This is the first time that I've been to toad Cafe outside of its grand opening during the preview last year. I was really excited to bring two of my friends who had never been to Universal Studios for this dining event but sad to report it was a lackluster experience. Despite the team trying their best the logistics there is still a lot of room for improvement. The process to sign up for your reservation, order your food, get in line to get seated, and then get seated and wait for your food to be delivered to your table just takes too long and is a pretty clunky experience. The one behind me had two children with her and from a parental point of view this can be a very labor-intensive process and if you're especially hungry, be weary of waiting from when you walk into the door to when you can actually enjoy your meal. Upon walking into the toadstool Cafe the aesthetic of the build and the theming of all the food and cutlery is definitely on point. There are a lot of opportunities to take photos as well as things to look at as you wait in line. On this occasion the biggest downfall for experience was that our food was extremely late coming to our table. We had to wait about 40 minutes from when we sat down to get our meal and after talking to three different staff members, who couldn't figure out what had happened to our order, finally the manager that was on duty that day came to address the issue. I do give Ilene who was the manager on duty that day props because once she became involved she tried her best to remedy the situation as quickly as possible. At this point we are extremely hungry and part of our order that had a ride had already gone cold. Eileen did her best to exit out our food to come out as fast as possible and replace the items that have already been stale from waiting too long. She also brought us complimentary free drinks and dessert to be able to help change the experience a bit from what had happened. Although cute in presentation, the food was quite lackluster and not as great as when I came for the grand opening back last year. My kids meal had a very dry and cold hamburger the only thing warm on the plate where the vegetables. If it hadn't been for the impeding weight to get a new meal after I've been waiting for 40 minutes for this one, I would have sent a complaint back to the kitchen. The one item that I would say was worth ordering and I enjoyed was the dessert tiramisu. I'd be willing to come back and try bringing a new set of friends to try the toadstool Cafe but I really do hope that they streamline an expedite their customer flow and also try and do a better job of tracking orders or training their staff to handle complaints in a timely manner. But again I'd like to shout out to the manager Ilene who did her best to remedy or experience and went above and beyond of being apologetic for the extremely long wait time and redundant mishaps with our time at the Toads of Cafe. read more

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We've been to Toadstool Café many times since we got our annual pass when Super Nintendo World first opened. The wait time has always been long, but the interior décor is very cute. The food is just okay, but we love the lemon squash drink. We took a year off from the annual pass, and we just visited with friends two days ago. The food quality hasn't changed much. They no longer have the short rib, which was one of the better dishes. Instead, they now offer Chef Toad's Chicken Special. When we sat down at our table, we understood why they replaced the short rib with chicken. Look... they provide these crappy wooden utensils! There's no way you can eat short rib with these flimsy wooden utensils! In fact, we couldn't even eat the chicken with them! Two sets of forks and knives broke before we were even halfway through our meal. And if you look at the knives, you can clearly see wood splinters! You're literally adding splinters into your food while using them! It's a total disaster! Luckily, we had plastic utensils in our backpack. Otherwise, I don't think we could have finished our food. Please, ditch the wooden utensils and bring back metal ones like you had when you first opened! read more

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I've been playing the Super Mario Brothers video games since the first one was released on the NES! I finally had a chance to visit Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood with my husband on a Thursday in February. We had booked early access to Super Nintendo World, which opened up at 9:00 A.M. One of the first actions we decided to take in the area when we had arrived, was going up to Toadstool Café and speaking with a team member. We were informed that we could book a reservation through the QR code at 9:15. From there, we decided to go in the Mario Kart queue line and at 9:15, we were able to book a reservation for 12:30 lunch time! When we had arrived around 12:15, 15 minutes prior to our reservation, the team member had informed us that they would let all party members in, who had reservation times at 12:30, around 12:25. When the doors opened, we were presented with a relatively long queue line. It was cool though to see the inside décor all decorated as Toad's Café and Kitchen! The wait time in line took about 20 minutes before placing an order at the register. After looking over their menu, we decided to order the following Chicken Pesto Sandwich with Truffle Fries Super Mario Burger (Plain with just the burger, bacon) with Truffle Fries Garlic Knots Popping Boba Drink with little stars The price was really expensive, for our entire order was approximately $80.00. After we ordered at the register, we had to wait in another line for a table! This took another 25 minutes until we were seated. We ended up getting a seat towards the exit of the restaurant. We were able to see some of the electronic décor, such as Toadstool, moving on several screens within the restaurant. You truly felt immersed in the experience at Toadstool's Café! After another 20 minutes, the food arrived. All of the dishes were cold. The Mario burger was missing the bacon. Since we waited so long throughout the entire process, we decided to eat the meal as is. The chicken pesto sandwich was inedible. The chicken was extremely dry! The Mario Burger was decent but it was missing ingredients. The best part of the dish was the truffle fries, but ketchup was not provided from the team members at Toadstool Café. The garlic knots were dinner rolls with parmesan cheese on top. I wouldn't recommend this restaurant for food, but more for the ambiance and experience. read more

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Was basically an hour from our reservation to eat from entry to dining basically so note that if hungry and in a hurry. Got the collectible plate ware, the kids was cuter design wise. Tried the cheeseburger kids meal since I wanted the extras it came with. Took a bite of my partner's Luigi chicken pesto. Worth trying especially if a Nintendo fan. Personally the Harry Potter restaurant is a better choice if you are torn between the two. This place also required reservations. Couldn't make one until after 12pm earliest option was 2:15 from then. The inside design and decor is impressive and worth mentioning. Food is just whatever though and honestly once trying the other options like the bowser bowl and spaghetti options but worth a try at least once read more

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Honestly I wish I could experience this for the first time again! The experience in itself is on point. Make sure you scan the QR code early on in the day because reservations fill so fast. We paid for early access to Super Mario World and only 20 minutes in all reservations were full. After getting our reservation we got a confirmation email and arrived 5 minutes before our reservation and got let in to the entry way. Toad is on a screen to welcome you in and then you get to order at the cashier. We ordered the super star lemon squash, Mario Burger, Bowsers Fireball Challenge, and the Block Tiramisu. The lemon squash was like a lemon soda with some boba jelly and was relatively refreshing. Bowser's Fireball challenge had a good spice to it but I wish the meatball was more moist because it was fairly dry. The Mario Burger was pretty decent but came out lukewarm and was also pretty dry. The Block Tiramisu was the best thing we had although it's a small serving it came in a mystery block made of shortbread cookies. Overall the food is alright but the experience and decor is so immersive and very well put together that I would recommend experiencing it at least once. read more

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Cute experience but the food was pretty lackluster. We were able to join the queue for noon online the morning we went to Universal and ended up waiting about 15 min to enter and another 15 min to order. You can join the virtual queue in person as well but that gets booked out often. For food we got the Mario burger (bacon and mushroom cheeseburger) and the spaghetti and meatballs with a souvenir toad cup to drink. Both dishes were bland and essentially just cafeteria food. The burger was the better choice and came with seasoned fries that were the best part of the meal. The souvenir cup is super cute and worth getting to bring back home. You can also get this at Nintendo snack stations outside though. Overall it's worth trying out but if we were to come back I'd opt for a faster and more convenient option to eat at. read more

Toadstool Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Universal City, California

My Mario fan wanted nothing more to eat at the Toadstool Cafe. We saw a sign during early access that reservations were already booked for the day so I assumed we were out of luck. However, our amazing VIP guide (shoutout to Andrew H) told me to keep refreshing the app and sure enough plenty of reservations opened up throughout the day. I snagged one for 715pm and made our way there after our VIP tour. We checked in and 710pm and the grouchy woman at the front of the cafe told us she couldn't let us in until 715pm. I explained I had tired, hungry kids and asked if we would be able to sit at 715pm. She told me there may be a line behind the door and we could very well be in line for an hour. I asked if she could check if there was a line and she told me that wasn't a question and could answer. Some customer service! Fortunately, Oscar the Grouch was soon replaced with a much nicer man who let me know that there was no line and we would be able to order and sit right away. Phew. I ordered the mushroom soup and my boys got the mario mini burger meals and tiramisu for dessert. We also got some cheesy garlic knots to share. It took about 20 minutes for our food to come to our table, but the atmosphere was so cute that we were well entertained. My Mario fan thought it was the most exciting restaurant he had ever eaten in. The bread and soup were actually pretty tasty and my soup even came in a mushroom bowl that I could take home. The kids were underwhelmed with their burgers, which they claimed were undercooked but did like the fries a lot. And they loved the little Mario character that came on top of the burger. Everyone was too full for dessert, but we did enjoy a few bites of the very sweet tiramisu. The mini burger meal actually comes with its own dessert so we would skip the tiramisu next time. My Mario fan made me promise I'd give it 5 stars on Yelp. I think it's an adorable restaurant that I highly recommend for Mario fans, but going with 3 stars thanks to Ms Grouch and the undercooked burgers. read more

Toadstool Cafe - Kids meal, cheesy garlic knows and tiramisu - Cafes Near Me - Universal City, California

Get your reservation an hour before you'll be hungry because the waiting is.... A LOT. Do not get to your reservation early or you will have to wait(understandably). Then you get in line to waaait for another line to order. Then you get in line to get a table. Once you get your table, expect soome time to get your food(they said approximately half hour from ordering). It's cute AF there but waiting 55 minutes wasn't what anyone hopes for. BOWSERS FIREBALL CHALLENGE meal was fun! The biggest meatball ever and definitely a huge spicy kick! Pluuuus a side of hot sauce! I wanted a little more flavor to go with the spice but we enjoyed! We got the TOADSTOOL GARLIC KNOTS and they were super soft and delicious. They seemed a bit a smaller than other pics we saw. Cute and tasty either way! Yum! Friends got the tomato soup and loved the melamine bowl you get to take home! The tiramisu and the bean pole cake seemed to be a hit! read more

Toadstool Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Universal City, California

Food was good, it wasn't amazing, but you didn't come here for the food. First, to get in, you'll need admission to the park and to make a reservation. There's a couple of ways to do it, you could head into Super Nintendo World and in front of Toadstool Cafe is a sign with a QR code that you can scan. Or, you could find the actual reservation link and check it around early access time to get first dibs on any available timeslot. Once your time comes, just go ahead and show the reservation email to the person in front and head on it. When we went, there were basically no line and we were able to order right away. Once you order, you move into the main dining area and the server will help you find a seat. The food came out after about 20 minutes-ish. read more

Toadstool Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Universal City, California

When you come to Universal Studios, you have to visit the Toadstool Cafe at least once. Make sure you get there early enough to reserve a spot to dine in . They get booked up pretty quick. I went a couple times but I also went during FanFest when they introduced some new menu items for Yoshi! You order at the front and then they seat you after you order. They also bring your food to you. The design is super cute and it's like you're sitting in a big mushroom . There's so many things to look at in there . read more

Toadstool Cafe - Yoshi's Chicken Alfredo and Melon Smoothie - Cafes Near Me - Universal City, California

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Tip: Arrive 1st thing in the morning to reserve your spot! Well, we had a late start to our morning from a long night at Disney. We arrived here around 9ish and all of the spots were filled. We were bummed but the kind employee told my husband to scan the QR code and refresh after 12pm. Unexpectedly, I randomly refreshed the website around 1pm ish while on the studio tour and scored a spot for 5 around 2:30pm. There were other times as well but I chose the closest time as we were hangry. Back down 4-5 escalators with 3 children and a stroller, we finally made it! Upon entering, we showed the worker our confirmation and followed the queue to order food. I was eager to order everything on the menu, but limited ourselves to: spaghetti, short ribs, garlic bread, princess peach cupcake, square dessert thing, and a Mario burger. With everything being so pricey, we brought our own juice. Next we waited in another queue to get seated. Got lucky again and was placed in a sort of secluded room with booth type of seating. Our order arrived shortly thereafter. I highly recommend the garlic bread 10/10. Next time I would order it x3. Pass on the short ribs because the food portion was small and price was high 3/10. The spaghetti was a 8/10 and The Mario burger was 7/10. Princess peach cupcake 10/10. Overall it was a great experience and I got the hype. Would I come back again? Probably, but I wouldn't make as much of an effort to check the website if another spot at Universal was open as I'd like to check out other food spots next time. read more

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We were lucky enough to score a reservation in the late morning for Toadstool Cafe. We went on a pretty busy Saturday and the crowds were high. Upon check in, we were asked to show our confirmation to confirm our time and we were let into the cafe. This is where things got interesting and was a mix of good and bad. Once entering the cafe, the decor is really amazing. You are immersed into the Toadstool world and Universal did a great job of immersing the toadstool details into the wall art, menu, and interactions. This is where the good stops and quickly declines. There was no staff inside directing the lines or having a clear direction between the line to order and the line to be seated after you order. People were self organizing and this caused the lines to intersect and become confusing on which line was for which step. Once we finally cleared that up, it was our turn to order. Their menu has a pretty good selection of small bites, main course, and desserts. The staff seemed as though they did not want to be there and were not inviting which is far from being in line with the toadstool character. Nevertheless, we got our order in and then stood in the equally long line to find a seat. This process took a while since it was crowded, but eventually we were seated in a corner of the dining area. The wait for our food was pretty long, which seems a bit strange since their food is mass produced and it was early in the day where you would think they would have these things ready to go. Our food finally arrived and all of it was COLD!!! The spaghetti was just ok, the tiramisu was mid and the cookies were stale. The princess peach cupcake was soooo dry! I have to admit that my expectations were not that high as I know these food items are merely for IG, but I at least expected food to be hot. For the price charged, I would expect better quality. Overall, it was an ok experience to visit once, but we will probably not be back. Much better food and service at their other food establishments in the park that offer a better value for the money you are spending. We ended up spending 1.5 hours here based on the wait, which was more than the time I wanted to spend here and could have been spent in the actual park on rides. read more

**Scan the QR code next to the cafe first thing in the morning to grab a spot to dine here! View the menu on the Universal Studios app. On our first time, the cafe was fully booked during the first half of the day. I scanned the code and got a 3 pm spot through the QR code just before 1 pm. It's a hassle, but the restaurant is chill and relaxing when it's your time. I don't mind waiting. If you want a spot earlier, you'll have to rush to scan the code first thing in the morning. After ordering, a staff member will escort you to a table, and your food will be delivered to your table. Many staff are kind and offer to clean off any used plates you are finished with. Some recommended items we got to try... - The Luigi Burger (pesto grilled chicken) - had good flavor, the chicken wasn't dry, and the fries were hot and crispy - Super Mushroom Soup - delicious, although not as smooth as other mushroom soups I've tried, but it was flavorful, and the price comes with a souvenir bowl. I wish it were an option to get the souvenir bowl. I don't need another one if I order the soup again. - Mt Beanpole Cake - This cake was okay. It had good flavor, was not too sweet, and the cake was fluffy. The top layer of matcha mousse was a little dense. I would come back again to try other menu items. I really enjoyed the theme and ambiance of the cafe. The animated windows are fun to watch, and the lighting changes with different moments in the animations. The food is pricy, and you are paying for the atmosphere and the Super Mario-themed names. But I still enjoy it all. read more

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Love this place. Price but the portions are decent. The servers they there best and we always tip cash. The theme is amazing and very high tech and spacious. I recommend looking at the menu before you get in line and go potty before you sit down. read more

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WHY DO THEY NOT HEAT THE FOOD ALL THE WAY THROUGH...... This is probably how AlphaRad got food poisoning twice. If you eat here, you should go for the novelty, not the quality (like us :D) We made a reservation the second the portal opened at 9 am. Booking filled up for the entire day around 11 am. You can find the portal link on other websites, otherwise you can scan the QR code on-site. After the staff checked for our confirmation text/email, we waited in line for 30 mins because the checkout staff also make your drinks behind the counter-- so if the groups ahead of you order a ton of drinks, you're basically stuck there until they're all done. We received a number placard and were escorted to our table. Orders came out in 15 mins. SUPER STAR LEMON SQUASH: This is carbonated lemonade with popping boba and mango jelly stars. Not bad! But extremely sweet with the boba juice. TOADSTOOL CHEESY GARLIC KNOTS: THESE ARE LUKEWARM. But okay. This is just a cheese bread ball with marinara, not really garlicky at all. LUIGI BURGER: THE FRIES. ARE ALSO LUKEWARM.... Of all things to be lukewarm..... WHY SOMETHING LIKE FRIES..... :') The burger was also lukewarm. Eating this, I accepted the potential of disaster (it was averted). TBH, the pesto wasn't too bad... And the chicken wasn't dry. Went well with the huge slice of bell pepper. Presentation is a bit sloppy, but it's overall not a bad burger-- just the weird temperature strikes fear into my food poisoning-prone soul BEANPOLE CAKE: Also fine. Matcha flavor is more westernized (vanilla-leaning), but still tasty. The cake is pretty dense, very creamy. Not the worst but very generic (duh, it's theme park food) The animations throughout the cafe were so cute ;__; We got lucky and were seated at a booth. Toads playing and saying hi to the "windows", followed by a vicious Bowser raid that darkened the entire restaurant with lightning LMAO. This cycle repeated every 10-15 mins. I enjoyed the experience, but wouldn't recommend the food. Is so pricy for what you get ($72 total for ours).... read more

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I went here first thing when the park opened for early access to Super Nintendo World. I got the lemonade boba which was very refreshing. I also got the Luigi burger which is a pesto grilled chicken burger with a slice of green bell pepper and it comes with truffle fries which were so delicious! This place is great and beats a lot of theme parks for style and flavor. The service was amazing. Everyone was so kind and inside was super cool! What a great experience. read more

Toadstool Cafe - Luigi Burger: Pesto chicken with green bell pepper and truffle fries. - Cafes Near Me - Universal City, California

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I've been able to try this place 2x now, thanks to my friend who is a Universal employee. The first time we came was before the super Nintendo world actually opened, and we went for one of those employee days. And the second time I tried it was earlier this month. I will make this review focus on my most recent visit, but I do want to mention that I think the food and the reservation system has improved a lot since the first time I went. EXPERIENCE: My friend made reservations ahead of time for us, so I don't have experience making a reservation day of. However, I did see a QR code to scan right in front of the restaurant to try to get a spot. If you have a reservation, you show up at your reservation time, and then you get to go inside shortly after. Then you go inside and line up to order. After you order, they will seat you. Your entire party has to be present to be seated. The cafe itself is SUPER cute. Chef Toad is adorable and if you look at the screens they have up in the cafe, they are all synced and continuous with each other if an event is happening. FOOD: I tried the fire flower spaghetti, and it was honestly pretty good! It's a lil spicy. We also got to try our friends' mushroom soup and giant meatball. The mushroom soup is SUPER flavorful and umami. The giant meatball was soooo spicy. I could not really eat it haha but my partner enjoyed it a lot. PRICE: Food at universal is overpriced. This place is no exception xD The fire flower spaghetti was $17. And the mushroom soup was $20, but it was rly good and it came with a little mushroom bowl. Overall, if you haven't been yet, you should definitely try to stop by the toad stool cafe while you're visiting super nintendo world. Don't expect the food to be super good, but I'd say you're basically paying for the experience to eat inside of an immersive toad themed restaurant. read more

Toadstool Cafe - Fire flower spaghetti, mushroom soup, giant meatball - Cafes Near Me - Universal City, California

The food for an amusement park was ok. We ordered the Mario Burger and the Luigi chicken sandwich. My son had the kids meal burger and my daughter had the kids meal with pasta. I did like the fact that the kids meal came with corn on the cob and broccoli. The fries had truffle flavor which made it taste better. The Mario Burger was definitely more heart compared to the Luigi chicken sandwich( Wife and I split both sandwiches). I had a bite of the pasta and I was pleasantly surprised. Service was good. The other family we were with had their order arrive a lot later then ours even though we ordered at the same time different registers. We asked someone to check on their order and someone came out the same time giving us an update. The restaurant in itself is what gives it the 5 star review. It's what exactly a Toadstool Cafe you would imagine it to be. I had the unique experience of moving one of the chairs because we were short one and it was heavy! I thought it would be light but the quality they put in the decorations spared no expense. I would go back again. read more

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According to my 8 year old this restaurant is 5 stars and is the best meal ever. To us older folks, the meal was good and the ambiance was excellent. This place is busy and the wait even with a reservation is a little annoying but understandable. If I had to use one word to describe our meal at Toadstool Cafe it is that it was fun. Our cashier who took our order told us they were out of the Luigi Burger and charged us for an additional spaghetti which we were forced to eat lest it be thrown away. 4 solid stars which would have been a 5 if it weren't for our cashier who had an attitude and overcharged us. read more

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If you're looking for a fun dining experience while at Universal Studios Hollywood, check out Toadstool Cafe in Super Nintendo World. If you're lucky, you may actually be able to take a picture with Toadd himself (he's super cute!). When it's your time to enter the cafe, show your reservation at the door and wait in line to order. After ordering, wait to be seated at a table where your food will be brought to you. What we tried (all pretty average): -Bowser's Fireball Challenge - a 16oz meatball topped with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese, served with a puff pastry and hot sauce on the side. If you like spicy, definitely dip your meatball in the hot sauce! -Mario Burger (Bacon, Mushroom & Cheese) - Standard cheeseburger with bacon and mushrooms on a brioche bun. Comes with a side of truffle fries. -Mario Mini Burger Adventure Set - Smaller standard cheeseburger served with truffle fries, corn on cob, broccoli, and a coin cookie (Nilla waffer dipped in white chocolate- delicious!). -Power-Up Spaghetti Marinara - Spaghetti with parmesan crisps, a cheesy garlic knot, and a coin cookie. -Super Star Lemon Squash- Lemon soda with mango stars and boba. Come for the experience/atmosphere like, not for the food. Pro tip: Time slots to eat at the cafe are only available on the same day and are limited. Scan the QR code at the entrance of Super Nintendo World or Toadstool Cafe shortly after you enter the theme park to try and secure your reservation. read more

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Don't be discouraged when you scan the QR code at the entrance to Super Nintendo World and it says there is no more availability. We found they open it up intermittently throughout the day, so keep refreshing that page! We double checked with the host at 930am and he told us we could go right in as a party of two. The restaurant was practically empty. There's only one menu to choose from, so we had lunch at breakfast time. We ordered the tomato soup for $20 and the kids burger meal. Unfortunately, no mushroom soup was available. The tomato soup was pretty good but it was so small! Seriously, my approximate guess is 1/2 cup! I guess the gimmick is you get to keep the souvenir toad bowl. The kids burger was dry. The fries had a truffle powder on them, which made them kind of interesting. I did like how they rounded out the meal with a corn on the cob and some broccoli. The food was cute, but won't be winning any awards anytime soon for taste. And not to mention, expensive for what you get. If you must, set your expectations low and experience it for the unique Nintendo ambiance if nothing more. read more

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Main points: 1. Mario burger was really good (might be because we were surprised that something on this menu was actually good); flavorful and the fries were on point 2. That ? Block tiramisu is NOT GOOD; whoever says so has either never had Whole Foods tiramisu or likes really sweet and no flavor food. 3. Those garlic knots were not it--dry, no flavor, and overpriced. The only thing that could redeem it was the marinara sauce and even that is a stretch. The place/setting is definitely really nice, but please do not waste your money on "garlic knots" (with no garlic flavor whatsoever) and "tiramisu" (really sweet cake). read more

Susie was SUPER nice and helpful! Wonderful calm energy despite the restaurant being so busy. We got a ton of food because we're big backs and I have no complaints, LOVE that the soup came with the Toad bowl so I can take the Mushroom Magic home with me read more

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The service is horrible. I wait 30 min in line to order food and the guy taking orders just leaves. I was next to order but I couldn't because there was nobody. The host told me.. "I dont know what to do.. " she just gave me a you are screwed look. Also, the food was not good. Everything has no flavor but the presentation was good read more

I was so excited to try this place out. Unfortunately, the reservations were sold out by the time we got into the park. We went back to check at around 4:30pm and were able to get a reservation! You order at the counter, get seated, then your food is delivered when ready. It was a bit different than what I expected but still very cute! We tried their toadstool cheesy garlic knots, Mario burger, and block tiramisu. I loved their garlic knots, but they did have a bit too much Parmesan for my liking. The burger and fries were good, and the cookies with the tiramisu were amazing! read more

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Toadstool is cute, if you can grab reservations and you or your kids love Mario, its worth a try...but don't go in expecting a lot in terms of food. Even after you go in the restaurant, there's quite a long wait to order. Once you finally order (and I beg everyone, LOOK AT THE MENU and finalize your choices before you get to the cashier so you save time for everyone! If you are standing there for 15-20 minutes, there's more than enough time to look at their tiny menu!) Once you order, you get seated right away and the ambiance of the restaurant is so cute! They have screens everywhere showing the toads hard at working making the food, and once in a while, Bowser comes along and the whole restaurant turns dark. There is a long wait for the food and the food comes cold. The food is presented very cutely, and if you pay more, you can get a mushroom bowl or special cup etc. The food is a solid 2-3 out of 5. The spaghetti was ok...but the rest, including the desserts are very meh. This restaurant is definitely a one and done deal. read more

Toadstool Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Universal City, California

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Because we arrived early before the crowds it helped make our experience enjoyable. We ordered the short rib with goat cheese polenta and the Luigi burger which was a chicken pesto sandwich. They were both delicious! The wait time was not too long. You order at the counter when you first walk in and then your food is brought out to you. We enjoyed dining in the restaurant. There are several screens around the restaurant. One screen looks like your watching all the little toads cooking in the kitchen. Other screens around the restaurant look like windows where you can see what's happening outside. At random times, the lights will dim, the toads in the kitchen hide and the toads you see outside the "window" also hide because Bowser's ship appears as if he is going to invade. Once Bowser leaves the lights return to normal and all the toads return to the kitchen and are happily walking outside the windows again. Pretty cool experience. read more

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I've literally held onto my pass for a long time just because I've been wanting to try this place. I'm so excited the day finally came and I was able to get a reservation here. The food presentation here is pretty cute, but I think the food overall falls short. The prices are high for food that's not over the top delicious. It really tasted like cafeteria food to me. This is a fast casual restaurant. You still have to order your food and the counter, but an employee will deliver the food to you. There's a show inside of the restaurant, which was kinda cool. The interior is the space is unique -- it totally immerses you to Super Mario's World. read more

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Visited April 2023 The wait was long but I was able to reserve ahead of time. They have a QR code that you scan to reserve your time slot. If you plan to eat here, I suggest scanning the QR code asap when you see the sign for it. The time slots were being booked pretty quickly. Once you do that, you can pass the time in the park and have some fun with the games, rides, and meet the characters. The food presentation was pretty! It would be expected to look like the ones from the Universal Japan. I got the Fire Flower spaghetti & Meatballs. It was surprisingly spicy but slightly. The Super Star Lemon Squash was alright; at least it was refreshing for a hot day. The burger I didn't try myself but the fries were freshly fried. The most popular foods on the menu were either unavailable or sold out. Overall, the food was good and of course as expected to be pricey. If you need anything, you gotta wave down someone. The inside was very cute and I love seeing the citizens of Mushroom Kingdom on the walls go about their days. read more

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This place is a mess. There aren't enough team members to clear the tables, so there's old food around constantly. It takes forever to get food, if it comes at all. And they have a timer for the tables, but that timer isn't counting from when you get your food. The servers are nice but they're burned out. The place itself is cute with the theming, but it loses out to the unnecessarily long wait to order and get food. read more

Toadstool Cafe - Fire flower spaghetti and garlic knots - Cafes Near Me - Universal City, California

It's definitely an experience to dine here at Toadstool Cafe. We came as a large party, and we wanted to try Toadstool Cafe. After snagging a spot on the waitlist, we got a time for dinner, which we were all excited about. Since we've been walking around all day (hooray 20k+ Fitbit steps!), we carbed up for dinner. This is what I got: Toadstool Cheesy Garlic Knots(VG)- $5.99 Mini mushroom shaped knots brushed with garlic butter, parmesan cheese, parsley and a side of marinara sauce Fire Flower Spaghetti & Meatballs - $16.99 Spaghetti with mushroom marinara sauce, meatballs, Fire Flower parmesan crisp, shaved parmesan, and chopped parsley We had friends in our party who ordered these so that they could get the souvenir bowl: Bowser's Fireball Challenge - $24.99 1 lb. meatball topped with mozzarella cheese served with mushroom marinara sauce, Bowser puff pastry, parsley, and hot sauce on the side Purchase with souvenir bowl +10.00 Super Mushroom Soup(VG)- $19.99 Creamy mushroom soup with Super Mushroom crackers (Bowl included with purchase) We also tried all the desserts! ? Block Tiramisu(VG)- $9.99 Tiramisu layered with coffee soaked lady fingers topped with cocoa powder and chocolate power-up​ Mt. Beanpole Cake(VG)- $9.99 Chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry layered cake topped with a matcha mousse Princess Peach Cupcake(VG)- $9.99 Raspberry filled Funfetti cupcake, buttercream frosting and Princess Peach chocolate crown To be really honest, while the restaurant itself is a fun novelty and beautifully designed to feel like you're actually dining within Mushroom Kingdom, the food weren't super stand-outs. It's certainly way better than average amusement park food, but pricey for what it is. I'm also confused with how reservations are supposedly very difficult to get. However, when we were dining, more than half of the restaurant was empty. Not sure what that was about. Still, definitely recommend dining here for the experience, especially if you're a Mario and Nintendo fan! read more

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I guess I am late to the party to review this newly opened cafe, but the Toadstool Cafe can be found in Super Nintendo World, all the way down in the lower lot in Universal Studios. After reading all the reviews and getting tips from others, I ended up purchasing an early access pass for our visit yesterday. We visited this theme park on Wednesday, knowing that the park would not be nearly as busy on a weekend and in a few weeks as it gets closer to winter break (and may not have actually needed to purchase the pass but still think it was nice to come in an extra hour before the park officially opened). Anyways, I was able to make a reservation for 10 am at 9:15 am (you need to just check on the online reservation link during various times of the day) and had requested to be seated at a bigger table (surprisingly our request was taken into consideration because we got to sit at a nice corner table). We arrived a few minutes before our reservation time and were let in. Then we waited in a short line to order (again, this was yesterday a little after 10 am, so our experience will be very different from your experience). After looking over the menu, we ended up purchasing: Tomato Soup, $19.99 prior to tax- Please note the new price (as it used to be $9.99). This new price includes the keepsake Toad bowl to take home that also comes with a question mark box to place your bowl in when you are done eating. The soup was good and had a nice creamy mouth feel. The portion is on the small side but I really only purchased this because of the bowl. I did like that my soup did arrive hot. Mario Mini Burger Adventure, $14.99 prior to tax- I opted to order the kids burger meal because it came with a side of vegetables (broccoli and a very small ear of corn). The vegetables were seasoned and also had butter on it (I would have liked to omit that though). The cheeseburger itself tasted okay, but my husband described it as something you could make at your own backyard barbecue. The fries were seasoned but were not warm. Portion size, it was good for a meal for a child and honestly, a smaller eater like myself. The meal also came with a yellow coin cookie in the mini question mark box. Fire Flower Spaghetti, $16.99 prior to tax- My husband ordered this dish. When we had first ordered it, the friendly employee who took our order had asked if it was okay that it comes spicy. Surprisingly the spaghetti really wasn't that spicy (I do not have much tolerance for spicy foods at all and thought this was fine. My husband, who does eat spicy foods, said he didn't taste anything spicy in this at all, lol). The portion size was good for one adult. My husband did like this dish, including the meatballs (he got about 4 or 5 of them). Mt. Bean Pole Cake, $9.99 prior to tax- A small portion and cute presentation, the dessert itself is a little rich and a bit on the sweeter side. I did enjoy this dessert and so did my husband but think we would probably pass on it in the future. I liked that the cake itself was soft and moist. The layers all went well. ----------------------------------- (Total= $67.85 after tax) Service overall was quite friendly. From the check in to ordering to dropping off our meal. Each employee we interacted with (with the exception with the employee outside who let us in. I just want up to her to show her a screenshot of my reservation and she just nodded and so there wasn't much interaction to write about) were very nice and genuinely in good spirits and happy to help visitors/ guests. Love the attention to detail and layout of the restaurant. Enjoyed watching the little show of Bowser coming in on his ship on the window screens (I think this plays every 15 minutes?). If you are fan of the old school video game and have low expectations (or don't have any expectations at all, lol), then I think you will enjoy your experience like we did. It is unlikely that we will come back for a repeat visit, as I feel this is more of a one and done kind of thing. But both my husband and I really enjoyed coming and glad we were able to have a nice meal experience. read more

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Reservations via QR code or at this website: https://www.zomatobook.com/widget/makereservation03.aspx?id=467JWPDC1 . Once you get a reservation you show up 5 mins before your reservation time, then you wait in line to order your food at the counter. After you order, you wait in another line to wait for a table. You get a number for your table and they bring you the food to your table. Presentation of the food was great. Pasta was actually pretty good. The kids meal comes with a cookie. Luigi pesto burger and fries are yummy. Short ribs are also great. Dessert- tiramisu was the best one. Peach cupcake was cute but just mid- tasting. read more

Toadstool Cafe - Tiramisu - Cafes Near Me - Universal City, California

Awful. Getting in: You need a reservation, even if there is no one there. But the strange thing is, you can walk in an order food. Apparently you need a reservation to sit down. Ok fine. Well in order to get a reservation you can either try a 3p app or scan the QR code when you get in. But, the reservation system doesn't open until randomly sometime in the morning. So while you're running around, you're frantically wasting phone battery refreshing the system. Food: Think elementary school lunch-quality. We had: -kids burger: bun was humongous and soft but the meat had that school lunch taste. My kid didn't eat it -kids spaghetti: kid didn't finish, sauce was sour -adult spaghetti and meatballs: sauce was sour, oddly spicy. Meatballs were the best part but not worth the price -bread bites: flavorless Atmosphere/Service: the atmosphere was pretty nice. There are video screens around with Toads doing things (cooking in the kitchen, walking back and forth), and every so often an event will happen which will send them in a spiral. That was pretty fun but the lights also dimmed so I had no idea what was happening. Service was overall slow at 9:15am between the time it took to order to the time we received our food. I didn't time it but it felt like forever. Skip it and go to breakfast at Harry Potter instead. read more

Second time here.. giving another try and it will be my last. Food is cold.. portions are meehh ok. Servicee.. what service? Not even one single person asked us if we needed something once we were seated. Super cute place though. But to eat meeh I pass. Thank you. Bye. read more

Once you are able to get in and order, the inside of the restaurant is really cute. There are toads all around on screens walking in their town and working in the kitchen. That keep the kids entertained while we waited for food. The food was pretty good for theme park food. The kids meal was perfect, I love that it comes with some broccoli that was cooked very well, not mushy at all, it still had a small crunch. The cupcake was beautiful, it was super sweet. A confetti cupcake with a jam filling. The burgers were decent. The fries were a hit with the kids. A good experience if you can make it in to put in your order. read more

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Been wanting to try toadstool cafe/ go to Nintendo super world ever since it opened and finally went! I was super hyped to try out this cafe!! The food looked good and the decorative theme was also a plus. Was original going to get the Luigi pesto chicken sandwich but my boyfriend convinced me to try the spaghetti instead. In all fairness the spaghetti tasted so bland. I couldn't finish it which was disappointing. Others have said the garlic knots were bland which yes they were but were tolerable for me to eat instead of the spaghetti. Lastly... the tomato soup legitimately tasted just like marinara sauce. Vegan or not why does my tomato soup taste like that???? Service was alright, took awhile to get our food during a rush. Ambience was cute as well. This was a one and done visit, definitely overpriced for what was offered. read more

Toadstool Cafe - Garlic knots, spaghetti, bowsers challenge, tomato soup - Cafes Near Me - Universal City, California

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First timer here at toads cafe since it opened. We were so excited to see the interior but also try the food. My bf got the SuperStar Chicken Salad for $14.99 and I got the Bowers Fireball Challenge for 24.99. The portions were not worth the price, but I guess because I also got to get the souvenir bowl that's why it cost 24.99. Service was good. Eating here is most likely a once every other time we come to universal. read more

Toadstool Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Universal City, California

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The last time I went to Universal Studios was 10 years ago, and it was at the Orlando location. When I heard that Nintendo World was opening up at Universal, I knew I had to go. So I made it a point to go to Nintendo World for my birthday. Naturally, we stopped at the Toadstool Cafe for lunch. This restaurant is more about the experience than the food. We logged into the app at 7:00 AM, and all the reservations for lunch had been gone by 8 AM. It's very competitive to get in. We ordered at the counter. I got the Bowser's Fireball Challenge, and my wife got the Mario Burger. I also got the Super Star Lemon Squash, which unfortunately could not be made less sweet. Fortunately, it was not too sweet any way. Being such a busy restaurant with high turnover of customers, the tables were slightly dirty, but not unbearably so. The fireball was very spicy, and the meatball was a bit on the dry side. I was hoping the puff pastry would be super flaky and crispy, but it was actually just a bit soggy. Because the meatball ended up being too spicy for me, I traded with my wife and then finished the Mario Burger. The burger was ok, but the patty was again dry. This is the type of restaurant I would go to once to cross it off my list. The food is fairly average if not slightly below average. read more

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For theme park food (or at least Universal), one should set their expectations. The food here is at least better than what you can find at other spots in the park, but don't expect something amazing! - Mario Burger - basic, kinda dry, but decent. - Block Tiramisu - yummy, decadent. Similar to something I'd get at a grocery store but definitely not bakery-level. Decor is super cute. Make sure to reserve your spot beforehand! read more

Toadstool Cafe - Burger, Tiramisu - Cafes Near Me - Universal City, California

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