and $10.00 for children, but those without a huge appetite can find something on the menu as well. Executive Chef Justin Leo helped create the menu (some might remember his name from being an Executive Chef at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort previously). The service was exceptional, and American Q works with allergies.

Jeff started out with this snack/appetizer prior to the buffet, Mini Hot Sausage & Pineapple Rumakis. The sausages were spicy and wrapped in bacon. Definitely a thumbs up! ($4)

Tater tots are an extremely popular appetizer item now, more than I can ever remember. These include bacon salt and are very tasty. (3.50). Other items on the “Snack” menu include Swine Candy (a house specialty) – which we will see later, and Deviled Crab Stuffed Eggs.

There are 4 house-made sauces for guests to choose from. They range from mild to spicy. The Kansas City was more of a regular BBQ sauce with no kick to it, while the Carolina was spicy and sweet. Definitely try a little of each one with your meat!

Freshly made cornbread was brought out with regular butter and jalapeno butter. This is terrific cornbread, and a nice way to start the meal. Pace yourself; between the cornbread and flatbed buffet, I was pretty full by the time the meat arrived!

The Asparagus and Portobello Mushrooms are addictive – they taste as good as they look here.

Baked Potato Salad.

Sweet Potato Salad.

Mac & Cheese.

Roasted “In-Husk” Corn on the Cob. This is in butter to keep the corn moist. I don’t usually eat butter on my corn, but it was really tasty.

There is a modestly sized salad bar here with mixed greens, tomatoes, onions, bacon bits, and a few more items.

Drinks we tried included the Moscow Mule (Russian Standard vodka, pickled ginger juice & ginger beer) and the Pineapple Mojito (my favorite, which includes Appleton rum, muddled pineapple & mint).

Remember the baked potato I mentioned? It was huge, and ended up being the centerpiece of my buffet plate. After adding the potato and the corn, it was hard to fit many greens on it! For me, this could be a meal.

Jeff’s corn had its own plate.

Jeff picked up some Chile Con Carne, which was extremely thick. This is a great choice for the cool days we have coming!

We put up our sign for the meat to come. In addition to the flatbed buffet, there are Tableside Cowboy Carvings that include Picanha of Beef; Carolina Style Flank Steak; Brisket of Beef with Texas Bark; Bacon Wrapped Boneless Chicken Thighs and Vegetable Brochette. There are a others as well, I only tried a few different items. I love picanha, so that is what I saved my plate for. American Q has their own smokehouse inside the restaurant, and some of these items are smoked beginning at 4am! The picanha is partially smoked. American Q barbecue styles range from across the Americas, along with Argentinean and Mexican classics.

Here is a look at several cuts of meat, including picanha and flank steak. I enjoyed trying the different sauces on the meats.

 

We ordered dessert (soon ice cream will be part of the buffet), and took a look around the restaurant. It is really nicely designed! This room is elevated and great for groups.

One of the snack “musts” is the Swine Candy. This is smoked bacon roasted with molasses & spice until crunchy ($4). We tried this first at a B Resort preview and it was a huge hit with everyone. It also makes for fun photos. We didn’t have room to eat it at dinner, but we took it home and it tasted just as good the next day.

The flatbed buffet, which had an autumn theming while we were there.

 

Desserts are $6 each and include S’mores Pie – layered graham crackers, flourless chocolate cake & toasted marshmallow. This is brought out on a hot griddle and is absolutely decadent.

A little easier to finish was the Salted Caramel Cheesecake. This is vanilla cheesecake with salted caramel drizzle. Not as decadent as the s’mores, but a nice way to end dinner.

Guests can take photos inside the Ford truck!

The Smokehouse can be seen from around the restaurant.

There are comfortable seats for guests who are coming in for drinks, or waiting for a table.

The restaurant and bar were quiet when we arrived, but busy when we left after 9pm.

American Q offers a unique restaurant alternative for guests in the Walt Disney World area. We look forward to going back!

Full disclosure: American Q paid for our meals (we added an extra tip for exceptional service). We always strive to be honest and fair in our reviews.