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We review the delicious Bigfire American Fare restaurant in CityWalk at the Universal Orlando Resort in Florida!
Note: This original review is from October 2019 and has been modified.
Bigfire American Fare is an awesome newer dining experience that opened in 2019 at the Universal Orlando Resort. Taking the spot previously occupied by Emeril’s Orlando, the two-story building transformed into a new fiery dining spot, Bigfire. The restaurant gets its name from a large fire where chefs grill the signature dishes. Everything from steaks and burgers to salmon and lamb cook over this open flame.
Originally, Bigfire’s concept was that each entree could be grilled with different types of wood — oak, pecanwood, or cherrywood — thus changing the entree’s flavor. However, some of the feedback from diners claimed that the characteristics of wood were hardly present. Today, all three woods are used to give a surefire punch.
The scene at Bigfire isn’t anything super unique. The fire is kept in the back and can be seen by guests entering the restaurant. There’s a simple, elegant design that evokes both a place for a date and one for casual dining. That’s clearly Bigfire’s aim. If you’re visiting Universal and want a great steak, this is the place to order one. However, if you’re a local looking for an awesome dinner date spot, Bigfire is also a fantastic choice.
In contrast with other CityWalk restaurants, Bigfire has an outstanding staff. These are foodies and lovers of whiskey. They’ll tell you everything about the menu with great enthusiasm. Bigfire is the type of place that needs a guide like this because the restaurant serves 70 kinds of whiskey and each pairs differently depending on your entree choice.
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When creating a menu, Bigfire holds onto its American roots. They serve steaks, fried chicken, a bison burger, and even pork belly mac and cheese. We started with the Wood Oven Dip which was an artichoke dip using gruyere cheese and kale. Every bite was warm, creamy goodness — one of the best artichoke dips we’ve ever tasted! We selected the Filet Mignon (roasted over Bigfire’s oak, pecanwood, and cherrywood) and Fried Green Tomato Cheeseburger. Of the two, the Filet Mignon was the clear winner — the combination of wood flavors leaves a great impression! We enjoyed the burger, and the bun was perfectly soft, but as far as burgers go, it didn’t stand out much. We gave the sides a similar review. The fire grilled vegetables were buttery and slightly crunchy in the middle, but the pork belly mac & cheese lacked flavor.
Dessert, however, was the most memorable part of the dining experience. The Tableside S’mores are a must-order item. The dessert is like a fondu with several choices of marshmallow, chocolate, and candies. In the center was an open flame for roasting the marshmallows. Bigfire claims that this $18 dessert serves two, but 3–4 light to medium eaters would have no problem sharing this. We couldn’t tell the difference between the marshmallows, but they’re certainly was a sweet, creamy flavor in each bite!
The next time you’re looking for a steak dinner at the Universal Orlando Resort, we highly recommend Bigfire. Even if you only order a bison burger and fries and avoid the whiskey, we forbid you to skip dessert! To get updates on Universal Orlando an tips for visiting, sign up for our free e-mail newsletter! You can also follow us on Instagram and Twitter.
