We here at the Jotter are usually excited to see menu updates and new items at Disney restaurants. There’s always a sense of excitement and anticipation around trying something new at the parks and resorts! (Here’s looking at you, Mickey Waffle with Sweet-and-Spicy Maple Chicken at Sleepy Hollow!) But today we are conflicted over the change in menu at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe in Magic Kingdom. While we’re happy to see some great new additions like Barbecue-Cheddar Seasoned Fries and a Chili con Queso Burger, we are conflicted over the loss of a, heretofore, ever present Pecos Bill favorite…and we need to taco ‘bout it.

In recent years, Pecos Bills had been serving a menu that included various soft tacos featured as main entrees. You could walk in and get your chicken, pork, and/or beef tacos, and even a fried cauliflower taco for a brief time. (Anyone else remember that year fried cauliflower was everywhere in Disney World?) Mr. Jotter particularly enjoyed getting the pork tacos. We never had to ask where he wanted to eat. Pecos Bill tacos has been his go-to choice for meals in Magic Kingdom for years. Now, were they the best tacos? No, not really. But were they at least a decent cheap eats option at Magic Kingdom? Also no. Better than Taco Bell? Questionable. BUT…were they consistently there when you were craving tacos, while possibly daydreaming about eating at Rancho del Zocalo in Disneyland, and were okay with settling for room temperature flour tortillas made soggy by meat that seemed like it was slightly overcooked from being in a crock pot all day, and served with a tube packet of sour cream and mini tub of Tostitos salsa? Yes. Yes, they were there. And we thought they’d always be there. But we should know by now that Disney World is ever-changing and evolving. And, yes, we’ll eventually get over this, especially if the new menu offers some good quality eaaaa…hey, check out that burger…

Okay, wow, we are liking the new Double Chili con Queso Burger ($16.49). A double burger with Chili con Carne, Chipotle Queso, and Corn Chips (Fritos) is not a light meal, but it’s as tasty as it is messy. We decided to cut it in half to share, and we still both ended up eating a whole burger, due to there being two patties! Definitely a gut buster in a pleasant way, but you have to be the kind of person who loves the chili cheese you get at an old-school bowling alley snack bar, if you know what we mean. And as for the new Barbecue-Cheddar Seasoned Fries (comes as a side with the burger, or $4.99 if purchased separately), we welcome them with open arms! We were just so excited to see fries on the menu! We had long been wondering why Pecos Bill served up burgers and no fries! (You used to get tortilla chips as the side dish which was a big let-down for the kids.) So we’re glad to see these. They are so tasty compared to the plain Disney fries and good with the Pecos Bill queso. Definitely get extra queso for dipping. (Disney, if you’re reading, it would be great if you offered these as Chili-Cheese fries with the same meat chili that’s on the Chili con Queso Burger, please and thank you. Also, please bring back the Walking Taco!!)

We also tried the Nacho Bowl ($12.99) with Green Chili Pork. Other meat options are: Citrus-Chipotle Chicken or Coca-Cola Cherry Braised Beef (+$0.50).  It does not disappoint. Though it does get a bit soggy the longer it sits, so best to eat it promptly. Pecos Bill has had nachos on the menu before, but they just seem better this time around with a seemingly larger portion of chips, generous amounts of cheese sauce and meat, charro beans, and actual fresh pico de gallo. Might be a new favorite.

Later in the evening, we were excited to go back and try the new Steamed Tamale ($12.99), described as a Steamed Green Chili-Cheese Tamale with Stewed Pinto Beans, Queso Fresco, and Pico de Gallo. We were shocked to see it come out on a huge bed of rice! The menu does not list it as a rice bowl. So be aware you’ll get a much larger amount of food than you might be expecting. We also opted to top it with Green Chili Pork–similar to the nachos, you can choose pork, chicken, or braised beef. It ended up being a massive bowl of food. Unfortunately, we did not love this tamale dish. We found the tamal itself to be soggy, soft, and mushy. If you’re familiar with and love tamales as much as we do, then you know that it should not be soggy and mushy in texture. It was a bit off-putting, like eating soggy cornmeal mush with rice. We didn’t get much of the Green Chili taste either, with the flavor being a bit bland. We could have used some salsa here, preferably fresh, but would have taken a pre-packed Tostitos tub too. On the plus side, there were very generous amounts of rice, pork, and beans. We’re hoping that maybe we just got a bad plate up that day, and perhaps the dish will be better if we try it again.

Lastly we ordered the intriguing Sweet Corn Mousse ($6.29). This was so visually interesting because it looks just like an ear of Mexican Street Corn! So realistic. Then you cut into it and find a silky, soft mousse. Honestly, while it was an amazing visual treat, this wasn’t a big hit with all of us flavor-wise. We expected a more vibrant sweet corn flavor, but got more of just a sweet milk pudding vibe. Almost like the strong visual punch was a miss-match with the too subtle flavor. Maybe worth trying if you like a mousse or soft pudding dessert.

Other items on the menu include:

*Rice Bowl ($12.99) with Pinto Beans, Cilantro-Lime Rice, Cowboy Caviar, and Queso Fresco, with choice of pork, chicken, or braised beef.

*Grilled Masa Flatbread ($10.49) described as Grilled Corn Flatbread topped with Sweet Potatoes, Stewed Pinto Beans, Plant-based Pepper Jack “Cheese”, Shredded Lettuce, Pico de Gallo, and Plant-based Lime Crema. It is a meatless option, but you can add meat to the flatbread for an extra charge.

*Kids options include smaller portions of nachos, rice bowls, and a cheeseburger.

*Desserts including a Mexican Chocolate and Horchata Verrine and Mini Churros with Chocolate Sauce.

Overall, while we (and by we, I mean Mr. Jotter) will really miss those Pecos Bill tacos, and will not-so-secretly be hoping that they make a comeback, we are genuinely impressed by the new offerings and will certainly be back for that burger and nachos.

We can’t wait to go back and try more of the new food in Magic Kingdom. Check back for more of our food adventures on the site. Happy eating!