The Festival Inn Menu
Amilcar Labrosse
There are new booths, new dishes, and updates to returning offerings. They really seemed to be taking a lot of delicious risks, and had thankfully removed some of the more mundane options. For example, they introduced the adventurous Africa booth, while purging the entire event of the decidedly uninspired mac and cheese variants.
In addition to increasing the creativity in their menus, BGW also served up dishes with more complex and varied textures and flavors. Desserts layered creamy sweetness and buttery flakiness, while savory options boasted crunchy, velvety, spicy, tangy, and many other types of components. Moreover, we found most of the ingredients to be fresh and the execution to be good.
My Pick was a savory meat and custard dish. The beef had a hint of warm, spicy sweetness and the eggs were tender, combining to create a lovely and flavorful offering that was unlike anything we have tasted at the event previously.
We were very excited to try this spiritual successor to the much-loved Mediterranean booth. Unfortunately, a lot of items did not live up to our (admittedly high) expectations. Ayran, the non-alcoholic specialty beverage, is probably not for everyone. It was very cucumber-forward (possibly overwhelmingly cucumber) and the bitter yogurt base was very strong. The mint was completely lost.
At an event where the bread is brutally bad everywhere, a dish that is nothing but bread is kinda doomed. So, our giving this dry sesame bread ring the second lowest score at the event seems inevitable.
Our favorite dish at this booth was good enough to impress a chocolate hater. It was rich and fudgy, and creamy rather than super-dense. The textures and flavors were varied and complimentary, with the pistachio working very well with the chocolate.
Conceptually, this is one of my favorite booths at the event. Desserts infused with fresh herbs are interesting and a delight to the palate. The Lavender Lemonade, which we think would pair nicely with the lemon tart, was less lemony than other non-alcoholic specialty beverages at the event, but the floral lavender definitely shined through.
Everything we said we liked about this previously top-scoring dessert changed this year. The mousse was the flavor of Strawberry Nesquik and the whipped cream tasted fake. The basil was still completely MIA. To be fair the texture was excellent.
The highest-scoring dish at the booth, this meat pastry was spicy and delicious. The sweet sauce complimented the beef perfectly, and the crust was flakey (although one of our tasters found it to be too heavy).
This sandwich is usually very popular with our tasting team. This year, unfortunately, it was ruined by stale bread and bland slaw. We still enjoyed the jerked meat and mango salsa, but there simply was not enough of either.
Despite being a perennial crowd-pleasing booth and being located in a large area off of the main paths, the Mexico kiosk always seems to have some of the worst operations at the event. Why the two queues were completely unseperated remains a mystery to us, but the chaos and wait times always make me want to skip this location. Regardless, we enjoyed the cinnamony and mild Horchata, especially with the strong flavors of the tacos.
We were very impressed with the new pork taco, which was the highest scoring dish at the booth. The lime paired perfectly with the warm spices in the well-cooked meat. All of the components worked well together, although the pickled onions were not a standout.
Given what a passionate and devoted following this taco has always enjoyed, we were shocked at the quality of shrimp, which we found rubbery, overcooked, and too heavily breaded. The incredible, tangy sauce and the crispy vegetables were not enough to save the dish from being the lowest scorer at the booth.
The team loved that the park added the option of getting one of each type of taco at a discounted price ($7.25 individually, or $18.75 for all three). The distinct flavors made it an interesting collection, and the excellent flour tortillas and large lime wedges added continuity. We would love to see more combinations like this at the event.
We thought this cute cupcake (it looks like a rose in the wine garden!) was very well executed this year. The buttercream was smooth and the cake had a great consistency, as well. There were a lot of berries and we could really taste the merlot.
I was very excited to try this new rice pudding: spice, coconut, everything sounded fantastic. I was NOT very excited once I had eaten it, however. It had an unpleasant gluey consistency and needed more flavor. It did have the distinction of earning the lowest score of any dessert at the event.
The salt-forward beef was cold, chewy, and dry, although it did have a hint of smoke. Oddly, the kimchi was incredibly mild, lacking any of the flavors one would expect from the traditional fermented cabbage dish.
This dip was hearty enough to serve as an effective accompaniment to a frozen cocktail, and we could taste all of the main ingredients. The bland and crushed plantain chips, however, were almost completely unusable and might as well have been cheap potato chips.
The park updated the line-up at this long-time booth with mixed results, but we appreciated the effort to introduce more interesting and iconic Hawaiian dishes. We still enjoyed the tart and floral Hibiscus Lemonade, and we found it less sweet than in past years.
Like many of the sandwiches at the event, this slider was dragged down by terrible bread. The pulled pork had great flavor and paired perfectly with the pineapple and slaw, which was crunchy and tasty. Unfortunately, both were mostly lost in the huge, stale, and soggy bun.
The saving grace of this booth was the dessert. Although certainly not perfect, we enjoyed the flavors and textures of the island-inspired sweet. It was light and cool with crunchy coconut atop the creamy mousse.
A perennial crowd-pleaser, this booth served us three strong dishes, paired with a tart non-alcoholic refresher. The Strawberry Lemonade tasted more of lemon and less of strawberry, but it did have a lot of fruit chunks and worked well with the food on offer.
This take on a traditional New Orleans sandwich boasted both the best shrimp and the best bread at the event, and was the highest-scoring savory item at the booth. The cool, fresh vegetables paired beautifully with the spicy sauce and the plentiful seafood.
Our favorite dessert at the booth, this rich and sweet cheesecake featured a variety of textures and flavors. We could taste the rum and fresh banana toppings and the crunchy pecans complimented the creaminess of the cake.
This fresh and flavorful dish was my recommended pick last year and the highest scoring savory option at the booth this year. The creamy and firm cheese and juicy tomatoes were topped with excellent pesto and balsamic. All of the flavors paired perfectly in the well-executed dish.
Thank you for your review. I found it to be helpful in my decision on whether to attend the event this year. I attended last year as a first-timer and enjoyed it tremendously. The lamb chops were our favorite dish last year!
The Seven Seas Food Festival is an annual event at SeaWorld Orlando featuring global cuisine, wine, craft beer, and live entertainment. It allows guests to taste their way worldwide without leaving the park.
While traditional Orlando music festivals primarily focus on music, the SeaWorld Orlando Seven Seas Festival offers a more diverse experience. Enjoy live performances from top music acts, sample a variety of international cuisines, partake in wine and craft beer tastings, and enjoy all the attractions and exhibits that SeaWorld Orlando has to offer.
Music enthusiasts looking for a unique experience beyond the traditional Orlando music festival should visit the SeaWorld Orlando Seven Seas Festival. This event combines live concerts from renowned artists with global culinary delights, offering a multifaceted entertainment experience.
A world of taste awaits at the annual Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Food & Wine Festival with a delicious menu and drinks as dynamic and unique as the park's thrilling roller coaster collection. Guests can sip & savor their way through flavorful eats and mouthwatering treats before finding their new favorite brew or cocktail. Park guests can explore a variety of flavors while enjoying a diverse concert lineup, including acts for all tastes.
Yes. All concerts are included in the Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival and free with park admission. Enjoy an exclusive concert experience with VIP Seating packages. Packages include exclusive seating, one complimentary beverage, and access to a private VIP bar.
Bench seating on the field will be on a first-come, first-served basis. There is also sitting room at the back of the venue for all concerts. Get the best seats in the house with a VIP Seating package.
In addition to sampling unique eats from the nation's top-rated talent, get some tips to earn that extra Michelin Star for your home kitchen with our Chef Demos! Then get bubbly at a Tasting Session and sample premier spirits, wines, and beers from across the globe while learning the distillation processes behind them.
Our Fire Pit features bites hot off the flames and the chance to interact with pitmasters and chefs cooking over live fire. Enjoy exceptional BBQ and other dishes cooked over open flame and get first-hand advice from the pros!
Kick off your festival weekend Saturday, November 4th with the new ultimate pre-festival cookout at Auditorium Shores, Hands-On Grilling! Grab a partner and cook a delicious meal on a charcoal grill while Chef Tim Love gives pointers on how to become the ultimate pitmaster.
Our digital Festival Guide is your directory for all things Taste of Buffalo including restaurants, food trucks, and wineries, menu items, the festival map, the Rockstar Kitchen Pop Ups line-up, and other helpful details about how to enjoy this year's festival.
All vendors will have a selection of King's Sodas, bottled water, bottled iced tea, fruit drinks, and bottled lemonade. Most vendors will also have a selection of King's Brews (domestic, import, and premium), Haak wines, RenMead meads, ciders, and frozen adult beverages. On cool days, you'll find hot chocolate, coffee, cider, and mulled wine. Additional specialty drinks are listed in the following menu.
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