Fairfax Fare

8/26/15 Update: Menu updated.

Location: Fairfax Fare is part of the broader Sunset Ranch Market on Sunset Boulevard.  You’ll see it on the left after passing Anaheim Produce and before arriving at Hollywood Scoops or the Tower of Terror.

Food Type: Barbecue, Hot Dogs, Salads.

Dining Plan: One quick service credit and some items count as snack credits.

Menu:

Fairfax Fare usually only offers the Turkey Leg when nearby Toluca Turkey Legs Co. is closed (which it usually is).

Unique Items: The Fairfax Salad and Macaroni and Cheese Hot Dog with Truffle Oil are both unique.

Advantages:

• It’s almost always open until Park close. Many Studios quick services close earlier in the evening.
• There’s usually plenty of outdoor seating.
• The Chicken and Sparerib Combo is a lot of bang for your quick service credit and the Fairfax Salad is better than most vegetarian options.
• Lines are usually short, though they can be long in the evening after most quick services close.

Disadvantages:

• The Hot Dogs aren’t particularly high quality and the Spareribs are generally fatty. Hot Dogs only come with bagged chips.
• No indoor seating.

Value: Below average to average. The Chicken and Rib items are on the expensive side and don’t necessarily up the quality level. The Hot Dogs are generic and lack distinct flavor.

Reputation: Average. Fairfax Fare doesn’t have much of a following, despite offering very similar food to the much more popular Cosmic Ray’s at Magic Kingdom.

Food Items:

Chicken and Sparerib Combo:

The Chicken and Spareribs don’t get as much press here as a similar plate over at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe. If you’re on the Dining Plan, this is a meal you may want to seek out as it’s the most expensive quick service entree you’ll find and it’s available all day, unlike Cosmic Ray’s which rolls out its combo only after 4pm.  Add the Cake and Fountain Beverage and you’re looking at a meal that exceeds $22. That said, I’ve found the chicken portion to be small and the ribs to be fatty.  For a similar amount of money, you could dine at 50’s Prime Time Cafe or Sci-Fi. I’d order it again on the Dining Plan, but not necessarily out of pocket.

Barbecued Pork Sandwich:

Most of Disney’s World’s quick service BBQ Pork Sandwiches are the same with a fresh bun and Lloyd’s-Barbecue-quality chicken that’s virtually indecipherable from something you’d purchase in a tub at the grocery store. It’s not “bad” necessarily, but it’s unlikely to impress.

Macaroni & Cheese Hot Dog with Truffle Oil:

The artificial truffle oil doesn’t add much to the flavor profile of Disney’s basic hot dog topped with kids’ macaroni and cheese and a pinch of bacon bits. The macaroni does work better than you might expect, basically adding a creamy cheesiness to each bite with the additional heft of soft macaroni.

Fairfax Salad:

Barbecued Pulled Pork Wedge Salad, Bacon, Roasted Corn Tomato Salsa, Crispy Tortilla Strips, and Cheddar served with a Jalapeño Ranch Dressing..

Pulled barbecue pork is ummmmmm not exactly the most photogenic topping on earth, but don’t let that dissuade you from ordering. The pork is piled high on top and the lettuce wedge and other ingredients are garden fresh underneath. The tortilla chips add some crunch and the jalapeno ranch dressing offers a slight kick with robust flavor. Very good and one of my favorite salads property-wide. My only complaint would be cutting up the salad inside the low cardboard container is a bit of work.

Power Pack Lunch (Note exact items can change):

This is the Power Pack, which is served in this cute container with a handle on the top.  Anyone can purchase a kids meal at any of the quick service locations.  After all, when’s the last time you saw an eight year old buying something by themselves?  I get a funny look every once in a while (probably because they assume no woman would actually have a child with me), but they can’t question you.  Physically can’t.

Digging in.

And spreading out.

It’s hard to say whether or not this is a good value.  ou get a pretty good size cookie, string cheese, package of Goldfish, package of baby carrots, a Danimals yogurt, and Mickey Milk for $5.49. It’s actually a pretty decent amount of food for the price and probably around 600 calories combined. It seems like this would be a good choice if it’s meal time and your child proclaims they’re “not hungry,” even though we both know they’ll be “starving” in an hour. They could eat a couple of the cold items now and you could pack the Goldfish, cookie, and possibly the string cheese or carrots for later.

Seating:

Fairfax Fare shares seating with the other Sunset Ranch Market quick service locations. All seating is outdoors on benches. Umbrellas and awnings help keep the sun out, but it doesn’t do much to decrease the temperature. There is really no air-conditioned seating nearby. You would have to march over to ABC Commissary, which is a good five-plus minutes away.

Condiment Bar:

The Sunset Ranch Market condiment bars aren’t particularly exciting. You’ve got your run-of-the-mill options and nothing more. Mustard, ketchup, mayo, barbecue sauce, and relish come in packets and ranch is the only salad dressing offered.