The BBQ Salmon Salad Provides a Lighter Option at SeaWorld's Popular Smokehouse
Voyager's Smokehouse is one of those locations I seem to end up at more frequently than other SeaWorld restaurants. I'm not sure why that is exactly... not much changes here... and that's a good thing.Voyager's is kind of the "crown jewel" of SeaWorld's counter service dining spots... there's a decent amount of air-conditioned seating options split between two rooms along with some outdoor (covered) tables if the a/c is too cold for you — and the food is consistently good.
If you would like to read a more in-depth review of Voyager's Smokehouse (along with info about how the food ordering and payment system works, etc), click here to read one of my complete reviews for the location.
I guess one of the main, non-food related takeaways from the larger review, is that like most restaurants at SeaWorld, it does get busy at peak lunch and dinner times. If there's a long line and no place to sit, it's a pretty safe bet that if you wait an hour and then go back — you'll have a quicker and more relaxed experience at the Smokehouse.
This "map room" is adjacent to the main dining area at Voyager's Smokehouse. Beyond the map wall (toward the back and right side of the photo), there's another seating area that's just as large.
Voyager's does seem to be one of the cleaner counter service locations at Seaworld as well... that's probably due to a flex dining room arrangement — where part of the main dining area is only open during peak hours. That might not seem like a good thing at first glance, but the end-result is that the limited number of table cleaning cast members can focus their attention on the main dining area that is open all the time — after the flex, overflow space has been closed off.
One of the caveats at Voyager's however — is that if you're not in the mood for BBQ, you're kinda out-of-luck. Which is why I was happy to see a new entree... a BBQ Salmon Salad, featuring blueberries, strawberries, feta cheese, walnuts and a raspberry vinaigrette dressing.
The BBQ Salmon Salad at Voyager's Smokehouse features an rub-style bbq salmon (served chilled) blueberries, strawberries, feta cheese, walnuts and a raspberry vinaigrette dressing
The salads at SeaWorld don't seem to be "made to order" so some of the components can get a little dry. You're best bet with salads is to get one when the restaurant is busy and guests are pulling them off the order line at a rapid pace.
The salmon on this salad was served cold (on purpose, like... refrigerator cold), which was a little surprising... but it kind of made sense in context — and this ended up being a really nice salad. Rather than being a slightly heavy "BBQ Ribs" kind of item — I felt like I was eating something that was "good for you" — and didn't weigh me down for the rest of the day.
The blueberries and strawberries are a really nice flavor and texture contrast against the bbq salmon and feta cheese.
I'm not sure I'd call the salmon a "bbq salmon" so much it was a "well-seasoned salmon". The lightly spicy adobo-style rub that it was cooked in provided a nice, savoy contrast to the other items in the salad. I did not detect an overly fishy flavor (partly because it was served chilled).
The BBQ Salmon Salad at Voyager's Smokehouse is $21.99 (as of early Summer 2024). SeaWorld is also adding a "surcharge" to every order, making the price a little higher. If you're going to eat two or more meals at SeaWorld, the All Day Dining program is worth looking into.
The berries and feta cheese are a nice add-on — I wish there were more of those (especially the feta cheese), along with more walnuts too. They added a nice "crunch" when you got one. Flavor-wise, all of the elements suffered a little loss in flavor — simply because the salad was prepared earlier, and allowed to sit on a pickup counter too long. The strawberries could have been a little juicer, the lettuce should have had a crisp "snap" when you bite into it — and not feel more like kale than lettuce.
The necessary element to tie the salad together was the Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing. I know, it's a Kraft packet and not house-made... but that's okay — it added much needed moisture and actually helped the different elements, (like the savory salmon and feta) contrast with the sharp and sweet berry vinaigrette.
The Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing is a Kraft packet and not house-made, but that's okay — it's a good product with flavors that tie the salad together.
All in all, the BBQ Salmon Salad is a nice addition to the Voyager's Smokehouse menu. It's a slightly more healthy alternative to the other items on the menu. At $21.95 (as priced in the early summer of 2024) — it seems a little high-priced, for what it is. (The mandatory SeaWorld "surcharge" drives that price even higher.)
However, if you're using one of the All-Day Dining plans, it's actually a really great alternative to many of the other "fast food" type of items that are served at various SeaWorld quick service locations.
Hopefully, it will be on the menu for a little while. I only mention that because as I'm writing this... it's already not showing up on the restaurant's online menu via the website. It is still listed on the mobile-order system though — so that should mean it's still available.
If you'd like to check out what we thought of some of the more typical BBQ meat type entrees at Voyager's — click here to jump over to one of my reviews from a previous visit.
