REVIEW: Nomad Lounge at Animal Kingdom Adds Poutine, Pad Thai, and Beef Posole to the Menu

WDWNT on September 17, 2017

Nomad Lounge at Disney’s Animal Kingdom has shaken things up once again with a rather major menu change. For more information on this establishment and thoughts on the past and present items, please check out our previous reviews:

And now, on to the latest menu…

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So what has changed? New to the menu is the Snake River Farms Beef Posole, Vegetarian Pad Thai, and the House-Smoked Kobe-Style Brisket Poutine. For a review of the other items on the menu, please refer to the links above. The only loss was the Vegetarian Summer Rolls, which overall means the menu has grown by a couple of items, something that is always nice since “variety is the spice of life”.

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OK, so let’s talk about these three new dishes…

House-Smoked Kobe-Style Brisket Poutine ($12)

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Probably a little small for $12, this was still better than anything we had tried at The Daily Poutine at Disney Springs. I do wish there was more cheese to hold the meat to the fries, otherwise it was perfectly enjoyable as far as the quality of the ingredients. It doesn’t really fit in at Nomad Lounge as far as theme, so it is a bit of a head scratcher though. You can get a lot better here, so I would still skip this.

Snake River Farms Beef Posole ($15)

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The best of the three, the cheese, meat, and poblanos on the jalapeño cornbread was fantastic. I do wish there was more cornbread as it is all best combined with that, but the dish isn’t bad on its own either. The service ing size is nice as well as the dish is pretty heavy in the consistency and with the bread to boot. I highly recommend this dish as it may be the very best at Nomad Lounge.

Vegetarian Pad Thai ($11)

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The Vegetarian Pad Thai is a vast improvement over the summer rolls as far as vegetarian dishes go. It is very heavy on the peanut flavor, but it is a hearty portion, probably the only thing at Nomad Lounge that can pass for a meal on its own.. and it comes in an adorable ceramic take-out box with chopsticks.

OVERALL

Per my original review:

The food menu is really solid and may even improve as the days progress (our server was surprised to hear we did not like the wagyu beef). The drink menu might be second to none quite honestly. I can’t think of a specialty drink menu at Walt Disney World where I would have a more difficult time picking a beverage. There is a lot on this drink menu and a lot of it is absolutely phenomenal. Nomad Lounge will without a doubt will be a regular drink destination for us, and the bread service and ribs will likely be on the must-order short list overtime as we visit. The atmosphere alone is worth your money, never mind anything they will serve you. Kudos to all involved in the creation of Animal Kingdom’s latest masterpiece.

I still love Nomad Lounge, and nothing has changed my feelings on their stellar drink menu. These latest changes to the food menu are another improvement, adding some variety and more choices overall. There are now many more food choices that I would happily order again here, adding to what is already, in my opinion, the absolute best drink menu on Walt Disney World property (alcoholic and non-alcoholic).

REVIEW: Nomad Lounge at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Adds Decadent Dessert Churros to the Menu

WDWNT on April 6, 2017

We have reviewed the Nomad Lounge at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park a lot in the last year, so please check those out if you want to know about all of the drinks and other food available here:

Nomad Lounge if of course attached to the Tiffins restaurant in the Discovery Island section of the park, just before what will soon be the bridge leading guests into Pandora: The World of AVATAR. Another change has made its way to the menu as the establishment gets ready for the bigger crowds that Pandora will bring this May: gone is the Taste of Tiffins dessert, replaced with the lounge exclusive churros…

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Churros with Vanilla Crema and Chili Strawberry Dipping Sauces ($9.00)

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Churros, new dessert menu offering at Nomad Lounge, Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park

The order comes with five small churros in a miniature frying basket… because that makes sense in Africa or Asia I guess…

The churros are nothing special. They are much softer than the theme park cart variety, but what makes them at least enjoyable is the dipping sauces provided. Separately, the Vanilla Crema and Strawberry Chili sauces are not remarkable flavors, but mixed together we found much better results. If you think a vanilla-strawberry-chili flavor sounds good, than these are at least worth ordering once.

Is this better than the Taste of Tiffins dessert that is no longer offered? No. My guess is that there sales for the dessert were not very high, so they went with something that more theme-park-goers would understand and maybe be excited to try.

While this is a slight downgrade, I still stand by that Nomad Lounge is one of the very best bars in all of Walt Disney World for their drink menu alone. It’s for sure the absolute best in any of the theme parks. Sure, there are a few good small bites here as well, but the drinks are the main event.

REVIEW: Move Over Polynesian, New Chicken Wings at Nomad Lounge Might Be Better

WDWNT on November 8, 2016

We have reviewed Nomad Lounge at Disney’s Animal Kingdom a lot. That’s probably because we go there a lot, but typically for the drink menu alone. A few weeks ago, we reviewed a pretty massive menu overhaul for the establishment, most of which was very positive. Well, even though that wasn’t very long ago, Nomad Lounge is changing things up once again.

Nomad Lounge menu, Disney's Animal Kingdom

Nomad Lounge menu, Disney’s Animal Kingdom

While many guests joked about the old Indian Butter Chicken Wings serving being only 3 wings in size, the last menu overhaul brought the serving portion up to 5. I always enjoyed these, so I was pretty surprised when I found new wings on the menu during a recent visit. The Indian wings have been replaced with “Asian Barbecue Chicken Wings”. If you know me by now, you know well enough that I had to order them and try them out. Let’s see how they stack up to the old…

Asian Barbecue Chicken Wings ($9)

Asian Barbecue Chicken Wings ($9), Nomad Lounge

Asian Barbecue Chicken Wings ($9), Nomad Lounge

Upon arriving at the table, all I can think about was how much they looked like the infamous “sticky wings” available at Disney’s Polynesian Resort. Once I picked one up to eat it, there were some noticeable flavor similarities between the two as well, but there was something more pleasant about these wings. There is definitely more of a barbecue sauce flavor to these than their rivals at the Polynesian, and I think it makes these a little better (in my opinion at least).

Asian Barbecue Chicken Wings ($9), Nomad Lounge

Asian Barbecue Chicken Wings ($9), Nomad Lounge

On their own, I don’t think that $9 for 5 wings is the end of the world, and these are quite good. You have to remember you are at Disney World, and on top of that, you are in a bar at a signature dining experience. The fact that Disney went and made the portions a little better is a nice effort and I find that I have enjoyed dining at Nomad Lounge much more since then.

Of course, Nomad Lounge still has my favorite drink menu at Walt Disney World, which is still reason enough to visit. So the next time you’re at Animal Kingdom and you want to take your friends or family (or maybe your favorite Disney blogger) somewhere for great drinks and good food, this would most certainly be the place to go.

Seriously though, you can buy me a drink.

REVIEW: Nomad Lounge at Animal Kingdom Undergoes Massive Menu Overhaul

WDWNT on October 5, 2016

4 months after opening, Nomad Lounge at Disney’s Animal Kingdom has shaken things up with a rather major menu change. For more information on this establishment, please check out our original review, but if you have already seen that, then let’s dive right on in to what’s new…

Nomad Lounge Small Plate Menu

Nomad Lounge Small Plate Menu

So what has changed? New to menu are the beef sliders and the fish tacos. The seasonal fish balls and the wagyu beef were removed from the menu altogether. Other than that, some item prices were changed: Pork Ribs are down $1, the chicken wings are also down $1, but the head cheese plate went up $5 for some reason. Portions did in fact grow in several dishes, which we will show you below. You can refer to the old menu in our original review, if need be.

African-Spiced Wagyu Beef Sliders ($14)

African-Spiced Wagyu Beef Sliders ($14)

African-Spiced Wagyu Beef Sliders ($14)

Completely new to the menu are the African-Spiced Wagyu Beef Sliders. While they are $14, they are quite good. Tender, well-cooked beef on a soft, flaky bun with a tomato sauce on top makes for a perfect combination. Still a relatively small dish, but one of my favorites.

African-Spiced Wagyu Beef Sliders ($14)

African-Spiced Wagyu Beef Sliders ($14)

Sustainable Fish Tacos ($8)

Sustainable Fish Tacos ($8)

Sustainable Fish Tacos ($8)

The fish tacos were kind of a letdown. I honestly think that the counter service fish tacos at Sunshine Seasons in Epcot are better. The fish tasted well prepared, but there was nothing added to the flavor by anything accompanying it. I would not order these again.

Sustainable Fish Tacos ($8)

Sustainable Fish Tacos ($8)

Vegetarian Summer Roll ($7)

Vegetarian Summer Roll ($7)

The Vegetarian Summer Roll was doubled in size with no price increase, but it also tasted and looked far different than it did the first time. The rolls, to me at least, had a strange “plasticy” flavor and texture. The accompanying dipping sauce is great, but these rolls aren’t what you’ll want to dip in them.

 

Vegetarian Summer Roll ($7)

Vegetarian Summer Roll ($7)

Indian Butter Chicken Wings ($9)

 

Indian Butter Chicken Wings ($9)

Indian Butter Chicken Wings ($9)

These wings still aren’t very good, but at least you get more than 3 now (and the price was decreased, which is nice). There’s still something off about these. I feel like I’m still expecting a lot of spice, but it just never happens.

 

Indian Butter Chicken Wings ($9)

Indian Butter Chicken Wings ($9)

Pork Ribs ($9)

Pork Ribs ($9)

Pork Ribs ($9)

Still my personal favorite small plate at Nomad Lounge, the portion size for the ribs adds 2 ribs, now making this something I will likely order overtime I come here. A sprits of lime makes these unforgettable, with the ribs themselves cooked until the meat practically falls off the bone. If you try one dish here, this is my recommendation.

Pork Ribs ($9)

Pork Ribs ($9)

OVERALL

Per my original review:

The food menu is really solid and may even improve as the days progress (our server was surprised to hear we did not like the wagyu beef). The drink menu might be second to none quite honestly. I can’t think of a specialty drink menu at Walt Disney World where I would have a more difficult time picking a beverage. There is a lot on this drink menu and a lot of it is absolutely phenomenal. Nomad Lounge will without a doubt will be a regular drink destination for us, and the bread service and ribs will likely be on the must-order short list overtime as we visit. The atmosphere alone is worth your money, never mind anything they will serve you. Kudos to all involved in the creation of Animal Kingdom’s latest masterpiece.

I still love Nomad Lounge, and nothing has changed my feelings on their stellar drink menu. These changes to the food menu are overall an improvement, adding some value for your dollar. I do still wish that the wings were better, and the vegetarian roll was definitely not as good as it was previously, but the addition of the sliders and the improved rib and chicken portions are a good start. The food menu here isn’t perfect, but I would still also recommend the bread service and the Taste of Tiffins dessert from here as well. After 15 or so visits now, the drink menu is still my favorite on property, and still very much the main reason to go to Nomad Lounge.

If you want a guaranteed amazing meal, there’s always Tiffins next door…