REVIEW: Fuel Up with Cosmic Pub Fare at Meteor Astropub in Epic Universe

Meteor Chopped Chicken Salad – $16.99

Spicy char-grilled chicken, baby gem lettuce, tomatoes, eggs, bacon, avocado, cheese puffs, and house vinaigrette

We couldn’t taste the cheese of the puff with the rest of the salad, but it does bring a nice crunch like a crouton would. The chicken is not spicy at all, but we’re happy to report that it is tender and juicy here. This is a good, light salad that we would order again. If you want to be full, but not ruin your day, this is a great healthy option.

Rating out of 7: 6

Spicy Grilled Chicken Sandwich – $17.99

Calabrian chili & Italian herb marinated chicken, mozzarella, basil pesto, arugula, and potato roll

Usually, you would expect a spicy chicken sandwich to be fried, so we appreciate Universal trying something different. That being said, the chicken is very dry and tough to cut, and may be the worst-cooked piece of chicken we’ve ever had. You might get a better serving when you visit, but this is in line with nearly every grilled chicken sandwich we’ve ever had at Universal.

It’s a shame that the main aspect of this dish is so disappointing, because the accompaniments are phenomenal. The peppers are great, and the basil pesto has an excellent flavor. The potato bun is also a highlight for us.

Rating out of 7: 1

Fish and Chips – $19.99

Gochujang beer-battered filet of cod, kimchee remoulade sauce, and wasabi fries

When it comes to the wasabi fries, we think the subtlety of the added flavor ruins them. Either go all out with the wasabi or don’t. We do like the kimchee remoulade sauce a lot, and it might be our favorite aspect of the dish.

The fish filet is solid, with a nice, flaky breading. We can slightly taste the gochujang in the beer-batter crust, but this is another case of Universal not going all in on the spice. This dish plays it very safe, but it is good. We expect most guests who aren’t fans of wasabi to ask to substitute for regular pub fries.

Rating out of 7: 5

Chicken and Waffles – $16.99

Crispy buttermilk chicken thigh, whiskey bacon jam, spiced maple syrup, and a liège waffle

Are you a theme park if you don’t have a liège waffle dish? This is fantastic. The chicken has a lot of breading, but it is nice and crispy. It’s tender and juicy, with an overall sweetness to it that we enjoy. None of the spice in the spiced maple syrup came through for us, just a slight tingle.

The waffle is very doughy, which is to be expected for liège waffles. The pub fries are a lot with this heavy entree; you’re certainly not going to leave hungry if you order this. We think this is a good dish, and very shareable with the table.

Rating out of 7: 6

Astro Pub Burger – $16.99

Black Angus beef, American cheese, cherry pepper aioli, garlic pickles, and a potato roll

This is a good, classic cheeseburger for a theme park. The garlic pickles are delicious, the burger is well-cooked, and the potato roll is the star of the show. We think this burger will be a hit for picky eaters.

We opted for the salad as our side, which is nice and fresh. The dressing is not overly vinegar-heavy and tastes good. If you’re trying to keep your meal on the light side, this is a good choice over the fries.

Rating out of 7: 5

Big Bang Burger – $17.99

Black Angus beef, whiskey bacon jam, beer cheese sauce, Applewood bacon, lettuce, tomato, and a potato roll

The burger here is perfectly cooked and is a nice, thick patty. We’d say it’s above most counter-service hamburgers we’ve had in the past. The potato roll is outrageous, soft, and fresh, and adds a little bit of sweetness. We also have to highlight the whiskey bacon jam and beer cheese, which mix to create a sweet and salty combination that is the perfect accompaniment to the burger.

This is a very run-of-the-mill burger, but it’s very enjoyable.

The pub fries are unbelievable, and very salty. We do wish there had been more on our plate, though.

Rating out of 7: 5

Vegan Sausage and Peppers – $15.99

Plant-based Italian sausage, pepperonata, basil aioli, arugula, and a toasted roll

We love this type of vegan sausage; it’s not Beyond or Impossible brand with pea protein, but instead is made of wheat gluten. The previous time we ordered this sandwich, it included more filling, but things can and have been tweaked at Epic Universe restaurants since the park opened.

The basil aioli is amazing, and the pepperonata and arugula are delicious. The only thing that sets this dish back for us is the bun, which is consistently stale and hard. We do appreciate that so much care is being taken to keep this dish vegan, but the bread could have been of better quality.

Rating out of 7: 5

Sloppy Alya’s Tavern Sandwich – $16.99

Brisket burnt end Sloppy Joe mix, salt & vinegar potato sticks, and a potato roll

There’s a lot of potato in this dish! Don’t let your eyes deceive you, this Sloppy Joe looks more solid than it really is.

The smokiness of the advertised brisket burnt end flavor does come through, but this is quite dry for a Sloppy Joe. There’s no sauce to offset the dryness.

Rating out of 7: 2

Grilled Fourmaggio – $15.99

Sharp cheddar, smoked cheddar, mozzarella, and American cheese with tomato bisque and basil goat cheese crème

The sandwich here is quite basic for a four-cheese grilled cheese. The bread tastes like it came out of a bag. The soup, however, is to die for. It’s a chunky tomato soup, and very filling. We would honestly rather have a larger serving of the soup than the soup and sandwich combination.

Rating out of 7: 4

Astronomer’s Shortcake Skillet – $7.99

Strawberry ice cream, warm biscuit, and strawberry & and cream crumbs

Universal isn’t lying when they say “biscuit” here. This is like if a Southern biscuit were a dessert, and it works. It has a very crumbly, slightly grainy texture. The cream crumbs come through, and the ice cream works very well with the dish overall.

That being said, you’d better be okay with a dessert biscuit, because that’s the dominant force in this dish. We could’ve used more strawberries and strawberry sauce, as this offers just a touch of that fruit flavor. To us, this is more of a breakfast item than a dessert.

Rating out of 7: 5

Atlas’ Chocolate Cake – $5.99

Marshmallow fluff, chocolate cream, toasted almonds, and whipped topping

There are crunchy chocolate bits on top that aren’t advertised, but add a nice texture that we really like. The marshmallow fluff comes across more like whipped cream, but it’s still good.

If you’re familiar with Ring Dings snack cakes, we would describe this dessert as a Ring Ding, with pudding and whipped cream on top. It’s very basic and safe, but we think people will like it, and we also think it’s pretty good. It won’t get a high score from us for creativity, but it’s excellent for what it is.

Rating out of 7: 5

First Light Mocktail – $7

Monin blue raspberry syrup, Monin vanilla crème syrup, blue prism powder, Minute Maid blue raspberry, Sprite, and sweet cream cold foam with a galactic sugar sprinkle (Pop Rocks)

The sweet cream cold foam is very dense, but we like it. Stirring it in will help a lot. The blue raspberry flavor is not overwhelming or too tart, and the drink has an overall creamy and milky texture. The splash of Sprite is great. We like this as a dessert drink after a meal.

Rating out of 7: 6

Meteorita – $16.25

Cuervo Tradicional Blanco Tequila, lime juice, pineapple juice, serrano peppers, agave syrup, and Tajín seasoning

When we got this cocktail, Meteor Astropub was out of serrano peppers, so they replaced them with Calabrian chili peppers. Presentation-wise, even without that change, this looks totally different from what we were served weeks ago. This cocktail is spicy but well-balanced. It’s not too tart or syrupy, and is a very drinkable theme park margarita. Be warned, though, it is super spicy.

Rating out of 7: 6

Leonid Lemonade – $15.50

360 Vodka huckleberry, huckleberry syrup, lavender syrup, lemon juice, club soda, and blueberries

The floral aftertaste of this drink is not our favorite, but it’s way better than it was a couple of weeks ago. It wasn’t drinkable then, but it is now.

Universal toned down the lavender syrup a touch, but it does come through in the floral finish. Upfront, you get the sweetness of the huckleberry, which holds throughout. It’s pretty light and refreshing, which you wouldn’t expect. We think it’s a really good summer drink.

Rating out of 7: 6

Renazzo Rickey – $18

High West Distillery bourbon, DeKuyper peach brandy, lime juice, peach purée, smoked sea salt, club soda, and fresh mint

This drink is nice and light, and very refreshing. It’s not syrupy at all. You can definitely taste the liquor, but we don’t mind. This could be a great drink for the summer if you’re in the mood for a cocktail. We love this and wouldn’t change a thing.

Rating out of 7: 7

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Overall

Meteor Astropub is what we would call a “safety restaurant,” being that it offers fare like burgers, sandwiches, and chicken and waffles. You can please everyone at the table with this menu, but this is the restaurant for guests who don’t want to venture outside their comfort zone. Ultimately, this is the kind of venue you want in the busiest section of your theme park.