The SATURDAY SIX Dines At Bigfire American Fare In Universal Citywalk

Toothsome Chocolate Emporium would be my restaurant of choice when taking first time visitors to Universal, BigFire remains my consistent go-to on return trips thanks to its relaxed atmosphere and great menu.
# 6 – BigFire
Bigfire American Fare is located on the walkway from the Citywalk hub towards Islands of Adventure. During the week it is only open for dinner, but does offer a brunch on Sundays.
Bigfire American Fare. (photo by Michael Carelli)
Main entrance to Bigfire American Fare. (photo by Hedghogs Corner)
Bigfire is located directly next to Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville.
Bigfire American Fare. (photo by Michael Carelli)
While it doesn’t look that large from the outside, there are two floors with a whole bunch of seating.

Reservations are certainly encouraged (which you can make through the Universal Orlando website or by calling 407-224-3663.) You can always try walk up, and there is also a first-come, first-served bar area which also offers the full food menu. This area below is directly across from the bar where you can wait for a seat to open up and includes outlets for charging your devices as well as hooks to hang bags.

# 5 – Theming
The overall theme of Bigfire is that of a “lakeside lodge,” so you’re going to see a lot of woodwork throughout the restaurant along with elements that tie into a lakeside vacation.

One thing many of us love to do while on a serene vacation is take the time to enjoy a good book. There are several large frames at Bigfire that contain pages from various books.

# 4 – Appetizers
Let’s check out some Bigfire appetizers, because – like Art Smith’s Homecomin’ at Disney Springs – one of my Pro Tips is going to Bigfire and splitting several apps along with one of their incredible desserts. You’ll leave very happy.
Artisan Sourdough Bread, served with herbed butter and peach jam. (photo by Hedgehogs Corner)
Skillet Roast Mussels – sizzling with herb broth, white wine, chives, smoked salt, grilled bread. (photo by Joe Matt)
Barbecue Chicken Flatbread – pulled chicken, bourbon apple butter, smoked cheddar, pickled red onions, sherry vinegar reduction. (photo by Scott Sanders)
One of my favorite parts of the Bigfire menu is that there are several items that are intended to be shared by the table, such as the Bourbon Cheese Fondue appetizer.
Bourbon Cheese Fondue – wood grilled asparagus, herb roasted marble potatoes, grilled bread, grilled shishito peppers, grilled carrots.
Dipping into the Bourbon Cheese Fondue.
Wood Charred Brussels Sprouts – Tajin, shishito peppers, almond smear, arugula sprout. (photo by Scott Sanders)
Smoked Brook Trout Dip – served with house made crackers.
I’m also including a couple of Bigfire “sides” that I think make for great appetizers, including their fun Popcorn Risotto.
Popcorn Risotto. (photo by Hedgehogs Corner)
A bite of Popcorn Risotto.
We try to get the mac & cheese at every place we go, and the Bigfire Pork Mac & Cheese is one of the best you’ll find anywhere.
Bigfire Pork Mac and Cheese. (photo by Hedgehogs Corner)
A bite of Bigfire Pork Mac and Cheese.
Some people consider salads an appetizer whereas others consider them an entrée. I’m along the lines of comedian John Pinette, who once said, “Salad is a promissory note. If I see a salad, something good is coming soon. I’ll wait right here.”
Cobb Salad – Bigfire’s signature wood blend grilled chicken, pork belly, corn, sweet potatoes, avocado, goat cheese, egg, almonds, honey barbecue dressing, cornbread. (photo by Scott Sanders)
Wedge Salad – avocado, red onions, tomatoes, egg, bacon, blue cheese dressing. (photo by Scott Sanders)
# 3 – Entrees
Full disclosure, when a restaurant serves their burgers in a themed bun like this, they are clearly targeting me.
Steak Knife Burger -1/2lb. black Angus beer, honey pepper bacon, smoked pimento cheese, bib lettuce, tomato, signature brioche bun. (photo by Hedgehogs Corner)
All kidding aside, the burger itself is dang good.
Steak Knife Burger.
In fact, Bigfire’s burgers may possibly be the best at Universal Orlando.
Steak Knife Burger cross section.
It has taken me years of research, but I’ve concluded that my favorite style of BBQ sauce is “Carolina style” and the Bigfire short ribs are out of this world.
Bone-In Short Rib – Carolina barbecue, grilled corn on the cob, vine tomatoes, cipollini onions, spicy maple glazed jalapeño cornbread.
The menu at Bigfire is consistently changing, and they also offer specials for each of the major seasons at Universal (such as Muffuletta salad and Cajun mac & cheese for Mardi Gras.) Here’s some examples of dishes from previous menus which were fantastic.
BBQ Shrimp – blackened, cream sauce, cotija cheese, signature coleslaw, cornbread.
Beer Glazed Scallops – bacon, fire grilled seasonal vegetables, charred hearth bread.
Duroc Pork Chop.
Skillet Roast Half Chicken.
# 2 – Tableside S’mores
As great as the fondue appetizer is, the Tableside S’mores dessert is straight up E-Ticket. This dessert option is fun for adults, but if you are dining with kiddos they are going to LOVE THIS.
Tableside S’mores.
How fun is this while also completely tying into the Lakeside Lodge gimmick and enjoying a campfire?
Tableside ‘Smores. (photo by Joe Matt)
Tableside S’mores.
Another dessert that tastes great but is also a visual treat is the Rocky Road Baked Alaska.
Rocky Road Baked Alaska – Rocky Road Baked Alaska – chocolate ice cream, toasted marshmallows, caramel praline crust, huckleberry core, meringue, torched tableside.
Our video shows how they torch the Baked Alaska at the table and it’s just a neat visual component to the dessert.

# 1 – Brunch
We mentioned earlier that Bigfire isn’t open for lunch, but on Sundays they do offer a brunch option.

Woodfire Steak & Eggs – Before ordering, we asked if the eggs for this dish were fresh eggs or the scrambled egg mixture that they use at the onsite hotels. Sever said that they were real eggs, and recommended adding cheese. He added they were “the creamiest and fluffiest scrambled eggs you have ever eaten”… and he was right.
Woodfire Steak & Eggs – 12 oz NY strip steak, two eggs any style, smoked bacon, and breakfast marble potatoes. (cheddar cheese added to eggs)
Woodfire Steak & Eggs.
Bigfire Omelet – This was a breakfast item to die for, with soft eggs, creamy cheese and tender ribeye pieces inside.
BigFire Omelette – grilled rib-eye steak, red onions, tomato, shishito peppers, beer cheese and breakfast potatoes.
The brunch menu has a tribute to Bigfire’s Tableside S’mores with the S’mores Pancakes. No hyperbole, these pancakes were enormous. They also somehow taste even better than they look, as they are smothered in butter, chocolate and marshmallows. The table beside us cut the pancakes into 8 pieces and shared with a big group.
S’mores Pancakes – chocolate chips, graham crackers, marshmallows, powdered sugar and maple syrup.
The S’mores Pancakes are worth going out of your way to experience.
S’mores Pancakes.
A bite of S’mores Pancakes.
My recommendation? Run, don’t walk, to this brunch option. While it’s extremely new to CityWalk, the brunch experience seems like it’s already a big hit for a restaurant that generally only does dinner and it’s easy to make reservations on the official Universal app.

HONORABLE MENTION – Themed Ice!
Themed burger buns are one thing. Love em, but there’s a decent amount of restaurants which offer that. One thing almost no one has is themed ice. That’s right, Bigfire has their own branded ice cubes.

“Indescribably beautiful.”

Knob Smoked Maple.

The cocktail program at Bigfire is just fantastic. The cocktails themselves are made with quality spirits and ingredients. While you may be paying a premium price because you’re in a theme park location, you don’t feel like you’re being fleeced because you’re getting a quality drink that is someway unique to the restaurant. Take, for example, the Big Fire 75, Bigfire’s twist on a traditional French 75 that uses Elderflower liqueur and blood orange syrup.
Big Fire 75 – St. Augustin New World gin, St-Germaine Elderflower liqueur, Piper Sonoma Brut, lemon juice, blood orange syrup. (photo by Scott Sanders)
Classic Manhattan – classic Manhattan with Select Barrel Woodford Reserve and sweet vermouth. (photo by Scott Sanders)
So there you have it: The SATURDAY SIX Dines at BigFire American Fare! See you next weekend for the latest installment of the SATURDAY SIX, where we’ll look at something fun from the world of Disney and Universal. If you enjoyed yourself, be sure to check out the THEME PARK ENJOYMENT INDEX, giving a monthly recap of all the theme park news you need to know (and a lot more you don’t need to know, but we’re gonna tell you anyway). You can also follow Your Humble Author on BlueSky (@derekburgan).
If you enjoyed this article, you will surely like the following:
Theme Park Turkeys of the Year Archives
The SATURDAY SIX Celebrates 10 Years of @bioreconstruct
SATURDAY SIX Tribute to Josh easyWDW
SATURDAY SIX Tribute to Ian Barritt
TPEI Tribute to Bret Taggart (AKA @Schmoofy)
Special Thanks to The Elite Brandon Glover, Digital Maestro Scott Walker, the bio-est of all reconstructs @bioreconstruct, Captain Cruiseline Scott Sanders of the world famous Disney Cruise Line Blog, my personal protege Hunter “Elvey” Underwood, artist @SonderQuest, the mighty maven of merchandise Hedgehog’s Corner, the SAT SIX Fun Squad of Parkscope Joe and “the Dadalorian” Nick, hot shot Michael Carelli, charter member of the Universal Four @Nitro230, the permit princess Alicia Stella, master cartographer Tommy Hawkins, and Hermione Granger’s tutor Megan Thickey for their invaluable assistance with this article. Absolutely no help was added by SeaWorld Influencer @SuperWeenieHtJr. The SAT SIX is inspired each week by goofballs Aengus Mackenzie and LitemAndHide and you Potterheads will enjoy Meg’s other blog work over at the Central Florida Slug Club.
If the Theme Park Turkeys of the Year Awards were presented in book form, this is what it would look like.

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