Universal CityWalk Toothsome Chocolate Emporium Review
Universal CityWalk Toothsome Chocolate Emporium Review – try saying that 5 times fast! In our original Universal Studios Florida review, I mentioned that we had an amazing meal at the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium and today I’m finally shared our full-fledged review of our TWO meals at Toothsome.
Toothsome Chocolate Emporium Review
I had no idea what to expect from the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium when we showed up for supper.
The gorgeous building looks like a steampunk factory from the outside and that theming continues throughout, with amazing attention to detail. If you’ve followed this site for awhile, you know that I love a good theme, especially when you can really immerse yourself in it.
Originally, I thought it was just a fun take on Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory (including the glass elevator) but we soon learned the story of Penelope, the chocolate-obsessed inventor who serves as the fictional hostess and heroine of the factory.
I think all foodies have a menu strategy. For me, I go for one or two dishes that the restaurant is really known for, and then one or two really out-there dishes.
I figure, if a restaurant is confident enough to put an outlandish option on their menu, they must have good reason to. Sometimes this strategy fails, sometimes it pays off.
At Toothsome – going for the unusual offerings really paid off.
Now, spoiler alert: we loved this restaurant and went back a second time for lunch so we have a LOT to review today. We got all completely different options each time, so I’m going to share them all below along with my honest reviews of each. A couple of the items we ordered were misses, but the vast majority were delicious – which is why I’m reviewing it and sharing it with you today!
My honest opinion is that the desserts overshadow the stellar mains at Toothsome Chocolate Emporium, and while the desserts are delicious and decadent, our appetizers and mains were what really sold me on Toothsome and make it worth stopping in during your vacation. In fact, I skipped dessert on our second visit and had a second appetizer instead!
I also felt like Toothsome was an amazing value for money – you will see the portion sizes below, and while I’m not listing prices because those change over time, if you go take a look at Toothsome’s current menu, you’ll see that the prices are shockingly low for such an amazing restaurant at such a sought-after location (literally right outside the gates of Universal Studios Florida).
A lot of people just go to Toothsome for dessert – especially those crazy freakshakes – but my understanding is that they do not take dessert reservations.
If you end up showing up for dessert and the wait times are a little too long for your liking, I definitely recommend hitting up their on-site chocolate shop. While you won’t get a freakshake, the options are so varied and looked utterly mouthwatering – it’s on my to-do list on our next visit to Universal to try a couple of their to-go offerings. (I show a few options in the image above.)
Warm Chocolate Almond Bread
I love butter, but I’ve never considered eating it with a spoon before this meal.
I remember liking the bread, but I was so blown away by the salted caramel butter that I honestly can’t tell you what it tasted like. I remember it was served warm, with gooey chocolate chips, but it wasn’t overly sweet so when you added the salted caramel butter it wasn’t too cloying.
The salted caramel butter was exactly what you would expect from it’s name – buttery, caramel-ly, and super soft to spread.
Truffle Fries
Shredded parmesan, fresh herbs, white truffle oil
I’m not a fan of truffle oil, but Ella sure is.
When she was younger, I could just ignore the mentions of truffle-anything on a menu, but now that she can read a menu herself, if something mentions truffle – she’s ordering it!
She assured me these were delicious.
I took her word for it.
These sliders were ah-mazing.
Perfectly cooked and seasoned pork belly,
Coffee and Chocolate Stout Chicken Wings
Flash fried, chocolate stout glaze, sesame seeds
OK, so I remember eating these as the appetizer for our second meal, but apparently I failed to take a picture of them at the restaurant – but I made up for it by developing my own copycat Chocolate Stout Chicken Wings here.
As you probably assumed by the fact that I made a copycat version, I loved these wings. They were that perfect blend of acidity-sweetness-umami and it was just a really fun appetizer to try and it pushed the limits of how I think of chocolate.
Cheddar Bacon Burger
Half pound, housemade patty, bibb lettuce, roasted tomatoes, signature sauce, toasted brioche
I think Ella originally ordered a fish dish, but they ended up running out, so this burger was her next choice – and my crazy six year old actually managed to eat the entire thing!!!
The one bite I was allowed was juicy, with a delicious caramelization thanks to using a good blend of fat in the patty. The bacon was thick cut so it held it’s own against the taste of the beef.
(She was disappointed to not get truffle fries two days in a row, but said these ones were good for “untruffled fries.”)
Duck and Cherry Lavash (Flatbread)
This item has since been removed from the menu – but don’t worry, you’re not missing much. It was my least favorite item that we sampled from Toothsome.
This dish has become one of my favorites – after making my own Copycat Steak Oscar recipe at home.
While I saw the dish’s potential at Toothsome, unfortunately, the kitchen kept overcooking my order. Our awesome and super attentive waitress noticed that it was overcooked the first time and insisted on having them correct it – and they still overcooked it the second time.
Looking on Trip Advisor, there is a common thread of steaks being overcooked, so if you like your steak rare to medium rare, just be advised that you may need to stress that point – or just deal with it being cooked a bit more than you like.
Aside from being slightly overcooked (to my liking), this dish was delicious and a complete steal – I don’t think I’ve ever seen Steak Oscar offered so affordably before, let alone for TWO steaks!
Bread pudding is hands down my favorite dessert and this chocolate version did not disappoint. It had the perfect contrast of crunchy, caramelized bread to soft, custardy bread and the different chocolate flavors were really fun. I only wish they had incorporated some form of butter sauce or caramel into it, as that would have taken it to the next level. (Maybe you can specially request that if you order this dessert, too.)
Rich, bittersweet chocolate pudding – this was Ella’s dessert and she ended up being too full from eating an adult-sized burger to herself, so I got to enjoy two desserts!
This would be a great option for someone who wants dessert but doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth, as it was very understated.
Ella had skipped dessert on our first visit, so she had to get one of Jacque’s speciality shakes on our second visit. The one sip I had was SUPER CHOCOLATEY – I tasted milk and dark chocolate at the same time, and you could tell the milkshake was pure chocolate, not vanilla with chocolate added in (as most milkshakes tend to be).
I asked the bartender to come up with a fun drink for me, and he whipped up this Apple Cinnamon concoction (off menu) that was like an Apple Pie in a glass.
Off Menu Order: Mocha Latte
Shockingly, Toothsome doesn’t have hot chocolates or mocha lattes on offer – but they were more than happy to custom order one for me when I asked.
This was simply a double shot of espresso, hot chocolate, and whipped cream – and it was the perfect way to cap off a decadent lunch.
My favorites of our two experiences were the:
- Warm Chocolate Almond Bread
- Pork Belly Sliders
- Toothsome Signature Beef Filet Mignon Oscar – if you can get it cooked to your preference
- Off-menu Mocha Latte
Pin this Honest Family Review of the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium for your future Universal Studios Florida vacation planning:
Universal CityWalk’s Toothsome Chocolate Emporium was a fun choice for a family meal, in addition to being well-priced and absolutely delicious. I highly recommend this restaurant if you are planning a Universal Studio’s Florida vacation anytime soon!
For more Universal Studio’s travel planning, check out our post on Everything You Need to Know About Visiting Universal Studios with Young Kids.
Oh my goodness, it all looks AMAZING! Looks like we are going to the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium 😉 Road trip!
This whole post looks so amazing. I love road trips and this one would be fun. It’s been years since we went to Universal Studios. I have yet to take my kids. I will save this post so I can refer to it for later.
I’ve never been there but it seems like such an insanely cool place to visit! I love the steampunk vibes…the food and sights look amazing! Great review 🙂
I am literally drooling looking at all these chocolate photos! That almond chocolate bread… omg…looks soooo fluffy! I would love to try this place!
Wow! Totally going to check this out. We’ve been wanting to do the whole Harry Potter Wizarding World in Florida. Thanks!
What a great day you seem to have had! And the food looked absolutely divine!
Wow, this looks amazing! And those desserts look delicious. Some of my friends are heading there soon, I’ll pass this on to them.
All of this food sounds DEVINE ? I need some salted caramel butter in my life as soon as possible! It looks like such a fun family experience as well, I wish the UK was a little closer!
Wow! This place looks amazing. All the food looks delicious and a fun atmosphere too.
Wow this place looks amazing! I could definitely have some of that chocolate bread pudding like right now! Need to plan a trip there now lol
Looks like a really fun place to visit. I love all the food. Everything looks so delicious. Maybe I’ll give it a visit someday.
So many delicious dishes and so many great photos. This place look so great to visit with the family!
Hello Jennifer. Personally, I love to serve my pork belly siders with a side of roasted vegetables or mashed potatoes. They are easy to make and always a hit with the kids.
sounds scrumptious!