Last week we explored some of the foods offered at Celestial Park’s full-service restaurants, as part of the ongoing series covering all of the foods released to be coming to Epic Universe when it opens this year on May 22nd. Universal has given fans a sneak peek at many of the themed food and beverage offerings that will be coming to all five lands – The Isle of Berk, Dark Universe, Super Nintendo World, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, and Celestial Park (breakdowns of which can be found in our previous articles, linked above!) – and it turns out that there are just so many restaurants coming to Celestial Park that Theme Park Shark needed a second pass to cover all of the fast-casual options that the park has revealed.
In addition to the two major full-service restaurants coming to Celestial Park, Atlantic and The Blue Dragon Pan-Asian Restaurant, several smaller dining experiences were also revealed when Universal dropped the dining details.
Bars and restaurants like The Oak & Star Tavern, Pizza Moon Meteor Astropub, The Plastered Owl, Star Sui Bao, Frosty Moon, Comet Dogs, Celestiki, and Bar Zenith will all be well-stocked with themed foods and beverages for guests to enjoy, only a few of these new locations have been given the sneak peek treatment.
Let’s dig in!
The Oak & Star Tavern
“Follow the aromas of savory barbecue to The Oak & Star Tavern at Universal Epic Universe. Located in a cosmic garden in Celestial Park, you can gather with family or friends round the fiery hearth of an ancient, starlight-filled oak tree. The tavern is also home to The Plastered Owl bar, where you can enjoy a drink and lively conversation.”
The Oak & Star Tavern is exactly what you would expect from a fantasy-futurism tavern, with a hearty menu of barbecue and beer, where the smokehouse foods are rich and savory. This tavern offers a few hearty main plates in its fast-casual atmosphere, like the Two Meats Platter.
This platter shown above, from Universal Orlando Resort, features Spit Roasted Citrus Herb Chicken and Smokes St. Louis Ribs, but guests can have their pick of meats. In addition to the options above, guests can also choose from Pulled Pork, Smoked Brisket, or Cheddar Jalapeno Sausage. Guests can also choose to add sides, like Braised Greens or Mac and Cheese, or other savory smokehouse traditions that perfectly accompany the platter. Larger platters are available as well, so order depending on your party size!
The Slow Smoked Brisket sandwich is also available, featuring incredibly tender fourteen-hour smoked brisket dashed with a sweet barbecue sauce and tangy homemade pickles on a pan sobao bun. Pairing perfectly with the good old-fashioned French Fry, this sandwich is perfect for the person in your party who will eat all the smoked brisket off the two-meat platter (you know who you are!).
Or, if maybe the smokehouse scene isn’t for you but you still want to try out the Oak & Star Tavern, check out the Grilled Peach Arugula Salad.
A beautiful mix of tangy greens and sweet grilled peaches, this salad mix is topped with soft cheese, candied pecans, and drizzled with a white balsamic dressing that ties the whole dish together in a sweet and savory salad that’s sure to hold its own against its hearty smoked siblings on the menu!
And what kind of savory smokehouse would be complete without its sweet side? The Banana Pudding looks divine, featuring creamy vanilla pudding infused with fresh banana slices, topped with a layer of fresh whipped cream and vanilla wafer cookie crumbles for that perfect crunch.
The Oak & Star Tavern will also offer a variety of beverages, alcoholic and non-alcoholic alike, like the drink named after its in-house bar: The Plastered Owl.
This drink brings dark rye whiskey to center stage, accompanied by simple syrup, cherry syrup, lemon juice, lemon wedges, and muddled cherries. While this is the only drink revealed from The Plastered Owl, it’s a strong contender and if the rest of the drinks menu sounds this good, it’s going to be hard to choose!
But there’s still so much more offered at Celestial Park, like the quick-service Pizza Moon, where guests can find a variety of pizza pies and other traditionally Italian fare.
Pizza Moon
“Turns out the moon really is made of cheese… and pepperoni. Gather your group and blast off to Pizza Moon in Celestial Park, an early 1900s Victorian theater converted into a spectacular eatery where the finest pizzas in Universal Epic Universe are prepared. From a basic cheese pie to the works, every pizza deserves a standing ovation.”
Pizza Moon is exactly what you think it is: a pizza place, in the middle of Celestial Park that offers a variety – and I mean a variety – of pizza pie options! Now, this isn’t your Louie’s, or your Luigi’s Pizza. This is real, bona fide space pizza. Take, for instance, the Pizza Lunare – a pizza featuring creamy roasted garlic béchamel instead of traditional tomato pizza sauce, topped with ricotta cheese, savory pancetta, fromage de lune (space cheese) and a garlic confit, all served on a purple – yes, purple! – ube pizza crust.
If maybe purple pizza isn’t on your itinerary for the day, try A Trip to Vesuvio! No, not the actual volcano (though I do hear it’s nice this time of year!) but one of the pizza options at Pizza Moon, featuring a mix of sweet and spicy toppings like pepperoni, fennel sausage, roasted peppers and caramelized onions. Topped with cherry peppers, Calabrian chili, and fresh arugula, this pizza is drizzled with hot honey for that extra little kick.
Too hot to handle? Look no further than The Giant Mushroom. Can you guess what’s on this one? Another white pizza, this pizza also features creamy roasted garlic bechamel, fromage de lune, and is topped with savory wild mushrooms drizzled with truffle aioli. One of the more savory pizzas at Pizza Moon, this pie is a creamy and earthy dish that perfectly blends the cheese, garlic, and mushrooms into a unique pizza that’s sure to be a hit.
But I did say this was space pizza, and no pie at Pizza Moon shows off the space-age pizza flair better than the Space Cowboy. Yes, that’s what it’s called. Space Cowboy is a barbecue chicken pizza featuring tender rotisserie chicken, pickled red onions, Castelvetrano Olives and BBQ potato chips all drizzled in a tangy BBQ sauce that ties all these eclectic ingredients into a space adventure. I’ll definitely be trying this pizza, so… see you later, Space Cowboy.
If you’re not looking for a rootin’ tootin’ pizzaventure, though, you can try some of Pizza Moon’s other more typical fare, like the Rigatoni Meteor Melt – a pasta dish featuring rigatoni, handmade meatballs, fresh basil and melty provolone cheese all tossed in a rich marinara sauce.
Or, eat some Rocket Fuel! This salad features chopped romaine lettuce drizzled with savory Caesar dressing and topped with shaved Parmesan and moon cheese. A healthy option and the perfect side to any of the offerings at Pizza Moon, I’m mostly certain that this salad doesn’t actually include any Rocket Fuel, but if you’re not a fan of Caesar dressing, maybe you can get some on the side. I’ve heard it goes great on greens!
And, to top it all off, the Brownie Eclipse. A warm, gooey fudge brownie topped with chocolate hazelnut spread, crushed chocolate creme sandwich cookies, and marshmallows, this death-by-chocolate desert sounds like a deep-space favorite that might just make the long, grueling space-flight worth it!
And I cannot believe I’m saying this, but there’s still more to cover! Drinks from CelesTiki and Bar Zenith will be covered soon, and our foodie tour of Celestial Park will finally be complete! With so many food offerings, it’s going to take forever and a day to try everything that Celestial Park has to offer, let alone the other lands! Stick around for Theme Park Shark’s coverage of the beverages released by Universal Orlando Resort!
