Tell me about the BBQ.............

[mhguy77]

What about the BBQ this year? any reviews,  hits or misses you want to talk about?
I will be up this weekend and looking forward to eating my way around.  WHat are your reviews for the festival foods?

[mhguy77]

I guess nobody eats the BBQ at the park?  I figured one or 2 would have a opinion or recomendation.

[shavethewhales]

Last time I had the park's BBQ I thought it tasted cheap and terrible. I think most of the food now tastes pretty cheap and terrible, with the main exceptions being some of the deserts and skillets.

The BBQ just tastes bland, and the ribs looked sad. It seems like they just boil it or something rather than actually cooking it in a pit. Of course it's all prepared off-site and they have to cook massive quantities of it, so there's no good way to keep up the quality they used to have. I sure would like to see them work on some improvements on this front.

I just stick with the lumberjack burgers. Those are hard to screw up, although even they are slowly slipping in quality over the past few years.

[mhguy77]

Last time I had the park's BBQ I thought it tasted cheap and terrible. I think most of the food now tastes pretty cheap and terrible, with the main exceptions being some of the deserts and skillets.

Maybe that's why it took so long to get an answer. I think you may be onto something.  We just don't hear much about the food.
It used to be a draw unto itself.  They rely so much on the foods to make the extra dollar you would think they would be strict with the quality.  But I agree, there isn't a whole lot I really look forward to eating, that's why I brought up the topic.
I may seek out the apple dumpling with Cinnamon ice cream and stick with what I know I will like.
Monday I will do my best to report back.

[Gilligan]

I have to agree with Shave!  We no longer get excited about trips to the City because of the food.  My hubs liked the bbq last year, but he'll eat anything slathered with sauce.  I thought it tasted like a shoebox, so I stuck with my skillets.  I'm still in love with most of the dessert offerings, but the food quality just isn't there, and that's sad.  We used to start out with breakfast at the Mine and end with dinner at Molly's, but it's just not all that anymore.  We eat breakfast before we leave, stop for cinnamon rolls at Delilah's (which are hit or miss), and grab a skillet for lunch.  Then we head out to eat after we leave the park. SDC, you're losing park dollars because your quality control is nonexistent!  I would love to be get excited about eating there again.

[mhguy77]

SDC, you're losing park dollars because your quality control is nonexistent!  I would love to be get excited about eating there again.

It is with a heavy heart that I must agree with you.  I find that I would rather go to Branson and hit a wendys drive through as its much cheaper and frankly a step up.  I will do some food investigating on this trip and report back.

[Gilligan]

Remember the wedges of cheese, big pickles, ears of corn, and bbq vendors around the park?  And the fajita skillet?  Yum!  But, no more!  Fish Camp had the best fish dinners, and now they offer dry burgers and philly steak sandwiches.  My biggest disappointment of all last year was "the works hot chocolate".  I couldn't wait for OTC just for the cocoa, and it was so bad - very diluted, I couldn't drink it. I felt bad because I kept telling everyone to hold off until we get near Main Street so we could order "the works". It wasn't a hit with anyone.  Even hubs didn't want it, so...we went home and made our own.  Some of my best SDC memories include the food we ate. The only sure bets are cinnamon bread and sarsaparilla.

[Junior]

In the old days when I worked on park, they grilled over charcoal each day chicken quarters and polish sausage. They had the wedges of smoked chedder cheese, corn on the cob dipped in melted butter, and at one time, the mine and mill offered fresh baked bread that was baked in crocks, and you ate as much of that as you could during your family dinners. The Big Jack sandwiches were freshly made by hand...I made a few of those, and Grandma in the kitchen at Jack and Marys made pies from scratch. The mushroom burgers at lumbercamp were fabulous, and the funnel cakes with powdered sugar, well, I made many of those too! All that stuff was great...I do miss the food from those times.

[joshblakebran]

I agree the food quality has gone down. I miss the fajita skillet as well. We ate the Thanksgiving Buffet during OTC a couple of years ago and it was really good, but since we started going to SDC I do think the quality of the food has depreciated over the years. I'm still frustrated with the way they are doing the souvenir mugs this year (which will probably be a permanent change). Come on SDC, show us the love again in the food department.

[orient express]

i know its not bbq but you cant go wrong with the breakfast buffet. on my trips now we usually just start the day with a big breakfast and skip lunch or dinner at the park.

[palallin]

Our experience witht eh All-You-Can-Eat was pretty good.  We ate a LOT.  We didn't have any down at the Red-Gold Hall.

[rubedugans]

MMMMmmmmm Bbq....

[Parson B Ready]

I too must add my "amen" to the unfortunate decline in food quality at SDC over the last couple of years.  Two years ago we went to Bluegrass and BBQ for the first time and I was incredibly disappointed.  Their "House of BBQ" advertised several different "styles" of BBQ but in reality it was all the same style but with different types of sauce on them.  The ribs were so tough, my jaw was sore by the time I finished the slab.  Having said that, their apple dumplings, cinnamon bread and ice cream at Hannah's are amazing.  Also, last year my family made several trips to OTC and consumed several gallons of hot chocolate with "the works" and it was always delicious!  So hopefully Gilligan, your experience was an anomaly, and not a sign of things to come.

[Gilligan]

I hope so, too, Parson!  I waited a long season for that hot chocolate.  On the upside, I forgot about the apple dumplings - have never had anything but a delicious one!

[Duelist]

We just got back from our trip.  Had the BBQ at the Red Gold Heritage Hall last night and it wasn't bad.  It was very full yesterday and today. Had a 1/2 pound hot dog at the grill outside Red Gold this afternoon and it was pretty good as well.  Breakfast at the Mill both mornings and really enjoyed that.  And of course got a BIG sack of taffy before leaving to help us savor the "memories"...