Where's the Food?

[GrandpaD]

A rant (probably) -

I recall (in a foggy memory) BGW used to feature new "fun" additions to their food offerings at the onset of each season. But now, other than the F&W Festival, it seems it's the "same ol stuff". Sure, we got donuts last year but what about something substantial for lunch or dinner?

The baseball parks are just announcing their new offerings which got me thinking. Such items like Chicken tenders & bacon in a cone, peanut butter & bacon sammich, spicy chicken sammich, Apple fries or (my favorite from Europe) a sausage in a steamed/toasted baguette, would be treats people would seek out and buy.

Sure, it's not the Old Country any more, but I miss trying new food that's bad for me but tickles my tastebuds. A man can't live on cardboard pizza alone.

(Admins - If this is in the wrong place...or just wrong...feel free to kick it whatever....)

 

[Zachary]

Apple fries

RIP Les Frites' best menu item. ?

 

[GrandpaD]

RIP Les Frites' best menu item. ?

They might have tasted better, but the presentation (in your review photo) was horrible.

 

[Zachary]

I tend to find culinary presentation all around the park to be fairly abominable unfortunately. ?

 

[GrandpaD]

I agree. What boring food they do offer is lacking.

I loved the "European Sausage/Hot Dog" when I visited Tivoli Gardens. They cut a baguette in half, slide it into the spike for a quick inside toast. Then in go the condiments, then the dog. No mess to walk around with. They use something like this machine.
To me a great potential offering...European style in "Europe"...doh!

 

[WDWRLD]

I honestly consider the members preview F&W sampling a joke. Now if I thoight the sampling sizes would be decent I might give it a go but for $16 Im betting on one tray with one of each item, and a lemonaide and I will walk away still hungry. The cost should be something cheaper or there should be more to it. I also agree the food in the park needs a change up.

 

[Zachary]

You're paying for an exclusive early preview of a upcoming event, not for a normal, everyday meal.

 

[Mushroom]

I do wish BGW offered Bavarian nuts. KD started selling them in Old Virginia in 2018 and they're great; they'd be a perfect fit in Oktoberfest or Rhinefeld.

 

[Thomas]

They used to have them at the stand across from DarKastle that was built around the tree. Sadly, it is no more.

 

[mountaineers]

Loved them. I started a thead about them last year. If anyone sees them be sure to let me know.

Candied Nuts

Anyone know if they are selling the candied nuts? They used to have them in Octoberfest but they aren't where they were last year.

parkfans.net

 

[WDWRLD]

You're paying for an exclusive early preview of a upcoming event, not for a normal, everyday meal.

I understand that, but for my family of 3 to try this preview it will cost me just over $50 and then we still will have to go buy lunch. They did this before in the Festhaus, they offered a "preview" of certain dishes coming to F&W. You could buy each seperatly and didnt need to purchase ahead of time, so we bought one of each dish to share and see what we liked. There was also team members there asking questions about the dishes...it was basically to see if guests liked the dishes or what they needed to change before officially adding it to the F&W menus, we are pasically paying testers. For me its just to pricey when you dont really know what your getting, I could understand if it was in somewhere inside and they were having some of the culinary team give a brief presentation but it sounds like you pick up your tray at the booth and walk into Josephines seating area to eat. Not only that but having to pre purchase and pick a time also just makes it annoying. I look forward to hearing yalls reviews but I will just wait till F&W to try them.

 

[WDWRLD]

They used to have them at the stand across from DarKastle that was built around the tree. Sadly, it is no more.

I wish I wish they would bring them back, they smell so good. My only worry though is they would be premade/packaged and just warmed up....like the carmel corn. I think that could be a great seller at the candy shop.

 

[GrandpaD]

I found another perfect BGW food - a chicken churro sandwich.



I dub thee - A Pollo Churrio!

 

[GrandpaD]

Rant (continued)

As theme/amusement parks start opening, social media is full of "new park food offerings". BGW's neighbor up the highway just announced theirs. Unless I'm missing something, I've seen almost diddly squat in the way of new culinary offerings (Food & Wine doesn't count). A new turkey leg stand and another Coke Mart is all I can recall.

Which tells me one of two things -

1. BGW's social media folks are on the weak side getting the word out (in all fairness, BGT hasn't tweeted anything about food except F&W either).
2. The culinary department is horribly complacent.

I suspect the latter... the ol' "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mindset.

I'm realistic that a good many going thru the turnstiles don't come just for food. But, obviously other parks think that changing things up, offering new "temptations" must do something to enhance the guest experience and bring in more money. I know I'd probably stay a bit longer and spend more money if BGW offered more.

No wonder, on a few travel sites, I've seen people recommend getting a hand stamp and going off-site for a better meal.

End Rant (for now)

 

[netdvn]

To be fair, the park already has enough decent food options available and there isn't really a lot of food options outside of the park anyway. I don't think the park really needs to change their options that much at this point outside of the pizza buffet.

 

[BGWnut]

I tend to think it's a combination of the two options. The marketing team could do a better job of showcasing the different food options and what's new. Did anyone notice that at aquataine refreshments they have a new flavored water dispenser? Or that squire's grill added the impossible burger to their menu? Or that the park introduced two new cheesecakes (granted the base is the same between the two just a different sauce)? Or that last season Squire's Grill changed their recipe and went from passed preformed patties to freshly smashed beef patties? Or know that Grogans Grill changed to O'tators and changed their menu before going to the park and noticing the new sign last season? I'm sure that there are other tweaks that I just didn't notice when I've gone. That sort of stuff is on marketing to get the word out.

I do feel though that the Culinary team also is a little bit in the let's keep doing what we know works. They haven't really added anything really different to their menus since Marco Polo opened. I feel that too often they would rather just save their new ideas for one of the events rather than it being a year round item.

 

[GrandpaD]

I'm not as loyal to the park as others. The additions you mentioned are pretty "back page" compared to what I see other parks offer each season for the entire season. You won't know what works until you try it. To keep doing "what works" season after season is, as I said, just being complacent.

 

[BGWnut]

Yeah but you still see some of those pushed by marketing at other parks as new offerings even if small. I'm really surprised they haven't promoted the impossible burger addition at Squire's because it fits in with the edit conservation theme and it's a pretty trendy thing to try. Another thing that people are always surprised to find out is that BGW also serves the same Dole Whip that everyone is obsessed with at Disney.

I'm sure there are probably things that I missed. I do agree however that there are no big changes this year and I think even as good as I think BGW's offerings are they can always be improved.

 

[WDWRLD]

The Dole whip is a couple seasons old now. I feel like when they do have something new it isnt avaliable or they are out of it or the location is always closed.....look ay the sundae at Josephines at CT, not once did I see it open to get one. The F&W sampler at member preview day they made so difficult to get, unless you just went full in for your whole family, that is wasnt worth the hassle. To me the food options are old...we generally eat before we get there whenever possible.

 

[Zachary]

I know I've brought it up before in this thread but gosh darn it, I'm doin' it again!

Les Frites' Apple Fries. Despite being far and away the best thing served at Les Frites', they were pulled from the menu before BGW Marketing even realized they existed.

Just a Tweet and a Facebook post with some food porn shots of the Apple Fries covered in cinnamon and drizzled with caramel could have at least given them a chance at success...