Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood is now open! All the racing and adventuring can work up an appetite, so today, we’re paying a visit to Toadstool Cafe to sample the cuisine of the Mushroom Kingdom.
Toadstool Cafe Exterior
The cafe is shaped like a toadstool with a large, wood-esque archway. The planter on the left hosts the menu, while the planter on the right has a Toad topiary.
Interior
A carving of Toad is above the doorway.
There are small booths against the walls, with curved booths in the center and four-top tables with chairs in between.
In the center of the main dining area, a large wooden post rises up. A Super Mushroom has seemingly arrived via warp pipe.
The “windows” give you a look into the Mushroom Kingdom. Above the wall booths are lamps whose shades are shaped like red Yoshi eggs.
See our full photo and video tour of the cafe here.
Toadstool Cafe Menu
The Toadstool Cafe menu is different from that at Kinopio’s Cafe in Universal Studios Japan, although some items are similar.
Everything has a little Nintendo twist, like a Mario mustache or mushroom-shaped garlic knot.
Let’s dig in!
Starters & Salads
Toadstool Cheesy Garlic Knots (Vegetarian) – $5.99
Mini mushroom shaped knots brushed with garlic butter, parmesan cheese, parsley and a side of marinara sauce
These are a must! If you’re just looking for a quick, light snack or the perfect way to start a meal, these fluffy little garlic rolls will satisfy your hunger.
We also loved the themed dishware. It was plastic, not ceramic, but cute. The small, round plates and ovular plates featured Toad with some leaf embellishments.
They’re covered in garlic and Parmesan cheese and come with a side of marinara sauce for dipping. The cute little mushroom shape is an added bonus.
Yoshi’s Favorite Fruit and Veggie Salad (Vegetarian) – $13.99
Mixed greens, star fruit, strawberries, blueberries, radish, mushrooms, tomato, cucumber, Yoshi egg croutons, and raspberry vinaigrette
This was another favorite of ours, from the presentation to the taste. Mixed greens are topped with a variety of fruit and Yoshi egg croutons.
The star fruit, pineapple, strawberries, and blueberries are all so fresh and juicy. The raspberry vinaigrette is the perfect dressing for this salad.
We have a feeling there were some incorrect items listed for this salad because the menu says there are radishes, mushrooms, and tomatoes, but there weren’t any. Honestly, we’re glad there weren’t mushrooms in our fruit salad, but it was perfect the way it was.
We would highly recommend this salad if you’re looking for a healthier option!
Piranha Plant Caprese (Gluten-Friendly, Vegetarian) – $12.99
Tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, asparagus, and basil pesto served with mixed greens, shaved radish, and apple vinaigrette
The plating of this dish is so creative. There’s a tomato and mozzarella Piranha Plant on the plate, ready to take a bite out of the cup of apple dressing. This is just too cute!
We were also glad to see the delicious pesto served on the side.
The mozzarella and tomatoes were super fresh, but the dish was pretty simple besides the presentation. It wasn’t our favorite, but it good.
Super Star Chicken Salad – $14.99
Romaine and cabbage mix, grape tomatoes, and mushrooms tossed in creamy mushroom truffle dressing topped with parmesan Super Star, star croutons, and grilled chicken
This is a hearty portion of chicken salad. There are giant chunks of chicken, a fresh romaine and cabbage mix, and star-shaped croutons.
The star-shaped Parmesan crisp was a little crispier than the fire flower one, but gets more points for cuteness.
The mushroom dressing was a unique and interesting choice that works well with the chicken and greens.
Main Menu
Mario Burger (Bacon, Mushroom & Cheese) – $16.99
All beef patty, bacon, mushrooms, lettuce, tomato, and American cheese served on a brioche bun with a side of truffle French fries
It’s-a me! The most delicious item on the menu!
The Mario burger is a beef patty topped with bacon, American cheese, and tons of mushrooms.
This is a great way to power up before heading over to Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge. First, the presentation of all of these dishes is incredible.
The brioche bun of the Mario burger is stamped with the design of Mario’s mustache and comes topped with a tiny plastic Mario hat that you get to keep.
The burger was juicy and delicious. The bacon and mushrooms pack a ton of flavor into this meal. The Truffle fries are crispy and seasoned well.
Luigi Burger (Pesto Grilled Chicken) – $16.99
Grilled chicken, basil pesto, Swiss cheese, and basil served on a brioche bun with a side of truffle French fries
If you watch our review, you’ll find out just how much we adored the pesto that came with the Luigi burger.
The brioche bun is also stamped with Luigi’s mustache and topped with a small plastic hat.
Juicy chicken, crispy peppers, and Swiss cheese all come together for another winning dish.
The basil pesto sauce served on the side has so much flavor, we couldn’t stop putting it on everything. We quickly become hooked on dipping the truffle fries in the pesto.
Fire Flower Spaghetti & Meatballs – $16.99
Spaghetti with mushroom marinara sauce, meatballs, Fire Flower parmesan crisp, shaved parmesan, and chopped parsley
We’re not usually a fan of quick service pasta options, but this was surprisingly good. The sauce has a slightly sweet basil taste to it. Everything at Toadstool cafe seems to be well seasoned.
The meatballs were a little tough, but they had a really nice taste from the Italian seasoning.
The Fire Flower Parmesan crisp is cute, but we preferred the look over the taste. It was a little dry on its own, but it might have been better if we had eaten it with the pasta rather than on its own. Even though we didn’t care for the Parmesan crisp, it gets points for cuteness.
Overall, we enjoyed the dish, but we agreed that we preferred the kid’s meal Power-Up Spaghetti Marinara.
Kids’ Meal
These meals are intended for children ages 9 and younger.
Mario Mini Burger Adventure Set – $14.99
Cheeseburger, French fries, corn on the cob, broccoli, and a gold coin cookie
This kid’s meal checks all the right boxes. From the tiny Mario figure on top of the burger to the question mark box with a gold coin cookie, adults and children will be delighted to order this one.
The kids’ meals were served on square plates with power-ups around the edge.
There’s a piece of corn on the cob surrounded by broccoli and topped with a flagpole. The portion size of the burger was surprising, even if it was just a basic cheeseburger. (Pro tip, ask for a side of the pesto and add it to the burger).
In addition to the veggies, there’s a small side of truffle fries.
The gold coin cookie inside the box is a chocolate covered Oreo. If only all kid’s menus could be as amazing as this one!
Power-Up Spaghetti Marinara (Vegetarian) – $12.99
Spaghetti with marinara sauce, Power-Up parmesan crisps, Toadstool cheesy garlic knot, and a gold coin cookie
This is another kid’s meal that is just a slightly smaller portion of an entrée off the main menu. This is very similar to the Fire Flower Spaghetti & Meatballs (minus the meatballs).
The sauce is rich and perfectly seasoned; we really enjoyed it. Like the other dishes, these parmesan chips are cuter than they are tasty. Fortunately, excluding them doesn’t leave the dish feeling incomplete.
This kid’s meal comes with a garlic knot on the side and the question mark box with the gold coin cookie. We would definitely order this again.
Desserts
? Block Tiramisu (Vegetarian) – $9.99
Tiramisu flavored mystery block with a white chocolate Power-Up inside
The power-up medallion designs are random, just like in the games. We got two tiramisu and received a Super Mushroom and a Fire Flower.
Shortbread cookies surround a delicate tiramisu cake, with the top of the box open to show a white chocolate Power-Up inside.
The cookies are a little dry and bland, but the cake is delicious. There’s no real coffee flavor, it’s more on the creamy vanilla side. It’s not overly sweet or sugary, but it will leave you wanting more.
The cake is spongy and soft, and the whipped cream is heavenly. Pull the cookies off and dig into this delicious little cake.
Princess Peach Cupcake (Vegetarian) – $9.99
Funfetti cupcake, buttercream frosting, glitter, and Princess Peach chocolate crown
This might not be as elaborate as the Princess Peach Cake from Japan, but it’s still pretty cute. This is extremely sparkly. The bright pink buttercream resembles Peach’s dress and is covered with edible glitter.
A white chocolate crown tops the whole thing. We cut into the cake, and we’re delighted to find it’s a confetti cupcake with a dollop of strawberry jam in the center.
This is a sugar rush for sure, so proceed with caution. We were craving something sweet, and this was everything we could have wanted. The strawberry filling was really sweet and almost reminded us of a Pop Tart.
It’s a generous portion and would be perfect for sharing. This is no ordinary theme park cupcake. It was decadent. Fluffy cake, sweet buttercream, and tart strawberry are a winning combination.
Mt. Beanpole Cake (Vegetarian) – $9.99
Multi layered Italian cookie cake with a matcha mousse
This is a layered Italian cake with matcha mousse that looks straight out of the video games.
Taking a bite of this cake, the chocolate flavor takes over everything. It isn’t overly chocolaty, but the flavor that stands out among the layers of cake is chocolate.
We scraped off the top layer of matcha to try on its own, and the matcha flavor was incredible. It’s lost when eaten with the entire cake, but very distinct if you take a bite of the frosting alone.
It’s a creative and fun presentation, without being too sweet. The tiny little flagpole is a nice souvenir, too.
Beverages
Super Star Lemon Squash – $8.00
Honey lemon soda with mango stars and assorted tropical bobas
The Super Star Lemon Squash was incredibly delicious, and we’ll probably be grabbing one of these every time we visit Toadstool Cafe. The honey lemon soda drink is almost like Sprite, but with a stronger lemon flavor. Mango stars top off the drink, and tropical fruit popping boba add a burst of flavor with each sip. You never know what you’re gonna get. Skip the Fruity Cream Sodas from the stand outside of the land and go right for this.
Super Mushroom Collectible Drink Sipper – $20.00
Both sippers arrived last year, and we snagged them then, so we didn’t get more at Toadstool Cafe.
This adorable Super Mushroom collectible drink sipper has the hallmarks of the classic power-up. The red mushroom cap with white spots serves as the lid for the cup. An adjustable yellow strap attaches to either side of the lid with red plastic clips.
On the back white spot is imprinted “Super Nintendo World.”
The top of the mushroom lid has two holes. The large hole is for the straw and the smaller hole is an air hole to allow the beverage freely flow from inside the cup to the straw. without bubbling or splashing.
As adorable as the red and green mushroom sippers are, they become genuinely terrifying when you have to take off the lid. The flesh color stem is where the beverage goes, and it really ruins the illusion when you have to refill the sipper.
The wide and bright color carrying strap is comfortable on the shoulder. It features various iconography from the Super Mario Bros series, including Bob-Ombs, ? Blocks, Super Stars, Pipes, Fire Flowers, POW Blocks, Goombas, and Yoshi Eggs.
1-Up Mushroom Collectible Drink Sipper – $20.00
The green Super Mario-series 1-Up Mushroom collectible sipper cup has the exact same design and features as the red one, but with one difference (other than the color).
The one difference is that the sipper strap comes in steel blue instead of bright yellow.
Watch our full menu video review below.
What items from Toadstool Cafe are you excited to try? Share your thoughts in the comments, and keep reading Universal Parks News Today as we provide complete coverage of Super Nintendo World!
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