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Restaurant review: Confisco Grille at Islands of Adventure

By Robert Niles
Published: June 27, 2008 at 11:23 AM
ORLANDO - Confisco Grille is the "other" table service restaurant in Universal's Islands of Adventure. Neither as ambitious, or as pricey, as Mythos, Confisco Grille nevertheless offers solid value, and welcomed rest, in the middle of a theme park visit.

The restaurant might be best known for its character breakfast, offered selected mornings (usually Thursday through Sunday) from park opening until 10:30 am. (Call 407-224-4012 for times and reservations.) But we tried it for lunch this week, arriving at 1 pm without a reservation and finding just a 10-minute wait for a table.

The atmosphere is dim and rustic, not as impressive as Mythos, but certainly comfortable for a mid-afternoon break. The fare here includes sandwiches and salads, with a tendency toward southwest flavors.

Laurie ordered the Tex Mex chicken wrap:

And I selected the chicken fajitas:

Not a huge amount of chicken on my fajitas, indeed, I found it a little heavy on the carmelized onions. But it filled the provided four flour tortillas and didn't leave me feeling over-stuffed, as fajitas often do.

Laurie enjoyed the wrap, though she felt the flavors a bit muted for something that promised a kick of spice. We both enjoyed the accompanying salsa, which packed impressive roasted tomato flavor.

Where Confisco really came through was on the children's meals. The kids' hamburger patty was one of the better ones I've found outside an In-N-Out, loosely packed meat that retained beefy flavor, without being greasy. And the kids' cheese pizza delivered a billowy crust with a nice blend between cheese and sauce.

I've long recommended a sit-down lunch for theme park visitors: It's a cheaper sit-down meal than dinner and it provides you a nice break after hitting the park at opening. (You do do that, right? That's when the lines are shortest.) The trick, of course, is finding a nice place to sit down and be waited upon without feeling overcharged or underserved. Islands of Adventure offers one of the world's best options in Mythos. But if you can't fit that on your agenda, or you are visiting a second day and looking for another option, Confisco Grille provides a fine alternative.

Readers' Opinions

From Joshua Counsil on June 27, 2008 at 12:37 PM
I like these brief reviews of places I've avoided, but I love eating a dinner at the parks. I never eat, however, during the peak hours. It's all about the late night meals, gearing towards 10, if possible. The restaurants are cool, quiet, and free of loud children, plus the serving staff is more attentive and talkative.
From Robert Niles on June 27, 2008 at 1:03 PM
Great call. I am usually long gone from the parks at that hour, but that's an excellent strategy for the night owls.
From Gareth H on June 27, 2008 at 4:44 PM
I love Confiscos, been there twice and adored it, great service, great good, but yes, the atmophere is lacking, unlike Mythos!

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