The Golden Oak Outpost in the Magic Kingdom has recently updated their somewhat lackluster menu and turned it into a more spud-centric affair with no less than four topped, waffle cut fry items, (and one powder sugar topped, sweet potato nugget dessert-type entree). I'm thinking a name change to the "Golden Spuds Outpost" might be in order!

While these are not the beloved Figaro Fries of yesteryear (they're gone people… just like the Main Street Bakery's cinnamon buns… there's no replacing them… just be thankful that you had a chance to try them when they were around), these four new fry entries are quite good, and (dare I say it), a couple of them are a really good value as well (in theme-park dollars that is). The Golden Oak waffle fries are not (yet) on the Snack Credit program however (currently, they're $5.99 each, px 08/2014), so you'll have to pay out of pocket for the time being.

There's a tiny little seating area off to the left side of Golden Oak Outpost, and a few more more outdoor seats (across the walkway) that are technically part of Pecos Bill's. There might also be one or two air-conditioned tables available inside Pecos Bill's, so I would totally take advantage of those if you're looking to get out of the heat for a few minutes. Another couple of steps away there is also the somewhat misunderstood "Tortuga Tavern" seating area, (I'm suggesting that you can take your waffle fries down there, but not actually order food from Tortuga, if it's open… but that's the subject of a whole different review).

Service-wise, everyone that I ran into at Golden Oak, were very friendly, and very quick to point out, that because the waffle fries are made in somewhat small batches, you may have to wait a few minutes to get your order. Now, I'm fine with that. Give me hot, fresh food any day, I don't mind waiting. There are two ordering and pickup windows, and both were open when I was there. I only had a two or three minute wait to get my order, but there were also only two or three people in line at the time. I can see where this location might get busy at peak periods.

The four savory topped waffle fry items were all great. You'll get maybe eight or nine rather large waffle cut fries buried under all the toppings. Each of the dishes has their own personality and differences, and none were "misses" per say. If I had to put one at the bottom of the list though, sadly, it would be the "Brown Gravy and Cheese Waffle Fries".

Some people are trying to call this poutine (it's a Canadian thing), but I have to say, calling this item poutine, is doing a disservice to "real" poutine. It's written on the menu board as "Brown Gravy and Cheese", because that's what it is. (And honestly, do you really want poutine in one hand if you can't have a beer in the other?) There are chives on this dish (something you shouldn't see on poutine), and the cheese is a bit, well… rubbery, and is a mild cheddar curd type product which... they seem to toss on top instead of covering with the gray, so it never has a chance to properly melt. Now, I'm not saying it's a bad dish. The gravy itself had a decent flavor and texture, I liked it just fine... but it seemed more like a "side-item" to me, where as a couple of the other's had more weight and volume to them.

Speaking of weight and volume… the Tex-Mex Waffle Fries were surprisingly weighty. Topped with black beans, corn, diced cucumber and onions, cut jalapeños, perfectly acceptable fake pump-based orange cheese and a red tomato-base sauce (because it's not "really" salsa), and a dollop of sour cream… this knife-and-fork dish has a lot going on. If you like the flavors and were trying to find a way to skip lunch and just snack… this dish would be high on my list.

A completely different dish, the lighter BLT Waffle Fries were more "garden like" than what I was expecting to get from a fried potato dish. It's not a vegetarian offering, because, well... the "B" is bacon. Could they hold the bacon? Probably, but my guess is that while the ranch dressing might be vegetarian, it's definitely not vegan, so… we'll just have to stick with the "garden like" moniker. Thanks to the fresh waffle fries, the dish really did seem light and refreshing. If you're just looking for a quick snack and don't want to get too full, the BLT Waffle Fries would do the trick.

That brings us to the Barbecue Pork Waffle Fries. Another weighty, entrée level dish, there's a good bit of pulled pork and coleslaw on those fries and could easily start to fill you up, if you're just snacking around for the day, and trying to skip a sit-down meal. The "barbecue" in the Magic Kingdom doesn't change much. You'll find the same middle of the road, red sauce variety everywhere you get a "barbecue" anything. It may not win any epicurean awards for originality, but it's a decent barbecue-esque treatment for the pulled pork.

You'll need some napkins, that's for sure... and I'd even say a knife and fork would be useful for a couple of these dishes. At $5.99 they are all worth a try, as you really can't go wrong with any of the new topped waffle cut fry entrees. They should sell like hot potatoes (you knew that was coming), and I really hope they do catch on, because I have all kinds of ideas for seasonal and regional varieties… Beef and Blue Waffle Fries, Thanksgiving Turkey and Dressing Waffle Fries, Roasted Apple and Dried Cranberry Waffle Fries, a nod to Cape Cod with New England Chowder Waffle Fries, and the list goes on!