The Burning Blade Tavern
In the rear of Dark Universe, off to the left behind the Curse of the Werewolf coaster, a charred windmill turns, recalling a major set piece from Universal's 1931 thriller Frankenstein. Every 10 minutes or so, music begins and the old mill's paddles (or most them, anyway) spectacularly burst into flames—like the dragon at Diagon Alley at Universal Studios, it's a moment that visitors wait to catch.
Underneath that windmill, a sealed-looking door leads to a dark, cool, and windowless counter-service pub with wooden tavern seating. It's not a full restaurant, but this place is good for cooling off, away from the sunlight just as Dracula would request, with a short menu of refreshing drinks and a few quick bites. Drinks include the Monocane, a raspberry-and-pineapple mocktail made with Sprite; My Only Weakness throws together gin, Aperol, cherry brandy, lemon juice, bitters, and more—that mix comes out sweet and powerfully strong.
For eats, there are a few ghoulishly themed twists on pub grub like the Hunter's Garlic Stake with garlic dipping sauce (not garlicky enough, actually) and Burning Cheddar Bites, which look like doo-doo balls but are actually addictive; they have a respectable sriracha kick and come with a spicy ranch dipping sauce. The simple menu is rounded out by a burger, chicken skewers, and loaded potatoes. Speciality beer alert: Strong Duvel is on tap, but the house specialities include Darkthorne Mead, which is blackcurrant-boysenberry-vanilla flavored with a pink peppercorn infusion.
In the rear of Dark Universe, off to the left behind the Curse of the Werewolf coaster, a charred windmill turns, recalling a major set piece from Universal's 1931 thriller Frankenstein. Every 10 minutes or so, music begins and the old mill's paddles (or most them, anyway) spectacularly burst into flames—like the dragon at Diagon Alley at Universal Studios, it's a moment that visitors wait to catch.
Underneath that windmill, a sealed-looking door leads to a dark, cool, and windowless counter-service pub with wooden tavern seating. It's not a full restaurant, but this place is good for cooling off, away from the sunlight just as Dracula would request, with a short menu of refreshing drinks and a few quick bites. Drinks include the Monocane, a raspberry-and-pineapple mocktail made with Sprite; My Only Weakness throws together gin, Aperol, cherry brandy, lemon juice, bitters, and more—that mix comes out sweet and powerfully strong.
For eats, there are a few ghoulishly themed twists on pub grub like the Hunter's Garlic Stake with garlic dipping sauce (not garlicky enough, actually) and Burning Cheddar Bites, which look like doo-doo balls but are actually addictive; they have a respectable sriracha kick and come with a spicy ranch dipping sauce. The simple menu is rounded out by a burger, chicken skewers, and loaded potatoes. Speciality beer alert: Strong Duvel is on tap, but the house specialities include Darkthorne Mead, which is blackcurrant-boysenberry-vanilla flavored with a pink peppercorn infusion.
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