MAGIC or TRAGIC? Our Honest Rating of the New Galaxy Bar and Galaxy Grill at Universal’s Stella Nova Resort

Universal Orlando‘s new Stella Nova Hotel is open NOW! We’ve toured the resort, previewed the rooms, and marveled over the size of that ENORMOUS pool. But now, it’s time to eat!

The hotel JUST opened on January 21st, 2025, and after our first look earlier this month, it’s safe to say we’re VERY happy to be back. This time, we’re here for a meal at the Galaxy Bar and Galaxy Grill. Prepare for some savory poolside snacks!

Background

Galaxy Bar and Galaxy Grill is a poolside bar that serves up burgers, quesadillas, and salads, along with wine, beer, and cocktails.

Here’s a peek at the menu for the Galaxy Bar…

…and the Galaxy Grill. Snacks range from $9–$17, and food from the grill is between $13–$16. The salads are between $5 and $15, depending on the toppings.

As we mentioned, the pool area at Stella Nova is HUGE, so there’s plenty of room to spread out and soak up the sun. And after a day at the pool, you might want a little something to eat!

Atmosphere

The bar here is a full bar with TONS of places to sit.

You’ll find additional lounge seating right by the hot tub and pool.

The bar also has a Coca-Cola Freestyle machine, so load up on Coke!

Nearby, the Galaxy Grill is where you’ll find some savory snacks and small bites.

When you place an order, you’ll get a pager device to let you know when your meal is ready. This makes it nice and easy to order some food, find a place to sit back and relax, and wait for your food.

Food & Drinks

The menu here is filled with small bites and poolside entrees. There are a few signature drinks, like The Orion cocktail, which is made with vodka, Mandarin orange syrup, citrus-sour juice, and orange juice. There’s also The Calypso, made with a frozen blend of tequila and tropical fruits.

We opted to try the new Stellar Collision, which is a combination of the two Stellar Frozen drinks on the menu (Pleiades + Calypso). There are three Stellar Frozen drinks, all $16, so you can get each drink individually, or mix the two if you’re feeling fancy.

We have a quick note before we dive into our review of this drink! Our cocktail came with a souvenir cup, and we confirmed that you will NOT get a discount on any future drinks if you bring the cup back for a refill. The price is $16 no matter what, and all specialty drinks come in a souvenir cup. So, sadly, this is not a refillable mug that you can use over and over throughout your stay!

The Stellar Collision starts with a layer of the frozen Pleiades drink, which is Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum, banana liqueur, blue curacao, and piña colada. Next, you get a layer of the Calypso, which is Carazon Blanco Tequila and tropical fruit mix. As you can probably gather, this is a sweet, tropical, and fruity beverage, and we’re happy to report that both layers of the Collision were AMAZING!

The drink was blended to perfection. We picked up on an ideal balance of sweetness and fruitiness — it wasn’t too sweet or too tart. Although this is a fruity, tropical drink, we still picked up on the alcohol in there, but it wasn’t strong or overpowering. Basically, this is just what we’re looking for in a poolside drink!

If you’re looking for something to eat, you can browse the menu at the Galaxy Grill. Here, the menu has burgers, quesadillas, and salads. Some standouts include the Hottie Chicken Sandwich, Mexican Shrimp Cocktail, and Southwestern Salad Bowl.

We stopped by the Galaxy Grill for a nice, salty snack. Naturally, after a busy day of exploring the resort, we were craving a burger, so we ordered the Stella Burger for $15.50. Good news! If you order something from the Grill + More menu, you can choose a side of french fries, sweet potato fries, or a small tossed salad.

The Stella Bruger is a double smashed beef patty with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and cosmic sauce on a brioche bun. Although the menu calls this a “smashed” burger, we thought that the patties were pretty thick and had that classic char grilled flavor. In fact, the burger was pretty average — the meat was flavorful and a little peppery, but it’s not the kind of high-quality burger you might find at a fancy restaurant.

While the meat was just okay, the brioche bun and the cosmic sauce really elevated this meal. The cosmic sauce was likely a 1000 island-type sauce, but it was the perfect addition to the burger. This thing was filled with toppings (yay for pickle fans!!), and the cheese was melted just how we like it. Was this an award-winning burger? Probably not. But if you want a salty little poolside snack to fill you up, this is a great option. You can find the same menu item at Cosmos Cafe.

Magic or Tragic?

Overall, we’re rating the Galaxy Bar and Galaxy Grill as a total MAGIC! Universal has some AMAZING poolside drinks, and the Galaxy Bar did not disappoint. The Galaxy Grill was quite impressive, too, considering this is a quick-service meal you can grab by the pool. We had no major complaints about anything on the menu! Stop by if you have some free time and need a snack as you relax.

We want to hear YOUR thoughts! Leave a review right here on AllEars for the restaurants you’ve been to so you can help out fellow Universal lovers planning their next trip!

In the meantime, we’re always on the lookout for the latest Universal news, so stay tuned for more.

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Which of these snacks are you most excited to try? Tell us in the comments!

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