Overview:
The Liberty Tree Tavern is a restaurant that gives you a totally different dining experience depending on whether you go for lunch or dinner. Lunch offers an al a carte menu featuring an array of classic Americana cuisine. Meanwhile, dinner is an all-you-care-to-eat meal served family style that includes roast turkey breast, carved beef, smoked pork loin, mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables, herb bread stuffing, and macaroni and cheese. Given the choice between the two, I prefer lunch over dinner because the lunch menu has some really good choices and at a cheaper price than the family style dinner. While the menu features nothing overly exotic or elegant, it does offer many traditional favorites. For this reason, it is a great restaurant for the entire family. Dining at the Liberty Tree Tavern, however, is just as much about the atmosphere as it is the food and the restaurant offers probably the most immersive dining experience at the Magic Kingdom in terms of detail and theming and one that is truly unique in all of Disney World.
Atmosphere:
One of the things I like most about the Liberty Tree Tavern is how well it carries the overall theme of Liberty Square inside. Every element of the restaurant, from the lighting to the furniture to the costumes worn by the servers, all contributes to the colonial/revolutionary era feel. One of the first words that came into my mind to describe the feel of the restaurant was quaint, its tremendous level of detail and authenticity giving it an old-world charm. The restaurant is divided into a series of smaller rooms, giving it a more intimate feel. Another benefit of these smaller dining rooms is that although the restaurant can get very busy during peak times it does not feel very crowded and is not noisy at all. As you walk through the restaurant you feel as though you are passing through different rooms in a house, each having an ever-so-slightly different feel in terms of décor and architecture.
The level of detail found throughout the entire restaurant is outstanding, and there are probably many things that go unnoticed by most guests. While larger objects such as the faux fireplaces, portraits and paintings of the Founding Fathers, and colonial-era muskets all contribute to the overall theme of the restaurant, it is really the smaller items which greatly add authenticity to the dining experience.
Everywhere you look throughout the restaurant your eye always seems to pick out some new detail, with many of the items looking as though they could belong in a museum. For me, some of the most interesting items included ceramic pipes, a copper tea kettle, an old-fashioned flat iron, a butter churner, and an alphabetical list of members of the Sons of Liberty.
Weather it be maps, lanterns, blankets and quilts, cooking utensils, or pewter dishes, all these little details complete immerse you in the overall theme of Liberty Square and make you feel as though you are dining in a colonial-era home. This level of detail and theming found in the Liberty Tree Tavern is definitely Disney at its best.
The Menu:
You should not go to Liberty Tree Tavern expecting gourmet cuisine, but you can expect to get a good, old-fashioned, home-cooked meal. The menu features an assortment of classic favorites, nothing too adventurous or exotic. In this way, the food choices go along with the décor in enhancing the overall theme of the restaurant. Appetizers include New England Clam Chowder, Crab and Spinach Dip, and Tavern Fried Cheese, which my server described as one of the more popular items on the menu. For entrees my server noted that the New England Pot Roast was his personal favorite and another popular item among guests. Entrée selections also feature Chicken and Dumplings, Vegetarian Pot Pie, an Angus Chuck Cheeseburger, and the Pilgrims’ Feast which comes with roast turkey, herb bread dressing, mashed potatoes, and vegetables. On the lighter side there is the Colony Salad, with apples, pecans, applewood smoked cheddar, and grilled chicken topped with a honey-shallot vinaigrette. Also, the Tri-Corner Sandwich with roast beef, Swiss cheese, liberty slaw, arugula, and a horseradish cream sauce served on multigrain bread. Among the desserts are the Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake, a Chocolate Brownie served with vanilla ice cream, and an Apple Tart.
For my meal I decided on the Pan-Seared King Salmon Cakes. Normally the Salmon Cakes are served with mixed greens topped with a sherry vinaigrette, but I chose to substitute French fries instead. One of the first things that caught my eye was the large portion size. Not only were the salmon cakes big, but the amount of fries that came with them was huge. The cakes had big chunks of salmon as well as celery and onion which gave them added flavor and texture. While there was not too much celery, there was a lot of onion and even though this did give the cakes a strong onion flavor it did not overpower the flavor of the salmon. The cakes were served very hot and cooked to perfection; they were a nice golden brown on the outside but still moist on the inside. They were also extremely tender and could be easily broken apart with a fork. The salmon cakes were accompanied by tartar sauce which was very thick, creamy, and provided a perfect compliment to the flavor of the salmon (which is a slightly stronger flavored fish). The French fries were probably some of the best that I have had in all of Disney World and were cut nice and thick, crispy on the outside but soft on the inside.
For dessert I decided on the Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake, which has become one of my favorite desserts in Disney World. One of the things I like most about the dessert is the combination of flavors. The chocolate, caramel, toffee pieces, and vanilla ice cream all have their own distinct flavors, but combine together very well. The cake itself is very soft and rich and has the appearance and taste of a big, thick chocolate chip cookie. Topping the cake is a large scoop of vanilla ice cream which is very refreshing and compliments the cake very well. The toffee pieces that top the dessert give it added flavor and texture along with a healthy amount of both chocolate and caramel sauces. It is a very rich and filling dessert and, after having a big meal, can easily be split by two people.
Service:
I was very impressed by the efficiency of the service at Liberty Tree Tavern. Even though the restaurant was a little crowded the food was brought out very quickly, although not so fast that I felt rushed. I also noticed that the restaurant had a lot of servers, which gave each a smaller number of tables to wait upon and allowed them to offer guests better service. My server did a very good job of making sure that I was enjoying everything and getting me anything that I needed. One way I like to gauge service is something I call the “water test.” If the server comes to refill your glass of water before you finish it you know that they are paying close attention to you. At Liberty Tree Tavern, never once did my glass of water get more than halfway empty before my server came around to fill it back up. That being said, my server was not very personable and never really interacted with me beyond making sure everything was to my liking, although he did point out a couple of his favorite items on the menu and which were the more popular choices.
Dining on a Budget:
If you are looking to save a little bit of money, then lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern is definitely the way to go rather than dinner. Not only are the lunch prices more reasonable, but you also get a good selection of choices on the menu and portion sizes that are very large. One of the best values on the menu is probably the Pilgrims’ Feast, which gives you a full Thanksgiving dinner for just $14.99. I have gotten this meal in the past and have not been able to finish it because you get so much food. Other options for those dining on a budget would be the Colony Salad for just $13.49 or the Tri-Corner Sandwich which costs $11.49. Seeing other people get these I noticed that the portion sizes are likewise very big, but if you still wanted a little something more you could always get a cup of New England Clam Chowder as an appetizer or go with a dessert. Speaking of appetizers, the Tavern Fried Cheese is a great value at just $5.49. The fried cheese along with clam chowder and a dessert would probably be enough to fill you and offers a very economical option for a sit down lunch.
The Overall Experience:
One of the things that many people say about the Magic Kingdom is that it could use more sit down restaurants. While this may be true, the lack of quantity does not necessarily mean lack of quality. I highly recommend the Liberty Tree Tavern because it is truly the type of dining experience that you expect to get from Disney. It all starts with a great theme which is carried throughout the restaurant in the tiniest details and creates a fully immersive dining atmosphere. This combines with food that may be simple and traditional, but also extremely tasty, large portion sizes, efficient service, and reasonable prices to create a great overall dining experience that can be enjoyed by the entire family. Next time you are at the Magic Kingdom and are looking for a little break from all the hustle and bustle, lunch at the Liberty Tree Tavern is a great way to relax, refresh, and get reenergized for the rest of your day.
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