REVIEW: Worms, Maggots, Brains, and More Monstrous Meals From Das Stakehaus in Dark Universe at Epic Universe

Das Stakehaus is in Dark Universe, across from Pretorius’ Scientific Oddities.

The gothic stonework is covered with moss and worn by age, but the vampires’ familiars are ready to serve you inside Das Stakehaus.

Inside are domed stone ceilings and long wooden tables with high-backed seats topped by bats. Paintings of vampire history adorn the walls in some of the dining areas, while some are where the dearly departed are entombed.

Check out our full restaurant tour to see more.

Stakes

• Fish on a Stake – $22.99
• Bird on a Stake – $17.99
• Bits and Pieces – $19.99

Entrées

• Das Burger – $17.99
• “Blood” Orange Chicken Sandwich – $17.99
• Our Favorite Vegan Familiar’s Stuffed Cabbage (Vegetarian) – $16.99
• Carved Staked Steak (Gluten Sensitive) – $23.99
• Darkmoor Black Wings – $15.99
• Crimson Glazed Pork – $19.99
• Forager Salad (Gluten Sensitive) – $15.99

Desserts

• Labotocotta (Gluten sensitive) – $6.99
• Red Velvet Death (Vegetarian) – $6.99

Beverages

• Monocane (Non-alcoholic) – $7
• Reaper’s Reserve – $13

This was good, but not great. The thick cut of salmon was dry and fishy, with very little seasoning. The sides, which come with most of the dishes here, are very good. The baby carrots look like they were roasted “to death,” but they’re tasty. The onions added a strong note to the mashed potatoes.

Ultimately, we preferred the salmon at Mead Hall.

Rating out of 7: 4

The white meat is a bit dry, but no moreso than any other theme park chicken. It was heavily coated with the dry rub and chimichurri, which gave it a good kick.

Rating out of 7: 5

This is good meatloaf with a spicy kick. The glaze complements the spice nicely. Once again, these are great choices for sides. This dish ended up being one of our favorites here at Das Stakehaus.

Rating out of 7: 6

We expected your standard theme park burger, but this is above and beyond. The patty is surprisingly spicy and hearty. It’s complemented well by the fresh slices of cherry peppers and grilled onions. Even the fries are better than the regular fare. They’re soft and hefty with a subtle spice. This was our other favorite dish.

Rating out of 7: 6

It’s just okay. The dry chicken was not prepared in a shape conducive to staying in the bun. The slaw was good by itself (it’s served as a side with another dish), but it’s not good on the sandwich. We really don’t recommend this.

Rating out of 7: 3

The Impossible meat is bland compared to what we’re used to, but it wasn’t bad. We wish it were spicier like the other dishes here. Sadly, it’s the best part of the dish. The beet buccatini was off-putting and not just because it looks uncannily like worms. We really did not enjoy the bell pepper tomato sauce. It’s not a bad vegetarian option, but we’d recommend the Forager Salad (without the chicken) instead.

Rating out of 7: 4

This strip steak looks more like a slice of prime rib. The rub and flavor are good, but this was not a good piece of meat. It had a lot of fat, and it was overcooked. We had to saw through it with the knife. Skip the steak at the Stakehaus.

Rating out of 7: 2

The serving size is decent for the price point, with two full, large wings. They’re breaded and fried, with a nice spice to the breading. It pairs well with the sweet glaze.

The cornbread skull is a little dry, and needs butter, but they did not provide any. It has a sticky sweetness mixed with an earthy, potpourri-esque base. The “familiar” slaw is unusual, with snap peas and kale. It’s not a bad thing, though. With the creamy, mayo-based sauce, it’s tasty and fresh.

Rating out of 7: 4

This isn’t exemplary, but it is spot on for char siu pork. The flavors are exactly what we would have expected. The pork is decent, and the sweet sauce lingers, though it’s a little heavy on the soy undertones.

Rating out of 7: 4

Forager Salad (Gluten Sensitive) – $15.99

Crispy maitake mushrooms, acorn squash, red beets, blue cheese, arugula, and bibb lettuce, tossed in a blueberry pomegranate dressing with a grilled chicken stake

The salad is $12.99 when ordered without the chicken, which is what we got. This makes it vegetarian, but not vegan. It’s a well-composed salad, and the ingredients were fresh and flavorful. It’s all pulled together by the blueberry pomegranate dressing, which was tangy, sweet, and refreshing.

Rating out of 7: 5

It’s not a very good panna cotta, but it was good anyway. It’s more like a thick custard, served cold and refreshing. The raspberry “blood” sauce added a nice, fruity note.

Rating out of 7: 5

The puffed rice looks a little too much like maggots, but despite the off-putting presentation, this is a good dessert. You can taste the beets in the cake, and it’s not overly sweet.

Rating out of 7: 5

Each world at Epic Universe has a custom Coke Freestyle mix, and the one for Dark Universe is called “Screaming Berry.” It has strong overtones of grape Fanta with some berry added. It’s not our favorite of the custom Freestyle mixes, but it’s still good.

Rating out of 7: 4

The monocane (center above) is a vibrantly green mocktail served in a plastic beaker. The rubber “cork” has room for the included clear straw. It’s very sweet with a sour kick on the back end. The pineapple and Sprite are the most forward flavors. This is well-balanced with a fun presentation, and we recommend it.

Rating out of 7: 6

The worlds of Epic Universe have other exclusive, signature drinks in addition to the Coke Freestyle mixes. Reaper’s Reserve is an aromatic brew only found in the park. It tastes like cream soda or Butterbeer. It’s phenomenal. We wish it came in a smaller pour, as it’s a lot of flavor. We’d get it again, but to share.

Rating out of 7: 6

Watch our video review below.