is a modern BBQ joint in Walt Disney World’s Disney Springs. Its proprietors are local celebrities of the food scene in central Florida, but my visits haven’t been universally excellent despite the Pig’s positive reception in Disney springs.
The Polite Pig
But The Polite Pig is more than just smoked meats. On my recent visit, I went for some of the Market Sides and Shareables (a/k/a appetizers).
Oh and did we mention that Polite Pig has a BOURBON BAR!? So fun for grown-ups looking to drink around Disney Springs!
Bourbon Bar Menu
If you do come for the bourbon, you might also stay for the food. 😉 In addition to Shareables and Market Sides, The Polite Pig offers Salads (with loads of options to add meats), Sandwiches, items From the Smoker, and Desserts.
Menu
Screens over the registers illuminate these options, too. (Click to enlarge for those menu descriptions!)
Polite Pig Menu Screens
So let’s dive into my choices!
The Polite Rub Chicken Wings are a dry-rubbed chicken wing that’s deep fried until all those edges are turned into crispy bits. The meat is a little dry, but the flavor is salty and slightly spicy; and with the satisfying crispiness, these are pretty good! The wings are from the Shareables portion of the menu, and they’d be a great item to… share before digging into entrees. But if you also order a Market Side, these would suffice as a meal, too! (The wings come with pickled carrots, but I passed on those.)
Polite Rub Chicken Wings
The next Shareable dish I ordered was new back in February (see our first review of them here!), and I had to get them again. Burnt Ends BBQ Meatballs with cheddar grits and Layla’s Sweet BBQ Sauce. I’m not actually sure which word I like most in the title of this dish.
Burnt Ends BBQ Meatballs
The sweet BBQ sauce is a great accompaniment to those crispy onions and creamy (yes, really!) grits. But the star — as it should be — is the burnt ends meatballs.
Burnt Ends BBQ Meatballs
This is The Polite Pig’s brisket ends ground up and formed into meatballs. These are legit super awesome. The flavor was all there, and I’m never going to pass on a good barbecue sauce.
Burnt Ends BBQ Meatballs
The Market Sides at The Polite Pig are plentiful. On our very first visit to The Polite Pig, we tried the super fancy BBQ Cauliflower and Crispy Brussel Sprouts! (You have to read our first review here!) While these were fine, they’re still not crave-worthy in our opinion. So on my recent visit it was time to try two new-to-me options as well as give an older option another try.
Market Sides
On this visit, I tried the Grilled Street Corn. This… is not your average corn on the cob. It’s coated in Chipotle Aioli and covered in Seasoned Breadcrumbs. There is NOTHING WRONG HERE, my friends. I love me some elote, and this was excellent.
Grilled Street Corn
These are a little messy to eat due to all that tasty aioli, but they’re worth the extra napkins. Get it.
Grilled Street Corn
The Mac and Cheese at The Polite Pig has seen some changes over the past couple of years. On our first visit, it was comprised of three cheeses: Parmesan, cheddar, and cottage. But in my opinion, it was still dry and somewhat flavorless.
Mac and Cheese
The Mac and Cheese is now described as using Aged Cheddar, and it’s actually a much better flavor and texture (gooier!) than before. Though it still needs a bit of salt.
Mac and Cheese
The BBQ Waffle Fries are a thick waffle fry dusted with Polite Rub. The slightly spicy rub imparts good flavor, and it would be fun to dip these in the many Polite Pig sauces (see those sauces here!), but they aren’t a must. Especially if you’re interested in some of the less common sides.
BBQ Waffle Fries
On this visit, I didn’t opt for dessert, but if you do, I have three words for you: Buttermilk Chess Pie. I also have one link for you: this one, where you’ll find our review of this totally killer dessert!
Buttermilk Pie !!!!
Oh, and don’t forget your Gideon’s Bake Shop cookie…if you get there early enough to snag one before they sell out!
There’s no question that Disney Springs is a very difficult place to decide where to eat. There are table service and quick service options galore, and so many of them are really good. The Polite Pig still ranks in the middle for me. It’s fine, but I’m still not in a rush to get back there (except for that elote and pie!). But if you’re into this style of modern BBQ, you’ll absolutely want to give it a try. I’ll be back for (believe it or not) more veggies! 😉
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AJ, my family and myself enjoy the Polite Pig very much. We have found today so many chefs over salt their dishes taking away from the actual flavor of the food.
On our last visit we ate at the Polite Pig a few times and had the side of Macaroni and cheese on each occasion. We really enjoyed the Mac and cheese the way it is and feel it does not need any more salt. You can always add salt to your dish but if it comes to your table with to much salt you are stuck with something you are not going to enjoy.
Thank you, Frank Gary Honulik
Enjoy your blog very much!
Our family is a big fan of the Polite Pig. From the drinks to the food we love it there. I always go with the ribs and have never been disappointed. Sides to me are an afterthought usually but here the brussel sprouts are incredible! I am not a brussel sprout lover but the way they make these sweet and crunchy makes me want to order just them. We’ve been to almost all the food places at DS and Polite Pig is at the top of our list always.
Love the sides here, unique, you won’t find them at every restaurant you go to. All very good, Brussels, cauliflower, beets, corn not just plain ole plain ole. You must try them
We love the Polite Pig’s food and the value if you are using a QS Dining credit. We usually just share one meal if using the QS credit and add on another drink and side. So worth it!
We LOVE the Polite Pig! The veggies are the best! LOVE the brussel sprouts! I still need to try the cauliflower! Looks so good! The pulled pork is amazing and the sauces are so good! The smell of the pork and brisket cooking grabbed us and pulled us in to try this the first time. Now we just plan to go!! Can’t wait to go again to try more options!!
We love the polite pig !! It is a must go once or twice while we’re at Disney. The southern garden salad is huge along with a fried chicken sandwich ~ easily a Delicious meal for two and don’t forget the brussels sprouts !!!
Now for the bourbon we have one while we wait for a food and sometimes another for dessert …….always a wonderful time !