Disney4me Posted July 28, 2016 Report Share Posted July 28, 2016 Who’s up for a little retro-futuristic dining at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe? Learn About:Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe Magic KingdomDisney World Restaurants Cosmic Ray’s remains your best Magic Kingdom bet for Counter Service staples like Bacon Cheeseburgers and Chicken Breast Nuggets (especially since the Mexican fare menu revamp at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe that took place last fall). It’s your basic go-to when you’re looking for a menu that’s bound to have something that will appeal to just about everyone in your traveling party. Even so, that doesn’t mean Cosmic Ray’s can’t change things up from time to time, as evidenced by a few new menu items we spotted recently and thought we’d check out with our review today. And even if they didn’t alter their menu as extensively as the nearby Tomorrowland Terrace recently did, we’ll take pretty much any excuse to pay a visit to our old pal, Sonny Eclipse! Sonny Eclipse entertains at Cosmic Ray’s Now that we’ve said “Hello” to Sonny, let’s check out what else is happening at the Starlight Cafe… Atmosphere There are three elements that are key to setting the vibe at Cosmic Ray’s. One is the general color scheme of silver, purple and teal that is commonplace throughout Tomorrowland. Cosmic Ray’s Sign Seating Inside Cosmic Ray’s Second: the stage show by the one and only Sonny Eclipse! He provides some swingin’ alien lounge tunes to accompany your meal. Cosmic Ray’s Seating — and Sonny Eclipse! And finally, Comic Ray’s has its own unique Bay system. While most Counter Service spots in the parks have one primary menu and ordering area, Cosmic Ray’s features three different ordering Bays, with some variation as to what they serve. Ordering Area at Cosmic Rays — Bay 1 Ordering Area at Cosmic Rays — Bay 3 And while we’re on that topic… Eats The Bay system is referenced on the handout menus that you often receive from a Cast Member upon entering, saving you a little time visiting each area to find out which serves what. Bay 1 offers primarily Chicken entrees (you gotta love the 1/2 Rotisserie Chicken and the return of the 1/2 Rotisserie Chicken and Ribs Combo). On our last visit there was not really any variation between Bays 2 and 3, where you can find Burgers (including a Veggie version), Hot Dogs, a Greek Salad, and the same Barbecued Pork Sandwich that Bay 1 serves. Cosmic Ray’s Menu The new arrivals are, essentially, twists on already-existing classics: you’ll find the new Barbecued Pork Bacon Cheeseburger at all three Bays, and the Bacon Cheddar Dog at Bays 2 and 3. Finally, the Greek Salad is now served with Chicken (though it can still be ordered without chicken by request, which will lower the price to $10.29). Check out the back of the menu to find beverages, desserts, and Kids’ Meals. Cosmic Ray’s Menu Stepping up to Bay 2 to place my order, I became pretty excited when I spotted this sign by the registers… Cheese Dip Add On But sadly, this is not the return of plastic cheese (not yet, anyway… find out more of the current status of plastic cheese by checking out our recent review of The Plaza Restaurant). It’s the same side of Ortega cheese that you can find served along with the Mickey Pretzels throughout the park. Ortega Cheese Dip Ortega Cheese Dip Before digging in, you’ll want to know about the Toppings Bar, which is important to note since — due to the unique setup at Cosmic Ray’s — it doesn’t have the same kind of center-of-the-room prominence as the better known Fixins’ Bar at Pecos Bill’s. You could accidentally bypass it, and then you’d miss the chance to top your entree with shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and pickles for the cold selections. Fixins’ Bar Shredded Lettuce Sliced Tomatoes Sliced Pickles Which admittedly aren’t quite as interesting as the hot selections, which include sautéed onions and sautéed mushrooms. Sautéed Onions Sautéed Mushrooms As expected, there’s also plenty of the basics: ketchup, yellow mustard and mayo. Yellow Mustard, Ketchup and Mayo You could add any of those to the new Bacon Cheddar Hot Dog, even though it’s fairly well stacked already. Bacon Cheddar Hot Dog French Fries automatically come with the Hot Dog, served on the side in their own paper boat. Side of Fries With lots of bacon (real, not bacon bits) and cheese, it’s hard to go wrong with a classic combo like this. Bacon Cheddar Hot Dog Though personally, I think I would’ve enjoyed it more if the shredded cheese had been melted. Bacon Cheddar Hot Dog Closeup Bacon Cheddar Hot Dog Cross-Section The Greek Salad — pretty unique to Cosmic Ray’s — now comes with Chicken (as mentioned, though, just say the word to the Cast Member taking your order if you’d prefer it without meat). Greek Salad with Chicken This one’s a true entree-sized salad. It’s HUGE — especially with the large piece of baked chicken on top. Baked Chicken on the Greek Salad I thought the chicken had some really nice seasoning to it. Chicken Cross-Section But it was the fresh veggies that stood out to me the most, including the unexpected (for a Greek Salad) pico de gallo. Pico de Gallo And I really enjoyed the kalamata olives and sliced mild banana peppers.. Kalamata Olives … along with lots of feta cheese. Sliced Mild Banana Peppers and Feta Cheese The Greek Salad at Cosmic Ray’s is — I think — an underrated, little known dish. Mine was very fresh and flavorful, especially thanks to the pico de gallo and banana pepper adding a hint of spiciness. Even so, we just had to try the new Barbecued Pork Bacon Cheeseburger for a complete 180, which comes with your choice of French Fries or green beans. Barbecued Pork Bacon Cheeseburger Following the trend of other meat-topped-meat options (like the Electric Umbrella’s French Dip Burger or the Honey Barbecued Beef Brisket Burger at The Plaza), this sandwich is ENORMOUS. Barbecued Pork Bacon Cheeseburger It’s topped with a massive amount of shredded pork, three pieces of bacon, and cheese (which you maaaay have guessed based on its name, Barbecued Pork Bacon Cheeseburger ). The pork lends some great barbecued flavor without being too overwhelming, allowing the beef and bacon to make their presence known in the flavors as well. Shredded Barbecued Pork Again, this is simply a LOT of food, so if you have more than one member in your group interested in trying this burger I would really recommend sharing, especially when you have a long day in the parks ahead of you! Barbecued Pork Bacon Cheeseburger Cross-Section If, after sharing, you still have room, you could always fill up with a Dole Whip, Citrus Swirl, Mickey Caramel Apple, or Iced Coffee Float. You can thank me for the idea later… Overall Though the new menu items at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe may not be wildly inventive, it’s still fun to find a change-up to the classics every now and then — especially when you’re trying to please a large group but still hoping to find something a little bit outside the norm. Come for the classics, stay for Sonny… overall not a bad visit to Cosmic Ray’s! Oh, and if the green beans are available as a side item here, get them! They’re SOOO good! Will you be trying any of the new items on your next visit to Cosmic Ray’s? Let us know in the comments below! Disney Food Blog Fans, be sure to check out our DFB Disney World Dining Guide e-Books! Find great deals at DFBStore.com! Also, come on over and: Subscribe to our Newsletter Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook Fan Related posts: Review: Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe at Magic Kingdom Guest Review: Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe in the Magic Kingdom Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe Installs Electronic Menu Boards View the full article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.