2013: Disney Area BBQ Competition Winner

If you are staying near Disney World and are hungry for some great BBQ, then you will want to read this. I am a fan of Dicky's BBQ, but the closest one is way past Winter Garden. So, instead, we are going to pit two of the best smoke houses on Route 192 in Kissimmee: Smokey Bones versus Wildside BBQ. Both of these can be found on 192 just 6 miles apart from each other. They offer steaks, pork, chicken, ribs - everything you would expect. And you can order it piled high to meet any appetite.

For appetizer, we are going to start with the Nachos. The nachos are piled high with cheese, BBQ meat, and various other toppings. Wildside BBQ delivered a giant plate stuffed with BBQ meat. Meanwhile, the cheese on the Smokey Bones nachos wasn't melted and the BBQ meat was cold; it was difficult finding enough topping to finish eating the Smokey Bones nachos.

WINNER OF THE APPETIZER: Wild Side BBQ


The décor of both restaurants is very nice. A nice option at Wild Side BBQ is to sit watching the cook at the fire pit. Meanwhile, Smokey Bones has televisions everywhere and plays music (which we found the music to be too loud). Nevertheless, Smokey Bones is going to win the décor because Wild Side placed us at a tiny booth at the front of the restaurant and we had to push the booth back in order to fit - and we aren't large family!

WINNER OF DÉCOR: Smokey Bones BBQ


We tested order accuracy with some very easy customizations. Wild Side BBQ delivered everything correctly. Smokey Bones delivered our nachos with tomatoes on it (when we asked for none) and forgot to put bacon on our mashed potatoes.

WINNER OF ORDER ACCURACY: Wild Side BBQ


A BBQ meal isn't complete without BBQ beans. Smokey Bones beans are thicker with a bolder BBQ flavor. Wild Side BBQ has a thinner sauce. Smokey Bones is going to win this due to the bolder flavor even though the flavor 'got to me' and I couldn't finish the beans.

WINNER OF THE BBQ BEANS: Smokey Bones BBQ



Each restaurant has a selection of BBQ sauces to use with your meat selection. Wild side had four flavors to choose from, and Smokey Bones had three. Everyone's preferences are different. I prefer a sweater BBQ sauce. I had difficulty finding a sauce I liked at Smokey Bones. Wild Side, on the other hand, had a sauce I simply loved.

WINNER OF THE BBQ SAUCE: Wild Side BBQ


The restaurants are priced differently for similar products. While both are reasonable, considering what you are getting, we found Smokey Bones to be cheaper providing better value.


WINNER OF THE BETTER VALUE: Smokey Bones BBQ


You can tell a lot about a restaurant by looking at their restrooms. Both restaurants had adequate bathrooms. Smokey Bones had the best restroom décor but I found Smokey Bones to be dirty and not fully functional.


WINNER OF THE BEST RESTROOM: Wild Side BBQ.


Many of the vacation area restaurants offer extras, such as souvenirs, park tickets, or pictures. Smokey Bones offered none of these. Wild Side took our picture and offered it to us for purchase. Normally we would purchase the picture, but this time my wife's eyes were closed, so, I complained that I couldn't buy it. The photographer was mad, snapped back the picture, and walked away. Conclusion? Sometimes offering no service is better than offering poor service.

WINNER OF THE EXTRAS: Smokey Bones BBQ


The other item of note: We tried the Smokey Bones Macaroni and cheese, but didn't try the Wild Side Macaroni and Cheese, so, we can't compare it. But we can describe it. The Smokey Bones Macaroni and Cheese had a strong onion flavor and a sharp cheese flavor that left an after taste. We could not eat it. I would recommend staying clear of the Macaroni and Cheese.



So let's recap.


WINNER
Appetizer. Wild Side BBQ
Order Accuracy. Wild Side BBQ
BBQ Sauce. Wild Side BBQ
Best Restroom. Wild Side BBQ
Decore. Smokey Bones BBQ
BBQ Beans. Smokey Bones BBQ
Value. Smokey Bones BBQ
Extras. Smokey Bones BBQ


In conclusion, both restaurants are excellent. Regardless of which you pick? You won't be disappointed. So, tuck your napkin into your shirt, order a big pile of BBQ meat, and dig in!