Update Published 9/17/2022
Universal CityWalk Orlando Restaurants are where you’ll find some of the best food in Orlando in 2022 and in some of the most unique establishments. The best part is that you don’t need a theme park ticket to get in! Whether you’re into Italian, Japanese, Mexican, Jamaican, or American fare, they’ve got a little bit of everything for everyone. You’ll find fast food, dessert cafes, and a half dozen or so bars at CityWalk as well. Don’t miss any of our favorites below!
- Italian Restaurants
- Mexican Restaurants
- Seafood Restaurants
- American Restaurants
- Jamaican Restaurants
- Dessert Restaurants
- Citywalk Bars
- Fast Food Restaurants
Dining at Universal CityWalk Orlando Restaurants – Things to Know Before You Go in 2022
Do you need a theme park ticket to eat at Universal CityWalk in 2022?
No! No ticket required! Admission is free! CityWalk is a part of Universal Orlando Resort but lies on its property just outside the entrances to the theme parks–Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure–so it does not require a theme park ticket (or any other type of purchase) in order to gain entry. It also does not require that you are staying at the resort as a guest in any of the hotels. CityWalk is 100% free for anyone to enjoy. The only thing you’ll have to pay for is the food you order at whichever restaurant you choose to visit.
Is parking free at CityWalk Orlando? How much does it cost to park at CityWalk?
Parking is free after 6 PM. This makes Universal CityWalk Orlando the perfect spot to visit for dinner. If you wish to visit before 6 PM, however, you will still have to pay a parking fee, unfortunately. This rate is currently set at a whopping $25 but often changing, so you may want to check with the resort for verification before your visit. If you only wish to visit Universal Orlando for the sole purpose of dining at CityWalk and have no plans to visit the theme parks while you’re there, then it’s definitely most cost-efficient to just wait until after 6:00 to eat. I don’t like spending any extra money when I don’t have to.
Universal CityWalk Orlando Restaurant Reviews and Rankings
Universal Orlando hosts close to 30 different restaurants at CityWalk, so choosing which one is right for you can be a bit overwhelming if you’re not familiar with the area. We’ve grouped our favorites by type of cuisine to (hopefully) make the selection process a little bit easier for you. Here’s how they stack up!
Best Universal CityWalk Orlando Restaurant for Italian Food (Full Service)
Vivo Italian Kitchen
Why we love this Universal CityWalk Restaurant:
The menu at Vivo Italian Kitchen contains one of the largest selections of pasta that I’ve ever encountered at an Italian restaurant outside of Italy. You’ll, of course, find classics like Lasagna, Fettuccine Alfredo, Ravioli, Bolognese Spaghetti, and Pasta Primavera, but you’ll likely also notice a dish or two that you’ve either never before heard of or perhaps just never had the chance to try anywhere else. This was the case for us with the Squid Ink Seafood, a black spaghetti served in a white wine sauce that’s cooked with shrimp, clams, mussels, and calamari. My boyfriend had wanted to try this pasta for years but unfortunately had only ever encountered it via watching chef-focused tv shows and Youtube videos. It’s not only visually stunning (who wouldn’t get a little giddy over a jet black spaghetti colored darker than your soul), but it’s also quite tasty as well.
Best Universal CityWalk Orlando Restaurant for Italian Food (Quick Service)
Red Oven Pizza Bakery
Why we love this Universal CityWalk Restaurant:
If you’re just looking for a quick bite to eat and have neither the time nor desire to sit down at a full-service restaurant to wait for your food, you can also treat yourself to Italian at the Red Oven Pizza Bakery. This beloved quick-service restaurant serves a simple menu of pizza, salad, beer, wine, and soda. In addition to red sauce favorites like Pepperoni, Cheese, and Margherita, they also offer 7 different white sauce varieties of pizza. I especially love the Spinaci–it comes with spinach, tomatoes, mozzarella, parmesan, and taleggio! Another one of my favorites, the Alla Benno, combines prosciutto and pineapple with tomatoes, jalapenos, and mozzarella.
Best Universal Orlando CityWalk Restaurant for Mexican Food
Antojitos Authentic Mexican Food Orlando
Why we love this Universal CityWalk Restaurant
Everything here is made from scratch. If Mexican food is what you’re craving, this is the best restaurant you’ll find at Universal CityWalk. I especially love their fajitas!
Best Universal CityWalk Orlando Restaurants for Seafood or Sushi
Cowfish Restaurant – the Sushi Burger Bar of Orlando Citywalk
Why we love this Universal CityWalk Restaurant:
Although it might seem like an odd combination, Cowfish specializes in both burgers and sushi….or, umm….cow and fish hahaha. The humor is unmissable in the interior of the restaurant, where murals of cows wearing strapped-on-fins dominate the walls behind hanging chandeliers made to look like fish scales. The sushi menu consists of hand-crafted, traditional sushi as well as specialty varieties that The Cowfish conjured up themselves. Similarly, the burger menu contains many house-made creations that have been inspired by Japanese or Korean cuisine. My favorite is the K-Town, a beef burger topped with fried kimchi, applewood bacon, gochujang sauce, pickled onions, and leaf lettuce. I also highly recommend you try the Crispy Calamari–one of my absolute favorite items on The Cowfish Restaurant menu–which is flash-fried and served with a sweet chili sauce (and trust me when I say that the sauce makes all the difference)!
Bubba Gump Shrimp Co
Why we love this Universal CityWalk Restaurant:
Inspired by the 1994 hit film Forrest Gump, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co is as much of a nostalgic tourist attraction as it is an Orlando seafood restaurant. The dining space is filled with movie memorabilia as well as various signs and props that make great photo ops. The Bubba Gump Shrimp Co menu consists of more types of shrimp than you can possibly imagine as well as fish, lobster, crab, salads, steaks, and even chicken. Whether you like grilled shrimp, fried shrimp, coconut shrimp, shrimp gumbo, Shrimp New Orleans, or any other kind of shrimp (yes, there’s even more on the menu), you’ll surely feel right at home at this Citywalk dining spot. Forrest would be proud.
Best American Food Restaurants at Universal Orlando CityWalk
Bigfire Universal Citywalk
Why we love this Universal CityWalk Restaurant
Bigfire Restaurant was designed to evoke memories of campfires, family cookouts, and the warm, fuzzy feeling that can only come from roasting marshmallows over an open flame. The kitchen features an open grill concept where chefs cook over open flames for everyone to see. Try one of the Premium Bigfire Steaks or the Colorado Lamb Chops! You can even order Tableside S’Mores for dessert!
Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville CityWalk Orlando
Why we love this Universal CityWalk Restaurant
Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Restaurant specializes in burgers, sandwiches, fried chicken, steak, ribs, fish tacos, and unique entrees like seafood mac & cheese or Jimmy’s Jammin’ Jambalaya. True to its name, the CityWalk restaurant also serves over 10 different types of margaritas. Live musicians play Jimmy Buffett covers and a giant, margarita-filled volcano occasionally erupts in front of the bar throughout the night.
Hard Rock Cafe Universal Orlando CityWalk
Why we love this Universal CityWalk Restaurant
This rock ‘n’ roll themed restaurant at CityWalk is the largest Hard Rock Cafe in the world. The chain is known for its burgers, music, and memorabilia. At the CityWalk location, you’ll find hand-painted Beatles posters, the actual suit that Elvis wore in the film Viva Las Vegas, and even Buddy Holly’s famous black glasses.
Best Universal Orlando CityWalk Restaurant for Jamaican Food
Bob Marley–A Tribute to Freedom
Why we love this Universal CityWalk Restaurant
At the Bob Marley CityWalk restaurant, guests eat dinner in a replica of the famous singer’s home in Jamaica while live reggae plays in the background. The menu consists of entrees like Oxtail Stew, Fish & Yucca, Jamaican Jerk Chicken, and Curry Shrimp.
Best Dessert Restaurants at Universal City Walk
Toothsome Chocolate Emporium – The Dessert Foundry
Why we love this Universal CityWalk Restaurant
The Dessert Foundry at Toothsome Chocolate Emporium serves everything from ice cream sundaes and pies to puddings and creme brulee, but what they’re most famous for is their huge selection of gourmet milkshakes. These sugary drinks are a treat for the eyes as much as the mouth and come in flavors like Red Velvet, Confetti, Heavenly Hazelnut, Key Lime Pie, Strawberry Cheesecake, Chocolate X5, Thrilla in Vanilla, Marshmallow Crisp, Espresso Buzzzz, and Cookie Jar. Each shake is served in a glass mason jar that’s decorated with Toothsome’s logo and makes a great souvenir to take back home after your trip. Of course, the most defining feature of the whole concoction is not even the ice cream or milkshake itself but the entire cupcake, brownie, or slice of cake that sits on top of each one. You won’t be able to resist taking photos because these truly are the prettiest desserts at CityWalk Orlando.
Voodoo Doughnut
Why we love this Universal CityWalk Restaurant
Voodoo Doughnut serves over 50 different varieties of colorful doughnuts with quirky, one-of-a-kind flavors like Bacon Maple, Butterfinger, and Grape Ape. There’s a doughnut named the No Name Doughnut which is topped with Rice Crispy Treats, peanut butter, and chocolate frosting. The Triple Chocolate is covered in Cocoa Puffs, and the Mexican Hot Chocolate is dusted in cinnamon sugar and cayenne pepper. Voodoo Doughnut even offers 13 different vegan doughnut varieties.
Best Universal Orlando CityWalk Bars
The Lone Palm Airport Bar at Margaritaville CityWalk
Why we love this Universal CityWalk Bar
The Lone Palm Airport bar is actually an extension of Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, but it’s housed in its own building located across the street. It’s probably the most unique bar at CityWalk Orlando because there’s no way you can miss the entire freaking airplane sitting beside the water as the focal point of the bar. The very real, 60-foot 1955 Grumman Albatross named the Hemisphere Dancer was once the personal seaplane of Jimmy Buffett but now permanently resides at Universal Orlando CityWalk after retiring from the sky in 2003. The Lone Airport bar is themed to give guests the feeling that they are having a tropical drink in an airport lounge after landing their very own, personal plane beside the lagoon. In addition to dozens of margaritas, frozen cocktails, craft beers, and other alcoholic treats, the Lone Palm menu offers a selection of sliders, wings, sandwiches, hot dogs, and various fried favorites like fried shrimp or fried pickles.
The Volcano Bar at Margaritaville CityWalk
Why we love this Universal CityWalk Bar
We already listed Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville as one of the best American fare CityWalk restaurants on this list, but they’re worth mentioning again solely for their Volcano Bar. It’s the only bar in CityWalk where you can watch a giant, margarita-filled volcano erupt throughout the night as the crowd cheers and drinks in celebration. The Volcano Bar also serves over 10 different types of margaritas, so if you’re a tequila fan, this CityWalk bar is definitely for you.
NBC Sports Grill & Brew
Why we love this Universal CityWalk Restaurant
This is by far the best CityWalk bar for sports fans. They have over 100 bottles and drafts and nearly 100 high-definition screens broadcasting the latest game.
Best Fast Food Restaurants at Universal City Walk
The Whopper Bar
Why we love this Universal CityWalk Restaurant
The Burger King Whopper Bar wins the award for the most unique fast food restaurant at CityWalk Orlando. That’s because it’s not like any other Burger King you’ve ever seen. The CityWalk Whopper Bar is the very first build-your-own Whopper Bar in the world. When you visit, you get the chance to design your own burger by selecting from a list of over 20 possible toppings, including special sauces and items that you will never find at your neighborhood Burger King. You can add guacamole, grilled onions, sauteed mushrooms, and jalapenos, or smother your creation in A1 Steak Sauce, Blackened Cajun Sauce, Bourbon-flavored Sauce, and Thousand Island Dressing. Those are just a few of the possibilities that seem almost endless. If you love fast food and you love burgers, definitely put the CityWalk Whopper Bar on your list!
CityWalk Hot Dog Hall of Fame
Why we love this Universal CityWalk Restaurant
This baseball-themed hot dog restaurant serves a menu of hot dogs from iconic stadiums around the USA, and instead of a traditional dining room, it offers stadium-style seating, complete with bleachers, ballpark graphics, digital displays, and artificial turf. You’ll feel (almost) just like you’re at a real game while you eat.
Full List of Restaurants at CityWalk Universal Orlando
CityWalk Orlando hosts even more restaurants than what made it to this list, so if you’ve already tried everything up above or didn’t quite find what you’re looking for, here’s the full list of food, dessert, and bar establishments available to explore:
CityWalk Restaurants List
Here’s a list of all restaurants at Universal Citywalk Orlando:
- Vivo Italian Kitchen
- Red Oven Pizza Bakery
- Antojitos Authentic Mexican Food
- Cowfish Restaurant
- Bubba Gump Shrimp Co
- Fusion Bistro Sushi and Sake Bar
- Hard Rock Cafe
- Bigfire Restaurant
- Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville
- The Lone Palm Airport at Margaritaville
- Bob Marley–A Tribute to Freedom
- Pat O’Brien’s – A Cajun Restaurant with Dueling Pianos
- Toothsome Chocolate Emporium
- NBC Sports Grill & Brew
- Red Coconut Club – A CityWalk Bar
- Fat Tuesday – A Counter-Service Cocktail Bar
- CityWalk’s Rising Star Karaoke & Cocktails
- CityWalk Hot Dog Hall of Fame
- Bread Box Handcrafted Sandwiches
- Coca Cola Refresh – Quick-Service Soda & Sandwiches
- The Burger King Whopper Bar
- Panda Express
- Moe’s Southwest Grill
- Voodoo Doughnut
- Cold Stone Creamery
- Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt
- Cinnabon
- Starbucks
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