One of the best food courts at any theme park resort resides within Aventura resort hotel at Universal Orlando Resort. I have friends that visit this food court, Urban Pantry, even when not staying at this hotel. Also, this food court and Bar 17 Bistro, the rooftop bar, add to reasons they view this as a hotel they enjoy.
The food court features a wok/sushi station, a pizza section, and a roast section. Today’s reviewed item will emerge from the roast station. There, one can find the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich.
The roast station functions like a grill station. The offerings vary between burgers (standard, plant based, and turkey), chicken wings, and our selection today, the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich. This menu item costs guests $12. Each of the above-mentioned items come with a side. The side selections offered are waffle fries, onion rings, and sweet potato tots. Urban Pantry gets higher marks for the variety of sides not normally extended at a theme park resort hotel food court.
So, what quality of sandwich does Urban Pantry provide?
The menu description reads “crispy fried chicken, buffalo hot sauce and blue cheese dressing.” Surprisingly for a food court, the bun remains soft and add to overall flavor of sandwich. The chicken portion provides a large amount. The breading of the chicken appears a bit heavy, but it needs to stand up to the buffalo sauce. The buffalo sauce spice level is higher than usual theme park buffalo type items.
However, if you are looking for real buffalo spice, this sandwich possesses flavor but not that type heat.
On the negative side, the chicken itself simply stands as a conduit for the other flavors of sandwich. Even though the presentation of the sandwich in Universal’s photo appears great, you should not expect that.
Despite that, the price point shines as a good theme park value. This is especially true when factoring in the side options. Most of the time, the quantity of fries here satisfies most appetites. I would suggest the onion rings since those are not as common as a non-upcharge side. I thought they tasted good but not great.
Urban Pantry continues to sparkle as a hotel food court. The prices are theme park reasonable, and quality remains decent. This spot might be worth a try on your next visit to Universal Orlando.
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