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Clogger Burger at Krusty Burger in Universal Orlando Resort.
Clogger Burger at Krusty Burger.

The 24 Best Things to Eat at Universal Orlando Resort

Where to find butterbeer in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Krusty burgers in the Simpsons’ Springfield, and tonkatsu ramen in Minions Land, and more of Universal’s best meals

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Clogger Burger at Krusty Burger.

Some cities specialize in a cuisine or a pizza style, but there’s a shocking variety of edible entertainment to be found at the parks, hotels, and downtown district comprising Universal Orlando Resort.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter commits so deeply to its theme you’ll think you’ve stumbled into a bona fide English pub, and you can eat the actual grub made famous by The Simpsons right next to a real-life Moe’s Tavern. With these and so many more themed food options, we’ve pinpointed the best restaurants at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, hidden gems scattered throughout Universal Orlando hotels, and the quirky offerings at Universal CityWalk actually worth eating.

Between sky-high sweets, Universal Studios Florida’s Krusty Burgers, and yes, butterbeer, here’s everything you have to taste while visiting Universal Orlando’s parks.

Carlye Wisel is a theme park journalist and expert who reports about things like how butterbeer was invented and Disney’s secret food lab on her podcast, Very Amusing With Carlye Wisel.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Pollo alla Carbonara at Mama Della’s Ristorante

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The schtick at Mama Della’s is theme-park Italian. Find the entrance off the Portofino-inspired hotel’s piazza and watch as tableside musicians and “Mama” make the rounds. Don’t worry; that superficiality ends with the food. Hearty Italian indulgences like chicken Parmesan and lasagna fill the menu, but the brown butter-doused pollo alla carbonara, speckled with pancetta and peas, reigns supreme.

Pollo alla Carbonara at Mama Della’s Ristorante
Pollo alla Carbonara at Mama Della’s Ristorante

Butterbeer

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The butterbeer you’ve heard so much about is a butterscotch-cream beverage straight from the Harry Potter books that’s smooth, sweet, impossible to resist, and available pretty much everywhere in the Wizarding World. The great debate about the supremacy of hot, cold, and frozen varieties rages on, but we prefer the frozen version for its icy texture, ideal on a steamy Florida afternoon.

Butterbeer in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Butterbeer in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Florean Fortescue’s Ice-Cream Parlour

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From whimsical scoops to butterbeer soft serve, every frozen treat at this colorful Harry Potter creamery is divine. No samples are offered, so if you’re overwhelmed, opt for the can’t-lose pairing of Earl Grey and lavender with sticky toffee pudding.

Ice cream from Florean Fortescue’s Ice-Cream Parlour
Ice cream from Florean Fortescue’s Ice-Cream Parlour

Leaky Cauldron

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Universal Studios’ best food can be found at this Diagon Alley eatery, where British fare — fish and chips, cottage pie, and a sublime ploughman’s lunch with English cheddar and blue stilton — lives up to the highest of standards.

Ploughman’s lunch at Leaky Cauldron
Ploughman’s lunch at Leaky Cauldron

Clogger Burger at Krusty Burger

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Krusty Burger’s cheddar sauce-slathered, bacon-topped double stack is the most theme park-y food you’ll find in The Simpsons-themed land. We can’t help but think Krusty Burger’s twisted proprietor would love this gloopy, unhealthy mess of a fast-food burger.

Clogger Burger at Krusty Burger in Universal Orlando Resort.
Clogger Burger at Krusty Burger.

Emack & Bolio's Marketplace

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This one-stop shop inside Hard Rock Hotel offers scoops of the Boston-bred chain’s curious flavors, making for one of the best sweet treats you’ll find at the resort or beyond.

Ice cream at Emack & Bolio’s Marketplace
Ice cream at Emack & Bolio’s Marketplace

Illumination’s Minion Cafe

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Believe it or not, the Minions are cooking up the best meal you’ll find at Universal Studios Florida. Just don’t let dishes like tonkatsu ramen, ropa vieja, and an excellent meatball pizza pocket stop you from also ordering a little something extra off the kids menu. The white cheddar mac and cheese and pimento grilled cheese, served with mini bananas and Minion-shaped tots, are unparalleled.

A bowl of ramen, with a large clump of noodles surrounded by fried add-ins and a boiled egg.
Ramen at the Minion Cafe.

TODAY Cafe

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Prepare yourself for an entirely meta experience that brings the NBC morning television stalwart to life with gourmet pastries and New York-inspired sandwiches. Worth a walk-through for the novelty alone, Universal Studios Florida’s TODAY cafe remains noteworthy for its healthier options compared to other in-park spots.

A tray of pastries and a branded TODAY mug fill out a breakfast spread
Breakfast spread at TODAY Cafe
Universal Orlando / official

Smokehouse Stack at NBC Sports Grill & Brew

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This legit sports destination offers a lengthy beer list and hefty meals, but it’s worth exiting the park just for this juicy burger, which is topped with all things smoked — brisket, pork, gouda — then slathered in barbecue sauce.

Smokehouse Stack at NBC Sports Grill & Brew
Smokehouse Stack at NBC Sports Grill & Brew

Voodoo Doughnut

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With inventive flavors and reasonable prices, the famed Portland doughnuttery makes a handy breakfast or late-night snack. You’re bound to feel left out if you’re not among the masses carrying pink boxes back to their hotel rooms.

Doughnut from Voodoo Doughnut
Doughnut from Voodoo Doughnut

Cheeseburgooshi at the Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar

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After a day of casting spells and hugging Minions, your kids will expect some culinary whimsy on the table too. Satisfy them with this deep-fried take on a sushi roll. Cooks wrap a black Angus bacon cheeseburger in soy paper and potato shards, before deep-frying it and slicing it into rounds. This is one time you won’t mind eating your kids’ scraps.

Cheeseburgooshi at The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar
Cheeseburgooshi at The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar

Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen

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You can purchase quirky confections downstairs at this smoke-churning steampunk factory, but the real treat isn’t sweets or Instagram-ready milkshakes: It’s the savory stuff. The all-day breakfast and the Southern fried chicken BLT are wholly sublime. For something sweet, go ahead and order a starter of chocolate almond bread, which comes with salted caramel butter.

Burger and fries at Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen
Burger and fries at Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen

Cauldron Cake at Honeydukes

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Delightful in a cake-from-a-box way, the Cauldron Cake is made of dense chocolate sponge cake and sports thick “fiery” frosting. The Harry Potter favorite comes in — what else? — a keepsake cauldron.

Cauldron Cake at Honeydukes
Cauldron Cake at Honeydukes

Sundae on a Stick at Hop on Pop Ice Cream Shop

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This whimsical chocolate-dunked vanilla ice cream bar fits perfectly among its Seussian surroundings, and the ice cream shop serves it frozen so it won’t disintegrate in the sun.

Sundae on a Stick at Hop on Pop Ice Cream Shop
Sundae on a Stick at Hop on Pop Ice Cream Shop

Three Broomsticks

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Serving heartier fare than Leaky Cauldron, this village tavern boasts exceedingly excellent platters of smoked chicken and spare ribs, both accompanied by roast potatoes and full ears of corn.

Smoked chicken and spare ribs platters at Three Broomsticks
Smoked chicken and spare ribs platters at Three Broomsticks

Hog's Head

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Hog’s Head is the preferred venue to drink like an off-duty Hogwarts professor, made all the better by the bar’s rustic interior. Opt for one of two exclusively themed beers: a Hog’s Head red ale or Dragon Scale lagered ale.

Hog’s Head pub at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando
Hog’s Head pub at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando
UNIVERSAL ORLANDO

Bigfire

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A roaring wood-fired grill in this modern chophouse’s kitchen serves as the centerpiece for expansive lodge-like interiors. For some, the food — bourbon cheese fondue, Colorado lamb shank, steaks served with asparagus and leek butter — is only a precursor to the ever-popular dessert of DIY tableside s’mores. Consider it an ideal choice for business dinners or an unexpectedly nice night out in the shadow of rollercoasters.

A cast iron skillet of items for dipping in fondue in the center.
Fondue.

Hot Dog Hall of Fame

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Don’t be fooled by the name and the ’90s exterior. This whimsical eatery offers denominations of tube steaks from Vienna to Sabrett and beyond, each dressed up in its hometown style. A self-serve mustard bar even enables a twist on the classic Chicago dog, if diners are so inclined.

Hot dog at Hot Dog Hall of Fame
Hot dog at Hot Dog Hall of Fame

A banner hanging outside this mythical-themed restaurant proclaims Mythos is the “World’s Best Theme Park Restaurant.” You’d think it couldn’t possibly live up to that boast, but somehow it does. The robust menu of Greek-inspired specialties includes plenty of options, but the pan-roasted salmon with shitake mushrooms and roasted carrot puree will surely cancel out the day’s sugary indulgences.

A top-down shot of salmon with greens and a swoop of orange sauce.
Seared salmon at Mythos Restaurant.

Antojitos Authentic Mexican Food

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While most people come here for tacos, enchiladas, and fajitas, Anotjitos’ menu is packed with dishes like tamales with house-made mole and Yucatan-style mahi cooked in banana leaves. A round of tableside guacamole is inevitable, but try not to fill up on chips before your main.

A platter of meat, seafood, and cheese.
Mar y terra at Antojitos.

Green Eggs and Ham Cafe

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You might not go out of your way for a metal tin of tater tots, but rest assured, when you’re on this side of the park, hungry, and craving an afternoon snack, this Dr. Seuss eatery will heal you. The mozzarella-slathered pizza tots serve as a year-round homage to Halloween Horror Nights’ beloved pizza fries, while the namesake Green Eggs and Ham Tots, topped with gooey white cheese sauce, always hit the spot.

A tin takeout container of tater tots topped with cheese and other garnishes.
Pizza tots.

Strong Water Tavern

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An impeccable restaurant that could stand on its own as one of Orlando’s finest, Strong Water Tavern incorporates local vendors and seasonal produce not often seen at theme park hotels. Ceviche, curried goat, and jerk chicken are among the surprising dishes, all complemented by a serious cocktail program led by the on-duty “rum captain.” If you’re in search of a fantastic dinner, look no further.

Dish at Strong Water Tavern
Dish at Strong Water Tavern

Wok Bowl at Urban Pantry

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After days of eating junk, an unlimited pile of vegetables is a welcome blessing at Universal’s millennial-focused Aventura Hotel. Add your preferred noodles and a protein, choose between stir fry or noodle soup, and top with fresh herbs.

Wok Bowl at Urban Pantry
Wok Bowl at Urban Pantry

Jerked Mahi Sandwich at Kohola Reef Restaurant & Social Club

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Water parks aren’t generally known for their food, but Volcano Bay debunks the stigma. Just look at this well-seasoned fish sandwich, served with crisp mango slaw and fresh veggies.

Jerked Mahi Sandwich at Kohola Reef Restaurant & Social Club
Jerked Mahi Sandwich at Kohola Reef Restaurant & Social Club

Pollo alla Carbonara at Mama Della’s Ristorante

The schtick at Mama Della’s is theme-park Italian. Find the entrance off the Portofino-inspired hotel’s piazza and watch as tableside musicians and “Mama” make the rounds. Don’t worry; that superficiality ends with the food. Hearty Italian indulgences like chicken Parmesan and lasagna fill the menu, but the brown butter-doused pollo alla carbonara, speckled with pancetta and peas, reigns supreme.

Pollo alla Carbonara at Mama Della’s Ristorante
Pollo alla Carbonara at Mama Della’s Ristorante

Butterbeer

The butterbeer you’ve heard so much about is a butterscotch-cream beverage straight from the Harry Potter books that’s smooth, sweet, impossible to resist, and available pretty much everywhere in the Wizarding World. The great debate about the supremacy of hot, cold, and frozen varieties rages on, but we prefer the frozen version for its icy texture, ideal on a steamy Florida afternoon.

Butterbeer in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Butterbeer in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Florean Fortescue’s Ice-Cream Parlour

From whimsical scoops to butterbeer soft serve, every frozen treat at this colorful Harry Potter creamery is divine. No samples are offered, so if you’re overwhelmed, opt for the can’t-lose pairing of Earl Grey and lavender with sticky toffee pudding.

Ice cream from Florean Fortescue’s Ice-Cream Parlour
Ice cream from Florean Fortescue’s Ice-Cream Parlour

Leaky Cauldron

Universal Studios’ best food can be found at this Diagon Alley eatery, where British fare — fish and chips, cottage pie, and a sublime ploughman’s lunch with English cheddar and blue stilton — lives up to the highest of standards.

Ploughman’s lunch at Leaky Cauldron
Ploughman’s lunch at Leaky Cauldron

Clogger Burger at Krusty Burger

Krusty Burger’s cheddar sauce-slathered, bacon-topped double stack is the most theme park-y food you’ll find in The Simpsons-themed land. We can’t help but think Krusty Burger’s twisted proprietor would love this gloopy, unhealthy mess of a fast-food burger.

Clogger Burger at Krusty Burger in Universal Orlando Resort.
Clogger Burger at Krusty Burger.

Emack & Bolio's Marketplace

This one-stop shop inside Hard Rock Hotel offers scoops of the Boston-bred chain’s curious flavors, making for one of the best sweet treats you’ll find at the resort or beyond.

Ice cream at Emack & Bolio’s Marketplace
Ice cream at Emack & Bolio’s Marketplace

Illumination’s Minion Cafe

Believe it or not, the Minions are cooking up the best meal you’ll find at Universal Studios Florida. Just don’t let dishes like tonkatsu ramen, ropa vieja, and an excellent meatball pizza pocket stop you from also ordering a little something extra off the kids menu. The white cheddar mac and cheese and pimento grilled cheese, served with mini bananas and Minion-shaped tots, are unparalleled.

A bowl of ramen, with a large clump of noodles surrounded by fried add-ins and a boiled egg.
Ramen at the Minion Cafe.

TODAY Cafe

Prepare yourself for an entirely meta experience that brings the NBC morning television stalwart to life with gourmet pastries and New York-inspired sandwiches. Worth a walk-through for the novelty alone, Universal Studios Florida’s TODAY cafe remains noteworthy for its healthier options compared to other in-park spots.

A tray of pastries and a branded TODAY mug fill out a breakfast spread
Breakfast spread at TODAY Cafe
Universal Orlando / official

Smokehouse Stack at NBC Sports Grill & Brew

This legit sports destination offers a lengthy beer list and hefty meals, but it’s worth exiting the park just for this juicy burger, which is topped with all things smoked — brisket, pork, gouda — then slathered in barbecue sauce.

Smokehouse Stack at NBC Sports Grill & Brew
Smokehouse Stack at NBC Sports Grill & Brew

Voodoo Doughnut

With inventive flavors and reasonable prices, the famed Portland doughnuttery makes a handy breakfast or late-night snack. You’re bound to feel left out if you’re not among the masses carrying pink boxes back to their hotel rooms.

Doughnut from Voodoo Doughnut
Doughnut from Voodoo Doughnut

Cheeseburgooshi at the Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar

After a day of casting spells and hugging Minions, your kids will expect some culinary whimsy on the table too. Satisfy them with this deep-fried take on a sushi roll. Cooks wrap a black Angus bacon cheeseburger in soy paper and potato shards, before deep-frying it and slicing it into rounds. This is one time you won’t mind eating your kids’ scraps.

Cheeseburgooshi at The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar
Cheeseburgooshi at The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar

Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen

You can purchase quirky confections downstairs at this smoke-churning steampunk factory, but the real treat isn’t sweets or Instagram-ready milkshakes: It’s the savory stuff. The all-day breakfast and the Southern fried chicken BLT are wholly sublime. For something sweet, go ahead and order a starter of chocolate almond bread, which comes with salted caramel butter.

Burger and fries at Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen
Burger and fries at Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen

Cauldron Cake at Honeydukes

Delightful in a cake-from-a-box way, the Cauldron Cake is made of dense chocolate sponge cake and sports thick “fiery” frosting. The Harry Potter favorite comes in — what else? — a keepsake cauldron.

Cauldron Cake at Honeydukes
Cauldron Cake at Honeydukes

Sundae on a Stick at Hop on Pop Ice Cream Shop

This whimsical chocolate-dunked vanilla ice cream bar fits perfectly among its Seussian surroundings, and the ice cream shop serves it frozen so it won’t disintegrate in the sun.

Sundae on a Stick at Hop on Pop Ice Cream Shop
Sundae on a Stick at Hop on Pop Ice Cream Shop

Three Broomsticks

Serving heartier fare than Leaky Cauldron, this village tavern boasts exceedingly excellent platters of smoked chicken and spare ribs, both accompanied by roast potatoes and full ears of corn.

Smoked chicken and spare ribs platters at Three Broomsticks
Smoked chicken and spare ribs platters at Three Broomsticks

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Hog's Head

Hog’s Head is the preferred venue to drink like an off-duty Hogwarts professor, made all the better by the bar’s rustic interior. Opt for one of two exclusively themed beers: a Hog’s Head red ale or Dragon Scale lagered ale.

Hog’s Head pub at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando
Hog’s Head pub at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando
UNIVERSAL ORLANDO

Bigfire

A roaring wood-fired grill in this modern chophouse’s kitchen serves as the centerpiece for expansive lodge-like interiors. For some, the food — bourbon cheese fondue, Colorado lamb shank, steaks served with asparagus and leek butter — is only a precursor to the ever-popular dessert of DIY tableside s’mores. Consider it an ideal choice for business dinners or an unexpectedly nice night out in the shadow of rollercoasters.

A cast iron skillet of items for dipping in fondue in the center.
Fondue.

Hot Dog Hall of Fame

Don’t be fooled by the name and the ’90s exterior. This whimsical eatery offers denominations of tube steaks from Vienna to Sabrett and beyond, each dressed up in its hometown style. A self-serve mustard bar even enables a twist on the classic Chicago dog, if diners are so inclined.

Hot dog at Hot Dog Hall of Fame
Hot dog at Hot Dog Hall of Fame

Mythos

A banner hanging outside this mythical-themed restaurant proclaims Mythos is the “World’s Best Theme Park Restaurant.” You’d think it couldn’t possibly live up to that boast, but somehow it does. The robust menu of Greek-inspired specialties includes plenty of options, but the pan-roasted salmon with shitake mushrooms and roasted carrot puree will surely cancel out the day’s sugary indulgences.

A top-down shot of salmon with greens and a swoop of orange sauce.
Seared salmon at Mythos Restaurant.

Antojitos Authentic Mexican Food

While most people come here for tacos, enchiladas, and fajitas, Anotjitos’ menu is packed with dishes like tamales with house-made mole and Yucatan-style mahi cooked in banana leaves. A round of tableside guacamole is inevitable, but try not to fill up on chips before your main.

A platter of meat, seafood, and cheese.
Mar y terra at Antojitos.

Green Eggs and Ham Cafe

You might not go out of your way for a metal tin of tater tots, but rest assured, when you’re on this side of the park, hungry, and craving an afternoon snack, this Dr. Seuss eatery will heal you. The mozzarella-slathered pizza tots serve as a year-round homage to Halloween Horror Nights’ beloved pizza fries, while the namesake Green Eggs and Ham Tots, topped with gooey white cheese sauce, always hit the spot.

A tin takeout container of tater tots topped with cheese and other garnishes.
Pizza tots.

Strong Water Tavern

An impeccable restaurant that could stand on its own as one of Orlando’s finest, Strong Water Tavern incorporates local vendors and seasonal produce not often seen at theme park hotels. Ceviche, curried goat, and jerk chicken are among the surprising dishes, all complemented by a serious cocktail program led by the on-duty “rum captain.” If you’re in search of a fantastic dinner, look no further.

Dish at Strong Water Tavern
Dish at Strong Water Tavern

Wok Bowl at Urban Pantry

After days of eating junk, an unlimited pile of vegetables is a welcome blessing at Universal’s millennial-focused Aventura Hotel. Add your preferred noodles and a protein, choose between stir fry or noodle soup, and top with fresh herbs.

Wok Bowl at Urban Pantry
Wok Bowl at Urban Pantry

Jerked Mahi Sandwich at Kohola Reef Restaurant & Social Club

Water parks aren’t generally known for their food, but Volcano Bay debunks the stigma. Just look at this well-seasoned fish sandwich, served with crisp mango slaw and fresh veggies.

Jerked Mahi Sandwich at Kohola Reef Restaurant & Social Club
Jerked Mahi Sandwich at Kohola Reef Restaurant & Social Club

Related Maps