14 Foods And Drinks At Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights 2022, Ranked
It's spooky season! If you're a fan of Universal Studios Orlando, you know what that means. It's time for the annual event for Halloween and horror lovers — Universal Studios Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights. Thousands of guests swarm to Universal Orlando every year to enjoy five scare zones packed with wandering characters, two live shows, 10 "mind-ripping" haunted houses, and food and drinks.
This year's massive Halloween Horror Nights specialty menu is definitely something to howl about. 2022 is Halloween Horror Nights' 31st year, which might be the reason behind the huge amount of offerings. There are almost 80 food and drink options to choose from in the Universal Orlando park alone (not including all the regular, year-round food and drinks available), with more seasonal offerings at both Citywalk and Universal Orlando Resorts. We tried different Halloween Horror Nights menu items, and some of the treats were a real scream, but some of them were frightful for the wrong reasons.
Killer Stovetop Popcorn Custard
Described as "popcorn-infused custard topped with blood-spattered popcorn" and served in a foil plate reminiscent of the old stovetop popcorn pans, this seems like a great between-houses snack. But it falls short of expectations. The custard is somewhat tasty, but the consistency is more solid than you'd expect. It's more like a pancake made of flan — as if the custard was mixed with gelatin. We didn't really taste any popcorn flavor in the vanilla custard itself, you only got the popcorn flavor in the actual popcorn.
The "blood spatter" atop the popcorn didn't have much of a taste and it was hard to figure out what it brings to the dish. Nothing about this really works as a combo. Are you supposed to dip the popcorn into the custard? Eat the popcorn first and then eat the custard? No one knows. It's also not the most appetizing-looking item. The color combination is about as bland as the popcorn itself. This is definitely not Insta-worthy. But you be the judge. Try it for yourself at the food kiosk in Grammercy Park.
Major Sweets Ice Cream Sandwich
He's cute, isn't he? Major Sweets is very Instagrammable. But this ranks low on our list for being a little too kid-friendly. Halloween Horror Nights is geared toward teens and adults. The houses are scary, the characters wandering the streets are there to freak you out (and they are great at it), and there are alcoholic drinks for sale at almost every kiosk and restaurant. The sandwich looks amazing, with its festive candy corn appeal. It's made of two "zombie candy corn" sugar cookies with sweet corn ice cream in between. It's aptly named because this sandwich is sweet — like, majorly sweet.
The ice cream isn't bad, per se. The corn flavor is subtle and the ice cream itself is creamy and delicious. A scoop of it by itself would be refreshing, even with the kernels that get stuck in your teeth. But as a sugar cookie ice cream sandwich, the sweetness is overwhelming. Kids would probably love it, but it's far too sweet for most adult palates.
Too intrigued to pass it up? Find it at the food kiosk in Grammercy Park.
Chicharrones de Harina con Azúcar y Canela
Those of you who are familiar with chicharrones might be wondering why in the world would anyone combine pork rinds with sugar and cinnamon. Don't worry — these chicharrones are meatless. They are made of deep-fried flour "cracklings," and are also one of the least expensive options on the Halloween Horror Nights menu, coming in at under $5. These sweet treats come served in a little cellophane bag with a sugar skull sticker on them. They look almost like slices of fried lotus root.
Originally, we thought this treat was going to be a miss. You see, when you try the first one, it's not too impressive. But then, inexplicably, you eat another. And another. And another. By the time you're done with the bag, you want another bag! Consider this a snack that grows on you really quickly. With a low price point and that convenient cellophane bag, we recommend buying a few of these to stick in your bag or backpack for all-night snacking. Get them at the Día de Los Muertos stand in the La Bamba courtyard.
Pepperoni Pizza Skull
Time to get controversial! The pepperoni pizza skull is a long-time Halloween Horror Nights favorite. It's a kid favorite as well, for the children who attend Halloween Horror Nights.
We were divided on it, ourselves, as one of us likes pepperoni and one of us does not. We loved the presentation. It's a neat, Insta-ready little skull. It's set in a bowl of pretty good marinara sauce and is stuffed with pepperoni and cheese. Imagine a cross between a pizza roll and a calzone, and you've got the idea. But you have to like pepperoni. If you do, you will like this. If you don't, you will find yourself wishing that they had a plain cheese pizza skull on offer as well as this, because the crust and the sauce are both tasty. Hopefully, Halloween Horror Nights will expand its selection of pizza skulls in the future. But for now, pepperoni pizza lovers can get their skulls in Grammercy Park.
Michelada
If you know, you know — there's nothing like a good Michelada. If you've never tried one, you might be surprised to know that tomato juice is one of the best drinks to mix with beer. Done right, this Mexican favorite is the spicy, salty, savory refresher you never knew you wanted at a theme park. So, it was a real treat to see it on the Halloween Horror Nights 2022 menu. But, did they do it right?
We think they got it almost right. It was made with Modelo Draft and tomato juice mix, with Maggi seasoning, lime juice, Tajín, Valentina hot sauce, chamoy, black pepper, and smoked sea salt. It's garnished with Tajín-sprinkled lime wedges. The beer-to-tomato-juice-mix tasted a little off, either because there was a little too much beer or because there was a little too much ice. We wanted more savory notes, but instead, it was a little watery. Squeezing the lime into the Michelada helped, and adding extra chamoy helped even more. Our recommendation: Ask for less ice, and extra lime and chamoy. That's how to get a great Halloween Horror Nights Michelada. Enjoy it at the Día de Los Muertos stand in the La Bamba courtyard.
Tombstone Red Velvet Cake Pop
It seems like cake pops have been showing up everywhere for the past few years. So it's not surprising that Halloween Horror Nights has them on the 2022 menu. The flavor of the cake pop is red velvet, and it's like Halloween magic (though the real reason for that deep dark red is actually just science).
We are again giving Halloween Horror Nights big points for the presentation. This treat is Instagram-perfect. The cake pop is a chocolate buttercream-covered tombstone on a bed of Oreo crumb dirt and white chocolate bones. It's spooky, delightful, and tasty! The buttercream frosting is applied with a light touch, which keeps its sweetness from being in competition with the real star of the show, the red velvet. The Oreo dirt is nice and crunchy, so don't be afraid to dip the cake into those crumbs. And the bones are just fun. Plus, it's a good size for sharing. Don't skip this sweet treat, which you can find in Grammercy Park.
Haunted Horseshoe
If you came to Halloween Horror Nights looking for healthy treats, you're probably in the wrong place. But, if you're looking for a delicious, meaty, cheesy treat, this one should be your go-to. The Haunted Horseshoe is an open-faced burger, complete with garlic Texas toast, jalapeño bacon, and spicy candied pork belly, all served atop crinkle fries slathered in cheddar cheese sauce.
This is a messy, tasty treat. The serving size is pretty good: There's enough to share, especially if you plan to try more than just one Halloween Horror Nights menu offering. The jalapeño bacon packs some heat, but not too much. The spicy candied pork belly should be sold all by itself — it's that good, and was easily the best part of the Haunted Horseshoe. The fries and cheese sauce are average, as is the Texas Toast. The thickness of the toast is a plus, though, since it soaks up all the flavors without getting soggy the way a burger bun would. Did we mention the pork belly? Because seriously, that crispy pork belly was unbeatable. Get it in Grammercy Park.
Spicy Turkey and Squash Bun
Imagine, if you will, two Thanksgiving favorites mixed together and steamed up in a Chinese bao bun. Sounds good, right? Now imagine it's black. Not burnt black, but dyed black. That's a little weird, right? Weirdly delicious, we assure you.
The Spicy Turkey and Squash Bun is the carnivore's version of another Halloween Horror Nights treat, the vegetarian Lil' Boo's Spicy Pumpkin Bun (colored bright orange instead of black). Neither one has any pumpkin in them, but the bao looks like a pumpkin, especially the vegetarian one. It's perfectly steamed, with a little sweetness to the bread that works really well with the spicy filling of ground turkey and butternut squash. The heat factor is pretty low if you're worried about that. The vegetarian option has about the same heat and is just as tasty.
Another great thing about these buns is that they are handheld and portable. You can munch on-the-go as you head to the next house. Get the buns in Grammercy Park.
Petrified Rat Tails
This might have been our favorite name among all the items we tried. It also ranks in the top half of this ranking for taste. The rat tails are "funnel fries," deep-fried dough treats made from the same mixture as a simple funnel cake but without powdered sugar. Instead, these fries are shaken with Florida Bay seasoning, which is like Old Bay Seasoning. If you're an Old Bay Seasoning aficionado, you'll enjoy this one; but we can say that the Florida Bay one tasted a little more citrusy than Old Bay.
The funnel fries are topped with "creamy crab dip," some sliced scallions for garnish, and a few extra shakes of the seasoning. We were pleasantly surprised to discover that the dip was made with real crab instead of surimi (imitation crab meat made from processed white fish). The rat tails are definitely messy to eat, but totally worth it. Don't let it sit for too long, though, or you'll lose the crunchiness of the funnel fries. We avoided that problem by taking occasional forkfuls of the dip so less of it sat on the fries. Don't judge us — it was a good idea! Try it for yourself in Grammercy Park.
Twisted Tater Blood n' Guts
Want some bang for your Halloween Horror Nights buck? This is the way. It's one of the more expensive on-cocktail offerings on the Halloween Horror Nights menu at $14.99, but the serving size is more than enough to share, especially if it's not your only treat of the night. We were able to split it between four people, and it satisfied all of us for long enough to get through a couple of haunted houses.
Universal Studio Orlando's Twisted Taters has long been a popular park food item, so it's not surprising that they made a few special options for Halloween Horror Nights. Twisted Taters are spiraled potatoes that have been cut thinly, deep-fried, and served on a skewer. For Halloween Horror Nights, all the regular Twisted Taters are available (seasoned salt, garlic parmesan, sour cream and chives, and ghost pepper), and there is also a "fiery" option made with crushed Hot Cheetos and ghost pepper. But the Blood n' Guts option is the one that is really a meal.
The taters are wrapped around a long hot dog and topped with chili and roasted red pepper queso. It would be a lot for one person, but it's perfect for sharing. It's like a chili dog with French fries wrapped around it instead of on the side. How can that go wrong? In our opinion, it can't. That's why it makes the top five. Get it and the other Twisted Taters in Grammercy Park.
Magnolia Popsicle
Halloween Horror Nights takes place in the fall, but it's a Florida fall. It's still hot and humid on most Halloween Horror Nights nights. After getting through a few houses and scare zones, you'll need something chilled and frosty to get through the rest of the night. The Magnolia Popsicle is exactly what you need to beat the heat.
It's a mango popsicle topped with Tajín and chamoy, served in a plastic cup and garnished with lime. The popsicle is available on its own or as part of the Burning Skull tequila-based cocktail. Feel free to indulge if you like, but trust us — it doesn't need the cocktail. It's so good as is. The popsicle is refreshing, sweet, and a little tangy and spicy thanks to the Tajín and chamoy. Squeeze the lime right on it; the sour brightness cuts the sweetness in exactly the right way. We would have eaten these by the box full if we could have.
If you're determined to have a cocktail with your popsicle, we recommend skipping the Burning Skull and ordering a Michelada instead. Enjoy as follows: Eat the popsicle, then take the melted juice and chamoy that will be left in your plastic cup and pour it into your Michelada. It's exactly what the beer cocktail needs.
Get your Magnolia Popsicle at the Día de Los Muertos food stand in the La Bamba courtyard.
Dirty Valentine cocktail
Look at that beautiful dark pink drink. It's nostalgic, somehow, isn't it? Remember being a kid and going out for dinner with your family? The adults at your table probably ordered some grown-up drinks with their meal, right? Maybe a few of them went for a fancy cocktail. And maybe you got your own fancy mocktail — a sweet, maraschino cherry-garnished Shirley Temple. With Halloween Horror Nights' Dirty Valentine, you get the grown-up version of that.
This cocktail is made with BG Reynold's grenadine syrup, New Amsterdam vodka, and Sprite. It looks just like a Shirley Temple, with that deep pink hue and bubbly soda. Unlike the Michelada, where we recommended asking for less ice, you want lots of ice in your Dirty Valentine. The ice helps cut the sweetness of the cocktail without taking away from the flavor.
With only three ingredients, the Dirty Valentine isn't as heavy or boozy as most other Halloween Horror Nights cocktails. It's a perfect simple cocktail for a humid night. And if you get it in the light-up souvenir glass, the red color gives off a particularly creepy red glow. We were into it — you will probably be too. Get it at Chucky's, near the entrance to Springfield.
Burnt Offering Mac 'n Cheese Bowl
Burnt Offerings, named for the classic 1976 horror flick, is one of two macaroni and cheese bowls offered. The other option, the Sacrificial Remains Mac n' Cheese bowl, is chili mac n' cheese served with chorizo fingers. We're sure it's very good. But the Burnt Offerings bowl of white cheddar mac n' cheese topped with a char siu pork skewer, caught our eyes and our taste buds.
This bowl came very close to taking the top spot on our list. The mac n' cheese is excellent. The pasta isn't mushy, which is a feat in itself considering how theme park macaroni generally tastes. The cheese has an aged cheddar sharpness and is delectably creamy. But it's the pork that nearly made this dish our top choice.
If you've never had Chinese char siu pork, you're missing out. It's one of those Chinese foods you need to try at least once. Char siu is Chinese barbecued pork made with seasoned hoisin, soy sauce, and glazed with maltose to give it a glossy appearance. The Burnt Offerings pork skewer served on top of the mac n' cheese is perfectly cooked, tender and juicy, with a layer of crisp fat that packed a salty-sweet umami punch.
The serving size is potentially sharable, but you'll want to keep this one all to yourself. Get a bowl or five at the San Francisco Food Truck.
Wanna Play? Beignet
This is it, our No. 1 pick of Halloween Horror Nights 2022's menu. The "Wanna Play?" Beignet is described as Nashville-style hot fried chicken and pimento cheese stuffed into a beignet and topped with scallions and spicy seasoning.
We have no idea what the seasoning was. We also didn't care, because we knew this was taking the top spot from the first bite. It's not really a stuffed beignet, it's more of a beignet sliced lengthwise with chicken and cheese in the middle. And it is so good. The chicken is juicy; the fried coating is crispy. The pimento cheese melts into a sauce-like consistency. The beignet is also excellent — a little crunchy on the outside, sweet and soft on the inside.
On a heat scale, this one may leave tingly lips in its wake, but overall, it's not as hot as we thought it might be. The hot sauce and spicy seasoning give a savory flavor and medium heat. Technically, you can eat this one on the go, but we don't recommend it. You'll enjoy it more by using a knife and fork. Find it at Chucky's food stand by the entrance to Springfield.