Gru’s Lab Café

I ordered Dr nefaros lab salad. Shrimp is included in the menu. Didn’t get the shrimp in my order. I asked them where’s the shrimp. No apology was heard from the crew. Lousy.

First time to Universal studios in about 6 years. Didn’t know what or where to eat. This place doesn’t have as many food option as Disneyland and it’s never been some place I associated with good food. Not to say that you can’t find a decent meal here, but I associated this place with more chains than actual themed restaurants and quick services Disney is known for. They’ve changed that and added more food options since the last time I was here. They’ve got several themed quick services and the one I happened to choose today was this one, Gru’s Lab Café. It’s a Desicable Me and Minions themed quick service with a mix of American, Asian and Mexican food. It’s cafeteria style so you walk in, grab a tray and proceed down the counter and order what you want. They have displays of all the food items and a majority of the items are already plated and ready for you to grab from the counter. It was a bit confusing for me since the salad I wanted didn’t have a place to grab one from. I ordered it and waited, but they were in the back making it and it took a while so I was instructed to go pay for my food and come back and get it. I was in the middle of paying when the woman behind me who ordered the same salad (but without shrimp) was ready and then I was inquiring about mine because I had ordered mine first and I see a guy in line with my salad. They clearly gave my salad away and I was mad because I waited so long and the place I’m supposed to grab my salad from is in the middle of the line before the checkout registers so it’s not exactly in an easy place to get to. Luckily my salad didn’t take too much longer after that.
Ok, now onto the ACTUAL salad I ordered, Dr. Nefario’s Lab Salad. It was a pretty good salad. Not a traditional salad with lettuce, but more of a hodge-​podge. There were things in it I didn’t even know were in it so it was kind of like a surprise salad. Thankfully I’m not a very picky eater and I don’t have any food allergies that I’m aware of so it wasn’t a bad surprise. Upon my first bite I was pleasantly surprised by some sliced ginger. It was a nice refreshing bite and got me more excited about my salad. The website describes the salad as: «A unique combination of udon noodles, greens, shrimp, chicken & a lite Asian ponzu dressing (also available low carb (no noodles) or vegetarian)». I was disappointed that the ingredient I was most excited about and thought was a featured item in the salad, udon noodles, was hardly in it. There were barely any noodles and the ones in it were 2 – 3 inch long. They were also overcooked and too soft. So I think it’s funny that they say you can make it low carb by getting no noodles when you barely get any noodles. The shrimp was also a bit of a letdown for me as well. I was trying to figure out what was wrong with it. Too soft maybe? The texture just seemed off. From what I can recall the salad contained: chicken, shrimp, udon noodles, red and green bell pepper, edamame, watermelon, banana chips, sprouts and spinach. The watermelon and banana chips were a nice touch. Bananas are Minions’ favorite food so it’s cool to see that little detail in there. The salad overall is very colorful and full of flavors and textures. I will say though that the banana chips were quite hard, as they usually are so I didn’t like how the rest of the salad was easy to chew and then here come these really hard banana chips that were difficult to bite into.
My brother ordered Gru’s Backyard BBQ Rotisserie Chicken. I tried some and the chicken was pretty good. Flavorful and seemed moist. It came with corn on the cob and fries. I didn’t try the fries, but I ate the corn and it wasn’t anything fancy. I had Mexican grilled street corn in a cup the other night so that’s fresh in my mind and kind of hard to top. The portions here are pretty good and it was a struggle for us to finish our lunches.

I rarely write or talk about places inside Amusement Parks but Gru’s Lab Café is going to be on a very small list of places you would want to go to in Universal Studios, it’s just that good!
Came here to start my Universal Studio yearly pass and it was a weekend so this place does get a little busy and we came right when they had open. We woke up on that day at 7:00 AM to get ready and start this long adventure but it was nice. I haven’t been to Universal Studios since last year with my cousin and we actually didn’t try this place out.
It’s cafeteria style where you tell the person behind a certain section that what you would like from them and then they will prepare it for you. We got the good nacho el macho which cost $ 10.59 and minion Twinkie cupcake which was $ 6.99 and a large 32oz $ 3.69. Our bill came out to $ 21.27 and then added tax it became $ 23.18. (Which I have to say is pretty good for two people and eating inside a theme park!
Now I’m not rating it as high because of the price but because they actually really made it a great experience for us. I don’t really eat cheese so I had asked them to put it on the side and also the sour cream on the side so the boyfriend could enjoy it. The lady that was doing the whole thing for us actually told us to tell the cashier that it’s on the side so they won’t charge us extra. So that was honestly really nice of her to do and made me smile that she was just being so nice to us. The portion size for this nacho was huge as well and it filled us up both to the max. We had so much energy after that. The green onions are fresh and I seriously never thought of that with nachos but now for sure I’ll be putting that on top of my nachos all the time!
I also didn’t eat the minion twinkie cupcake but was told that it was pretty good and not super sweet except for the frosting part which you could just take off. It was worth a picture and it made my day! When you can enjoy a meal that makes you smile and be happy, I totally think this place is worth it and I hope they stay for awhile and not change so more people can come and try it out for themselves.
So if you ever go inside Universal Studios I think this is the place you must try out and eat. I don’t think you would regret it!

We happened to be in the area and hungry so we decided to give this place a try.
When I saw the menu, the Pulled Pork Grilled Cheese immediately caught my eye. I almost ordered the nachos, but ended up sticking to the grilled cheese. It was a lot of BBQ sauce, not enough cheese, and felt lacking in something that I can’t quite put my finger on. My brother added the coleslaw to his and he said he enjoyed it more, I don’t like coleslaw so I didn’t consider that as an option.
My dad had the rotisserie chicken and I’m not sure if all his food was gone because he genuinely liked it or because he was really hungry.
It came with steak fries, which I really liked, but there wasn’t very many on the plate. Only about 10 fries. Which was kinda lame.
They had some cute minion desserts, but I didn’t try any. The average price is $ 12 per plate. Basic theme park food, nothing special.

Food price is cheaper than disneyland so I was okay with it. Food was amazing, got the rotisserie chicken and macho nachos. A must have is the freeze ray smoothie, banana with a bunch of yumminess (the straw changes color; warm (yellow), cold (purple).

Maybe we were really hungry but this food was better than we thought. Granted yes, it’s theme park food but still better than other theme park foods I’ve had.
Highlight item was the Pulled Pork Grilled Cheese sandwich. I’m usually not a fan of grilled cheese but wow… this was delicious!!! I’m sorry to those who received a bad batch but ours was not soggy or greasy. In fact, our sandwich was pippin’ fresh and hot… bread was crisped on the sides and cooked to perfection. Pulled pork wasn’t dry and the BBQ Sauce was great for dipping your seasoned fries in. We also got the chicken tenders and fries basket but those were just ehhhh… your typical expectation of chicken tenders.
Didn’t try desserts but we got our minion sipper!!! =) I was a little taken back as our bill raked up to $ 40…$ 15.99 for a minion sipper was worth it. I think my boyfriend wanted that more than I did!!! =)

This place Has the best nachos and grilled pulled pork grilled cheese I have ever had ever!!! Plus there red velvet minnon cupcakes wow sooooo good and super cute

As one of my favorite lunch areas, this ‘café’ is a wonderful addition to Universal’s dining selections! With a variety of meals to choose from, there is not one that is the exception to Despicable Me’s wonder. Even if crowded, no one misses out on the exquisite taste that the menu offers. You may even be able to dine with Gru himself!

Decided to try this place while visiting Universal. My boyfriend’s company hosted a family fun day here and provided us with food voucher. When we got to the location it was like cafeteria style. They pretty much laid out all the different type of dishes and you just grab it and continue down the line to get whatever else items you choose. Since I stopped eating meat the only option on the menu was the nachos (hold the chicken). My boyfriend got the grilled cheese with pulled pork side of French fries. I thought the best deal out of all the options given was the rotisserie chicken. It was a huge piece of chicken side with corn on cob and French fries. Bang for your buck. If only I was eating meat. Lol I wanted to try to cute minion cupcakes! But I would not drop 7 $ on a minion cupcake. Anyways i think it’s worth checking out then hopping on the minion mayhem ride afterwards :)

The menu has really clever and cute names Buuuut the food didn’t live up to the names. At least the pulled pork grilled cheese didn’t. It was really oily and mushy and just disappointing. The chicken wasn’t bad but it was just a basic piece of rotisserie chicken and fries. I feel like you could get a better meal at a different restaurant in the park. Pass on the cupcakes too. All in all everything looks way better than it tastes.

I had Dr. Nefario’s Lab Salad. Really really delicious. My only complaint is when I asked what it was and how much it cost I was told it was the Gru salad and it was $ 7.99. Well there was no Gru salad on the menu. The $ 7.99 price turned out to be $ 11.99. The salad was really large with lots of shrimp and chicken. I was barely able to eat half of it. It was not the type of thing you want to carry around with you for the remainder of your stay at the theme park on a hot day. So I threw out what was left.
I recommend it for salad lovers who want to share. I wish I had some now.

Surprising good selection for theme park food. Had the macho nachos which was grilled chicken, melted cheese, fresh jalepeno, guacamole. Tasty and huge. Great to share. Also got the ray smoothie which is like a pineapple flavored concoction to quench your thirst. The goey brownies looks good as well

It was ok for a theme park restaurant. Not many options and was surprised it had such high reviews. We ad the rotisserie chicken, pulled pork sand, and nachos. Would have rather gone to have a sandwich in another location in the park.

Great pick me up when you’re craving some sustenance!
From the meatball subs to their grilled cheese and pulled pork sandwich, everything tasted just right. Actually those two things were the only entrees I did try, but they were still quite tasty! =)
The prices is normal theme park prices (about 10 bucks), but they were worth it.
They both came with your choice of sides. We ended up with sweet potato and normal fries. Think the grilled cheese and pulled pork sammich came with slaw, but it was nothing to write home about.
Wanted to try their desserts. They looked fun, but we did try that Minion Banana smoothie thing.
WARNING…decent at first, but once the sprite empties out, it’s all banana. Bit too much for me but if it’s your schtick then by all means.
I would love to try more things. The nachos looked quite impressive.
Bring your kiddies, I’m sure all the desserts would be more than enough to entice them.

Premise: you know that it’s universal studios, a tourist amusement park, so everything is going to be over-​priced, and mediocre. Operating on that premise — you shall safely forge ahead and read this review.
I was very delightfully surprised at how good the pulled pork grilled cheese (?) bbq sandwich was. I know, I know, how could my taste buds possibly sink so low. Tis true, hunger can make anything taste good. But, also, the pulled pork sandwhich isn’t bad. It’s not great, but it isn’t bad. The bread seemed like it was cooked with a bit of butter, had some crunchiness to it, and the pork was very smooth and the meat texture was soft and okay. The lemonade wasn’t bad either, just the right amount of sweetness to it — although we did have to ask the server to lay low on the ice. Without the frosting, the velvet cake tasted pretty okay too. I dig the cafeteria style set-​up and outside eatery. Although, for $ 40 bucks for a minion bottled lemonade, pulled pork sandwhich, and velvet cake — it’s highly unlikely that I’ll be putting a fight to go back anytime soon.

When in Universal do as the Universalonians (pleas don’t tell Merriam nor Webster) do as it pertains to food consumption and visit Gru’s!
This quickly has become our go to eatery when visiting mainly due to the overall taste and bang for the ol’ Washington. I can back that up with the prices being adequate because a borderline «frugal» Mother in law doesn’t even say that’s too much money for the food so kudos in that department!
I got to hand it to Universal as the food both in presentation and portion size well justifies the 5 star rating. There really is just about something for everyone here and very well thought out choices that they present. This review has been long in the making as I’ve came here twice and consumed the macho nachos and the grilled cheese with pulled pork sandwich. The macho nachos at $ 10 almost seem like a steal to me because they are so so good. It comes in a massive dark green taco shell and filled to the rafters with sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo, shredded chicken, cilantro, and the all American past time: STADIUM NACHO CHEESE! The ingredients alone just taste fresh and this isn’t something I would expect to be eating at a theme park by any means.
Another must have item would be the grilled cheese sandwich with pulled pork. This definitely is a tummy filler and a napkin consumer (a friendly FYI). I initially went into this thinking it would be a flop, but it actually compliments itself quite well overall. The pork is very tender so you’re teeth will remain in tact and the bread has always had the perfect crisp bite to bite. Taste wise the BBQ sauce coating is a bit on the sweet side for some (not us sweet tooths at heart), but also provides just a hint of a kick to it in certain bites as well. All in all just an amazing prepared sandwich and partnered with their sweet potato fries would make any minion take charge!
Amongst glitz and glamour of the movie world this an emmy nominated restaurant for sure and well deserving of a sequel by any means!

We are big fans of the cute lilttle minions so when we 1^st saw this place my kids went crazy and had to deff try this place.
We had the nachos (very delicious), the bbq chicken w/​fries and corn (too sweet for my taste maybe too much bbq? But It was good anyways) and last but not least a very cute but not so good minion cookie.
I was surprised of how good the food was deff will be back.

This place has the best meal deal in the park hands down: a big bowl of nachos for only $ 10. It’s a large helping of nachos served in a tortilla bowl topped with chicken, nacho cheese, sour cream, pico de gallo, guacamole and jalapeños. Not only did it taste good (especially for theme park food), it fed four of us easily! Try the nachos, you will not be disappointed.
We also had an order of the grilled cheese except without meat. The grilled cheese itself was underwhelming and super oily, but the French fries were good, particularly when dipped in the accompanying barbecue sauce which was the highlight of the dish. It was shockingly good, a nice balance of sweet and tangy notes mixed with that typical barbecue sauce goodness. I wouldn’t get the grilled cheese again but you may want to ask for a side of barbecue sauce next time you’re there, regardless of what you order.

We came here when it first opened and it was great! The pulled pork grilled cheese had a neat Gru logo grilled into it, the meatball sandwich came with these good tater tots, and the half chicken meal came with this amazing mac n cheese cube!
We came back little over a month later cuz we liked it so much and they already changed the menu to our disappointment. They took away the tater tots and replaced them with overly seasoned chips, they completely took away the mac n cheese cube, and the Gru Lab logo isn’t grilled into the sandwich anymore. It wasn’t as good as the first time we went… Please bring everything back! Chips suck… tater tots were better!

half chicken meal and the pulled pork grilled sandwich were pretty decent. The chips were kind of hard… overall is was good for theme park food…

¾ for regular standards, ⁴⁄₅ for theme park food standards.
I was surprised at the «healthier» options here. No more having to conform with burgers, hot dogs or greasy cardboard pizza in a theme park. This place actually offers rotisserie chicken, meatball sandwich and even watermelon! The El Macho Nachos were pretty good too.
It’s between the Minion Mayhem ride and Super Silly Funland so you get to hear the minions’song while you eat outdoors.
If you love minions, you should definitely get the twinkie minion on a red velvet cupcake.
Quality of food isn’t great (a bit dry) but it’ll get you through your day at the theme park.

Located next to the new Despicable Me ride, Gru’s Café has the most unique of the food choices in the park. The prices may be the same as the rest of the eateries, but the portions make it well worth it.
My boyfriend ordered the nachos which were huge and I ordered the udon salad which didn’t look like it was that much, but was actually pretty big. I only finished half of my salad and finished the rest when I got home. There are other choices I would like to try at a later visit like the grilled cheese or the BBQ chicken. I even saw a chocolate cupcake with a Twinkie made to look like a minion in it. This is a great place to take your kids who love the movies. With the portions, everything can be shared so you can save your money.
If you’re an annual pass member, make sure you get your discount!

Pretty good food that you might as well get instead of the food from other places in the park. It’s equally expensive but much better quality. We got the nachos which were huge, the chicken plate, and brownie. Also I finally tried the freeze ray smoothie which comes with the changing color straw :)

Good food at theme park prices.