Editor’s note: What you’ll find below is the most comprehensive article I’ve ever read about dining with food allergies at Universal Orlando, including the parks, CityWalk, and the on-site hotels. Thank you to Kerri for sharing this with Orlando Informer, so we could share it with all our readers. Enjoy!
If you’ve ever heard that dining at Walt Disney World with food allergies is a delight, you’ve heard correctly. So it was with some trepidation that I planned a trip to Universal Orlando this summer. As a family with multiple food allergies, I have always loved dining at Disney. Some of my all-time favorite meals have occurred at Disney World. Pot roast and mashed potatoes prepared dairy and gluten free at the 50’s Prime Time Café quickly springs to mind.
Ultimately, my husband, 15 year old son, 13 year old daughter and I decided to take our chances at Universal, and I am so glad we did!
Universal Orlando Resort.
After an early morning check in at Royal Pacific Resort we headed off to Universal Studios Florida. We managed six attractions by 11:00am when the sad state of our discount hotel’s continental breakfast became painfully apparent. We stopped in for an early lunch at Finnegan’s Bar & Grill.
Finnegan’s Bar & Grill at Universal Studios Florida
The menu offers gluten free options clearly marked GF. For us gluten is only half the battle so we had some questions for our server. After taking our drink orders we asked about the presence of dairy in their French fries and burger buns. My fifteen year old son could live happily on grilled chicken sandwiches, french fries and nachos. (Fair warning, there were plenty of those very items mentioned over the course of the next four days.) As it turned out, both items were free of dairy and a delicious chicken sandwich was soon devoured. While my son only has dairy to watch for, I eat both dairy and gluten free. Sometimes I think even with the extra allergy, I have a simpler time finding food than he does — mainly because I see vegetables as a viable food source. I had an amazing Celtic Chicken Club Salad, without the cheese naturally. It was beyond wonderful with a huge portion of meat and chopped vegetables. I could have eaten it every day and been a very happy vacationer.
So Finnegan’s Bar & Grill was a winner, not just because they had allergy free options or because the options turned out to be so divine, but also because they staff was terrific about answering our questions and checking the ingredient lists for us.
Bula Bar & Grill at Royal Pacific Resort
We ended up waiting until 4:00opm for our room at Royal Pacific Resort, in my requested tower, to be ready for us — so we were able to see all we planned to see at Universal Studios Florida before we headed back to the hotel. This meant I could fulfill a promise and feed the kids dinner poolside. After settling in and cooling off we flagged down a member of the wait staff. Incidentally, that was the only time the entire trip we had to get their attention, typically someone presented themselves soon after we found a seat to ask if they could get us anything.
When my husband mentioned that we had some special food issues, the server said it was no problem and explained that they deal with them every day, it was their job. It was with light hearts that we ordered from the Bula Bar & Grill menu. I ordered a burger on a gluten free bun, which after weeks of bun-less burgers was such a treat, and gluten free French fries. The fries were prepared in a separate fryer eliminating cross contamination issues. My dear son ordered nachos. The waiter warned us that the nachos were massive, but both husband and daughter ordered them up as well. The waiter agreed to add black olives for my son to soften the absence of cheese and sour cream. While I found the burger to be a bit overcooked and the gluten free bun more crumbly than most, it was fun to sit poolside and nosh on a burger and fries without using a fork. My son ate every last nacho and declared them a hit!
Again it was the can do attitude of the staff that made this meal so wonderful. No one made us feel like we were weird or troublesome — they just made adjustments and served us good food.
Mythos at Islands of Adventure
The next morning our hasty in-room breakfast faded out before our Mythos reservation, so we presented ourselves twenty minutes early. We were seated immediately and again the gluten free options were apparent on the menu. The quest for a chicken sandwich began.
Here we were told the buns contained dairy, not an uncommon occurrence sadly. On that point: we had several servers mistake a dairy allergy for an egg allergy. Although eggs are typically found in the dairy section of the grocery store, a food allergy to dairy is altogether separate from an egg allergy. So perhaps it was our mistake in not asking the server to verify if it was milk or egg in the bun. At least three of our servers made this error; we were warned that the mayonnaise we requested had eggs at least twice. The server checked to see if the bread served before the meal had dairy. It did not so she was thoughtful enough to bring my son a small dipping bowl of olive oil to enjoy with it in place of the butter my husband and daughter received. At any rate, my son had a grilled chicken breast sans bun with bacon and a side of fries. I enjoyed the Mixed Baby Greens salad to which I added grilled chicken. It was a nice meal, if somewhat lackluster; the restaurant was unique but it was not the highlight dining experience of our vacation.
Margaritaville at Universal CityWalk
After an afternoon at the Hard Rock Hotel pool, where no food was consumed despite the drool we had to wipe off our faces after walking by another family’s fresh fruit bowl, we enjoyed an early supper at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Cafe Orlando.
We were seated by the Volcano bar, which lived up to its name, much to our delight. To relieve me of the burden my dear husband had by this time taken to broaching the subject of food allergies with our servers. Once again we were treated to a positive attitude and a quick check of the ingredient lists. The gluten free options were on the menu and the GF bun had dairy, but the regular sandwich bun did not. We decided to start with chips, salsa, and an appetizer option on the GF menu. We were treated to a huge plate of warm chips and a large bowl of salsa. Due to the aforementioned dislike of vegetables, my son tends to limit his salsa eating to the liquid portions much like his dear old dad. Even with my daughter and I eating up the veggie bits, we ran out of chips about halfway through the bowl of salsa. The other server in our area noticed the empty chip bowl and asked if we would like more chips. Indeed we did. A (free) second bowl of chips was devoured as we enjoyed the volcano.
My son ordered yet another grilled chicken sandwich with a side of French fries. I ordered the grilled steak, French fries and steamed vegetables from the gluten free menu. I was served steamed broccoli instead, as the steamed veggie medley was already coated in butter. We were all a bit sad to have stuffed ourselves with chips as we struggled to finish up our amazing food. My steak was cooked to perfection and the broccoli was fresh and crisp. The entire experience was so great we had every intention of returning to Margaritaville again before we left town. My son proclaimed it the best meal he had while on vacation. I would have to say it ranked rather high on my list as well.
Starbucks & Pastamore Marget at Universal CityWalk
It was a good thing supper was so great because breakfast the next morning was dismal. After two mornings of cold breakfasts I knew I would face mutiny if I didn’t get some protein in them before lunchtime, so we headed out bright and early to what I believed to be a full service Starbucks in CityWalk. It failed to live up to that title in my estimation. In our neck of the woods Starbucks serves breakfast sandwiches and steel cut oats. Dining dairy and gluten free at the breakfast hour is a challenge to say the least, and I can usually count on Starbucks oatmeal if all else fails. Only this time Starbucks failed.
So after some regrouping we landed at Pastamore Market. When I inquired about dairy free options the answer was a shrug of indifference. So my son ended up with an order of bacon and sausage while I settled for sausage. Husband and daughter got breakfast plates with eggs, potatoes, toast and bacon. They were underwhelmed. I was flat out unimpressed.
Jake’s American Bar at Royal Pacific Resort
After a tour around Universal Studios Florida, we decided to head back to Royal Pacific Resort for lunch so we could rest and relax if the moisture stuck around. Lunch at Jake’s American Bar was just what we needed to wipe away the bad taste in our mouths from breakfast.
As soon as the waitress found out we had food allergies, she said she would send the chef out. One of the first questions the chef asked was how long we would be staying. It was nice to think that even our future meals were being considered. When I told him that we would be eating at the Islands Dining Room the following morning, he instructed me to ask for him again as he would be in the kitchen then as well. Naturally I asked about a chicken sandwich even though it was not on the menu. The chef said he could take care of that, no problem. I decided to follow my suit and ordered the same sandwich and and fries. Again the fries were classified as gluten free. This sandwich came with two chicken breast filets sliced on the diagonal on two slices of toasted gluten free bread. It was so filling that I only finished half of mine and my son left the table completely full for a change. My daughter ordered fresh fruit for her side, and I had a moment of sadness that I had not done the same.
Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. at Universal CityWalk
We spent the afternoon relaxing in the hotel’s Orchid Lounge, taking advantage of the free wifi. We were in serious Internet withdrawals, so that was a nice change of pace. Once the skies cleared we headed out to do some souvenir shopping. In a non-food related side note, we were unable to find a single item we were looking to purchase. Disney certainly has the edge in the “every souvenir you could possibly want” category.
After a disappointing shopping trip we went to Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. We were seated very quickly, and when my husband mentioned food allergies, we were were given a gluten free menu with all of six items. The waiter did not offer any suggestions and walked off as soon as he gave me the menu. My face must have fallen, and I know I got a bit teary eyed. The next thing I knew my husband was telling the waiter that we were leaving and we were in the fresh air before I realized what had happened, which was great for me but a bit sad for my son, who had been excited to learn he could have fried shrimp.
We took a moment to regroup, and then headed into Islands of Adventure to get some rides under our belt. A few rides later we were all in better spirits. Express Passes to the rescue — as I am certain that standing in line would not have improved our moods at all. By the time we were ready to revisit supper it was prime dining time and the lines were long at every CityWalk podium. I managed to convince my family I could handle a limited menu, so back to Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. we went.
When my husband got to the front of the podium line they encouraged him to put our name on the bar waiting list for a shorter wait. Not knowing what the difference was, he complied and sure enough we were at a table within ten minutes. This time I was ready to act my age and make peace with the menu. To my surprise, when the waiter handed me the menu, he added that they could make changes to many other menu items so feel free to ask if I saw something else I might like. As it turned out I did order off the GF menu, choosing the Accidental Fish & Shrimp with rice. Dear son got his fried shrimp, and of course French fries. It’s hard to believe that he’s 5’10 and wears a 30/36 jean with all the fries he puts away.
The atmosphere in the bar seating area was fantastic. An adorable toddler played peek-a-boo with my teenagers and the entire wait staff treated us like special guests. While seated downstairs we had a booth right next to a bar. Upstairs we had a booth right next to a different bar. The only discernible difference between the seating options seemed to be the staff. Upstairs all the waiters were also bartenders and as such they shared tips. They earned a large one with us that evening, as we had our most enjoyable meal of the trip. So Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. redeemed itself and another yummy meal was had by all.
Islands Dining Room at Royal Pacific Resort
We had one last chance to have a good breakfast, so I herded the family to the Islands Dining Room the following morning. The chef came out and answered our questions. He offered to make some changes to accommodate our needs and we placed our order.
Dairy free son had steak, bacon, fried potatoes and a fried egg. I heard it was great, but he did not offer me so much as a taste. I ordered the gluten free breakfast pizza without cheese, a side of fresh fruit and gluten free donuts. The pizza came with roasted red peppers and sliced chicken sausage with a marina sauce on a GF square crust. The donuts were tiny but terrific. In a fit of motherly love, I gave one to my son — a decision I regretted almost immediately. Husband and daughter enjoyed the breakfast buffet. I think if I ever make my way back to the Islands Dining Room, I will also have the buffet and ask them to prepare a few dairy free and gluten free items especially for me and my son. Ordering al a carte was more expensive, and I missed out on the refills of fresh fruit. So I could enjoy some coffee with breakfast, I brought some almond milk with me in one of the disposable travel mugs from the room; I do not know if they offered any milk alternatives. It was by far the best breakfast we had on vacation.
Splendido Bar & Grill at Portofino Bay Hotel
Breakfast was so filling we took our time touring before heading to Portifino Bay Hotel for an afternoon swim. We got there just in time to settle into the Splendido Bar & Grill before a short shower hit.
We waited it out with another round of chips and salsa. To our delight the order arrived with both traditional salsa and Pico de Gallo. By the time we finished eating the skies had cleared and we found some chairs and swam for a while. When hunger finally struck we decided to stay poolside and order a late lunch. My son picked his second food group, nachos. The Splendido Bar & Grill offers a unique twist on nachos. The fill a rectangle platter with chili, add tortilla chips then top with cheese and black olives. With only the absence of cheese they were dairy free.
Emboldened by the prevalence of gluten free buns at Universal, I ordered a burger with bacon and sautéed mushrooms, and of course with french fries. Three plates arrived shortly and I was told mine was being prepared in the main kitchen to ensure the absence of gluten and dairy. Half an hour later I was receiving yet another apology. Sometime after that an unfamiliar waiter arrived with my burger. He apologized again and let me know he had taken it off our bill already. He said that he had some problems with the burger the first time. I gathered this one was attempt number two. It may have taken a while, or an eon, to arrive but man was it worth the wait. The burger was huge and the bacon covered it completely with mushrooms on every square inch. While there was not a bun, it did come with toasted GF bread that did an admirable job of holding everything together. Despite the delay, it was hot and fresh. Even the fries were still hot. It was the best burger I have had in my entire allergy free journey.
With such a late lunch we just could not find room for another round of Margaritaville at CityWalk. We ended up having those cold breakfast items in our room as a bedtime snack. There is something satisfying about almond milk and cereal before turning in, which was made possible by the complimentary mini refrigerator provided by the Royal Pacific Resort: when I confirmed our reservation, I asked them to reserve a refrigerator to accommodate our multiple food allergies. I did have to call the front desk to have one sent up to our room, but we were not charged for the its use.
My recommendation
While it may not have been as seamless as allergy free dining at Disney, eating at the Universal Orlando Resort with food allergies is possible. In fact, I ate some of the best food I have had in the five years since I stopped eating dairy and gluten. My son was able to have his fill of chicken sandwiches and nachos. I was able to break off of the bun-less burger and boring salad routine of typical dining out. While the CityWalk venues were fully accommodating, we found the resort hotels to go out of their way to serve us great food.
I highly recommend allergy free eating at Universal, and I hope I have a chance to eat there again soon.
- Kerri C
Thank you again to Kerri for sharing so many amazing details with us. I am grateful that she took the time to write about all of her experiences at Universal Orlando with food allergies, and I am so happy we had the opportunity to share it all with our readers. If you’d like to learn more about some of the topics mentioned in Kerri’s post, follow these links to the OI Universal Center:
On-site hotels at Universal Orlando
Dining options at Universal Studios Florida
Dining options at Islands of Adventure
Dining options at Universal CityWalk