Review: Toadstool Cafe in Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood
Toadstool Cafe is the only restaurant in Super Nintendo World and the best place to eat at Universal Studios Hollywood.
The restaurant is highly immersive, and the food is delicious and affordable. However, given its popularity and the format of this restaurant, it’s unlike eating anywhere else in the theme park.
Reservations
You can not reserve a table at Toadstool Cafe in advance. Instead, you must arrive at the restaurant entrance and speak to a staff member.
If Toadstool Cafe is not at capacity, you can enter the restaurant and join the line to place your order. However, you’ll be asked to join a virtual queue if the restaurant is at capacity.

To join the virtual queue, you’ll need to provide:
- Your name
- Number of people dining
- Phone number
You’ll then be sent a text message once space at the restaurant becomes available. Entry is based on availability, not on time. As such, you can not reserve a dining time at Toadstool Cafe.
If you have to join the virtual queue, staff can estimate how long you’ll be waiting. As such, if you want to try eating at a particular time, it’s worth regularly checking in to see how long the wait is.
Once you receive a text message saying space at Toadstool Cafe is available, you’ll need to head back to the restaurant entrance.

You are expected to check in at Toadstool Cafe within 15 minutes of receiving the text message saying space is available. However, staff are typically very accommodating.
I was in line for Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge when I got the text. As such, I arrived at the restaurant roughly 45 minutes late and was still allowed to enter.
Ordering
Toadstool Cafe isn’t a quick-service restaurant, but it’s also not a table-service restaurant. Instead, it’s a hybrid of the two.
When you enter the restaurant, you’ll join an in-person queue. The immersive experience starts here, with Chef Toad on screen.

Pro Tip: As you walk into Toadstool Cafe, there’s a PowerUp Band sticker location on your left. Tap your band on the present to collect a sticker.
You could be waiting here for up to 15 minutes, depending on how busy the restaurant is.

When you get to the front of this single line, you’ll be redirected to one of the four checkout lines. At this point, you’ll be handed a physical menu and be able to read the digital menu on-screen above the cash desks.


The cash desk queues are typically four or five families deep. So you should still have plenty of time to read the menu and decide what you want before getting to the front.

At the cash desk, you can order and pay for your meal.
At this time, you will get a tray, cutlery, a buzzer for your food, and any drinks you’ve ordered. Your food will not be given to you; instead, it will be brought to your table.

Once you’ve got your tray, you’ll be redirected to another desk on the left. Here, you’ll stand with your tray and wait for your table.
This is the most awkward and difficult part of dining at Toadstool Cafe.
There is no queueing system here, and it’s close to the cash desks, so it can become very crowded if people aren’t seated quickly.
This system also means that everyone in your family has to wait and order together before being seated. When travelling with my young kids or elderly parents, I always prefer to get them sat down first and then go and order the food.
During my first visit to Toadstool Cafe (at the annual passholder preview event), I waited awkwardly here for about 10 minutes.

However, things have improved since then, and I’ve never waited more than 5 minutes. That being said, balancing drinks on a tray with your kids and crowds for this long can still be a little stressful.
Once you’re at the front of the line, the server will carry your tray for you and take you to an available table. At the table, the server will place the food buzzer you were given when you ordered in the correct place on your table.
This buzzer will not go off. Instead, it’s a tracking device that tells the servers which table to bring the food you ordered.

Atmosphere
Toadstool Cafe is incredibly immersive from the moment you enter the restaurant. However, you can only truly experience it once you’re seated at your table.
There are three types of seating options inside Toadstool Cafe:
- Standard booths
- Circular booths
- Standard tables
The standard booths surround the restaurant perimeter and can seat up to four people. In my opinion, these are the best seats at Toadstool Cafe.

The circular booths, which can seat up to five people, are in the centre of the restaurant. Standard tables cover the remainder of the restaurant.
I say the standard booths around the outside of the restaurant are the best seats as they are closest to a window. These windows don’t look out into the park but instead feature various Mario scenes.

The lighting and sounds inside Toadstool Cafe respond to the scenes displayed on the windows. This is done in moderation, so it’s fun and not annoying when it happens.
Food & Drink
Toadstool Cafe is American Italian, and the menu predominantly features:
- Salads
- Burgers
- Pasta
On my first visit to Toadstool Cafe, I started with the Toadstool Cheesy Garlic Knots with a marinara sauce. These are so delicious I’ve gone onto have them on every subsequent visit I’ve ever had to Toadstool Cafe.

For main, I opted for the Fire Flower Spaghetti & Meatballs. However, I wish I’d thought more of the name because this marinara sauce was much spicer than the one with the garlic knots.

My wife opted for the Luigi Burger with grilled chicken, swiss cheese and pesto in a brioche bun with a side of fries. The portion of fries was plentiful, and the ratio of pesto to the rest of the burger was perfect!

While both of us managed to finish our mains, we had no room for the ? Block Tirramasu we planned to share for dessert. However, the staff were happy to provide a take-out box so we could take it with us.

Neither my wife nor I are huge fans of tiramisu. However, knowing this was the most anticipated desert on the Toadstool Cafe menu, we had to try it and I’m so glad we did.
It’s light, fluffy and flavourful, making it especially perfect for those hotter days at the park.
To drink, we both went for the Super Star Lemon Squash. This drink isn’t cheap at $8, but it is very refreshing.

The drink comes with star mango pieces and tropical boba balls. The straw is large to accommodate these pieces, however, a few still got stuck. This can make it hard to drink, especially as the drink to boba and mango ratio reduced.
I’ve revisited Toadstool Cafe several times since my first review and tried more of the menu, including:
The Tomato Soup with truffle oil and basil: This soup is delicious. Possibly the best tomato soup I’ve ever had. Made even better by the fact it’s served in an Super Mushroom bowl which you can take home.

The Pirhana Plant Caprese: This is a lot smaller than other items on the menu, despite only being $4 cheaper. However, it’s still my go-to on hotter days when I’m looking for a lighter lunch.

Chef Toad Short Rib Special: I was so looking forward to trying this on a recent visit. However, it was the worst meal I’ve ever had at Toadstool Cafe. The dish arrived lukewarm and lacked any kind of flavour.
