In this Kookaburra Kitchen BBQ Burger review, we cover the flavor, the soggy bun, the average fries, the price discrepancy, and dining tips at Aquatica Orlando. Are we glad Kookaburra Kitchen was open on a weekday? Maybe!

When one thinks of fine dining, a water park quick-service restaurant rarely comes to mind. The reason is obvious. Who wants to sit down for a serious meal while wearing a swimsuit? After all, aren’t we supposed to eat less for that perfect swimsuit body? Please consider that someone who covers food for a vocation actually typed those words.

Still, high-quality dining and water parks rarely go together. That is where Kookaburra Kitchen at Aquatica Orlando comes into the picture. When it is open, the restaurant offers arguably the most interesting and varied dining experience inside the water park.

Did we mention when it is open? Kookaburra Kitchen being closed is a concern!

During a recent visit to Aquatica Orlando, we decided to give the Kookaburra Kitchen BBQ Burger another try. We have ordered this burger a couple of times before, with decidedly mixed results. Unfortunately, this latest version reinforced many of our concerns about the burger.

The Kookaburra Kitchen BBQ Burger has plenty of potential. Combining a burger with pulled pork sounds like exactly the sort of over-the-top theme park food that should work. Unfortunately, this time around, too much sauce, a soggy bottom bun, and an excess of toppings got in the way. Also, there is the issue of the price. This time it may not be exactly what you think.

The Basics of Kookaburra Kitchen at Aquatica Orlando

Before getting into the Kookaburra Kitchen BBQ Burger, there is something guests need to know about Kookaburra Kitchen. It is not always open! In fact, guests visiting Aquatica Orlando during slower periods of the year should expect Kookaburra Kitchen to be closed, especially on weekdays. The restaurant can also close earlier than some guests might expect.

That makes checking the operating schedule before visiting particularly important. Sadly, it still may not tell you the accurate operating hours. This matters because Kookaburra Kitchen provides a significant amount of dining variety at Aquatica Orlando.

When it is closed, guests are left with fewer choices, that includes the park’s two pizza locations, Waterstone Grill, and Mango Market. Those locations certainly have their place, but dining options can begin to feel repetitive during a full day at the water park.

Waterstone Grill does provide some additional variety with items such as burgers, chicken tenders, and fish sandwiches. On some occasions, tacos are also available there when Kookaburra Kitchen is closed. Still, Kookaburra Kitchen is the location that really expands the menu choices at Aquatica Orlando.

Kookaburra Kitchen Menu at Aquatica Orlando

The appeal of Kookaburra Kitchen isn’t necessarily one spectacular signature dish. Instead, it is the variety. The menu includes burgers, tacos, nachos, ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, and taco salads. That lets a family or group eat at Kookaburra Kitchen without everyone feeling like they are ordering another variation of the same meal. We have done a full review of the tacos at Kookaburra Kitchen.

For guests using the Aquatica Orlando All-Day Dining program ($44.95), that variety can make Kookaburra Kitchen particularly valuable when the restaurant is operating. Of course, that value disappears rather quickly when the restaurant is closed. During slower times of year, guests should absolutely have a backup plan regarding Kookaburra Kitchen.

Ordering the Kookaburra Kitchen BBQ Burger

On our latest visit, we decided to order the Kookaburra Kitchen BBQ Burger. We have had this burger twice before, and the results have been mixed. The decision to order it again came in part because of passmember promotions, giving us another excuse to see whether this burger could finally live up to its potential.

The Kookaburra Kitchen BBQ Burger is currently listed at $19.29 and comes with fries. Annual pass discounts apply. The concept is simple enough. Take a burger. Add pulled pork. Add barbecue sauce. Put everything on a bun. Somewhere along the way, somebody at Kookaburra Kitchen presumably looked at both the burger and pulled pork sandwich and thought, “Why not put them together?”

We cannot prove that this is how the Kookaburra Kitchen BBQ Burger was created. Still, we like to imagine it was.

This dining concept should work. We love the idea of adding pulled pork to a burger. It is exactly the sort of indulgent combination that makes sense at a theme park. The problem is that the pulled pork and sauce ends up hindering the burger more than helping it.

Why the Kookaburra Kitchen BBQ Burger Looked Promising

At first glance, the Kookaburra Kitchen BBQ Burger has plenty going for it. A respectable portion of pulled pork sits on top of the burger patty. The burger itself appeared properly prepared, although the sheer mass of other components made it hard to evaluate the patty on its own.

The burger has plenty of barbecue sauce, too. Maybe too much. Actually, we definitely experienced too much sauce.

The top bun held up surprisingly well. It maintained enough structure to keep everything together, which is no small accomplishment considering what was happening underneath it.

The bottom bun was another story. It became extremely soggy. Part of the problem was the amount of sauce. Once the sauce, pulled pork, and other ingredients settled into the bottom of the sandwich, things got messy quickly. This was not exactly a burger that wanted to cooperate with either the diner or the camera.

Why So Much Sauce?

The biggest problem with this version of the Kookaburra Kitchen BBQ Burger was the sauce. We generally like barbecue sauce. That is not the issue. The problem is that the sauce overwhelms nearly everything else.

The burger has the potential to provide a nice combination of beef and smoky pulled pork. Instead, the sauce becomes the dominant flavor.

The burger itself tasted fine. At least, we think it did. That may sound like a strange statement for a dining review, but it is an accurate reflection of the experience. Between the pulled pork and barbecue sauce, the actual burger patty gets somewhat lost.

The pulled pork was also fine. It was not bad, but it was not particularly memorable either. It provided the expected pulled pork texture and flavor without adding anything especially distinctive to the sandwich.

So, that brings us back to the central problem. We love adding pork to a burger. In this case, though, the pulled pork and sauce hinder the burger rather than elevate it.

Should You Order the Kookaburra Kitchen BBQ Burger Without Sauce?

If we order the Kookaburra Kitchen BBQ Burger again, there is one major change we would make. We would ask for it without the barbecue sauce. In fairness, we have a similar concern about the Pulled Pork Sandwich at Zambia Smokehouse at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Also, on a previous visit to Kookaburra Kitchen, we experienced a similar problem with its Pulled Pork Sandwich,

Kookaburra Kitchen has barbecue sauce dispensers near the fountain machines, so that guests can add sauce themselves. That would give diners considerably more control over the sandwich. Instead of having the burger arrive swimming in sauce, guests could add a little at a time. It would also help preserve the bottom bun. Believe us, the bottom bun needs all the help it can get.

The paper quick-service boat used to serve the meal does not exactly help matters, either. As the sauce works its way through the burger, the serving boat quickly starts collecting the runoff. Eventually, the meal becomes a messy combination of burger, pulled pork, sauce, and paper container. That might be acceptable for barbecue. Maybe? It is considerably less appealing when you are trying to eat a burger in a water park.

How Are the Fries With the Kookaburra Kitchen BBQ Burger?

The Kookaburra Kitchen BBQ Burger comes with fries, and unfortunately, there is not much to say about them. They were average. Sure, they did their job. They were not offensive, but they were not something we would return to Kookaburra Kitchen specifically to eat. Considering how much attention the BBQ Burger demands, perhaps the fries should be grateful that they were not the biggest problem on the plate.

Hey, I Think They Overcharged Me!

If you have visited Kookaburra Kitchen this year, you may recall being overcharged. Were you? Probably! So now, we get to the main issue that guests should know about before ordering. The menu boards at Kookaburra Kitchen have a price discrepancy. Sadly, this is not a brand-new problem.

For example, the menu board at the point of sale currently lists the Kookaburra Kitchen BBQ Burger at $18.49. However, The actual price charged is $19.29. We know this because we have the receipt.

The electronic sign that guests generally pass underneath near Kookaburra Kitchen has the correct $19.29 price. However, many guests will never notice that sign before reaching the ordering counter. Instead, they see the menu boards where they are actually deciding what to purchase. This discrepancy has been present for much of the year based on our visits.

We have mentioned the issue to ambassadors and Guest Services before, but the menu board discrepancy continues. Please note that the posted price on the ordering menu may not match the price on the receipt. That is particularly important when planning a water park day on a budget. We have raised the issue with ambassadors and Guest Services before, but the menu board discrepancy persists. Nobody likes finding out at the register that the meal costs more than the menu just told them it would. For those of you who passed Business Law in college, you can have a field day with this one. Still, those using theAll-Day Dining Plan will never notice.

A Surprisingly Quiet Day at Kookaburra Kitchen

There was one other interesting part of our visit. This was the least crowded we have ever seen Kookaburra Kitchen. Now, that comes with an important qualification. It was the least crowded we have ever seen it on a day when it was actually open.

Our visit took place during the week after Florida schools returned to session, while many other parts of the United States were still enjoying summer vacation. That timing clearly contributed to a much quieter day at Aquatica Orlando. For anyone who has visited Aquatica during a busy summer weekend, the contrast was significant. The park was much quieter, and Kookaburra Kitchen was certainly not struggling to keep up with a huge lunch crowd. Ironically, that made the extended wait for our food somewhat surprising.

Is the Kookaburra Kitchen BBQ Burger Worth $19.29?

That is a difficult question. At $19.29, the Kookaburra Kitchen BBQ Burger is not inexpensive for a quick-service theme park meal. The portion of pulled pork is respectable, and the concept itself is appealing. We still like the idea of combining a burger and pulled pork. Unfortunately, the execution is inconsistent.

We have had better versions of the Kookaburra Kitchen BBQ Burger in the past. We have also had versions that looked and tasted much better than the one we received during this visit.

That seems to be the frustrating part. The BBQ Burger can be good. It just does not seem to be consistently good. This latest version was messy, overly sauced, difficult to photograph, and somewhat lacking in flavor beyond the barbecue sauce and pulled pork.

We want to like the Kookaburra Kitchen BBQ Burger. Actually, we really want to like it. The concept is right up our alley. A burger topped with pulled pork sounds like a perfect water park indulgence. It is filling, it is messy in the way barbecue is supposed to be messy, and it provides something different from the standard burger or chicken tender meal. Still, the execution needs work. Overall, we would rate the Kookaburra Kitchen BBQ Burger as a burger with a great concept but inconsistent execution.

Should You Eat at Kookaburra Kitchen?

Despite our issues with the Kookaburra Kitchen BBQ Burger, we would still recommend keeping Kookaburra Kitchen on your radar when visiting Aquatica Orlando. That recommendation has less to do with this particular burger and more to do with the restaurant’s menu.

Kookaburra Kitchen offers some of the best variety available inside the park. Tacos, nachos, ribs, pulled pork, burgers, and taco salads give guests considerably more choice than they will find at some of the other quick-service locations.

The catch is that you need to find Kookaburra Kitchen open. If you are visiting during a slower period, particularly on a weekday, do not assume it will be operating. It may be closed, and it may close earlier than expected. If it is open, however, it is worth checking the menu before immediately heading to one of the other dining locations. If you decide to try the Kookaburra Kitchen BBQ Burger, consider asking for the sauce on the side. The bottom portion of the bun will be thankful.

Water park dining will probably never be confused with fine dining. That is okay. Nobody should expect a Michelin-starred experience while wearing a swimsuit and trying to remember where they left their flip-flops. However, there is still room for good food at a water park.

For more theme park dining reviews, visit MSM News every weekday at noon Eastern Time. Additionally, we sometimes post bonus theme park dining reviews. As always, eat like you mean it!

Expertise. Ease. Value.

Ready for your bucket list trip? Our trusted partner, MEI-Travel, will handle the planning so you can focus on the memories. They offer free vacation planning services and have nearly 20 years of experience creating memorable vacations. 

Contact for a fee-free, no-obligation quote today.