Our Mexico Booth Mardi Gras review covers ceviche, flautas, and tres leches at Universal Orlando’s 2026 festival. We might have found the best item at the event.
Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras 2026 is once again serving global flavors around Universal Studios Florida, and the Mexico Booth Mardi Gras location delivers one of the most balanced menus at the festival this year.
Located near Café La Bamba in the Hollywood section of the park, the Mexico Booth Mardi Gras food kiosk features three dishes that range from bright and refreshing to rich and indulgent. After tasting everything on the menu, we found one item that may even rank among the best of the entire event.
Here’s our full review of the Mexico Booth Mardi Gras menu for 2026.
Mexico Booth Mardi Gras Location and Menu
The Mexico Booth Mardi Gras kiosk sits near Café La Bamba, making it an easy stop as you move between the front of Universal Studios Florida and the New York section of the park.
This year’s Mexico Booth Mardi Gras menu includes:
- Mazatlán Street Ceviche – Shrimp ceviche served on top of Tostitos Salsa Verde chips with cucumber, carrot and tomato salsa – $13.99
- Flautas – Crispy beef flautas with tomatillo salsa, sour cream, shaved lettuce and radish – $9.99
- Tres Leches – A soaked three milk chocolate cake with toasted almonds and merengue – $6.99
Mazatlán Street Ceviche – $13.99
The Mazatlán Street Ceviche at the Mexico Booth Mardi Gras is essentially a ceviche walking taco. It’s served in a large bag of Tostitos Salsa Verde chips and topped with shrimp ceviche and a fresh vegetable salsa of cucumber, carrot, and tomato.
The most important detail? It’s chilled, properly chilled, exactly as ceviche should be. Temperature control is critical for seafood served outdoors, and the Mexico Booth Mardi Gras gets that right.
The Salsa Verde chips absolutely work here. Their tangy, slightly spicy flavor complements the citrus-forward shrimp and crisp vegetables. Texture is strong at the beginning, with crunchy chips balancing the tender shrimp and fresh toppings.
Portion size is solid overall, thanks to the large bag of chips. However, we did have some concern about the shrimp-to-chip ratio. There appears to be a smaller amount of shrimp compared to the volume of chips, and as you eat, it can become mostly chips toward the end unless you carefully pace each bite.
At $13.99, the price point may be a sticking issue for some guests, especially given the limited amount of shrimp. That said, it is still better executed than the walking tacos we’ve seen at Halloween Horror Nights. The flavors feel fresher and more cohesive, making this one of the stronger “walking” concepts Universal has offered.
Summary: Fresh, properly chilled, and flavorful — but the shrimp portion and price point may give some guests pause.
Flautas – $9.99
If there’s a standout item at the Mexico Booth Mardi Gras, it’s the flautas. These crispy beef flautas are topped with tomatillo salsa, sour cream, shaved lettuce, and radish. The salsa is the star here — bright, tangy, and genuinely flavorful. It elevates the dish well beyond basic festival fare.
The flavor profile leans more authentically Mexican rather than Tex-Mex, which we appreciated. The seasoning feels balanced, and the preparation is clean and crisp without being greasy.
Our only critique is that we would have liked a slightly more robust filling inside the flautas. However, they were well prepared, held their crunch, and our entire group loved them. In fact, this may arguably be the best item at Mardi Gras 2026 so far. At $9.99, it’s also one of the better values at the Mexico Booth Mardi Gras.
Summary: Excellent tomatillo salsa, crisp execution, and bold flavor. A must-try.
Tres Leches – $6.99
The dessert option at the Mexico Booth Mardi Gras is a chocolate tres leches cake topped with toasted almonds and merengue. This cake has appeared at Universal Orlando before during other events, but it remains a solid offering. It’s served well chilled, again, an important detail, and has the moist texture you expect from a properly soaked tres leches.
The almonds take on a major role here. Their toasted crunch adds texture and depth, making the dessert slightly more nut-forward than traditional versions. The chocolate base pairs nicely with the almond topping.
Is it groundbreaking? No. Still, it’s a dependable and satisfying sweet option at a reasonable $6.99 price point.
Summary: A solid, well-chilled tres leches cake with prominent almond flavor.
Overall Thoughts on Mexico Booth Mardi Gras 2026
The Mexico Booth Mardi Gras location offers one of the most balanced menus at Universal Orlando’s 2026 festival. You get:
- A chilled seafood option
- A savory, crispy crowd-pleaser
- A rich, classic dessert
The flautas clearly stand out as the best overall item, delivering strong flavor, excellent salsa verde, and good value. The ceviche offers freshness and creativity but may feel slightly overpriced for the shrimp portion. The tres leches rounds out the booth nicely for guests looking for something sweet.
If you’re building your Mardi Gras tasting list, the Mexico Booth Mardi Gras near Café La Bamba is absolutely worth a stop, especially for the flautas. We’ll continue tasting our way around Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras 2026, but for now, Mexico ranks among the stronger booths of the season.
Mardi Gras at Universal Orlando Resort 2026
Guests can experience the flavor of the Big Easy at Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras, Florida’s premier family-friendly celebration. This annual event transforms Universal Studios Florida into a vibrant street party, blending authentic New Orleans traditions with the high-energy thrills of a world-class theme park. This theme park event runs nightly through April 4, 2026.
The highlight of the festivities is the nightly Mardi Gras parade, featuring dazzling, oversized floats and high-energy performers who toss thousands of beads to the cheering crowds. Complementing the spectacle is the international food festival, where guests can sample diverse flavors ranging from classic Cajun jambalaya and beignets to global street food. On select nights, the Music Plaza Stage hosts live concerts featuring top-tier musical acts, adding a rhythmic pulse to the park. Whether you’re catching beads, savoring spicy crawfish, or dancing to a brass band, Universal Orlando captures the “Laissez les bons temps rouler” spirit without needing a plane ticket to Louisiana.
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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