6 Best Restaurants in Universal Orlando, Florida

Although this restaurant is built to resemble Rome's Colosseum and contains 1,000 seats, there's often a wait at lunch or dinner. The music is always loud, the walls are covered with rock memorabilia, and the menu still features the burger that started it all: the steakburger with applewood bacon, cheddar cheese, a crispy onion ring, leaf lettuce, and vine-ripened tomato. Barbecued meats, from baby-back ribs to hand-pulled pork, are smoked on-site. Other entrées include New York strip steak, grilled Norwegian salmon, and Tupelo chicken tenders.

An airy room and tropical decor complement the menu's curries, pad Thai, coconut soup, and other Asian-inspired dishes. Islands, which serves breakfast and dinner, also has a play area to keeps tots entertained, and you can create your own stir-fry combos during the Wok Experience on Friday and Saturday evenings. On Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights, you might be treated to visits from assorted characters such as Scooby Doo and Shaggy—at no extra cost.

British pub staples are fitting fare for Diagon Alley's signature restaurant. The drinks menu complements hearty meals like stews and cottage pies with kooky-sounding beverages from the Harry Potter books like Tongue-Tying Lemon Squash, Otter's Fizzy Orange Juice, and Fishy Green Ale. Order at the counter, then be seated; a microchip in your "candlestick" will tell servers where to bring the grub. The Ploughman's Platter, with its cheeses, Scotch eggs, and apple-beet salad is food enough for two average eaters. English sausages can be had in toad-in-the-hole, bangers and mash, or a sandwich with three-mustard mayo. The fish-and-chips has an excellent flaky crust; the cod is flown in daily. End with the indulgent sticky toffee pudding.  There are iconic treasures throughout the Cauldron, from the replica movie art on the walls to the actual leaking sign.

This casual restaurant has omelet stations at breakfast; flatbreads, sandwiches, and salads at lunch; and grilled salmon, filet mignon, and roast chicken at dinner. The kids' menu is entertaining, with plates such as I Don't Want That (grilled cheese) or I'm Not Hungry (chicken tenders) that are served with a choice of fries, a salad, or fresh fruit.

Rickety staircases and gaslit chandeliers set the tone for this counter-service restaurant, where you can feast on ample portions of shepherd's pie, fish-and-chips, turkey legs, and Cornish pasties. The Great Feast option includes salad, rotisserie smoked chicken, spareribs, corn on the cob, and roast potatoes for $69.99 for a party of four. The full English breakfast (from park opening until 10:30 am) features eggs, sausage links, black pudding, English bacon, baked beans, grilled tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, and  potatoes. Look (and listen) for hidden Harry Potter Easter eggs, and ask your server for the facts.

Overlooking a tranquil harbor, this is a family-friendly option with a dash of Italiano. The breakfast buffet features both omelets and other hot dishes as well as baked goods and fruit; dinner starters like shrimp polenta and Caprese flatbread segue to entrées such as chicken marsala, grilled beef tenderloin, and shrimp Alfredo.