Richter’s Burger Co. is a quick service restaurant in the San Francisco area of Universal Studios Florida. The theming was originally tied to the Disaster!, the earthquake attraction that permanently closed back in 2008. Richter’s received new life this summer with an updated menu and theming in celebration of Steven Spielberg’s Jaws.
In fact, this area of the park has received an Amity Island makeover with photo-ops, merchandise, and new beverages at the popular Chez Alcatraz.
Once inside Richter’s Burger Co., the original earthquake theming is still there but with an impressive Jaws overlay. Even in the picture below, you can see Captain Quint’s drawing of Bruce the Shark taking a bite out of the Richter scale.
The restaurant’s large window has a giant image of the shark, Fourth of July bunting and banners, images and storyboards from the film, and a soundtrack right out of the summer of ’75 when Jaws was released in theaters.
Walk through the mouth of a shark to get to one of the dining room’s themed to the ship, The Orca.
Be sure to take a moment to look for small details like Captain Quint, Chief Brody, and Bruce figures tucked in with the other Richter’s props.
Pictured below is a replica of one of the diving tanks that ultimately leads to Bruce’s demise.
Reproduction storyboard images from the creation of Jaws.
There are two display cases near the registers with throw-back merchandise from the former Universal Jaws attraction that closed back in 2012.
My personal favorite detail from the Jaws overlay at Richter’s is The Orca photo-op in which you can sit at the table and swap stories just like Captain Quint.
The new menu at Richter’s of course includes burgers now with creative smash burgers, a Flamin’ Hot Cheetos chicken sandwich, the option for Impossible patties, and a Jaws-themed milkshake.
We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat – three smash patties, American cheese, grilled onions, secret sauce, and pickles on a brioche bun
- Combo with fries and a drink – $26.99
The patties were a little thicker than a typical smash patty, making this burger quite impressive and honestly the best burger you can get at Islands of Adventure or Universal Studios. The secret sauce is essentially BigMac sauce and it pairs great with the onions and American cheese. The fries were also solid – crispy with plenty of salt.
You can get this burger with two patties instead of three – the “Double Smash Burger”. Next time, I would just get the double burger which would still be super filling.
Shake Attack – bright, tropical blue shake with pineapple, orange, and coconut finished with a bold strawberry “chomp” splash – $9.49
The presentation of the shake is just too-good! The portion size was larger than I expected and the milkshake was quite dense, helping to justify the almost $10 price point. The tropical flavors were subtle and the shake mostly tasted like vanilla. So nothing special when it came to flavor but clearly all about the aesthetic.
The Jaws overlay at Richter’s is a much-needed update and should stay like this year-round. Especially since Bruce the Shark is just outside at Chez Alcatraz. The commitment to the theming is impressive and is a nice homage to both the iconic film and the retired attraction. The menu updates also put this quick service restaurant back-in-demand by having unique options. The Jaws celebration at Universal Studios lasts until August 10th and you should definitely make a visit to experience it if you can!
For more details and trip planning advice, watch our full DIS Unlimited discussion below of the Jaws celebration and the Spielberg Summer Blockbusters exhibit.
