After field testing for the last 9 years I am confident in sharing this list of the best places to eat at Universal Orlando. These range from sit down to casual dining and are the places you should include in your Universal Orlando trip.
We have been visiting Universal Orlando for over 9 years as a family of five, that is a lot of eating at the theme parks. This started when my kids were under 5 and now they are teenagers. We have tried a lot of different places to eat!
As the time has gone by this list has evolved and changed. I expect it to be updated even more once Epic Universe opens in May of 2025.
How do I choose what the best places to eat at Universal Orlando are??? Well its really as simple as it is my opinion. You may disagree but these are the places we keep going back to. They are always on our list during our Universal vacations and I feel confident in recommending them to you.
Best Places to Eat at Universal Orlando
- Three Broomsticks
- Illuminations Minion Cafe
- Thunder Falls Terrace
- Antojitos
- Toothsome’s Chocolate Emporium and Savory Feast Kitchen
- Central Park Crepes
- Louie’s Italian Restaurant
- London Taxi Hut
- Pat O’Brien’s
- Mel’s Drive-In
This is my top best places to eat at Universal Orlando as of March 2025. Our next visit will include Epic Universe and I am sure I will find new places to include. Check back!
I will also be adding posts specific to the parks. Check out these posts(coming soon!) for detailed dining guides at Universal.
- Where to Eat at Universal Studios Florida
- Where to Eat at Islands of Adventure
- Where to Eat at Universal CityWalk
- Where to Eat at Epic Universe
This list is a mix of table service restaurants and casual/counter service restaurants. Both offer great dining options at the Universal parks. Now let’s get into more details on this list for where to eat at Universal Orlando.
For costs $$ is $10.99- $30.99 a entree.
Three Broomsticks
Location: Islands of Adventure, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter-Hogsmeade
Type: Quick Service, Mobile Order from Table, $$
Three Broomsticks serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. At Three Broomsticks you can order the great feast platter that serves four and includes a garden salad, rotisserie smoked chicken & spareribs, corn on the cob, and roast potatoes. This cost $74.99.
They also offer Chicken Fingers, Chicken Legs, Mac & Cheese, and Fish & Chips on the kids menu. Tip: If you want to try Butterbeer order it here. The lines at the small kiosks in the park tend to get long.
I always get the Fish & Chips. If you want less food consider ordering the kids Fish & Chips. That is what I typically do during a day at the parks.
Illuminations Minion Cafe
Location: Universal Studios Florida, Illuminations Minion Land
Type: Quick Service, Mobile Order from Table, $$
Minions Cafe is so much fun! From the themed restaurant to the themed options like The Antidote (banana flavored drink) and Steak & “Cheese Ray” Sandwich.
There are Minion shaped tots and the restaurant is so fun to dine at. Don’t be scared off by the menu names. They sound complicated but they are not. The Salmon I ordered was basically salmon, rice, and vegetables.
Order the Minion tots to share if you order doesn’t include them.
Thunder Falls Terrace
Location: Islands of Adventure, Jurassic Park
Type: Quick Service, Mobile Order from Table, $$
Thunder Falls Terrace is located in the Jurassic Park area of Islands of Adventure. This has become one of our favorite quick services at Islands of Adventure.
They offer rotisserie chicken and rice bowls. The black beans here were so good with the rice. We all were really impressed. The portions are huge! It is definitely a place you can share.
Antojitos Authentic Mexican Food
Location: Universal CityWalk
Type: Table Dining, $$-$$$
On our first visit to Antojitos I had the best burrito ever. On our next visit it wasn’t my favorite. We tried it a third time and it was delicious! (Third times the charm!)
Chips and Salsa are included with your meal and the fresh salsa was delicious. Kids options are quesadillas, grilled chicken, or tacos. Overall the food is good and the price is comparable to what you would expect.
Toothsome’s Chocolate Emporium and Savory Feast Kitchen
Location: Universal CityWalk
Type: Table Dining, $$-$$$
Toothsome Chocolate Emporium is a fun themed restaurant at Universal Orlando. It is definitely a place to experience at least once.
Toothsome’s has unique dining options inspired by chocolate flavors. When visiting it is more of an experience than a quick dining option.
There are characters walking around the restaurant that are themed to the steampunk story of Toothsomes.
If you are planning on dining at Toothsome I highly suggest making a reservation and allotting 1.5-2 hours for your visit.
I do appreciate the ambiance of the restaurant but do not suggest it if you are in a hurry.
I loved the warm chocolate bread and the milkshakes are delicious. The menu has a lot of chocolate infused dishes and reservations are highly recommended.
Central Park Crepes
Location: Universal Studios Florida, Hollywood
Type: Quick Service Kiosk, $
Central Park Crepes is a really good quick service restaurant that offers sweet and savory options. On our visit we ordered the lemon-blueberry pound cake and the brisket crepe.
We shared this as a snack. It was so good!!
The big issue with this location is not knowing when it is open. On our visit it opened at 11:00am. Hours are now listed on the Universal Orlando app making it much easier to plan a visit.
Louie’s Italian Restaurant
Location: Universal Studios Florida, New York
Type: Quick Service, Mobile Order from Table, $$
This quick service dining option has pizza, spaghetti, fettuccini, meatball subs, and gelato on the menu. We recently tried Louie’s for the first time and I don’t know why we didn’t try it sooner.
There is ample amount of seating inside, which I didn’t know based on looking from the outside. Plus the pizza and pasta options are a good choice for something a little different at the theme parks.
London Taxi Hut
Location: Universal Studios Florida, Kiosk in the Knight Bus Area
Type: Quick Service, $-$$
The London Taxi Hut is not always on the Universal app but it is a baked potato quick service dining kiosk that offers plain potatoes and loaded potato options. It is located near the Knight Bus outside Diagon Alley.
Pat O’Brien’s
Location: Universal CityWalk
Type: Table Dining, $$
Pat O’Brien’s is a New Orleans themed restaurant. It is a sit-down restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. Some nights offer dueling piano entertainment.
Pat O’Brien’s has a Mardi Gras theme and in the evenings caters to an adult crowd, but if you visit around dinner time it is a great place for families.
Expect Cajun inspired meals, that can be on the spicy side. They also offer a kids menu. Be sure to pick up beignets after your meal for dessert.
The Kid’s menu offers Mac & Cheese, Chicken Fingers, Shrimp, Burgers, and Grilled Chicken making this a great option to satisfy everyone in your family.
One of our favorite dishes is the Creole Chicken w/ Red Beans and Rice
Mel’s Drive-In
Location: Universal Studios Florida, Hollywood
Type: Quick Service, Mobile Order from Table, $$
Mel’s Drive-In recently received a menu update. It has a delicious Cobb Salad and Burger options in this 50’s themed diner. They also accept mobile ordering.
There are so many places to eat at Universal Orlando. Hopefully I have given you some ideas for which ones you want to include in your Universal trip.
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Leah has been planning and writing about Universal trips since 2016. She loves finding the best places to eat and stay during her visits to the park. Leah enjoys the little details that make visiting the parks so immersive and special, and sharing that with her readers.
