Guide to Food at Universal Studios Hollywood™
A big vacation means you’ll be eating most if not all your meals at restaurants, diners, and cafés. However, eating out can be incredibly stressful if you have specific dietary restrictions. With the number of options available, finding somewhere that accommodates your needs can be tricky and overwhelming.
Universal Studios Hollywood™ has published a food guide to help make its dining options accessible to everyone, regardless of any allergies, intolerances, or preferences.
Each list is divided into five major categories, highlighting safe items from the various themed restaurants on-site. There may also be other unlisted items that are still safe for you to eat, as each restaurant changes its menu periodically.
Before making your visit to Universal Studios Hollywood™, be sure to check the food guide. Here are some of the items mentioned in the guide.
Gluten-Free
Those avoiding gluten should stick to Upper Lot restaurants. There are gluten-free options available at twelve Universal Studios Hollywood™ restaurants, ten of which are located in the Upper Lot.
Leading the pack is Three Broomsticks™ at The Wizard World of Harry Potter™. It offers five gluten-free options, three of which require no modifications:
- Spare ribs platter with corn on the cob and roast potatoes
- Roast chicken salad
- Lemon herb roast chicken platter with corn on the cob and roast potatoes
The Three Broomsticks™ continental breakfast becomes gluten-free without the croissant or scone, while you can cut the gluten from the beef roast by requesting it without a Yorkshire pudding.
Burger and sandwich-lovers can choose between Hollywood & Dine, Mel’s Diner, Luigi’s Pizza, and Cletus’ Chicken Shack to satisfy their cravings. Across all four establishments, four burgers and three chicken sandwiches are available on gluten-free buns.
As for the Lower Lot, Jurassic Café has three options with slight modifications:
- Citrus-marinated roasted chicken dinner (ask for no gravy)
- Grilled chicken sandwich (ask for the gluten-free bun)
- Caesar salad (ask for no croutons)
Ben & Jerry’s offers a gluten-free dessert with its soft-serve ice cream in a cup.
Vegetarian
Vegetarians visiting Universal Studios Hollywood™ have a few interesting choices for their food, most of which are available at Luigi’s Pizza.
Both penne pasta dishes with marinara or alfredo sauce are vegetarian-friendly, though the alfredo sauce does contain dairy, so it’s a no-go for vegans. Pizza-lovers can opt for cheese or “meat-haters” pizzas, both of which naturally include cheese.
If you want to avoid cheese, Hollywood & Dine serves cheese-free pizza by request.
To indulge your sweet tooth, Cinnabon on the Upper Lot offers a vegetarian-friendly Cinnabon roll.
Vegan
Naturally, vegans need to be a little more careful. Many of the vegetarian dishes on offer contain dairy, so only seven items are truly vegan. Your best bet is to head to Hollywood & Dine on the Upper Lot, which offers three vegan options:
- Roasted portobello mushroom
- Sautéed vegetables and rice
- Cheese-free pizza
The last two options aren’t on the menu, so make sure to request them specifically.
For simpler options, go to Three Broomsticks™ to get a fruit plate at breakfast or an asparagus plate for lunch. Ask for your asparagus plate to be vegan when you order.
French Street Bistro, Studio Café, and Palace Theatre Café’s Thai udon noodle salad is also vegan and provides an Asian twist to your dining options. Meanwhile, the veggie burger with hummus and fries from Mel’s Diner is a delicious vegan pick.
Dairy-Free
Dairy-free diners have a better selection compared to vegans. Jurassic Café offers the Jurassic Burger without cheese. If you don’t want a burger, the turkey leg plate is dairy-free too. Both items come with fries and coleslaw.
Panda Express provides beef and broccoli and kung pao chicken as dairy-free entrees. Make sure you request them with noodles if you want a proper meal-sized portion.
At the Upper Lot, Krusty Burger comes out on top with four dairy-free items:
- Krusty Burger without cheese
- Clogger Burger without cheese
- The Ribwich
- Cletus’ Peep-Fried Chicken Platter
All items except for the fried chicken platter come with fries and coleslaw.
For non-burger items, Hollywood Café and Gru’s Lab Café both offer a stir-fried Asian chicken bowl. You can also indulge in some Italian-inspired food from Luigi’s Pizza. Get the penne pasta with marinara sauce — but skip the cheese and garlic bread.
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to satisfy your sweet tooth if you are avoiding dairy. Currently, no Universal Studios Hollywood™ restaurants serve dairy-free desserts.
Peanut Allergies
Those with a peanut allergy will be pleased to know that no Universal Studios Hollywood™ restaurant uses any nut-based oil. Additionally, all but four restaurants have peanut-free menus.
For your safety, here are the four restaurants that use peanuts in their recipes:
- Panda Express — The kung pao chicken recipe contains peanuts
- Lard Lad Donuts — The Nestlé Butterfinger Donut contains ground peanuts
- Studio Café and Palace Theatre Café — Both serve Nestlé Butterfinger Cupcake Desserts, which contain ground peanuts
- French Street Bistro, Studio Café, and Palace Theatre Café – The Thai udon noodle salad includes peanuts
If you suffer from allergies, don’t forget to bring any medication such as an EpiPen, and remember — there’s nothing safer than eating food you prepared yourself.
Bringing Your Own Food
Universal Studios Hollywood™ allows you to bring some outside food and water. Always inform the security personnel at the gate of your dietary requirements, and keep the following guidelines in mind:
- You can bring up to 2 liters of bottled water.
- You can bring small snacks and any food required for dietary or medical reasons.
- You can bring soft-sided, insulated food bags. They should be no larger than 8.5 inches wide, 6 inches high, and 6 inches deep.
- You cannot bring glass, open containers, or hard coolers.
Your food bag may be subject to additional security screenings.
Don’t forget that restaurants inside the park update their menu regularly. Never hesitate to ask a staff member about an unfamiliar menu item. They are there to ensure you have the best and safest experience possible. You can also ask to speak to the chef if you have any detailed questions or specific requests.
Final Thoughts
Regardless of what you decide to do, meal times don’t have to be a stressful affair. Enjoy your visit and take comfort in knowing there are options available to you, irrespective of your specific dietary requirements.
For the best deals on Universal Studios Hollywood™ tickets, giant discounts on packages and hotels, and amazing savings on travel, call 1 (800) 434-7894 (international callers use +1 (619) 546-5622) to speak with an aRes Travel planning expert seven days a week, or book online now.