Restaurants at Universal

[Maryland_Mommy]

We are taking our first Universal Studios/Sea World/Discovery Cove trip this fall. We are staying at the Hard Rock for 5 nights. Please help with places to eat!!!
What are the best casual dining places in each park (Studio, Islands, and Sea World)? I am already thinking about one meal at Mythos.

What are the best places for dinner - please include City Walk? Jimmy Buffett's is already a must.

We have eaten at the Kitchen at the Hard Rock for breakfast - great breakfast buffet, but I can't image eating there every morning. What are other quick breakfast choices? My kids (ages 10 and 7) and I need a little protein to get us through the morning. I don't think they would be too into a character breakfast.

For dinner, we will have a car, so I wouldn't mind going some place in Orlando, if it would be worth the trip.


Thanks in advance for all opinions!

 

[francie57]

For dinners we love Jimmy Buffetts and Finnegan's Pub in US. We like Richter Burger in US for lunch and Thunder Falls Terrace in IOA is good. For a quick breakfast we like the bakery that is just inside IOA - it offers a continental breakfast deal for about $6 (that was the price in Aug.) that includes a large muffin or croissant, large fruit salad, and beverage. International Drive has just about any kind of place you could want for a meal.

 

[rpbert1]

There is that many places both in the 3 resorts and Citywalk as well as the parks, we have always had good meals at Finnegans in Universal and Margaritaville, NBA is very good much to our surprise.
We usually go to I'Drive a few times when there and usually eat at Bahama Breeze food is excellent, but we usually call ahead as they do not take reservations

 

[gschmerl]

Both IOA and US have bakeries right after you enter. They have some great breakfast sandwiches in addition to yummy pastries.

 

[Maryland_Mommy]

Thank you so much for the great responses. I didn't know about the bakeries in the parks. That is a great idea!

Any other favorites for lunches in the parks - Sea World also?

Thanks again!!!

 

[francie57]

Also, if your or someone you know is a AAA member you will get a 10% discount at the restaurant/stores in both parks and most of the restaurants at City Walk by showing the card. They will even take it at the snack carts so the savings can add up.

 

[Metro West]

Any other favorites for lunches in the parks - Sea World also?

My recommendation for Sea World would be The Terrace Cafe...it's the old hospitality center. The roast beef sandwiches are out of this world and the potato salad is heavenly.

At IOA...I would go with either Mythos or Thunder Falls Terrace.

At the Studios...I would go with either Finnegan's or Louie's.

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

The Kitchen for dinner is excellent.

Also, love the Mama Della's over at the Portofino and Emeril's Tchou Chop, Orchid Court Sushi and the Islands Dining Room buffet at Royal Pacific.

 

[torinsmom]

We love Bubba Gump's, which is in Citywalk.

 

[bubba's mom]

Easier to mention where NOT to go....

Our family doesn't do: Circus McGurkus in IOA.

IFFF at the Studios.

We always do Mville. NASCAR & NBA City are good..even if you aren't fans. HRC is okay...wouldn't bother w/ Pastamore.

Comic Strip Cafe at IOA has good selection...pizza, burgers, pasta, chinese.... Confiscos at IOA is good too...like Finnegans at Studios...

Louies at Studios has good pizza.

My goal has been to 'eat around the Universe/Universal' and try them all.

VERY few that don't get the thumbs up.

 

[f86sabjf]

Mythos for us reasonable prices for a theme park . They are comparable to a normla restaraunt.
Thunder Falls would be our second for IOA. We honestly dont eat that much at the studios.

 

[WWEDUDE]

I personally love Confisco's Grille at IOA. It is a sit down restaurant, but I try to stop there everytime I go

Louie's pizza is very good for counter-service at a theme park, it's actually quite good pizza in general.

 

[katie111]

We just went and had good food overall. We ate at Margaritaville's which was good. Mythos was really good, the pasta cabonara was the best I've ever had (it was a special that day). My kids loved the pizza at Louies. Circus McGirkus was okay, actually the fried chicken was really good, but everything else was not great and your kids are probably too old to enjoy the atmosphere.

At Seaworld we ate the the Shark Encounter. It was very expensive but we thought the food was really really good and the kids loved "eating" with the sharks. The bread there was SO good. You need to make a reservation when you go into the park, I think they start taking them at 10.

The only bad meal we had was at Red Lobster down by Dissney. We should have known better!

 

[Tizzy_Meliss]

Easier to mention where NOT to go....

Our family doesn't do: Circus McGurkus in IOA.

I second this. We made the huge mistake of eating there this past weekend. It was so bad DH threw away half of his meal. He just couldn't take another bite of the pizza. The customer service there was just as bad as the food.

We also ate at Finnegans which was great as usual, and the Trattoria at the Portofino, which was not a good experience.

 

[FloraFauna]

Confisco's and Mamma Della's were very good.

I have to say, my favorite meal was a The Palm at Hard Rock Hotel. Beautiful piece of sea bass there with the lettuce wedge salad--delicious!!! It is worth the splurge!

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

I usually try to avoid places on the Meal Deal because the lines are longer but I kinda love International Food & Film Festival at Universal. I feel like I grew up eating that fried chicken.. just like my mama never made me.

We also ate at Finnegans which was great as usual, and the Trattoria at the Portofino, which was not a good experience.

What happened at Trattoria?

 

[Tizzy_Meliss]

What happened at Trattoria?

Didn't go so well for us unfortunately. I worked in the restaurant biz for a long time, so I may be a little pickier than most.

It started off great. Our hostess immediately seated us and gave us a great seat by the window looking out into the harbor. She gave us the specials, drinks, and had them bring us our bread/ice water. So far so good. Then the wait began.

Our server was a different story. Very sweet, but not very good at her job. She didn't come by for 15 minutes to greet us and take our order. The restaurant was basically empty, maybe 4 other tables and two in the kids area. When she did come by she took our order, no mention of the salad with our entree, I should have remembered so this is partly my fault.

We told her my DH had a food allergy, could she make sure the kitchen could prepare his dish without mushrooms, or he can order something else. She never returned to the table to tell us one way or the other. 20 minutes passed before she did return and when I asked she apologized for forgetting they are making the dish minus the mushrooms, our food was coming out shortly. Another 20 minutes passed, we were watching the time because we were trying to make the parade/concert in the park.

Finally the food arrived. No steak knife for my steak, she forgot it. No parm cheese for my daughters spaghetti, she forgot it. Returned with the knife, no cheese, yes she forgot it again. My dish was cold. My sauce for the steak had already set and it was over cooked. Over $30 for a steak, it had better be good, and this just wasn't. Zero seasoning on my food and my husbands. He ordered the penne dish and the sauce was more of a broth puddled on the bottom of his bowl. Since there was no seasoning the whole thing was just bland.

So between the time it took to get the food and the food itself not being great, we just weren't that happy. But I will say, their hostess and manager where very professional and great at their job. After we were seated a hockey team and their parents came in that took up 3 tables next to us, the manager asked if it was okay or if we would like to move, no problem for us, we have kids and they were all very well behaved. Just thought is was very kind of him to ask.

As a side note, after eating we headed to the park. The only two places we ate that day were Finnegans and the Trattoria. After dinner we headed to park within 30 minutes my stomach was sick, very sick. I can't be positive it was the Tratt. but I was the only sick one, and no one had the same meal there as I did. At Finnegans my DH and I had the same exact meal, my daughter had the same chicken I had, and my other daughter had the same soup. I was the only sick one.

 

[Maryland_Mommy]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Great advice from those that know US and IO! I really appreciate it. Last time we went to Universal (long time ago) a ride went through Circus McGirkus and I decided that would be a lot of fun to eat there. Glad I know better! Thanks for all the other great advice. Since we have no choice but to eat out, I'd like to have a good experience!