Universal's food is still pretty bad

[Disneyhead'71]

What people don't understand about theme park food, particularly at the counter service places is the sheer volume of food produced.

Just to give an example. Recently, I was a Chef at Dockside Inn and Suites (2,050 room value resort), and after work I was at a bar and a Chef from the Red Lobster on I-Drive said, 'Man, it was a busy night, we did almost 500 covers (basically translates to entrees)'. I said, "Yeah, we did about 4,000."

And that is just one hotel. I can't imagine what someplace like Cosmic Ray's does on a slammed night.

 

[Tjaden]

Universal is bad on the food side (even CityWalk), but dang SeaWorld takes bad food to a whole new level.

Oh well we're a popcorn + pretzel person at WDW until table service time so we don't really quick service meals at any theme park unless something happens timewise.

 

[Tom Morrow]

To be clear I'm talking about table service AND quick service.

Both WDW's quick service AND table service offerings range from "okay" to "genuinely really good." Universal's range from "bad" to "okay" with a few outliers here and there that are decent to good.

But nothing can top the absolutely disgusting BBQ I had recently at Busch Gardens Tampa at the BBQ place by ShieKra. Hands down the worst theme park meal I've ever had and the worst "barbeque" I've ever had. I got "Smoked Brisket" and it tasted like bland meat that was boiled, then charred on the outside only, then sprayed with liquid smoke. It was so completely chewy and bland and disgusting and I paid a lot of money for it and was starving and had to choke it down.

 

[ToTBellHop]

What people don't understand about theme park food, particularly at the counter service places is the sheer volume of food produced.

Just to give an example. Recently, I was a Chef at Dockside Inn and Suites (2,050 room value resort), and after work I was at a bar and a Chef from the Red Lobster on I-Drive said, 'Man, it was a busy night, we did almost 500 covers (basically translates to entrees)'. I said, "Yeah, we did about 4,000."

And that is just one hotel. I can't imagine what someplace like Cosmic Ray's does on a slammed night.

Yet Disney does it well almost universally and Universal does it poorly almost universally.

 

[surfsupdon]

Resort food at Universal is incredibly better than at Disney Resorts. They use real eggs at quick service and cook to order.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Resort food at Universal is incredibly better than at Disney Resorts. They use real eggs at quick service and cook to order.

The resorts are operated by Loews, not Universal.

 

[sonoma15]

To be clear I'm talking about table service AND quick service.

Both WDW's quick service AND table service offerings range from "okay" to "genuinely really good." Universal's range from "bad" to "okay" with a few outliers here and there that are decent to good.

But nothing can top the absolutely disgusting BBQ I had recently at Busch Gardens Tampa at the BBQ place by ShieKra. Hands down the worst theme park meal I've ever had and the worst "barbeque" I've ever had. I got "Smoked Brisket" and it tasted like bland meat that was boiled, then charred on the outside only, then sprayed with liquid smoke. It was so completely chewy and bland and disgusting and I paid a lot of money for it and was starving and had to choke it down.

I've had bad quick service meals and great quick service meals at both Disney and Universal. The problem with theme park quick service is they have to produce such a high volume of food it is hard for them to keep it consistent. Universal's new additions (Minion Cafe, Leaky Cauldron, Today CAFE) and even some older restaurants that have had their menus recently refreshed (Thunderfalls, Circus Mcgurkus, Mel's Drive-in) are most of the time right on par with the best of Disney in my opinion, as someone who goes to and eats quick service at both Disney and Universal pretty much weekly.

Completely agree about the Seaworld parks food going way downhill though. It is at the point where I just leave the park to get lunch and actively avoid trying to eat there. You are paying 3x the price of what you should be paying for a meal that is 3x worse than any quick service meal you have ever had before in your life. I would rather drive 5 minutes and eat lunch at Portillo's or even the Mellow Mushroom across the street. It's extremely disappointing to see, because I remember not that long ago the food at Seaworld parks used to considered good.

 

[drkarcher22]

The resorts are operated by Loews, not Universal.

Yep, one of the main reasons the “Universal” hotels are a far better option than the Disney hotels. Loews do a great job and it’s cheaper on the whole

 

[Andrew25]

But nothing can top the absolutely disgusting BBQ I had recently at Busch Gardens Tampa at the BBQ place by ShieKra. Hands down the worst theme park meal I've ever had and the worst "barbeque" I've ever had. I got "Smoked Brisket" and it tasted like bland meat that was boiled, then charred on the outside only, then sprayed with liquid smoke. It was so completely chewy and bland and disgusting and I paid a lot of money for it and was starving and

Completely agree about the Seaworld parks food going way downhill though. It is at the point where I just leave the park to get lunch and actively avoid trying to eat there.

It's amazing how quality at the SeaWorld parks have dropped, Voyager's at SeaWorld and Zambia Smokehouse at Busch (essentially sister/identical restaurants) where once considered to be the very best quick service options at the parks. The quality was way above standard park fare. It was always pricey, but the value was there. Now it's just pricey.

 

[StantonZ]

For Universal, I always recommend eating at Circus McGurkus, Thunder Falls, Minions Cafe or Leaky Cauldron. Outside those, just pay a few extra dollars at a CityWalk restaurant.

We had such a bad meal at Circus McGurkus (burger and fries), that I don't think we'll ever go back; and this was after giving up on Mel's (we might actually go back to Mel's). The only restaurant we can consistently go to at Universal is Lombard's (and I don't even think it's run by Universal)!

 

[Disstevefan1]

It’s been a while but we thought the food in the leaky caldron was good.

 

[sonoma15]

We had such a bad meal at Circus McGurkus (burger and fries), that I don't think we'll ever go back; and this was after giving up on Mel's (we might actually go back to Mel's). The only restaurant we can consistently go to at Universal is Lombard's (and I don't even think it's run by Universal)!

Universal owns and operates all the restaurants within the parks.

 

[Rich T]

I’m at Universal often, and I’ve come to rely on these restaurants; I’ve had excellent food consistently at all of them:

Three Broomsticks
The reconfigured Circus McGurkus
Thunder Falls
Wimpy’s
Confisco
Minions
Leaky Cauldron
Central Park Crepes

Theme Park Bargain of the Century: Scrambled eggs at Three Broomsticks for $2.99 (before the AP discount) — Hefty serving, hot, perfectly cooked, delicious and filling.

At this point, I find the food at Disney… ok. I can’t stand the way the WDW parks are being run these days, and that makes me want to NOT give them my money, so I try to get in and out of them with my cheap local pass without spending a dime. Yay for granola bars. I usually eat later at Citywalk… or maybe Boardwalk’s Blue Ribbon Corndogs (Yes, they’re on Disney property, but they’re great, and so is the lemonade.)

 

[Piebald]

This post could've been written by me. I've long said Universal would be equal to Disney if not for their food. It is terrible. I believe they even hired someone from Disney to coordinate all their festival events and the food at those is disgusting.

I even ate at a nice restaurant at Sapphire Falls and it was pretty much Pei Wei style food. Not awful but not worth the money.

I've said this many times: if I go to Disney I'll figure out the food situation. It ranges from "yeah this isn't bad" to "oh this is one of the best restaurants in town and there's reservations open let's do it."

At Universal I'm like, "ok should I eat a massive breakfast before I go" or "ok what's a good spot outside the area I can go to and just snack at the park".

 

[Disney Analyst]

Mythos might be the most overrated restaurant in any theme park. You see the banners saying best theme park restaurant however many years running, then you go in and it’s okay at best. EPCOT alone has around a good half dozen places I would immediately go for over it and probably another 3 or 4 that I’d consider as well.

Gonna agree with others here, just head over to City Walk and grab something there

Frankly, the banner is an embarrassment.

 

[JoeCamel]

Frankly, the banner is an embarrassment.

The banner is hanging on Elvey's wall and has been for a long time

 

[mkt]

The resorts are operated by Loews, not Universal.

Designed, built, owned, and marketed by Universal; operated by Loews to Universal’s standards; profit is split.

 

[President Loki]

Agreed, somehow I find it most of the time to be more expensive than Disney... Disney! When I go the Universal, I normally only get the butter beer and probably some chicken tenders or something.

I wonder if or what they might do differently with the food at Epic Universe. Nintendo World seems to be a clone of Universal Osaka, and it might go for the food too, although not amazing, it seems to be a step-up from the regular selection. Harry Potter would probably have Butter Beer and a lot of the same foods as the 2 other Wizarding Worlds, we might get a resturant that specializes in French cuisine but I doubt it. HTTYD would probably be a mixed bag, probably just selling mediocre food, and the same goes for Monsters land as well. Celestial Park could see some good food, with maybe a possibility of outside vendors.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Atlantic will be a Prime Steak and Seafood restaurant. $60 rib eyes and $150 chilled seafood towers.

There is some pretty stiff competition in that market (Del Frisco's, Ruth's Chris, Fleming's, and Ocean Prime). Universal has no choice but to bring their A-Game.

 

[sonoma15]

Agreed, somehow I find it most of the time to be more expensive than Disney... Disney! When I go the Universal, I normally only get the butter beer and probably some chicken tenders or something.

Universal's quick service restaurants are generally slightly more expensive than Disney and their table service restaurants are generally slightly less expensive than Disney. They are pretty close though.

Frankly, the banner is an embarrassment.

How dare you. That banner is one of the greatest things to ever grace a theme park. Disney wishes they could have a banner as magnificent as that one.