Join Us For Lunch at Minion Cafe at Universal Orlando
I am excited to dine at Illumination’s Minion Cafe in the new Minion Land at Universal Studios Florida. Now, I’m not the biggest fan of Minions, but the food looks so adorable, and the dining location is very themed. Not only is the land highly themed, but it’s also extremely vibrant, which is very on-brand. Anyway, enough about the land and how it looks; let’s look at the food.
The menu is separated into different sections. First on the menu is the Despica-bowls. They have various bowls, from a noodle bowl to a ropa vieja bowl. I am most intrigued to try Carl’s Crispy Cauliflower from this section. The next tier is the Handhelds, and here guests will find two hefty sandwiches to choose from. The next part of the menu is labeled Off the Flames, this is reserved for Mel’s Meatball Mountain, which is a baked stuffed pizza. There’s also a diverse selection of desserts. Now that we’ve covered what the menu offers, let’s get into this dining review.
Entrees
I ordered Carl’s Crispy Cauliflower ($15.99), crispy cauliflower florets with sweet & spicy chili sauce, coconut blue rice, Thai cucumbers, and edamame. One thing about me is that if there’s a sweet & spicy chili sauce in a dish, I will order it. I would put that sauce on every food item if I could. During this review, I found out Ryno feels the same way. This food item was amazing; I have thought about it since we left the restaurant. The cauliflower was cooked perfectly, and the rice mixed with the Thai cucumbers and edamame was out of this world.
I also tried some of Craig’s ropa vieja and Ryno’s salmon dish. Out of the two, I think the winner is the ropa vieja. It was cooked perfectly. After I tried a bite, I immediately said, “Wow, this tastes like home” because it was reminiscent of how my family makes it. The salmon was good for theme park seafood, but I would say it’s on the same level as Magic Kingdom’s Columbia Habour House.
Craig got El Macho’s Salsa y Salsa Ropa Vieja ($17.99), braised beef with tomato cucumber salad, cilantro rice, salsa roja, and El Macho tostones. When the plate arrived, we first noticed the tostones and how the shape didn’t look the best and seemed small. Craig loved this dish and thought it had an excellent level of spiciness. He also mentioned that the beef was so perfect that it melted in his mouth.
The only part of the dish that didn’t wow him was the cilantro rice because it was the only thing on the plate that lacked flavor. Craig took my advice and put the ropa vieja on a tostone and got to experience how eating that way completely changes the texture of the dish. The tomato cucumber salad was another highlight; it cut through the spiciness and added a refreshing element. Craig did mention that even though this meal was on the expensive side, it was still a hit in his book.
Ryno got Lucy’s Top Secret Salmon ($19.99): wood-grilled Atlantic salmon, coconut blue rice, Thai cucumbers, edamame, and lipstick taser sauce. After some taste testing, we concluded that the lipstick taser sauce is the sweet & spicy chili sauce from the cauliflower dish. This was the most expensive food item that was on our table, but Ryno mentioned that it was cooked really well for a theme park salmon.
He loved the coconut blue rice, Thai cucumbers, and edamame all mixed together, but gave a shoutout to the coconut rice for having a great flavor. Ryno also pointed out that the way the food was presented was very visually pleasing. The color blocking of each dish was done so well and made the food stand out. He also tried some of the cauliflower and said that he thought it was delicious.
Round Two of Food
I go the Minion Tots for my round two because I had been eyeing them the entire time. On opening day, these were claimed to be plant-based, so I was excited to try these. Since we did this review, it has come out that they aren’t plant-based. Sources are working to figure out the exact ingredients, but all we know right now is that there’s some animal fat used in the cooking process.
A side of Minion Tots costs $5.49, but it comes as the side if you order a kids’ meal. I know when we see the word “tots,” we think of a true tater tot, but this is far from that. The consistency is reminiscent of mashed potatoes which I am not complaining about, but that initial bite was shocking. I enjoyed them, but I’m now looking back at the experience, and I’m not sure I would spend the extra almost 6 dollars on this for a side.
Craig and Ryno shared Mel’s Meatball Mountain ($14.99) and Agnes’ Honeymoon Soup ($14.99). Mel’s Meatball Mountain is a wood oven-baked stuffed pizza with meatballs, basil, fresh mozzarella, and marinara. This dish was huge, and my first thought was that this would be perfect for kids to share or even adults. I tried one of the meatballs since I couldn’t enjoy the rest of the pizza and thought it was delicious. It was flavorful, and whatever red sauce they used complemented it perfectly.
Mel’s Meatball Mountain was their favorite of the two extra entrees they ordered. Ryno did point out that this is a messy dish, so if kids are sharing this, keep an eye on them. Next, we have Agnes’ Honeymoon Soup, green tomato soup, crispy pork belly, tomato gummy bear, and basil oil served with a pimento cheddar grilled cheese sandwich. This missed the mark. The pimento grilled cheese was very soggy and did not look appetizing. The guys said the only thing saving the meal was the grilled cheese being dipped in the soup. Each item on its own was mediocre, but when combined, it leveled up to “just okay.”
Dessert
I did not partake in the dessert festivities since there were no dairy-free options, so I just sat back for this one.
The two desserts they ordered were Otto’s Pet Rock ($8.99) and Bob’s Teddy Bear Chocolate Cream Puff ($6.99). Of the two desserts, Craig and Ryno said that Otto’s Pet Rock was the winner. This dessert was made of peanut butter mousse, strawberry jelly, crushed peanuts, and banana cake dipped in a chocolate shell. This was so good that Ryno was tempted to order another one to take home. They both mentioned that the flavors blended perfectly and were just out of this world.
On the other hand, Bob’s Teddy Bear Chocolate Cream Puff was not as life-changing. This dessert consists of a chocolate cream puff filled with a chocolate whipped ganache. One team member told us that this dish tasted like a warm hug, but Craig and Ryno disagreed. Ryno pointed out that, at times, it tasted bitter due to some dark chocolate that was in the dessert.
Overall Thoughts
Overall we had a great experience at Minion Cafe, and we all agreed that we’d come back again. The restaurant itself is very bright, colorful, and filled with great decor. I think they did a great job at paying attention to details and making the atmosphere very fun. I recommend taking time after your meal to walk around and look at the different dining rooms to see all the fun decor.
Almost everything we ordered was delicious. I was pleasantly surprised at how great the food was and how all the plates were presented. After this, I can confidently say this is the best quick-service meal I’ve had at Universal Studios Florida. The menu is very diverse, and there’s something for everyone on the menu. If you have food allergies or dietary restrictions, they have symbols on the menu to highlight safe options, but you can also ask to speak with a chef. All in all, I will be back soon to order Carl’s Crispy Cauliflower again because I already miss it.
