Only reason this place got two stars was because our server was good. We came here NYE and our rez was for 10pm. We all ordered the pre-fix dinner menu. Waited & waited until our appetizers came out at 10:45pm. Cleary the D team was working the kitchen! My 2 kids & I ordered the lobster bisque which looked like dirty water & tasted under seasoned. My husband ordered the Calamari where the breading was coming off and the calamari itself has the texture of bubblegum. Our server apologized profusely for the food coming out late & the kitchen being backed up.(Not sure why as the restaurant was less than 50% capacity) I asked our server if we would be ringing in the New Year waiting for our food. He proceeded to bring out 2 small bottles of Champagne & 4 flute glasses & apologized. By 11:30pm we got our entrees. My kids & I ordered the beef which was inconsistently plated, the beef was cut as either a huge block or long strip, the broccolini was one huge stalk on my daughter's plate it was almost comical and the sauce was bone dry on the plate. My husband ordered the chicken where the skin was soft & chewy & the meat was rubbery. The Risotto was Ultra al dente and beyond dry. We ended up getting our dessert while we were still eating our entrees. I will say the desserts were good. To wait close to 1.5hour for overpriced, subpar food is annoying. Avoid this place as all cost! read more

I dined here this past Saturday night. I was staying in the Portofino Bay, and we just walked across the street to the Hard Rock. This hotel was really nice, and was fun to explore. The Kitchen is on the bottom floor, near the pool. Our waiter was very friendly and attentive. A basket of delicious bread was sent to the table - I loved the rosemary and basil bread. I really enjoyed my Malibu bay breezes as well - they were large. My brother loved his beer mussels and buffalo wings. We shared a three cheese flatbread for a starter and it was delicious. I chose the mac and cheese for my dinner, and it appeared small at first, but it was so filling and I had more than half left. It was very good. We split the bread pudding dessert -- amazing. I would definitely return! read more

So the buffet here is A-Mazing! It's a little pricey but omg so many options and so much deliciousness! It took til my 3rd or 4th full plate to even discover everything! The seafood was fresh and succulent, as I would expect in an ocean surrounded state. And there were quite a few vegetarian options as well! The servers were on it and super nice! They had no problems looking up things for the child in our party with a peanut allergy. They were super helpful. We got a drink from the bar in a chipped slightly dirty glass and they made a new bigger one for us! We had a large group but never felt like we weren't being served. The outside patio looks really nice in warm weather and they have heaters for when it's not so Florida like. The only downside is if you're waiting, you're outside in the covered patio area. You also have to use the restrooms outside and down the hallway by the pool. They don't have ones near the restaurant. read more

It is no surpise that waitor service can make or break one's dining experience, and from my experience at The Kitchen, the service was amazing. For most of the trip I had a waitor named Jeff who was very friendly, helpful, and went out of his way to make sure we had everything we wanted. In terms of the good, it was delicious! The only thing we had that was iffy was that my Boyfriend had the Kitchen Burger and said it was really greasy so he didn't really like it that much. I enjoyed the artichoke dip and the chips they have us to dip it with, the chicken pot pie, and the buffet breakfast. I am only really knocking it down a star bc needless to say it was expensive. My only warning is to be careful trying to eat there late. All websites say it closes at 11pm however we went there at 10:15 to get late dinner and it was already closed. read more

Came here for the brunch buffet. Literally everything you can think of they have it. Waffles pancakes French toast. Bagels muffins pastries. Oatmeal grits cereal. Eggs bacon corn beef hash sausage omelet. Fresh fruit Etc etc etc They are reasonably price and worth it. Go for it read more

2 1/2 years later, there is no bread before dinner. The dinners are ok. The chicken quesadilla was ok. The first night was great and the second time it was the temperature of having sat in a window for too long, very lukewarm, and the cheese was starting to harden. The shrimp tacos are ok. Why are the tortillas ice cold? The Caesar salad is ok. They have a kids area, and that's great for people with kids, it was like a playground one night. So the next, I asked if we could sit on the other side because we didn't want to sit by playing kids and they looked at me like I was crazy. Thanks. I love kids but I wanted a quieter dinner. It's probably going to be our last visit here. read more

Nice atmosphere but get ready to wait. Poor service, dirty tables sitting unbussed and after waiting almost an hour for eggs, left without eating. read more

Great restaurant! Definitely the best meal we had while in Orlando! Skip the crappy commercial City Walk restaurants and come here! OK, the first thing i will say is, yes it is overpriced. but EVERYTHING in Orlando is. Accept that fact and move on with enjoying your vacation :) My mother, sister, and I went to this restaurant for dinner around 8:00 pm on a wednesday night and there was plenty of seating. Our waiter was GREAT. Fun, happy, and helpful, he answered some questions we had about the park right off the bat. He described the food to us well and made positive comments about the dishes we ordered saying they were "good choices" The pre-dinner bread bowl comes with two choices: Salty pretzel rolls and rosemary corn bread. Wow wow wow. Both were expertly made. Yum. My mom got the Veal Osso Buco and ate every bite. She said it was rich, but amazing. The meat was very tender and she was very impressed. I got the margherita flat bread. It was very good, but other dishes on the table looked tastier. My sister got the wings appetizer and said that they were some of the best wings she had ever had. I don't like wings but she made me try them and they were pretty good! The sauce was great! We all got the mac and cheese to split because we really wanted to taste it. Our waiter said that it was insanely good. So, we got way too much food, but the mac and cheese was totally worth it. GREAT mac and cheese. Also, we had breakfast at the Kitchen 2 different days and it was very good. The buffet looked awesome, but expensive, so we all ordered off the menu (probably didn't save much money...) For breakfast, we tried the omelet (amazing!), waffles, corned beef hash with eggs, and the oatmeal. We enjoyed the coffee and fresh orange juice and everyone was happy with their meal. For breakfast on our last day, our waitress was pretty absent minded and she distracted from our meal. She seemed sleepy and out of it, but the food tasted good and it was all fine. Don't waste your time on City Walk for dinner. Come here! read more

The food here was good. I had the alligator appetizer and the shrimp taco. Not being native, this was my first bite of alligator and I thought it was excellent. I even convinced my food-phobic wife to try it and she liked it. The taco had cabbage in it, which I am not used to, but I like that as well. Wife had the bbq chicken flat bread, which was huge and tasty. This place gets 4 stars for the food. What was not so enjoyable was the service. It was a slow night, but our waiter still had to have the manager greet us and take our drink order. After the appetizer I ordered a second beer that never found its way to the table. I asked for a check and told them to forget the second beer, but a manager never came to the table to apologize or offer something to make up for it. I worked as a waiter for 5 years, so I know how to keep someone at a table happy. After this experience, we didn't go back again. read more

Not on the beaten path, but worth the drive. The service is prompt and very timely. The dishes are varied and plentiful. A great experience for the value. read more

Service was okay, no smiles. We ate: Mac n Cheese which was okay. Chicken Caesar had cold chicken. Grilled Shrimp Caesar was good. I think dishes took a little too long to get to us but I think the kitchen was getting ready for the night rush. We went during "lunch hours" so the menu was very limited to burgers, appetizers, salads, Mac n cheese. Lunch hours last until 5pm. It wasn't my favorite experience dining and the food was just okay. read more

My husband and I had an amazing dinner here the other night, during our stay. They give you so much bread to start...a skillet of cornbread and two hot pretzel sticks! We had the chicken quesadilla for our starter and it was fantastic, especially for a quesadilla. Thank goodness we ordered salads for our entrees because the starter was so big. He had the Chinese chicken salad and I had the spinach salad. Both were amazing. Service was awesome and quick. read more

The Kitchen - New American Near Me - Orlando, Florida

Decent but a little over priced compared to ther options Service despite being slow was no t good at all for a party of eight I'd check out other options read more

BEST SALAD EVAR. Had the steak something salad which was ducking marvelous. Also had the fire starter margarita which turns out to have jalapeños and some sort of spicy-ass liquor. I only ordered it because of the fancy tequila I recognized. Pro tip: if you don't know what a liquor is, google it, don't assume it is some sort of normal margarita addition. read more

Very nice, straight forward restaraunt in the Hard Rock resort. Good place to enjoy a quality dinner while recovering from the crowds and the hubbub of the parks. Good service and a broad menu that could accommodate our vegetarian. A nice surprise. read more

We had breakfast here three days in row. Most folks go for buffet which is quite extensive if bit pricey (which is pretty standard for dining any where near theme parks.) We ordered custom omelets, poached eggs and corned beef hash, and buttermilk pancakes. Eggs were cooked perfectly and hash wasn't from can. You get stack of five pancakes which I needed help finishing. They forgot the berries though. We liked the wheat toast so much we ordered more. Eat outside if it's a nice day. Didn't see characters but apparently we left just before they came. Ask for schedule if kids really want to see them. read more

This restaurant is quite delicious, we ordered the burger which was surprisingly skillfully crafted and tasty. We've been there twice and we werent disappointed. Both times they weren't busy at all, the waitress was attentive and patient but the food took forever despite the restaurant being empty. As far as pricing, its in the steeper side, i mean it was good but not that good. The restaurant had a great ambiance and the decor fits the theme of the hotel and makes for conversation starters. Overall decent place, not a must eat but a place to eat, if that makes sense. read more

Jesse and Steven were so wonderful with our kids during our school field trip! Very patient and easygoing while being deluged with a bunch of excited 5th graders. Thank you guys and also to your manager, Barry! read more

I really enjoyed my meal here. We got the gator bites as an appetizer. They're kind of like a combination of chicken and calamari but definitely worth trying. For the meal I got the cedar plank salmon. It was very fresh, I would get it again. The only thing I don't recommend is the parsnip that went with the salmon. It's kind of like mashed potatoes but has a really interesting taste. read more

The Kitchen - Gator bites - New American Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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The Kitchen located at the Hard Rock Hotel Universal Orlando has the best breakfast buffet of all the Universal properties. We've tried them all! Huge selection of anything you can think of from sweet to savory and they also have made-to-order stations! Above all their staff is fantastic! Marie is incredible! Ask to be seated in her area for the best service you've ever had by someone who has a special way with people. Go- go now! read more

This was my first time at The Kitchen and we had Nessa as a server and she was amazing. Nessa went over and above to make sure everything was perfect and was so friendly and attentive! :) read more

Are the rude cooks part of the Hard Rock experience or just plainly rude? We were seated and given breakfast menus. Everything was really expensive which was to be expected, but we decided to get the $20 breakfast buffet because it sounded like it had anything we could possibly want and we had just traveled from Chicago so we were really hungry. Extremely disappointed in the food. Being slightly jet lagged we didn't know what time it was and the breakfast tasted like it had been sitting out from early that morning. Whoever seated us should have given us lunch menus. Also the cooks were rude when I tried to request a made to order omelette like the waitress instructed. They told me to go back to my seat and tell my server in a not so friendly manner. read more

I just had the New Years Eve Buffett here and it was absolute perfection. Hands down one of the most delectable meals I have ever had in my 32 years on this planet! In addition to the phenomenal food, the wait staff is incredibly friendly and attentive. I haven't had the best impression of Orlando thus far, but this place makes up for it 100%. read more

My family and I went to The Kitchen this past Sunday. What a wonderful time; we enjoyed our brunch very much, the food was delicious, abundant and varied. Thee staff was very nice and friendly especially David our server read more

The atmosphere is nice and the hotel is nice, but we came here for a QUICK bite to eat and ended up here over an hour. The food is decent but over priced and the staff was nice, but the wait just ruins everything. If you're looking to kill time, then this is your place. All I can say is we won't be back! read more

Pork chop is fabulous. Prices are high but seems they always are in theme parks. Really easy if you are already staying in the Hard Rock Hotel. We also tried the meatloaf and it was not my favorite. read more

the food is not worth $26 per person & the staff is so rude omg. at least the waitress was attentive and super sweet!!!

I came here for breakfast. They have the breakfast buffet for $20/person. It's good enough. The omelettes and eggs benedicts are cooked to order. They have a griddle cook to order as well but I wasn't sure what they offered since the menu for that was no where to be seen. read more

Love this hotel's daily brunch! Only $25 for adults, and one of the very best breakfast food brunches I've ever had. Made to order griddle station and omelette station, where they will also prepare eggs made to order, eggs Benedict, etc. the guys back there work so hard. One of the best pastry selections, biscuits and gravy, fruit bar, basic breakfast food, and perfectly cooked bacon, a rarity on buffets. Great ambiance and service. Another great stay, and brunching, at Hard Rock Universal! read more

Staying here @ the Hard Rock Hotel @ Universal Studios in FL. Had the breakfast buffet this AM with the family and it is $16.50/pp. It's actually not a bad deal considering it was inclusive of coffee, juice, milk, etc. The food was actually above par with a very large selection and great quality. Ranges from fresh fruit, cereal, muesli, oatmeal, etc to breakfast pizza, made to order eggs, breakfast meats, freshly made pancakes, waffles, etc. Pastries looked excellent but didn't have any. read more

Great food and service! Ate there twice and no one in our group had anything other than wonderful comments. Portions are huge, highly recommend sharing. read more

Very tasty food, great staff. Nice size apps for sharing. I'm not a big spinach & artichoke fan bc it seems to taste the same at most establishments, something from a box, warmed up in a microwave but theirs is actually really good! Calamari very good, had a steak salad with shallot Vinaigrette that was delicious & filling. Would def go back. They have tasting desserts that are a little larger than tasting size-so not too small that you'll be craving more & not so big that you'll feel like a glutton for not sharing- works for me! : ) read more

we had breakfast here this morning and it was great. at $19.99 a head they had a great selection and it even came with orange juice which a lot of buffets charge more for. I got eggs Benedict and then found myself going back to try everything else. bacon was on point, their French toast is made on untraditional bread which makes it nice and crispy. I recommend this place if you're staying here. read more

Food was average... Took a little over an hour for our food to come out... Not worth ever coming back..

The service was slow. However we liked the pretzel sticks and rosemary cornbread. But I ordered the maple glazed salmon and it was very dry and overcooked. The glaze was non existent, it was runny and thin, and all over the plate. It was so thin you couldn't taste maple at all. My son had a pepperoni flatbread which he liked. You also definitely pay the resort prices. read more

September 2016. Got seated before the crowd came in. Wasn't crowded or seemingly busy. Something was up when the table of 5 next to us ( who were seated after the wife and I ) got their food brought out first. Took just over 45 mins before our main meal came out. On top of that, the wife's food was a bit overcooked. Waitress blamed the delay on the rain and people coming in, but the people coming in were waiting to be sat down. On top of that, we were seated next to the doors, so every time someone went thru the doors, the cold breeze would hit. The wife and I have eaten here in the past with no problems whatsoever. But things change with time. Oh, at the time of this review, can't tell you if the food was any good cause we put it in a to go box, and headed back to the room. The free bread and wife's spinach&artichoke dip was good. read more

My family and I dined here on Dec 16 for lunch and Dec 18, 2014 for dinner. Seating was quick on both occasions, however the hostess did not know much about the menu. For lunch we sat outside...nice under the umbrella. We were one of three table at the restaurant (little late lunch.) Even though it was practically empty, the service was SLOW, and we had to ask for refills repeatedly. Very irritating as I come from the service industry. We ordered the Pork Belly Sliders, Roasted Turkey Club, and Classic Burger. Fries came with the Club and Burger. Presentation and taste a 4.5 star. All a little pricey but we used a $15 Universal gift card so it made it a bit more wallet friendly. Nice, decent portions on everything. Now on to dinner...horrible experience! Once again, service was so lacking...slow, inattentive. It's a real shame because the food again was and easy 4.5 star. We ordered the Grilled Chicken Pinchos, which are chicken skewers with sweet potato tots; Smoked Chicken & Linguine Carbonara; and Chicken Fingers/Fries. I also had a pork plate that included a pork belly and pork adobo (presentation and taste an east 4.5 stars; very tasty and melted in my mouth.) I specifically asked the waiter (Jay) to bring all the food out together. We started with a cornbread and pretzel bread sticks on a big pick platter (cool and tasty.) After 8-10 minutes, the app came out. I was surprised as I requested all the food to come out, but thought nothing of it. Well, another 30 minutes later, no food. I asked if they could find out what's going on with our food. As the pass from the kitchen is visible (which is nice that the kitchen is confident to show all the prep) I watched as Jay went to ask the chef where our food was. I watched some interaction with our ticket and then Jay went to the back for 7-8 minutes. I would have appreciated an update as now 40 minutes later we are very hungry. When Jay finally returned to the dining area, our food followed shortly after EXCEPT the chicken fingers (really?) The most easiest dish to prepare was another 5-6 minutes after receiving our food. When I asked what the deal was, Jay apologized but could not offer a reason for such horrible service. When the chicken fingers were delivered, I asked for the bill and to speak to a manager. The manager, Eric, came over, but not in a timely manner. I explained my disappointment and frustration to Eric, and only wanted a reason as to why this happened. When I stated the the food was 40 minutes over, Eric stated that the ticket was 30 minutes (really?) Regardless of the 10 minutes, terrible long as 4 other tables that came after us ALL received their orders while we were still waiting for ours. Eric also could not offer an explanation, but also apologized for the mix up. When we received the bill, Eric had adjusted my and my son's meal. I did not expect this, but that was the right thing to do...KUDOs to you Eric. Jay also came by once more and tried to make things right with our table. Let me be clear, the food on both occasions was an easy 4.5 star in presentation and taste. Quality was about a 4 star. However, because I'm a stickler on SERVICE, the 2 star rating. If you are in no rush, and can just wait around for food and service to appear, this would be an 4-5 star rating for you. We would return and give it one more try, but only because Eric did the right thing for us. Minus that, we would go somewhere else (as there are so many options in Orlando.) read more

This place had 3.5 stars upon our arrival and I can now safely say that it's more overrated than Duke in the most recent NCAA tournament. It was so bad that the waitress apologized for the slow service and attempted to make it better by saying "at least you got to see a minion". (a yellow pill-shaped plush doll) People touted getting a bread plate, but that pulled a James Harden in Game 6 and no-showed. The food was average, but it justified the price the same way Justin Bieber justifies deserving a Grammy. Overall, this place is Universally mediocre. read more

The Kitchen is a favorite for my family. The food is always delicious and generously portioned for the price. We especially love the Kitchen Burger, the mac and cheese, and the Brussels sprouts, but everything we've tried has been good. They have a nice variety on the kid's menu and a fun dessert for them, as well. We're a large party and we often choose dinner at the Kitchen for family events/ celebrations. The servers are always friendly and go out of their way to provide a great experience. read more

Much better in all respects than I would expect for restaurant by the pool at the Hard Rock. Attentive, prompt and friendly service. And the food was excellent. Shrimp tacos, spinach salad with shrimp and burger were all tasty. Spinach and artichoke dip was chunky and hot. Best of all was the walnut brownie s'more with peanut butter ice cream to finish. read more