Universal Orlando CityWalk: Delicious Eats

Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville is a tropical-themed restaurant located in Universal Orlando's CityWalk, right near the entrance to the Islands of Adventure theme park. If I had written this review a year ago I would have had nothing but raves about the place. My family has visited the restaurant every year for the past four years and always loved it. The food was delicious, the atmosphere was a blast, and the service was friendly and prompt. That's exactly what we were expecting on our last visit to the restaurant, but unfortunately things have gone steadfastly downhill.

Upon arrival at the restaurant we were told that there was a 20-minute wait for a party of 6, despite the fact that we had a priority seating. Margaritaville doesn't take reservations, but instead allows you to make a a priority seating where they won't hold a table for you, but you'll get the next available table upon arrival. Not a problem. We waited and waited, and watched as many parties were seated during what turned out to be a 45-minute wait. We let it go and spent the time browsing in the gift shop.

When we were finally seated we noticed that the restaurant was very, very hot. It wasn't a welcomed feeling considering the fact that it was the middle of the summer and 95-degrees outside. Apparently the air-conditioner was broken but they weren't telling anyone about it until they had already waited 45-minutes for a table. Again, we let it go. We ordered our favorite Volcano Nachos which in the past have been a gigantic mountain of nachos for $11.95. The price had gone up to $14 sine our last visit, but we didn't mind... until a small plate of chips covered in half-melted cheese was brought to the table. That's not what we were expecting at all. But again we let it go.

My 8-year old cousin had ordered a fruit smoothies for $3.99 off of the children's menu. Our waitress brought it out a little after she brought out our nachos. Instead of it being in a kid's cup it was in a burning hot glass. The hot glass mixed with the frozen drink caused the glass to completely shatter unexpectedly, slicing open my cousin's finger. By now we'd had enough. We got the manager's attention to promptly called medical services, who arrived after a few minutes. Luckily there was no glass in my cousin's finger but she was bleeding pretty badly. As she sat there bleeding, our waitress brought out our food and started pushing it all on the table.

By now we'd really had enough. What waitress in their right mind would not only bring a child a frozen drink in a burning hot glass, but then also push plates of food on the table when said child was sitting there bleeding? The whole experience was a mess. The manager was a young kid in his 20's who was very nice, but the entire experience was a huge waste of two hours we could have spent enjoying the rides in the theme parks or eating at a different restaurant. After Margaritaville was consistently one of our favorite restaurants in all of Orlando for the past four years, it was very disappointing to see how far downhill the restaurant had gone.

This could have just been an unfortunate experience but from speaking to some friends of ours who also visit Orlando yearly, it seems as if the restaurant just isn't the same. If you're still interested in visiting, the restaurant itself is a fun place with large video screen playing Jimmy Buffet videos and a volcano that explodes with Margarita mix. The food isn't bad, but the portions have gotten smaller and the food isn't anywhere near as good as it is at other Universal restaurants. The menu includes a variety of burgers, sandwiches and salads all for around $14 to $22. The mixed drinks are probably the best part of the meal (ranging from $9 to $15)... as long as they're brought to you in a temperature-appropriate glass.

NBA City is without a doubt the best restaurant to go to in Universal CityWalk if you're visiting with children. The restaurant is located across the lagoon from the entrance to CityWalk, heralding it's presence with a gigantic bronze statue of a basketball player mid-dunk in front of the entrance. The place screams "fun" even from the outside, and it only gets more thrilling once you step through the front door and realize that you're now in the middle of a classic basketball game.

The decor at NBA City is all basketball, all the time. The floor isn't some pretty tiling, but is instead of collection of full-sized basketball courts. There aren't any flowers or candles here, but instead the walls are covered in giant video screens playing both current and classic basketball games. Basketball hoops and scoreboards act as set-pieces for each table, with even the napkins and tableware donning basketball motif. If you're a basketball fan the restaurant can't be missed, especially since it's the only restaurant of this type in the entire world.

The food here is surprisingly delicious. My first visit to the restaurant was actually on a 5-day long school trip with friends and teachers. I was expecting hot dogs and popcorn to go along with the "basketball game" theme, but instead found a full service restaurant with top notch food. My family has visited many times since and the food has been consistently good, with large portions. Appetizers include grilled chicken quesadillas ($9.95), buffalo wings ($10.95) and coconut shrimp ($11.95).

When it comes to entrees, they're surprisingly sophisticated for a sports-themed restaurant. My favorite is the Angel Hair Pomodoro (angel hair pasta with fresh tomatoes sauteed in garlic and reduced with white wine) for $16.95. It's a delicious and flavorful vegetarian dish which I found to be one of the best in all of the Universal Orlando CityWalk restaurants. Other entrees include Jambalaya (jumbo shrimp sauteed with Andouille sausage, chicken, mushrooms, bell peppers and onions served over white rice) for $17.95, New York Strip Steak (at market price), and Grilled Salmon for $17.95.

While the food is great, the big hit with kids is the giant game room located right next door to the main dining room. With old-fashioned arcade games, sport games, pool, air-hockey, ski-ball and more, you could easily spend hours in there playing games and winning fun prizes. All of the games take tokens, with 6 tokens costing $1 so have your money ready if visiting with kids. This is a truly huge game room, and a very fun one at that.

If you're looking for a sophisticated restaurant with a fun theme on your trip to Universal Orlando, look no farther than Latin Quarter. It's a perfect combination of upscale elegance and themed fun, making it the place to go for a nice night out with friends. The Latin Quarter Restaurant is one that my family visits on every trip thanks to the pretty atmosphere and award-winning food.

As soon as you step into Latin Quarter it's as if you've stepped right into a Mayan Temple. Golds reign supreme here, with gold and beige furniture, linens and walls giving the main dining rooms a regal flair. Gold and bronze flowers, vines and other designs decorate the walls and entryways, with small splashes of red drawing the eye to authentic works of Latin art. While the cuisine focuses on all aspects of Hispanic food, the decor here is purely Mayan, with the romantic and mysterious streets of Mexico brought to life in Universal Orlando.

The food here is truly top notch, with lots of vegetarian options. My personal favorite is the Latin Quarter Paella Vegetariano, a vegetable paella with roasted red peppers, squash, beans, zucchini, peas, asparagus and scallions all slow-cooked over Spanish rice for $12.99. I've honestly never had better paella. Other entrees include Grilled Churrasco Steak for $15.99, sizzling fajitas for around $15, and Carne Frita (fried pork pieces marinated with lime and cilantro) for $14.99. The restaurant also serves a large variety of mixed drinks all for $9 to $17. The food at Latin Quarter is not only delicious, but it is also extremely affordable for the quality (and amount) of food you get.

Latin Quarter offers nightly entertainment both inside the restaurant and out front in the courtyard. A musician plays the Spanish guitar nightly on the front patio, while a DJ plays Latin and Reggae music inside the restaurant on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights on the large dance floor which is almost always full of guests dancing the night away after enjoying their delicious meals.

The Hard Rock Cafe in Universal Orlando is the largest Hard Rock Cafe in the world. Located on the other side of the main lagoon that runs through CityWalk from the entrance to the complex, it's one of the first things people see as they enter the resort. Themed after the coliseum of Rome, it's a giant palace of rock royalty with some pretty good food.

The Hard Rock Cafe is themed after the regal home of a unspecified rock legend. There are lots of dark walls and gold accents, bringing to mind not only rock royalty, but actual royalty as well. Gold is really the main color here, with gold silverware, banisters and mirrors covering the restaurant. Not only is this Hard Rock Cafe absolutely huge, but it also offers the largest collection of rock memorabilia in any Hard Rock Cafe around the world. Here you can see the suit Paul McCartney wore in "A Hard Day's Night," Pete Townshend's custom Les Paul guitar, Buddy Holly's black-rimmed glasses, and the famous white suit worn by Elvis in "Viva Las Vegas." If you're a true rock fan, don't miss this place.

The food here isn't bad, but it's nothing special and is along the lines of what is offered at all other Hard Rock Cafe's. My veggie burger was alright, but it was nothing special for the $14 price. The veggie burger was also the only vegetarian option available, making this restaurant not as vegetarian-friendly as some other places in Universal CityWalk. Other entrees include the BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger for $15, a pulled pork sandwich for $13 and macaroni and cheese with chicken for $17.

You're best bet here would be to come for dessert. The dessert's here are all big, delicious and reasonably priced, allowing you to enjoy a fun meal while getting to check out the myriad of memorabilia lining the walls and ceiling. My favorite dessert is the hot fudge brownie sundae for $8, but other options include apple cobbler ($7), homemade cheesecake ($7) and unique margarita popsicles for the adults ($11).

The Nascar Cafe is one of the most well-themed restaurant in all of Universal Orlando's CityWalk. It's located to the right of the main entrance to CityWalk, as you walk towards Universal Studios and the Universal Orlando resorts. You can't miss it since there's an actual Formula 1 race car parked outside the restaurant for guests to pose near and take pictures with. Unfortunately you're not allowed to sit in the car, but it's still cool to see.

My family and I aren't racing fans, but we still had a great time on both of our visits to the Nascar Cafe. The decor is themed after Nascar, as the name would suggest, with lots of helmets, flags and racing stripes decorating the walls. The floor is covered in a black and white checkered runner, reminiscent of the flags used in actual races. There are even full-sized race cars hanging from the ceiling, whose tires spin and engines rev a few times every hour.

What's really cool about this restaurant is that not only are there giant television screens running along the perimeter of the restaurant for people seated in the tables in the middle of the dining room, but there's a flat screen TV above each and every booth. It's the perfect place to go to watch not only the Nascar races, but also other major sporting events that are broadcast in the restaurant throughout the year.

The food here is very good, and isn't what you'd typically expect from a sports-themed restaurant. There isn't much for vegetarians on the menu, but what was nice was that the chef was willing to make me a vegetarian version of almost any dish I wanted. I had the Points Leader Chicken Alfredo Pasta (grilled chicken, tomatoes, mushrooms, onion and broccoli tossed with penne pasta in creamy Alfredo sauce) without the chicken for $15.99 and it was delicious! Other entrees include barbecue chicken and ribs ($20.99), grilled pork chops ($17.99) and New York Strip Steak ($22.99). There's also a large variety of salads, and an even bigger selection of beers, all for around $7.

Bob Marley: A Tribute To Freedom is one of my favorite restaurants in all of Universal Orlando. It's not just a restaurant, but an entire Caribbean experience. Once you enter CityWalk the restaurant is located to the right, towards the entrance to the Universal Studios theme park and the Universal Orlando resorts. It's a tribute to the late, great Bob Marley and the message of love he spread throughout the world. It's very laid-back and relaxed, making it the perfect place to go for a nice drink at the end of a long day.

The decor here is tropical through and through, focusing on Bob Marley's home country of Jamaica. The decor is light and airy, with lots of gorgeous wood and wicker. The accents are all in red, yellow and green to match the colors of the Jamaican flag. What's unique about A Tribute To Freedom is that it takes the theme to the next level. Since many Jamaican restaurants are located outdoors in order to enjoy the gorgeous weather and views, this restaurant is outdoors as well. The bar is located indoors, in the narrow entryway you walk through to get to the courtyard restaurant out back. The courtyard is gorgeous and colorful and while it's covered by a pretty canopy, it is an open-air dining room. The only problem is that it's almost impossible to eat here in the middle of the summer when the heat and humidity is at a high. You may want to just visit the bar, or save this restaurant for a fall or winter trip.

The food here is Caribbean-inspired and delicious. There isn't much for vegetarians like my mother and I, but there are just enough delicious options to keep us coming back. My favorite food here is actually the appetizer offering of Jamaican Beef Patties for $8.99. They're normally filled with beef but I was able to get an amazing vegetable version which was amazingly delicious. Other options include grilled tuna for $16.99, stuffed peppers for $10.99 and a jerk chicken sandwich for $9.99.

Entertainment is offered in the courtyard dining room every night, which adds to the fun atmosphere. There's usually a Calypso band playing Caribbean classics and favorites which goes along perfectly with the Jamaican atmosphere. The thing to keep in mind is that the restaurant has a club-like atmosphere after 9:30PM, when you have to be over 21-years old to enter.

To tell you the truth, my family and I were never really interested in visiting Emeril's Restaurant in Universal Orlando's CityWalk. We were always looking for fun themed retsuarants with reasonably priced food to go along with our theme park vacation. After trying Emeril's Tchoup Chop at the Royal Pacific Resort on a whim and realizing how truly delicious and worth the money it was, though, we knew we had to try his signature restaurant.

Emeril's Restaurant is contemporary and classy. The beige, textured walls are lit in soft yellow lighting, creating a romantic courtyard effect throughout the day. The furniture is made of soft wood, and the color scheme of the dining room is brought out further by the soft beige linens and tableware. The light wood is offset by darker brown accents in the staircase and decorative arched beams that hover over the front of the restaurant. The shades of brown are offset by the gorgeous blue lighting that fills the ceiling only, farther adding to the "outdoor courtyard" appeal from the comfort of the air-conditioned restaurant.

As would be expected, the food at Emeril's is authentic, fresh and delicious. Focusing on his signature creole creations, there are lots of unique flavors and spices to be found in almost every offering. My family went for lunch to offset the price a bit, and we were happy to see that while the menu was different than at dinner, there were still lots of delicious options to choose from. Unfortunately there weren't many vegetarian options, but what was available was really very good. My mom and I actually split two appetizers - the rock shrimp enchiladas (with Poblano-Tomato Sauce, Melted Pepper Jack Cheese, Fire Roasted Corn Pico De Gallo and Cilantro) without the shrimp for $12, and the Smoked Wild and Exotic Mushrooms (in a home-cured tasso cream sauce over angel hair pasta and garnished with fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese) for $11. Both appetizers were big, delicious and filling.

Other options include grilled North Atlantic salmon for $22, a Kobe hamburger for $20, and grilled pork chops for $24. While the food was delicious, we didn't like it as much as we loved the food at Emeril's Tchoup Chop. It just seemed like more standard fare at highly inflated prices, and this was for lunch. Dinner entrees can run upwards of $40 a plate. The menu changes seasonally so you can look up the featured entrees a few weeks before your trip to check out what's available. If you're set on visiting Emeril's, definitely go for lunch when the food is just as tasty but not as expensive.

Emeril's Restaurant is one of the few restaurants in Universal CityWalk that takes actual reservations rather than priority seatings. The restaurant's popular so if you're planning on paying it a visit, be sure to make reservations at least a week or two in advance.

I'll admit that my family and I visited the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company in Universal Orlando's CityWalk before I was a vegetarian. I loved shrimp and an entire restaurant dedicated to that single delicacy sounded brilliant. So my family went, we ate, and we really, really liked it. We haven't been back since so I'm not sure about how the vegetarian options are, but there are several on the menu and I'm sure they're just as good as the rest of the food. Bubba Gump's Shrimp Company is actually one of the newest restaurants in all of Universal Orlando, and it shows. Located almost directly at the entrance to CityWalk, the place is huge, well-decorated and spotless.

The Bubba Gump Shrimp Company is themed after Forrest Gump, the movie made famous by Tom Hanks back in the 90s. I'm a huge fan of the movie and find it to be absolutely magical, adding another element of excitement to our visit. I loved the decor in here. The Bubba Gump Shrimp logo was on almost everything, from the tablecloths to the napkins to the Forrest Gump memorabilia. Speaking of memorabilia, it was one of the best parts of the restaurant. I loved seeing props and costumes from the movie, as well as a recreation of the famous bench from the beginning of the film. The real bench is still in Savannah, where the movie was filmed.

Another fun aspect of the restaurant was all of the quotes and slogans scrawled across the walls and tables. Forrest Gump has some of the most memorable quotes ever so it was fun looking for the ones we recognized and loved. When it comes to the uniqueness of the restaurant, I loved the table set up. On every table was a little two-sided sign. One side said "Run, Forest, Run!" and the other side said, "Stop, Forest, Stop!" If we ever needed anything from our waiter, all we had to do was flip the sign to the "Run!" side and a waiter was at our table in moments. If nothing was needed, the sign stayed on the "Stop" side. It was a fun and unique way to get our waiters attention without actually having to seek him out. It was a nice touch.

The food here was excellent, and very reasonably priced. I had the Shrimp Po'Boy for $12 and it was delicious - lots of crunchy popcorn shrimp on a fresh roll with tartar sauce, served with crispy, salty fries. Other options include coconut shrimp ($18.99), Shrimp New Orleans (shrimp sauteed in butter, garlic and spices) for $18, and shrimp scampi (shrimp sauteed with capers in lemon-garlic butter) for $18.99. If shrimp's not your thing, there's also fish and chips, an all-American hamburger, a pulled pork sandwich and more, all for around $15.

If you're looking for good, affordable Italian food at Universal Orlando's CityWalk, Pastamore Ristorante and Market is the place to be. It's a colorful restaurant that incorporates two parts - a quick service market in the front, and a full service restaurant in the back. The restaurant's open almost all day, making it the perfect place to grab some breakfast or a late night snack.

Pastamore is very colorful and fun. The front of the building is actually a take-and-go market with minimal seating and a cafeteria-style line allowing guests to pick up what they want and pay at the counter. With beige and gold flooring accented with bright blue wall tiles and red, green and yellow paint, the market is both cheery and whimsical. Breakfast is served here 7-days a week until 11:00AM, offering quick-service options such as bagels, muffins and breakfast sandwiches that can be easily taken with you on an early-morning jaunt to the theme parks. All breakfast items are cheap, ranging from $1.50 - $6. Later in the day the market serves panini's, mini pizza pies and delicious gelato which is perfect for a hot summer afternoon.

The actual Pastamore restaurant is located right behind the market. It's decorated to resemble an Italian palace with gold tiling, white pillars and recreations of famous Italian sculptures. The booths and tables are all accented in shades of bright blue, adding an extra touch of fun to the already unique atmosphere. The food here is good but nothing special; it's like a slightly more upscale Olive Garden. There are many, many vegetarian options available since almost all dishes can be made without meat. I found the menu at Pastamore to be one of the most vegetarian-friendly in all of Universal Orlando.

Appetizers include such classics as stuffed mushrooms ($8.95) and fried ravioli's ($7.95), as well as a variety of mini-pizza's (all for around $9), soups and salads. When it comes to entrees pasta reigns supreme with such dishes as pasta primavera ($11.95), five cheese ravioli ($15.95) and fettuccine Alfredo ($12.95). There are over twelve different pasta dishes to choose from in all. Also available are a wide variety of fish offerings (including shrimp scampi and mussels marinara), as well as Italian classics such as chicken and eggplant parmigiana.

When visiting Pastamore, be sure to save room for dessert as they have some of the best. Not only are there the traditional dessert offerings of chocolate cake ($4.95) and tiramisu ($5.95), but there's also a wide variety of Italian specialty coffees and drinks all for around $7.

"Cool" is the best word to use when it comes to describing Pat O'Brien's. Located in Universal Orlando's CityWalk complex, it's a unique place in that it incorporates many elements into one building. It's a restaurant, it's a lounge, it's a piano bar, and it's a nightclub... all rolled into one. Pat O'Brien's brings both the wild and crazy fun of mardi gras, and the understated elegance of old-fashioned New Orleans, to Orlando in a unique way that can't be found anywhere else in the area. Themed after the original (and world-famous) Pat O'Brien's in New Orleans, this is the place to be if you're looking for a wild yet sophisticated night out.

The decor at Pat O'Brien's is pure New Orleans. The brick walls are accented by decorative light fixtures, plants and French designs. It almost looks a little run-down, giving the restaurant an authentic appeal. It really does feel like you're in a small, locally own Cajun restaurant. The wooden furniture is laid-back and comfortable, farther adding to the "take off your shoes and stay awhile" atmosphere. The restaurant is welcoming and homey, as if it were owned by a good friend or close relative. At Pat O'Brien's, everyone's welcome to have a good time.

The menu here is Cajun inspired and usually pretty spicy. It's very heavy on the meat, with not much available for vegetarians. The entrees include traditional jambalaya ($16.95), crawfish ($13.95), po-boy sandwiches ($11.95) and a variety of burgers ($8.95). While there wasn't much for me to eat here, the restaurant more than made up for it in the drink department. If you're a vegetarian (or just aren't that hungry) I recommend visiting later at night for a round (or two) of drinks. Whatever you do, you simply cannot miss Pat O'Brien's famous Hurricane. It's a mixture of rum and the top-secret Hurricane mix, and it's pretty amazing. At $9.95, it's a staple of every visit.

Pat O'Brien's offers fun entertainment when it comes alive as a dueling piano bar every night. The show starts at 5:00PM to continues until until 2AM, with fun piano players trying to outdo each other when it comes to playing classic favorites and current hits. If you're coming for dinner with the family, be sure to visit before 9:00PM when the restaurant becomes a 21-and-over venue and there's a $7 cover charge.