Review! NEW Food Menu at Banana Cabana in Disney World’s Caribbean Beach Resort
Disney World’s Caribbean Beach Resort underwent a massive resort-wide renovation in 2017 and 2018.
One of many results of the refurbishment was a completely revamped Banana Cabana. This beloved pool bar used to be exactly that — simply a bar by the pool. But the renovated space now offers table seating as well as bar seating, signature cocktails and a full food menu.
And that food menu is what brings us back to Banana Cabana today! A new menu has just made its debut, so we’re here to check it out!
Banana Cabana
And we’re glad to be doing so, because Banana Cabana is a pretty terrific hangout.
Banana Cabana
Banana Cabana
Banana Cabana
You may recall that, upon its post-refurb opening, Banana Cabana served up “Island Favorite Appetizers” that primarily echoed those served on the menu at Sebastian’s Bistro — the Resort’s new Table Service location (and another result of the refurbishment). In fact, guests at Banana Cabana were able to order directly from the Sebastian’s Bistro menu — even in daytime hours when the Bistro was still serving lunch.
But now, Banana Cabana has its own food menu. (You’ll see some of the drink selections on this side of the page, too.)
Banana Cabana Menu
Taking more of a close-up, the menu features a fairly limited Appetizer selection with items more akin to pub grub you might expect from a bar, though with some Caribbean flavor inspiration.
Appetizer Menu
The Entrée menu is entirely new, featuring sandwiches and salads with a bit of a Caribbean twist for some of the fare.
Entrée Menu
Of course, we can’t leave the bar without taking a look at the drink menu (although, by and large, the beverage offerings have remained the same).
Drink Menu
We really enjoyed the Pink Guava Colada and the signature Banana Cabana on our previous visit! (Like, really enjoyed.)
Pink Guava Colada and Banana Cabana
But today we’re here to check out the new food! From the Appetizers, we ordered the Chili Con Queso and the Loaded Sweet Potato Fries.
Appetizers and Kraken Punch
Oh, yeah… we ordered the Kraken Punch cocktail while we were at it, too 
! It takes Kraken Black Spiced Rum and mixes it with blood orange sour and pomegranate and orange juices.
Kraken Punch
It’s a sweet drink, but a bit on the lesser side than most of the specialty cocktails. It has a nice bite to it from the rum.
Kraken Punch
The Chili Con Queso takes skirt steak chili and combines it with pimento cheese and pico de gallo served with fried tortillas.
Chili Con Queso
Chili Con Queso
We were really excited about the pimento cheese (‘cuz we love it!), but unfortunately its flavor gets lost, overpowered by the chili.
Chili Con Queso
That said, the chili is good, but lacked any spice and could really benefit from having more creaminess from added cheese to be a great dip.
Chili Con Queso
The Loaded Sweet Potato Fries are topped with your choice of Pulled Pork, Beef Brisket, or Jerk Chicken.
Loaded Sweet Potato Fries
Then the dish is topped with cojita cheese and pico de gallo.
Loaded Sweet Potato Fries
We went with Pulled Pork for the meat topper, and it pairs quite well with the sweet potato.
Loaded Sweet Potato Fries
And overall the combination of the sweet flavor with the dryness of the cheese made this one a winner.
Loaded Sweet Potato Fries
From the Entrees, we grabbed a salad and two sandwiches.
Entrees
The Chilled Seafood Salad serves up conch, shrimp, and lump crab with bell peppers, cilantro, and lime dressing.
Chilled Seafood Salad
A particular highlight is the chunks of crab, which are massive.
Chilled Seafood Salad
And the overall flavor of the dish was sweet, bright, and citrusy. This will be especially refreshing in the hot summer months.
Chilled Seafood Salad
The Jerk Chicken Sandwich tops the chicken with grilled pineapple and roasted-chili mayo.
Jerk Chicken Sandwich
It’s served on substantial slices of toasted ciabatta.
Jerk Chicken Sandwich
It also comes with your choice of jicama apple slaw or fries (French fries or sweet potato fries).
Jicama Apple Slaw
This one is really delicious. The chicken is nice and spicy and we loved the grilled pineapple with it. It’s truly a solid sandwich.
Jerk Chicken Sandwich
The Caribbean-Style Cheesesteak places braised beef brisket, smoked gouda, and bell peppers on a Cuban roll.
Caribbean-Style Cheesesteak
It also comes with your choice of the same sides as the Jerk Chicken Sandwich.
French Fries
On the upside, the brisket is really flavorful.
Caribbean-Style Cheesesteak
However, some improvements could be made. We would’ve preferred the cheese to be better melted and the peppers and onions to be more caramelized, like a classic cheesesteak.
Caribbean-Style Cheesesteak
So while it’s good, it could be great with some experimentation, we think.
Overall, it is really nice for Banana Cabana to have its own unique food offerings now. After all, the setting has a vibe all its own. And if you’re missing the original food menu, you’ll find many of those appetizers over at Sebastian’s Bistro for dinner. So, even though certain dishes could stand some improvement, the switch is a pretty good win for Banana Cabana, which is already an established terrific hangout at Caribbean Beach!
Check out all the new restaurants in Caribbean Beach Resort in our DFB YouTube Video!
from the disney food blog http://bit.ly/2NgF7i8
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