Every year, millions of tourists, ride fanatics, and film lovers descend upon Universal Studios in Orlando, FL. And after they’ve braved rides like the family-friendly Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, the interactive Men in Black Alien Attack, and the thrilling Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, it’s time for food.
Orlando seems to be the vegan testing ground for many theme parks. Like Disney World, Universal Orlando tends to debut plant-based items before they eventually make their way over to the West Coast, which means those on the hunt for vegan food have plenty of options. Find out more about what’s on offer below!
Note: This guide specifically covers Universal Studios and Universal’s Island of Adventure.
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Vegan options at Universal Orlando
Check out these eateries for satiating plant-based eats throughout the theme park. But, if you’re looking for just a snack to get you through a particularly long line, most stands offer refreshing fruit cups at the very least, and Fast Food Blvd near the Simpsons even carries hummus. Like Universal Studios Hollywood, there’s always Starbucks.
1 TODAY Cafe
It’s 7 am, and you’re so excited to get to Universal Studios that you forgot to eat breakfast. Before you fast-track it onto a ride, swing by the TODAY Cafe for vegan options far more exciting than a fruit cup. The morning show-themed eatery offers vegan croissants, overnight oats, towering avocado toast, and a vegetable-forward vegan panini called the I Heart Vegan.
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2 Leaky Cauldron
If you’re here for Harry Potter, you’re in luck, because the theme of witches and wizards extends throughout Universal Studios and Island of Adventure. Stop by the Leaky Cauldron for Vegan Curry with plant-based chicken and potatoes. We highly recommend completing the meal with a tall glass of Pumpkin Juice. A Shepherd’s pie made with Beyond Meat is also on offer at Finnegan’s Bar & Grill.
3 Lombard’s Seafood Grille
In the mood for something carb-heavy and satiating? Head to Lombard’s Seafood Grille for a taste of its Pacific Heights Vegan Pasta with vegan sausage and vegan parmesan.
4 Louie’s Italian Restaurant
You’ll also find vegan pasta on offer at Louie’s Italian Restaurant of course. The Vegan Sausage & Peppers spaghetti dish will load you up on energizing carbs so you can tackle the rest of your day. You can also order a whole vegetable pizza for the table and request no cheese. Note: this move also works at Luigi’s Pizza.
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5 Mel’s Drive-In Diner
Grab a Vegan Field Roast Chili Dog Platter at Mel’s Drive-In Diner, which comes loaded up with tasty three-bean chili, lentils, hominy, chopped onions, and vegan cheddar cheese. Not enough chili for you? You can also grab a side of Vegan Chili Cheese Fries, too.
6 Richter’s Burger Co.
At Richter’s Burger Co., you’ll also find a classic Beyond Burger. Choose from a combo or a platter option, depending on whether you want a drink, too. For dessert, there’s a refreshing pineapple bowl.
7 The San Francisco Pastry Company
For lunch, don’t overlook the Chilled Tofu Noodle Salad. This dish features tofu, sweet potato noodles, carrots, cucumber, cilantro, and a calamansi soy vinaigrette. And, for something sweet, order the Vegan Elderberry Croissant. Similar plant-based croissants and a vegan brownie are also available at Croissant Moon Bakery.
Vegan food options at Universal Florida’s Island of Adventure
Ready to try something … adventurous? This is the theme park to do it. You won’t find Pizza Fries, but you will find a plethora of satiating vegan options to fuel your jam-packed day of thrills. Below, we’ve broken it down by quick service, carts, and sit-down dining.
Vegan-friendly quick-service restaurants at Universal Orlando
When you’re at a theme park and aren’t fortunate enough to hold a season pass, you want to get the most out of your time there. Quick service is the way to go if you identify with this scenario.
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8 Cafe 4
For quality Italian-inspired eats that don’t require a waiter, check out Cafe 4, where the menu offers a creamy, hearty Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo With Chick’n. There aren’t any other vegan options on the menu, but the pasta is hearty enough to fill you up.
9 Captain America Diner
Prefer a handhold? Embrace your inner Marvel superhero at the Captain America Diner. The Beyond Burger patty comes with Follow Your Heart cheese and a schmear of vegan garlic aioli on a plant-based bun. And here’s the best part: in Orlando, the fries are vegan! A (vegan) cheesy veggie burger is also on the menu at Wimpy’s.
10 Comic Strip Cafe
On a rare chilly day in Florida, the Comic Strip Cafe has just the thing: vegan tofu ramen. The hearty dish is served with edamame dumplings, bean sprouts, scallions, and cilantro. When ordering, make sure to specify you want the vegan version, as the vegetarian version of the dish is served with an egg roll.
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11 Doc Sugrue’s Desert Kebab House
For Mediterranean-esque meals, stop by Doc Sugrue’s Desert Kebab House. The menu offers a Vegan Meatball Kebab plate as well as a hummus appetizer served with vegetable crudité and pita bread. Fire Eater’s Grill offers a similar Mediterranean-inspired menu with its Falafel Gyro (hold the tzatziki).
12 Thunder Falls Terrace
To satisfy the healthy eater in your group, check out the menu at Thunder Falls Terrace. The Rice Bowl served with meatless chorizo and no cheese is a nourishing and filling bowl of rice, beans, plantains, and salsa.
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13 Three Broomsticks
For even more Harry Potter fun, head to Three Broomsticks. The eatery offers vegan breakfast options by way of porridge (aka oatmeal, ask for no butter croissant) and modified English breakfast items such as baked beans, grilled tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, and breakfast potatoes. For lunch and dinner, tuck into the Mushroom Pie Platter and enjoy a frosted vegan Butterbeer for dessert. Note: the chilled Butterbeer at this park is vegan if ordered without the foam topping. The warm Butterbeer; however, contains traces of dairy.
Vegan-friendly sit-down restaurants at Universal Orlando
14 Mythos Restaurant
This is an establishment we’d patronize even if it was outside of the theme park. The solid menu offers a good amount of vegan options from appetizers to mains. Start with the Lemon Hummus or Mezze Platter then move to the vegan-friendly Souvlaki Couscous Bowl or Vegan Pad Thai. Specify that you’re vegan when ordering so the kitchen knows to make the appropriate modifications (removing the feta and tzatziki, swapping in vegan peanut sauce).
15 Confisco Grille
This eatery offers similar vegan options to Mythos in a table service setting. The Lemon Hummus appetizer and customizable vegan pad Thai are both available here, too.
Vegan-friendly carts and stands at Universal Orlando
The window service spots and carts throughout the park are ideal for snacks and sweets. On a hot day, vegan park-goers should turn to Chill Ice Cream for a refreshing Dole Whip (in a cup, the cones are not vegan). The various concession stands that line pedestrian paths also carry this irresistible pineapple sorbet as well as a selection of chips, soft pretzels, ICEEs, and roasted nuts.
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England’s southern coast.
