Is the food really THAT BAD?

[dez1978]

I prefer food at Universal over Disney.

 

[DoryGirl1963]

I prefer food at Universal over Disney.

Same here for me and my husband !

 

[hopemax]

Universal > Disney for me as well. Burgers at both places are inedible so I avoid those and things like chicken nuggets. I like the pizza at Louie's more than Disney pizza. The Harry Potter Restaurants are good. The new Minion Cafe is good. Thunder Falls Terrace is good. I haven't tried the new Circus McGurgus menu, but the old one was good (service was slow).

Sit-down... Finnegans is the best. Confisco's has been so-so. It's been too long since it's worked out to eat at Mythos (we always just end up at Toothsome). Lombards did nothing for me. Toothsome eliminated my favorite dish, so now it's on my "no" list. Jake's at the Royal Pacific is one of our favorites.

 

[Keladry84]

I haven't had anything bad or inedible at Universal, and some things that are quite good. I usually frequent quick service places over sit-down. I tend to seek out food that is simpler and when possible non-greasy when traveling.

My favorite actually hasn't been mentioned (at least that I can recall):
-Fire Eater's Grill in IOA Lost Continent. It's a decent portion of food, easy to eat, easy on the stomach, and has really good edible cookie dough!!

Some of the things already mentioned that have been good:
-All Harry Potter restaurants/venues - everything I've tried at these have been good. My favorites are Toad in the Hole, and the kids chicken drumsticks.
-Thunder Falls Terrace Restaurant - portions are large, more than I can eat, so I only got this once, but it was really good!
-Simpsons restaurants (albeit these are mostly greasy food options)
-Crepe stand (UO)
-Dreamworksland - the Swamp Dog was awesome!

I also really want to try:
-Minions Cafe
-Today Cafe
-Bend the Bao (Citiwalk)
-Circus McGurkus
-Green Eggs and Ham

I was planning on several of the above from my to try list last trip, but ended up with really bad nausea due to a medication. So, I can also testify that the Dockside cafe has good options of grapes, and cucumbers slices/grated carrots from the salad bar. That was about all I could eat most of the trip (but at least I saved a lot on food costs!) I was happy to be able to find very simplistic foods in the food court alongside the more typical/complex/greasy foods.

 

[hopemax]

My favorite actually hasn't been mentioned (at least that I can recall):
-Fire Eater's Grill in IOA Lost Continent. It's a decent portion of food, easy to eat, easy on the stomach, and has really good edible cookie dough!!

This is one of DH favorites!

 

[kbelle8995]

No the food is not awful. We really enjoyed The Minions Café. The fried Cauliflower was far better than I thought it would be. Today Café has consistently been good even if the service can be spotty at time. I prefer the leaky Cauldron over the Three broomsticks. Confisco Restaurant was really good and we want to go back so badly. Finnigan's was also very good. We also love Jake's American Grill and Orchid Court.

Thunder Falls was first Islands restaurant I ever went to and I though was quite good.

Here's some other Universal restaurants we like
Bread Box
The Kitchen
NBC sports bar
Cabana Bay's Bayliner Diner

If you have a sweet tooth the Cookies and Crème cupcake (Dr. Seuss) is really good. And I have been told that the ice pops at Minions are good as well.

Disney charges so much for food and Universal can be pricey too. But the food at Universal is not awful. Plus lately Disney has been charging a lot for a small portion of food.

 

[nouvellefleur]

I'll just address the hidden gems, because I agree with most of the other commenters on most of their recs:

Fire Eater's Grill is definitely a sleeper hit. I think the Today Cafe is also underrated - it's a really great option for fresh, healthyish food while eating in-park. I preferred the options at Leaky Cauldron to Three Broomsticks overall, but the beef pasties at 3B or the Hopping Pot are an excellent snack or light dinner.

I also really liked Red Oven Pizza in CityWalk - my sister and I shared a pizza and salad, and it was one of our favorite meals lol. And if someone needs a really simple meal, the jacket potato stand near the Knight Bus is fantastic for what it is (this saved my evening after Forbidden Journey-induced nausea).

My only disagreement with other commenters is that I personally have not had a good experience at Toothsome.

 

[Oldie13]

I'll just address the hidden gems, because I agree with most of the other commenters on most of their recs:

Fire Eater's Grill is definitely a sleeper hit. I think the Today Cafe is also underrated - it's a really great option for fresh, healthyish food while eating in-park. I preferred the options at Leaky Cauldron to Three Broomsticks overall, but the beef pasties at 3B or the Hopping Pot are an excellent snack or light dinner.

I also really liked Red Oven Pizza in CityWalk - my sister and I shared a pizza and salad, and it was one of our favorite meals lol. And if someone needs a really simple meal, the jacket potato stand near the Knight Bus is fantastic for what it is (this saved my evening after Forbidden Journey-induced nausea).

My only disagreement with other commenters is that I personally have not had a good experience at Toothsome.

I’ve always wondered about Toothsome. Personally I just can’t bring myself to go with those health code issues they had when they first opened.

 

[Smugpugmug]

Speaking of Toothsome, the milkshakes there are kind of bad IMO. They're all presentation and don't taste good. The shakes are way better at Cowfish and cheaper too.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I don't find the food to be bad at Universal but the parks themselves do not focus on them like you might find at WDW. On the other hand having that shopping area of CityWalk (akin to Disney Springs) right there makes it incredibly easy and quick enough if you don't like the food within the parks themselves.

So far my favs are Toothsome, Today Cafe, Mythos is good, Harry Potter places are good but more for ambience IMO after having eaten there multiple times. Thunder Falls Terrace isn't bad either and the outside portion good for people watching Jurassic Park River Adventure.

 

[tony67]

Speaking of Toothsome, the milkshakes there are kind of bad IMO. They're all presentation and don't taste good. The shakes are way better at Cowfish and cheaper too.

Yeah - Id tend to agree - one of the problems with Universal (and Disney) - much of the food is made to look good for photos and the taste is so so

I’ve always wondered about Toothsome. Personally I just can’t bring myself to go with those health code issues they had when they first opened.

I vaguely recall that, but its not like other places don't have similar - not sure what the violations were.

One example in the recent past Via Napoli had 10 heath code violations that were fixed within a day, but its easy to fix after you are caught isn't it.

For the most part of these things aren't publicized you would never know.

 

[Skywalker3]

Except for Satuli Canteen, and Ronto Wraps, (and maybe Friar's Nook since I love tots/fries with stuff on them,) Disney's QS places leave a LOT to be desired. (Epcot is the exception, with many fabulous choices , esp during festivals, ) Disney does have some excellent TS places, like Boma, Tusker House, etc, and haven't found anything comparable at Universal.
For typical QS, I don't think Univeral is any worse. We've definitely had some clunkers, and some really good food.
for IoA: almost always satisfied with Thunder Falls. That's DH's go-to
Green/Eggs and Ham is like Friar's Nook-tots with stuff on them, but yummy if you like that.
Three Broomsticks is good enough for the HP ambiance, but we haven't eaten there in many years, and it was for breakfast both times, really enjoyed the English breakfast platter.
Hogshead- great place to get butter beer, and beers if desired
Fire-eater's Grill in a pinch. the gyro was good, and the chicken nuggets, nothing special, but ok
Cafe 4 and Comic Strip Cafe-blech both times. Would skip
Burger Digs- DS like burgers for most of his meals, he said it's an ok theme park burger
Never been to Mythos, so no opinions.
Universal:
Today Cafe- my go-to, sandwiches are very good. Even DS likes the turkey and cheese there (takes off all the other toppings,)
Finnegans-good table service, not extraordinary, but we've always have a good, satisfying meal there, usually easy to get in, for some AC
Leaky Cauldron-another good enough place, if nothing else, for the HP ambiance. havent' eaten there though in many years.
Crepe Stand-FINALLY tried it, and it is VERY delicious. but very slow, quite a bit of a hassle, but yummy
When kids were very little, we'd do that Simpson's food court, but now we totally avoid that area. it's gets insanely crowded in there.
haven't been to Richter's in about 20 years, never to Lombards,
I HATE, loathe Disney pizza, so that pizza slice at Louie's, while nothing extra special, is way better than that, and huge, and good enough.
Citywalk:
We've enjoyed Cowfish several times. The only thing DH didn't like was the last trip,, the peanut butter burger, but overall that's our City walk go-to. I've always had yummy food.
Toothsome's is our other City Walk go-to, but personally, I've only had so-so food there, DH has had some good sandwiches. DS's burger was almost raw/inedible, so mixed bag, but definitely fun atmosphere.
Bread Box, is my go-to for QS on City Walk. We very often get that in the afternoon after leaving the parks, or if we're walking between the parks. They have similar sandwiches to Today Cafe, and a little cheaper.
DH often goes to BEnd the Bao-has had mixed experiences, and the wait for food after ordering is long, but overall, he's been happy w it
Bigfire and NBC Grill were both good enough, I think Bigfire was a bit overpriced and not worth it.
I hear great things about Strong Water Tavern, and Jake's American, for resort dining. Since DS is all about burgers, I want to try it from Jakes, maybe on our next trip.
and Voodoo Donuts is a must for us.
And adding Florian's Ice cream. Best theme park ice cream . France pavilion in Epcot , and Salt n Straw are close behind, but Florians is great!
Good luck with the trip planning!!! there's definitely some good food at Universal Orlando.

 

[Dakota731]

Thanks for all the ideas! We haven’t been to Universal for twenty years so I’m excited to try all these restaurants you recommended. We go to Disney a lot, and though I enjoy a lot of their sit down places, their counter service food is awful in my opinion!

 

[kbelle8995]

I have had everything at Jake's my favorites are the fish and chips. Last time we went my sister and I split a burger. They brought it to our table already sliced each had a small onion ring. Incredibly thoughtful. We went at lunch such a relaxing chill place

And as for Florian's in Diagon alley. Delicious ice cream I can highly recommend the Clotted cream ice cream.

 

[Carolynleanne]

You guys have been SUPER helpful. Thank you!

 

[Oldie13]

Yeah - Id tend to agree - one of the problems with Universal (and Disney) - much of the food is made to look good for photos and the taste is so so

I vaguely recall that, but its not like other places don't have similar - not sure what the violations were.

One example in the recent past Via Napoli had 10 heath code violations that were fixed within a day, but its easy to fix after you are caught isn't it.

For the most part of these things aren't publicized you would never know.

They SHUT THEM DOWN
It’s one thing for a restaurant to have a violation or 2. I get most restaurants have some issues anyway, but to shut them down is a no go for me.

 

[tony67]

They SHUT THEM DOWN
It’s one thing for a restaurant to have a violation or 2. I get most restaurants have some issues anyway, but to shut them down is a no go for me.

Yeah that's pretty bad - Id agree.

"The failed inspection means the state classified Toothsome as a “Risk Level 2” eatery and it will be inspected more frequently than establishments with clean records." - so at least there is that.

 

[patster734]

I'll just address the hidden gems, because I agree with most of the other commenters on most of their recs:

Fire Eater's Grill is definitely a sleeper hit. I think the Today Cafe is also underrated - it's a really great option for fresh, healthyish food while eating in-park. I preferred the options at Leaky Cauldron to Three Broomsticks overall, but the beef pasties at 3B or the Hopping Pot are an excellent snack or light dinner.

I also really liked Red Oven Pizza in CityWalk - my sister and I shared a pizza and salad, and it was one of our favorite meals lol. And if someone needs a really simple meal, the jacket potato stand near the Knight Bus is fantastic for what it is (this saved my evening after Forbidden Journey-induced nausea).

My only disagreement with other commenters is that I personally have not had a good experience at Toothsome.

For Toothsome, try eating at the bar which doesn’t use reservations. Our meals were hit or miss in the dining room, but have been constantly good at the bar. There are 2 to 3 bartenders, and so they are consistently communicating with the bar guests. However, the bar is usually packed at dinner and sometimes at lunch, so the best chance to get a spot is right at opening at 11AM or in between lunch and dinner.

 

[tony67]

For Toothsome, try eating at the bar which doesn’t use reservations. Our meals were hit or miss in the dining room, but have been constantly good at the bar. There are 2 to 3 bartenders, and so they are consistently communicating with the bar guests. However, the bar is usually packed at dinner and sometimes at lunch, so the best chance to get a spot is right at opening at 11AM or in between lunch and dinner.

Yeah - I'd say the same for most of the city walk places. I usually go to Antojitos (free chips and Salsa!) ,Toothsomes, or Big Fire.
The bartenders are very good at these places, table service so so. The waitstaff has to deal with families and such so I am sure that is far more stressful than couples at the bar. Bartenders also have the time to chat and steer you away from things that are not good, the waitstaff is usually too slammed.

 

[patster734]

Yeah - I'd say the same for most of the city walk places. I usually go to Antojitos (free chips and Salsa!) ,Toothsomes, or Big Fire.
The bartenders are very good at these places, table service so so. The waitstaff has to deal with families and such so I am sure that is far more stressful than couples at the bar. Bartenders also have the time to chat and steer you away from things that are not good, the waitstaff is usually too slammed.

I haven’t done Big Fire in a couple of years, and was thinking of eating there during my September trip. Antojitos and Cowfish are “must do” on every trip.