DISCLOSURE: I was an invited guest of the Universal Orlando Resort, and I was provided with admission, lodging, and promotional items for sharing my opinions, experiences, and thoughts. All opinions are my own.
CityWalk, at the Universal Orlando Resort, has always been an exciting nighttime destination in Orlando, however over the last eight months seven new and two enhanced venues have really brought new life to this bustling area!
This epic CityWalk expansion was the product of a nationwide search for culinary concepts that included a mix of established national brands, up-and-coming concepts and Universal’s own creations. The new venues all share an overall theme that includes inviting common areas, al fresco dining, open kitchens and more.
Over the past months, we have had the opportunity to spend a lot of time exploring the new additions to CityWalk and are anxiously awaiting our chance to try ‘Burgushi’ at The Cowfish.
So join us as we take a look around the new and enhanced CityWalk Venues with some great photos from Betsy Bates!
A closer look at the CityWalk Expansion
Red Oven Pizza Bakery
Take a quick trip to Italy for authentic, artisan pizza–made fresh, while you wait–at Universal CityWalk’s first-ever Neopolitan-style pizza bakery. The combination of the highest quality ingredients and a traditional 900-degree stone-lined oven ensures every slice is pizza perfection.
The menu at Red Brick Oven Pizza Bakery features some really yummy pizza combinations, fresh salads, and beverages.
The outside seating area is really relaxed and covered to shield you from the rain and sun!
I’ve really enjoyed the Alla Benno red pizza! It’s a really great combination of sweet, salty, and spicy!
Antojitos Authentic Mexican Food
Take a journey through the cantinas, street carts, and markets of Mexico for unique tapas-style dining at Antojitos Authentic Mexican Food. Only the freshest ingredients are used to create craveable, made from scratch Mexican street fare in an environment of unmatched authenticity.
I adore Antojitos!
The authentic Mexican Cuisine and specialty drinks are served up in a vibrant environment of art and music! The downstairs of Antojitos has a more relaxed feel, while the upstairs dining area has the vibe of a fancy family meal!
You can check out my post on icFlorida.com from the opening of Antojitos in February!
Hot Dog Hall of Fame
Strike out your hunger at Hot Dog Hall of Fame with some of the most iconic hot dog creations from our nation’s most famous ballparks. Take a seat in the bleachers and enjoy a loaded Chicago dog with all the toppings, a perfectly charred Boston brat, a monster LA dog and more.
The seating for the Hot Dog Hall of Fame lets you know that you are definitely in for a unique and fun experience when you choose to eat here!
If you are a mustard lover, you will definitely want to visit the Hot Dog Hall of Fame to try all of their mustard creations!
The Cowfish
Innovative sushi joins forces with creative burgers for an untraditional dining experience at this reincarnation of the popular North Carolina hotspot. The result: “Burgushi”. A cutting-edge fusion of burger and sushi, burgushi items include sushi rolls created using burger components and sandwiches created using sushi elements.
During the Orlando CityWalk announcement in December, nothing garnered as much interest as an item called ‘burgushi’, which is a burger topped with sushi elements, and I seriously cannot wait to give it a try!!!!!!
Vivo
Immerse yourself in the essence of modern Italian cuisine at this new restaurant created by Universal Orlando. Watch as the culinary team handcrafts your pasta from scratch to create fresh takes on classic dishes in a clean, contemporary dining atmosphere.
We had the chance to dine at the VIVO Italian Kitchen during our Diagon Alley FAM trip, and it was amazing! The food is rustic and comforting with a flair for the unexpected!
I will be sharing more about our meal at VIVO soon!
Bread Box
With a Bread Box sandwich, you’ll be transported back to your childhood kitchen or your favorite street corner deli. Here you’ll find that the combination of quality meats and vegetables, fresh bread, and simple preparation can transform a sandwich into something more.
While I haven’t gotten the chance to try Bread Box yet, it has a really fun vibe and sandwiches that look amazing!
I seriously want to try ALL of the grilled cheese Bread Boxes!!!!
Cold Stone Creamery
For more than 25 years, Cold Stone Creamery has served up the finest, freshest ice cream, cakes, smoothies and shakes using only the highest quality ingredients and their signature process of preparing your custom ice cream creation on a frozen granite stone.
Is there really anything better than Coldstone on a hot Florida day??? It is really great to have this familiar favorite as a new venue in CityWalk!
Menchie’s
One of the world’s most popular frozen yogurt shops is coming to Universal CityWalk. The dream was to create a place where people from all walks of life and ages could enjoy themselves—not only with great tasting, quality frozen yogurt and an expansive self-serve toppings bar, but with a unique experience in a fun and happy environment that makes you smile.
I know that my daughter LOVES that Menchie’s has been added to CityWalk!!! We used to climb the ramp and stairs to go to TCBY, but now I notice that no matter how tired she is Zoe zips up there quicker!
The Menchie’s location has a good amount of indoor seating, a large assortment of both topics and yogurt flavors, and a staff that is crazy friendly.
Universal Orlando Annual Passholders also receive a discount here, so make sure that you show your pass at the register!
Starbucks
While there has always been a Starbucks located in CityWalk, their new venue is full of indoor and outdoor seating and is beautiful inside!
I cannot tell you how excited I about the expanded seating areas and the fact that it is on the ‘first’ floor of CityWalk!
Starbucks is our go-to place to grab a bite of breakfast before heading into the parks, and it is so easy to pop in and out of now! We love it!
Universal Studios Store
The new and improved Universal Studios Store is an absolute welcome addition to CityWalk!
They carry a huge variety of park merchandise in one place, and it has been a trip-saver for us on more than one occasion!
All of these new venues have really brought a new life to CityWalk at the Universal Orlando Resort, and I seriously can’t wait to explore and try them some more!
What is your favorite venue at CityWalk?
It’s never a dull moment at the Universal Orlando Resort, so make sure that you keep up with the latest news by following the Universal Orlando Resort on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
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