Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s Wild Chicken Tots serve up a chaotic, cheesy mountain of comfort food. We review the flavor, portion, and price.
If you’ve ever dreamed of witnessing a wild chicken party crashing a perfectly innocent plate of tater tots, your oddly specific wish has come true at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. At Tot Topia, the Wild Chicken Tots are precisely what they sound like: a glorious, chaotic heap of crispy tots smothered in buffalo chicken. It’s not just a snack; it’s a full-on meal that might ambush you if you go in without adequate knowledge.
Tot Topia serves as the place to visit within Busch Gardens Tampa Bay for guests wanting a hefty portion of loaded tater tots. We reviewed the Loaded Smoked Brisket Tots at Tot Topia in a previous blog. This quick service dining option has not been open very long in the Pantopia area of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. This dining location used to serve a pizza-based menu.
On the same day, we ate brunch at Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ at Disney Springs and enjoyed a Beef Barbacoa Bowl at the recently opened TOMA quick service at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay; we decided to order the Wild Chicken Tots at Tot Topia. We can hear your judgment now, but it is all for the craft!
Wild Chicken Tots – $17.49
These loaded tater tots contain “Crispy tots, pulled chicken, cheese sauce, lime tomato salsa, sour cream, cilantro.” Guests ordering these should expect to lack hunger afterward. These come in a hefty portion far larger than the versions at the Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Universal Islands of Adventure. However, the price point is noticeably higher.
For perspective, the Busch Gardens ambassador who prepared the Wild Chicken Tots wanted to ask us a question when handing them to us. They wanted to know if we were taking any heart medication, since this creation does not lack starchy and fatty goodness.
This place could suffer from slow preparation, like the Green Eggs and Ham Café used to do with its loaded tots menu at Universal Islands of Adventure. We also noticed the kind ambassador had to check the food preparation chart to ensure it was done correctly. This place, even after several weeks, does not have a long queue for food. The style of made-to-order food takes time, so guests should prepare for that.
The biggest strength of this dish relates to its size. This makes an easily shareable meal. Though the price point concerns us, the portion size does not. The quick service paper boat that held our Wild Chicken Tots struggled to stand up to the weight.
Texture at Tot Topia Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
Nevertheless, a texture issue exists with reasonably good components for theme park quick service. This menu item suffers from too many soft components. The tater tots are crispy enough on the outside, but the interior of each one is very soft. That aspect and soft, quick-service chicken and sauce made every bite have the same texture. For this to fully work, the tater tots must be far crispier. This will lead to slower preparation but better taste and guest satisfaction. Having the same flavor and texture in each bite hinders this entrée.
None of the components of the Wild Chicken Tots are above average. However, the portion size makes up for that, with plenty to offer those looking for starchy comfort food. If given the choice, we suggest the Loaded Smoked Brisket Tots over the Wild Chicken Tots. Most guests will prefer the texture and flavor of the brisket version.
For more theme park dining reviews, visit MSM News every weekday at noon Eastern Time. As always, eat like you mean it!
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