8 Things I'll Never Eat Again in Epic Universe

We were pumped to try the food at Universal’s brand-new Epic Universe — and now we’ve got some regrets.

Since Epic Universe officially opened back on May 22nd, 2025, naturally, we hit the ground running to try as many snacks, meals, and treats as possible. Some of them were delicious and totally worth going back for…but others? Not so much. Here are the eight things we tried once and definitely don’t need to try again.

Pork Soup Dumplings — Blue Dragon Pan-Asian Restaurant

We were really hoping these soup dumplings would deliver. They’re classic, reliable, and usually a crowd-pleaser. But honestly, these didn’t do anything for us.

The pork was salty and rich, but nothing about them stood out. If you’ve ever ordered dumplings from your local Chinese takeout spot, you already know what these taste like. And the chili oil sauce they came with? Totally fine, but nothing exciting.

Snowflake Potstickers — Blue Dragon Pan-Asian Restaurant

They looked cool with that lacy fried batter, but it ended there. These potstickers are all style, no substance.

The meat inside was tender, and the dipping sauce was decent, but you could find better versions at any average pan-Asian spot outside the parks. They’re not bad, they’re just incredibly forgettable — and we’ve got too many good food options at Epic Universe to waste our time on forgettable.

Tonkotsu Ramen — Blue Dragon Pan-Asian Restaurant

We are major ramen lovers, which is why this one stung a little.

The bowl had all the components we wanted — rich pork broth, chashu, mushrooms, tare egg. It looked amazing. But one spoonful of that broth and we knew this wasn’t it. It lacked depth and richness. The pork was fine, the egg was fine, but when it comes to ramen, “fine” just doesn’t cut it. This dish had potential and still fell flat, which made it even more disappointing.

Crispy Orange Chicken — Blue Dragon Pan-Asian Restaurant

This one hurt. We were really rooting for it. The chicken was crispy, yes, but that’s the nicest thing we can say.

The sauce didn’t have the punch we were expecting — it was kind of bland, and the whole dish felt like a knockoff version of something you could get at a fast food chain. We’re not even trying to be dramatic when we say Panda Express does it better. For a sit-down restaurant in one of Universal’s newest parks, that’s just not good enough.

Huli Huli Pulled Pork — Oak & Star Tavern

This sandwich started off rough. The bun was dry, the pulled pork was kind of just there, and it didn’t grab our attention.

The real issue was that all the good stuff — the pineapple chunks, the tropical flavor — was buried in the middle. You had to dig to find it. The coleslaw was great and helped pull things together, but one good side can’t save an underwhelming sandwich. We’d definitely go back to Oak & Star Tavern and try something else, but we won’t be reordering this one.

Sea Bass — Atlantic

This one was just too expensive for what it was. At $44, we expected a standout dish. Instead, it was just…fine.

The sea bass was cooked well enough, the lemongrass broth had a light, citrusy flavor, and the star fruit was kind of fun. But overall, it didn’t feel worth the splurge. There was nothing wrong with it, but nothing that made us want to come back either. For a signature dish at a sit-down restaurant, that’s not what you want.

Darkmoor Black Wings — Das Steakhouse

We’ll admit it: we didn’t have sky-high hopes for quick-service wings, but these still managed to disappoint.

They were fatty, and there wasn’t nearly enough meat. The soy chili garlic sauce was solid — we liked the kick — but the wings weren’t coated in it enough to make a difference. The cornbread was more interesting than tasty, and the slaw was just there. It didn’t have dressing, which left us wondering what exactly it was supposed to be. Overall, the whole dish felt like it needed a redo.

Red Velvet Death — Das Steakhouse

It’s a red velvet coffin cake covered in fake maggots. That probably tells you all you need to know.

Yes, the maggots are made of puffed rice, but they looked realistic enough that we had a hard time digging in. And when we did? The cake was way too moist and dense, almost like it had been sitting in a fridge too long. The frosting was heavy, and the textures didn’t mesh. Visually, it’s on-theme for Dark Universe. Flavor-wise, for us, it just didn’t deliver.

There are so many amazing things to eat across Epic Universe — trust us, we’ve had plenty that wowed us — but these eight? We’re not going back for seconds. Whether it was a texture issue, a lack of flavor, or just not living up to the hype, these dishes missed the mark for us.

In the meantime, we’ll be on the lookout for more updates from Epic Universe. Make sure you stay tuned to AllEars for the latest theme park news!