Universal Studios Hollywood is famous for its thrilling rides and immersive movie magic, but its food scene is just as exciting. Host Joe Avella and travel expert David McDaniel hit the park to find the absolute best snacks and meals the park offers.
They dove into everything from sweet Minion treats to classic English breakfasts and surprisingly gourmet theme park fare.
Whether you are looking for a quick bite or a full themed dinner, this guide covers the must-try foods, especially in landmark areas like Super Nintendo World and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Universal Studios Hollywood’s Top Savory and Sweet Snacks
When exploring a massive theme park, snacks are essential for keeping your energy up. Universal Studios has created highly themed treats that are both fun to look at and delicious to eat.
Minions Land Munchies
Minion Land is bright, colorful, and offers sharable snacks perfect for families.
- Minion Churros: These mini churros are incredibly crispy due to their smaller size. They are sweet and coated in cinnamon. They are very easy for a family to share. The only way to improve them would be adding a caramel dipping sauce.
- Cotton Candy: Served in large, sharable portions. The cotton candy comes in colors reflecting the Minions theme. The yellow cotton candy tastes like banana, which is a great thematic choice for the Minions. The purple section tasted like grape.
- Popcorn: Popcorn is an undefeated theme park snack. Since Universal Studios celebrates movies, popcorn is a must-try. It is delicious and easy to carry. A smart tip for big popcorn fans: Buy the popcorn bucket for free refills throughout the day, and you get a cool souvenir to take home.
Super Nintendo World Snacks
The Super Nintendo World area offers hot, savory items shaped like power-ups from the famous video games.
- Super Mushroom Calzone: This calzone looks like a mushroom but holds classic Italian-American flavors. The version Joe and David tried had sausage, pepperoni, and sauce. White spots of Provolone cheese melted on top after baking give it the mushroom spots. It is dense and filling. The calzone is essentially a gourmet hot pocket. There is also a vegetarian option, the One-Up Mushroom, which contains basil pesto and vegetables.
- Fire Flower Pretzel: Shaped like the Fire Flower power-up, this pretzel surprisingly has no spice. It is straight dough without salt but comes with three dipping sauces:
- White Queso
- Mustard
- Chipotle Cheese Sauce The chipotle cheese sauce was the favorite choice. It is a nice twist on a standard theme park pretzel, and the shape is fun.
Themed Treats in Springfield, USA
The home of The Simpsons offers iconic, often ridiculous, fast-food items brought to life.
- Lard Lad Donuts: These are enormous, quintessential Simpsons treats. The most iconic is the pink-frosted donut. They are big enough to share with several people. They are not too cakey and offer a huge sugary bite. These treats make the adult fan feel like a kid again.
- Duff Beer: Served in plastic souvenir cups, Duff Beer (and Duff Light) is available at Moe’s Tavern. While it is likely an American domestic beer, the experience is about the themed cup and the immersion of being in Moe’s Bar.
- Flaming Moe: This non-alcoholic drink is served with dry ice for a smoky, bubbly effect. Although the drink in the cartoon was purple, this park version is an orange soda (tasting like orange and maybe Sprite). The presentation is excellent, fitting the fun, immersive vibe of the park.
- Bumblebee Man’s Nachos: Found at the Bumblebee Man’s taco truck, these nachos are served with carnitas (shredded pork). They feature a generous portion of flavorful meat, queso, pico de gallo, and guacamole. The chips remain crisp, even on a wet day.
Lower Lot Eats
Down in the Lower Lot, near the Mummy ride, you can find satisfying savory snacks.
- Mummy Eats Corn Dogs: The traditional corn dog here is very good. The frankfurter inside is notably larger than normal, offering a good balance of meat and corn coating.
- Korean Style Corn Dog: This elevated corn dog is substantial. It is coated in panko breading and contains both cheese and meat inside. It tastes like a hot dog mixed with a mozzarella stick. The panko crust elevates the flavor and texture, making it a favorite snack choice.
CityWalk Dessert Finish
To finish off the snack tour, the team stopped at Toothsome Chocolate Emporium in CityWalk for luxurious treats.
- Warm Chocolate Almond Bread: This unique item tips toward savory but is made sweet with chocolate chunks. It comes with an incredible salted caramel butter. This butter alone makes the dish a must-try.
- Mint Milkshake (and Confetti Milkshake): Toothsome is known for its extreme, thick milkshakes. The Mint Milkshake reminded Joe of a Girl Scout Thin Mint cookie in a glass. The presentation is beautiful, earning high marks.
Dining in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Hogsmeade, is designed to be completely immersive, offering themed food and drinks straight out of the books and movies.
A Traditional English Breakfast at Three Broomsticks
The Three Broomsticks restaurant offers a traditional English breakfast, fitting the setting of the books. It is an impressive amount of food for a theme park.
The breakfast plate includes:
- Scrambled eggs
- Potatoes
- Baked beans (sweeter than traditional UK beans)
- Black pudding (blood sausage, which was surprisingly savory and flavorful)
- Ham and bacon
- Sausage (referred to as a “banger”)
- A baked tomato
- A croissant
The ham and the potatoes were highly praised. The quality and volume of food were much higher than expected for an amusement park.
Honeydukes Candy and Treats
Honeydukes is the famous candy shop where fans can find sweets mentioned throughout the series.
- Bertie Bott’s Every-Flavor Beans: These famous jelly beans include both pleasant and gross flavors. The reviewers encountered booger, ear wax, grass, and vomit flavors. This candy is popular because it offers a fun challenge.
- Chocolate Frog: The chocolate frog comes with a collectible wizard card. Be warned: it is a very thick, solid block of chocolate, making it difficult to eat quickly.
- Sherbet Lemons: These are hard candies that were a favorite of Dumbledore. The flavor is a strong, sweet lemon, similar to a Lemon Head candy.
- Cauldron Cake: This dessert is a sweet treat that comes in a durable, easy-to-carry black cauldron cup. It is a chocolate cake with lots of generous frosting, making it an excellent theme park-friendly dessert that keeps your hands clean.
Butterbeer in Every Form
Butterbeer is the signature drink of the Wizarding World, available in four main forms (plus some snack versions). It is non-alcoholic and butterscotch based.
| Butterbeer Form | Experience & Flavor Profile |
|---|---|
| Hot Butterbeer | Cozy, warm, heavy on the butterscotch and vanilla. Good for chilly weather. |
| Butterbeer Fudge | Excellent pairing of butterscotch flavor with creamy fudge texture. A great snack. |
| Cold Butterbeer | Tastes like cream soda with the signature butterscotch foam topping. |
| Frozen Butterbeer | Like a butterscotch milkshake or slushie. It is arguably the most ideal version for a warm day. |
| Butterbeer Ice Cream | Found at Florian Fortescue’s Ice-Cream, this soft serve is flavored throughout, not just vanilla with a topping. It was considered the best format of all the butterbeer flavors. |
Lunch and Dinner Options
The Three Broomsticks also offers classic English main courses.
- Shepherd’s Pie (Cottage Pie): Although typically made with lamb, the version served here uses beef, technically making it a cottage pie. It features a great portion of crispy potatoes on top, with meat, peas, and carrots inside. It is a very hearty and comforting meal.
- Fish and Chips: This dish surprised the non-fish-eating reviewer. The white fish is mild and fried perfectly with a light, crispy coating. It tastes surprisingly mild and pairs well with vinegar and tartar sauce.
- Sticky Toffee Pudding: A traditional English dessert. This sweet, rich cake is topped with a syrupy sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It is a thick and delicious dessert, but the small size can be deceivingly filling.
- Pumpkin Juice: A sweet drink that tastes similar to cider. It serves as a nice palette cleanser after heavy food.
The Best Universal Restaurants for Full Meals
Beyond the themed snacks, Universal Studios Hollywood offers diverse full dining experiences, from barbecue to elevated, intellectual property (IP) themed menus.
Jurassic Cafe Carnivore Meals
The Jurassic Cafe is set in the lush, tropical environment of Jurassic Park, offering meals perfect for a meat-eater.
- Pterodactyl Claws and Fries: These are large, crispy chicken fingers served with fries. This is an excellent kid-friendly, easy-to-eat option.
- Ribs: Served pre-cut with a sweet, well-seasoned sauce. They offer a good portion of ribs for a theme park meal. The restaurant area upstairs provides a quiet dining experience away from the noise of the park.
Minions Cafe
Located in Minions Land, this cafe offers sandwiches and desserts.
- Carl’s Pulled Pork Sandwich: This sandwich had well-flavored pulled pork. Despite the odd addition of cheese (a kid-friendly touch), the meat itself was good.
- Dave’s Brisket Sandwich: While the bread was toasted nicely, the brisket was noted as being dry compared to traditional barbecue brisket.
- Minion Tots: Potato tots shaped like Minions. They tasted similar to chicken nuggets and are a fun, easy side.
- Banana Pudding: A surprising dessert that layered a sugar cookie, Nutella, banana pudding, and whipped cream. It was one of the better sweet treats in the Minions area.
Krusty Burger in Springfield
This is the fast-food stop in Springfield, USA, serving parodies of classic American fast food.
- Krusty Burger: A good, decent-sized burger that reminded the reviewer of standard fast-food burgers. It comes with a secret sauce (likely a blend of ketchup and Thousand Island dressing).
- Ribwich: A pulled pork sandwich parodying the famous processed meat sandwich from the show. It was considered a better version than the fictional counterpart.
- Sideshow Bob Footlong Chili Dog: A hearty chili and cheese dog. The size is impressive, making it a filling fast-food choice.
- Squishy: The Simpsons version of a Slurpee. The blue raspberry flavor was very sweet and bright, perfect for a colorful, icy treat.
The Elevated Eats at Toad Stool Cafe
Located in Super Nintendo World, the Toad Stool Cafe has high-quality food that looks exactly like items from the Mario games. It is recommended to make a reservation due to its popularity.
The food here balances theme park fun with higher-end ingredients, making it a standout experience.
| Food Item | Description and Review |
|---|---|
| Toad Stool Cheesy Garlic Knots | Shaped like mushrooms (but no actual mushroom flavor). Cheesy, garlicky, and delicious. |
| Piranha Plant Caprese Salad | Fresh mozzarella, tomato, and basil arranged to look like the Piranha Plant. Served with pesto sauce. A safe and surprisingly fresh, healthy starter. |
| Luigi Burger | A perfectly grilled light chicken sandwich. Served with truffle fries, which were the favorite fries in the entire park. |
| Short Ribs | A surprisingly fancy dish for a theme park. Slow-cooked short ribs served with goat cheese polenta and a red wine reduction. Very delicious and highly elevated. |
| Question Mark Block Tiramisu | A dessert shaped like a question mark block, made of light tiramisu cake. The edible block printing is clever, and the cake is light and flavorful. |
| Mount Bean Pole Cake | A layered mousse cake with chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, and matcha flavors. The light, Neapolitan-like combination works very well and is not too heavy. |
Our Top Picks: The Must-Try Universal Hollywood Foods
After eating their way through the entire park, Joe and David narrowed down their favorite savory and sweet snacks.
For a savory snack, the choice was split between two highly unique items:
- The Super Mushroom Calzone (Super Nintendo World): A hot, filling, and flavorful savory snack that looks just like the video game item.
- The Korean Style Corn Dog (Mummy Eats, Lower Lot): The panko crust and cheese filling make this version better than the standard corn dog.
For a sweet treat, the top choices highlighted the best of the themed desserts:
- Frozen Butterbeer (Wizarding World of Harry Potter): The ultimate, refreshing version of the park’s signature drink.
- Butterbeer Fudge (Honeydukes): A great combination of creamy fudge and rich butterscotch flavor.
The Toad Stool Cafe was overwhelmingly chosen as the best overall restaurant experience due to its high-quality variety, elevated menu, and perfect visual incorporation of the Nintendo theme.