Welcome!
Welcome to our comprehensive guide to gluten free at Universal EPIC Universe theme park.
This article is the first (1st) in a series that covers the gluten free and celiac safe options at every food venue across Universal Orlando Resort. These articles cover each theme park, each on site hotel, and CityWalk Orlando.
RELATED: We have many gluten free guides other than this series. Click here to find them.
Our Comprehensive Gluten Free Series
Most gluten free guides out there will steer you to several gluten free options to hit up on your trip. We have those too (link above), and they’re all good and helpful! However, this series expands coverage of gluten free availability at Universal Orlando so that you are fully aware of the allergy friendly situation when entering literally any dining establishment at the resort. (We will eventually try to include the Volcano Bay water park, but the water park leans less into dining.)
UNRELATED: If you’re new to gluten free or struggling with celiac life at home/away from the parks, I wrote down some products and recipes to help. Find them here!
These encyclopedias of gluten free options at Universal Orlando are not 100% complete yet, but our goal is to have them finished by mid 2026. As of now they are roughly 80% complete, so there is plenty to read about here already. And then of course I will be regularly updating them with current safety practices or deficiencies.
Jump to the following comprehensive gluten free guides in this series:
- Gluten Free at Universal Studios Florida: Complete Guide (2026)
- Gluten Free at Islands of Adventure: Complete Guide (2026)
- Gluten Free at CityWalk Orlando: Complete Guide (2026)
- Gluten Free at EPIC Universe Hotels: Complete Guide (2026) (Helios Grand Hotel, Terra Luna Resort, and Stella Nova Resort)
- Gluten Free at Universal Budget Hotels: Complete Guide (2026) (Cabana Bay Beach Resort, Aventura Hotel, Endless Summer Resorts)
- Gluten Free at Universal Luxury Hotels: Complete Guide (2026) (Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel, Royal Pacific Resort, Sapphire Falls Resort)
About Universal Unlocked
My name is Laney, and I was diagnosed with celiac disease in early 2019. I have been strictly gluten free ever since.
I get a celiac panel blood test once per month, and my numbers have always been completely normal when I’ve returned from trips to Orlando where I have eaten everything I talk about in these guides. Everything I have eaten at the resort has always been safe.
Always remember, however, that these articles are just guides to enhance your Universal Orlando experience and do not guarantee a safe dining experience. It is essential that you effectively communicate your specific needs with restaurant staff each time you go.
Please click here if you’re interested in my gluten free story and credentials. Use the table of contents below to check out the restaurants you’re interested in. Or, if you have time, read the whole thing!
RELATED: Click here to explore our review of ten (10) great gluten free dining options at Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, and CityWalk Orlando.
If you want a quick run down of what is and isn’t safe, open the table of contents directly below ⬇️. Emojis by each venue will tell you:
- ❤️❤️: love it the most
- ❤️: love it regularly
- 👍🏼: not over the moon about it, but it is safe
- ⛔: may have a couple gluten free options, but also has a lot of gluten, so be careful
- 🚫: not safe, skip it
What You Should Know about Gluten Free at the Parks, Generally
I will cover every single gluten free option at Universal EPIC Universe in these guides. And even though at the moment I have only been to thirty-three (33) (of thirty-eight (38)) of them, I have eaten gluten free at Universal Studios Florida dozens of times and can give you general tips about the park.
The Menus are Not Gospel
While the menus occasionally have marked gluten free options, these are typically menu items that are naturally gluten free or don’t require adjustments to make them gluten free. But do not by any means limit yourself to these items. Most venues are well versed in preparing allergen friendly alternatives to many existing menu items.
Well Trained Staff
About 90% of venues at the parks have extremely competent staff that are well trained in allergy safe protocols. Whether there are just a few or many items on the menu, chances are they can be made safely with the right conversation with the kitchen.
Skip the Kiosks
The 10% of park venues that cannot be guaranteed to be safe are the kiosks. My advice is to always skip them. Even the ones that have labeled gluten free food on the menus. The team members will tell you every single time that the food is brought in from a kitchen somewhere else and they know nothing about cross contact.
Use these tips to navigate the park venues not (yet!) covered here. Let’s get started!
EPIC Universe Gluten Free Overview
There are many, many new restaurants inside the new EPIC Universe theme park. Twenty-four (24) in all. A little less than half of them are concentrated in Celestial Park (eleven (11), if you’re curious), which is the hub in the hub-and-spoke design of the park. There are either three (3) or four (4) in each other world. (Are we saying “land” or “world”? Someone let me know.)
There are also more straight up full bars than in either of Universal Studios Florida or Islands of Adventure. There are seven (7) in all, if you count the full bars inside Atlantic, Blue Dragon, and Meteor Astropub. Welcome to 2026, apparently.
Unlocked Gluten Free Guide to EPIC Universe
I have eaten at (or asked about and skipped) twenty-five (25) of the twenty-six (26) venues at EPIC Universe, and below I share everything I know. The only full restaurant we haven’t eaten at is Blue Dragon. See reasons below.
We’re going through the hub (Celestial Park), and then clockwise through the spokes (SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, Dark Universe, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, and How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk). You will find ❤️ next to our favorites. If you spot ❤️❤️, we consider a can’t miss.
Celestial Park
There are two (2) Starbucks in Celestial Park. We haven’t listed them below, but you can trust them as much as you would trust any Starbucks outside Universal Orlando.
Atlantic ❤️❤️
- What: Full table service
- Where: Celestial Park
- Our Review:
This was so excellent. It’s the nicest restaurant I’ve ever been to in a theme park by a mile. Atlantic is mainly a seafood restaurant, but it also has burgers and steaks. Gluten free items are marked, but you should ask about anything you want because they’re still very new. For example, the steak was not marked gluten free on my menu, but it very much was.
Everyone on staff, from the manager to the bartender to the servers, was very patient and knowledgeable. I had the Tomato Burrata salad and the Atlantic Filet Mignon with crispy potatoes. The steak was overcooked for my liking but still tender and delicious!
Atlantic also has a full bar that sits on the top floor right when you walk into the lobby. (The dining room is on the second floor below, at water level.) The bartenders are as knowledgeable as the rest of the staff. You should feel comfortable drinking here. As always, make sure to explain your dietary situation in detail.
The atmosphere and the views at Atlantic are excellent. I can’t recommend it enough. Don’t forget to make reservations.
Click here to explore the Atlantic menu.
Pizza Moon ❤️❤️
- What: Mobile ordering tables
- Where: Celestial Park
- Our Review: (UPDATED!)
Pizza Moon has tons of gluten free options, including pizza, pasta, and salads, as well as a separate area to cook it! The first time we went, the line was insanely long. Like 50 feet out the door. We had just stood in a really long line for Café L’air De La Sirène, and we weren’t in the mood to wait in another insane line. Sadly, when we came back on our last night, it was closed. We were so, so disappointed.
However! We got there on our latest trip and it was both worth the wait and not worth the wait. Let me explain. The pizza was … not good. I’ve heard from many of you that you whole-heartedly agree with this take. So let’s just all know it together. Don’t go to Pizza Moon for the gluten free pizza. I’m sure the gluten pizza is worth the hype, but we’ll never know. Sigh. Such is our life.
But do not skip this pizza restaurant just because the pizza is bad. You’ll be missing out on some of the best gluten free pasta I’ve ever had at any restaurant, much less one inside a theme park. We got the Pink Moon alla Vodka and it was so, so delicious. Run, don’t walk.
Click here to explore the Pizza Moon menu.
Comet Dogs 🚫
- What: Counter service
- Where: Celestial Park
- Our Review:
We skip kiosks.
Click here to explore the Comet Dogs menu.
Frosty Moon 🚫
- What: Counter service
- Where: Celestial Park
- Our Review:
We skip kiosks.
Click here to explore the Frosty Moon menu.
Celestiki 🚫
- What: Bar
- Where: Celestial Park
- Our Review:
This bar has only premade drinks that they don’t recommend for celiac guests. And the staff wasn’t very knowledgable. I skipped it.
Click here to explore the Celestiki menu.
The Blue Dragon Pan Asian Restaurant ❓
- What: Full table service
- Where: Celestial Park
- Our Review:
This restaurant is located next to the Helios Grand Hotel park entrance. I won’t be reviewing this one because Asian is really hard for our family. We find places sometimes, but we deal with a gluten allergy, a peanut allergy, and a shellfish allergy. So we usually don’t find a lot. Feel free to send me a review of the gluten protocols and I’ll post it here!
Click here to explore the Blue Dragon menu.
Oak & Star Tavern ❤️❤️
- What: Mobile ordering tables
- Where: Celestial Park
- Our Review:
The mobile ordering at EPIC Universe works identically and as efficiently and safely as it does at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. Click here to read more about Universal Orlando mobile ordering with food restrictions. Make sure to add the allergy note to your order.
UNLOCKED TIP: EPIC Universe, unsurprisingly, leaned heavy into mobile ordering, and the majority of these restaurants use it. So downloading the mobile app is not optional at this point. Read more about the Universal official mobile app here.
This is a proper BBQ joint. Many of the items are gluten free, and the staff immediately knew what I could have and not have, including when it came to the BBQ sauces. The first time I went, I had the Smoked Sausage and Burnt Ends Baked Beans. The quality isn’t great. It tastes like park food. But I’ll take it. 🤷♀️🤷♀️
We had the breakfast on our last trip, and it was actually better than the lunch and dinner, we thought. We got the sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich and fries. I made the chef swear up and down that the bun was gluten free because it looked like a gluten bun. But it was gluten free. And pretty good. I would recommend it.
The center of the restaurant has a lobby with armchairs (seriously!). There is a large room to the left for dining only, and a large room to the right that houses the Plastered Owl bar. See below.
There are also booths in each of these dining rooms. We didn’t sit at either the booths or the armchairs, and I assume they’re usually in short supply. The space is huge though, so I doubt you will have a problem getting a table most of the time. We have the same complaint you’ll see throughout this guide about EPIC Universe: there are no fans. It was very hot inside and the air was stagnant. If they add fans and figure out the A/C, this place will be perfect.
Click here to explore the Oak & Star Tavern menu.
The Plastered Owl ❤️
- What: Full bar inside the Oak and Star Tavern
- Where: Celestial Park
- Our Review:
This bar is in the big room to the right of the Oak and Star Tavern. There are tons of different sized tables and a few booths. The bar also opens out on the opposite side to the Oak & Star patio. Like everywhere else, they need fans.
They have Strongbow Cider, but it’s in the tap, and they didn’t recommend it for celiac guests. SIGH. The service here is excellent. They need to figure out how to make ordering at the bar versus using mobile ordering for food a simpler process for everyone involved. Everyone seems confused about it. We had regular bar drinks as successfully as at any other full bar.
We absolutely love this entire venue that includes the Oak & Star Tavern and the Plastered Owl. It’s so big and has so much comfortable seating.
Click here to explore the Plastered Owl menu.
Bar Zenith 👍🏼
- What: Full bar
- Where: Celestial Park
- Our Review:
This is right next to the Meteor Astropub. (There is also a full bar inside the Meteor Astropub that we love. See below.)
It is a full bar, so you can treat it the same as any other bar. Obviously the team member you get to serve you is everything, but when I was there they bent over backwards to make something they were sure was gluten free. My bartender was looking up ingredients left and right. I’m pretty knowledgeable about gluten free spirits and mixers, but I am not a dictionary!
Click here to explore the Bar Zenith menu.
Meteor Astropub ❤️❤️
- What: Mobile ordering tables
- Where: Celestial Park
- Our Review:
Meteor Astropub was the first place we ate on our first morning at EPIC Universe. It has a proper bar and very large dining room, plus a big patio outside.
There are Coke Freestyle machines in the Astropub dining room. It seemed throughout our visit that Universal made a dedicated effort to have more Coke Freestyle machines generally, and especially inside most restaurants.
All their sandwiches can be made with a gluten free bun, and the chef who came out was very knowledgeable and confident that this was safe. Add the allergen note per usual like you would with typical mobile ordering at the OG parks. The fries are made in a separate fryer.
The inside bar at the Meteor Astropub had my favorite drink in the park, the Meteorita. It’s sweet and strong, but not too sweet or too strong. I came back for it several times.
I got the spicy grilled chicken sandwich and fries. Both were delicious. The fries are thick with just the right amount of crisp, and the chicken in the sandwich was super juicy. This restaurant doesn’t allow substitutions (except for allergies), which is a slight downside. But overall this one knocked it out of the park on our first try at EPIC.
Click here to explore the Meteor Astropub menu.
Star Sui Bao 🚫
- What: Counter service
- Where: Celestial Park
- Our Review:
There are only a few menu items at this counter service quick stop, and none are gluten free. They aren’t allergen friendly or knowledgeable. Skip it.
Click here to explore the Star Sui Bao menu.
SUPER NINTENDO WORLD™
We didn’t eat at any Super Nintendo World locations. At this point in our trip we were frankly too tired to walk all the stairs in this land (and there are tons, be prepared). So we limited our time (and bruised and blistered feet) to rides only. UPDATE: We ate at Toadstool Cafe on our last trip. See below.
UNLOCKED TIP: We recommend tackling SUPER NINTENDO WORLD early in your trip when you’re still fresh on your feet.
There are four (4) restaurants in SUPER NINTENDO WORLD. Unfortunately (and unlike the Isle of Berk), this land lends itself more to crazy ingredients than it does good gluten free options.
The Bubbly Barrel 🚫
- What: Counter service
- Where: SUPER NINTENDO WORLD™
Home to the viral DK Crush Float. Doesn’t look gluten free to me. But please reach out if you find out differently!
Click here to explore the Bubbly Barrel menu.
Toadstool Cafe 👍🏼
- What: Mobile ordering tables
- Where: SUPER NINTENDO WORLD™
The Toadstool Cafe menu has a few gluten free dishes, but not many. We got the Piranha Plant Caprese and it was tasty, for what it was. And it was very cute. See below. It’s eating the balsamic! 😊😊 The chef came out to talk to us and brought our food. Excellent protocols. You can feel safe (though maybe not that full), eating here.
Click here to explore the Toadstool Cafe menu.
Turbo Boost Treats ⛔
- What: Counter service
- Where: SUPER NINTENDO WORLD™
If you trust the popcorn at other Universal Orlando places (I don’t), I assume you can trust it here. The picture above is of the menu during previews. However, if you click the menu link below, it appears that this venue may be adding other food. We skip most quick service places like this. And we skipped this one. As always, shoot us an email if you liked it.
Click here to explore the Turbo Boost Treats menu.
Yoshi’s Snack Island ⛔
- What: Counter service
- Where: SUPER NINTENDO WORLD™
The menu here is quite limited. Both food options have bread that can’t be replaced. I leave it to you to decide if you can trust the smoothies.
Click here to explore the Yoshi’s Snack Island menu.
Dark Universe
The Burning Blade Tavern 👍🏼
- What: Mobile ordering pickup
- Where: Dark Universe
- Our Review:
Every place in Dark Universe is very dark, shockingly. But it is hard to see. That made me nervous about gluten free for some reason. I mean surely the kitchen is not dark.
While this place has a very cool exterior and a windmill that lights on fire every once in a while, it’s very small with a few tables inside and a few tables outside. It has mobile order pickup, which is harder to make sure you get right than mobile tables.
I didn’t trust it for the reasons listed above, but it does look like the burger and the chicken skewer could be made gluten free. I’ll eat there in September and update this space. UPDATE: We ate there in September and got the burger. The practices were good. The burger was pretty good … similar to other burgers at the park.
Click here to explore the Burning Blade Tavern menu.
Das Steakhouse ❤️
- What: Mobile ordering tables
- Where: Dark Universe
- Our Review:
This was our favorite place in the Dark Universe. It’s dark and big inside with plenty of places to sit. It’s much roomier than the Burning Blade Tavern. The theming is incredible. Downside: there aren’t fans. Like many places at EPIC Universe. (Why did they forget they built this place in FLORIDA.)
I got just the fries because I was full from my insane meal at Atlantic (eating all this food for y’all is not easy 🙃). They’re red because the lighting goes back and forth from white to red. Insane theming! But they have gluten free burgers, steak, kebabs, salad, and even gluten free dessert. The staff here was excellent, knowledgeable about dietary accommodations, and very attentive. They had this thing nailed even in previews.
Click here to explore the Das Steakhouse menu.
De Lacey’s Cottage ⛔
- What: Counter service
- Where: Dark Universe
- Our Review:
We literally had to ask what this was because there’s no sign anywhere. The food menu has two very gluten full foods: cinnamon roll bites and the viral Frankenstein pretzel. Skip it. (Though people are raving about the cinnamon bites, in case you want to tell your gluten full friends about it.)
The drink menu has two (2) canned gluten free alcoholic beverages. Definitely grab one of those! There’s also a very well themed Coke Freestyle machine at this quick stop.
Click here to explore the De Lacey’s Cottage menu.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ – Ministry of Magic™
RELATED: Click here to read our review of the highly anticipated Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry™ ride featured in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ – Ministry of Magic™.
Bar Moonshine ❤️
- What: Counter service bar
- Where: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ – Ministry of Magic™
- Our Review:
Tiny! And crowded! With a long line! That’s it! That’s the review!
Just kidding. But all those things are true. I was nervous about drinking here because it’s small and fast and counter serve. But they were great about it. They were able to bring out the manager (who was the same manager I had dealt with at Le Gobelet Noir, and they worked together to make sure all ingredients were safe. I got the Fleur 75 (a French 75) because it was safest.
A lot of the alcoholic drinks in the themed lands have added shimmer or sparkles. It’s not easy to confirm those things are gluten free, so I avoid them. Also be prepared to slow down the line here. If that makes you uncomfortable, I recommend skipping it.
UPDATE: I went full on shimmery sparkles this last time, and my scans are still clean. I say go for it. It was fun and tasty. I got the Gigglewater and the Lobe Blaster. Both were good. Also, the Unlocked child got the Beau Thé Bleu d’Occamy: Occamy Tea, and fair warning, the changing color pouch is just a thing of purple cotton candy. Not that magical and insanely sweet. I recommend skipping it. (And so does the Unlocked child.)
At least go get a picture and see this place though because the detailing is phenomenal.
Click here to explore the Bar Moonshine menu.
Bièraubeurre™ Cart ❤️
- What: Butterbeer kiosk
- Where: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ – Ministry of Magic™
- Our Review:
Similar to the butterbeer carts in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, this kiosk carries only frozen and cold butterbeer, and butterbeer is always gluten free. (Praise the Lord for good things 🎉🎉)
UNLOCKED TIP: Butterbeer (or Bièraubeurre) is not the only thing in French in this Wizarding World. Everything is in French. Bone up. (No, really.)
Café L’air De La Sirène™ ❤️
- What: Mobile ordering tables
- Where: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ – Ministry of Magic™
- Our Review:
The line was so long when we went. I walked past it many other times during our visit when it had no line, and that filled me with regret about standing in the long and hot line.
UNLOCKED TIP: These restaurant lines (we experienced the same at Pizza Moon) ebb and flow, and it’s possible to catch them with no line if you don’t want to wait in a long one.
The detailed theming inside is gorgeous with high ceilings and mirrors. Downside (again): It’s not nearly cold enough inside given that people are dying of heat stroke outside. Yet another place with no fans! Another slight downside is that this venue is very much themed as a Parisian cafe, so the tables and chairs are crowded together and quite small.
The manager that came out was very friendly and knowledgeable. When we went in May, we got the half chicken, green beans, and potatoes. And they were kind of dry. The green beans were fine. But the crème brûlée is gluten free and worth the price of admission.
In September we came for the breakfast. We got two (2) sandwiches: the Jambon Beurre and the Croissant Suprême. Both were only okay. The ham and cheese was the best of the two. But we also got the crème brûlée (obviously a breakfast food) and butterbeer. So the meal was still a win in my book.
Click here to explore the Café L’air De La Sirène menu.
Le Gobelet Noir™ ❤️
- What: Mobile ordering tables
- Where: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ – Ministry of Magic™
- Our Review:
At first glance this appeared to be the Ministry of Magic equivalent of the Hog’s Head in Hogsmeade. If you’re not familiar, it’s a side bar off of The Three Broomsticks that is essentially part of the main restaurant and just offers an additional counter service bar. But it’s not that at all. This restaurant is much more spacious than Café L’air De La Sirène and the menu is just as big.
Le Gobelet Noir is hidden in a Knockturn Alley type offshoot of the main thoroughfare in Paris (sorry I’m not conversant in Fantastic Beasts). It’s huge inside and the tables are big and comfortable. They have booths! And when we went it was relatively empty. The vibe is dark and spooky. We thought maybe it got lost on the way to Dark Universe. But it was actually cool (temperature) inside.
I only got a drink here (the Lavender Lemonade, pictured below), but the manager told us you can make the goulash gluten free if you sub potatoes instead of egg noodles. Sounds great to me.
Click here to explore the Le Gobelet Noir menu.
How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk (UPDATED)
This theme lends itself well to gluten free options. (Lots of smoked meat!)
Mead Hall is a big indoor venue. But Spit Fyre Grill is counter service (as is Hooligan’s Grog & Gruel), and there is a large outside covered dining area (pictured) that serves them both called Hooligan’s Hideaway. I didn’t step inside, but how much do you want to bet there’s no fans?
Hooligan’s Grog & Gruel 🚫
- What: Counter service
- Where: How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk
- Our review:
This is the mac and cheese cone place. Skip it.
Click here to explore the Hooligan’s Grog & Gruel menu.
Mead Hall ❤️
- What: Mobile ordering tables
- Where: How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk
- Our review:
Mead Hall, as you can see above, is one of the tall buildings you can see from all over the Isle of Berk. The inside is quite large and airy with high ceilings. I’m telling you, Berk absolutely lends itself to a theme park. And they nailed it.
The protocols here are excellent and the food is solid. It’s mobile ordering tables so you have to do the allergen note. The chef came out to speak with us and made me feel very confident in our orders. We got the Hooligan’s Sausage Links (pictured), but many things on this menu can be made gluten free. Highly recommend.
Click here to explore the Mead Hall menu.
Spit Fyre Grill 👍🏼
- What: Counter service
- Where: How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk
- Our review:
Spit Fyre is a counter service location in the Isle of Berk. Which largely annoy me. They either don’t feel safe or they feel extremely safe because your order takes forever. (The latter is the case at Green Eggs & Ham Cafe at Islands of Adventure but it doesn’t bother me there. I can’t explain so don’t ask.)
On the menu here are the mac and cheese cones also available at Hooligan’s Grog & Gruel, and five (5) entrees in the popular bowl-style meals category (a grain, a meat, a vegetable, etc etc). For whatever reason, only the shrimp bowl and the steak bowl are gluten free, and we have a shellfish allergy so we went for steak (pictured). It was okay. I wouldn’t stand in line or wait for it to be prepped again.
Click here to explore the Spit Fyre Grill menu.
Conclusion: Gluten Free at EPIC Universe in 2026
Thanks for reading! I’ll be updating this guide regularly as we revisit EPIC Universe dining locations. So make sure to bookmark this page!
Click here to reach out if you have any questions or comments. I usually respond quickly!
When I was diagnosed with celiac disease, I mourned my Universal vacation dining and brought an entire suitcase of gluten free snacks on my first trip back. Little did I know, I was about to discover an absolute gluten free paradise. You will, too. It’s impossible to feel less than or other at Universal Orlando. I hope you enjoy it, and have a great time at this amazing brand new theme park!
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