FULL REVIEW: Mead Hall at How To Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk in Epic Universe

Planning a trip to Epic Universe and not sure where you should eat while you’re there? We can help!

We’re on a mission to try ALL the restaurants in this new park so you know where to eat, and which spots you may want to avoid. We headed over to How To Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk to see if Mead Hall would live up to everything we dreamed it would be, and are here to tell you all about it!

Background

Mead Hall brings to life one of the most iconic spots from the How To Train Your Dragon franchise and is the main dining location in Isle of Berk.

Because of its importance to the franchise, we expect this spot to be one of the BUSIEST in the parks, especially because it’s a quick-service restaurant, so keep that in mind as you order and wait for your food!

Atmosphere

This restaurant is STUNNING — just how a true Viking would want it to be in Isle of Berk. You walk through two massive double doors, and once your eyes adjust to the lower lighting, it reveals this gorgeous, huge stone room that has a chandelier, dragons carved into wood features of the room, and dragon tapestries everywhere.

There is plenty of seating throughout the indoor restaurant, and there’s even a chief’s chair available! When you go to order, you’ll head down a hallway, and the in-person ordering counter features all the mead barrels and specialty drinks behind it. However, you can also take a seat and use the QR code at your table to order, which is what we did.

We really did feel like we were Vikings, and while we can see how the restaurant could get pretty loud during busy times due to the echo-y room, at quieter times, it’s a great place to sit, eat, and relax in the air conditioning.

But enough about that, what are we eating?!

Food & Drinks

First up, we grabbed the Berserkers Meatballs for $19.16. Our first thought upon looking at them was that they were the same meatballs you can find at IKEA, but these are MUCH better than those!

They were packed with flavor and had a slight bit of saltiness that we enjoyed. The gravy was plentiful, and we loved that we could fully cover our meatballs in it. The amount of Linberry jam was also proportionate, offering a great sweet, cool aspect to the meal that helped balance it out.

We would totally get these again. While they didn’t completely blow our socks off in a way that would have us go “we have to get these EVERY time,” they were solidly delicious, filling, and the real standout was the mashed potatoes thanks to their true, more lumpy texture (in the best way) and their herbaceous seasoning.

We also grabbed Valka’s Vegan Burger for $16.99. This burger is made with an ancient grains patty with mushrooms and leeks, smoked berry aioli, arugula, pickled cucumbers, pumpernickel Kaiser bun, and it is served with Nordic fries.

Valka’s Vegan Burger

We were really impressed with this vegan burger, and dare we say it is one of our favorite vegan dishes we have tried so far at Epic Universe! The ancient grains patty reminded us of Thanksgiving stuffing, and we loved it. The addition of the mushrooms and leeks added a fantastic savory element. They also added some saltiness to this dish, which could be a bit too much for some people, but we really enjoyed.

Valka’s Vegan Burger

The smoked berry aioli was a bit hard to taste, but we did get some sweetness and a bit of flavor that reminded us of cranberry sauce. We are sticking with the Thanksgiving theme for this dish! The bright bites of pickled cucumbers were a great compliment to the flavors. And the hearty pumpernickel bun added a bit of sweetness. It was fluffy on the inside with a crusty texture. Overall, a delicious vegan burger.

Valka’s Vegan Burger

For dessert, we grabbed the Stormfly’s Catch of the Day for $8.50, and while these had a cute presentation, they didn’t really impress us. It was essentially chocolate mousse inside a chocolate coating, and the dusting on the side tasted like Fruity Pebbles and bland graham crackers.

Now, this will be a great option for kids and pickier eaters because the flavors are so simple, and again, it IS adorable! There wasn’t anything wrong with it at all, but other than its presentation, it won’t be the most exciting dessert you can find around the park.

To drink, we picked up the Gobber’s Mead for $14.92, and this was a very generous pour of what tasted like sparkling Welch’s grape juice, but this IS alcoholic, so it’s not friendly for kids.

Was it anything special? No, but it was tasty, and if you enjoy grape juice with a hint of carbonation and a tartness, then you’ll enjoy this!

Magic or Tragic?

This Epic Universe restaurant is a must-visit if…

You LOVE How To Train Your Dragon
You’re looking for a cute, fun dessert for kiddos or pickier eaters
You’re looking for a solid, filling meal you can eat in the air conditioning, and don’t need a reservation

You should skip this Disney World spot if…

You’re looking for the BEST meal of all time in Epic Universe
You don’t like restaurants being on the darker side when you eat
You’re looking for a restaurant with LOTS of dining options

Overall, we really enjoyed this spot and will give it 4/5 stars, especially thanks to the incredible theming. The only item we wouldn’t get again is the dessert, but again, that’s just because our reporter typically prefers more advanced flavors. It’s certainly a must-visit if you’re a big fan of the franchise — you’ve gotta step into Mead Hall to say you’ve experienced the land!

Have you experienced Mead Hall recently?

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