A Sinister Guide to Sips and Snacks at Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood

by Leap on September 7, 2023 2 Los Angeles

Prepare for sinister sips and terribly tasty treats during this year’s Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood! Known for its thrilling haunted mazes, spine-chilling scare zones, and epic entertainment, HHN Hollywood also provides a variety of delicious themed food and drinks to enhance the scare experience. Every year, these sweets and savory eats are themed according to the unique haunted houses and scare zones offered during the event — bringing even more fright-filled fun to your monstrous meals at the park. Let’s hop into everything you need to know about scary snacks and nefarious nibbles you can expect this year. (Psst ... get your discount Halloween Horror Nights tickets through Undercover Tourist and use those savings on HHN food!)

What exclusive Halloween Horror Nights food can I find?

The foodie possibilities are pretty endless during HHN. Guests can indulge in year-long delicacies at select locations in the park, as well as tempting terror-focused treats of all kinds! Bite into awfully scrumptious eats — including dastardly desserts, savory snacks and creepy cocktails — at many locations.

In 2022, a frog-favorite treat became available across both coasts, the legendary Pizza Fries snack — consisting of french fries topped with marinara, cheese and pepperoni. This is a must-try dish for dedicated HHN fans! La Plaza De Los Muertos area, which returns in 2023, previously offered Mexican dishes such as Beef Birria Tacos (returning this year), Green Chili and Cheese Tamale, Grilled Elote Corn and Horchata Churro Bites.

Some foods are a little more complexly themed, or specifically curated to match a featured haunted house. For example, the Killer Klowns from Outer Space haunted house inspired many colorful circus-esque eats — with a despicable twist. These savory and sweet items included a comically large shareable 22” All-Beef Hot Dog, Loaded Nachos, Funnel Fries, Acid Pie and a Ruijing Popkorn Shake.

A little liquid courage has always proved helpful when facing the ghoulish gags HHN has to offer! Adult frogs should keep an eye out for Dufftoberfest in Springfield, U.S.A., offering German-inspired favorites from Pretzel Buns with Duff Cheese Sauce to craft beer on tap.

Here is the list of 2023 Halloween Horror Nights food:

Scoops Ahoy

Ice Cream
Eleven's Waffle Sundae
Upside Down World Milkshake

Surfer Boy Pizza

Try Before You Deny Pizza
Meat Lovers Pizza
Pineapple Buffalo Wings
Surfer Boy Cocktail
Tropical Dream Punch
Hellfire Cake Push Pop

Mummy Eats

Cordyceps Corndog

Stellar Bar

Pizza Fries
Truffle Fries
Demogorgon Pizza
Pineapple Buffalo Wings
Hellfire Club Pretzel
Hellfire Cake Push Pop
Ice Cream Sundae
Milkshakes
Surfer Boy Cocktail
The Upside Down Cocktail
Mind Flayer Cocktail

The Demogorgon Pizza is made with a puff pastry- textured bread, which makes for the perfect, scrumptious snack! Don't froget to try the Mind Flayer Cocktail if you're an adult frog. It's absolutely delicious and balanced!

Peacock's Halloween Horror Bar

Three new cocktails: Purge Punch, Peacocktail, Charles Lee Ray (contain alcohol)

Chucky’s True Classic BBQ

Friends to the Burnt End Sandwich
Always Comeback Corndog
Chucky's A Clucking Nightmare
Like to be Hugged Salad (VG)
Chucky's Mac-assacre and Cheese
Child’s Play Funnel Cake
Wanna Play? Cocktail
The Good Guy (non-alcoholic)

Día De Los Muertos Bar (in Plaza de Los Muertos)

Skull Candy Drinks: Tlahuelpuchi Margarita, El Silbón Mule, La Lechuza, La Muerte (contain alcohol)
Beef Birria Tacos
Carne Asada Nachos
Chocolate Skull Cake
Horchata Churro Bites
Pineapple Spears with Chamoy
Corn in a Cup

Margarita Bar (in Plaza de Los Muertos)

Don Julio Horror Margarita
Spicy Strawberry Vodka Margarita
Frozen Margarita
Smokey Cauldron Margarita

Which restaurants are open during Halloween Horror Nights?

Inside Universal Studios Hollywood, some typically open dining locations may be closed during this haunted event. However, there are plenty of brand-new pop-up eateries and new menus at regular dining locations available during HHN. If you’re a frog of habit and want to enjoy some normal food options around the park, you can search for food beforehand at CityWalk.

Although some eateries inside Universal Studios Hollywood are subject to closing during HHN, the following dining locations will be open and offering regular menus for your visit in 2023:

Duff Brewery Beer Garden
Bumblebee Man's Taco Truck
City Snack Shop
Cletus' Chicken Shack
Despicable Delights
French Street Bistro
Hog's Head
Three Broomsticks
Isla Nu-Bar
Jurassic Cafe
Krusty Burger
Lard Lad Donuts
Moe's Tavern
Mulligan's Irish Pub
Starbucks
Studio Cafe

Should you choose to eat outside the park, Universal CityWalk Hollywood is open to the public before the event begins and during the first half. Some CityWalk restaurants offer discounts and specialty items on their menu. Remember that re-entry to the park is allowed. Get a hand stamp when you exit and grab some grub at Citywalk.

Is there any other special Halloween Horror Nights food around the resort?

During the fall, the spooky festivities spread across Universal Studios Hollywood! In the past, some locations in Universal Citywalk Hollywood have allowed guests to bask in the Halloween spirit, offering tasty, themed treats. Enjoy specialty doughnuts with Mummy, Bat, Vampire, Ghost and Werewolf designs from Voodoo Doughnut. Don’t froget to keep an eye out for any limited-time eats at the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen!

Here are the special offerings available at locations in Universal CityWalk (Sept. 1 - Oct. 31):

Antojitos Cocina Mexicana

Pumpkin Horchata (contains alcohol)
Midnight Margarita (contains alcohol)
Spicy Tamarind Bloody Mary (contains alcohol)

NBC Sports Grill & Brew

Rum-Reaper Shot (contains alcohol)
The Haunted Huddle

Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville

Devil'd Wings
Burrito Bowl
Tropical Inferno Burger
Tranquil Waters (contains alcohol)
Melon Monster-ita (contains alcohol)
Tropical Boo-ze (contains alcohol)
Various Late-Nite Bites

The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen

Grave Awakening Shake

Voodoo Doughnut

Frankenstein
Jack O Lantern
Halloween Sprinkle Cake
Mummy
Halloween Horror Nights 23

VIVO Italian Kitchen

Frutti De Mare
Brain Bender Shot

Can I bring food into Halloween Horror Nights?

During regular hours, Universal Studios Hollywood allows guests to bring bottled water and small snacks into the park. However, this is unfrogtunately not the case during Halloween Horror Nights. During HHN hours, no outside food or beverages are allowed inside Universal Studios Hollywood. Frogs with dietary needs can speak with an attendant at the front of the park.

Remember that empty refillable bottles are permitted and can be filled with water at any water fountain or Coca-Cola Freestyle machine once you're inside the park!

What tips do you have for eating at Halloween Horror Nights?

If you’re looking to try as many eerie eats as possible during HHN, you’ve come to the right frogs! There are many ways in which you can maximize your time at the park and still savor some spooky snacks throughout the night.

Here are a few of our frogtastic tips for eating at HHN:

Eat early! Unlike Universal Orlando Resort, Universal Citywalk in Hollywood is not open as late as the event in the park, so you don’t want to rely on grabbing a snack there after leaving HHN. Additionally, the lines for food while inside the park can get extremely long as the night progresses, so snag your treats and drinks as soon as you get there.
If you plan to make your night a speedy adventure, aim to order foods that will be easy to hold and walk around the park with. As it is, it’s difficult to navigate the crowds (and scares!) without any food. This is also helpful if there is limited seating around your chosen eatery.
Take into account where the specialty food item you want is sold in the park, especially if you want to avoid traveling between the Lower and Upper Lots unnecessarily.
Make sure to finish all of your food before you get close to the entrance of a haunted house or scare zone. While eating your snack in line can be efficient, determine if the line will give you a sufficient amount of time to finish your meal. You won’t want to end up with a half-eaten burger and have to scarf it down at the last minute (or throw it out).
Stellar Bar is a popular spot to eat during HHN and its line can get very long, so get there early to avoid waiting a while for food and drinks.

Which foods are you most looking forward to trying at Halloween Horror Nights this year? Are there any tasty dishes you’ve tried at this spooky event in the past? Let us know in the comments below!

Keep Hopping!