Ultimate Foodie Guide to Mardi Gras 2020 at Universal Orlando

The return of Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras is almost upon us, and it’s not Mardi Gras without the food! Take a look at our Ultimate Foodie Guide for this year’s festivities below:

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This year will be the 25th anniversary of the event at Universal Orlando, and to celebrate, the culinary team has added new dishes, drinks and more to the menu.

New for this year is the Carnival Around the Universe Tent, which will offer a rotating menu of food from different countries:

Trinidad & Tobago (Week 1 & 2)

chickpea double
  • Grilled Pineapple Trini-Chow – topped with kimchi seasoning and cilantro
  • Pholourie – fried spicy split pea dough with tumeric, curry powder and tamarind chutney
  • Chickpea Double – served on spicy bara flatbread with cilantro and mango chutney

Louisiana Creole (Week 3 & 4)

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  • Softshell Crab Slider – softshell crab with organic veggie slaw and a bayou aioli
  • Cauliflower Dirty Rice – riced cauliflower with plant-based protein crumbles, black-eyed peas and Cajun spices

Brazil (Week 5 & 6)

pao de quiejo
  • Pao de Quiejo – warm cheese bread served with guava dipping sauce
  • Sweet Plantains – covered in cinnamon and sugar served with banana poppy seed dipping sauce

Germany (Week 7 & 8)

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  • Sauerbraten – slow-braised beef with buttered spaetzel, pickled red cabbage and topped with a red wine sauce
  • Grilled Bratwurst – served on a potato pancake with whole grain mustard, sour cream and chives
  • Warm Pretzel

New Mardi Gras Drinks

coconut water in a coconut

This year, guests will find a number of new drinks to pair with the festive food offerings, as well as new souvenir cup designs. A certain number of these specialty drinks, however, will only be available with the purchase of a food item at the location they are served.

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Available in the full 20 oz specialty drinks:

  • High Seas Twister – rum punch
  • Blue Voodoo – blue margarita
  • Carnival Lane – gin drink with fruit juices
  • Baby Cakes – vodka drink that tastes like King Cake
  • Bourbon Street Punch – exclusive to Bayou Boil
  • Coconut Water in a Coconut – non-alcoholic and available only during week 1-2 of Carnival Around the Universe

Available for food & beverage 9 oz pairings only:

  • Hoodoo Cold Brew – pecan vodka cold brew, pair with beignets
  • Cajun Bloody Mary – pair with Jambalaya
  • Pecan Street – vodka caramel drink available only during week 3-4 of Carnival Around the Universe, pair with Softshell Crab Slider
  • Girl from Ipanema – gin coconut drink available only during week 5-6 of Carnival Around the Universe, pair with Pao de Quiejo

Float Floats

New for this year, these treats are inspired by the new parade floats for this year’s event, themed to the Treasures of the Deep. You can find them at Schwab’s Pharmacy in the Hollywood section of Universal Studios Florida.

shipwreck float
  • Shipwreck – pineapple soft-serve ice cream, chocolate soft serve, pineapple soda, cotton candy, and waffle cone flag
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  • Sunken City of Atlantis – vanilla soft-serve, wild berry soda, mango boba, and gummy shark
mardi gras float
  • Mardi Gras – pineapple and lime soft-serve ice cream, grape soda, blueberry boba and waffle cone flag

The Mimosa Bar will also be returning to Cafe La Bamba with eight different mimosas, as well as the King Cake Slushie and Bayou Bog Water for the kids.

Returning Classics

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It isn’t Mardi Gras without these Cajun classics. Returning to the French Quarter Courtyard are treats and eats like:

  • Beignets
  • King Cake
  • Jambalaya
  • Shrimp Gumbo
  • Red Beans & Rice with Shrimp
  • Cajun Twisted Tater
  • Gator Bites
  • Crab Etouffee
  • Shrimp & Andouille Po’ Boy
  • Sausage Po’ Boy
  • Catfish Po’ Boy
  • Chicken & Andouille Po’ Boy

Upgrade Your Mardi Gras Experience

bayou boil

You can take your Mardi Gras experience to the next level with the Bayou Boil, an add-on that involves a huge pan filled with crawfish, shrimp, chicken and andouille sausage jambalaya, potatoes, and corn on the cob. Not to mention endless beignets and king cake for dessert. This experience is hosted in Battery Park by the lagoon, complete with private dining area and bar.

Other ways you can upgrade your experience are the Feast & Floats Dessert Party and the Mardi Gras Tasting Lanyard. The dessert party offers VIP viewing of the Mardi Gras parade and Universal’s Cinematic Celebration, and the tasting lanyard allows guests to enjoy multiple food and beverage offerings throughout the event.

Continue the Party at Universal CityWalk

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CityWalk is getting in on the Mardi Gras fun this year as well with event-themed food and drinks:

  • Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen
    • The French Quarter Milkshake – everything king cake in a glass
  • Voodoo Doughnut
    • Mardi Gras Doughnut – filled with cinnamon sugar bavarian cream
  • The Cowfish
    • Masquerade Martini – grape vodka with blue curacao and citrus flavors
  • Bob Marley – A Tribute to Freedom
    • Party Gras Drink – vodka and coconut rum with pineapple flavors
    • Voodoo Doctor Drink – classic margarita with a hint of black raspberry
  • Pat O’Brien’s
    • Taste of Nola – red beans and rice, crawfish and andouille etouffee and blackened chicken and creole sauce
  • Hot Dog Hall of Fame
    • Mardi Gras Muffuletta Platter – footlong hot dog with traditional muffuletta dressing
  • Bread Box
    • Roast Beef Po’ Boy – shaved roast beef and gravy with toppings
  • Cinnabon
    • King Cake Bon – classic Cinnabon dressed up in its Mardi Gras best
  • CityWalk Food & Beverage Carts
    • The Jester Drink – apple whiskey with melon flavors

Mardi Gras returns to Universal Orlando Resort from Feb. 1 – April 2. To learn more, visit UniversalOrlando.com. Want to learn how to make the best of your Mardi Gras experience (and maybe even ride a float?) Click here.

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