Eight Restaurants in Universal Orlando You’re Totally Sleeping On

Universal Orlando isn’t just a theme park with big roller coasters and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It’s some great food, too!

Over the years, Universal has been introducing more trendy restaurants and unique snacks. Toothsome Chocolate Emporium impresses diners with its over-the-top desserts. Mythos serves fantastic dishes ranging from braised lamb shanks to vegan-friendly cauliflower steak. And where would be without the sweet taste of Butterbeer? There are a few restaurants that tend to slip under the radar for guests.

We’re highlighting some of the best-underrated restaurants at Universal Orlando!

Finnegan’s Bar and Grill

Finnegan’s is a cozy Irish pub that serves beer on tap and warm vibes. You’ve got to try the famous Potato and Onion Webbs?? This on our “must-eat” list for Universal guests. Thinly sliced potatoes and onions are hand-dipped in beer batter then fried to crispy golden brown perfection.

Pro-Tip: In past years, Finnegan’s was one of the only restaurants that stayed open late for events like Halloween Horror Nights. This is really handy when you’re craving a full sit-down meal or a beer during the event. The vibes, the food, and the awesome bartenders are what make Finnegan’s a great place!

Central Park Crepes

The crepe stand is the newest quick-service restaurant in Universal. It’s also one of our favorite places to eat! The crepes are LOADED with sweet and savory ingredients. The portions are huge and the flavors super tasty. It’s also a great place to grab a filling meal without a reservation or sitting down to eat.

We’ve had a lot of stellar crepes here! Some of our favorite flavors include combos like chicken and goat cheese, strawberry and Nutella, and lemon blueberry crepes. We suggest you give one of the crepes a try on your next visit!

Read our review of Central Park Crepes here!

Lard Lad Donuts

You may have heard of the Big Pink from Lard Lad Donuts. These are HUGE pink frosted donuts that are big enough to share with at least two other people. The snack (which is more like a meal) is based on Homer Simpson’s donut obsession. Mmm…donuts. You can find the food truck in Springfield and order it with ice cream, too!

We should also mention Lard Lad’s competitor, Voodoo Doughnuts. We’re not saying you should choose one or the other. In fact, you should just go ahead and treat yourself to both. However, we mustn’t forget about Lard Lad! The donuts here are super fun for Instagram pics, and they’re super tasty!

The Today Cafe

The Today Cafe is also new to Universal and offers fresh salads, sandwiches, and coffee. This restaurant is often overlooked because people aren’t necessarily lining up for a good salad when they go to a theme park. We think this place is really great if you want something that isn’t fried but rather made with fresh ingredients.

The salads are made with mixed greens, fresh veggies, and quality meats. The sandwiches are one of our favorite underrated eats at Universal. You can pair both meals with a fresh cup of espresso. Plus, you get a little entertainment while clips from The Today Show play on the screen!

Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville

Margaritaville is famous for frozen margs and the coconut shrimp is to die for. What keeps us coming back is the Volcano Nachos. We hear numerous guests raving about these killer nachos. The chips are piled high with cheese, meat, jalapenos, beans guacamole, sour cream, and a ton of other goodies!

The atmosphere is super fun too! Kick back with some tunes by Jimmy Buffet and really lock into vacation mode.

See our ultimate list of underrated Universal snacks here!

Lombard’s Seafood Grille

Lovers of fish, shrimp, and lobster should give Lombard’s a chance! The seafood restaurant serves up monstrous lobster rolls and crispy-fried fish and chips. After dinner, head next door to San Francisco Pastry Company for a huge helping of cheesecake!

We have to give the atmosphere credit, too! Head inside, and it’s like you’ve boarded an old-timey ship with iron framing and dark color palettes. It also offers a lovely view of the lake in Universal Studios Florida.

Confisco Grille

It seems that many visitors walk by this restaurant without giving it a second thought. We think you should absolutely give it a second thought! The menu got an update last year and now serves heavenly Pork Belly Banh-Mi Sandwiches and ridiculously good Sweet and Sour Sticky Ribs.

This restaurant is often overshadowed by Mythos, which also has a stellar menu. We think that Confisco deserves a little more love, though! You can also stop at the Backwater Bar that’s connected to the restaurant. Some great eats and cocktails are served here, too.

The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar

Love sushi? We’ve got a place for you! Hate sushi and would rather have a burger? We’ve got a place for you, too! Spoiler: it’s the same place! Cowfish has received a lot of good reviews from guests. We think it deserves a spotlight because not many understand the variety of food that is served here.

This is the perfect place if your group consists of picky and adventurous eaters. Your choices include everything from fried calamari to jalapeno bacon burgers. This restaurant is a good fit for practically anyone. It’s also a great alternative if you’ve eaten at Toothsome Chocolate Emporium too many times!

These are just a handful of our favorite restaurants from Universal Orlando. There are plenty more good eats where that came from! We didn’t even get to the bomb macaroni and cheese from Hard Rock Cafe. And, you didn’t hear it from us, but some people think the Universal pretzels are tastier than the Mickey pretzels from Disney World. We’ll leave that one up to debate!

We wanna hear from you! What’s your favorite restaurant at Universal Orlando? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!

 

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