Our burgers are out of this world

Almost a year ago I wrote about the angus burger found at Epcot in the Liberty Inn. It was the kind of meat-on-meat violence the likes of which hadn’t been seen in Walt Disney World before. It was the king of heart attack hill, and there was no stopping it. Until now. Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater recently unveiled The All American Picnic Burger, which means the squeamish should run and hide.

Here’s the breakdown on the burger: A Flame-broiled Angus Burger Patty topped with two grilled hot dogs, sauerkraut, sautéed onions, mustard, ketchup, and topped with a pickle spear. Even though I am self-respecting carnivore, I really, really did not want to like this burger. It seemed too rich, too decadent to be decent. I really had my heart set on thinking it was disgusting. Yet, even with my head and heart working against it, it won me over on the first bite!

I wouldn’t say that it was a picnic on a bun, but I can see the temptation to connect this burger with all things picnic. The patty is what you would expect from the one notch up crowd of burgers Walt Disney World has been crafting in recent years. The hot dogs are nothing fancy, except for their preparation. Splayed open and grilled flat, the charred meat really takes you back to the feeling of a backyard barbeque. As with all things meat, the mustard-sauerkraut combo is a perfect topping, and of course you need the sautéed onions. Pickles are also a necessity, although I would opt for slices on the sandwich instead of the spear which only leaves a bit of juice in the combining. The only detractor, for me, was the ketchup. Don’t get me wrong, I’m fine with it on burgers as a general rule. Here, however, it just seems to take away from the rest of the burger.

For sides you can opt for the more picnic-minded cucumber salad or the traditional French fries. While I am a fan of the cucumber salad that has been making its way through the parks and resorts, I am always going to pair my burgers with fries, hands down.

This is a great burger that would call me back to Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater time and time again, regardless of what else was on the menu. In the end however, while it throttles past the sandwich at Liberty Inn, it still comes up short next to a sandwich I’ve lovingly been referring to as Meatageddon, but we’ll have to save that discussion for another day.