Universal Dining

[DisneyMom05]

My family and I will be staying at RPR later this month and I would like some information on dining options:

1. Has anyone tried Pastamore at CityWalk? Do they offer a children's menu?

2. How does priority seating work? Do I need to make reservations in advance?

3. Character Breakfast at IOA and Character Dinner at the on-site hotels...What are your reviews?

4. Any dining suggestions at UA? How about Louie's Italian Restaurant or Lombard's Seafood Grille?


Thanks in advance!

 

[momof3disneyholics]

I have been to Pastamore once and liked it. I'm sure they offer a children's menu.
Definately make a priority seating reservation before you leave home, sometimes they are impossible to get. They way it works is you check in and usually get seated within 15 mins of your time.
There is character dining at Confisco's for breakfast and at the Royal Pacific for dinner. The thing I don't like about the character dining at RP is that quite often they only have one character like Shrek, other times they have 2 like Shaggy and Scooby.
If you have kids, I would definately recommend Margaritaville. We have been there several times and my kids always loved it.

 

[DisneyMom05]

Bump, bump, bump...

 

[lrauers]

We eat at Pastamore every time we go to US/IAO. The food is very good and so is the service. There is a children's menu,the regular (adult) portions are large and house red wine is pretty good. Priority seating gets you the next available table. We had reservations when we were at US last month but really didn't need one. However, I'd make a reservation just in case the crowds are larger while you're there.

 

[pete14]

I ate at Pastamore on June 30th. The food was great. All 3 of my boys ordered off the kids menu. We got there at about 5:20 and we were seated immediately. Even if someone was not staying at a Universal hotel they would have been seated. I noticed a sign that said that they opened at 5pm, so that is probably the reason why.

We also ate at NBA City and thought that the food there was also very good.

Enjoy!!

 

[DisneyMom05]

Hi! Thank you very much for your replies!

We can't wait to get to Universal to try some of your suggestions...

 

[Snookbay]

A little late, but just wanted to add my two thumbs up to Pastamores, they were a lifesaver for my family on our June 9-12 trip, and I will always sing their praises.

We stayed onsite at Hard Rock. Left IOA at around 8pm Friday night, pouring down rain, wife wanted to eat at Margaritaville. Sloshed over to Margaritaville, patrons lined up outside, the "greeter" saw our room keys (we wore them around our necks to keep from having to fish them out all the time) and immediately scolded that those don't do us any good on Friday and Saturday nights, and the wait would be 90 minutes. We understood (hey, nobody mentioned that before, just said "onsite gets fotl and preferred/quick seating", nothing about Friday and Saturday don't count), said thanks anyway, and sloshed on in the direction of Pat O'Briens, a little shocked but no biggie.

We had seen children seated in the "club" section of O'Briens the night before, so we decided to try it. They looked at us a bit strange, but sat us right away, right on top of the "piano man", who not only was amplified and LOUD, but I've heard better as well. We sat for a few minutes trying to ride it out before leaving (the waitress, bless her heart, understood and did not charge us for the drinks she had already brought to us).

We sloshed off again, shocked pretty good now, when out of the gloom there arose Pastamores. We waited about 5-10 minutes (we had already put away the room keys, they never saw them) and were seated. We were abuzz with gratitude.

The food was GREAT, and relatively reasonably priced. My daughter had ordered a pizza, and when the food was brought out, the manager or the chef, not sure which, came out with it and said he had almost dropped the pizza tray, one of the slices had touched his pants leg, he had removed it (it was gone), no charge for the pizza, plus he would be making an extra one for us to take with us, again no charge.

To say we were impressed and grateful is the understatement of the year.

Footnote: the next night (Saturday), we went BACK to Margaritaville (again around 8pm) having planned on a 90 minute wait this time (my wife really wanted to eat there, me, not so much after the previous night). The greeter (a girl this time) saw our room keys, said "oh you have preferred seating", and we were seated in about 5 minutes. Guess it's hit or miss.