Landscape of Flavors: Pastrami Cheeseburger

Since my last visit to Art of Animation resort was a few days shy of the Cars section opening, I wanted to stop by and check out the new area. Of course, while I was there, I had to pick up something for lunch! Having tried some of the Tandoori items, I decided to bravely try one of the burgers.

While there are standard burgers served, I decided to order the Pastrami Cheeseburger ($9.79). The burger is topped with Pepper Jack, Tomato, Lettuce, and a Chipotle-Barbecue sauce. Instead of being served on a typical burger roll, it’s served on Whole Wheat Multigrain Bread. Alongside the burger are Coleslaw or House-seasoned Fries. Trying to scale back on the carbs, I opted for the slaw.

Here’s a look at the burger options:

The Coleslaw was fairly basic and had a vinegar base. While it did appear to have a fair amount of seasoning, it was a bit bland. Otherwise, the cabbage and carrots did provide a nice crunch, and it was nice to have the option of slaw.

The burger itself was piled high. The multigrain bread was cut very thick and a bit dry. It was impossible for me to pick this up and eat it like a normal burger. Since the bread wasn’t top notch (though it was definitely a step up from the standard wheat buns typically used), I didn’t feel bad about nixing the extra carbs.

The pastrami was cut thick and grilled, giving it some char and texture. At first I thought it was bacon and had to do a double-take as I inspected it. The chipotle-barbecue sauce was like the one I enjoyed on the Chipotle Barbecue Cheeseburger at Riverside Mill at Port Orleans Riverside.

The burger, while cooked through, wasn’t dry and retained some moisture. Eating this without the bun proved a bit difficult, as the dish is served on paper in a wire basket. One the paper started to get wet, while sitting on my tray, it easily tore against my fork & knife. The tomato was pretty good, but the lettuce was a bit sad, so I pushed it aside.

The burger surprised me in being as good as it was. The pastrami with barbecue sauce was a bit weird for me, since I almost exclusively eat it on Reubens or with mustard. If you can fit your mouth around this burger, it’s certainly a good value and should easily fill you up. Even without the bread and a couple bites of slaw, I was more than content.

Have you had an opportunity to visit Landscape of Flavors? Let us know how your experience was!