We ate everything at Super Nintendo World's new Toadstool Cafe: What you need to know
One of the most popular attractions at Universal Studios Hollywood's recently opened Super Nintendo World isn't a game or a ride. It's a sit-down restaurant called the Toadstool Cafe.
The cafe's mushroom-forward, Italian-themed menu has two starters, two soups, two salads, four mains and three desserts. The kid's menu has two items.
So is the food any good?
USA TODAY reporters Jordan Mendoza and Amanda Lee Myers stopped by the cafe and tried everything on the menu to help you decide whether it's worth the wait, what to get, what to avoid, and what will be the kids' favorite food. They also have a hot tip on how to get a seat without waiting for hours.
Heading to Super Nintendo World?: Tips for your first Universal Studios Hollywood visit
Here's what you need to know.
Starters
Piranha Plant Caprese
Price: $12.99.
Description: Tomatoes, mozzarella, asparagus, and basil pesto served with mixed greens, shaved radish and apple vinaigrette.
Myers: While I was impressed with the design of this dish (it looks like a piranha plant from the Nintendo games), it wasn't super inviting in person, with mealy-looking tomatoes and limp asparagus. Nevertheless, it turned out to be one of my favorite things on the menu. The basil pesto made the whole dish shine and perfectly harmonized with the tomato and mozzarella.
Mendoza: The mozzarella cheese here was perfection. While a tasty and beautifully presented starter, it definitely isn't meant for a large group. This is best split among two people tops.
Toadstool Cheesy Garlic Knots
Price: $5.99.
Description: Mini mushroom-shaped knots brushed with garlic butter, Parmesan cheese, parsley and a side of marinara sauce.
Mendoza: I was pretty excited about these since I love garlic knots. However, these didn't really do much for me. The knots tasted a little too much like dough and not enough garlic butter or Parmesan cheese, and the marinara sauce didn't really save it, either.
It comes with four small knots, so one order is good for one or two people.
Myers: This dish was a little ho-hum for me. Not bad, not great. Just your basic, garlic-flavored dough balls. They could make a good accompaniment to the tomato soup (see below), but you're better off with the caprese or a salad as a starter.
If you're watching your wallet, this is the cheapest menu option.
Super Mushroom Soup
Price: $9.99.
Description: Creamy mushroom soup with crackers.
Myers: I have to be upfront about this: I don't really like mushrooms, but I have met the occasional mushroom dish I've liked.
This soup is not one of them. At first, it wasn't so bad, but the aftertaste of pure mushroom hit me like a ton of bricks. It's a mushroom bomb that I can't recommend.
Mendoza: You would think you'd feel like Super Mario after eating this super mushroom soup. Instead, it just tasted like a mouthful of mushrooms with a bit of cream that didn't make for a good combination. If you're a mushroom lover, this may be the soup for you.
Tomato soup
Price: $9.99.
Description: Vegan tomato basil soup topped with micro basil, sliced mushroom and truffle oil.
Mendoza: It tasted like a basic tomato soup you could get at any grocery store or restaurant, lacking a powerful punch. I wouldn't think to spend money on this unless I was at the park on a rainy day.
Myers: Super Nintendo World missed an opportunity here. I simply can't enjoy tomato soup without a grilled cheese sandwich. Some perfectly toasted bread surrounding some melted cheese is all this soup needs to make it a meal. It is nice that the tomato soup is a vegan option, though it's the only one and not substantial enough to satisfy.
Main dishes
Super Star Chicken Salad
Price: $14.99.
Description: Romaine and cabbage mix, grape tomatoes, and mushrooms tossed in creamy mushroom truffle dressing topped with a Parmesan Super Star, star-shaped croutons, and grilled chicken.
Myers: Despite the mushroom truffle dressing, which didn't taste like either to me, I loved this salad and would gladly eat it again. It's everything you want in a Parmesan chicken salad: full of flavor, a bit healthier and complete with crunchy little croutons shaped like gold stars. Very refreshing.
Mendoza: There was a perfect amount of dressing, so it didn't feel like the salad was drenched. The star-shaped croutons are not only a nice decorative touch, but they made for a solid crunch in every bite. The one thing I wasn't a big fan of was the Parmesan Super Star, which had the texture of a stale cheese chip.
Yoshi's Favorite Fruit and Veggie Salad
Price: $13.99.
Description: Mixed greens, strawberries, star fruit, blueberries, pineapple, Yoshi-egg-shaped croutons and raspberry vinaigrette.
Mendoza: The strawberries and pineapple really stood out to me, and that raspberry vinaigrette dressing was flavorful. If you're a vegetarian, this would be my recommendation. My one knock on the dish was the Yoshi egg croutons – they were just massive.
Myers: I especially enjoyed the pineapple and would appreciate this item on a hot day. It's a superb vegetarian option but overall, I thought the chicken salad was superior. The dressing on this was a bit sweet for me.
Mario Burger
Price: $16.99.
Description: All beef patty, bacon, mushrooms, lettuce, tomato, and American cheese served on a brioche bun with a side of truffle French fries.
Myers: The slabs of bacon on this burger were sticking out the sides, always a welcome sight. All in all, this was a decent burger. Fairly juicy, with a good amount of cheese. This is a solid option for you burger lovers out there, but the Luigi burger (which is a chicken sandwich) ultimately outshines this item. (See below.)
A smaller version of the burger is one of two items on the kid's menu. For $14.99, it also comes with truffle fries, corn on the cob, broccoli and a cookie.
Mendoza: This one didn't stick out to me as amazing, but it still was a good burger.
Luigi Burger
Price: $16.99.
Description: Grilled chicken breast, basil pesto, Swiss cheese, green pepper and spinach served on a brioche bun with a side of truffle french fries.
Mendoza: I consider myself a pesto connoisseur and set my expectations high for this one, and it still somehow amazed me. The chicken was slightly dry, but the basil pesto on it was creamy with hints of garlic. The green pepper shouldn't scare you if you can't do spicy, it added a nice flavor. The side of basil pesto to dip your fries in made this dish even better. Overall, it was my favorite main dish on the menu.
Myers: If I had to crown a winner of the menu, it'd be this chicken sandwich. Just order extra basil pesto because there wasn't enough on my sandwich and the french fry serving is so plentiful, you'll want extra dipping sauce.
Fire Flower Spaghetti & Meatballs
Price: $16.99.
Description: Spaghetti with mushroom marinara sauce, meatballs, Fire Flower parmesan crisp, shaved parmesan, and chopped parsley.
Myers: When it landed on the table, it looked like it had been sitting under a hot lamp. I took one bite and was surprised. Is it as good as I make at home or at an average Italian restaurant? No, but that's not a shocker. It's a great option, particularly for kids.
For $12.99, kids can get a vegetarian version of the spaghetti, plus a garlic knot and a cookie. The adult entrée replete with meatballs is $4 extra.
Mendoza: If I had to pick one main dish that was at the bottom of my favorites, it would be this one. The sauce didn't have much flavor, and the meatballs tasted too bland. The meal wasn't bad, but doesn't jump out to me.
Chef Toad Short Rib Special
Price: $24.99.
Description: Braised short rib, creamy goat cheese polenta, and red wine reduction.
Mendoza: The heavy hitter on any menu has to taste good, and this did not disappoint. The short rib was cooked to a medium level, but what really stood out to me was the sauce surrounding the meat. It had a nice gravy-like consistency with a sharp taste that paired with it well, leaving no room for disappointment.
Myers: I didn't like this as much, especially for $24.99 on what will already be a really expensive day for most families. But if you're really craving short ribs, this one is solid. The meat is a tad dry for me, but there's so much sauce and mashed potatoes that it doesn't get in the way of a good bite.
Desserts
? Block Tiramisu
Price: $9.99.
Description: Tiramisu layered with coffee-soaked lady fingers topped with cocoa powder and chocolate power-up.
Myers: I have never enjoyed tiramisu. It's just not my thing. This menu item, however, is definitely my thing. I did not expect to like this at all, and I ended up loving it. It's so creamy and satisfying. The only thing missing was a cappuccino. Hands down the best dessert on the menu.
Mendoza: This may have unlocked my craving for tiramisu. The texture was so soft, and the mixture of flavors gave the right amount of sweetness with a splash of chocolate. This one makes me want to go back just to eat it again.
Mt. Beanpole Cake
Price: $9.99.
Description: Chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry layered cake topped with a matcha mousse.
Mendoza: The cake was soft, which is a big plus for me, and the combination of flavors was good to where none of them overpowered the other.
Myers: I thought this was a decent cake because they went easy on the matcha, despite appearances. I thought matcha would be the dominant flavor, given its placement at the top of all the tiers. But at the end of the day, it tasted more like a decent chocolate cake.
Princess Peach Cupcake
Price: $9.99.
Description: Raspberry-filled Funfetti cupcake, buttercream frosting and Princess Peach chocolate crown.
Myers: I couldn't take more than one bite of this absolute sugar bomb. I tasted nothing but pure sugar, both in the frosting and the cake itself. Children and sugar addicts will love it.
Mendoza: If you need sugar or really just want to see your heart rate skyrocket, then get this. I cannot overstate how massive this monster of a cupcake is, and it's definitely meant for more than one person. There's so much frosting that it could be its own separate dessert. Once I got past how much sugar it felt like was entering my body, the cupcake tasted pretty good, but it was only good for two bites. A pretty design, but not pretty eating.
How to get a spot at the restaurant
Overall we were impressed with the cafe. As a sit-down restaurant, it's a nice respite from the crowds and the chaos outside.
Speaking of chaos, arrive early to have any hope of eating here.
First, guests must obtain a ticket from a staff member outside the restaurant. The ticket has a 15-minute time slot to enter the cafe, and the later you get here, the later you'll eat, and the longer you'll end up waiting in line. For instance, we walked up at 9:45 a.m. and were given a ticket to come back two hours later at 11:45 a.m.
Not only that, your ticket time does not in any way reflect what time you will eat. Though our ticket said 11:45 a.m., we arrived to get in line at 11 a.m. Yes, even with a ticket you have to wait in line.
It took an hour and 10 minutes of waiting before we were able to order our food at the counter. It took no additional wait time to be seated after and the food arrived roughly a half-hour after we ordered it.
Was it worth the wait? We think so. Theme parks can be tiring and everyone gets hungry. The wait can be significant, but the ability to sit in a booth and relax while you eat was pretty satisfying, as was much of the food.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: We ate everything at Universal Studios Hollywood's new Toadstool Cafe
