No doubt Halloween Horror Nights is the biggest ticketed event at Universal Studios Florida. Besides the houses and scare zones, the food draws the crowds at this beloved annual event. This year’s menus included a colorful and unique selection of entrees, snacks, desserts and beverages. Some items were familiar favorites while others were brand new creations and I was here for all of it.
After previewing the menus before HHN started I weeded out everything I didn’t want. That left nine offerings for me to try over the course of the event. I kicked it off with a tried and true fan favorite.
#1. VEGAN WALKING TACO
I order the Vegan Walking Taco every season. I’ve noticed more people ordering the vegan over the regular version every year which surprises me. Most people swear vegan food is so terrible *rolling my eyes* but I know better. Not all vegan food is great but it’s certainly not all terrible either.
The Vegan Walking Taco included a Fritos corn chips base topped with shredded lettuce, vegan chili, cheese and sour cream – that’s all.
Don’t get me wrong, it was delicious although somewhat of a disappointment as compared to the Fritos Scoops version from HHN 33. It included more yummy toppings and a fuller, more appealing presentation.
Check out all the details from the HHN 33 version of the Vegan Walking Taco here.
Despite the obvious cutbacks it was still pretty tasty, just not as tasty as it could have been. This will always rank high on my HHN must try list. I hope to see future versions of the Vegan Walking Taco back to its HHN33 glory, filled to the brim and packed with all the delicious toppings that every Walking Taco should have.
#2 VEGAN PIZZA SKULL
The Vegan Pizza Skull is terribly underrated in my opinion. I consider it almost the perfect theme park snack. It’s compact and neat making it easy to walk with and can easily be wrapped up and put away inside your bag if you needed to be hands free.
The regular beef version is also very popular so I appreciate this vegan version for those like me who don’t eat red meat. If only Disney would offer a vegan version of those viral cheeseburger egg rolls. Knowing how Disney moves I’ll likely never get to try a vegan version, so – I digress.
The one negative about the Vegan Pizza Skull is cost. At $9.99 it’s not worth the price as compared to the portion size. This is a great in between meals snack but for the price it’s a rip off. Don’t buy this if you’re really hungry because it won’t fill you up. For the cost of two skulls you could go to Bob Marley’s in CityWalk and have a whole plate of brown stew chicken, rice & peas and plantains, straight up.
I’ve heard someone compare the Vegan Pizza Skull to a Hot Pocket. That’s a fair and accurate comparison, both are served hot and delicious. I’ve always loved Hot Pockets so for me the Vegan Pizza Skull is a winner and another HHN must try.
#4 FRIED PBJ BITES
The Fried PBJ Bites is the 1st of two new desserts that I tried this season and they did not disappoint. They’re basically fried dough balls filled with smooth peanut butter and strawberry jelly sprinkled with powdered sugar. The dollop of strawberry jam on the side sets it off perfectly.
This was one of the most delicious and satisfying treats I’ve ever had at HHN. My mouth is literally watering as I write this, they’re truly that good. Add these to your HHN must try list.
What I loved most about them is they were served hot which enhanced the flavor. I’d describe the flavor as the perfect blend of savory and sweet, but not overly sweet. I hope they bring this offering back to HHN next year because I think it’s earned fan favorite status.
#4 TORN TO SHREDS PORK SANDWICH
I love HHN entrees that are hearty and filling like this yummy BBQ shredded pork sandwich. Served on a toasted pretzel roll and topped with a flavorful jalapeño slaw and pickle slice, this sandwich is very satisfying and worth the money.
Unlike the Walking Taco or Pizza Skull, this entree was not walk friendly. I had to find a comfy seat and use a knife and fork at one point to enjoy this sandwich. It can get rather messy so keep that in mind. If you like BBQ shredded pork add this offering to your list, it’s worth a try.
#5 UPSIDE DOWN CHICKEN & WAFFLES
I’ve seen just about every possible version of chicken & waffles. This one is on the savory side with a cool twist on the waffle. Instead of traditional waffle batter, they made it from potatoes. This is a brilliant take on basic chicken & fries.
The presentation was excellent but the taste didn’t match up. It wasn’t the flavor because the seasonings were on point. The problem was the amount of salt.
We ordered two and both were equally salty. I couldn’t finish mine but I’m sure this was an isolated incident. I’ve heard great reviews about the Chicken & Waffle but sadly this entree wasn’t a winner for me.
I wish I had gotten the chance to try it again during the season because I’m sure it would have been a better experience than the first time I tried it. If they bring it back next year I’ll definitely give it another try.
#6 CHOW’S SOUTHERN BBQ EGGROLLS
I knew this entree would be a winner before I tried it. This is another shredded BBQ pork based entree except it was served inside two crispy fried egg rolls. It was filling, delicious and easy to walk with. It came with a side of BBQ sauce which I think was overkill. The pork filling had plenty of good flavored sauce in it already.
#7 PECAN & WHISKEY BREAD PUDDING
Served warm this bread pudding came drizzled with a pecan & whisky caramel sauce – sinfully good! I was shocked to see a negative review about it on YouTube recently. The vlogger called it “dry” and “just bad” which is unfortunate. I don’t doubt their claim because who would’ve thought my Chicken & Waffle serving would be so terribly salty?
The bread pudding was warm, fresh, gooey, perfectly sweet and delicious. What happened with that negative review was just another case of theme park food inconsistency so keep that in mind when you try theme park food – it happens from time to time.
It’s funny because I almost didn’t have enough room for the bread pudding, those egg rolls were so satisfying they nearly put me to sleep! Thankfully I shared it so it didn’t go to waste!
#8 RIGATONI PIZZA
I can’t lie, I was a little skeptical of this pizza when it was first announced. Eventually I warmed up to it because who doesn’t love pizza, pasta and pepperoni?
The Rigatoni Pizza was definitely heavy on the carbs but it was packed with good flavor and texture. One slice will fill you up so it was well worth the money. Like the Walking Taco and the Torn to Shreds BBQ Sandwich, it’s like a complete meal.
If they bring the Rigatoni Pizza back next year I suggest you start HHN with a slice early in the evening. You’ll burn those calories off easily walking the entire park to each house and scare zone.
#9 ODDFELLOW’S ELIXIR
This was the only beverage I tried during HHN. I tend to stay away from most theme park alcoholic beverages because they’re almost always watered down, especially the cocktails and frozen drinks.
There are exceptions of course. Shout out to Celestiki Bar at Epic Universe serving up certified Dranky Dranks, namely the Frozen Piña Colada.
Oddfellow’s Elixir was surprisingly tasty. It’s described as a blueberry lemonade vodka spritzer. I didn’t pick up on the lemonade but the blueberry was obvious. It was very light, not syrupy nor overly sweet. As a lightweight I found the alcohol content very manageable. I shared this drink but I could possibly nurse the entire can if I tried.
If you enjoy light & fruity alcoholic spritzers, add Oddfellow’s Elixir to your must try list also. Hopefully it makes a comeback next year along with the Fried PBJ Bites, the Vegan Walking Taco and the Torn to Shreds BBQ Sandwich.
Despite a couple shortcomings, everything I tried this year were solid picks and I highly recommend each one. Mark your calendars, HHN 36 is only nine months away and I’m hopeful the brand new menu line up will be as good, if not better than this year’s was.
