Dining at universal stuido's hollywood

[lovegrumpy]

I'm going to USH on july 3rd and was wondering where was the best place to eat. We don't want to spend too much money on our food.

[pjdonnell]

Hmm... that's a toughie. What type of food do you want? Inside the park, there's all sorts of counter-service restaurants, ranging from Italian to fried chicken to El Pollo Loco to Pizza Hut to Panda Express. Unfortunately, Universal hasn't had a table service restaurant since they closed down the awesome (in my opinion) Marvel Mania restaurant about 6 or 7 years ago. Outside the park, at the Universal Citywalk, though, there's all kinds of restaurants. Shanghai & Mein has Chinese, Gladstone's has seafood, Hard Rock Cafe has burgers, Buca di Beppo has Italian... the list goes on and on. There's even a mini-food court on the second level across from the movie theater. All these places have varying price levels, but I'm sorry to say I never really pay much attention to the menu prices themselves.

Universal's website has info on most of the Citywalk restaurants here: http://www.citywalkhollywood.com/din...staurants.html

Here's a list of the in-park eateries: http://themeparks.universalstudios.c...te/dining.html

Unfortunately, no pricing info.

[DznyVan]

The best food and value is a 5 minute drive away from USH.

Bob's Big Boy on Alameda Ave. Family of six (us) can eat there easily for under $60.00. We snack at the Park and then eat dinner there (on our way back down to DL). An American institution.

Otherwise, if you have to eat at the Park, then I would go for the Italian food place across from Back to the Future. Good, tastey food at a reasonable price. Doc's chicken smells better than it tastes .

The old Marvel Mania was great. We had numerous parties there for the kids before they shut it down. Cool characters came up to your table just like Goofy's Kitchen. Prior to that it was Victoria Station, which was an expensive place to go and mostly for adults. As much as we go to USH, we haven't seen the Frankenstein restaurant open.

The cowboy place outside the entrance is fairly new, so we haven't tried it out. We did eat there before when it was another cowboy type place and it was very good.

Citywalk has some good places. Tony Roma's, and a few other chains. Some of the small places can be expensive. If you want a quick meal, the sausage/dog place is good. Seating can be tough though.

Have fun!

[pjdonnell]

Otherwise, if you have to eat at the Park, then I would go for the Italian food place across from Back to the Future. Good, tastey food at a reasonable price. Doc's chicken smells better than it tastes .

The Italian restaurant is called Louie's Pizza & Pasta. Just a little FYI.

The old Marvel Mania was great. We had numerous parties there for the kids before they shut it down. Cool characters came up to your table just like Goofy's Kitchen. Prior to that it was Victoria Station, which was an expensive place to go and mostly for adults.

I really loved everything about Marvel Mania. In fact, it's rare to see me outside without my Marvel Mania hat on! The word bubbles in the walls and carpet, the 3D props by the bar, the occasional life-size mannequin of a Marvel character (Rogue! *drool*), the animation cels available for purchase in the gift shop, even the Macromedia flash comic books and character indexes they showed on that huge tv screen in the dining room. And I don't recall ever dining at Victoria Station, though I do remember it being there. Trivia fact: while the building which housed Marvel Mania is now Dracula's castle for the Van Helsing movie, the back wall of the building still has the Marvel Mania sign painted on it! You can see it by looking down the small alleyway behind the building, next to the Fast and the Furious cars.

As much as we go to USH, we haven't seen the Frankenstein restaurant open.

I believe the only time I ate at Frank 'N Stein's was way back in 1997. I haven't seen it open since then, either.

Citywalk has some good places. Tony Roma's, and a few other chains. Some of the small places can be expensive. If you want a quick meal, the sausage/dog place is good. Seating can be tough though.

Yet another FYI: the sausage place is called Jody Maroni's. I like the comic book place next door (Things from Another World) more, myself.

[fkurucz]

The best food and value is a 5 minute drive away from USH.

Bob's Big Boy on Alameda Ave. Family of six (us) can eat there easily for under $60.00. We snack at the Park and then eat dinner there (on our way back down to DL). An American institution.

When did Bob's Big Boy come back to California?

[mamabot]

The one on Riverside is one of the few left in CA. It still has Car Hop service. That place is always packed! Here is a link to the website for the Toluca Lake Bob's, which is a histrical landmark.

There is another one in Glendale on Glenoaks, just east of Sonora Avenue.

Here is another website that lists the location of Bob's Big Boys left in California. Not sure how up to date the list it.

[DznyVan]

Great links Mamabot.

Bob's never left this location. It is one of the originals. We had a couple in the Bay Area years ago then they closed down. When we started going to DL and USH on a regular basis, we started going to Bob's as well. The others weren't quite the same as this one.

[Fes2]

Clint Howard: Bob's has never really gone away, sir. It's continued to serve great food at affordable prices.


(couldn't find the exact quote... but it's close)

[fkurucz]

Clint Howard: Bob's has never really gone away, sir. It's continued to serve great food at affordable prices.


(couldn't find the exact quote... but it's close)

I seem to recall that in the late 80's or early 90's they closed most Big Boys and converted them into something called "Ally's" (sp?). Those too eventually went away.

[Gwyren]

I believe there is a Bob's Big Boy down Wilshire Avenue.

[chakisblue]

bob's big boy (yummy) now am hungry

[sir clinksalot]

There is also a new Bob's Big Boy Express in Santa Paula. It's at a truck stop. I don't know what they are trying to do, but it looks kind of eh ...

But eating inside USH is kind of a joke. You have Panda Express, Pizza Hut, Burgers. There is Mel's Diner which is actually very good.

Citywalk I can suggest Tony Roma's and Buca Di Beppo.

Right outside the park is Paquito Mas, a whole in the wall Mexican restaurant that is VERY good. Right across from that is Macelis, a very good Italian place. I haven't eaten there in more than 10 years so I don't know what the price range is anymore.