The Must-Try Dishes Coming to Orlando's Newest Theme Park This Summer

When Universal Epic Universe opens on May 22, the theme park landscape in Orlando, Florida, is going to change forever. Not only is the theme park going to have all new attractions based on some of the most popular franchises in the world, like Harry Potter and How to Train Your Dragon, it’s also going to have nearly 100 new menu items across for guests to try.

During a recent visit to Universal Orlando Resort, I got to tour the production kitchen and check out the research and development kitchens. I saw how the resort’s chefs prepare and make thousands of meals for Universal’s theme parks and hotels, plus try some of the new dishes coming to Epic Universe. Let’s just say that foodies are going to have a lot to talk about after trying the 20 new eateries around the park.

These are the best things coming to Epic Universe that visitors should seek out between riding the dueling roller coaster, Stardust Racers, and flying through the Ministry of Magic inside an all-new Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Celestial Park

The spine of the park is Celestial Park, table service restaurant Atlantic will serve King Oyster Mushroom Ceviche with meaty mushrooms tossed in a tangy citrus dressing, along with tomato, cilantro, jicama, and lime juice. If you’ve ever skipped ceviche because of the “raw” fish, this mushroom-based alternative is a tasty one to try.

Pair your ceviche with a golden brown-seared sea bass floating in a lemongrass broth. The sea bass also features star fruit for natural sweetness. Finish your meal with the Passion Fruit “Caviar,” a chocolate and hazelnut dessert topped with housemade passion fruit caviar-style boba.

Super Nintendo World

If you’ve already tried some of the tasty treats inside Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood or at Universal Studios Japan, you’ll be glad to know that some of the iconic dishes are also making their way to Epic Universe. For a food challenge, consider Bowser’s Fireball Challenge, which is a one-pound meatball topped with mozzarella cheese and mushroom marinara sauce, wrapped in puff pastry and served with a side of hot sauce.

For something a little less fiery, consider the Mario Burger, topped with bacon, mushrooms, lettuce, tomatoes, and American cheese on a housemade bun. Both dishes will be served at the quick-service restaurant, Toadstool Cafe.

How to Train Your Dragon - Isle of Berk

Families who can’t get enough of Hiccup and Toothless will love Mead Hall. Inside the quick-service restaurant you can dine like a viking on the Thawfest Platter. The family-style tray can feed up to four people, and features pastrami-seasoned grilled salmon, sausage links, wild lingonberry barbecue-glazed chicken drumsticks, roasted carrots, cipollini onions, and a few other savory sides, all paired with a savory fennel-based creamy sauce and more of the sweet and savory barbecue sauce. For little vikings, Barf & Belch’s Duo Plate is a fun mix of macaroni and cheese bites, grilled sausage, carrots, Nordic fries, and grapes, all served in a paper viking longboat.

Another must-get at Mead Hall is Gobber’s Mead, a honey-based alcoholic drink with flavors of boysenberry, blackcurrant, citrus, and cardamom.

Dark Universe

Monsters fans are howling at the newest portal into the sinister world of Universal Monsters with Dark Universe. Inside the world, guests can dine at Das Stakehaus, a quick-service restaurant where succulent pieces of carved strip steak are served with mashed potatoes, acorn squash, maitake mushrooms, roasted carrots, and “bloody jus” on the premier plate.

For dessert, try the Lobotacotta, a greek yogurt-based vanilla panna cotta that’s shaped like a brain and served with raspberry sauce with popping candies. Wash it all down with a Dark Universe-exclusive beer, Reaper’s Reserve: a caramel-spice brown ale made in collaboration with Orlando’s Crooked Can Brewing Company.

Snack on more spices with cinnamon doughnut holes that come with cream cheese frosting. The shareable treats can be found at De Lacey’s Cottage food stand.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Ministry of Magic

The moment you step through the portal into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Ministry of Magic, you’re transported to Paris as it was in the early 1900s, but things aren’t always what they seem. Whether you’re a Muggle (person without magical powers) or a witch or wizard, you’ll want to step into Café L’air De La Sirène, an authentic French cafe serving everything from Niçoise salads to baguettes loaded with ham, gruyere cheese, and dijon mustard butter.

The star of the cafe is the Bierauberre Crêpe, or Butterbeer Crêpe. The sweet dessert has shortbread cookie butter, Bavarian cream and Butterbeer cream, plus fresh strawberries, a Butterbeer drizzle, and a shortbread cookie garnish. This dish got the chefs at Universal a standing ovation from executives at Warner Brothers when it was presented, and I agree that it’s worthy of the hype it’s going to be getting once guests can try it in the park. If you only try one dessert at Epic Universe, let it be this one.

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