Looking for the best Universal Orlando Mardi Gras Jamaica food? We review the Jerk Chicken and Rasta Pasta at Universal Studios Florida to see if they are worth your time.
Looking for a tropical escape during your “International Flavors of Carnaval” crawl? The Mardi Gras Jamaica food and beverage location has returned for Universal Orlando Mardi Gras 2026, which runs daily through April 4. Located in a prime spot near the Springfield U.S.A. area of Universal Studios Florida (tucked right between DreamWorks Land and the Simpsons), this booth serves up two distinct Caribbean-inspired dishes.
While the island vibes are strong, the results from this year’s kitchen are a bit of a mixed bag. Here is our unfiltered breakdown of the Jamaica booth offerings.
Universal Orlando Mardi Gras Jamaica Food Menu & Reviews
Rasta Pasta
- Price: $8.49
- Description: Penne pasta with colorful bell peppers in a jerk vegan coconut curry cream sauce.
- The Review: With its vibrant colors and promise of a coconut curry cream sauce, we had high hopes for this dish. Unfortunately, it was a major letdown. The Rasta Pasta was incredibly bland and lacked the seasoning you’d expect from a Jamaica-inspired offering. While the vegetables had a slightly better flavor than the pasta itself, the penne was significantly overcooked and mushy. It’s hard to recommend a dish that feels like it could be made at home for a fraction of the price with more flavor.
Jerk Chicken
- Price: $11.99
- Description: Fire-grilled jerk marinated chicken thigh with a Caribbean jerk BBQ sauce and coco bread.
- The Review: This is the clear winner of the booth, though it comes with a caveat regarding value. The chicken itself is well-prepared, and the coco bread is high quality—soft, fresh, and perfect for making a DIY mini-sandwich.
- The Heat Check: For those wondering if Universal would bring back that “off the chart” spice level from previous years, the answer is a resounding no. This dish ranks high on the theme park spice scale, delivering a legitimate kick that lingers. However, it is not close to the level of spicy kick of former versions of Jamaican jerk dishes at Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras. Our only real complaint? The portion size felt a bit small for the $11.99 price point. We definitely wanted more of that chicken!
What is Universal Orlando Mardi Gras?
Universal Orlando Mardi Gras: International Flavors of Carnaval is Universal’s premier spring event, transforming Universal Studios Florida into a massive global party. Included with regular park admission, the event features:
- Global Cuisine: Over a dozen food booths serving authentic New Orleans classics and international street food, such as the Mardi Gras Jamaica food offerings.
- The Parade: A nightly spectacle of handcrafted floats (designed by Kern Studios), street performers, and massive amounts of beads.
- Live Concerts: On select nights, big-name artists take the Music Plaza Stage for live performances.
- The Tribute Store: A highly themed walkthrough retail experience that changes its “story” every year.
Additional Universal Orlando Mardi Gras Dining Reviews
For more theme park dining reviews, visit MSM News every weekday at noon Eastern Time. Additionally, we sometimes post bonus theme park dining reviews. As always, eat like you mean it!
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