Best food at Halloween Horror Nights 2025 at Universal Studios Hollywood
Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood (west coast) has lots of new food in 2025. After tasting a sampling of many, my favorites lean in the direction of desserts.
(Looking for Orlando food? Check out our separate coverage of full menus with photos for Halloween Horror Nights 2025 food at Universal Studios Florida. While some of the items listed below are also available on the east coast, this story focuses on the California version of the event.)
Themed to the numerous movie and franchise haunted houses at this year’s event, the chefs at Universal Studios have created many picture-worthy foods to enjoy during your night of horror.
Whether you’re a fan of “Friday the 13th” and you’re ready to tackle one of the 22-inch Crystal Lake Campfire Dogs, or you’re a “Five Nights at Freddy’s” fan who can finally taste what a pizza is like at Freddy Fazbear Pizza, you’ll have plenty of opportunities like these for such fan service entrée items.
But in all truth, none of the entrée items I tried left a big impression on me. Nothing was bad. It was all fine. But none of it left me wanting more.
The same can’t be said for the desserts. I naturally have a sweet tooth, but in the past, I’ve typically found Universal Studios desserts are even too sweet for me. Usually, a bite or two is more than enough before I’m sugared out. That being said, I’m pleasantly surprised with this year’s themed desserts for Halloween Horror Nights. Not only are they not too sweet, but they are also quite delicious and offer a variety of different flavors.
The Sunflower Glasses lemon raspberry cookie sandwich is a clever design based on Art the Clown’s sunglasses from the “Terrifier” franchise. This dessert can be found on a cart located adjacent to the “Terrifier” haunted house (which we recently walked through with the creative director of HHN). This soft cookie has a nice, subtle lemon flavor without being too sweet.
A staple year after year at Halloween Horror Nights in Hollywood is that musician Slash typically writes an original music score for one of the houses. This year’s “Scarecrow” house got the Slash treatment, and we also got a dessert in the shape of Slash’s iconic top hat.
Slash’s Top Hat is a vanilla bean sponge cake with mango habanero gelee, pineapple compote, and a crisp honey crunch. A bite into this is both light and not too sweet. It’s a nice, light treat that won’t weigh you down as you run from one haunt to the next. You can find this dessert at the SLASH Bar near Jurassic World – The Ride.
My favorite dessert I tried is part of the Dia De Los Muertos area in Universal Plaza on the Upper Lot. I had never tasted Concha before, but it may be a new go-to for me. This slightly sweet and colorful bread brought joy to my taste buds, and it’s the item I would recommend most.
If you’re looking for the perfect food items at Halloween Horror Nights to showcase on social media, there’s no denying the “Jason Universe” Mask S’more (located at Jason Universe Barbecue on the Lower Lot) and the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” Cupcake (also found on the Lower Lot) are ready for a closeup shot.
If you’d like to try a bunch of food and drinks while attending, Universal Studios Hollywood is offering a Dining Pass. For $65, you can choose two entrées plus four side, snack, dessert or beverage items. This Dining Pass is only valid on the date of purchase, so it’s a good option for sharing. Some exclusions apply.
I’d like to note that although my preferences leaned toward the desserts, I was with some colleagues who felt the opposite. Opinions and tastes seemed to vary considerably. But overall, my strategy for food at Halloween Horror Nights in Hollywood will be to arrive early and enjoy a good meal where I can sit down and relax on Universal CityWalk before the night of mayhem. Then I’ll grab a dessert inside the event.
Halloween Horror Nights opens at Universal Studios Hollywood on Sept. 4, 2025, and runs on select nights through Nov. 2.
Jeff DePaoli is an event producer living in Los Angeles. He is the producer and host of “That Halloween Podcast” and works throughout the year with Halloween events including Midsummer Scream and Creep It Real OC, as well as the event he founded, Wicked New England. Learn more and claim free gifts at DePodcastNetwork.com.
More Attractions Magazine stories:
Follow us:
Ready for adventure? Our trusted partner Universal Fan Travel will handle the planning so you can focus on the fun. They offer free vacation-planning services and have nearly 20 years of experience creating epic vacations. Visit Universal Fan Travel for a fee-free, no-obligation quote today.
