17 Best Places To Eat At CityWalk Orlando

CityWalk is the entertainment complex that joins the two Universal theme parks together at the Universal Orlando Resort.

However, unlike the Universal Studios theme parks, CityWalk is free to enter and boasts a range of fantastic dining options ranging from quick-service restaurants to fine dining establishments.

Whether you’re looking for a quick bite to eat or a more leisurely dining experience, CityWalk Orlando has something for all tastes and budgets.

1. Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savoury Feast Kitchen

🥗 Cuisine: American
💰 Price: $$

The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium is without a doubt one of the best restaurants at CityWalk.

This eye-catching establishment is situated just outside Universal’s Islands of Adventure and is filled with 19th-century interior decor that is sure to fascinate guests of all ages.

Meanwhile, the menu includes a wide range of classic dishes such as steak and seafood alongside what is perhaps to many who have previously visited the main event; gourmet chocolates, artisanal milkshakes and sumptuous sundaes.

Despite its relatively large capacity, this restaurant can get very busy and even sell out during the peak season. As such we highly recommend booking a table at least 48 hours in advance if it’s somewhere you know you’d like to visit during your trip to the Universal Orlando Resort.

2. Moe’s Southwest Grill 

🥗 Cuisine: Mexican-American
💰 Price: $

If you’re looking for a quick, easy and healthy lunch then look no further than Moe’s Southwest Grill.

This quick-service restaurant is situated on the upper level at Universal CityWalk (next to Panda Express and Burger King) and serves budget-friendly Mexican-American dishes from noon until night.

The entire menu at Moe’s is fully customisable which allows you to mix more than 20 deliciously fresh ingredients such as all-natural chicken, grass-fed steak, and organic tofu to create one-of-a-kind burritos, tacos, salads or quesadillas.

For those dining with younger children, there’s also a fantastic kids’ menu and given the customisation, it’s perfect for fussy eaters.

3. Red Oven Pizza Bakery

🥗 Cuisine: American Italian
💰 Price: $

Red Oven Pizza Bakery is a fantastic quick-service restaurant located on the ground floor of CityWalk Orlando next to the Cold Stone Creamery ice cream parlour.

The menu here is made up of both red and white pizzas and salads which are available in a variety of different formats and start from just $14.

The restaurant features an open kitchen design with seating both inside and out, however, the real icon of this establishment is the signature red wood-fired oven.

This oven adds a unique flavour to the pizzas, giving them a crispy and smoky taste which combined with the fresh ingredients makes Red Oven Pizza Bakery the perfect choice for a quick, delicious meal at CityWalk.

4. Vivo Italian Kitchen

🥗 Cuisine: Italian
💰 Price: $$

Vivo Italian Kitchen is a great place for those looking for classic Italian food in a relatively formal setting.

Located opposite the entrance of Universal’s Islands of Adventure and split over two levels, this restaurant can be the perfect place to relax and unwind after a long adventure-filled day at the parks.

The open kitchen here handmakes the pasta in front of your very eyes, while the sauces, pizza, mozzarella and bread are all made from the finest ingredients ensuring every meal is authentic, robust, and full of flavour.

Sadly, one thing we have found to let this restaurant down is the portion sizes which are significantly smaller than what we’re used to in the majority of US restaurants (or UK restaurants for that fact).

However, despite this, the restaurant is incredibly popular and has been known to run out of reservations on an evening. As such we recommend reserving a table or arriving early – especially during busy times.

5. Voodoo Doughnut

🥗 Cuisine: Doughnuts
💰 Price: $

Voodoo Doughnut is an iconic doughnut chain that we highly recommend visiting during your time at CityWalk.

With a range of both traditional and quirky doughnut options, it’s easy to see why this has quickly become the place for grabbing doughnuts when visiting Universal Studios.

There’s no seating available here so you’ll either want to eat on the go or grab a box to take back to your hotel (or home) with you instead.

6. Hard Rock Café

🥗 Cuisine: American
💰 Price: $$

Universal CityWalk is home to the largest Hard Rock Cafe in the world, which comes complete with an incredible 3,000-person concert / party venue.

With large, statuesque pillars, it stands majestically as a Roman Coliseum of rock and boasts more pieces of music memorabilia than any other location including clothing worn by James Brown, Elvis Presley, and Prince.

This full-service restaurant offers some of the best food you’ll find at CityWalk including incredible burgers, delicious steaks and amazing pasta dishes.

The broad range of choices makes it perfect for the whole family. However, despite its capacity, this place does fill up, especially during the peak season.

As such if you’re looking to eat here during your trip to the Universal Studios Orlando Resort we highly recommend booking at least 48 hours in advance.

7. Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar

🥗 Cuisine: Sushi & Burgers
💰 Price: $$$

Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar is a unique restaurant located in CityWalk.

This restaurant serves exactly what you might expect, both sushi and burgers – which surprisingly go exceptionally well together.

Better still, Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar has an incredible balcony area overlooking the Islands of Adventure theme park which is the perfect place to indulge in delicious food while reflecting on your day at the parks.

8. Bubba Gump Shrimp co.

🥗 Cuisine: Seafood
💰 Price: $$$

Bubba Gump Shrimp co. is perhaps one of the most famous and iconic food chains you’ll find at Universal CityWalk.

Situated at the entrance / exit close to the parking garages this restaurant serves an extensive range of seafood dishes suitable for the entire family.

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. captures the charm and American spirit that made the Forrest Gump film a smash hit and includes home décor reminiscent of the movie’s Alabama setting.

Given its popularity, this restaurant has been known to run out of availability. As such we highly recommend reserving a table at least 48 hours in advance if you’re looking to dine here during the peak dinner time hours.

9. Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville

🥗 Cuisine: American
💰 Price: $$$

Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville features a wide range of classic Margaritaville favourites, including burgers, sandwiches, salads, and, of course, margaritas.

The restaurant is situated at the entrance of Islands of Adventure and is the perfect place to relax after a day at the Universal Studios theme parks.

In addition to its delicious food and drinks, Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville is known for its live music and entertainment and the CityWalk franchise does not disappoint featuring multiple stages which host live bands and performers every evening.

10. Pat O’Brien’s

🥗 Cuisine: American
💰 Price: $$

Pat O’Brien’s at CityWalk is an authentic reproduction of the famous New Orleans hot spot, and it carries over all of its legendary trademarks including the duelling pianos, the mesmerising flaming fountain and of course the Hurricane speciality drink.

Tucked away in the far corner of CityWalk behind The Hot Dog Hall of Fame, this bar has a menu made up od delicious Cajun specialities including Crawfish Etouffee, Louisiana Blackened Redfish and the N’awlins Po’Boy.

11. NBC Sports Grill

🥗 Cuisine: American
💰 Price: $$

NBC Sports Grill is one of the largest and most popular restaurants at Universal CityWalk.

Situated opposite Universal Studios Florida and the Hard Rock Café this large, sports-inspired restaurant serves a range of traditional American food including burgers and ribs, Loaded Chili Nachos, Asian Grilled Shrimp Salad and an insane Coco-Nut Cake.

However, the food is just a small portion of what this incredible establishment has to offer.

Sports fans will be delighted to find almost 100 high-definition screens to immerse you in a stream of sports coverage while brewing fanatics will be delighted to have the opportunity to choose from more than 100 different bottled and draft drinks including classic favourites, unique imports, and ciders.

12. Hot Dog Hall of Fame

🥗 Cuisine: American
💰 Price: $

The Hot Dog Hall of Fame is a great option for those looking to dine on a budget at the Universal Orlando Resort.

Situated opposite the entrance to Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park this iconic hot dog establishment serves an extensive range of delicious single hot dogs with everything from a sauerkraut New York dog and poppy-seed buns from Chicago to authentic Milwaukee bratwurst and a relish-covered Boston dogs.

While the food is fantastic, the seating or subsequent lack of it is not. In fact, we’ve found that this is the only thing that lets this restaurant down.

Being a quick-service restaurant tables are on a first-come, first-served basis and as such if you’re visiting during the peak season you may find yourself scrambling to find an open space.

13. Antojitos Authentic Mexican Food

🥗 Cuisine: Mexican
💰 Price: $$

Antojitos Authentic Mexican Food is located on the edge of Universal CityWalk opposite The Hot Dog Hall of Fame and is the perfect place for those looking to indulge in delicious, traditional Mexican food.

This table-service cantina only uses the finest ingredients to create made-from-scratch Mexican street fare, including tacos, empanadas, fajitas and more.

Meanwhile, the Mariachi music sets the tone for a festive dining experience every day of the week.

This restaurant isn’t the cheapest option at CityWalk, however, there are zero compromises when it comes to quality and quantity.

For that reason, this restaurant has been known to reach capacity during the main dinner-time dining hours – as such it’s highly recommended you reserve a table in advance to avoid disappointment.

14. BigFire

🥗 Cuisine: American
💰 Price: $$$

Located just next to Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville you’ll find BigFire. This luxury table-service restaurant is a great choice for those looking to experience delicious, elevated American fare including steaks and freshwater cuisine.

All the dishes served here have been cooked on an open flame and enhanced using different woods which uniquely flavour your meal with smoky goodness.

However, the incredible dishes don’t end there, as for dessert you can roast s’mores right at your table with a delicious assortment of graham crackers, chocolates and marshmallows.

15. Bob Marley – A Tribute to Freedom

🥗 Cuisine: Caribbean
💰 Price: $$

This Caribbean restaurant is relatively tucked away on the ramp towards the upper floor of CityWalk behind The Hot Dog Hall of Fame.

Working closely with Rita Marley and the Bob Marley Foundation, this restaurant was created as a replica of Bob’s home on 56 Hope Road in Kingston, Jamaica and features artefacts, photos and video clips from his storied career.

The menu here includes delicious Caribbean-influenced dishes such as the Oxtail Stew and the Sun is Shining grilled chicken and you’ll be able to dine on any of these delights either indoors or in the open-air courtyard from where you’ll be treated to live reggae music.

16. Bread Box

🥗 Cuisine: American
💰 Price: $

Bread Box Handcrafted Sandwiches is located on the stairs up towards the top floor of CityWalk Orlando just around the corner from Burger King and Panda Express.

This sandwich shop is one of the best places to grab a delicious deli sandwich in Orlando and is open for both lunch and dinner.

Better still the majority of sandwiches available here are under $12 while a combo with a drink can often be had for under $20 as such if you’re travelling to Universal Orlando on a budget then this place is a must-visit!

17. Burger King Whopper Bar

🥗 Cuisine: American
💰 Price: $

The Burger King Whopper Bar is located on the top floor of Universal’s CityWalk and provides a unique take on the fast-food favourite.

Begin with either a classic burger or the Tendercrisp and from there choose from over 20 different toppings including guacamole, crispy onions and bacon.

In our opinion, this place isn’t the best place to eat at CityWalk, but it’s often quick and very budget-friendly making it a solid choice if you’re looking to “have it your way”.