It’s going to be a big year for Universal Orlando — and that includes the eats!

While Epic Universe is stealing all the headlines, we shouldn’t forget about all the great eats found throughout Universal Orlando Resort! With that in mind, the DFB team is infiltrating the Universal Orlando scene to update you on the TOP restaurants you’re gonna want to put at the tippy-top of your Must Try list for 2025! 

We’re eating and munching and sipping away on the BEST food and drinks Universal Orlando has to offer and we’re giving you the skinny on what to circle on your Universal maps during your next visit!

Most Anticipated

Can you BELIEVE that — in just a few, short months — we’ll be stepping through the gates of Epic Universe for the VERY FIRST TIME?? Epic Universe will be opening on May 22nd, 2025 — and with its grand opening, you’re gonna be able to experience a TON of new rides, shows, gift shops, aaaaaand…. RESTAURANTS.

Now, we WISH we could talk about every SINGLE Epic Universe restaurant in the works today, buuuuut that wouldn’t be fair to Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. Instead, we want to focus on the top restaurant in each land that we’re most excited to try when we start tasting our way around this park…starting with Celestial Park.

On the one hand, you’ve got Atlantic — which has surf and turf — and on the other hand, you’ve got Blue Dragon Pan-Asian Restaurant — with authentic Chinese, Japanese, and Thai entrees. If we had to pick, we’d go with Blue Dragon, as you’ll be able to dine “inside a bustling courtyard, where it’s always evening under the glow of ethereal lanterns.”

There’s also gonna be a Tiger Bar inside this place with a GIANT neon Tiger sign, AND lots of Celestial Park-specific Easter eggs featured throughout the restaurant. Universal describes Atlantic as “an undersea culinary fantasy,” where “starfish dwell peacefully with serene, illuminated fish swimming above you.” Here, the specialties of the house will be steak and seafood — but you’ll also be able to “swim” over for a cocktail at the Aquaria Bar.

Over in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Ministry of Magic, we’re MOST excited for Café L’air De La Sirène. Now don’t get us wrong — we enjoy the eerie, seedy, underbelly-ish look that is The Three Broomsticks in Islands of Adventure and Leaky Cauldron in Universal Studios Florida, BUT we think this new elegant and artsy wizarding world cafe is gonna be a nice change of pace.

Universal has stated that, at this new cafe, guests will be able to enjoy French sandwiches, plats du jour, desserts, and baked goods, as well as that ever-so-famous Butterbeer drink. Oh, and APPARENTLY there’s gonna be hidden details of the fantastic beasts in the tile and mosaic designs — so you BET you’re gonna catch us staring off and trying to see how many we can find.

At the new Super Nintendo World, there’s really only ONE themed quick service we’ve got to look forward and we already know what that quick service is gonna be like since it already exists in Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Hollywood. The Toadstool Cafe is gonna put the Toads to WORK as they create a variety of themed Mario-inspired dishes — including options like the Mario and Luigi-themed burgers, Super Mushroom Soup, Piranha Plant Caprese, Fire Flower Spaghetti and Meatballs, and so much more.

This one’s probably on par with Minions Cafe, over in Universal Studios Florida (more on that later), where the theming is over the top — through the decor AND the entrees.

Mead Hall in the How To Train Your Dragon: Isle of Berk area invites everyone to come and “feast like a Viking” on a variety of hearty meat, fish, and sandwich entrees.

We’re super intrigued by the collection of meads and ciders that’ll be offered here, as this feels all very Renaissance-festival-coded.

And FINALLY we’ve entered into Dark Universe — where, there are some interesting picks to choose from. Das Stakehaus is a quick-service spot themed around ancient catacombs and De Lacey’s Cottage is gonna have snacks like CINAMMON BREAD. But if we’re just picking ONE place to eat here, we’re gonna have to go with the one where the windmill suddenly bursts into flames every so often.

The Burning Blade Tavern is a quick-service restaurant that pays homage to the iconic windmill from Universal’s 1931 classic Frankenstein  and will allow diners to eat in an “old mill which Darkmoor Village’s monster hunters have transformed into their hangout.” You’ll find a lot of theme park staples served at the tavern — like burgers, pretzels, wings, bratwurst, and specialty beverages. Oh, and this tavern will burst into flames several times an hour. To accomplish this, Universal will use two types of fuel to create different types of visibility during the day and evening.

A Quick And Easy Morning Meal

You may be in a hurry to get on with your Universal visit, but DON’T forget about the most IMPORTANT meal of the day! The Universal parks don’t have a MASSIVE amount of breakfast options park-wide, but there are TWO specific quick-service restaurants we want to highlight. The FIRST spot is the Today Cafe, over in Universal Studios Florida next to the front gate.

Open all day long, Today Cafe is themed around that long-standing NBC morning show and offers breakfast sandwiches with options like the egg white florentine, the smoked salmon lox bagel, basic ham/egg/and cheese on ciabatta, AND a breakfast sandwich placed on an EVERYTHING croissant. You can also pick up other morning options, too, like overnight oats, fruit bowls, and fresh-baked pastries.

Over at Islands of Adventure, we recommend Croissant Moon Bakery, which is located right off Port of Entry and serves sunrise breakfasts until 11 AM. These breakfasts include:

• The classic ham/egg/cheese croissant.
• The “On the Run” Continental Breakfast
• AND the ham/egg/cheese EMPANADA

We’re throwing in Lard Lad Donuts back in Universal Studios Florida as an honorable mention, as these MASSIVE pink doughnuts are locally sourced from an Orlando bakery called Donut King (which just so happens to be the SAME place where Disney gets their Joffrey’s Doughnuts, too!).

Substantial Snacks (That Could Double As Meals)

IF you’ve got a big/early dinner that you need to save room for, you MAY wanna get a lighter lunch/more substantial snack to tide you over until then. And that’s EXACTLY what THESE snacks can do for YOU!

Central Park Crepes is a great little kiosk over in the Hollywood area that serves both sweet and savory handheld options year-round that are always made fresh.

Typically, Cafe La Bamba in Universal Studios Florida is a quick-service restaurant where you can order heartier Southern California-Mexican-inspired entrees like burritos and rice bowls. However, they also have a SHAREABLES section on the menu with options that you can easily split with a friend if you’re looking to munch on something WAY lighter. Shareables include items like chicken taquitoes, a fresh salsa flight, and the classic chips, guac, and queso!

The Bumblebee Man Taco Truck in Universal Studio Florida doesn’t leave what it sells to the imagination. You’re gonna find street tacos here — with options including carne asada, roasted pork shoulder, and marinated chicken. Each taco order also comes with a side of chips and your choice of red or green salsa.

IT’S POTATO TIME. POH-TAY-TOOOOES! The London Taxi Hut over in Universal Studios Florida (and RIGHT outside King’s Cross Station) is your one-stop shop for all things starch. And when you’re craving a savory snack, sometimes nothing quite hits like a nice, filling, baked potato. Here, you can get jacket potatoes topped with Shepherd’s Pie (featuring lamb, beef, and an assortment of veggies), broccoli and cheese, OR beans and cheese too.

Green Eggs and Ham — over in Seuss Landing (imagine that) — offers loaded tot varieties like buffalo chicken, pizza, and a straight-up green eggs and ham. The WHO HASH option is a FAVORITE of the bunch — because THIS one serves your tots straight outta a Who Hash tin can.

Despite its tin can container, all of the ingredients are evenly dispersed instead of being solely loaded onto the top — meaning you’ll get all that corned beef, onions, white cheese sauce, and scallions in every bite.

The Good, The Intriguing, And The QUIRKY Quick Services

When it comes to quick services, Universal really tends to go over the top with theming. These places and foods are just fun to look at! So we’re gonna categorize these themed quick services for you by the ones that are GOOD (meaning they have the best food offerings), the INTRIGUING (meaning the ones that have a variety of food offerings, but the aesthetic is what REALLY draws you in), and the QUIRKY (meaning the ones you’re not QUITE sure WHAT you’re looking at and eating but, boy howdy, you’re just GLAD to be there).

The GOOD

When it comes to Wizarding World food, BOTH Universal Studios Florida AND Islands of Adventure know how to do it RIGHT. Leaky Cauldron (inside Diagon Alley) and Three Broomsticks (inside Hogsmeade) have a very similar vibe, despite them being in different areas. They’re rustic, they’re a little dreary, and they kind of remind me of the tavern featured in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow cartoon.

While both menus offer up British-inspired fare, you will find a selection of DIFFERENT types of British foods depending on which one you’re visiting.

Leaky Cauldron serves items like Fisherman’s Pie, Scotch Eggs, bangers and mash, and Toad in the Hole (ie: an English sausage baked into a Yorkshire pudding and served with onion gravy). They’ve also got this WARM sticky toffee pudding made with a dense cake, crunchy toffee bits, and creamy melty ice cream. Seriously, SO STINKIN’ GOOD.

Three Broomsticks serves Great Feast platters that you can share amongst the group, as well as a hearty amount of breakfast offerings, too (served ‘til 10:30 AM daily) — including a traditional English breakfast that comes with fresh scrambled eggs, sausage links, black pudding, English bacon, baked beans, grilled tomato, sautéed mushrooms, and breakfast potatoes.

THERE IS NO NORMAL MUGGLE SODA AVAILABLE AT THESE LOCATIONS. All you’re gonna find is water, tea, and a variety of specialty beverages that you might love, but you also might…. Not. SO if you want a soda to go along with your meal, make sure to pick one up BEFORE you head into either of these restaurants.

Thunder Falls is located in the Jurassic Park section of Islands of Adventure and is a place where you can grab options like rib platters, rice bowls, prehistoric raptor wings, and even full-on rotisserie chickens (for all you MAJOR carnivores out there). The dining room is also a major selling point, as not only are you gonna find a LOT of seating, BUT — if you sit next to those MASSIVE windows — you’ll have a GREAT view of the Jurassic Park River Adventure water ride (where you can watch people getting DRENCHED over and over and OVER again)! Now THAT’S dinner and a show!

The INTRIGUING

We’re gonna hang out in Islands of Adventure for this point — because there are some mighty INTRIGUING quick services inside this park that tend to get overlooked. The first is Circus McGurkus Cafe Stoopendous over in Seuss Landing, where you’re literally gonna be dining under the big top.

You’ll wanna look UP as often as possible while you’re here — because there are CIRCUS ACTS happening over your head. PLUS the High in the Sky Trolley Train ride circles around the dining room, too! The food at Circus McGurkus walked so that Minions Cafe could run.  You’re gonna see a lot of wacky and colorful options like:

• The Red Fish, Blue, Fish, Poke Bowl
• The Big Top Burger (with a bun as red as the tent it’s served in)
• The Chicken and Biscuits (With a peanut-shaped biscuit that any elephant is bound to trample you for)
• The Magician Meatball Cone (Which has a splatter effect veeeeery similar to one of the entrees in Minions Cafe)
• And what could POSSIBLY be the cutest little cupcake I’ve ever laid my eyes on — the Caramel Corn Popcorn Cupcake (which comes in this little popcorn packaging that’s absolutely adorable)

Is the food here gonna be over-the-big-top DELICIOUS? Probably not. But it’s not BAD either. More than anything, we think this place is gonna be a BLAST for kiddos (and the prices aren’t terrible for the portions you’re receiving, either).

Comic Strip Cafe over in Toon Lagoon is colorful, it’s vintage, and it’s COVERED with cartoons and panels and word bubbles aplenty. Are your kiddos gonna recognize the characters featured throughout this cafe? Probably not. But YOU might. And that might make the theming here all the more fun for YOU to experience.

When it comes to food, think: Food Court Dining. There are lots of different options for lots of different palates, including sandwiches, pizzas, pastas, Asian-inspired cuisines, and more. Again — it’s not gonna be the most MEMORABLE food ever, but it’s gonna get your family fed no matter who’s craving what that day.

The QUIRKY

Minion Cafe at Universal Studios Florida is definitely QUIRKY with a capital “Q.” Much like how the Toads are gonna be put to work at the Toadstool Cafe inside Super Nintendo World, the Minions are in charge of prepping your food here. And that means you’ve now entered a dining world full of bananas and chaos.

Okay, so it’s not ALL bananas. But it definitely is ALL chaos. Some of the best items we’ve found here are Mel’s Meatball Mountain (a wood oven-baked stuffed pizza with meatballs, basil, fresh mozzarella, and marinara — with that SPLATTER sauce effect like you’ll find at Circus McGurkus) and Agnes’ Honeymoon Soup (made of green tomato soup, crispy pork belly, tomato gummy bear, and basil oil, served with a pimento cheddar grilled cheese sandwich).

And THEN you’ve got your sweet stuff like Otto’s Pet Rock (made with peanut butter and jelly mousse) and the PX-41 Punch (an evil Minion-styled drink made with lemonade, strawberry and kiwi flavoring, a purple whipped topping, and blue raspberry pop rocks).

Overall, we think the quality of the food at Minion Cafe is BETTER than Circus McGurkus, but — all in all — your kids are probably gonna fall in love with BOTH locations and what they’ve got to offer.

One of the NEWEST places to grab a bite to eat in Universal Studios Florida is the Dreamworks Imagination Cafe — over in Dreamworks Land. Unlike the rest of the quick services we’ve talked about, this little cafe isn’t much to look at. It’s got some covered outdoor seating and that’s just about it. HOWEVER, some of the food items here do fall into the “quirky” category, if just for their namesake alone.

Like Ogreroni Pizza? Can’t Stop the Doughnut? BOSS BABY BEIGNETS? It reminds us of picking up a cereal from the grocery store not because you’re craving it, but because it’s got your favorite character or celebrity on it.  While these foods are pretty much what you’d expect them to be, they’re also pretty satisfying.

If you’re looking for something even QUIRKIER inside the new Dreamworks Land, you’ll wanna seek out the SNACKS around these parts. Because how often will you get the chance to eat a Shrekzel with GREEN cheese — or an ice cream cone shaped like Troll Hair??

Table Services Actually Worth Your Time

Let’s get CONTROVERSIAL. If we could choose only ONE sit-down restaurant to prioritize inside Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios Florida, AND Universal CityWalk, which ones would make the very TOP of our list? Let’s start with Islands of Adventure and the award-winning table service, Mythos — located over in The Lost Continent.

Mythos is a restaurant MADE for all you Greek Mythology fans out there. Just take a look at the OUTSIDE of this restaurant and you’ll know that’s true. You’ve got several ancient figures carved into the rock work, and that attention to detail continues INSIDE of the dining room too.

When it comes to food, the menu features Mediterranean, Asian, and American fare — including options like the spiced charred octopus, Beef Loin Medallions, Fork, Knife and Spoon Grilled Cheese, and the Butternut Squash Mascarpone Ravioli.

Word of warning before you go — this restaurant tends to run FRIGID all year round. Even in the summer, you might find yourself feeling a bit goosebump-y in between bites of ravioli. So you MAY wanna pack a light jacket in your park bag IF you plan on making reservations for Mythos in 2025.

For Universal Studios Florida, we’ve gotta go with Lombard’s Seafood Grille. Lombard’s is just a really chill place that has several tables with great views across the Universal Studios Florida Lagoon. At Lombard’s, surf and turf is the specialty here — with options like sushi grade ahi tuna, Maine lobster bisque, grilled swordfish, Baja mahi tacos, lobster rolls, aaaaand… MORE fish and chips.

Over at CityWalk, if we have to choose ONE — and ONLY ONE — restaurant to prioritize here, we’re gonna go with Toothsome Chocolate Emporium.

The thing is, CityWalk’s got a pretty MASSIVE variety of table services — WAY more than you’re gonna find in the two Universal parks combined. We’re talking options like Bubba Gump’s, Margaritaville, Vivo Italian Kitchen, CowFish… you know, the WORKS.

The most INTERESTING option out of the bunch here just might be Toothsome — A chocolate-making, time-traveling, steampunk table service to remember. Toothsome is 50% table service and 50% candy shop and you can check out that front-of-house gift shop and pick up some sweets to-go — like macarons, truffles, cotton candy, you name it.

But INSIDE the restaurant, you’ve got a whole menu of unique options to enjoy —  like the warm chocolate almond bread, the French onion soup, the bacon and Brie flatbread, the monte cristo, the loaded waffles, MORE CREPES, and the wild mushroom chicken risotto. What Toothsome is REALLY known for, however, are its over-the-top SHAKES. These shakes are pretty MASSIVE, so if you want one to round out your meal with, we’d suggest sharing one with a few people at your table.

And FINALLY, if we’re gonna choose a sit-down meal at one of the Universal Orlando HOTELS, we’re gonna choose BiCE! BiCe is a dimly-lit, sophisticated restaurant located inside the Loews Portofino Bay hotel that features Italian-inspired dishes (with handmade pastas and seasonal risottos)! Y’all — If you’re looking for GOOD ITALIAN FOOD, this is IT. This is GOOD ITALIAN FOOD.

This definitely isn’t a restaurant you’re gonna want to book reservations for IF you’ve already had a full day of eating LOTS of food (since dinner here is pretty heavy), BUT it’s a great option if you’re looking for date night vibes without leaving the Universal bubble.

Now that you’ve heard it all, it’s time to put y’all to WORK. What would YOUR perfect Universal Orlando dining itinerary look like? Create your perfect day of eating for breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner, and drop it in the comments so we can keep this discussion going! And DON’T FORGET to continue to follow us right here at DFB for all the latest Universal Orlando updates!

FIRST LOOK at the FOOD Coming to Epic Universe

What is YOUR favorite Universal Orlando restaurant? Let us know in the comments!