Planning a trip to Universal Orlando Resort? Don’t break the bank on food. Learn how Toothsome Chocolate Emporium offers incredible and affordable theme park dining options in our review.
There’s a universally acknowledged truth in the world of theme park vacations: your wallet will leave the resort a shell of its former self. It doesn’t matter if you saved for a year or won the lottery; the combination of tickets, souvenirs, and, most importantly, food, has a way of turning your hard-earned cash into a faint, forgotten memory. You go in with a grand plan, a spreadsheet of expenses, and a heart full of hope, only to find yourself forking over an entire day’s lunch budget for a single, slightly soggy pretzel. It’s a tale as old as time, or at least as old as the first $10 churro.
Affordable Theme Park Dining? Toothsome Chocolate Emporium and Savory Feast Kitchen
Still, what if I told you there was a glimmer of hope? A beacon of light at the end of the long, expensive tunnel? A place where your taste buds could celebrate and your bank account could let out a sigh of relief? That place is the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen at Universal CityWalk Orlando. This steampunk fantasy serves up not only whimsical delights but also the holy grail of vacationing: affordable theme park dining.
From the moment you lay eyes on its towering, gear-covered exterior, you know Toothsome is no ordinary restaurant. It looks like a mad scientist’s dream, a chocolate factory straight out of a steampunk graphic novel. The smoke stacks puff, the pipes gleam, and you half expect Professor Doctor Penelope Tibeaux-Tinker Toothsome herself (and her adorable robot Jacques, of course) to emerge with a beaker of hot fudge. This visual spectacle alone could justify a hefty price tag, but here’s where the magic really happens: the price list. It’s the kind of menu that makes you do a double-take, then immediately start making plans to eat here every night of your trip.
Escaping the Monetary Mayhem with Affordable Theme Park Dining
Stepping inside Toothsome Chocolate Emporium and Savory Feast Kitchen is like entering a new dimension. The air is thick with the scent of cocoa and the low hum of gears. The decor is an intricate, Gilded Age marvel. You might expect a bill to match the ambiance. You know—something that requires a second mortgage. However, you would be delightfully mistaken.
Our first order of business was the savory feast. We were famished from a day of park-hopping and ready to put the “Savory Feast Kitchen” part of the name to the test. Let’s talk about the main event.
Croque Monsieur
First up was the Croque Monsieur for $18.95. Now, in the world of theme parks, a fancy French sandwich can easily hit the $25 mark and still leave you wanting more. This was not the case here. This was a glorious, toasted monument to cheese and ham. It was a Croque Monsieur that didn’t just ask to be taken seriously; it demanded respect. The country ham was salty and savory, the Gruyère melted into a gooey, cheese-pull masterpiece. However, this sandwich was good but not great for theme park resort dining. We found the bread very thin for this style of sandwich. Still, it comes with fries for less than $20 at a major theme park resort.
Next, a know-it-all in our group ordered the Chicken Cordon Bleu for $18.95. This wasn’t your grandma’s baked cordon bleu. This was buttermilk fried chicken, and my friends, it was magnificent. A crispy, golden fortress of fried chicken breast stuffed with sliced ham and Swiss cheese, sitting on a soft brioche bun. It was the kind of sandwich that makes you question your life choices and then immediately decide you’ve made the right ones by coming here. The fresh spinach and Béchamel sauce added a much-needed touch of class to this otherwise gloriously gluttonous creation. For less than $20, it was a culinary punch to the face, in the best possible way.
Patty Melt
Finally, we had the Patty Melt for $16.95. In fact, our group ordered two of them. We also hear that some of our group went back for this entree again later in the week. According to the online menu, this menu item is only known as a Patty Melt. This used to be known as the Patty Melt French Toast.
Now, a patty melt is comfort food, but this one was comfort food that went to college and got a degree in decadence. This beauty came on challah bread with a half-pound patty, a sunny-side up egg, grilled pork belly, and cheddar cheese. Plus, it was served with Lyonnaise potatoes. The pork belly was a game-changer, the egg yolk provided a perfect, gooey sauce, and the entire thing was a beautifully chaotic masterpiece of flavor. This wasn’t just a Patty Melt; it was a Patty Melt with a side hustle in deliciousness, and for under $17, it’s a contender for the most underrated hero of affordable theme park dining.
The Sweet Secret to Affordable Theme Park Dining
Still, let’s be honest, we all know why we’re really here: the desserts. Toothsome’s dessert menu is a work of art, a glorious tribute to sugar, cocoa, and pure imagination. The shakes get all the press, but it’s the sundaes that truly embody the spirit of Affordable Theme Park Dining.
First, we tackled the Brookies, Cookies & Cream Sundae for a cool $14.00. Now, let’s break this down. For a price that might get you a single cupcake somewhere else, we were presented with a massive bowl of pure joy. It had a warm brookie (a brownie and cookie hybrid!), a chocolate chip cookie, Oreos, and cookies & cream ice cream. All of this was buried under a snowstorm of whipped topping, chocolate sauce, and chocolate shavings. It was a dessert that required multiple spoons and a team effort. The combination of warm, gooey brookie and cold, creamy ice cream was a symphony of textures and flavors. It was worth every single calorie and every single cent.
Banana Cream Pie Sundae
Then came the Banana Cream Pie Sundae for $15.00. This wasn’t just a dessert; it was a multi-tiered journey through a flavor wonderland. It started with scoops of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ice cream. Then, things got interesting. We had a chocolate-drizzled banana, a full slice of banana cream pie, a smorgasbord of strawberry, chocolate, and caramel sauces, and a generous sprinkling of chocolate almond bark.
Whipped topping and rainbow sprinkles crowned this majestic creation. It was a dessert so ridiculously over-the-top that it felt like we were getting away with a heist. For $15, this was not just a sundae; it was an architectural marvel, a five-course meal in a single glass, and a testament to the fact that you can get extraordinary for an ordinary price.
Sure, we know Toothsome Chocoalte Emporium and Savory Feast Kitchen is known for its instagram-worthy milkshakes. However, the deal involves the sundaes that even we think qualify as sharable, especailly after an entree or two.
The Sweetest Part: A Final Word on Affordable Theme Park Dining
So, was this affordable theme park dining? Toothsome Chocolate Emporium isn’t just a gimmick or a pretty facade. It’s a genuine, quality dining experience that defies the typical theme park pricing model. While other resort restaurants might charge you a premium for a basic burger in a dimly lit room, Toothsome offers a full-on theatrical experience, from the steampunk decor to the elaborate food, all while keeping its prices firmly in the realm of reason.
The meals are hearty, the desserts are decadent, and the value is undeniable. It’s the perfect place to refuel after a long day of screaming on roller coasters without having to mortgage your house. So, next time you’re at Universal CityWalk, do yourself (and your bank account) a favor: skip the overpriced quick-service spots and treat yourself to a true feast. Toothsome Chocolate Emporium is more than just a restaurant; it’s proof that in the land of magical and sometimes financially terrifying vacations, Affordable theme park dining is not a myth. It’s a reality, and it’s delicious.
Best of all, with our Universal Orlando Resort Premier annual passes, the four entrees and two desserts cost under $100, including tax. Sorry, the gratuity makes the total go over $100. Still, that sounds like affordable theme park dining to us!
For more theme park dining reviews, visit MSM News every weekday at noon Eastern Time. As always, eat like you mean it!
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