Universal Mardi Gras: International Flavors of Carnaval is in full swing at Universal Studios Florida and there are over 50 new food and drink options to choose from the 16 food booths located around the park.
You can read our full review for every single food and drink item at Mardi Gras in our post here, or let us narrow down your search to the top seven snacks and drinks you need to get and seven you should definitely skip.
7 Snacks and Drinks to Get During Universal Mardi Gras
Chilaquiles Verdes – $7.49
First up, let’s start with the best of Universal Mardi Gras. The entire menu from Mexico was a big hit with our group and it’s hard to pick a single favorite dish here. The Chilaquiles Verdes gets our vote for one of the best items at Mardi Gras, not only because it’s delicious, but it’s a great value.
The tortillas are topped with chile braised shredded chicken, salsa verde, cilantro onion mixed with lime crema, and cotija cheese. The chicken is plentiful, the toppings are fresh, and the Verde sauce is appropriately spicy. This is available from Mexico, which is located next to Cafe la Bamba.
Bloody Mary Wild – $19.50 for 20-Ounce Universal Mardi Gras Souvenir Cup, $15.50 for Souvenir Refill, or $15 for 12 Ounces.
For those 21 and over, a Bloody Mary is a must. This is a great option; not too watery and not too thick, but the topping is what you really want! The original burn-your-mouth-and-make-you-cry Nashville hot chicken is back in a sandwich form on top of this drink.
There are pickles, peppers, and celery for garnish as well, but the chicken sandwich on top of the Bloody Mary is the real king of Mardi Gras. The Bloody Mary Bar is located in San Francisco across from the entrance to Fast & Furious: Supercharged.
Papitas Bravas – $5.99
These seasoned crispy potatoes are topped with paprika aioli. They are beautifully seasoned with just the right amount of sauce to give the potatoes an added flavor without making them soggy. You can’t beat the portion for the price, either. These are a filling and delicious snack at a great value.
The Papitas Bravas are available from Spain, which is located at “Spanish Eats”, the Avenue Eats kiosk that is located across from Revenge of the Mummy.
Currywurst – $7.99
One of our favorite savory dishes of the year has a bit of a kick. The Currywurst is crispy skin German bratwurst sliced and topped with spicy curry ketchup. There’s a hefty amount of spice and curry flavor in the sauce, which perfectly compliments the bratwurst. This is full of flavor and worth a trip to the Germany booth located in Battery Park.
Chicory Coffee 16-Ounce – $8
This is a top contender for best drink of the year. The Chicory Coffee is paired with toasted marshmallow syrup and topped with toasted marshmallow cold foam.
The coffee is intense, but the marshmallow balances it well and makes it sweet. It tastes almost like liquid Lucky Charms marshmallows on top of strong coffee. For something sweet and strong, make sure you visit the New Orleans Desserts Booth near Gramercy Park for this drink.
Cookie Butter Liege Waffle – $7.99
The Cookie Butter Liege Waffle is one of the best sweet treats at Mardi Gras. This Liege waffle has a sweet, pearl sugar coating and is covered in cookie butter, whipped topping, and crushed Biscoff cookies. This item is from Belgium, which is located at Studio Snacks across from the TODAY Cafe.
Bananas Foster Crème Brûlée Crepe – $11.99
The crêpes at Central Park Crêpes are always fantastic and the new, seasonal Bananas Foster Creme Brulee Crepe is perfect for Mardi Gras. The top has a crispy layer of bruleed sugar, which was our favorite part. There’s a perfect amount of whipped topping, but we wish there had been a little more caramel. The banana cream inside the crepe paired perfectly with the freshly sliced bananas.
7 Snacks and Drinks to Skip
Bavarian Pretzel with Obatzda – $11.49
This pretzel was an abomination. As a typical theme park pretzel, it was hard, but the cheese was the real disappointment. It had almost no flavor and was cold and chunky. Spray cheese would have been better. It’s also a terrible value at almost $12. If you don’t believe us, grab one from the Germany booth in Battery Park to experience it for yourself.
Bacalaitos – $7.99
This is a crispy salt cod fritter with bell peppers, cilantro, and onions, served with mayo ketchup. We found it to be extremely greasy and overly fishy. It had a nice crunch, but the fishiness of the cod was just way too overpowering. If you must find out how bad this is for yourself, you can find it at the Puerto Rico booth near Gramercy Park, across from Minion Cafe.
Oblea – $6.99
The strawberries and dulce de leche inside the Oblea are great, but the wafer has no taste at all. The wafers are very delicate, making this treat difficult to hold and eat. The price is too high for what boils down to wafers and a couple of slices of fruit and sauce. Even still, the fruit and sauce are delicious, so if you must try this for yourself, stop by the Colombia booth near Revenge of the Mummy.
Szechuan Noodle Salad (Vegan) – $5.99
This spicy cold noodle salad is mixed with cucumbers, peanuts, cilantro, and scallions. The noodles were super oily and lacked any flavor besides the heat from the chilis. The spice was good, but otherwise, these were unpalatable. This dish can be found at the China booth, located across from Lombard’s Seafood Grille.
Chicken Satay – $8.99
The marinated grilled chicken skewer with Thai cucumber and peanut sauce is forgettable. The portion is small, the chicken is bland, and the peanut dipping sauce is very watery. There’s no reason to get the Chicken Satay, but if you’re curious, you can find this from the Thailand food truck located in the San Francisco area of the park, near the exit of Fast and Furious: Supercharged.
Roman Suppli – $7.99
The Roman Suppli are mozzarella and provolone-filled risotto with vodka sauce and roasted red pepper aioli. These have potential and aren’t terrible, but the sauce takes away from the flavor of the risotto.
With the risotto served on top of the sauce, it tends to get soggy. This is a case of “less is more” when it comes to the sauce. These are definitely on our skip list, but you can find them from the gelato window at Louie’s Italian Restaurant if you want to give them a shot.
Blackberry Krewe – $17 for 20-Ounce Universal Mardi Gras Souvenir Cup, $13 for Souvenir Refill, or $13 for 12 Ounces.
This drink combines New Amsterdam gin, blackberry syrup, and Sprite for a syrupy, overpowering cocktail. Everyone in our group agreed this tasted like cough syrup, but not everyone hated it.
There are so many better cocktails and mocktails at Universal Mardi Gras this year that we suggest you save yourself from making this mistake. However, if you’re feeling sick, you can find the Blackberry Krewe at the Coca-Cola Market Square near Animal Actors On Location.
There are a lot of options to try at Universal Mardi Gras: International Flavors of Carnaval. Take a closer look at our top seven items you need to get and the seven you can skip in our video below.
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