Toadstool Cafe is the only sit-down dining option in Super Nintendo World at and is one of our favorite places to dine in Universal Studios Hollywood. With the decor and food inspired by Super Mario’s Mushroom Kingdom and the dishes perfected by Chef Toad, Toadstool Cafe is a real treat for Mario fans. We always love dining at Toadstool Cafe in Universal Studios Hollywood and wanted to share all the details with those of you planning a visit!
Toadstool Cafe at Universal Studios Hollywood
Located inside the mushroom-shaped Toad House in Super Nintendo World, Toadstool Cafe serves up a range of American/Italian dishes created by Chef Toad.
Overseeing operations from the kitchen, guests can watch Chef Toad in action on the digital screens which project game-like scenes depicting the Chef’s kitchen and the playful goings on in the surrounding land.
Read our full guide to Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood for more on Super Nintendo World. We also have a detailed overview of Early Access at Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood.
How to Reserve Toadstool Cafe
Super Nintendo World is extremely popular and is often hits capacity early in the day. This means that you will need a reservation to enter Toadstool Cafe most days.
To reserve a spot, you need to scan the cafe’s QR code on the day of your visit and reserve a time through the link – the QR code is displayed at the entrance to both Super Nintendo World and Toadstool Cafe.
Toadstool Cafe typically opens at park opening with reservations opening shortly before this time (although they can open at any time from the beginning of Early Access). Reservations tend to go quickly on busy days so reserve a spot as soon as you can.
Make sure to check regularly throughout the day as the later spots tend to open up as the day progresses.
Toadstoop Cafe Super Nintendo World Universal Studios Hollywood: on our most recent visit we reserved our entry to Toadstool Cafe just before the park opened. We had our pick of reservations at that time but all the slots filled up really quickly.
Entering Super Nintendo World with a Toadstool Cafe Reservation
A reservation for Toadstool Cafe counts as an entry for Super Nintendo World.
This means you can enter Super Nintendo World at the time of your reservation and can reserve the cafe for any time throughout the day. You do not need to join the Virtual Line if you only want to enter at the time of your reservation.
For example, if you have early entry, you can reserve for later in the day and will be allowed to access Super Nintendo World again by showing your Toadstool Cafe Reservation. On days when the Virtual Line is in operation, you don’t need to reserve a spot in the Virtual Line either providing you have a reservation at the Cafe.
Toadstool Cafe Menu
The Toadstool Cafe menu is Italian/ American with a focus on themed burgers, spaghetti, soups and salads.
All the dishes are beautifully themed to Mushroom Kingdom with some awesome finishing touches.
Starters: Starters include garlic knots, mushroom and tomato soup, a fruit and veggie and a chicken salad and Caprese.
Mains: Mains include burgers, spaghetti, short rib and a giant meatball.
Desserts: The wonderfully themed desserts consist of a ? Block Tiramisu, a Princess Peach Cupcake and a Mount Beanpole cake.
Checking in at Toadstool Cafe
Guests check in with a Universal Team member outside the cafe and are then directed to wait in line inside until a Universal Team Member is available to take their order at the kiosks – you can expect a bit of a wait here depending on how busy the cafe is.
Some items, like drinks, are served immediately and given to you on a tray while hot dishes are delivered to your table.
Guests then wait to be seated by the team member at the entrance to the dining room. Seating is a mix of dining tables and booths and you sit where directed.
Food at Toadstool Cafe
We’ve tried almost every dish on the Toadstool Cafe menu during our visits to Universal Studios Hollywood! Here are some of our favorites:
Starters and Salads
Our starter favorites include the Toadstool Cheesy Garlic Knots, the Piranha Plant Caprese and the Super Mushroom soup.
Piranha Plant Caprese: The Piranha Plant Caprese contains tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, asparagus, and basil pesto served with mixed greens, shaved radish, and apple vinaigrette. The Pirahana Plant is adorable, the vegetables are fresh and the sweet dressing is a lovely addition.
Super Star Chicken Salad: a romaine and cabbage mix with grape tomatoes, and mushrooms tossed in creamy mushroom truffle dressing topped with parmesan Super Star, star croutons, and grilled chicken. This dish is heavy on dressing (which we love) but some might find the amount of dressing overwhelms the dish.
Tomato Soup in Super Mushroom Bowl: we prefer the mushroom soup option but wanted to include this vegan tomato basil soup topped with micro basil, sliced mushroom, and truffle oil as it is the only vegan item on the menu – we haven’t had any success with amending dishes so this truly is the only vegan addition on the menu.
Toadstool Cafe Universal Studios Hollywood tip: both soup dishes (mushroom and tomato) are only available in a souvenir bowls. This adds around $10 to the dish price. It’s a pointless addition and expense if you are ordering multiple portions, are a return customer or just don’t want the hassle of carrying a bowl around Universal for the day. It would be nice to see the souvenir bowl returned to an optional add-on but, for now, it’s included in the purchase price.
Mains
The burgers are our Toadsood Cafe staple and our favorite main on the menu! We also love the spicy spaghetti and Bowser’s Fireball Challenge (a 1lb spicy meatball with hot sauce and a Bowser pastry topping).
Mario Burger: beef burger with bacon, mushroom, lettuce tomato and cheese with truffle fries. Toadstool Cafe consistently serves up good burgers and we love this Mario-themed take. This burger is available in a vegetarian version as well although we weren’t able to remove the cheese to make it vegan.
Kids Mains
There are 2 kids’ mains, a burger and spaghetti marina, on the menu at Toadstool Cafe. Both dishes come with a coin cookie served in a ? box alongside the mains.
Power-Up Spaghetti Marinara: spaghetti with marinara sauce, Power-Up parmesan crisps, a Toadstool cheesy garlic knot and a coin cookie. Our kids love this dish and the selection of items included.
Mario Mini Burger Adventure Set: cheeseburger with truffle French fries, corn on the cob, broccoli and a coin cookie. Another favorite for our kids who love the selection and the Keepsake Mario topper.
Desserts
When it comes to theming, the Toadstool Cafe desserts are wonderfully presented.
? Block Tiramisu: Tiramisu layered with coffee-flavored sponge fingers topped with a chocolate power-up. If we’re only considering looks, this is our favorite dish on the Toadstool Cafe menu. As a dessert, it tastes nice and our kids enjoy it.
Mt. Beanpole Cake: Chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry layered cake topped with a matcha mousse. The Neapolitan-style flavors are delicious and the flag cake topper is a cute keepsake.
Princess Peach Cupcake: raspberry-filled cupcake with buttercream icing topped with a Princess Peach Crown. This cute dessert is my favorite and my two youngest kids are also huge fans – the portion is generous and it is very sweet so we always share one between the three of us!
Drinks
Soft drinks, juice, water, tea, coffee and hot chocolate are on the drinks menu at Toadstool Cafe.
One themed drink, a Super Star Lemon Squash is available for $8. We’re big fans of this honey lemon soda with mango stars and assorted tropical bobas.
Alcohol is not available within Super Nintendo World.
Collectable Souvenirs at Toadstool Cafe
Some dishes, such as the soups and Bowser’s Fireball, are served in collective souvenir bowls which you can take home. The actual food is served in a disposable dish so you don’t have to worry about mess and a ? box is provided for easy carrying!
There is also a 1-Up Mushroom and Super Mushroom collective drinks bottle ($20) and a collectable plateware set available to purchase ($20).
Theming and Decor
Like everything else in Super Nintendo World, the theming and decor are fantastic in Toadstool Cafe. It’s so easy to become immersed in the world of Toadstool and feel like you are part of a Super Mario Brothers game for the duration of your visit.
The dining room is large and busy but, with all the detail, it doesn’t feel so. A large mushroom, deposited from a warp pipe, overlooks the dining room and is surrounded by a ceiling full of Mario features. From the oversized chairs adorned with mushrooms to the color scheme, the dining room is the perfect ode to Super Mario Brothers.
The vibrant digital screens add to the allure, with playful scenes depicting life in the Mushroom Kingdom. Every so often the lights will dim as Bowser and his minions digitally invade Toadstool Cafe in their airship. As chaos reigns the kitchen scenes turn to mayhem but calm is soon restored.
Toad Meet and Greet
You can also meet Toad at his very own meet and greet close to the entrance of the park.
Is Toadstool Cafe Worth it?
Personally, we love Toadstool Cafe and always enjoy dining there. Our kids are also huge fans and love the themed dishes and kid-friendly offerings. The theming is amazing, the atmosphere is vibrant and the food is good by theme park standards. Of course, it’s priced on the high end but theme park food generally is!
We’d definitely recommend experiencing Toadstool Cafe during a visit to Universal Studios Hollywood.
Are there any other food options in Super Nintendo World?
There is a small Super Nintendo World Food Kart which sells popcorn and sodas located just outside the land in front of the Character Shop.
Earlier this year, the Super Nintendo theme Power Up Cafe opened on the Upper Lot. Our favorites are the Super Mushroom Calzone and the Fire Flower Fizz with its mango habanero power-up and orange popping pearls.
There are also lots of fun food options throughout the park – you can check out our guide to the best snacks at Universal Studios Hollywood for inspiration!
For more on Universal Studios Hollywood
Check out our round-up on whether the Express Pass is worth it at Universal Studios Hollywood.
