We visited Busch Gardens Tampa Bay to conduct a Zambia Smokehouse review. It covers the Texas Style Brisket, menu, prices, portion sizes, and whether this Busch Gardens meal is worth it.

During a recent weekend visit to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, we ventured back to Zambia Smokehouse to give the place another try. This used to be the shining star of dining at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. However, in recent years, it has declined in terms of food quality and value. So, how did our Zambia Smokehouse review at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay go?

Zambia Smokehouse: The Basics

Before we dive into the Zambia Smokehouse review, we should cover some basics. Zambia Smokehouse serves as one of the better quick-service dining locations at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Known for serving hearty, classic Southern-style barbecue, this open-pit restaurant is a favorite among families looking to refuel with wood-smoked ribs, beef brisket, smoked chicken, and pulled pork sandwiches, paired with traditional sides like mac and cheese or baked beans. It usually opens at 11:30 a.m. and closes an hour before park closing.

Location in the Park

Zambia Smokehouse is located in the Stanleyville section of the park. It sits directly in the shadow of SheiKra, the park’s floorless dive coaster. In fact, the restaurant’s high-domed architectural entryway is physically shared with the coaster’s structure. Guests can choose between air-conditioned indoor seating or a spacious, covered outdoor patio. The outdoor patio is highly recommended for coaster enthusiasts, as it offers a front-row view of SheiKra plunging 200 feet straight down into a splash zone right beside the dining area.

Many Menu Changes at Zambia Smokehouse

Additionally, over the last year or so, several modifications have been made to the entrees at Zambia Smokehouse. Some favorites have been removed to increase efficiency. This makes dining (and doing a Zambia Smokehouse review) here a bit more complicated.

Zambia Smokehouse Main Entrees Menu at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay July 2025

(All entrees served with seasoned fries)

• Texas Style Brisket – Slow Smoked Lean & Tender Beef Brisket (Price: 23.99 | Premium Pass Member Price: 20.39; All Day Dining Deal: PREMIUM ADD-ON +5.00)
• St. Louis Style BBQ Ribs – Hickory & Oak Smoked Pork Ribs (Price: 22.99 | Premium Pass Member Price: 19.54)
• Smoked Chicken – Chicken Leg Quarter smoked & smothered in BBQ sauce (Price: 23.99 | Premium Pass Member Price: 20.39)
• Smoked BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich – Slow smoked barbecue pulled pork served on a fresh bun (Price: 20.49 | Premium Pass Member Price: 17.42)
• Smoked Rib & Chicken Platter – St. Louis Style BBQ Ribs and Smoked Chicken (Price: 28.29 | Premium Pass Member Price: 24.05; All Day Dining Deal: PREMIUM ADD-ON +5.00)

The Zambia Smokehouse menu also includes a Smoked Chicken Cobb Salad and a Grilled Chicken Wrap, which we cannot recommend. As you can see, the options available through the All-Day Dining Plan are currently limited.

Not Part of All-Day Dining Plan at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Since we were not using the All-Day Dining Plan for this Zambia Smokehouse review, during this visit, we ordered the Texas Style Brisket. This is something we would never do with that plan, since it would mean paying $5 more (after already paying for the dining plan) for this entrée.

The Texas Style Brisket costs $23.99 before any discounts. The portion size does not warrant that price. While the flavor is okay, it is hard to recommend this as an option when dining at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. We are struggling to understand why this is not offered as part of all-day dining. However, some of the other entrees available with that plan do not measure up.

We have ordered the brisket here before and found it good but not great. In fact, we have ordered it back when it was part of the all-day dining plan. In fairness, we attended school and trained in Texas, so our expectations for Texas-style brisket may be higher than those of most guests.

Texas Style Brisket at Zambia Smokehouse Review

Our first concern relates to the portion size and value. Over time, the portion size of brisket has diminished since we first ordered this entrée at Zambia Smokehouse.

Still, the brisket flavor is fine. However, it is weaker than the BBQ brisket at some other Florida theme parks. The brisket is reasonably well prepared for theme park quick service. It could have hit our plate a bit warmer, but nothing too bad.

The fries with the brisket function as the standard seasoned fries at United Parks & Resorts’ theme parks. While we appreciate the added seasoning, the limited option of just fries, as a side, hinders this entrée.

Very Positive Note

On a very positive note, the indoor seating at Zambia Smokehouse was well air-conditioned. While the indoor seating can get very busy, the climate-controlled environment made the dining more pleasant. During our visit on a sunny Florida weekend, the indoor seating never felt congested. From our experiences at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Zambia Smokehouse tends to get busy, so please plan accordingly.

Overall, the Texas Style Brisket at Zambia Smokehouse is a decent meal, but it no longer stands out as one of the best dining values at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. While the brisket is tender enough and the indoor seating remains one of the park’s most comfortable places to escape the Florida heat, shrinking portions, rising prices, and the confusing All-Day Dining Plan upcharge make this entrée difficult to recommend at nearly $24.

Unless you’re specifically craving barbecue, there are now better values elsewhere in the park. We hope Busch Gardens Tampa Bay revisits both the menu and the portion sizes, as Zambia Smokehouse was once among the park’s premier quick-service restaurants and has the potential to reclaim that reputation.

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!

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