Chef Art Smith’s Country Club Sandwich at Disney Springs brings bold flavor with grilled chicken, bacon, and jalapeño jelly — but the bun can’t keep up.
If you’ve ever looked at a fried chicken sandwich and thought, “You know what this needs? Bacon, jalapeño jelly, and a brioche bun with the structural integrity of wet tissue paper,” then boy, do I have a story for you. Located inside the comforting wood-and-whimsy world of Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ at Disney Springs, the Country Club Sandwich is a $20 flavor fest that comes with house-made barbecue chips and enough Southern charm to make you forget that you initially just stopped in for a moonshine cocktail and a quick bite. But let us be clear: there is nothing quick or bite-sized about this thing.
Country Club Sandwich at Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’: Southern Swagger, Stack Style
Let’s break it down, layer by indulgent layer:
You start with a thick-cut grilled chicken breast that clearly bench-presses other meats for fun. This bird comes to your table cooked to golden perfection. It is juicy, tender, and practically glowing, as if it had just returned from a tropical beach vacation.
Now, slap on white cheddar (because yellow cheddar isn’t classy enough), add a couple of strips of pecan-smoked bacon that snap like salty tree bark in the best way, and a garden’s worth of lettuce and tomato. After that, when you think this is your standard Southern sandwich, in comes the red jalapeño jelly like a spicy church choir, turning the flavor volume up to “bless your heart.” Okay, we are exaggerating about the lettuce and tomato.
However, this jelly is not to be taken lightly. Sweet with a hint of danger, it spreads across the bun like your crazy uncle’s corny jokes at Thanksgiving dinner, warm, familiar, and absolutely unforgettable. Honestly, the bacon and that jelly together are what Southern love songs should be written about.
Everything is hugged by a brioche bun, which starts off soft and pillowy but ultimately ends up surrendering to the moisture like a rookie on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Midway through our meal, the bottom half of the bun tapped out, politely excusing itself from the table like, “You’re on your own, sugar.” We resorted to the knife and fork method and we are not made about it.
Side Hustle: Those Chips, Though
The sandwich comes with a heap of house-made barbecue chips, and let us say, if those chips were running for mayor, we’d write them in on the ballot. Crispy, just smoky enough, and drizzled with icebox dressing (a tangy, creamy, cool cousin of ranch), they’re the unsung hero of this plate.
They do offer side substitutions but choosing something other than these chips would be like going to Magic Kingdom and skipping Dole Whip. Possible, sure, but also borderline suspicious.
Country Club Sandwich: Portion Perfection and Structural Struggles
This is not a dainty dish. It’s hearty and it’s bold. It’s what sandwiches would aspire to be if they had motivational posters in their lockers. The portion size is solid. This is not just the sandwich itself, but the pile of chips that comes with it. You won’t leave hungry. In fact, you may want to consider rolling yourself down to the Disney Style and buying stretchy pants with a Mickey Mouse logo on them.
But it must be said: that bun failed us!. While buttery and flavorful, it just couldn’t handle the combined weight of grilled meat, cheddar, and spicy jelly sauce. It collapsed under pressure like a student in the midst of finals week. You’ll need to engage in a bit of surgical intervention to get through it. Either flip it upside down halfway through, or break it into parts and go open-faced. So, just be prepared.
Final Thoughts: Jalapeño Jelly > World Peace?
The Country Club Sandwich at Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ is a big, flavorful, Southern high five to your taste buds. It’s not perfect. The bun’s betrayal still stings. Still, this serves as a star on the sandwich stage. That grilled chicken is excellent. Still, the bacon/jelly combo steals the spotlight, and the chips deserve their own theme park attraction.
If you’re at Disney Springs and want something indulgent, hearty, and just a little bit messy (like most good things in life), grab a Country Club Sandwich. Just eat it with both hands, a stack of napkins, and maybe a straw for the leftover jelly. Also, if the bun falls apart halfway through? Well, darling — that’s just part of the Southern experience.
For more theme park dining reviews, visit MSM News every weekday at noon Eastern Time. We ahve tow other relatively recent reviews of Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ at Disney Springs:
As always, eat like you mean it!
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