Summer is on the horizon, and Universal Orlando is bringing the flavor to a new food “festival.” Three venues have popped up around Universal Studios Florida, with a fourth reportedly on the way. Today we dropped by the stand at Battery Park to see what new treats were in store.
Menu for the Battery Park Summer Bites Stand
Food:
- 🆕 Traditional Elote Asado: grilled corn on the cob with plant-based jalapeño mayo, ancho chili powder, cotija cheese, cilantro – $5.79
- 🆕 Cilantro Butter Elote Asado: grilled corn on the cob with Tajín – $5.29
- 🆕 Esquites Asados: a traditional Mexican roasted corn dish served off the cob with plant-based jalapeño mayo, ancho chili powder, cotija cheese, cilantro – $5.99
- Carnitas Arepa: cornmeal cake filled with mayo ketchup, cilantro, avocado, and carnitas – $9.29
- Beef Picadillo Arepa: cornmeal cake filled with mayo ketchup, cilantro, and savory beef – $9.29
- Queso Arepa: cornmeal cake filled with mayo ketchup, cilantro, and shredded cheese – $8.29
- Coxinhas: flash-fried potato balls with savory chicken – $5.49
- Pineapple or Watermelon fruit cup with Tajín – $4.69
Beverages
- 🆕 Mangonada: a traditional beverage blended with mango, lime, chamoy, and Tajín – $7.00
- 🆕 Mangonada with Monte Alban tequila floater – $12.50
- 🆕 Chispas de Fuego: a creamy mango-lime colada spiked with tequila and spiced Tajín – $13.50
- 🆕 Lime-falernum Agua Fresca – $6.00
- 🆕 Tamarind Agua Fresca – $6.00
Photos of Menu Items from Battery Park Summer Bites Stand
The Elotes Asados are fresh off the grill.
*NEW* Mangonada with Monte Alban Tequila Floater – $12.50
The Mangonada was icy and refreshing with a sweet mango flavor. The Tajín worked well to complement the mango and add to the flavor palette. The straw is covered in tamarind for additional variety. The tequila wasn’t very strong, but the drink was delicious.
*NEW* Chispas de Fuego – $13.50
The Chispas de Fuego is a creamy coconut drink with lime. The menu lists mango, but it was undetectable. The Tajín really overpowered the other flavors. It wasn’t bad, but we recommend skipping it and going straight for the Mangonada.
*NEW* Tamarind Agua Fresca – $6.00
This was an extremely light and refreshing drink, with a sweet undertone. It ended up being our favorite of the two agua frescas and was perfect for the hot day.
*NEW* Lime-falernum Agua Fresca – $6.00
If you’re a fan of the Cool Lime Refresher from Starbucks, you’ll like this drink. It was sweeter than the tamarind agua fresca, with a strong lime flavor and a hint of tartness.
*NEW* Traditional Elote Asado – $5.79
There’s nothing better than eating fresh corn on the cob in the summer. The traditional Mexican street corn wasn’t spicy, even with the plant-based jalapeño mayo. The cotija cheese, ancho chili powder, and cilantro make for a classic dish. You can’t go wrong.
*NEW* Cilantro Butter Elote Asado – $5.29
The Cilantro Butter Elote Asado was sweet, savory, and delicious. Each bite was better than the last. This is the true winner of the battle of the corn. Don’t sleep on this one. We may make many return visits for this dish.
*NEW* Esquites Asados – $5.99
The Esquites are the Traditional Elote Asado OFF the cob, served in a cup for easy eating. It reminded us of the Stolen Teeth Street Corn dish from last fall’s Halloween Horror Nights food truck. Like the Elote, the Esquites Asados aren’t spicy. We definitely recommend this if corn on the cob isn’t your style.
Carnitas Arepa – $9.29
All three arepas are returning from the Mardi Gras Colombia Booth. The shredded meat was tender and juicy. The plentiful avocado elevated this arepa to another level. We liked the balance of flavors in this offering, and we could definitely see ourselves getting it again.
Beef Picadillo Arepa – $9.29
The beef picadillo was amazing. We aren’t sure which is better, this or the carnitas. The beef picadillo is savory and gets a lot of flavor from the peppers and onions mixed in. You can’t go wrong with either of them, but the carnitas might get bonus points just because of the avocado.
Queso Arepa – $8.29
The queso arepas claim to have mayo ketchup and cilantro, but the only thing we could taste was mozzarella cheese. Kids and picky eaters will probably enjoy this option, but we wish there were something else going on to liven up the flavor.
Coxinhas – $5.49
The Coxinhas made a comeback from the Brazil Booth at Mardi Gras. It was a nice little snack, but it’s not going to fill you up. The chicken was pretty bland. They were average and we wouldn’t order these again.
Location of the Battery Park Summer Bites Stand
The Battery Park Summer Bites Stand is located under the pavilion by the lagoon, across from Mel’s Drive-In Restaurant and Transformers: The Ride – 3D.
Follow UPNT for more coverage of the Summer Bites offerings at Universal Orlando Resort.