A few plant-based chili offerings have popped up at quick service locations in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. So, I thought it would be fun to put these items up to an old fashioned chili cook off. I’m pretty sure that the same chili is used in all dishes, so they’ll be rated on flavor combination and originality. The contenders are the “totchos” at Woody’s Lunchbox, 7 layer rice bowl at Fairfax Fare, and nachos at Dockside Diner. All items can be modified to be vegetarian or vegan friendly. So, which chili item is the rootinest, tootinest chili dish in Hollywood Studios?
3rd Place: 7 Layer Rice Bowl (Fairfax Fare)
You’ll find the 7 layer rice bowl at Fairfax Fare in the Sunset Ranch area (home to a few different quick service eateries). I decided to make this a vegan modified dish which brought it down to 4 layers. These layers included rice, chili, fajita vegetables, and pico de gallo. I liked that the dish had lots of veggies, and I’ll never pass up fresh pico de gallo. It was filling without being heavy. The rice bowl lost points for the over cooked veggies and under cooked rice. I think it could have used some more chili and some more heat. I added several packets of hot sauce, which helped. If I were going to get another rice bowl on Disney property then I’d probably head over to Pecos Bill at the Magic Kingdom.
2nd Place: Chili Nachos (Dockside Diner)
The chili nachos at Dockside Diner are pretty standard nachos. These tortilla chips are topped with chili, nacho cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and pico de gallo. This can be made vegan friendly too. I like that the nachos had generous amounts of chili and guacamole. The chips were a little stale. Despite that complaint, it’s a great and reliable snack to share, but not unique enough to get first place.
1st Place: Totchos (Woody’s Lunchbox)
That brings me to my first place pick…totchos! I love the totchos at Woody’s Lunchbox! These are tater tots and Fritos smothered with chili, shredded cheese, sour cream and sprinkled with green onions. The flavor combinations and the different textures really go well together. I only added a couple of packets of hot sauce to give it some heat. The tater tots and chips were fresh and crispy. I also like that they include shredded cheese rather than nacho cheese. Vegans can also get vegan cheese here too. It is served in a larger bowl than you would expect, and two people can definitely share this. It’s unique, and who doesn’t love tater tots (or as they’re called here, potato barrels).
Have you tried any of these items? Which one would you give first place?
