20 Best Food & Drinks At Universal Orlando

Visiting Universal Studios in Orlando is so much more than getting excited about which rides you'll go on. It's also about what shows you'll see, what souvenirs you'll find, and perhaps most importantly, what you'll eat while you're there. 

With so many food and beverage locations across Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, and Universal's City Walk shopping area alone, there's no possible way you can taste it all in just one trip. So, after dozens of trips to the parks over the last several years to check out the new, exciting, and go-to foods that Universal has to offer (and eating far more than someone should before riding a roller coaster), I've narrowed it down to the top 20 foods and beverages you definitely want to try on your next trip, from breakfast to late-night snacks.

The Moose Juice, Goose Juice walk-up snack and beverage station might not be one of the spots most frequented by those looking for a memorable snack experience in Seuss Landing. It even took me several years' worth of trips to finally agree to give the Moose Juice, Goose Juice a chance, and I'm sorry it took me so long. 

The "juices" are frozen non-alcoholic drinks that come in two flavors. The Moose Juice is both orange-colored and flavored, and the Goose Juice is the green-colored, sour-green apple-flavored option. Of the two, the Goose Juice is my pick because it's surprisingly less sweet than I initially expected, impressively refreshing for a quick afternoon pick-me-up, and exactly what I'm in the mood for when another soda or plain bottle of water isn't cutting it anymore.

Admittedly, Green Eggs and Ham don't sound particularly appetizing. But if you were presented with a bowl of tater tots doused in white cheese sauce, with a sprinkling of herb-infused scrambled eggs and small pieces of diced ham, you might be more excited by it. 

This tater tot bowl is a great option for breakfast, but I'd gladly eat it for lunch or dinner, too. (It's vacation, after all.) If the Green Eggs and Ham aren't exactly wooing you, then perhaps the Who Hash might be more your speed — another tater tot dish with white cheese sauce, corned beef instead of ham, onion, and scallions, but no eggs. The Green Eggs and Ham Cafe actually serves six different tater tot dishes, only one of which comes with eggs, green or otherwise.

It can be hard to stop and have a sit-down meal when there's so much to do in the parks. But your feet and your stomach will thank you for making a reservation at Mythos Restaurant in the Lost Continent area of Islands of Adventure, which is absolutely the park's diamond in the rough. 

And while you're in for a great meal with nearly anything you choose, the Fork, Knife and Spoon Grilled Cheese is the stuff of legends. This three-cheese sandwich is grilled to perfection, sitting like an island in a sea of vine-ripe tomato soup and topped with crispy pork belly and potato chips. Yes, you'll need all of your utensils, and yes, it's about as close to heaven as you'll get this side of Mount Olympus.

There are those who swear by the smoked turkey leg, and those who can't possibly understand why someone would want to walk around with a giant hunk of meat on a sweltering hot day in the Florida sun. But once you've tasted it, there's no going back. 

The richly salty, crackly skin gives way to tender turkey meat, and is exactly what your taste buds need after all of the predominantly sweet foods and drinks you'll be consuming on your vacation. Turkey legs are available in nearly every section of the Universal parks, but what better place is there than the Jurassic Park area? You can find a turkey leg at the snack stand directly across from The Watering Hole, just before you cross the bridge into Hogsmeade and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Did you even visit Universal Studios if you didn't try the Butterbeer? Grabbing one of these famous magical brews is as much of an attraction as any of the rides in the park. Available in cold, frozen, and hot formats, you can find Butterbeer at almost every location in the Harry Potter neighborhoods of both Universal parks. 

The lightly carbonated, non-alcoholic drink tastes like a buttery, caramel-heavy cream soda with a creamy foam on top (similar to a Starbucks cold foam topping). You can't go wrong with the cold version, but a frozen Butterbeer is also incredibly refreshing. And if you find yourself at The Three Broomsticks or The Leaky Cauldron during a rain storm, I can't emphasize enough how perfectly moody and delicious a hot Butterbeer is; like a perfect butterscotch hot chocolate (sans the chocolate).

There are sweet shops in several neighborhoods throughout the Universal Parks, themed to fit the areas they're located in — although most sell essentially the same treats. But you're in for a few surprises at Honeyduke's and Sugarplum's Sweetshop, located on each side of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in each of the Universal Orlando theme parks. 

Each shop sells prepackaged candy and chocolates, like chocolate frogs and Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans. But you'll need to go up to the counter to order a Cauldron Cake — a chocolate cake baked into a handheld silicone cauldron and topped with fiery red, orange, and yellow buttercream frosting. The silicone cauldron comes served in a beautiful decorative box for an extra layer of protection if you can't finish it all at once.

Ravenous barbecue lovers should make their way to Thunder Falls Terrace in the Jurassic Park area of Islands of Adventure on their next visit. This casual quick-service style restaurant essentially sells three things: ribs, chicken, and pernil (pork), and they do it far better than you'd expect. 

I'm a fan of the Roasted Pernil Platter, which includes juicy and perfectly seasoned pulled pork, along with black beans, sofrito rice, and sweet plantains. My partner can't resist the Chargrilled Ribs Combo, which comes with mango BBQ sauce, roasted corn and potatoes, and a milkshake. But don't worry — if you can't decide which meat you want, you can also get mixed combos and platters, which include at least two meat options with sides. The restaurant also serves "Raptor Wings" (chicken wings), rotisserie chicken, and meatless chorizo for our veggie-saurus friends.

Illumination's Minions Cafe opened in mid-2023, and while many of the menu options might have silly names, like the Steak & "Cheese Ray" Sandwich, most of the food is far from childish. 

Much like the somewhat gibberish language the Minions speak with words and slang sprinkled in from around the world, the dishes at Minions Cafe mash up a whole slew of different cuisines. I've yet to taste anything I didn't enjoy from the Minions Cafe menu, but the dish I keep going back to the most is El Macho's Salsa y Salsa Ropa Vieja, which includes braised beef with tomato cucumber salad, cilantro rice, salsa roja, and tostones that have been mashed and branded with a little El Macho M on them. (Not quite a banana, but close!)

With 36 seasons of "The Simpsons" to watch, you could be forgiven for not having seen the exact episode featuring the Flaming Moe cocktail — although it's considered by many to be the best episode of season three, and one of the top "Simpson's" episodes of all time. 

According to lore, the Flaming Moe is a cocktail made with a mix of liquors and laced with cough syrup, before getting lit on fire. The real-life version of the Flaming Moe, served at Flaming Moe's in the Simpson's neighborhood in Universal Studios, is not made with cough syrup (nor does it contain any alcohol). Instead, it's more like an orange soda, served in a souvenir cup with dry ice on the bottom, causing the drink to smoke and bubble. Simpsons fans of every age will be entertained without actually sustaining any injuries.

It's hard to miss the towering statue of Lard Lad, holding his giant doughnut high in the air to entice everyone who walks by it. Beside him is a small, retro-looking, walk-up donut stand where you'll find "The Big Pink." 

The iconic Big Pink donut is easily the size of four normal donuts and is large enough that you should probably hold it with both hands for stability. It's got an impressive amount of pink glaze on it, and the donut itself is tender, fluffy, and fried until perfectly golden — just like Homer likes it. Be advised that the pink glaze is not strawberry-flavored but vanilla. If pink isn't your color, there are also plain white and chocolate-frosted versions of this giant doughnut sold in sweetshops elsewhere in the parks, all finished with sprinkles.

As a New Yorker, I've never actually eaten a crêpe while walking through Central Park. But as a tourist, I wholeheartedly believe in having myself a crêpe while I stroll around the lagoon. 

Central Park Crêpes is one of the most elusive snack spots in Universal Studios, since it operates more like a pop-up snack station and isn't listed in the Universal app or maps. Located across from Mel's Drive-In restaurant, the little green art nouveau-style hut usually sells three or four different types of crêpes with a little bit of European flair; typically one or two savory and two sweet. Previous crêpe offerings have included a Croque Monsieur-inspired savory crêpe, a cookie butter sweet crêpe (or speculoos for those who know), and a strawberry hazelnut sweet crêpe with Nutella mascarpone.

There's no shortage of adult beverages to enjoy in and around Universal Studios, but one of the most entertaining drinks served in the park is at Chez Alcatraz in the San Francisco area of Universal Studios. 

Located on the dock overlooking the lagoon, Chez Alcatraz is recognizable by the life-sized great white shark from "Jaws" strung up beside the bar. According to the bartenders at the walk-up bar, the Ocean Attack cocktail is by far the most popular, and it's not hard to see why. After pouring the delightfully blue base of coconut rum, blue Curaçao, pineapple juice, and Sprite, your bartender dons a shark hand puppet, then proceeds to reenact a shark attack while drizzling a finishing touch of grenadine on top of your drink for the most ridiculously entertaining blood-in-the-water looking cocktail you've ever had.

Sticky toffee pudding isn't actually pudding, but a British cake, which is traditionally made with lots of butter, brown sugar, dates, and sometimes spices. It's regularly made during the winter and for the holidays and is soaked with a rich, buttery, brown sugar sauce. So it's not unusual to see the dessert listed on the menu at The Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley. 

What is unusual is that this version of the dessert is more like an incredibly juicy cinnamon roll, sticky bun, or buttery bread pudding than a traditional sticky toffee pudding. While not the most traditional preparation, this version of it is so good that it nearly brought tears to my eyes. The ice cream on top is a nice touch, but the bun itself, dripping with a gooey buttery sauce, is where it's at.

Not all Butterbeer is for drinking — some versions of it can also be eaten. The butterscotch and cream flavors of Butterbeer lend themselves perfectly to churning into Butterbeer ice cream, which you can find at Florean Fortesue's Ice-Cream Parlour. 

The Wizarding World's ice cream shop sells both soft serve and traditional "hard pack" ice creams in a variety of familiar, creative, and British-inspired flavors. The Butterbeer ice cream is one of the soft serve flavors, piped into a large waffle cone (or a cup for those of us trying to avoid sticky hands), and has a butterscotch ribbon on the outside edge of the soft serve. The creamy soft serve knocks down the general sweetness of the Butterbeer for those who find the beverage to be a little overwhelming, but still want to enjoy the magical treat.

While both of the sit-down Harry Potter-themed restaurants in the Wizarding Worlds serve British-heavy fare, the menus do have a few differences that can be easy to overlook. One of my personal favorites in all of the Wizarding World is the "Ploughman's" plate, found at the very end of The Leaky Cauldron's entree menu, which offers a much-needed gastronomical break from some of the heavier park meals you'll undoubtedly find yourself enjoying. 

Styled after a simple farmer's lunch, the plate includes a trio of cheeses to snack on, alongside a significant helping of mixed greens salad, seasoned tomatoes, a Scotch egg, crusty bread, an apple beet salad, and cornichons. The website's menu lists a two-person portion of the Ploughman's plate, but it can also be ordered for just one if you're flying solo or up to four servings if you're sharing with a crowd.

Voodoo Doughnuts has come a long way since it opened its doors to Portland's hungry counter-culture night crawlers back in 2003. My first visit to Voodoo, and likewise, Portland, was back in the days when the shop opened at 10 p.m. and closed at 10 a.m. — a wholly unorthodox schedule for a bakery and one which I was more than happy to line up for at midnight to try for myself. 

You might still find yourself in line to taste these magical doughnuts now, but you'll be doing it with a slightly less bizarre crowd between the hours of 8 a.m. and midnight at Universal's City Walk. There truly are no wrong choices, but anything with maple glaze is a go-to choice in my book, along with the recognizable jelly-filled Voodoo doll doughnut, which is excellent for breakfast.

At this point, I've tried the nachos at almost every location in Universal Studios that offers them, from hotel pool bars to sit-down restaurants, and my favorite so far are those made at Antojitos Authentic Mexican Food in Universal's City Walk area. 

They have all the usual components, including crispy tortillas, queso, pinto stew beans, shredded cheese, tomato salsa, sour cream, and guacamole. You have the choice of enjoying your nachos topped with chicken tinga or beef machaca — and while I typically opt for the chicken tinga, you can also very nicely ask your server if it's possible to have both. As a bonus, the nachos are a fitting choice for anyone with a sensitivity to gluten, as well as the guacamole, which is impressively prepared tableside.

Sure, the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen has a "regular" menu, packed with incredibly comforting, filling, and extravagant dishes. But it's okay if you want to skip ahead to the dessert menu. After all, dessert comes first in this restaurant's name, and once you try the milkshakes, you might not have room for much else. 

Not only are there 13 different flavor options currently on the menu, but each of the milkshakes is essentially topped with another dessert. For example, the red velvet shake comes topped with a full red velvet cupcake, the confetti shake with a full slice of two-layer confetti cake, the brownie shake with a chunky chocolate brownie, and (my favorite) the key lime pie shake with, you guessed it, an actual slice of key lime pie.

After a few days of living large on vacation, you'll probably start to crave something familiar. For me, that's a bacon, egg, and cheese everything bagel at home in NYC, and the Everything Croissant breakfast sandwich from the Today Cafe at Universal Studios.

It's not exactly what you'd get from a local bagel shop or street cart vendor on 5th Avenue; I can honestly say it's better. By day three, or however long it takes you to start missing some of your go-to meals back home, skip the extravagant hotel breakfast and pull up to the Today Cafe for breakfast instead. Honorable mention goes to the smoked salmon lox bagel and overnight oats for keeping it real when the rest of your diet is completely off the rails on your next trip.

Beer enthusiasts (along with anyone looking for a break from the sweeter cocktails) have a lot to look forward to at Universal Studios. In every neighborhood of the parks, you'll find specialty beers themed to match the attractions and the seasons, as well as craft brews from both local and national breweries. 

Some of the most impressive offerings you'll find are sold exclusively at the Hog's Head in the Hogsmeade Village side of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The three regular beers in the bar's lineup include the Hog's Head red ale, the Dragon Scale amber lager, and the Wizard's Brew dark coffee stout, exclusive to the Hog's Head. Don't pass up the chance to step into the blissfully dark, air-conditioned bar for a drink — this is where the real magic's at.