Confisco Grille & Backwater Bar

5 stars for Confisco at Universal's Islands of Adventure! This is a really nice dine in restaurant that is right near the entrance of the park. Our server was very friendly, the service throughout our meal was great. We tried the Pad Thai, Watermelon Greek Salad, and the Chilled Tuna Noodle Bowl.My personal favorite was the chilled tuna noodle bowl, definitely not a meal you see every day in a theme park restaurant! A lot of flavor to it especially if you enjoy Asian foods (the pad Thai is the same - lots of flavor, great meal). The Greek watermelon salad is loaded with veggies and you can add on any protein you'd like.This is definitely one of the better restaurants in the Universal theme parks, I'd recommend if you want a sit down experience and great food.

Overpriced poor quality food. I had lunch at Confisco and was willing to pay more for a good meal, but I left very disappointed. The food and drinks were poor quality. The "pork belly" in the Pork Belly Banh Mi Sandwich was dry, shriveled, and looked & tasted more like cheap bacon. The bread was sliced unevenly, making it difficult to eat and overall, was the worst banh mi sandwich my partner I ever had. The fries didn't taste fresh and instead seemed microwaved. The overall experience felt "lazy".Our drinks, which cost $17-$18, were served in small plastic cups instead of glass which added to the low effort feeling of the experience. This stood out because every other restaurant in the park served drinks in glass for a lower price. For $86, this meal was not worth it.At first, we were seated in a dim basement-like room on a warm sunny day. We asked to move outside which thankfully we could. The view and atmosphere was much nicer outdoors. Our waiter was friendly but not very attentive, and service was slow despite the restaurant being nearly empty. Overall, I wouldn't return. The price just doesn't match the quality or experience. Overall, the food, service, and presentation didn't match the cost.

Went there twice and planning to go again soon! Best pad thai and the dueling hummus is awesome!!! Cant remember the name of the waitress but she was great. Both times we were lucky to have her taking care of us. I love the restaurant decoration.

Confisco Grille is an eclectic atmosphere with an incredible menu. It's one of the few restaurants at Universal that allows reservations. The staff does a wonderful with parties large or small. The food is delicious and there is something for everyone! Make sure to take time to look around and see artifacts from attractions around the park. The sweet and sour sticky ribs were a favorite for our family!

I've eaten at almost every Universal/City Walk restaurant and this was by far, not even close, the worst restaurant I've eaten at. The only way I can describe the food was low quality, bland, and not fresh tasting like it was served either the night prior or at some point that was not today's dinner service. We started with the spinach artichoke dip, and despite the restaurant being half full, it took almost 40 minutes for our appetizer to come out. When the appetizer arrived, the dip seemed reheated where the top was a very dark brown and burned to the bowl. The chips tasted either stale or like they'd been sitting out for quite a while where they weren't crispy; they were soft, like chips get, when they've sat out for too long or get stale. My burger was bland, the birria was bland, and the bun was a soggy mess by the time I finished eating. Completely unsatisfying and the worst $82 I've spent on food Universal for one other adult and a child. I hate trashing a restaurant like this, but this was honestly the most disappointing dining experience I've had at a Universal restaurant.

Craving vegetables and something Asian, my sister and I were excited to come across this restaurant when considering options for lunch. The place is well air conditioned and peaceful since there weren't any live bands or loud music playing. Eating around 12 pm, there were still plenty of tables to get seated at. We shared their shrimp red curry and chicken bimimbap bowl. For an amusement park, the curry tasted decent (but not necessarily authentic) and I liked how many shrimps were included as well as the variety of vegetables in the stir fry. But the bimimbap stole the show. All the vegetables were well prepared and the chicken was definitely marinated in a soy sauce base that provided so much additional flavor to the dish. The jalapeno margarita was also fantastic.Overall, my sister and I had a really good time with the food, drinks, and especially the service. Our waitress was phenomenal constantly checking in on us and updating on when any of our orders is supposed to come out. Would come again for the bimimbap and well as the margaritas!

Of course almost any eatery would be wonderful after a long, hot day in the Florida sun. Even more so after a morning of travel, three hour drive, and THEN, a fun-filled day in the hot Florida sun. However, after hastily making a reservation here as our first day of vacation, crammed between the day at Universal and the beginning of our evening at Halloween Horror Nights, this place completely blew me away, and not because I was tired and hungry. First of all, situated in a main thoroughfare of Islands of Adventure, one would expect it to be near impossible to get a time for a meal in here. Luckily, not only was it easy, but it wasn't overly crowded and it made it an even more pleasant experience considering we really needed a meal to rest and recharge. I am not sure if this was because the park closes shortly to switch over to the Halloween-themed event, or if it was just the time of year, but it definitely was a win in my book. Our server was wonderful; a friendly, helpful gentleman who was able to make genuine suggestions for everyone's meal that ended up being spot on, delicious insights. Another facet that was actually quite surprising again as well as impressive was how reasonable the meal actually was for five people. Granted, we didn't all order several appetizers or a bunch of additional accoutrements, but the portions were perfect and the price was absolutely within reason; on the cheaper side actually. Much less than expected for a place within a theme park, especially a large destination like Universal. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meal, with not just myself being completely blown away by the quality and ease of Confisco for being inside of the park. I chose the chicken lettuce wraps, which were very similar an iteration of Cheesecake Factory Thai lettuce wraps or any other pan-Asian chicken lettuce wraps you can find elsewhere, although the butter lettuce and everything provided to construct the wraps was absolutely super fresh and crisp. There were multiple sauces provided, and the platter came with everything one could possibly want when building wraps the way they prefer them. I, in classic personal style, used everything provided on the plate, and then even finished up what was left unused because it was just so good. I also had the opportunity to try the carne guisada that my wife ordered, and I can say that their attempt was absolutely fantastic. The meat was tender, flavors right in place and on point, and served with perfectly prepared rice. My advice is this...if you're in Universal or even just nearby, give Confisco a look. If you're hungry, give it a try. While almost anything will do when you're tired and worn out from a full day of travel, kids, and time spent in a theme park, this place will fit that bill, but it is so much more. It will not only satisfy, but impress, not hurt your wallet and leave everyone smiling at the end of dinner, putting and even better cap on a day that was already so full of life.

Confisco was a highlight of my Universal experience! I'm impressed by how good the food was. I walked in without a reservation at 2pm on a Thursday and was immediately seated. The store was adorable decorated: it had pirate/island themed decor, very fitting for a theme park restaurant. The waiter was super friendly, although it was difficult to get refills of water.I got the chilled tuna noodle bowl, which was okay. The seared tuna slices were nicely cooked, and the dressing was zesty and fresh. Unfortunately, the noodles were completely clumped together - perhaps just over cooked. The other dishes were much more satisfactory. The appetizer ahi tuna nachos was a standout. I loved the use of wonton chips, which were perfectly crispy. The soy and wasabi aioli drizzles provided the perfect savory and spicy kick. The brick oven half chicken was also delicious. I really enjoyed the slightly spicy sauce and the pairings of mushrooms and rice.Confisco provided a much needed respite during a long and hot theme park day. Some of the dishes were really solid!

We stopped here for a drink while at the park. They had specialty cocktails that were park-themed. After some searching ingredients online we were able to confirm that "The Raptor Claw" was gluten-free. It was a brilliant blue color. We didn't wait long to get served once we decided on our order. Bartender moved fast. We enjoyed our cocktails on the patio so we could enjoy the atmosphere of the park and all the lights. Great place to people watch. Drinks aren't cheap but it's a theme park.

Wonderful for gluten free! Lots of different options and they are very flexible with the menu. The pad Thai had great flavor and was gluten free. The service was very good and they always kept our drinks full. It was pretty clean but pretty dark, I wish there was a bit more lighting. The superfood salad was very good especially the falafel in it. The chicken was slightly tough but nothing terrible. Great on your way out for a sit down meal and a wide range of food options so everyone will be happy.