Today, we are heading back to the 2015 Epcot Food and Wine Festival for a look at a brand new Special Event!

One of the new events introduced this year is the Rockin’ Burger Block Party, and DFB has been at two of the parties.

Join us today as we share our experience, which includes visits with a few celebrity guests and an incredible variety of burgers.

And if you like what you see, there are still tickets left for the November 6th Party, which features Cake Boss Buddy Valastro! Just call (407) 939-3378 to make your reservations.

Atmosphere

The Rockin’ Burger Block Party sounds like it might take place outside…but no.

The event is held in World ShowPlace, the events pavilion that’s tucked away behind giant doors in World Showcase. If you haven’t been there before, you’ll find the entrance between the Canada and UK Pavilions.

Just look for the Events Cast Members, and they’ll point the way!

Check-in for the event is located inside the main entrance. The party actually takes place in the large room that’s beyond.

In the entrance room, there’s also a Disney PhotoPass “photo op” area set up. Guests can have their pics taken as a souvenir of the evening.

This group asked our photographer why he was taking so many pics. When he told them he was with DFB, they wanted to pose for a pic! We love our DFB Readers!

Once you make it in, you begin to see the layout a little better. Like several other World ShowPlace Food and Wine Events, seating is broken into three different tiers. We’ll share more detail about it in just a minute.

Food and drink stations are scattered about the room, so you’re never far from refreshment, regardless of where you are.

There are some tables available for general seating; these tend to be on the outskirts of the room, and you’re likely to share real estate with strangers. Or “new friends,” if you’d like to be optimistic about it. 🙂

About halfway through the oblong room and to the right, you’ll find both the stage area and the Nosh Pit, or premium seating. Featured celebrity guests for each of the three events interact with a Disney emcee here, and this is also where you’ll find the DJ spinning tunes.

Nosh Pit tables are a little dressier with transparent tops and glowing middles.

Behind this area, second-tier reserved seating tables located centrally make a handy home base from which to explore all the eats and action.

Each of the the three Rockin’ Burger Block Parties also include appearances by Celebrity Guests. Let’s take a closer look at the talent from the first two.

Celebrity Guests

We had a the chance to attend the very first Burger Block Party, which took place on the first night of the Festival. Chef Andrew Zimmern appeared at the first event, and shared stories about some of his favorite Disney foods with the audience.

During the second Burger Block Party, the cast of the ABC show The Chew, who were in town to tape episodes of their show in Epcot, appeared on stage.

Carla Hall appeared at the Food and Wine Festival two years ago, and has made it clear that she thinks the show should come down every year for the Fall time event. Who can blame her?

While the cast interacted with the Disney emcee and chatted a bit about different subjects, they also taped a few segments for their show. Did you catch them?

It was pretty clear that they were having a terrific time, although it is worth it to note that neither Chef Zimmern nor the The Chew cast walked the floor or interacted with guests beyond what took place on the stage.

And of course, they also took the opportunity to encourage guests to vote for The Chew Burger. More about that to come…

Eats

But now the part that you’ve been waiting for — the FOOD!

The Rockin’ Burger Block Party is all about trying a ton of different burgers — and they span all sorts of burger genres. As a fun twist, guests are asked to sample the burgers throughout the event, and then vote by placing the guitar pick that’s glued to their program into the bowl located at their favorite burger station.

The Cast Members we encountered really got into it, too! They were telling us how we should pick “their” burger.

The Burgers!

Each burger is a mini-masterpiece with complex combos of meats (or alternatives), garnishes, and even different types of buns. They’re also all served with special sides to complement the flavors.

Culinary Cast Members were busy preparing the slider-sized burgers fresh “to order” for guests in line.

One note of interest: the burgers were the same at the first and second events. I think it’s safe to assume the same line up will return for the final Burger Block Party on November 6.

Ready for the tour? Let’s get started! Chef Carlos’ Smooth Burger was a crowd favorite. This one features Ground Turkey and Grape Jelly Burger topped with Cheddar Cheese, Bacon, and Peanut Butter Sauce. It’s served with a side of Housemade Plantain Chips.

Chef Tony offered our first Fish Burger. The Grouper Patty is dressed simply with Butter Lettuce, Tomato, and Lime Aioli. It comes with Sea Salt and Vinegar Chips.

Chef Marianne’s Sicilian Burger also features fish. The Branzino (Seabass) Patty serves as a base for a ton of flavor — Pecorino Cheese, Dried Prosciutto, and an Onion Jam made with Blood Orange and Raisins top this one. Caponata Pasta Salad is served on the side.

The cast of The Chew gets in on the fun too, and offering The Chew Burger: an All-Beef Sirloin, Shortrib, and Brisket Patty that’s topped with Cheddar, Caramelized Onion Mustard, and Sweet-Hot Pickles. They serve their creation with slices of Green Apple.

Chef Jarrod’s Backwoods Burger combines a Cervena Patty (farm-raised Venison) with toppings of Black Diamond Cheddar, Fried Onions, and Juniper Port Wine Ketchup. Maple Sugar Sweet Potato Chips complete the plate.

Chef Reynold’s Chicago Burger includes a Grass-Fed Beef Patty, a Slice of All-Beef Hot Dog, Relish, and Havarti Cheese Sauce. Bacon Potato Salad complements the sandwich.

Chef Keith offers another twist on the theme with his Cali Veggie Cheese Burger. The Morningstar Farms Black Bean Burger is topped with Vegan Cheese, Marinated Avocado, and Sirachi Heirloom Tomato Ketchup. It’s served with Oven Dried Kale Chips.

The Chef Hanson Oklahoma Burger — named for its pairing instead of a chef, I think — featured a Grass-Fed Beef Burger topped with BBQ Pork, Cheddar Cheese, and Onion Fries. The side here is Pickled Cauliflower.

And the pairing? Hanson Brothers (yep, those Hanson Brothers) Beer Company’s Mmmmhops Pale Ale.

Finally, we get to the last burger that we tried — Chef Dale’s Asian Cheese Burger. The Burger here is a combination of Chicken and Duck, which is topped with Butterkase Cheese, Bulgogi Braised Pork Belly, and Sweet Thai Chili Sauce. It’s served with a side of Kimchi Slaw.

This one — Chef Mikko’s Bourbon Burger, featuring a BBQ burger with cheddar cheese, fried onions, chipotle aioli, and a parker house bun — was my favorite of the evening!

And, if you can believe it — there were even more burgers that we didn’t make it to! We’ve heard some great things about Chef Judi’s Truck Stop Burger with its Fried Egg, Bacon Grease Fries, and Nacho Cheese Sauce. Chef Melissa’s Thai Shellfish Burger which features a Shrimp and Scallop Burger topped with Spicy Thai Slaw and Cilantro Lime Mayo also has its fans.

Chef Nanor’s Middle-Eastern Burger and Chef Eggie’s Mallorcan Burger round out the menu.

And The Winning Burger Is…

As I mentioned earlier, guests are encouraged to vote for their favorite burger throughout the night, and later in the evening, the “Burger Champion” is announced.

During this event, however, the “Burger Trophy” went missing. (Do you think the Hamburgler was responsible?) And so, the trophy presentation actually took place off stage.

The winner was Chef Dale’s Asian Cheese Burger!

Beverages

One thing to note about an event like this: the stations are situated throughout the room, and while they’re labeled, it’s easy to miss things just because there’s so much to choose from. I recommend reviewing your program book to see all of your choices before you get started drinking and tasting.

And speaking of drinking — there’s plenty of that to do as well. Drink stations offering Wine, Beer, and Cocktails made with premium liquors were on offer throughout the room. There were also non-alcoholic beverages as well as hot coffee and tea available.

Information about each beer, wine, and liquor is available at the stations. That way, if you discover a new favorite, you can learn more about it.

Wines include Florida Orange Groves Winery, Dreaming Tree Wines, and two selections from Germany — Hex vom Dasenstein Pinot Noir and Sweet Hex vom Dasenstein Pinot Noir — among others.

For those of you who feel that nothing goes better with your burger than a beer, there are plenty of options to choose from. We spied Landshark Lager, Mmmhhops Pale Ale, and a variety of Sam Adams options.

Liquors are featured in both shots and mixed into drinks.

Cocktails included Moscow Mules, Margaritas, Cosmopolitans, and Mai Tais, along with many others that highlighted the specific cocktail flavors.

Finger Foods

In addition to the featured burgers, guests can also sample a few Appetizers.

Cheeseburger Spring Rolls, served with Curry Dipping Sauce, are always a popular choice.

Spicy Sticky Pig Wings sound oddly interesting. 🙂

There were also two vegetarian options on the appetizer list — Vegetable Potstickers served with a Ponzu Sauce, and Lentil Samosas with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce.

Desserts

Finally, we arrive at the Dessert Table. All of the sweet endings were self-serve. There were three options.

The Cinnamon Roll Fireball Bread Pudding was topped with a Cream Cheese Glaze.

An Apple Crisp got an added element of interest from a Snicker Doodle Crust. This one begged for ice cream!

And finally, the Valrhona Chocolate Ganache Brownies may seem a little ho-hum, but they were one of the favorites at our table.

Overall

The Rockin’ Burger Block Party is an interesting event, and is a bit hard to describe. On the one hand, you have something very common and totally approachable: burgers. But these aren’t just any burgers. They come in all kinds of varieties, from veggie burgers to lamb or fish, from grass-fed beef to venison and duck. When you really look at all the variety here, it’s pretty astounding.

The “Rockin'” part of the event was somewhat interesting. It was pretty cool to hear favorite songs from decades past. But we never felt like breaking out in dancing. And isn’t that what you’re supposed to do?

And finally, a note about the celebrities who attend. While it’s fun to see them chatting with the emcee and giving a little of their backstory, they don’t really interact with the guests in any way. At least not at the first two events. Don’t attend expecting to come away with an autograph or personal experience. Still, it’s fun to see them close up in this venue.

The Rockin’ Burger Block Party is certainly a fun, more casual event for those who prefer an all-you-care-to-enjoy experience. If you’re interested in taking in the event, be sure to call (407) 939-3378 and book your tickets for the last party, which will feature Cake Boss Buddy Valastro on November 6.

What do you think of the Rockin’ Burger Block Party? Leave a comment and tell us if you’ve had the chance to attend one of these events!