Universal Orlando to change its CityWalk burger restaurant
Five Guys will replace Burger King on Universal Orlando's CityWalk, the resort announced today.
The Burger King Whopper Bar restaurant will close April 21 to make way for Five Guys, which will open later this summer, Universal said.
Sure, it's switching one hamburger restaurant for another, but there's more to this change. First up, I have to admit that I don't like Five Guys and its overpriced, overcooked burgers. And stuffing the bag with fries is no consolation when the fries are as limp and sad as Five Guys'.
That said, I am no fan of Burger King and its thinner char disks, either. At least at both places, you can customize your burger with a variety of toppings. But if I am going to a burger joint, shouldn't I be able expect a decent burger, regardless of what you might choose to put on it?
So what is the loss here? Price. Burger King was relatively affordable compared with other locations on CityWalk, and especially compared with Five Guys, which might have the most expensive burgers in the fast casual dining segment. Burger King gave value-conscious Universal Orlando visitors another food option without having to leave the resort. That's gone, as of this month.
All this said, I suspect that for the majority of Universal Orlando visitors, Five Guys will be an upgrade in quality compared with Burger King, so the change will be welcomed by many.
Which raises the question - is there any good theme park burger out there? I would love to hear from you what you think is the best quality burger for the price on any theme park property.
Replies (12)
It's all about the cajun fries. Y'all can keep the rest of it.
I'm not sure about pricing, but many people swear that Wimpy's Burger at IOA is really good.
was just recently at USH CityWalk and had a really good burger at the Habit, which is a local chain with SoCal roots. I thought it was a great touch. Unfortunately, I don't think UOR CityWalk has that option as there aren't many local burger places that have been a mainstay in the area for decades.
While I do think the loss of a value-priced option at City Walk is the big story here, I do think it's a bit unfair to categorize the current restaurant as just a Burger King. The Whopper Bar was a bit of an elevated experience, and while most people probably just ordered what you would get from your neighborhood BK, there was a slightly expanded menu, which made it feel better than a run-of-the-mill BK.
If you know anything about Five Guys, you know that what they will do in City Walk will not be any different from any of their other restaurants around the world (though I wouldn't be surprised that they eliminate the free peanuts), which I think is the most disappointing aspect of this change. I do like Five Guys, but we used to live within walking distance of one of the first restaurants in the chain that started in Northern Virginia. What used to be our "local" burger joint is now found in virtually every corner of the planet, so since the CityWalk location is unlikely to be any different from the thousands of other franchised locations, I would probably not ever consider eating here.
As far as best burgers, I think the best true fast food burger is Culvers with Hardy/Carl's Jr and Roy Rogers a bit behind. Checkers/Rally's and Whataburger would get honorable mentions. When it comes to "fast casual" burgers, my current favorites are BGR, Fudruckers, and Fatburger. I can't think of the last time I had a decent burger in a theme park with the old Pecos Bill's in MK being the best of the mediocre choices.
I have heard that the Steakhouse 71 burger at Disney is good, though I have not had the chance yet to try that. Krusty Burger when it first opened at USH was nice, though it was just another mediocre theme park burger the last time I tried it. And I second the endorsement of The Habit. Otherwise, I am struggling to recall any theme park burgers that I have enjoyed.
On the flip side, the worst value for theme park burger that I can remember were the grossly overpriced Johnny Rockets burgers at Six Flags Great America. Yikes.
I think the burgers at Sci-fi Dine in Theater at DHS are good. Also, I don't know if it qualifies as a burger, but the patty melt at Carnation Cafe in Disneyland is good.
I'm gonna defend the SeaWorld altitude burgers smash patty again. Everyone should start taking a shot.
This sucks for vegan options, since Burger King's Impossible Whopper was the last burger option available at Universal since they stopped offering Beyond products last year. There are still plenty of vegan options at City Walk, thankfully, but losing an option is always a drag. Five Guys doesn't offer any vegan burgers, but at least the fries are vegan, I guess? Disappointing overall. :-(
Fuddruckers was good but they’re out of business with the exception of a few random outliers that are still open. I’ve been to one in Houston, Albuquerque, and Branson. All were pretty close to what it was back in the day. I liked how they had the Coke Freestyle machines as well.
For a theme park burger I’ll go with Richters in the Universal Studios park. Not the best, but not terrible. If you’ve been walking around HHN for 3-4 hours , it’s a nice stop to eat and rest your feet.
For a Burger at Universal - Cow Fish is the best.
Yes it cost more but the quality is great and on vacation most plan to spend a bit more on foods...
Robert, the Steakhouse 71 burger is good, but it's more of a "meal" burger vs a "quick grab" burger. Plus, it's only available at lunch last I checked so you can't grab one on the way out of the park like a City Walk burger. I usually have the Steakhouse 71 burger as a late lunch as my "go to" to have as a "base" around 2PM before going to an after hours party around 4PM at MK. Not a big fan of either Burger King or 5 Guys, but wouldn't mind a more local brand (as mbrussmco pointed out The Habit that they have at USH City Walk) to step in instead of something you can get anywhere on on any corner. Not familiar with any of the "local" Florida burger places though.
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I would rather eat 5 guys than Burger King, but I don't want to eat either at univeral. Give me something special, not a burger that Five Guys have been coasting on for decades.