What should you know?

With a lot of indoor seating, Universal Studios’ Classic Monsters Cafe can be a good place for a meal and to get out of the hot sun. The restaurant is filled with movie props from various monster films, including The Creature from the Black Lagoon and The Mummy, but also has references from The Munsters TV show. Universal remade the Monsters’ menu in 2019 with barbecue meat combos and home-style side dishes, making it into one of the park’s best non-Potter bets. Chicken and ribs are comparable to those at Three Broomsticks, the brisket runs fatty but has fantastic seasoning on the bark, and the personal pizzas (available with barbecue chicken) are much better than your average theme park pizza. Vegetarians can get a combo of only side dishes, or be adventurous and try the jackfruit (a mild, fleshy cousin of the fig and breadfruit), served hot with crispy onions on a kaiser roll. The signature nonalcoholic beverage here is Sprite with blueberry popping boba, called the Lavender Elixir; it tastes much better than the Fishy Green Ale in Diagon Alley.

What are the specialties?

Smoked brisket, chicken, ribs, and sausage, served with baked beans, mac and cheese, Brussels sprouts, coleslaw, and corn bread; vegan slow-cooked jackfruit sandwich; kale salad with brisket; individual woodoven pizzas; peach cobbler, s’mores cookies; beer.