4. Restaurants

Emeril’s Orlando

Universal CityWalk,6000 Universal Blvd, Ste 702, Orlando, FL, 32819
  • (407) 224-2424
  • Store is closed

Emeril’s Orlando Menu

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  • Nicholas S.

    Wonderful dinner! We had a variety of choices. Prime rib was very tender and well seasoned. Short ribs were unbelievable! Most importantly, the service was incredible! Thank you Yash, Rasheed, and Stevie for your incredible service!!!!!!

    (5)

  • Rob W.

    Emerils is a high end restaurant at City Walk. If you want to eat here, it is best to make reservations. They do have a changing menu, but always seem to have some dishes native to New Orleans on it, which I love. They do a very good job with seafood her, and that is what I usually try to order. This is a very good option for lunch, as well as dinner.

    (4)

  • Howard H.

    I'm always wary of celebrity chef restaurants but there's not much diversity in the Universal area so we gave this place a shot for lunch after a day in the park. The lunch menu is more limited than the dinner menu but it has plenty to choose from. The duck tacos were decent but the star was the shrimp and marscapone grits. The grits were perfectly done, creamy and complemented with a perfectly balanced sauce. I usually hate grits but this interpretation changed my mind. Other items were so so but it's a good option when you escape the park.

    (3)

  • Bill N.

    We have had a great relationship with the management staff at Delmonico's in Vegas. I conversation my colleague suggested coming my Emerils Orlando. We have been here several years ago. My colleague handled the logistics for our visit. We arrived and was greeted promptly, shortly seated there after. The wait staff was very courteous and attentive. We were treated to a couple of palate teasers while waiting for our main courses. Service throughout the night was spot on. The food was amazing. Lastly the desert arrived. Oh man was that a treat. We were the mayorship of flavor-town

    (5)

  • T Y.

    I received a contact through yelp from the manager of Emeril's asking for my contact info to contact me. I immediately gave my direct email to please contact me as I wanted to discuss my review a bit more. Well guess what? No contact for one month. No surprise though, just like the service we received when we were there. Hence, I dropped them to one star.

    (1)

  • Kristen P.

    I was really excited to visit Emeril's in Orlando but was a tad disappointed upon leaving. The service was extremely slow (it took about 15 minutes before our server even took our drink order) and we found the food to be average especially considering the pricing. I had the salmon and saffron risotto which was very underseasoned and I couldn't taste even a hint of saffron. My friend ordered the duck confit which was very salty and swimming in grease. Probably would not go back.

    (3)

  • Surbhi S.

    I really wish I could give this place more than 5 stars. The service is simply amazing!!! The food is really amazing. I had the vegetarian pasta and it was really delicious. My husband had the tuna pork meatballs which was also really good. For dessert we had Crème brûlée which was incredible. Would definitely come back if visiting Orlando!!!

    (5)

  • Anthony C.

    I was looking forward to a reservation here to celebrate a new job. I was very excited and looking forward to this meal and previously have been here for birthdays and just nights out over the last 10 years. My overall feeling is that Emeril has stretched himself too thin and has let this restaurant slip away from greatness. My opinion of this restaurant is based on several negative experiences. The food itself was good, but I can't recommend spending $75 a person for the tasting. There are better options around town at similar or more favorable price points without poor service. First problem- I read the menu online and it seems the website menu is outdated. The happy hour times were off, and I found one thing online on Emeril's website that said if you bring a Universal ticket you get a free appetizer or dessert. Then at the bottom it said it expires Dec 31st 2014. Well 6 months too late and maybe it's time to update your menus. You would think a fine dining restaurant would pay attention to their website and make sure it's updated for their guests. Second problem- We were told at the table we could not get happy hour. I ordered a water and had to go up to the bar and wait on service to bring 2 bottles back to our table. Happy hour is half off bottles of beer, so my choice are keep sitting and pay $7.99 for one Fat Tire, or get up for a free one. I found it ridiculous that we were ordering 2 $75 each tasting menus and I had to get my own beer at the bar if I wanted half off. I would have expected we were the more profitable customers by ordering dinner and we should be able to take advantage of happy hour. I understand if there are special drinks or food options that are only available at the bar, but we just wanted beer. Third problem-I noticed on my beer that the enjoy by date on our beers were May 3rd, which solidified that the employees here aren't paying attention. For a place like this, it is embarrassing that they are serving stale beer that should have been consumed a month and a half ago. That means probably bought the beer a long time ago. This just tells me things slip through the cracks and if they are selling very expired beer, some of the ingredients are probably also not as fresh as you would expect. Fourth problem- Service. There are multiple service issues we experienced. In summary, the employees don't act like they are working at a nice restaurant. The standards here have been lowered for sure and the employees carry themselves as if they are working at any other citywalk restaurant. I have had better service at the hard rock because the server was upbeat, friendly and it was clear she genuinely liked working with people. The servers here were always talking to one another and it was funny they didn't pay attention when I went to the bathroom and didn't move when I was walking towards them. This lack of perception shows they aren't paying attention to customers. Another problem related to service is the waiters absolutely aren't communicating and don't know what each other is doing. They would bring out the wrong utensils, when our meal was winding down they took our salt and pepper, brought it back and then another waiter took it again a minute later. Another service problem was we felt rushed the whole time. During one of the courses, the waiter came back to clear the plates but we weren't both completely done. My girlfriend had a few bites left and the waiter stood right over her waiting. It was weird and uncomfortable and one reason we felt rushed. After she was clearly still assembling her bites, he backed off a little but strangely didn't leave. That was weird and unlike anything I have experienced. Usually they just go away when people are still eating and he didn't. Another service issue was during our main entree as we were finishing they brought out dessert spoons, which was unusual. We wondered why they wanted us to hurry up so much. Of course, those dessert spoons were taken a few minutes later by the main waiter when he was clearing our table. Very odd it's like they don't pay attention to one another and each have their own way of doing things. After our waiter took our plates and another brought utensils again, we were brought our dessert by a waiter we haven't seen all night after our main waiter cleared our table. Since we never saw our waiter, we were not offered coffee. I like when we deal with one main waiter we can build a relationship with. Too many waiters were unnecessary and led to issues. I was hoping a manager would check in with us regarding our experience. I expect for $75 a person there would be some oversight to your experience. No manager came, which made me feel like this place was so terrible today because it's not ran by a capable management team. There were too many employee mistakes. There are so many better dining choices in Orlando. The experience did not meet my expectations and I no longer look forward to visiting Emeril's.

    (1)

  • Mike S.

    I've been to Emerils and Delmonico in NOLA and this one is far different. I went here a few months ago while in a trip, hoping that this would be similar in greatness. I was unfortunately disappointed. The service was stellar as as the atmosphere. The food, however, was over salted, under flavored and the presentation was far less appetizing than expected. I had lunch here with a friend who also had similar feelings. I had the BBQ pork sandwich and I cannot recall what she had. While I like to rate the overall experience, i feel so strongly about the food being poor, I can't give it even two stars. I would give it 1.5 if I could. After seeing the reviews now, I wish I mentioned it to the wait staff as others had quite a different experience.

    (1)

  • Robert S.

    Was here with a group (10). The restaurant was very crowded. We went here because it was a nice place to bring our business clients. Otherwise, probably would not eat here. The food was excellent. We had a ton of appetizers. Everything came out perfect. Everyone, and I mean everyone, kept saying the main dishes were really good. A few of us had the Red fish. It was well prepared and tasty. The service was very good. The price point in high.

    (4)

  • Rebecca O.

    When you see a chef's name as the restaurant name, you kind of set your expectations to meet that of a renowned chef. The prices definitely meet these expectations, but I felt that the food did not match accordingly. Now, don't get me wrong, the food was not bad per se; I just felt that the food was lacking what it would take to make it great and memorable. I had the rotisserie chicken (about $30). The chicken was well cooked, and not dry, which is common for rotisserie chicken. It was in a bearnaise sauce, with diced potatoes, ham, and mushrooms. Although the flavor of the sauce was good, I felt it didn't really soak into the chicken to flavor it. Either thickening the sauce to make it more of a glaze or seasoning the chicken more likely would have helped. I saw many reviews for bad service. We really didn't have this problem. The server we had was attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. I'm not sure I'd make it a go to place in this area, especially considering the price point. However, it's definitely not a bad option.

    (3)

  • Talia A.

    A great way to end a day of fun. We were staying on the universal property and I'm so happy I made the choice to eat dinner at Emerils. The food is delicious and everyone is so nice. I cant wait to go back.

    (4)

  • Daath S.

    One of the best dining experiences in recent times, fabulous food from start to finish, great wine list and a knowledgeable sommelier, great service with southern hospitality.

    (5)

  • Maribeth H.

    Not bad, not blown away. Have eaten here several times. Like to sit at the counter facing into the kitchen. The prep chef there will chat with you if not busy and will also let you taste things that are being made. The last time I was there they let me make my own banana cream pie and I got to futz around the kitchen. Cool experience. Food was solid, but nothing so memorable that I could remember it months later to order it again. Compared to other options in this area its my favorite.

    (4)

  • Samantha S.

    Amazing amazing amazing. Probably the best meal I've ever had. Definitely in the top 5 at least! I'll start with our arrival to the restaurant. We are on vacation and my boyfriend made reservations of our party of 6. The problem turned out to be that he made a reservation at Emerils at the Lowes resort. Not a problem. They "transferred" our reservation from the other restaurant to theirs. Either that or they just happened to have the space for our party. The wait staff is wonderful. Very patient and willing to answer all of our questions about the menu and make suggestions as to what the best selections were. Speciality cocktails were delicious. I had a mulled berry moonshine concoction served in a mason jar. We had gumbo, calamari and fries green tomatoes as appetizers. Probably the best calamari I've ever had, the sauce is why I say that, and I've had my fair share of it growing up in Brooklyn with Italian family. Gumbo was yum. Fried green tomatoes come with nice sized shrimp on top smothered in a slightly spicy tomato and cream sauce. As an entree I had the "ham hock" pork chop which came nestled in a bed of marscapone grits and collard greens. Again, I can't say enough about this dish. Emerils roots in New Orleans shine in this dish. Normally I don't gravitate towards pork but the soul food theme of the dish pulled me in. Highly highly recommended. Finished off the meal (and I don't know how I had the room after a 14oz piece of pork) with the signature banana cream pie. It was a great way to end our vacation. Something a little more extravagant but well worth the expense. Would come back in a heartbeat.

    (5)

  • Vindaloo M.

    This is an over priced version of Olive Garden. Not much quality or substance or flare...... First, the waiter had no patience with us, he wanted to place our order right away, his name has "Miguel". Since everything was made from scratch the cooking time is 45 min. My son's chicken tenders tasted like the same that come out of the Tyson frozen bag. Second, the veggie pasta dish, was 95% noodles aka "linguine". The veggies were sparse, and not much garlic or other flavor, was almost like hospital food. The guacamole dip was scarce, lots of chips though. The crusted tilapia, had skin on it, why would I pay over $25 to eat fish skin? This tilapia dish was piled high with oil laden potato sticks, come on Emeril??? Seriously, I hope you and your staff/HQ read this review---- -is this the best you could come up with? Emeril: your restaurant is not much better than Olive Garden.

    (1)

  • Liisa H.

    We ate here twice during a recent trip to Orlando--one dinner and one lunch. The dinner was much better than the lunch. Lunch service was slow, although the crispy fish sandwich was really delicious (fish was drum which I had never had before). At least we got everything we ordered--the table next to us didn't get half their items and had to keep asking. Also, we had to wait for a table even though they were less than half full. I am guessing they were short on wait staff because everything was slow. At dinner, the habanero cucumber martini was amazing. The creole calamari and tuna on seaweed were quite good as well. Main courses were fine, but not spectacular. The service at dinner was impeccable though, with two waiters making sure we had everything we needed. Really--I would give 2 stars for the lunch and 4 for the dinner, so I averaged it out to 3 stars overall.

    (3)

  • Jenny K.

    We had a great experience here despite the horrible weather! We made a reservation but got held up because of a torrential downpour. We even had to buy those tacky Universal ponchos and trek through the rain to get to the restaurant :) When we arrived, our table wasn't available yet because so many people were just hanging out there instead of going out into the rain. Understandable, and the staff was great about it. They sat us at the bar and gave us a free appetizer. We had the mushroom flatbread and it was delicious! Since we came in for a late dinner we decided to get salads instead of entrees. I had the bibb salad, which was really more of a greek-style salad with crispy blackeyed peas, feta, tomato, cucumber, onion and a wonderful garlic dressing. Would highly recommend. My mom also had a salad with crispy goat cheese and an andouille dressing. She loved it-- but I don't eat meat, so despite my love for goat cheese I didn't get to try it :( The drinks and desserts were also to die for. I had the lavender martini, made with lavender simple syrup, gin and a dash of lime. Very refreshing! Upon the suggestion of our very attentive and knowledgeable waitress, our table decided to split the banana cream pie. This was Emeril's dessert special and for good reason! YUM!!! Overall I would highly recommend this. I might have given 5 stars if we had a more traditional dining experience, but considering we were soaking wet and ate at the bar, I'd say 4 stars is pretty darn good! As a side note, I would say this restaurant is on the fancier side, but since it is attached to Universal studios I think they are pretty lax with the dress code. Prices were pretty reasonable for a theme park restaurant, too.

    (4)

  • Dana U.

    What can I say... the food, wine, and experience was delicious. The waiter was very attentive. The restaurant was pretty full, but we still got our wine, appetizers, main course, and dessert without waiting forever. For my main course, I was really in the mood for seafood so I decided to get the Cioppino. It was really really good, fresh, and hearty and just the right amount of food. During the meal, I tasted my friend's dishes too... which was great as well. As for the experience... We went after 9pm on a Tuesday and it was during the time that the park was closing and everyone was leaving. Let me just say... people watching at its finest!!! The part of the restaurant that we sat in was floor to window ceilings and we had a great view of a main walkway and hard rock cafe. We also got to watch a brief firework show, which made me pretty darn happy. Overall, it was a great evening with great food and great company. I was would have given the restaurant 5 stars if I was completely floored by the food for the price that I paid.

    (4)

  • Laura V.

    My friends and I went to Emeril's for a special occasion. There was 6 of us. We started with some appetizers, crab cake, fried green tomato, calamari, and sausage, are just a few. Everything was great. I had the fish (I can't remember what it was called, it was something I had never had before... imagine that), and it was delightful. We also had dessert after and they brought us an array of just about everything they make there. Again, everything was so good. I ate until I literally couldn't eat any more. Everything was so good.

    (5)

  • Gianna R.

    I had 1 of the best fish dishes I have ever had here it was amazing... Had to run in the rain from where the Valet is to the Restaurant but other then that this place was perfect from the 2nd my gf and I walked in the door the service was impeccable they sat us right away and we had 3 different servers waiting on us hand and foot our waiter was very knowledgeable and accommodating.. I started off with the Fried Green Tomato Creole Poached Louisiana White Shrimp, Remoulade Sauce, Creole Tomato Glaze, with Pickled Mirliton Relish I loved everything except I wish the sauce had a lil less mustard taste but besides that it was perfect... Then for my main course I had the Pan Roasted Redfish Homemade Andouille Crust, Bordelaise Potatoes, Creole Meunière Sauce and Candied Pecans and omg it was so good it seriously was the best fish I have ever eaten the Andouille Crust was so fine it was like a dusting of smoked sausage I had to force myself to only eat half of it even though I wanted to stuff my face... The Decor, The Service and The Food Total 5 Star...

    (5)

  • Paul O.

    BAM it was NOT! We went here for lunch to kill some time for our 2 hour wait time for the Harry Potter World at Universal Studios. We got tired of amusement park food and was looking forward for "real food" for a change. THE FOOD: The food was really nothing spectacular for a big name chef. We ordered the calamari for appetizers ($10.95). It was served in some cajun tomato base sauce. It was ok. I thought the calamaris were on the small size. My wife ordered the grilled chicken with bacon and avocado panini sandwich ($14.95). The chicken was overcooked and a bit dry. I ordered their lunch special ($18.50) which came with appetizers, an entree and dessert. The appetizer was a mussels soup with fries thrown in. The broth was good. Didn't understand why the fries had to be in the soup. For the entree I had a tuna taco. I'm a huge fish taco fan so i was hoping it would be on par to a good taco. Not the case with this taco. The sauce you're suppose to put on it was more in line with a raspberry jelly than a sauce. I ended up just eating the tuna sashimi style by squeezing some lime on time and sprinkling salt on top. Dessert was good. I had their bread pudding. It's a small round portion about 2 inches round. THE SERVICE: The service was very attentive. Beverages were always full. If you had to run to the little boys room, they would fold your napkin up and place it on the table for you. Extra warm bread wasn't a problem if you asked them for extras. It kinda felt like Denny's food with a four star wait staff. lol!

    (2)

  • Jamie H.

    We stopped by just to have dessert here. The staff was unamused with our request and said we had to order it at the bar. We did try to order it at the bar and asked for it to go, since we were a party of 4. The bartender rolled his eyes and processed our order...which each came out on a plate. He placed it in front of our group representative and when he asked for it to be put in to go containers he looked at us as if were were from outer space. What part of to-go order did he not understand? Anyway, the desert itself was good, but certainly not all this place is cracked up to be. Save your money and go somewhere else!

    (3)

  • Laura W.

    We met family that lived locally here for dinner after a day of Universal Studios. Service and food was superb! Wonderful experience and worth the price. Not something you experience everyday.

    (5)

  • Jen G.

    A little disappointed. This was our family's third time visiting Emeril's, last time being over 7 years ago. Being that we had an amazing dining experience both times we picked Emeril's as our spot for our family's Thanksgiving meal while on our vacation. First thing that bothered me is why have a dress code if the restaurant staff doesn't stick to it? My family and I were dressed appropriately while people around us were dressed in theme park clothing. Kids in camp T- Shirts and even a woman in a tied dyed t-shirt! Come on! Not only is there a dress code but its Thanksgiving. Not happy with the staff allowing this. We received our first course. My husband had BBQ shrimp, it was OK. I had the Caesar Salad, not impressed. My 4 year old had his main course come out which was chicken fingers. Nothing great at all. Same basic chicken fingers you receive anywhere. Lou Cas in Edison NJ blows them away at everything including chicken fingers! I didn't receive my iced tea half way through my salad so I nicely let one of the 3 waiters we had know and he promptly brought it out. No big deal except they continued to bring me the iced teas as soon my glass was half full throughout the entire meal including when I had my coffee and was having dessert. Really!? And mind you they are not free refills. I didn't even drink the last one. My husband went with the Turkey dinner. It was good nothing spectacular his favorite part was the cranberry sauce. My older son chose Gulf Shrimp Pasta. He said it was good. I had the Scallops over Egg Noodles. Was not happy with my selection. Scallops were too spicy so I stuck to the mushy egg noddles. Dessert of course was excellent. The Banana Creme Pie. Can't go wrong there. It was the highlight of the meal. We expected so much more being we've had great meals in the past and we knew we would be spending every bit of 250.00 on a meal for a family of 4. Oh well. Not sure if we will ever return again. Sorry Emeril.

    (2)

  • Craig H.

    We had the tasting menu with wine pairing and it was worth the price. The food was delicious and it was quite an experience. The place is rather noisy and it is a bit odd to go to such a fine dining establishment for a special night out and be surrounded with kids and families in shorts and flip-flops who've just stepped out of one of the Universal theme parks, but that can be expected when the restaurant is at CityWalk.

    (5)

  • Sandy P.

    If this wasn't an Emeril's I would have given it 3 stars. I've been to 3 other Emeril's restaurants and they were always top notch with excellent service. This place is nothing like the Emeril's in Vegas and AC. That's why I gave it 2 stars; I'me comparing it to other Emerils. Decor was nice, modern. It has big windows right on Citywalk and you can sit at the open kitchen and watch your meal being prepared if you like. Team waiter service which normally is fine; these guys just looked confused and lost. None of the waiters had set jobs and didn't know what the other ones were doing. We had to ask for drinks several times and waited for drinks for a while. We had the chef's tasting menu. Had drum fish with shrimp scampi- oily and needed seasoning. Filet was good, served with crawfish potatoes. Potatoes were different tasting and good but also needed seasoning. Dessert was mango meriange with chantilly cream with raspberries and key lime ice cream EXCEPT it was served with vanilla ice cream, really disappoininting, raspberries were frozen and cream was half melted. Wouldn't go back here again if you paid me. Thinking Margaritaville was probably a better choice!

    (2)

  • Sue P.

    This is our second time at this restaurant. We enjoyed it with our daughter, so we wanted to bring our son and experience it as a family. it was no where near as good an experience this time. Happy hour at the bar was great, the drinks were reasonably priced and tasty. We sat upstairs for dinner which I enjoyed because its quieter than downstairs. The service was mediocre. The waiter was in a rush every time he came to our table, and was very difficult to understand- heavy accent and he spoke way too fast. He didn't offer appetizers, and we had to get his attention to let him know we wanted one. The restaurant was freezing and we had to ask them to turn the heat on, which they eventually did. My daughter's filet mignon was excellent, but I tried his "signature dish" the andouille encrusted redfish. It was terrible. The breading completely overpowered the fish. My husband and son both had the Chef"s Dinner and enjoyed all aspects of that, except my husband had to send the scallops back because they were loaded with sand. The Red Velvet

    (2)

  • Iza P.

    So I really think that three stars isn't fair enough, but I also don't believe 4 is appropriate either...I reallly wish Yelp allowed half star ratings. We made reservations through our hotel and were told that it was either a 9pm dinner or 1030pm. Obviously, we chose 9, despite us running a few minutes late. Oddly enough, as we walked in, thinking we JUST made our reservation....the entire middle area of the restaurant was empty. So not sure why we got the song and dance about the 9 vs. 1030 reservation. At the very least, we requested for a table that faced outside...and we got it. We ordered a bottle of Reisling to share amongst ourselves, and with an appetizer a piece + entree, our bill came out to approximately $60 each, tax and tip included. Not bad, as I was expecting a lot more. The first round of food, after the bread plate, was the gumbo, corn chowder, and the house salad. Let's face it, salad is salad...but it was enjoyed. I heard the corn chowder was good, but wasn't paying it any attention because the gumbo...mmmm mmmm good with a generous helping of shrimp, sausage, and a little bit of spice that made my nose run a little towards the end of the bowl. On the table was the Sea Bass with Crab cole slaw (my dish), Porkchops, and salmon. Which again, I heard the porkchops were great (with also a great serving size) and the salmon good. But my sea bass...it was more than plenty enough. What really pushed it over the top with foodie excellence, was the crab cole slaw. The word crab appropriately listed first, as there was ample piece of crab meat. I couldn't stop eating. And of course, when it came to dessert. We just couldn't do it. Our entire palettes were full and we just couldn't do it ourselves. I am sure I'll definitely come back, should I find myself in Orlando. But in the meantime...let's get some half star ratings yelp

    (4)

  • Sharon A.

    Holy most enjoyable (and expensive) meal I've ever had. We brought the kiddos, my 'rents and Grandma Shirley here for dinner in November of 1998. (I KNOW...don't start on how long ago this was) I'm thinking the menu has changed because I'm certain I had the filet with Worcestershire sauce. After one bite of that, I remember very little about the meal other than the service was amazing. But I'd go again if I had the chance!

    (5)

  • Devin R.

    I went here while I was in Universal Orlando. I had been planning on going here for dinner, but the dinner prices are at least $30-$40 per person, which was just more than I'm willing to pay for a meal. I came back and went in for lunch. I took advantage of the three-course meal for $18.50, which includes a salad, main course and dessert. I had Emeril's salad, which had sun-dried tomatoes and a vinaigrette dressing. For the main course I had the ahi tuna tacos, which were absolutely fabulous. The spicy sauce that comes with the tacos is really, super spicy, and I couldn't eat much of it. Then for dessert I had a scoop of kiwi and a scoop of peach sorbet, which was delicious. It was really great food, and all the waiters were friendly and made sure we had everything we needed. I would definitely come back here again if the prices weren't so high.

    (5)

  • P K.

    Love this place Compare every meal to this meal Steak n pork chops are so good ! Expensive but so worth the price!

    (5)

  • Patty W.

    So we went over the top and celebrated my birthday here when we were in O-town. Everything is a la carte, so expect to pay more than what you normally would. It tastes so much better and everything is moist. I had the free range chicken and it was cooked just right. The mashed potatoes were buttery and the sauce was great for the topping of the chicken. I believe it came with a choice of a soup or salad. Of course, they surprised me with a birthday greeting and a chocolate cake. If you are able to afford it for a nice dinner out, this is the place to be.

    (4)

  • Howard L.

    This place has the best pork chop I've ever eaten. The tamarind glaze gave it a bit of a delicious east Indian flavor, and made it somewhat unique for a pork chop. Emeril's is always a little on pricy side, but the evening I was there with wife and son, the food quality was excellent, and I felt it to be an excellent value. We also had the roasted duck and seafood (swordfish I believe). We've been to the Emeril's in Las Vegas also, and it was not quite up to this place, at least on this evening.

    (4)

  • Tundra D.

    I've been here twice, once for lunch and once for dinner. Lunch was good but not great. Dinner was great, but expensive. I think I fell in love with the fresh baked bread they serve. It's nice to start a meal with great bread. I was impressed by the servers knowledge of beers also. I told him I prefer wheat beer and he suggested one. Needless to say it hit the spot. Also tried another beer he suggested called turbo dog which was a good beer to finish the meal with. The servers are always on point here. I will be back here next time I'm in town. The atmosphere is nice and you can walk your food off after a great meal.

    (3)

  • Allison F.

    I just went here for my graduation dinner. It was amazing from start to end. The staff granted all requests and accommodated to what WE wanted. Our waitor was great and when he brought out a wrong salad, allowed us to keep it, and then brought out the correct salad within five minutes, and only charged us for one. The setting of the restaurant is in City Walk, so you may get a little overwhelmed walking there, but once you are in the restaurant you would have no idea that that you were at City Walk. The drinks were great, my favorite was the cantaloupe martini, SO good. the appetizers were perfect portion for table sharing, we ordered four, the calamari, the flat bread, lobster and cheese noodles, and something else i dont remember the name of, but it was all SOO GOOD. The waiter was honest about the food, what he felt was the best and what he wasnt the biggest fan of, and going with the recommendations it was wonderful food, so tasty and served with great timing. Not to mention they have a set menu with about 6 courses thats paired with wine for about 50 $ very well priced for what you are getting. The dessert was just as good, they have a great soufle that you have to tell them about 30 min before you want it. The food was great and great priced for how amazing it all tastes! I definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone, tourist or resident.

    (5)

  • Jason B.

    i gave it 3 stars instead of 4 for 2 main reasons 1) this place has a GREAT GREAT vibe yet even with reservation we got stuck upstairs but the room we were in looked like a converted mini office. i think 2 or 3 tables for 2 were in there. you could not see the main floor where all the action was happening. it almost felt like a punishment. it sucked the life out of the experience, a little 2) we got the tasting menu. GREAT execution but no creativity. i got what i expected and it was done well. service was great and if i had to go back i'd probably go here but not get seated in the punishment room. JEANS: OK ORDER: wait staff

    (3)

  • RIMA A.

    It's clean and modern look makes it very appealing The food is great a little bit pricey.

    (4)

  • Eric Y.

    This was a good meal, better than I expected, mainly because my expectations weren't that high. Word of mouth reviews were lukewarm and Yelpers were not very enthusiastic. We had dinner after a long day at Universal. The place was busy. The wait staff were very attentive. We had the truffled mushroom flatbread for starter. That was great. The crabcake was so-so. The gumbo was a satisfying dark brown color, indicating an especially slow cooked roux. The flavor was great but it could have been chunkier. Emeril's salad and the caprese salad were ok. Cream of chicken soup was meh. Our entrees were "taken up a notch!" The ribeye was bone-in, very flavorful, served with house made Worcestershire sauce, spicy peppers, and fried potatoes. Mmm. The pork chop was immense, perfectly cooked, and served with a chili-mole sauce. BAM! Duck breast a huge portion and was tasty. Collard greens though, were a syrupy sweet mess. The wine list (Wine Spectator recognized) is big and the glass list pretty good. My martini was well made. All in all, we were happy with our food and experience. Pricey though, and in the end that's what keeps my rating at 3 stars.

    (3)

  • Brett M.

    I love Emeril. I loved Emeril's restaurant. The food was amazing. The calamari appitizer is to die for and my husband was in love with the gumbo. It was one of those instances where he wanted to order more to take home. I was overall impressed with the service and the food. It was a great experience.

    (5)

  • Jennifer B.

    For a dinner that cost $400 for three, I expected to be wow'd by the food. It was okay at best. It's what I would have expected from a newer chef opening his first restaurant. Each plate was 'almost' there in terms of taste and presentation but it just fell flat. * The calamari flavor was nice but there was far too much breading. * The gumbo was tasty. * These rosemary biscuits that come with the BBQ shrimp were amazing. Our waiter brought us three b/c I thought they sounded good. * The red fish has these random thin potatoes (fries) that added nothing to the dish. * The veal fettuccine. Eh. A serving of Alfredo pasta that was average and veal that wasn't very tender. Plus, a few shrimp. We weren't sure how those fit. * The scallops. I liked the sauce, others in my party didn't. Unfortunately they weren't well-prepared and were too tough. * The banana pie tasted like it had been purchased from a big box restaurant supplier. * A friend ordered two rum and diets. It was $30. There was an interesting Asian meets Creole attempt that I'm just not sure succeeded. Our severs were great - there were two who worked back and forth. The only complaint is that he spilled wine on the table with each pour. It wasn't an inexpensive selection so we cringed when it happened. Unlike the other two dinners we had while in Orlando, I have no desire to come back here and wouldn't recommend it to family and friends.

    (3)

  • Colin J.

    This was a huge disappointment First though let me say the service was very good. Other than that nothing was good. I was with a business group of 15 and no one was happy with the food quality. Steaks were tough and poorly prepared. Seafood was not fresh and the overall vibe was this is a tourist place, we will get business regardless of quality. Emeril should remove his name from this place as soon as possible it is an embarrassment

    (2)

  • Jasmine W.

    large wine list, good service (we had at least 2 servers making sure we were content), tasty food. the mushroom flatbread is a must-order and a good deal at $11, mushroom appetizer was yummy but salty - don't think i could've handled a generous serving, dinner entrees run around $30+; wished they offered burgers during dinnertime. try and make reservations if possible - luckily we were able to get a table relatively quickly because of a canceled reservation but they said we'd have to wait around 45 minutes for dinner at 9pm on a wednesday! grand marnier chocolate souffle was delicious - need to order 30 minutes beforehand

    (3)

  • Jason L.

    The food was good, imaginative, and prompt. Good, not great, but I'll get into that in a few sentences. The service was excellent. Well above par I'd say. They are very attentive. The ambiance was also excellent. The food just didn't impress me. For appetizers we had the Anduoille plate, and the truffle/mushroom flat bread. Both were tasty, but I thought the flatbread was devoid of truffle flavor and/or odor, and the sausage portion was very small (4 bite sized slices) for $12 IIRC. I wish I had read through the soups and chosen the andouille gumbo, mais c'est la vie. For the main course, I had the chef's special of Veal Chop, smashed fingerlins, and 2 small fried oysters. My girlfriend had the roasted chicken (she wasn't feeling well). In addition we had the crawfish mac & cheese. So for all of that, the food bill was $115 with no drinks or tip. With those added, you're looking at $190 for two apps, and two mains, drinks, and tips. Had I been served that food at an Outback, I would have been quite happy, but the bill would have been around $100 in my opinion, including tip. So the prices are about double what I believe they should be for the food provided. I have no problem with paying for a quality meal, but I should leave a meal like that waxing poetic about the amazing flavors, and I didn't. Again, the food was fine, it just wasn't worth the price charged.

    (3)

  • Justin R.

    "BAM"! I remember this restaurant distinctively. The food was absolutely delicious. Emeril's staff was very courteous. Had to be the cleaness restaurant I've ever eaten in. The service was outstanding. I tried a bit of fish, steak and even a piece of the kids cheese pizza. Emerils signature essence, dashed on every entree to "Kick it up a notch". Then the part I remember the most aside from the portrait of Emeril hanging on the wall, was the bill. Not only was it the cleaness restaurant I've ever eaten in, but the most my family an I had ever spent for a dinner. I dream of visiting this restaurant again someday. "O ya Babe"

    (5)

  • Jorge O.

    One of my favorites restaurants period. The mash potatoes were amazing, so was the chicken with something in it. The dessert are my #1 of any place. The price was ok

    (5)

  • Jean A.

    I most say I wanted to go there for over 3 years, and if I knew, I would never go. The food was not good, and it gave me food poison.... I paid like 80 for myself, my friend paid 63. And they charged 7 dollars saying tax liquior and we didn't have alcohol. The waiter said its cause we ordered coffee and it was made at the bar.... Should I report this scam???? I love emerils show and I thought this restaurant would be delightful, but I was completely wrong :/

    (2)

  • Alex S.

    My husband and I read good things about this restaurant and were excited to try it. Sadly, we never got the chance. We walked in sat down at the the bar, and waited for 1 of the 4 bartenders working at the time to even acknowledge our existence. Not one of them looked our way, or even brought menus saying they would be right with us. In fact, it appeared as if they were all trying to do everything but serve their patrons, because they really weren't helping anyone at the bar. After waiting for almost 10 minutes we got up and left. Also, no music on at this establishment, which somehow made the unfriendliness at the bar even more noticeable - cold vibe, I guess.

    (1)

  • Jonathan L.

    visited orlando and wanted to take my wife on a date night. we watched ciruqe du soliel (highly recommend) then made reservations for dinner at CityWalk. It was spring break, plus some sort of conference in town, so it was more crowded then I had hoped. the atmosphere was louder than i'd like it, but we chose to eat there anyway. they kept the big parties outside and more of the smaller intimate two-four people tables inside, but the noise was still loud. we ordered calamari for appetizer. they come served with olives and marinara tossed with the calamari. no tentacles = disappointment, and I'm not a fan of pre-mixed calamari/sauce, i like to do the dipping myself. flavor was on point otherwise. for dinner i ordered the 18 oz porterhouse, med-rare. steak was cooked to perfection. served on top of some potato cube thingies that paired quite nicely. i think it was worth the $38. my wife ordered the sea scallops over thai-curried pasta. surprising mix, but very tasty. scallops were big a plump and went well with the pasta. curry was a surprise, but i had to take the plate away from my wife before she picked it up before she would pick up the plate and lick it. definitely worth the $33 dinner we ordered two desserts... FML . we ordered the creme brulee and the banana cream pie. both were good, but nothing to write home about. (who writes home about anything now adays?) i've been to emeril's before, which is why i wanted to take my wife to make a special night. we had good conversation, delicious food and pretty good service. there was some room for improvement. bottom line is, it was worth the price we would definitely go back.

    (4)

  • Richard S.

    A steak here is about 65 bucks and it was one beautiful piece of meat. we both had the gumbo which was ok. I had the beef rib mac and cheese which I thought was sort of greasy not cheesy beefy so that was a disappointment. The service was phenominal. The manager came out and talked to me and my friend he was very nice guy. All and all we were very pleased.

    (4)

  • Timothy H.

    maybe 3.5 stars You would lose to the Japanese Ironchefs. Sakai would kick your butt, Emeril! Best part of the lunch? Sweet potato bread. Sweet potato fries were ok too. I liked the gumbo. But the entrees were just ok. The Japanese actress would say, "I'm sorry, but I was expecting a little bit more." Sorbet dessert was ok as well. Overall, it was... ok... Kind of like all the food in Orlando. Maybe theme parks make food sucky...

    (4)

  • James D.

    My experience was extraordinary! I ordered $100 plates. I figured this may be a once in a lifetime experience. I was correct. This is fine dining at it's best. I would highly recommend this restaurant for special occasions. I feel the service, taste of the food, presentation and ambience were all worth the price of the meals.

    (5)

  • Marissa T.

    Any place that gives you three servers instantly makes you feel important, my water glass never fell short of halfway full while dining here. I came here for lunch before heading into the Islands of Adventure one days and I ordered the salmon, which was cooked perfectly medium- just the way I had requested. My dining partner ordered the turkey club, and the portion was definitely fit for two. I also got a glass of Chardonnay, which I left it up to the server to choose and it was right on point with my meal. The bread they offer is absolutely delicious and just the right amount. I peeked at the dessert menu, because I always love to look but nothing really jumped out at me. I wanted to try tchoup chop as well, since it was at my resort but I didn't get a chance to.

    (4)

  • Patty G.

    Went to Emeril's a couple of years ago [okay more like 4-5 years ago]... when my boyfriend and I were vacationing in Orlando as college students. Since we ate here so long ago... I'm judging from what I can remember. We both agree that the food was delicious! The service... OUTSTANDING! The atmosphere and decor beautiful. We pretty much love everything about Emiril's. BAM!

    (5)

  • Jessica G.

    A few years ago I went to a restaurant in rural Ohio and ordered a glass of Pinot Grigio (pee-no gree-jo). The waiter corrected my pronunciation, saying 'you mean pee-nut grig-gee-o'. I let that slide in Ohio, but that same experience (minus the pronunciation debate) is how I would summarize my visit to Emeril's Orlando... Emeril needs to get his butt to Orlando STAT to give the staff an intense refresher course! I've been to several of Emeril's restaurants and this was by far the worst experience I've had. The waitstaff were poorly trained, had very little knowledge about food and wine, and were so informal that they bordered on inappropriate. After we were seated it took about 5 minutes for us to be greeted by a server (it was mid-week and there were only a few other tables). When we were finally greeted I asked about their wine list, the waiter rudely flipped the page of the book I was holding and made me feel like an idiot for looking at the bottles page (versus the 'by the glass' page). When I inquired about the region their Riesling originated, my knowledge of West Coast v. German Rieslings was challenged ... and he was wrong (I may not know much about wine in general, but my knowledge of Rieslings could put Alpana Singh to shame (if you're not from Chicago, look her up)). Once the food arrived, the waiter struggled to even identify the food we'd ordered (we had the butcher plate and he didn't know what was what). The saving grace of this restaurant was the food, we started off with the butcher plate which featured an awesome duck prosciutto that was to die for. The entrees were very good, I had the sea bass that was perfectly cooked and really tasty. Considering the location of the restaurant, the food is about the best it can be... but when you have a name like Emeril attached to it, you expect the service to be stellar (even when you're in Orlando), and it was on par with the service at Denny's.

    (3)

  • C K.

    We went for lunch and it was a slow day so we got seated right away. Service was excellent. Food was very nice. Pricey, but not outlandish.

    (4)

  • Mark N.

    Great food, great service. Nice to sit down and relax after hitting all the parks!

    (4)

  • Jennifer L.

    Looks similar to what I remember from the one in NOLA (though I was there 10 years ago), but with more of a TGIFriday's chain at the mall feeling. A pet peeve of mine is when the bartenders give you grief for transferring you bar tab - especially when all you got was a happy hour glass of wine - what would your tip have been $1? This is the service industry; don't put the customer out so you can make an extra dollar. Spitefully, I probably would've left her cash, but I didn't like the attitude I got when I asked to transfer the tab, so I'll have to trust that our server did his job in tipping out the bar. Service was good - very attentive since we had two guys tag teaming the table. The food was good as well, but I just can't over the way too casual location and the folks wandering in in their "we just got done with a full day of water rides at Universal Studios" garb. The bathrooms looked water damaged and run down. Definitely not the experience I've come to expect from Emeril's.

    (3)

  • Michelle B.

    To start with, they screwed up our reservation. We reserved a table for Saturday night at 7:45pm. When we turned up there was a lot of hanging around at the host stand. He finally announces that our reservation is in the computer for Sunday night. Believe me I didn't screw it up as I had to arrange a babysitter. So, he tells us all he can do is seat us in the noisy bar area. We go with this because it's a crazy and crowded Saturday. The food was nothing special at all. Emeril should seriously get down here immediately because if I were him I'd hesitate to have my name on this menu. The service was good and timely. I would not recommend this place though due to the reservation mix up and the mediocre food. There are better restaurants out there, even in Orlando!!

    (3)

  • Stacey S.

    Came here for our anniversary and they treated us like royalty. Great food, great service, and great atmosphere. Would totally come back!!

    (5)

  • Edward B.

    Emeril's Orlando has a bright and cheery atmosphere with tons of waiters to keep your glasses full and fresh bread on your plate. My favorite roll was the Sweet Potato bread which was addictive! I ordered the Kurobuta Double Cut Pork Chop with Carmalized Sweet Potato, Essence of Tamarind Glaze and Green Chile Mole. It was surprisingly large, cooked spot on and full of flavor. The Green Chile Mole was authentic with a twist and complimented the Pork Chop perfectly. Definitely worth the 4 Star rating.

    (4)

  • Scott R. D.

    We went for lunch I was highly disappointed in the short list of entrees. In fact I couldn't find one I wanted. So, I had two appetizers. I started with shrimp and andouille sausage gumbo. It was hearty and nice, but certainly not the best gumbo ever. It was good, just not great. I had a second appetizer as my entre, the wild & exotic mushroom goat cheese cake($9), with confit fennel, & greens. It was quite good, if not all the elements described on the menu. I was told the lentils would be missing, but not told that the frise salad would be replaced with plain salad greens. Not that it mattered much, but I imagine the bitterness of the frise would have been nice. The richness along with the gumbo and bites of my mother & sister's dishes filled me up. A bit expensive for what it is, but Emeril's food was delicious even though the menu wasn't quite what we expected.

    (3)

  • Kim W.

    We went here for one of our anniversaries. I had been wanting to go for awhile and it was well worth it. I got the crabcakes, because I just can't resist sometimes. They were delicious, and I am hard to please with crab cakes. Also, the banana cream pie is to die for. It's not a cheap meal, but the service is very attentive and the food is top notch.

    (5)

  • Sylvia I.

    Just had lunch here with the entire family and was pretty disappointed. Food was average with a couple of good dishes. Service was initially good, but then they stopped coming or even looking over at the table once the food came, and we had to keep flagging our waiters down. With three waiters assigned per table, why am I having to flag down a waiter?!? My brother and I ordered the andouille crusted redfish, which we both thought was dry and overcooked, but it did have a good flavor. My dad ordered the shrimp and grits, which he said was really tasty. My husband ordered the ciopino which he was raving about so much that my dad ordered one for himself after polishing off his shrimp and grits. My mom ordered the pork milanase through the Big Easy Lunch Crunch, but wasn't that excited about it. Now the biggest downer of the meal and experience... My youngest brother ordered the rib eye cap steak, medium rare, and was given a well-done steak. He sent it back, and it came back even more cooked!! Also, it was the same exact steak that my brother had sent back! (*Note - we know because it had a slice in the steak where my brother had first cut into it.) I've been to MANY other restaurants where they would cook you an entirely new entree. We couldn't believe it. I told the waiter to just take it off the bill since they couldn't get it right. The waiter apologized and said that he thought that my brother asked for a medium-well steak. Um...no. If he did, then why would he have sent back the initially well-done steak?!? A few minutes later a manager came over to apologize and ask if we needed anything else. We told him that we were waiting for our second cioppino. He brought it out within minutes, but by then my brother and the rest of the family were completely annoyed. My brother had to wait 1.5 hours to eat his lunch...and we got there at 11:30am when there was maybe four parties seated. Since there was 6 in our party, a 20% gratuity was automatically charged. I couldn't believe that they didn't comp one of the dishes to make-up for their major mistake on my brother's meal. We were all regretting driving up from Tampa to come eat here. *Note - They will validate parking for up to 2 hours. That was the only perk.

    (2)

  • David M.

    Great place, great service, great food. I have been here at least 5 times and have never been disappointed at all. I love this place! Emeril is the best!

    (5)

  • April K.

    I honestly can't say I was impressed, especially considering that my entree cost about $40 bucks. I ordered the filet mignon and it came with a side of mashed potatoes. The filet was very seasoned, almost too seasoned. I mean every single bite was an explosion of flavor. I did like it, but wished they took the seasoning down a notch. The thing that left a bad impression were the mashed potatoes. If that is the only side you're going to offer, then at least make them good. How hard is it to make decent mashed potatoes? They were the most bland potatoes I've ever tasted. I was shocked, especially considering how over the top the steak was. Overall, I didn't feel my money was well spent.

    (3)

  • D K.

    Unless this place has changed since I visited the menu is in need of a massive overhaul. The experience was OK. I wasn't impressed, but I also wasn't too upset. The restaurant is tastefully decorated, the service is fine, however it's not exactly fine dining though the prces are. The food was just too heavy (nothing wrong with comfort food but this isn't the place for it), full of sauce and filler. Take a look at some of the reviewer's pictures and hopefully you will agree. Emeril is an excellent chef, so I don't think I am wrong to expect more from this restaurant. I know it's at a theme park and that's no excuse--Disney's Epcot has managed to consistently provide great food in the on-property restaurants over the years, even without the endorsement of celebrity chefs... All that said, I would still try out Tchoup Choup, as it seems he is focusing on that restaurant now. Three stars were given to compensate for the time since I ate at this restaurant.

    (3)

  • Tony J.

    I thought this was expensive and over priced for what they charged in Orlando. On the positive side the service and food quality was great, but, definetly overpriced. I enjoyed the duck entree, which was quite filling due to the large serving of meat. The sweet potato bun was especially unusual and delicious. This is a happening place on Universal's City Walk

    (3)

  • Sonja B.

    Greatly disappointed in both the food and the service. Visited for lunch and found the food to be bland and completely unremarkable. My airport food on the trip to Orlando was far more interesting. Service was both rude and unattentive.

    (1)

  • raymond c.

    my 2nd time ans WOW it was killer and my ribeye was out of this world if you want a killer meal ya this it

    (5)

  • Kelly M.

    I do not say this lightly... this was just about the best meal I have ever had. Absolutely fantastic service, attention, and food. I had the filet, and switched out the mashed potatoes for asparagus. It was all perfect and so full of flavor! Just amazing. Our waitress and waiter were attentive but not bothersome. I very much appreciated their willingness to converse and suggest menu items. I give this place my highest recommendation!

    (5)

  • Amy B.

    Seriously?? What's right about this place? Well the name implies you are going to have a foodie indulgent experience, not so. The service was very good - but that is about where it ended. What's wrong about this place? The price and the food and the menu was very odd. The venue was also VERY noisy - we sat in the outter patio area and there were 4 of us - and we were practically yelling at each other to be heard. I ordered a rib-eye - medium ($45). It was actually a rib-eye on the bone and it was very well done. I ordered the soufflé - hummmm.... interesting soufflé - very heavy, not at all delicious. Had a burnt chocolate taste and no cream or anything else to offset the heavy flavor. Overall - we had a $300 bill and a $20 experience I was EXTREMELY disappointed.

    (1)

  • Ann H.

    Went about a month ago and just now getting round to reviewing. Went on a rainy night, visiting from out of town. I had the pan seared scallops, DH had a pasta dish that was very decent. What detracted from the meal was the super loud party of 8 or so that was all wined up and yelling over each other. The acoustics of the restaurant do not lend for a nice quiet and romantic meal. This would lend itself more to a winding down on Friday night kind of place. checked it off my bucket list. Had comparable but less expensive and less noisy at home.

    (3)

  • Sean H.

    Been here three times. First time back 5 yrs ago. I had a great meal but very pricey but no issues. And I have no issue throwing down some $$ for a good meal but it was just OK. Last two times were aweful. Stale, microwavablelike. The last time our meal was comped because there was hair in 2 different meals not to mention the first course was not what we ordered. You are crazy to waste money here. Two thumbs down.

    (1)

  • Laura K.

    Food is ok but overshadowed by shoddy service. Too many waiters to get the order right; never got the glass of wine I asked for. Very disappointing for the money we spent.

    (2)

  • Jeff C.

    Was here during Thanksgiving. Food was excellent, service was good. For the price, may not be appropriate for young children.

    (4)

  • Steph S.

    I come here often. I have never complained nor have had any problems. The food is like it was made just for you. Presentation and taste are always outstanding. With three or more waiters always checking up on you to ensure fabulous customer service. Also, the dessert never lets you down. I always look forward to that part and try to save room. It is an experience everyone should try. Even the pickiest eaters will not complain.

    (5)

  • Steve B.

    Went as a group of 10 people - for dinner. Overall the food was mediocre - I had gumbo which was very good and a filet. For 50 dollars my fillet arrived somewhat cold with a side sauce that was cold The meat was good quality but the plate was not impressive. We tried their desserts - I had sorbet what a disappointment. I was really looking for a wow experience but did not get it.

    (2)

  • Chris F.

    I've been here 3 or 4 times now, and each trip has been equally enjoyable. It's an open, light-filled spot plopped right in the middle of Universal's CityWalk. Thousands of heat-soaked goofball parkgoers stream past the windows while you dine on succulent, Bayou-inspired fare, nearly destroying your appetite, but Emeril's menu triumphs over the panorama of slovenly American mediocrity. It's worth the chaotic trip into CityWalk for sure, and there's something on the menu for everyone - whether you're looking for gourmet or home-cooking or anywhere in between. And definitely get the chocolate souffle.

    (4)

  • Sonny V.

    My wife and I went here one and half year ago, service is good, food is ok....

    (3)

  • Rita S.

    Went here for appetizers just to see if if the Emeril brand was worth the hype. Had just spent the morning at the Harry Potter World in Universal Islands of Adventures on a unseasonably cold Florida day. The nicest thing about this restaurant is the ambience. Elegantly designed restaurant space with great view of the Universal City Walk scene. A nice quiet haven from a janky carnival atmosphere. The not so great things: --The service: it has all the appearances of graceful white table cloth service, but unfortunately, the staff is too young and inexperienced to make it a smooth experience. --food temperature. This was unforgivable. There were only a handful of filled tables, yet, our calamari appetizer came out lukewarm. Honestly, with the amount of people working that day, which was about 1 worker per customer, that calamari should have come pronto from the kitchen to our table. Instead, it was delivered by a staff worker to the dining room area with several other dishes, all covered by a salver (silver cover like you see from room service). It sat there for a few minutes until our waiter took it off the tray to our table. Too many steps, too many people handling the food. --Flavor: Or lack of flavor. Calamari was underseasoned but covered by leaden breading. The shrimp on the Friend Green Tomato dish was again, under seasoned. The highly seasoned remoulade sauce that coated the shrimp made for too much of a contrast. And the tomato was lukewarm (again) and not seasoned. The items on the plate just did not marry well together. This place gets 3 stars instead of 2 because we only had 2 appetizers and wanted to give Emeril's the benefit of the doubt. But we were dissapointed in a lukewarm kind of way.

    (3)

  • Brian R.

    In the hall of the vastly over-rated, this particular Emeril restaurant stands. I should add that I have been to his place in Miami and it is exceptional. Everything that could go wrong, though, here, does. The food was cold. The service was terrible, and these were the HIGHLIGHTS. Save your money for New Orleans or Miami or another place. The Universal Studios restaurant may have a Zagat sign, but it deserves only a CLOSED sign.

    (1)

  • Stacy L.

    OOOOHHH Boy, I hate giving bad reviews....Just got back from an Orlando trip (for business). Yes, I was half drunk when I went there- but being half drunk does not mess with my discerning palette, ha-ha ok not that discerning but hey I know good food vs. bad. So, I shared my meal with another person (we had eight in our party). He ordered the Salmon with some sort of potato side...I ordered the Tiger Prawns and Sea Scallops with Pappardelle. Everything was ok....except the scallops. My meal companion said that scallops are supposed to be burnt on the outside (I thought that was funny). Scallops should be not overcooked and seared lightly on the outside. These were chewy (cooked to long on the inside) and burnt- cooked at too high of a temp and too long on the outside. Hmmm, I have had better....and usually the better things come from the hole in the walls you don't expect....not from a pricey meal that left you wanting to get more drunk just to get the burnt scallop taste out of your mouth.

    (2)

  • Stephen R.

    Had the sea bass and it was very good. The service was good but this place is really average. Solid food but nothing to write home about

    (3)

  • Amanda S.

    We loved eating here! We waited a little too long to make reservations, so we ended up with only one option - the bar overlooking the kitchen. It ended up being the best seat in the house! Talking to the staff, watching how our food was made. It was delicious! I can't wait to go back next time I'm in Orlando!

    (5)

  • Rita L.

    What? no great reviews! This place was great! I don't know if its because it was our honeymoon and we were in bliss, but it was really good! We had a great server, fabulous wine, and awesome food. Till this day my husband has not tried a better rib eye than Emerils! It was one of our favorite dinners on our honeymoon!

    (4)

  • Andrew K.

    Really disappointing!!! While the overall dining experience was 2 stars, there were a few highlights. The fried green tomato were a highlight; they battered and fried the entire tomato deed fried, rather than individual slices. Additionally, the remoulade had a great cajun kick. The other surprise about the dish was that it was overly greasy. Another highlight was the Rib eye. It might have been one of the most delicious Rib eye's that I've ever had. It was massive and seasoned extremely well with a caramelized sweet & spicy encrusting. The last highlight was the service...very attentive and polite (most be noted that waiter did suggest a couple of the "signature" dishes that were disappointing). The rest of the meal fell flat and was very disappointing. Couple of misses: - Signature BBQ shrimp appetizer (very tiny shrimp that were over seasoned and drenched in Emeril's BBQ sauce). - Red Fish (over cooked and the Andouille didn't add the flavor that it was intended to add) - Seasonal white fish dish (bland and overcooked) Overall the meal was overpriced, over seasoned and didn't attempt to live up to the Emeril name!

    (2)

  • Yuna P.

    I won't lie to you. I thought Emeril would be hiding somewhere in the restaurant, and upon my entrance, he would jump out and say "BAM!" Although very unrealistic, I really thought it could happen (I mean, theoretically, nothing is impossible), so my friends and I went. Of course, there was no Emeril and no surprises. Instead, we were greeted by a polite (but less energetic than Emeril) seating host and got seated promptly. I ordered the Sauteed Gulf Shrimp with Herb-Pesto, which didn't taste as amazing as it sounded on the menu. I thought the ingredients (Sun dried tomatoes, pearl onions, and other items) in this dish would make a perfect blend, but it was rather funky. Definitely not something I would recommend. Nothing upsets me more than seeing my entree fail miserably. The service was okay but nothing extraordinary. The waiter was polite, but very impersonal. He wasn't helpful with the menu, failed to recommend me popular dishes, and his service was slow. I know I'm supposed to be in Orlando, enjoying my vacation, but I have other things to do and see than wait around for my check to come. Judging by my experience, this would probably be my first and last visit to Emeril's. Since Martha Stewart Takeover is well under way, I now at least have a legitimate excuse to not return! But overall, I think it's one of the nicer dining options for such popular vacation spot. I would dine here if you are trying to have a romantic night. However, I would highly recommend this restaurant if you are trying to restore your sanity from meeting Mickey and too many of his friends. I'm proud to say, this restaurant is kiddy characters-free!

    (3)

  • Doris Y.

    For the price tag, I was expecting more. ( Birk's in Santa Clara is better for rib eye ). I ordered his cowboy ribeye. The ribeye is pretty tasty but I was really disappointed that the potato came stale ( unless it is supposed to come that way... but it really tasted soggy ) To be fair, the ribeye and the sauce is good so the potato kind of ruined the dish for me. The daily soup of the day came salty and when we mentioned it to the waiter, they shrug their shoulder. We had to asked for the kids menu even though they clearly saw that my daughter is young. I would have given only two stars because I would not have gone back to Emeril except his dessert were good!! I would rate 4 star for his dessert so that is why I am giving him 3 stars. His Emeril banana cream pie and his Grand Marnier Souffle with ice cream are really good. If I ever go back to Emeril, I will go only for the dessert.

    (3)

  • Anthony V.

    Having visited several of Emeril's restaurants, I do enter with a certain level of expectation. The food is solid, the service is great, but for some reason I feel things should be kicked up a notch. Order a taste of New Orleans and Andouille Crusted Red Fish.

    (3)

  • Sandra C.

    I went here on Friday the 17th. My Husband and I got the sample deal for $80. We where told that the meals where small and the 1-3 courses where excellent. Then came out #4 Quail.... The quail was the size of a small chicken and parts where still raw. The 5th Dish was some pulled beef which was not very good as well. The deep fried thing had no taste and the meat was a poor cut too (Lots of fat). Last was the dessert which I couldn't really enjoy since my stomach was upset from the last couple of dishes. Seriously not worth the cost of the meal. Very disappointed in Emerils I will never go here again EVER.

    (2)

  • Chanel A.

    White truffle flat bread. Enough said. So delicious and so worth the price. Never mind eating it as an appetizer, eat it as your entree!

    (4)

  • Loni S.

    The service was great .. Food was great... We had shrimp corn chowder (a little spicy), Salmon with a red sauce which was very good I would order it again; the sauce is what I liked the most about the dish and a fish with mango sauce which was very good also. I liked the service, the atmosphere and most of all the food. We were there with two children after we went to Universal Studios. I was a little nervous about bringing kids in there but everything worked out great.

    (5)

  • Nora B.

    We enjoyed dinner at Emeril's and had a wonderful time! Our meal began with the fried green tomatoes, what a surprise! The appetizer was crispy and fresh and the remoulade and shrimp accounted the dish well. For dinner, we had the chicken and duck confit, respectively. Portions were generous, everything was superbly executed. Finally, we ended the meal with the chocolate tort. Wow! What a great dessert. Ask for Waldo (he was our head server, thoughtful and attentive) and his crew when you make your reservation.

    (5)

  • Tim C.

    We had drinks with soup and salad, so I can't give a full review of the food. The clam chowder was very good. The salads were good. Everyone else really liked their food. The service was spectacular, and the restaurant was well lit with a nice energy inside.

    (4)

  • Rolanda B.

    I've seen and followed emeril for years but the food at the restaurant just wasn't what I expected. My kids ordered the pizza and sprite. I ordered the shrimp (too spicy) I changed my meal and had a pizza with my children. We walked in and were seated immediately.. The hostess and serve were extremely knowledgeable of their menu. Very pleasant and nice. I guess I was just expecting more because Mr.Laggassee is a world renowned chef. The food was ok not worth the price

    (3)

  • Tom C.

    Great staff, great food, great service!! Ask go Danny to be your server! The BBQ sandwich was amazing. We also had the calamari is was great. I would recommend coming at dinner time the lunch menu is small.

    (5)

  • Zeek B.

    Lame, boring, pathetic... should have listened to the bartender at the place next door.

    (2)

  • Orlando J.

    Went here over the summer in Florida on the Universal city walk..very nice upscale casual tablecloth service. The food was good the evening we were there. I ordered the pork chop..this thing was huge but surprisingly, it was cooked perfectly..juicy and flavorful. My wife had some Cajun spice fish dish which I didn't really care for, probably because I'm not a fan of cajun flavors. The wife enjoyed it and said it was very tasty. The kids had pizza from the kids menu and I got to say that was a very good pizza. We finished with a Grand Marnier souffle' that was sooo goood. Definitely worth visiting.

    (4)

  • Cynthia M.

    Dinner with clients, not impressed at all. Servers talking in the dining room, no welcome from the bartender, messy restroom, over cooked entree. Would not spend my money there.

    (2)

  • J T.

    We went earlier than our reservation, around five o'clock. We were dressed very casual and told the hostess that we felt under dressed but she said no problem seeing that no one was there. Although upon seating us, she was going to seat us away from everyone else. Mind you, they were all dressed casual as well. We told her to seat us in the same location as everyone else so that was a little annoying. As far as the food, well have you heard of "your paying for the brand"?? Needless to say that's what your doing here, paying for the name of chef's restaurant. The food was just ok....nothing to brag about and not worth the price. I guess I would go back just to take people who haven't been there but it would have to be a special occasion, otherwise, been there, done that!

    (3)

  • Christopher B.

    One of the best dining experiences ever. I left my menu selections up to the chef and enjoyed everything! Very fresh seafood, a hip and trendy atmosphere with outstanding service. I recommend the grilled seabass and a mojito.

    (5)

  • Natalie B.

    The crab cake appetizer was great...nice kid's menu. Service & quality a little underwhelming for the price. If you bring your universal ticket in---the appetizer's on them. My daughter LOVED her kids' filet mignon...I liked my spinach, asparagus, and soba noodles with tuna.

    (3)

  • Mike F.

    The meal was very good, a lot better than other restaurants in city walk. Our waiter was very nice and prompt but seemed to switch to another person about halfway through the meal. Food was brought out timely as to not rush us through each course.

    (4)

  • Journey R.

    Uummmm....unreal meal, unreal service, even better company!!!! The Chef's menu tasting in my humble opinion is the way to go.... And wines option was exceptional. The portions were much larger than I would have expected. One item that did surprise me.... I found the prices very fair.... Over all I cannot praise the place greater. I WILL certainly go there again....

    (5)

  • Melissa C.

    The restaurant was incredibly disappointing. I went there this last Friday, August 21st. To begin, I ordered the shrimp and scallop grenobloise. The portion size was terribly small. For 32 dollars, I believe it is fair to ask for more than 4 scallops and 3 shrimp. The plating was sloppy, and looked incredibly rushed. And the wilted swiss chard was also a small portion. The chard lacked seasoning, but was arguably the best item on the plate. There was such a small amount of sauce. I'm assuming it's to accommodate the rest of the dish, or lack thereof. Even if the portion was correct, my scallops were overcooked. I can tolerate slightly overcooked, because I understand scallops are supremely time sensitive. I will not, however; forgive that the scallops were not cleaned properly with sand and grit in 3 out of 4 scallops. I ordered a moscato with the dish, and it was served to me in a champagne glass. Once I was finished with my meal, I went to the restroom, where it was found to be in complete disarray. The stalls were appalling, and the sink's sensitivity to hands was so difficult to utilize. There was also no soap. I went to the Hard Rock Cafe after for dessert, and to wash my hands (not in that order). For a restaurant that is developed by a professional and classically trained chef, I was beyond disappointed. I hope that this is remedied for the future.

    (1)

  • Casey P.

    After two semi drunk foodies go running through universal looking for something to ease the pain.... Well pain eased!! A foodie from Nyc (me) and a foodie from northern Italy (her) run into a restaurant looking for some warmth and find something totally amazing!! Ok.. Emerald is famous but so are many other things not so tasty! Lol Sat at the pizza oven bar for warmth and wa greeted by several workers with honest opinions and great sense of humor!!! Didn't. Read the menu, asked what we should order and it was obvious.... Short rib, pork chop and rib eye... Ok!!! We then needed an appy! Boudin balls!! Yee haaaaaaaaa The appy was exactly as expected boudin at its best, small balls fried to perfection with the right consistency and flavor to match! The short rib was excellent. Tender and flavorful with the most delicate hint of truffle and masculine overtones. The pork chop was a double cut, the best I've had since perry s in Dallas with an amazing glaze bordering tween mustard sauce and balsamic flavored! Perrect temp and texture!! We sat at the bar greeted by several folks one now we know is the chef and bar manager... Of course a daze race was in order! I have had many and believe me this is the real deal!! Chef validated our choices and the pleasure insued! Amazing in every way! Really. Over and above what was expected! Our server drake was on point, there for every request, never an empty glass or bread plate!! Great people, great food and great attitudes equal an amazing experience for some goodies trying to find warmth.. We found the warmth we were looking for and a lot more!!

    (5)

  • Linda H.

    My hubby and I stayed at the Lowes Pacific Resort and were constantly at City Walk. We wanted to have one nice dinner and since we were leaving the park, we decided it would be easier and faster to goto this location instead of the one at our hotel. We made reservations and walked over to the restaurant about 30 mins before our reservation. The hostess was kind enough to seat us early. As we walked in, we were getting tons of stares from people since we literally came from the park. Yes, we were wearing shorts, t-shirts, sneakers, etc. What did you expect??? The restaurant is smack in the middle of two amusement parks. Give us a break people! Anyhow, we were seated right by the window and had a great seat to people watch from. Lol! We started off with the Tuna Poke "Bam Bam" and wow, this was actually refreshing and I really enjoyed it. The tuna is placed on a thick sheet of nori and the flavors just blended together. I had the Braised Creekstone Farms Beef Short Ribs and man, this was to die for. The ribs were fall of the bone, rich in flavor, and went well with the truffled mashed potatoes (I'm obsessed with truffle anything so that's why I chose this plate). This was the best decision ever!!!! My hubby had the filet mignon and had ordered his steak medium and it came out well done. Luckily the meat was still tender, but a just a tad over cooked. We finished off dinner with the banana cream pie and man, that sucker is huge! Make sure you buy only one to share. It was good, but nothing I would die to to eat again. The service was good and the decor was nice. I would visit again.

    (4)

  • Emily B.

    Clean, romantic, modern, and classy. I have been to all 3 of Emeril's restaurants in New Orleans, and this is just as lovely. I have only been here once, but I will be back soon to try more things! The Drum fish was to die for, get that and you'll be happy! I also liked the sour cocktail with the egg whites, very tasty! We came around 9:30 last night, Friday, and had no trouble getting a table. Our waiter and the rest of the staff was a delight and made our experience even better!

    (5)

  • Andi P.

    4 Stars for really noteworthy service and dishes that had us licking our plates. I was at City Walk for a show and we ended up at Emeril's around 8pm. The wait for a table was almost an hour so we took a chance and found seats together at the bar (where food is also served). When the bartenders found out we'd be dining there they cleared our bartop and set white napkins down to mimic the table linens at the regular tables- a really nice touch! We ordered drinks and moved on to happy hour small plates for apps. The truffle fries were wonderfully thin and crisp. I finished them off on my own. We also got the shrimp cocktail small plate which came with only 4 shrimp played beautifully. A small plate indeed! But we each got a shrimp and my friends and I had nothing back to say about dem tasty shrimp! For my main dish I went with the Chef's Creative Vegetable Plate of the Day. I wasn't sure at first but a woman near me ordered it and I saw it was heaping with delicious veggies. When my own plate came I was stoked to find red and green bell peppers, sautéed mushrooms, a fried greasy tomato, some eggplant, corn on the cob, and asparagus. Banana Cream Pie topped off our meal. The slice was insanely big and looked absolutely heavenly. Luckily, the granola crust and the fine chocolate pieces on top add some depth taking . Overall, I was impressed and plan on returning!

    (4)

  • Stacey W.

    We made reservations at emerils Orlando in universal city walk because we were taking our kids to blue man group. When I made the reservation I noted we would only have an hour to eat so we would need to move fast. When we arrived they seated us immediately and mentioned the note, they also shared the information with all of the staff around us.......great start! There was a younger man helping the wait team that was amazing. He noticed my black pants and came back instantly with a black napkin(love this)! They sat us by the windows so we could people watch the kids loved that! To eat I ordered a cup of chicken and andouille gumbo and my husband ordered tuna poke"bam bam". For dinner the waiter suggested andouille crusted Florida drum(I was a little scared because I'm not a huge fish person but he said it had been on the menu for 16 years.....wow ok), my husband got the filet, and the the kids ordered tortellini with Alfredo sauce. Surprise surprise surprise.....everything was DELISH! The rue on the gumbo was dark and gravy like, the fish had an amazing sear and a dark gravy on the plate was soulful and yummy. In such a touristy place I was not expecting a quality meal, but it was. Make sure you make a reservation we have tried to dine here several times while at universal:).

    (5)

  • Anthony L.

    Went to emerils for a my birthday dinner and from the time I walked in to the time I left the experience was top notch the three waiters that took care of use were exceptional we were table of 4 I had the ribeye steak it was the best I ever had it had a lot of flavor and was cooked perfectly (medium) also had a side of carmalized sweet potatoes that were soft and flavorful and for dessert I had the banana cream pie this just might be the best dessert I have ever eaten I give emeril a perfect 10 and I will be returning the next time I'm in Orlando

    (5)

  • Luc V.

    Smacked right in the middle of Universal Studios citywalk, it is very easy to access! We made no reservations on a Saturday night and was immediately seated. Wine selection was certainly right on par. Large selection to choose from. Service was great and price is whatever (you're on vacation who the heck cares). Food could use some work in the flavor department but overall, one of the better restaurants to go to.

    (3)

  • Kevin H.

    Enjoyed a lunch with the family. We took a break from the Universal Parks to have a nice slow-paced meal. Our family always enjoy eating here. A treat. I highly recommend the BBQ shrimp and banana cream pie. Signature dishes that will leave you craving more in the future.

    (5)

  • Jess M.

    Fantastic meal, better than I expected for a theme park restaurant. We liked it so much we went back two days later. To start, the rolls were fresh and very tasty. The potato rolls were my favorite. My boyfriend said that this restaurant had the best butter out of all the universal ones we went to. He's a butter expert apparently. We had the gumbo and BBQ shrimp to start. Our BBQ shrimp was free because they had a promo free appetizer or dessert with the purchase of one entree if you show your valid Universal parks ticket. Check if this deal is still on, not sure if it's seasonal. The gumbo was tasty and the shrimp was very tender. The only thing I didn't like was the rosemary biscuit that came with the shrimp. It was too dry. For our entree (we shared it) we had the seafood cioppino (stew). It consisted of "finned fish of the day," shrimp, and crawfish. The fish in the stew (mahi mahi) was super fresh and tasty, the shrimp was incredibly tender, and the teenie tiny crawfish tails were amazing. The sauce was really flavorful and went well with the mashed potatoes I subbed for the orzo the stew came with. The second time we came we ordered the same thing and the crawfish were overcooked but everything else was amazing again. FYI check out their cocktail hour from 4-8 (bar only). They have half priced bottled beer and "well drinks" (drinks made with cheaper liquor according to the bartender), a bar menu, and the full restaurant menu.

    (5)

  • Peaches P.

    So my companion calls me bougie just because I enjoy the finer things in life...Emeril's being one of them. Yes, I enjoy crisp white tablecloths, sparkling water and more than one fork at the table setting. :) We arrived for an early lunch and there were only a few customers inside. Without even asking our waiter placed us at a scenic table with a view of the water. Very nice. The lunch menu is somewhat limited but I believe that they make special accommodations if your prefer something more. Our lunch consisted of the Fried Green Tomatoes, BBQ Shrimp, Turkey Burger and Shrimp and Grits. Everything was simply divine. Our waiter was very informative and descriptive concerning the menu offerings. I definitely appreciated his knowledge. Overall a wonderful lunch and experience in Orlando. Two of his locations down...many more to go!

    (5)

  • Mickey H.

    Good opportunity to somewhat remove yourself from the crowds around the Universal area. This was my first experience at an Emeril's, I was pretty impressed with the menu presented. The waiter did a great job at pointing out good recommendations and specialties. My absolute favorite dish of the evening was the BBQ shrimp appetizer, flavor was incredible. Packed a good kick offset by sweet/tangy saucy flavors. I found all dishes to be quite flavorful, the service was great, too. I would recommend Emeril's if you would like to get away from the crowds a little bit in the evening.

    (4)

  • Jeffrey D.

    Day after our fiasco at margaritavilles. Meeting one of my favorite cousins and his wife for dinner. Were seated within five minutes. Great service by a variety of staff. Fantastic crawfish boudan? bread. Well textured and with a little kick. Everyone's meal was excellent and shared about. Water glass never empty. We had a great dinner. Was quiet enough that we could talk. Ended with a nice cappuccino. Totally made up for the terrible meal from the day before. not cheap but wait staff got nice tip. I highly recommend this place!

    (5)

  • Jason S.

    Came here for lunch and not only were the prices extremely reasonable, but the food was delicious and the service unparalleled. I ordered the Roasted Scottish Salmon and it was lovely. The salmon was tender, the butternut squash whipped to a tasty, light, and fluffy texture, and the green beans lightly fried to a golden crisp. The Thai chili syrup really brought the dish together and gave the salmon an addicting tangy-like flavor. All of them combined made for an incredibly satisfying bite. The service though is what really makes this restaurant stand out. They handled every situation with ease and to my astonishment, gave us refills on drinks without us even needing to ask for them. I can't remember the last time I've had that happen at a restaurant.

    (5)

  • Lyndsey C.

    Had one of our European Partner parties at Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) here and it was a fantastic meal... so well done, great service, and super delicious food. :)

    (4)

  • Tami H.

    We walked into Emeril's and sat at the kitchen. Overall, it was a great dining experience. Excellent service, great drinks, and yummy food. First we shared the peach salad, tuna watermelon crudo, and something called Boudin balls which were amazing. For entrees between us we had the shrimp and grits (super flavorful) and the Andouille crusted drum -- all excellent. For a "chain" restaurant, Emeril's is super consistent and a stand-out in City Walk.

    (4)

  • Bruce F.

    Generally expectations are low when dining in airports and amusement parks. Captive audience. Emiril's failed to meet even my lowest expectations. On a drizzly Thursday evening at 8:45 pm last night, we arrived in time for our reservation to a half-full restaurant. After ordering a bottle of Tempranillo, we placed our order. The Cajun BBQ shrimp were passable but served at room temperature. The Chicken and Andouille Gumbo also good, but without a hint of heat. Meanwhile, despite numerous requests for Emiril's famous corn bread muffins--and promises by the server that fresh bread was in the oven and coming right out, our appetizers were long gone and entrees served long before any bread arrived. Instead of warm muffins, we received dry, crumbly, and cold ones that seamed to have been baked early yesterday morning or perhaps even institutional frozen/reheated muffins. Not what one might expect from a southern/Cajun celebrity chef's place bearing Emiril's name. I ordered a filet mignon and Jambalaya. The steak was served room temperature and well done (brown all the way through) and the Jambalaya was nothing more than bland, mushy rice in a Campell's tomato soup/style flavorless sauce with barely a hint of Andouille sausage. Also served at room temperature. This restaurant must have been sued by a patron who burnt his tongue on too much Bam. Apparently, Emiril was advised by his lawyer never to serve hot, spicy, or flavorful food again. None was found at Emiril's last night. Slow service, absent manager, and overall, a New Jersey Boardwalk amusement park dining experience at a Park Avenue price. Yuk! For the lack of bread we were offered a complimentary dessert which was not only a nice gesture, but also the highlight of the evening. Finally an authentically prepared southern dish: key lime pie without any I unnecessary frills. Delicious.

    (2)

  • Joshua S.

    I have been to every bar and restaurant at CityWalk over the years. Come at least once a week to have dinner and/or have drinks somewhere. For some reason had never checked out Emeril's until yesterday. Please note, this has nothing to do with the food and or restaurant. Sat down at the bar and I'd say there were two other groups waiting as well. It was right before 4:00pm when happy hour would start. A couple bartenders were sort of walking around and completing tasks behind the bar. No one acknowledged us right away and when she did, it wasn't the friendliest. At a "normal" place, maybe a chain restaurant on I-Drive or a local joint it would've been sup-par but people that pay to come to Universal want a little more "umph" I think. If I wasn't a local and that was my first time at Emeril's it would've definitely been my last. Moving on...we opted for a cheap happy hour wine because the bartenders didn't offer any suggestions nor describe the wine in question. When we asked if the house Cab was good we got a simple yeah. Umm, okay. So, we ordered and it was okay. Definitely better $5 wine than we've had before. What was bothersome was the lack of professionalism or communication that you'd assume a place like Emeril's would have. The customer service needs an overhaul. As we and other guests were sitting there paying money, we watched as servers came over and talked about wanting to get off early and the one bartender eating fries right there at the bar. It was tacky. We might stop by sometime to try the food but it will definitely be down the road. I would also suggest some ambiance in the bar. It's very bland and not very inviting. Also, maybe have the bartenders explain happy hour and offer suggestions. We were never offered food or recommendations for anything.

    (2)

  • Kirk L.

    My expectations in a touristy area are lower than they would be elsewhere, and Emeril's probably met or somewhat exceeded those expectations. Service was solid, and atmosphere is exactly what you'd expect. Details: -Tuna Poke Bam-Bam - a good dish, but not notable. I've had similar dishes elsewhere that are much better. -Fried Green Tomatoes - average. -They had an appetizer special that was some type of shrimp balls - I'm drawing a blank on exactly what it was, which is ironic because I thought it was the best thing we had. -Emeril's House Salad - a really good salad...but it's not a $9 salad. -Pork Chop - seems to be a signature dish, and it's good, but it's got a bit too much sweetness for a meat dish in my opinion. I shared this and the drum with wifey, and the first bite I had I thought "this is delicious" but a few bites later the sweetness got to be a but much. -Andouille Crusted Florida Drum - a nicely done fish dish. I probably liked it better than the pork chop overall. -Vegetarian Pasta - I did not try this, but my sister-in-law really did not like it. Overall, it's not a bad place, just unsurprisingly overpriced given where it is. We did have a better meal across the way at Vivo (which actually is reasonably priced).

    (3)

  • Heather F.

    Was vacationing in Orlando and my guy and I decided to do a splurge dinner at Emeril's to get away from the theme park food. Theme park food was better. Hotel food was much, much better. Emeril's was bad. Mostly it was just bland -- which is forgivable. But this was expensive and bland. There was not much on the menu for vegetarians (expected, 'cause I was in Orlando) so I went for the cheese pizza. It looked fine. Then I bit into it and CRUNCH! I was trying to fathom why it felt like I was chewing on sand. Then the taste hit me. The entire pizza was covered in a layer of sea salt. Pizza is usually salty enough on its own, it does not need the help. It was inedible. And expensive. My guy's food was expensive and blah. If you are at Universal, save yourself the money and skip Emeril's.

    (1)

  • Ryan B.

    After arriving after 5 on a Friday night, the wait was going to be over 45 minutes. We spent all day at Universal Studios, we were hungry and couldn't wait that long. They offered to seat the two of us at the bar and we could order dinner from there. Plus it was happy hour time and discounted drinks were just what the doctor ordered. The ambiance was very nice. Very upscale, but totally acceptable to walk in wearing shorts and a t shirt. The lighting was set to dim for a nice romantic experience. The noise level was not too loud, that way we could have a conversation without shouting over each other. They had mixed cocktails for $5-6 as well as some tasty appetizers for about the same. We tried the crispy calamari for $6. It was more than enough for two people. Crispy, with a teasing of a spicy sauce with olives and peppers. It was NOM NOM good! The steamed mussels for $5 came in a light creamed-corn sauce. The mussels were so tender and the sauce was so good, we finished it by dipping the house bread in it. The Gumbo was pretty good. Not too spicy but totally tongue tingling. The roasted asparagus frisee was okay. It can with a strawberry vinaigrette with Parmesan cheese, a piece of bacon and lettuce greens. We also grabbed an order of guacamole with nachos. The guac was made into a paste and had to spice. It was okay, but I like mine to be more chunky and spicy. The should have BAM!...kicked it up a notch. But that's okay, everything was good. The bartenders took excellent care of us, coming by and placing napkins and whatever we needed. If you're wondering if you should come here. You should.

    (5)

  • Rosalind G.

    Great experience! My Hubby and I went there for our Anniversary and they treated us like royalty! He had made reservations in advance and notified them of our celebration so I was pleasantly surprised when the hostess sat us at the top floor in a little romatic candle lit table. The service was exxcellent and the chef even sent us out a lil "gift" which was a amuse bouche of a phyllo dough pastry! Over all food was excellent, service was excellent and chef was amazing! I would most definately recommend trying Emeril's at least once if you are in the Orlando, FL area and are in the mood for fine dining.

    (5)

  • Bob D.

    I live in California but I am by no means a food snob. This restaurant was expensive and the food was terrible. I have sent back food 3 times in my entire life, this was one of those times. I don't know if it was an off day or what happened, but this was easily the worst meal we had while visiting Orlando... the bar was already set pretty low. They bring you a bread plate that has a tiny unremarkable corn muffin and a dinner roll that was cheap grocery store quality. My girlfriend's pizza was covered in Sea Salt, it wasn't BAM! it was inedible. We sent it back and they looked at us like we were crazy. The re-fired unsalted version was just sad. Soggy, undercooked and mediocre. Ugh. I had a chicken dish with brussels sprouts and sweet potato mash. The brussels sprouts were oily and soggy, the mash tasted like they had added brown sugar... inedible. The chicken was a C- effort. My margarita was served in a small cheap scratched up glass that you'd see in a college cafeteria. The service was overattentive hovering, I know some people like that... but I do not want to pay $40 for an entree and have 4 separate people ask me if I am enjoying it. I was not enjoying it the first time you asked. We declined the dessert menu and THEN they offered to comp us dessert for screwing up the pizza... we declined. Pro tip Emril... if you fuck up someone's dinner buy them a drink.

    (1)

  • Carly K.

    While visiting Orlando with friends, we went to Emeril's after a day of wandering around Islands of Adventure. I was craving Emeril's banana cream pie, so I was really looking forward to the evening. It was a great experience, and it was fun to introduce our friends to Emeril's. We started with the bbq shrimp, and it was delicious. Highly recommend. I had the watercress and endive salad, and it was well-balanced with the sweet brown sugar in the dressing and the tangy gorgonzola. The filet was delicious and well-cooked. My husband's andouille crusted salmon was delicious as well. Of course I had the banana cream pie for dessert, and it was as fantastic as I remembered. From the graham cracker crust to the bananas to the chocolate shavings to the fresh cream, it is absolutely one of my favorite desserts anywhere. I highly recommend Emeril's if you are in Orlando. The location is a bit annoying because you have to park as if you were going to the Universal parks, and then go across multiple escalators and things, but it is well worth this small annoyance.

    (5)

  • Kelly T.

    Fantastic service. Fine dining. Great location away from the masses. In addition, Emeril's has a happy hour with great apps and drinks until 8:00 p.m. I was truly WOWed by the great service from the bar tender and server/server assistant team we had on the second floor. They paid attention to the details, such as providing fine settings at the bar and walking a guest to the restroom. Some delectable dishes include the angel hair mushroom pasta appetizer, gumbo and red fish entree. I liked the vegetarian dish of the night, which was a sweet corn risotto and eggplant parmesan with mushrooms. However, I was not impressed because it lacked a real creamy texture and the eggplant was just a tad boring. If there was a hot rating on Yelp, I would also give them a chili pepper.

    (5)

  • Angela T.

    Awesome view, they put us up in a smaller more private room away from the noise overlooking the bay. Food was astounding, very friendly and helpful staff. And the Banana Cream Pie was super. and I don't care for bananas!

    (5)

  • Jocelyn K.

    Located near the two Universal Studios parks, Emeril's Orlando is the only fine dining option on the Boardwalk. I was always a big fan of Emeril's show, but given its location and its target audience of theme park go-ers, I wasn't sure what to expect. The waiter introduced himself saying him and a team of other waiters would be taking care of us that night. Lucky for us there were other waiters, because after that introduction he promptly ignored our table for the rest of the night. In fact, the best service we received was the bread guy coming around asking if we wanted seconds. Coming as a group, I was able to sample multiple dishes: The Bread: I love when a restaurant does not give a straight up baguette. Here, they give you a small corn muffin and a sweet bun similar to the ones in Asian bakeries. The Appetizers: Smoked Wild + Exotic Mushroom Pasta (house cured tasso cream, angel hair pasta, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese) - One of the three appetizers we ordered and easily the best thing I ate that day. The creamy pasta was accented with the earthy flavor of mushrooms. The pasta was on the softer side, but melded well with the sauce. I wish I had ordered this dish as my entree, but given there were 6 of us in the group, I only had a small bite. Emeril's New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp - My second favorite dish of the night. Delicious but essentially just shrimp in regular BBQ sauce. The rosemary biscuit tasted like a drier version of a KFC biscuit with rosemary flavor. Creole Marinated Fried Calamari- This was a let down especially after the other two appetizers. Listed as Creole Marinated, I expected it to have some strong spice to it. Instead it was bland. Even the marinara sauce, did nothing to help this dish. The Entrees: Pan Roasted Salmon (Chorizo, Fennel, Risotto) - At $26, this dish consists of a piece of salmon, sitting on a bed of tomato based risotto, and topped off with a medley of fennel and chorizo. I chose this dish in hopes of eating a healthier dinner after a day of eating junk food at the theme park. Not a great choice on my part. Although cooked well, the salmon was flavorless. I had to rely on eating it with the risotto to taste any flavor at all. Duck Confit pasta - One of the specials offered, from the little bite I stole, I could discern the rich and fatty taste from the duck confit. Although a little bit overwhelming with the addition of the heavy cream, this pasta was slightly preferable to my roasted salmon. Be prepared for a sleep-inducing food coma, after consuming this dish. If this establishment was located in New York, it would not merit a visit, but given the lack of other fine dining options around the area, it will suffice. Although marked up to take advantage of the tourists, the food is definitely a step up from the surrounding restaurants and a nice get-away from the noise and crowd outside the theme parks.

    (3)

  • Gastromere F.

    Service was exceptional the food was not as exceptional. My compliments to the attentive wait staff who did an excellent job of ensuring we wanted for nothing and nothing seemed too much trouble. Michael and partner Erik I think deserve due praise Now the food. The appetizers, salads and dessert were very good but the entrée's were just OK. I was waiting for the BAM!!!! But alas it did not happen. I suggest the owner get back into that kitchen to get that spark it sorely needs. I should also mention the Excellent cocktails and a decent wine list. Enjoy.

    (3)

  • Paul L.

    Good news and bad news--the service was very solid and understood the menu and ingredients perfectly. Open Table booked reservations easily even on a busy night in the summer. The bad news was the lackluster meal. Shrimp and mirliton soup had small shrimp and unimpressive flavor. About as complex as something from a can. Wild mushroom and Tasso angel hair pasta was spicy and reasonably good. I was hoping for a lot more from barbecued shrimp, a New Orleans delicacy. When done right, it is heart stopping good--buttery shrimp with rosemary, garlic, and pepper, finished with a little beer. The resulting sauce, like white wine and butter used for steaming mussels, is amazing with French bread or biscuits. Here, it is poorly executed--overly salty and artificially smoky. This is unnecessary! Andouille crusted drum was fresh but over a few pieces of zucchini and crispy shoestring potatoes, it lacked something. I had one of the best meals of my life at Emeril's in New Orleans almost 20 years ago. The Orlando experience was nowhere near as good.

    (3)

  • Matthew N.

    The food didn't wow me at all. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either. I feel like I overpaid for something I didn't fully enjoy. Server was courteous, but service was extremely slow. Sat around for 30 minutes after finishing for to receive the check and pay. Would not recommend.

    (2)

  • RONALD W.

    Free appetizer with any entree in the coupon book you pick up with multi-day Universal pass purchase online is a great deal. Has the BBQ shrimp appetizer which was more like a tasty jerk version to me. I even used the break to sop up the sauce. Had the pork chop. It was moist an very tasty. There wasn't any wait during lunch. I think this is the best meal bargain around Universal Studios.

    (4)

  • Kenneth P.

    It was a bit mediocre for what it costs to dine there. Now don't get me wrong, the food was good but it didn't really deliver that BAM! factor one would expect when dining at Emeril's. The service was pretty excellent, the server and wait staff was on top of all my needs. Though they did tend to argue on the floor on who's duty it was to do what, something that should have been worked out behind the scenes and not in front of the customer's.

    (3)

  • Katherine F.

    This place was all right - by far the best dining option this close to tourist mecca, but not as great as I'd expect from an Emeril's. We had the tuna poke bam bam, which was delicious, and also free when we presented our park passes (check the menu board to see if this promo is still on-going, or ask the waitstaff). Our entrees themselves arrived a little slower than I would expect, considering we came during a slower time (2:30 or so). They were only OK - mussels and frites, and the andouille-crusted redfish. While everything was flavorful, it was nothing particularly to write home about. The staff, on the other hand, were great. So that fourth star is for them. Thanks!!

    (4)

  • Michele D.

    This is my second Emeril restaurant experience and we were not disappointed. Everything from the atmosphere to the wine to the food was fantastic. We had a reservation, which is highly recommended, because the wait without one on a Friday night was more than an hour. We were seated in a small room upstairs that had 3 or 4 tables. I felt a little bit away from the action, but it was nice and quiet and we could see the dining room below through the window. I had the tasting menu which was great and my husband had the pork chop which he loved. We had a team of waiters who were always around when we needed them, were very knowledgeable about the wine list, and made sure that nothing that came out could potentially send me to the ER (I have a severe nut allergy). We will definitely be back to orlando and Emeri's restaurant in the very near future

    (4)

  • John C.

    The food was good but the service was terrible. We were there last Saturday on a very rainy night and the restaurant was only about 1/2 full. We were offered bread but it never made the table, we asked for hot sauce and it never made the table. We were not checked on to see if we needed more of anything. Overall we were extremely disappointed with the service. We enjoy fine dining and do not mind paying for great food and excellent service. We did not get either. We will not return.

    (2)

  • Kim M.

    Service is good! Managers are engaged. However, many of the dishes are NOT what you would expect. We were a party of 4 with different entrees. NONE were worthy of returning. The roux from many of the dishes was the exact same -- Paella, Shrimp & Grits, & Gumbo tastes exactly the same minus the meat/seafood. I will not return. Way over rated. My family and I were disappointed.

    (2)

  • Melody W.

    The service was absolutely wonderful but what's the point if the food isn't very good. I was disappointed by the price for the lack of quality in the food. Fancy atmosphere for a couple but remember most people are on vacation so people sitting around you might be wearing minion shirts and fanny packs. I love the minions... Just saying!

    (3)

  • Mica F.

    I love the Universal City Walk. Way better than Downtown Disney but that's another review. This is a very nice high end restaurant amidst all chaos of the City Walk. Once you're inside, it's quiet and cozy; a sharp contrast to the throngs surrounding the place. Plan you're arrival. Hint: Do not try to come here when the park is closing. You'll wait forever. Our wait has been anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour. Again not a big deal because there's so many shops surrounding the place as well as the stage with music so there's lot to do while you wait. We've eaten here several times and have never had a bad meal. My kids love the food (and they don't eat off the kid's menu). Love the ceviche and also the BBQ shrimp apps. They also have an exceptional wine selection. Great desserts. Nicely stocked bar with top shelf liquor. Excellent service. It's pricey but what do you expect? It's Emerils. I love the atmosphere. It's a funky contemporary feel. There's also a cute side porch sort of room that always fills up first. Even tho it's an upscale decor, there's no problem being in shorts as many of the patrons just spent the day at the park. It's part of the ambiance. If you come to City Walk after 6pm, Florida residents don't pay to park. Yah for us!

    (5)

  • Christina S.

    GREAT SERVICE & GREAT FOOD!! I had a birthday dinner for my husband there for 8. We could not stop raving about the food. I had the BBQ Glazed salmon that was amazing. For dessert we had the white chocolate-cherry bread pudding, butterscotch chesse cake, vanilla bean crème brulee and the flourless decadent chocolate torte. Of course we all shared and they were all worth ordering. The service was great as well. They were attentive but not overly. They accommodated any of our request in a timely manner. Also, the ambiance was great. We sat in the front of the restaurant with all the windows and you could see all the light form City Walk. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend.

    (5)

  • Yevgeniya-Jane C.

    We are so glad that we chose this restaurant out of so many places on City Walk. The decor is modern and inviting. The wait staff was very professional and friendly, on point. The food was a highlight. I got the Tuna appetizer, loved it and my husband went crazy for Duck tacos. The Banana cream pie dessert was to die for. They had a lunch special - get 1 appetizer or dessert free with a purchase of an entree. We had 2 appetizers and 1 dessert that they could chose to take off our bill since we purchased an entree, and they took off the most expensive one, the tuna! Saved us 10 bucks!

    (5)

  • Brian S.

    Came here on a date, and was glad I did. I had the apple cider "ham" chops, and was not expecting what I got. I was thinking of mom's pork chops from way-back-when (nicer, and bigger, but just pork chops) and what I received were two of the biggest, juiciest, and most flavorful pieces of perfectly cooked pork I have ever had. Ever. We ended with a crème brûlée that was in the top 3 best ever. My date had the torte which was equally delicious. Add to that a wine list that inspired us to open two bottles, and it adds up to an amazing night. I'm not dating the young lady anymore, but will be glad to bring someone else in the future.

    (5)

  • Angela P.

    Seafood Pizza. SEAFOOD PIZZA. That is all that you really need to know. Our server recommended this gem. My fiance got the salmon, which we were sure was going to be the star of the show. We were wrong. The seafood pizza is everything that is right with the world. Creamy, salty, carb-y, umami, decadent. The calamari was OK. I had a 'spicy' martini which was also delicious, but very strong. The ambiance is nice, but you will have families coming in from the theme parks, so that puts a little dent in the high-class and romantic vibe that it has going on (i.e. noisy). Nice white table cloths and tall ceilings. Service is absolutely impeccable. Overall a great spot.

    (4)

  • Diana B.

    This place had high quality New Orleans food for a good price (considering the quality abd quantity). The portions are big, my friend ordered the pork, and they gave her a full size pig leg (cooked to perfection I might add). The red velvet cake was AMAZING, and so was everything else. Definitely coming back!

    (5)

  • Steve M.

    I was at Universal yesterday and I was in the mood for a nice steak so I decided to have my birthday dinner at Emeril's. What an expensive disaster. The seating area seemed nice at first. I was in a room of pretty much all windows and that provided a nice view of the park. But it was like an echo chamber and thanks to the nearby obnoxiously drunken middle-aged foursome snorting like hyenas, it was like being subjected to beer pong playing fraternity jackasses on a binge. There were multiple servers coming and going but the service was not good. The main server seated a family of four after me but decided to take their order first. Also, since there were multiple servers, I was asked the same question many times...except for "Would you like something to drink?" I had to order a drink as the server was walking away. I was surprised he could hear me with Loudmouth and the Shrieking Morons rehearsing at the corner table. I was eventually served a rocks martini but the glass was so small it was gone in a couple of sips. On to the entree. I ordered a 45 dollar ribeye steak, expensive right? I thought, hey, this has to be good for this kind of money. I tried the mashed potatoes first and to my surprise, they were unusually delicious. I unfortunately did not have the same thing to say about the ribeye. It was cooked rare to my preference but it was bland and not a good cut. It came with a side of veal reduction sauce but that was also bland. I couldn't even eat half of the steak so I decided to finish the mashed potatoes and have some of the bread and butter and all of these had much more flavor than the steak. I was disappointed because I'm used to really delicious steaks from places like Capital Grille, Charley's Steak House, Vito's Chop House, and Fishbones. I simply expected that one of Emeril's restaurants could at least get steaks right. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone...unless you prefer annoyingly loud intoxicated jackassy tourists, tiny pricey drinks, crappy service, and extremely expensive steaks which would make you prefer A1 sauce and tree bark.

    (1)

  • Eddie M.

    Excellent food and service. Try the Mahi Mahi, I highly recommend it. Make sure you make reservations for large parties, 6 or more people. Overall the establishment has good ambiance and a friendly staff. Parking is free for Florida residences after 8pm.

    (5)

  • Jennifer H.

    The confit mushroom wood oven pizza was amazing. It had gruyere cheese, which was a pleasant switch. Nice service, good food - a nice oasis in the midst of amusement park food.

    (4)

  • Ingrid R.

    Unfortunately it was very disappointing. Pro: soup, salad, service and presentation was on point. Cons: all main courses failed big time. Over cooked shrimp, burned kids pizza, undercooked scallops, tasteless gator tail, tasteless salmon.

    (2)

  • Florence M.

    Loved everything! Our server was very attentive and was ready to refill our drinks before we could even ask him. Our appetizer was delish: exotic mushrooms pasta. I normally wouldn't have ordered it but when I saw on yelp how many people were raving it I knew I had to try it. I was not disappointed and could have easily eaten several plates if this by myself! Entree was the apple cider pork chops which were the best I have ever had. I normally don't like pork and apple pairings but this was the bomb! It was served with grits and when the server told me I would love them I was skeptical at first but after I tried it I could have easily eaten a whole plate of just those grits. They were that good! Dessert: banana cream pie and it was spectacular. Would definitely return!

    (5)

  • Mary B.

    This is me and my husband's first visit to this Emeril's location and we brought our thirteen year old niece with us. We came on a Sunday night and were fortunate enough to be seated without a reservation. Service was friendly but a bit slow. We ordered the guacomole with spiced tortilla chips as an appetizer which was quite good. For the entrees my niece ordered the fresh tomato pizza and my husband and I split the roasted salmon. Although the salmon was good, I felt like it was not much better than I could have made for myself at home. I am fine with the dainty portions but for $25 and dining at Emeril's my expectations that it would be excellent. Finally we got to dessert which is the thing we were most looking forward to. They also have a special that if you order and entree and bring a theme park ticket you can get one dessert for free. We had ordered dessert last year at the Emeril's Tchoup Chop in the Lowe's Royal Pacific hotel and had been blown away. My husband's banana cream pie was every bit as good as he had remembered but I couldn't say the same about my creme brulee. Again, not bad but definitely not as good as I remember from the last visit. Our niece ordered the butterscotch cheesecake that she described as "okay". Overall not a bad experience but when Emeril puts his name on a restaurant you have a high expectation for your meal and I think he missed the mark on this occassion. I've just not been all that impressed by any of the restaurants on City Walk really. I should probably stop trying!

    (3)

  • S S.

    I made a reservation to dine here to celebrate my husband's birthday. It was great on all levels. Great service, nice ambiance, and amazing food. My husband had the blackened swordfish and I had the apple pork chop (which was huge)...both amazing dishes. We also had the bbq shrimp for an appetizer which I thought was just ok but my husband loved it. It was a really great experience and I would definitely recommend going at least once.

    (5)

  • Ro H.

    Visiting from Chicago. Food was excellent and service was spectacular. Yannis and Michael were the best servers ever and they gave great suggestions. Again the food was excellent! The service and the food made this an excellent experience. So glad we came.

    (5)

  • Cheryl S.

    I'm a big fan of celebrity chefs. I always like checking out their restaurants, and although I've lived in Central Florida almost all my life, I've never been here. My husband and I were headed to Hard Rock for a show, so we made reservations here for that evening. Otherwise it's not very practical to drive into Universal City Walk, pay for parking, walk the half-mile or so, etc. But I digress. My husband and I ordered guacamole to start, then we each ordered a seafood entree. They were both good, and I enjoyed the plating that made it feel like an actual chef prepared my meal. Service was excellent, and the prices were somewhat reasonable for the location and celebrity status. I'd definitely come here again if I were in City Walk, but I wouldn't drive out there just for the restaurant.

    (4)

  • Earl M.

    Great food and best bang for the buck. The food was memorable and will definitely visit again in the future. The mushroom pasta dish was the best starter course I've ever had. Perfect appetizer.

    (4)

  • Elizabeth W.

    I've increased my rating to 4-stars because the customer service and guest recovery for my mediocre experience was beyond what I expected and I respect them a lot for reaching out to me and addressing the issues with my visit. I came in here expecting to have something wonderful to say, I mean it's emeril's restaurant for goodness sakes. But no, I've had better food at places for a quarter of the price. I was super excited to take my mom here for Mother's Day because she's always wanted to go and I hate that we were both so disappointed. We ordered escargot which I love but it seemed to be burnt to a crisp and had absolutely no flavor The only food that was good was the pork chop that was my entree and the complimentary bread at the beginning. My mom got the duck and didn't enjoy it, I ended up giving her part of my pork chop. I love creme brûlée as well as banana pie but neither were as good as the were worked up to be, the creme brûlée was mediocre and the banana pie was overly sweet. The service was super attentive which was nice and I was able to get a free app or dessert for having a universal pass and thought it hadn't been taken off of the check yet so one of the two guys waiting on us took it off and we ended up with two apps taken off (I didn't realize this at the time) Thinking that the lower price was what I was paying I gave them my card which was run for the amount I was believed to have been charged and then again for one of the apps they took off. After the waiter already ran my card he comes back to inform me that there was a mistake and they took off more than one app. You do NOT swipe my card for an unexpected charge without informing me first and that really bothered me.

    (4)

  • Ryan V.

    Came here recently for the first time for a work function and was very impressed with both the meal and service. We were upstairs in a private dining room area that overlooks Citywalk. As this was a work event, we had a limited menu to choose from that had been preselected. Two choices of salad, five entrees and three deserts were the amount of options and everyone's opinion (there was roughly 20 of us) was that the food was fantastic. Oh, and there were also three different appetizers that were presented as well. Nearly everyone had the filet which was served with green beans topped w/ almonds. There was a slight issue with the consistency of how each steak was cooked but I never tend to think that its a big deal. Treat each on a case by case basis -you can always just have them throw it back on the grill for a few seconds. The drinks were served promptly and were decent and there was nearly every kind of wine available. I could never imagine coming back however if not for some kind of steep discount or incentive. Places like Emeril's are for the tourists and while a annual pass holder like my self would like to be able to go at least once a year. The price/overall value provided is just not enough where I could rationalize (or frankly afford) coming here. I could much easily to to Outback and have as good of a meal without all of the fine-dining pomp and presentation and $$$$-$$$$$ prices.

    (4)

  • Jack R.

    BAM I feel like I've been sucker punched. Stripsteak for about $40 that tasted like I could have had the same think at Hardrock Cafe down the street for half the price. I guess I was expecting more quality and more flavor from Emeril's. My buddy had their sea scallops and said they were overcooked, which apparently is easy to do if you're not skilled. Mmmm....scallop jerky...LOL. On a side note, I've also tried their lunch menu. I had their burger which is also just as average as their steak. So as I pick myself up from this average place...I'm thankful that it didn't knock a bigger hole in wallet.

    (3)

  • Lovely Lollipop S.

    Amazing! Amazing! Amazing!!! The service was incredible, the food is incredible, and the ambiance is incredible! 10 stars all the way!

    (5)

  • Courtney K.

    Came here for a family reunion dinner with a group of about 30 and we all were very satisfied! The fried green tomatoes appetizer was excellent, as was the salmon with risotto (very flavorful). The famous banana cream pie did not disappoint, it is HUGE and definitely enough for 2 people to share. We also ordered some after dinner coffee, which came with a rock candy stirrer instead of sugar. This was a very innovative concept, and I love rock candy- so so tasty! The waiters are very nice as well.

    (4)

  • Joaquin P.

    Best meal ever!!..last time here was 9 years ago and quality of food, service, ambiance is still the same. My family was very satisfied with everything Emeril's offered. Good job! Coming from California (San Diego) to celebrate my daughter quinceañera here was a good decision, and actually her decision. I'll be back...

    (5)

  • T M.

    The service is great food is great .... I will continue to come back here. Eric, Fabian and Suzanne are the best at the bar. I have been coming here for 4 years because of them, thank you for the great service

    (5)

  • Greg B.

    We ate here every day while at Universal because of the food quality. This restaurant is the best in CitiWalk, Universal, or Island of Adventure - by far. Best dishes were Duck Confit spaghetti with peas, mushrooms, in a cream sauce and the seafood gumbo with andouille sausage. Mixed drinks were superb, particularly the fresh tasting cantaloupe martini. Also enjoyed the Endeflower Blossom, made with elderflower liquor and pear vodka. The wines are typical poorly reviewed bottles at super-high prices. Misses are : the oversalted rib eye steak (I ate less than half despite my habit of eating until the waiter pulls the table cloth from my mouth) and Burrata Mozzarella drenched in balsamic vinegar with only a few tiny cuts of basil. I was not crazy about the bucatini carbonara with duck egg. Service was excellent. They brought us a dessert for our anniversary that was not on the menu, a delicious soft chocolate cake in a glass. Yummy! People tend to dress business casual here at dinner, but they won't kick you out for being super-casual.

    (4)

  • Karen L.

    After a long day at the Universal parks, we decided to treat ourselves to a nice meal. First of all, the service here is really good. The servers seem like they do everything they can to make sure their guests have an enjoyable meal. We had the fried green tomatoes, barbecue shrimp, gumbo, and the pork chop. Everything was delicious. I especially enjoyed the barbecue shrimp. The sauce was so good that I even dipped the fried green tomatoes in it. They even split everything for us--the entree and appetizers on separate plates, and the gumbo in separate bowls. Small details like that can make a dining experience that much better.

    (4)

  • Thais A.

    The first time I came here the food was pretty good. I had ahi tacos and they were fresh and super tasty. However, the service was terrible. I sat at the bar for lunch and it was difficult to get a bartender to notice me. They weren't busy. I tried it out again over a year later and had a very similar experience. But this time, if at all possible, the service was worse. The service staff here is incredibly pretentious and seem to be unable to read their guests. The server this time kept making awkward jokes and the entire bar staff was really snarky. Most of them kept taking their cell-phones out in front of guests. People who come here after being at the park all day just want to sit at the bar with a cold beer and enjoy some good food. Sadly not even the food was worth the awful service this time. The fried bacalao was completely tasteless. The BBQ ribs were dry and the calamari was kept in the frier for way too long. Isn't Emeril suppose to be a celebrity chef? I will never be back

    (1)

  • Tricia D.

    Love this place. Great happy hour! Wine $5. 1/2 beers. Oh wait. They offer emeril quality food at a great price. Service is amazing. Some of the best food I have ever had. Great date night. Kids are welcome but can't imagine they would appreciate the value.

    (5)

  • Chris A.

    Well- after many years, wasn't sure that I could find a place to top or compete with the steak houses in the United States, but coming to Emerils was a very, very pleasant surprise! The steak was cooked to absolute perfection, the detail was on point, & the service was the BEST service I've had to date- this was one of my best dinners ever, & will definitely repeat at Emerils!

    (5)

  • David L.

    I went for Magical Dining and was not pleased with the service, nor the food. To be honest, everything about it was disappointing from the time we walked in the door to the time we left. The waiters had to come over multiple times to retake a few of our orders, there was seven of us. This happened throughout our evening until we received our checks. Going with a large group, we were able to try everything on the Magical Dining menu. Everything on the menu was NOT that tasty. Out of the appetizers, the Ceviche was probably the best but that still isn't saying much. Second would have to be the Oyster Bisque. The taco looked pathetic especially on the large plate it came on, my friend said it would've been more satisfying if there were five more. For the entrees, the chicken was rated best out of my colleagues and myself. The sauce was good and the skin was crispy, the chicken on the dry side and the potatoes drowned in a sauce that they could have lightened. The salmon and the muscles have the same description, dry and bland. For dessert, I recommend just getting the fresh fruit!

    (1)

  • Tracie S.

    Phenomenal!!!! 10 stars!!! Had the guac and chips. Had the rib eye and the banana cream pie. Service was amazing and worth every penny!!!

    (5)

  • Dean C.

    I expected more. With Emeril's name on the door... especially. First The Good: - My wife had the salmon. She really liked it and said it was above average. - We had a reservation and seating was immediate. - The place is trendy looking. - My main waiter was very good and professional. Now The Bad: - The wait staff works as a team apparently. Huge gaps in service was the result. My drink was never refilled the entire evening. I was brought my bill to pay by two different waiters. - I ordered the New York Strip. It had to go back due to some kind of green paste they put on it. It was supposed to have a garlic taste but I could hardly taste it and it ruined the steak. I suggest ordering without the special sauce. - One of the three waiters was very unprofessional. The manager did address this with me at the end. Who knows if things really get resolved though. Overall I give it three stars. 4 for the food and 2 for the service for an average of 3. I doubt I will go to another restaurant with his name on it. There are much better places for less money.

    (3)

  • Luis G.

    Went for lunch on Sunday, make RSVP ahead or you won't get in. Had the Tuna Poke as an appetizer and also the crusted Red Drum. Good as expected was amazing and will definitely be coming back. If you are up for dessert try their popular Banana Cream Pie.Gave it 4 stars as our server forgot one of our sides and had to ask him several times for a straw, other than that EXCELLENT.

    (4)

  • Erika E.

    If you are planning an event - just pick up the phone and work with the fantastic crew at Emeril's. The staff here is amazing. So nice, friendly, helpful and polite. I really can't say enough about how superb the service is. We had a group of 40 and our group of servers were well orchestrated and incredibly friendly. They jumped in and helped me with getting some name tags and thanks you gifts in order and they were warm and welcoming to all of the guests. Food was great - short ribs were awesome. But really, all you need in life is the banana cream pie. Kind servers, attentive management and an outstanding piece of pie.

    (5)

  • Mark L.

    I had dinner here in a private room with a party of 19 people. The service was top notch, and I would expect that for a large party. They ran out of Olives for my martini, and somehow the waiter managed to get me some, which I did not expect. For an appetizer, I had the fried green tomatoes. They were ok. There was too much breading in my opinion and not enough goat cheese. They tasted too fried and unremarkable. I would have gotten something else. I had the blackened Swordfish and switched out the sausage for Brussels sprouts. The fish was cooked right and fresh but could have used some salt. The Brussels sprouts were the right softness and had a flavorful sauce. For desert, I had the key lime pie which was very good. It had the right combination of tartness and sweetness. Most of the party agreed with me.

    (4)

  • Kenneth J.

    Dined here for lunch recently, and I must say the dishes ordered were top notch in taste, freshness, quality and presentation. The blackened mahi mahi was delectable, perfectly seasoned, and had a great kick! The pickled okras and sweet potato chips complemented the meal nicely. The peppered tortilla chips and guacamole, ordered as an appetizer were OK, but the butterscotch cheesecake made up for it! Rich and decadent, this cheesecake was the perfect end to a scrumptious meal. Service was top notch. Will definitely return to try more on the menu!

    (4)

  • Ryan N.

    So I decided to drop by for Magical Dining month - what a mistake! Service was alright, but the real issue was the food. From the tiny menu you could choose from came tiny portions that were mediocre at best. I ordered the shrimp taco for an appetizer. It was literally one mini taco with a few shreds of cabbage and mini shrimp. I could make that at home! Next came the entree - I chose the chicken dish. It was bbq chicken with two onion rings. They spared no expense on making this dish! And dish rivaled that of my Highschool cafeteria. On to dessert - bread pudding! Ugh, another tiny dish. I'm thinking someone was running around in the back with a shrink ray. It was alright, but again not out of this world. So sadly, this restaurant like many other reviewers have noted ain't doing so hot. Emeril needs to get back down here and throw some BAM in this place. Or else it will soon turn into a hot dog stand like its neighbor.

    (3)

  • Courtney W.

    My husband and I came here for a nice dinner while on our honeymoon and we were not disappointed. The service was outstanding. We both got the filet minion which was very juicy and cooked perfectly. I ordered the roasted Brussel sprouts on the side that were topped with a Thai chili sauce which were so delicious. I want to try and replicate those at home. My husband ordered a side of mashed potatoes which he loved. For dessert we shared the banana cream pie that was recommended. We both liked that, however, we were extremely impressed with the vanilla bean creme brûlée. We would definitely come back in the future for a nice dinner occasion.

    (5)

  • Lauren S.

    I usually stay away from celeb chef places just because I feel like the hype isn't worth it. The people in our group swore this place was legit, so we went to diner here before Halloween Horror Nights. Our server seemed a bit rushed, maybe nervous? I'm not sure. He would take orders and refill requests, then return to the table with out refills/bread/other requested items to ask if we needed anything...How about what we requested? Twice he forgot my drink all together. Once our entrees hit the table my scallops were luke warm and the puree they were sitting in was room temp at best. The same for the other 2 ladies at the table. I suspect our food was plated long before the guys steaks were finished and they just sat there. I won't be back. There's several other places to choose from in this strip that would give equally bad service, with hot food, for a fraction of the cost. Come on.

    (2)

  • Alison M.

    Maybe I expected a little too much considering it's Emeril's Restaurant. Shrimp pasta was salty and the risotto tasted like it came from a can. The food was such a disappointment. Other than that, service was great.

    (2)

  • Isis G.

    Excellent food, amazing service, nice decor although simple. Took a star off for the noise level. Pretty loud here due to large parties and high ceilings/acoustics. High energy environment. The salmon with saffron rice was amazing. The short braised beef ribs were tender and succulent. Crabcakes were also top notch. I also loved the vanilla bean creme brulee. To die for, seriously.

    (4)

  • Bob H.

    All these places priced about the same for lunch might as well eat well !! Shrimp and grits is awesome, also a good place to people watch

    (5)

  • Peter C.

    Nice ambiance in the middle of the City Street, but that's about the best feature of this restaurant that does injustice to its sister restaurants in New Orleans. Everything we ordered was so salty! My friend and I both ordered gumbo, and it was almost inedible because it was so salty. The service was mediocre at best. Overpriced food that failed to deliver on taste...

    (2)

  • Stacey K.

    It was nice to be able to try Emeril's restaurant in Orlando after having dined at Emeril's restaurant in Las Vegas-- it was difficult not to compare the two locations since they served many of the same items. My first impression of the restaurant was that the ambiance did not feel as upscale and intimate as the Las Vegas location. This makes sense since it is located in Universal's CityWalk, a family-oriented atmosphere. We had reservations and were seated on the second floor, which was a bit more quiet/nicer than the downstairs seating. Our server was very helpful and answered any questions we had about the menu, also making suggestions. I told her I liked to drink Merlot, so she recommended the 2008 Northstar Merlot. This wine was light and fruity, I would suggest this to anyone who likes a mild Merlot to start with before feasting. My eyes lit up when our server mentioned that the Soup special of the day was French Onion Soup! I loveeee French onion soup so I ordered this right away and eagerly awaited my piping hot bowl of soup with that melted cheese oozing off the side of the bowl. Unfortunately, this was not the case (so sad). Instead, the "French onion" soup here is pretty much a VERY salty onion soup, served in a shallow bowl, with NO cheese and a soggy slice of bread. This really should be called super salty onion soup. ( yelp.com/biz_photos/emer… ) The appetizer was a bummer so I was excited for my main entree. I ordered the 8oz Creakstone FIlet Mignon, medium-rare. Super tender piece of meat, and cooked very well. I was just a little surprised the meat itself lacked flavor/seasoning. The filet was served with plugra mashed potatoes, cipollini onions, and housemade worcestershire, which gave the dish much more flavor. ( yelp.com/biz_photos/emer… ) My table shared a bottle of the 2011 Elk Cove Pinot Noir. This was an awesome choice and it went well with all of our various dishes (seafood, lamb, beef). Very fruity and earthly. ( yelp.com/biz_photos/emer… ) The Slow Braised Lamb Shank was fall off the bone tender-- no need for a knife! You could definitely tell it was slow cooked and you could also taste the rosemary that was infused into the meat. This shank of lamb actually was not gamey at all, pretty mild for lamb-- although I wish the meat was seasoned more. This serving is pretty large so be prepared to be very full! It may be a good idea to share a couple entrees because you may get tired of the lamb after the 10th bite. ( yelp.com/biz_photos/emer… ) A few people at our table ordered the Andouille Crusted Redfish, which was recommended by our server. This fish is served with pattipan squash, shoestring potatoes, and a creole meuiere sauce. The fish was nice and moist, and I loved the crust on the fish because it has some spice to it. ( yelp.com/biz_photos/emer… ) I. Am. So Full.... But there's always room for dessert :P I really wanted the Chocolate Souffle for dessert but I was misinformed about when to order. If you would like the souffle, be sure you order it while you order your main entree (since souffle takes 30 min to prepare). I went with my second choice, the Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee ( yelp.com/biz_photos/emer… ). This was made really great! The creme was nice and light, and the sugar shell coat was nice and crisp. The homemade shortbread cookies and mixed berry glaze complimented the dessert perfectly. I also tried Emeril's Banana Cream Pie and the Key Lime Pie -- I also tried these two desserts at the Las Vegas lcoation. The banana cream pie was good, but it wasn't as great as the one in Las Vegas-- something about the banana and cream didn't seem incorporated together, was mroe like layers. ( yelp.com/biz_photos/emer… ) The key lime pie was pretty good, but I also liked this better at the Las Vegas location. ( yelp.com/biz_photos/emer… ) This location made the crust a lot thicker and the pie filling was creamier (not as tart). Both desserts were great nonetheless. I really like the expresso selections available; they had 6 different kinds. I went with the Costa Rica Tarrazu Expresso. I love how the sugar is served on a rock candy stick, super cute and easy to stir into the expresso ( yelp.com/biz_photos/emer… ).

    (3)

  • Jack S.

    Over rated and over priced mediocrity, Having been to emerils tad hop chop the day before our expectTions were high. Unfortunately we were disappointed by the lukewarm food which took an inordinate amount of time to arrive Waiters were stressed out Go elsewhere

    (2)

  • Cynthia B.

    We have dined at Emerils several times and have never been disappointed. The service is always superb and the food is exceptional. Our favorites are the shrimp and grits, red drum fish, fried green tomatoes and the scallops. The best dessert we have had anywhere is Emeril's banana pie. We order it every time. This place is a must when in the Orlando area.

    (5)

  • Steve E.

    Emeril's is the high-end eatery located within Universal's CityWalk complex. The restaurant is a two-story warehouse with thirty-foot ceilings, hardwood floors, stone walls, and an iron staircase that lend the feel of an industrial warehouse loft. At the center of this modern food studio is an open kitchen and chef's food bar, where lucky guests can watch up close, as the chefs work right in front of their eyes. The restaurant's second floor offers two private party rooms that feature oak barrel slat ceilings, a 10,000 bottle wine gallery, and an intimate chef's tasting room. Chef Emeril Lagasse and his team created this bustling hot spot around the park's lagoon, and it is a very popular dining destination for many people. The food is a modern take on New Orleans classics, and as you might imagine this place is appropriately priced for a fine dining establishment. (If you're looking for cheap let me suggest the NASCAR Café which is nearby.) Our group requested the chef's food bar when we made our reservations, and we were very lucky to snag those seats on a busy weekday night. We were escorted through the main dining room right up to the high-top stools overlooking the main kitchen. We were able to watch and interact with the line cooks and the Chef de Cuisine during our meal, and that was a very special treat. I started my meal with an excellent glass of Merlot and a bowl of the Chicken & Andouille Gumbo which was the classic N'awlins staple of cubed chicken, Andouille sausage, scallions, and steamed rice. An excellent way to start our meal. At this point, the Chef de Cuisine introduced himself across the food bar and made some recommendations based upon everyone's likes. I had the Gulf Shrimp Pasta for my main course, and that was big Gulf shrimps sautéed with shiitake mushrooms, and braised leeks served over homemade fettuccine and drizzled with black truffle butter. Other members of my group ordered lamb shank, and crusted redfish, so we had a lot of fun tasting a true Creole sampler. For dessert I had the classic 'Pain Perdu' bread pudding served with Maple Ice Cream. Someone else ordered the praline cheesecake served with white chocolate ice cream. Again, we shared, so that everyone got to sample the desserts. Be prepared for high-end dining. The food is spectacular, the service exquisite, and the prices are in line with the quality of your meal. Plan to spend a minimum of $50 per person.

    (5)

  • Robin K.

    I went here for lunch with a friend when we were visiting Universal. We didn't want to eat the park's food, so we opted for a nicer restaurant at the CityWalk. With your Universal ticket you got a free dessert or appetizer with the purchase of an entree. I got the fried green tomatoes and salmon. I enjoyed the meal. The servers were very attentive. It was 100x better than the park's food and it was the same price as eating at the park.

    (4)

  • Alex B.

    Another EDIT: General manager Gabriel dropped off the planet after offering to rectify the situation. No longer professional and kind, now just kind of a jerk. Back down to one star! Hooray being right the first time! EDIT: The general manager, Gabriel, reached out to me and offered to rectify the situation. He was very professional and kind. Looks like I'll have to head back and give them another shot. I upgraded the ranking from one star to two. Here's to a good second visit! YIKES! So, my girlfriend and I visited Emeril's for our anniversary. We're not wealthy, so going to a swanky joint doesn't happen too often for us. We rewarded ourselves and saved for a nice night out. This was not that night. Every step of the process was a chore from the moment we walked in. The hostess was uncaring and cold, which I expected a bit being next to Universal - but we were clearly dressed like we came for the food, not the park. After being seated, it was a solid 7-10 minutes before we had a server. I know that figure because I started timing it once I felt like it was taking awhile, and I didn't get a server until my stopwatch hit five minutes, 44 seconds. Being a bartender (and my girlfriend a server), we don't ever complain - you never know when someone is having a bad day, there's something going on behind the scenes or what, so we ran with it. BAD MOVE! Drinks came out watered down and sweating - clearly sitting on service bar waiting to be run. The second round wasn't any better. The food was bad, per normal standards, so I guess if I'm paying $40 an entree, I would use ATROCIOUS as a 'sizzle' word. My chop was cooked to a puck - I could have used it to murder the server it was so hard - but I wouldn't have been able to eat the evidence. It was hot, though, which was awesome because my side was stone cold. It had to be remade, which it was. My girlfriend's fish was decent, but still not as good as the Ale House. When my food came back overcooked for the second time, I got really nasty looks from the waitstaff. Not just one, MULTIPLE. As in, the server was pissed that I expected a restaurant with a world-class chef's name on it to be up to my standards, so he went back to vent to the rest of the staff. Awesome. I know that I hate smiles with my service, I would much rather the atmosphere be that of a prison slop line. During the second re-fire of my meal, the server brought me a bowl of gumbo to tide me over, which would have been a nice gesture had he not delivered it with attitude, had it not had a ring from where the soup settled and sat, and had I liked gumbo. (SPOILERS - I don't). I was hungry, but I didn't eat it. Had I thought that would make me look even MORE pretentious to the staff, I would have poured it in a plant or something. I started to feel bad, like I was the problem. Then I remembered the hundreds of dollars that I was about to drop on dinner, and I wasn't sad anymore. I was angry. Like, when Littlefoot's mom died in 'Land Before Time' angry. My food came out for the third time, by now we had been at the restaurant so long they were closing. We were the last table, and the freakin' meat on my plate STILL wasn't cooked right. I ate it, I was hungry. it sucked. I asked for a manager and was told one would be right out as the check was presented to me. No manager ever came. That's cool, I wouldn't have wanted to talk to me either. Thanks to the internet, the manager can see that the $196 bucks I spent to have a nice evening out was ruined. An absolute failure in every single step of the restaurant process. This, coming from a guy who was trained at TGI Friday's, a shining example of pretty much everything that's wrong with dining out these days. I (reluctantly) paid, and because I hate myself and will feel bad, the server STILL got 10% - although I go on record with friends and family that I was completely ready to stiff a hospitality employee for the first time in my life. You all don't know me, but if you did ... you would know that things just got real. So, here's how I feel in a nutshell - 1. The server we had was the worst ever. EVER. The managers are just as bad, because even if the server hadn't told them about my request to see them, they were floating around all service and should have had a table visit. 2. Your host/hostess should be putting everyone in a good mood. Sorry I distracted you from your gossip hun, I promise I'll run to the table so you can get right back to it in two minutes. 3. If I would have paid $20 for this meal I would have been mad. It was over $200 after tip - I wanted to steal something from the restaurant and burn it outside the front door while Rage Against the Machine played in the background. I will NEVER go back to this restaurant. Check that. Never say never. But it would take a lot. The bread was good. Mom said if I didn't have anything nice to say, don't say anything. So that's my nice thing.

    (1)

  • Susan K.

    If you have ever eaten in New Orleans, this restaurant will disappoint you. Gumbo was good - everything else was average at best.

    (2)

  • Virginia M.

    If I could, I'd give this 3 1/2 stars. Emeril's is located inside Universal Studios. When you walk in you feel like you're in a upscale restaurant. Décor is nice and the place is very clean. The hostess and our waiter were nice and informative. We were constantly checked upon by our waiter and busboy to make sure everything was ok and that we still had water. The food was OK. I ordered the apple ham pork chop with grits and haricot vertes. There was finesse and a lot of technique put into my food. The downside: the haricots vertes needed seasoning and maybe a spice like pepper or something else. The pork chop could've used more apple flavor... Perhaps reduce the sauce more? I feel like I can get this type of food at my local Johnny's steakhouse or any other local upscale restaurant. However, i like bold flavors and my opinion might be biased because of that. On another note, this was my first time trying grits and they were superb! So buttery! The food is a little overpriced but it is in Universal Studios AND it's a celebrity chef's restaurant ;) I still loved the experience. Would I go back? Hmm maybe.

    (3)

  • Erika M.

    Our group walked in on a Sunday night without a reservation. We were seated immediately and waited to be greeted by our server. We waited about 7 minutes, and finally we were half-heartedly greeted by our waiter. Bread service came quickly after that, giving us each two buttery biscuits that we inhaled! We had ample time to look over the menu given the intermittent attention of the wait staff. My husband and the waiter got in a debate about BBQ sauce. My husband asked "Is this BBQ shrimp like traditional BBQ sauce, or like the BBQ sauce they serve in Louisiana?" (Hence the name, Emeril's New Orleans BBQ Shrimp). His answer with annoyed look, "it's regular BBQ sauce". I will spare you the back and forth of BBQ sauce-gate, but we ordered the New Orleans BBQ shrimp anyways, regardless of the waiter's insistence that it was indeed "regular" BBQ sauce. When the BBQ shrimp appetizer came, it was a small portion (4 shrimp = 1 per person). I'm delighted to report that this BBQ sauce was absolutely NOT like traditional BBQ sauce! It's this buttery tangy delectable sauce like they serve in the French Quarter in Louisiana. Definitely NOT what you find on a slab of baby back ribs! It came with a couple rosemary biscuits, but we asked for more bread to smother more of the nectar of ambrosia that was left on the plate. This was the stand out star of the night! The smoked and wild mushrooms were also a treat! Tossed in a creamy white sauce with angel hair pasta and parmigiano-reggiano cheese, at one point I couldn't decide which plate to dip my bread in! The rest of the meal was ok, just ok. The guys had a special, the mixed stew which consisted different meats including andouille sausage. I did not try this plate since my sensitivity to spice is through the roof! I had the prosciutto wrapped grouper which I finished but it didn't blow my skirt up. My sister in law had the baked chicken, ehhh. We ordered the chocolate soufflé at the beginning of the meal, and it did not disappoint! We finished the meal with some cappuccinos. As for my Cajun food fix, I'll wait for the real deal when I visit the French Quarter again!

    (3)

  • M B.

    We came for lunch and happy hour. Excellent service and excellent happy hour options. Their well vodka is Russian Standard which is impressive compared to the nearby restaurants. The sauce on the bbq shrimp is great but a little too peppery. The bread that they serve is excellent but don't fill up! The carbonara has excellent flavor but it's watery and runny, also it had lots of chunks of pure fat instead of nice chunks of pancetta. Pizzas are great, bleu cheese was a bit too overwhelming so sent it back for a new one. Loved that they offered a free lunch app with the purchase of an entree! Also, they charged $1.00 for parmesan cheese to sprinkle on the pizza, I've never heard of someone doing that! And they didn't warn us about that either...

    (4)

  • Amanda P.

    Great stop for Happy Hour! Duck taco & mushroom pasta were my favorites....the Horses Neck was the perfect way to wash them down!

    (5)

  • Jen R.

    Ya know, if you prefer not to serve us horrible theme park people, just put a sign on the door for next time. I would've gladly walked by. After a day of Harry Pottering, we decided to hit up Emeril's for their happy hour. We grabbed seats at the bar, ordered our drinks...and just sat there. Couldn't get the bartender to give us the full menu or take our happy hour app order for anything. Waving at her, talking to her when she was standing in front of us, making direct eye contact - we got nothing. About fifteen minutes in we finally got her to agree to bring us a full menu, but that never happened. Half an hour after we sat down, I finally got up to ask the host for help getting a menu and ordering some apps. He handed me a menu without looking at me and started a convo w/ a random employee. Nice. There's nothing worse than sitting at a bar ignored by staff, when they are so friendly and on point with everyone else. People who arrived after us ordered, ate, and left before we even had our food. But maybe it was our fault, for daring to enter wearing just shorts and tees. Finally, another bartender began his shift, things got better from there, and while the drinks were meh the apps were delish. Still, the thought of ever eating here again gives me gas.

    (2)

  • Alex C.

    I usually reserve my Food Network star restaurants for Las Vegas, however we happen to be in Orlando and it was a friends treat. Overall my trip merited a 3.5 star rating, though I'm giving it 4 since I believe it might have been a fluke. The pricing here is pretty steep, though with the service you get, it's not terrible. Just pricey. I was suggested the crusted redfish by our waiter and it ended up being fantastic. It was perfectly cooked, well seasoned, yet still preserved the flavor of the fish. The execution of the dish could have used some work since shoestring fries are a bit hard to eat with a fork. My fiancee ordered the rotisserie chicken, unfortunately it ended up being a little overcooked and generally lacking flavor. It could've used a brine or something to allow the flavors to penetrate deeper than just the skin. The dishes saving grace was the delicious root vegetable and mushroom mix. It seems that you may want to stick to the seafood at Emeril's, which isn't a big deal, but you'd think they wouldn't screw up the chicken... That aside, I think that this is the best food you'll get if you're looking for something nice on City Walk, but it definitely falls short of the 5 stars it could otherwise achieve.

    (4)

  • Leve S.

    This place fell way short of our expectations. The fast food places in Universal Studios are better for what they are. It took about 50 minutes to get our food. It seems that 2-3 large groups arrived after us and we either got bumped down or the kitchen was just unable to handle this. Our kids had starters for their main course and it would have been nice to at least get those so that we can feed them something quickly after a long day in the parks. My blackened mahi-mahi was barely warm when I got it. It must have been waiting around for other entrées for our table. It was nicely cooked but I only got to taste it for a brief moment when I got a break from the overwhelming jam that was poured all over it. The risotto that came with it was just bland. My son had guacamole with chips. The guacamole was bland with no seasoning that we could detect - just mushed avocados - and that was in sharp contrast with the spicy chips. Or were they just Cool Ranch Doritos?

    (2)

  • Laura C.

    Disappointing in every aspect. Food was mediocre at best, it took forever for our food to come out once we ordered (about 45 minutes) I had the filet, my husband had the mahi-mahi and our 2 kids had pasta, so no huge order. Our 2 waiters had to be asked several times for lemons for water, they let our water run out and one was more than borderline rude. Oh and they never brought out the fruit we ordered for the kids. All in all we left quite disappointed especially considering the price of the meal! Even my 10 year old said she expected more from Emeri after watching his show.

    (1)

  • Liz B.

    The service here is top notch. I'd give the service a 5 and the food a 4, but I can't so the 4 is for the food. I went for lunch one day with my boyfriend. We were seated promptly and tended to by at least 4 different people who were all friendly, quick, and attentive. The boyfriend ordered the seared scallops with cauliflower purée and roasted mushrooms. This is a five star dish, absolutely perfect. I had the three course lunch with gumbo, braised short ribs, and sorbet. The gumbo was good - lighter than most and very smoky but not quite the richly flavored gumbo of New Orleans. The braised short ribs were fall-apart tender and the coleslaw was vinegary and awesome, but the parmesan polenta was really heavy, so for lunch on a hot day, it was a bit too much for me. When the gelato came out, the waiter brought two plates. We flagged our original waiter down to alert him to the mistake, but he said that he sent two plates so that my boyfriend didn't have to sit and watch me eat. How sweet! The gelato tasted fresh, light, and recently made. There was apricot, kiwi, and coconut. The coconut was epic! I could easily eat that stuff every day. I need that gelato in my mouth RIGHT NOW. It was a great experience and very nice to have some quiet, relaxing time away from the crowds. Plus, I paid less that what I'd spent at some of the less fabulous restaurants around the corner.

    (4)

  • Laura Suris G.

    Ok so their food is pricey but it's worth it. My husband and I make it a trip every time we go to Orlando. He loves this place like he loves his mother or maybe I'm exaggerating LOL. But it is true that every time he goes he rolls his eyes back in pleasure every time he takes a bite of the short braised ribs. The staff is super attentive and they are wonderful getting refills or anything you need. This place really makes you feel special every time you go.

    (5)

  • Tiffany J.

    THE best experience I've had in all of Orlando. Great wait staff and wonderful food. We had a 5 course meal which had more than enough food. Great presentation. Friendly service. They have rock candy stirrers to go with their espresso. The waiter brought me one because I was so excited to see they had them. Great place to visit if you want to leave your guest(s) with a good impression.

    (5)

  • Mike B.

    The fried green tomatoes rocked!! We ate at Emeril's for dinner, our appetizer was one of the best preparations of fried green tomatoes we've tasted. The breading was crispy, the remoulade had a very nice tangy flavor, and to top it all off, a deliciously cooked shrimp elevated the dish. For the main course, we enjoyed the roast chicken and duck confit, respectively. Both meals were well executed, tasty, and the portion generous. We ended the meal with the chocolate tort and coffees. Yum! In addition to the great food, the service was the best we experienced in Orlando. Definitely get a reservation and go for dinner, you won't be disappointed.

    (5)

  • April W.

    Very delicious! The lamb shack fell right off the bone, it was tender. The waiters were very friendly and sweet. The rolls they serve come fresh out of the oven for every order! My family was in a hurry so the waiter tried his best to get us out early and he did in a GREAT way! The food was AMAZING!

    (5)

  • Kalynne M.

    Fantastic happy hour! $6 specialty cocktail with peach was to die for! $5 wine too! Excellent 1/2 price appetizers. We loved mushrooms, linguine and Brie spread. Sat at the bar and had wonderful service. Bartenders were charismatic and attentive. My mom and aunts (50yrs+) had a great time and so did I. Will definitely go back soon!

    (5)

  • Lorie N.

    We walked in here after a full day of doing Universal Islands of Adventure. We chose this spot in particular because we saw the Happy hour sign placed right outside. Of course, the choice was made for us. Walking in, I felt a little under dressed but that didn't stop us from sitting our tired butt's down into the lounge area where we proceeded to order a few drinks and every plate from the happy hour menu to share. My phone was dead so I couldn't take proper notes on all the names of the dishes so bear with me while I try my best to describe the food. *Buffalo Wings with Barbecue sauce- Surprisingly, the barbecue sauce overpowered the taste of the buffalo wings so that you couldn't really get a good feel for the meat on the wing. It was almost as if they left it marinating for too long. *Tuna Tartar tacos-- These were the best thing on the menu. Thick cuts of tuna that were seared on the outside, paired with some cabbage, tomatoes and a light drizzle of sauce. I can't remember the other two plates probably from the sheer exhaustion of walking the theme parks for 3 days in a row-- But it's more likely because the dishes weren't anything to write home about. For as famous a name as Emeril's, I was expecting a lot more.

    (3)

  • Arik H.

    Great wine selection. Service ws very good as well. All the dishes we tried were outstanding. Least favorite was the beef shortribs but they were still a 3 of 5. Fried green tomatoes and ribeye. Salmon and pork chop were great. From napa so it was nice to get top quality after being in a theme park for 10 hours.

    (5)

  • Greg M.

    We have visited a few times and each time we have been thoroughly WOWed. This last visit was highlighted by the Chef's table and tasting menu. Very well thought out, the staff where WONDERFUL, special "shout out" to Clifford. He works so hard, I don't think the place would run without him. Chef Edwardo and Matt where especially accommodating of our questions. It's not that much, our bill for two, with alcohol was less than $200. I have spent more and not gotten the quality of the food or the attentive service, that much I know for sure. I'll upload a few pics of our food, but if you get the chance, without a doubt try it.

    (5)

  • Brett W.

    Fabulous! Best meal we've had, also the most expensive, but worth the price. Service was beyond attentive, we had 4 waiters attending to us. Glass was never half full. Try the BBQ shrimp for an appetizer, only 5 pieces but the sauce is incredible. If you are near Universal Citywalk, go to Emeril's, you won't be dissapointed.

    (5)

  • Ruben R.

    Long day with the family between Islands of Adventure and Universal so we wanted to eat something else than hotdogs, burgers and pizza (theme park food). And given that we already tried Emeril's at Las Vegas, we ate at this place. Was a major let down that nearly the whole menu was filled with burgers/sandwchs and pizza. Even though we found some hidden gems like the great Gumbo and the chipotle duck tacos but the whole time it feeled as a tourist trap wich it is.

    (3)

  • Jolene F.

    Not super impressed. Our service was spotty at best. Waiter forgot my friend's drink and had to be reminded twice. The pasta dish my friend ordered was very different than the menu description. My salmon was okay, but not amazing. I was expecting more.

    (3)

  • Gloria S.

    I ended up walking out after speaking to a manager. And I am not coming back. I had a horrible service at Emeril's Tchoup Chop the night before, so I came here expecting a better experience. Unfortunately, this place had as bad of a service as Emeril's Tchoup Chop. First, the hostess walked me to my table, and as my husband asked me a question while I was sitting down, she THREW MY NAPKIN ON MY LAP and walked away without saying a word. I sat there wondering what was happening for the next 10 minutes when NO ONE SHOWED UP. When the server finally showed up, he was not knowledgeable about the menu. I told him that my husband had food allergies, so what he recommended to stay away from ingredients he was allergic to. The server told us that we could order whatever we wanted and the chef would take care of it. Unfortunately, EVERYTHING we wanted to order could not be accommodated. When I asked for certain substitute ingredients (like corn tortillas), he rambled on about why this restaurant didn't have those ingredients. He did not apologize for any inconvenience, and he did not offer other options. Also, the dish that the server recommended did end up having the ingredients my husband was allergic to even though we told the server of the food allergies. Finally, I asked to see the manager. The manager came out and seemed pretty nonchalant about our situation. He did not offer us free drinks, apps, NOTHING. This ENTIRE restaurant needs to be retrained on customer service. I lost my appetizer and got up and left. Again, for a restaurant of this scale, the customer service is beyond poor. If I am going to shell out $30 for a main plate, then I better get my money's worth, and that includes food and service. I will never return.

    (1)

  • Mia D.

    A group of us ate here last week - we were virtually the only people there, and yet, the service was slllllooooooowww (say that slowly). The food was ok - just ok. I expected to be blown away by it - but for the price, I've had better. No bam for you, emeril.

    (2)

  • Joe L.

    Visited Emerils today, loved the atmosphere, very comfortable. The waitstaff was fantastic as he explained all the specials and what's good. The problem came when the food made it's appearance. Burgers were ordered well done, they came out rare, ones ordered rare we're well done, they got sent back and came out wrong a second time. We gave up after that, when your ordering a 15 dollar burger the chef needs to get it right the fist time. Of course the meals we're takin off the bill but we were very disappointed. The desserts were amazing, which were on the house to make up for the under/over cooked burgers.

    (3)

  • Luciana L.

    Awesome burger, great service. We'd definitely come here again!

    (5)

  • Leticia P.

    I had an amazing time dining at Emeril's yet again, his restaurants never ever disappoint, I would love to know who does the hiring for these restaurant's cause I swear in all the restaurants the men are sizzling, I didn't have the dinner this time, but we came for Dessert,cocktails and wine and let me tell you the Key Lime Parfait is to die for, the waiter paired my dessert with an amazing dessert wine called innskillen and it was truly amazing and mouth popping, I would definitely like to try there pizza's next time I go. Def recommend.

    (5)

  • Steve S.

    I choose Emeril's because none of my coworkers had ever been to Orlando and I wanted them to experience a little bit of standard Disney/Universal fare. I decided on CityWalk and initially had planned to dine @ Hard Rock but choose Emeril's because we were seated almost immediately. Service was good. We had "3 people" serving us but gotta say we only saw two of them. We started with the calamari and mushrooms. I found both dishes to be rather bland but my coworkers seemed to like them. We did have one member of our party who had never had calamari and he seemed to like it so I guess that was good. For my entree I choose the blackened salmon, even though it was farm raised. I would expect someone of Emeril's level to always choose wild caught salmon but this is Universal so I suppose some sacrafices have to be made. The salmon was just okay but I did like the pepper relish. However the frisee was just intrusive and I'm not sure why they included it. Other members of my party loved their filet and redfish. We were able to have a conversation at normal levels though which is rare in today's restaurants. Emeril's is good for people who want to try something slightly different without straying too far from their comfort level. However, if you have dined at truly ground breaking restaurants and have a higher level of expectations, Emeril's will not fulfill any of those.

    (3)

  • Rickey C.

    Emeril should be very proud. This place not only meets expectation but far exceeds them across the board. Service-wise they are completely on point. Super attentive and very courteous It definitely does help that they have more staff on the floor during dinner than any restaurant I've ever seen.. They had what appeared to be no less than 4 managers on the floor-- very active and multitude of servers swarming and immediately on top of your every need. Food-wise it was outstanding. First is the bread which is a delicious sweet bread-very nice and a awesome corn bread. Then I started with Emeril's Salad which was fantastic. My wife got a Shrimp Linguine dish with pancetta and asparagus in a nice scampi sauce which was incredibly good. The pasta, giant very fresh shrimp -just a top notch dish I got Scallops dressed in a Chili Butter sauce accompanied by an intriguingly tasty pickled cabbage mix Dish was perfectly prepared- on the money. I also got a side of bacon garlic horseradish mashed potatoes that was sooo good- the highlight of an epic meal. For dessert I got white chocolate cherry bread pudding which was very good. Overall this place absolutely lives up to any hype or expectation that comes along with its Mega-celebrity owner.. As good a meal as you're gonna get!

    (5)

  • Christina H.

    This Emeril's is located at Universal's City Walk and is accessible for anyone. The service was above par, the food was extraordinary, and they sat us on the city walk tables so we could people watch, which always gets an extra nod on the tip line in my book. Great job!

    (5)

  • Peter D.

    Emeril oh Emeril, how we see you everywhere. TV, Marshall's cookware etc. So when we went to Universal Studios we decided to pop in during the lunch break for the 3 dish lunch special. Food was ok but I have to point out that the ice cream in the dessert was a fail big time. It was so gritty with ice that it was like chewing sweet sand. Ugghhh that is like a mood killer. Appetizer: Mixed Green Salad: This was good though I found the greens rather over dressed with too much dressing to the point of almost wilting. It wasn't terrible by any means but that is a rookie mistake. Shame that. I also had the Sausage and Chicken gumbo. I dunno maybe its me but I just wasn't loving it. Its not really my thing. Again not bad but just meh. Entree: Well we wanted to try the Short Ribs but they were out which was strange given it was only lunch and the place was far from packed but that is fine. Things happen with stock or prep. They offered pulled pork sandwich as an alternative but that really wasn't what I wanted so I did the fried chicken and waffle which I had never had. The other dish was the trout. Now I have never had chicken and waffles and I guess its a southern thing. It was ok but rather dry. It was drizzled with honey but this dish is screaming for a sauce to help with the dryness of it. Its just not a well conceived dish. The trout was nice so no issues there. It came with Polenta and that was quite delicious. Like to the point I couldn't stop eating it. I wish the rest of the dishes inspired me that way. Dessert: We did the open face turnover with ice cream. I think someone forgot to tell Emeril what a turnover is. This was like a pastry cup of apples topped by the grittiest ice cream I think I have ever had. Also the ice cream was bland lacking as much flavor as texture. As far as desserts go this was two stars at best. I wont totally damn them but for the prices particularly in Florida I expect a lot better, like Metropolitan Grill Bourbon Ice cream. Maybe someone there can apprentice for a while in Seattle. Over all the service was good but I have to say that there are too many damn people coming to our table. I found a crew of around 5-6 people grabbing forks, filling water etc. Its just not that busy. 1 server should be doing everything. You feel like you are constantly getting fluffed and after a while its just annoying. I don't want to say service was bad because it certainly was not but it definitely was overbearing. Its an ok place but they need to figure out something here to take it to the level it needs to reach. The ice cream was just one of many things that should have been great and simply were not.

    (3)

  • Alyssa S.

    Had dinner here last night, mussels frites and the shrimp and scallops. We had a reservation and were seated on time. They use a team of servers which was a little confusing at first, but ended up being nice since anyone could help you rather than having to find your waiter. Food was delicious,my only complaint was that the fries were not that crispy, but they ended up in the broth anyways. Otherwise both dishes were awesome. We finished with an Americano and the Banana Cream Pie, we had to stop ourselves from eating the whole thing it was so good. Great recommendation by the staff.

    (4)

  • Scott H.

    The atmosphere was phenomenal. As you enter, the décor is impressive with a high ceiling with a retro warehouse appearance (reflecting the outside of a building) lit with wall sconces that transitions to a modern sheik look. The artwork is abstract to creatively functional. As you enter, there is a floor to ceiling storage unit with multiple doors, oak looking finish, and each door has a cork door handle; the whole unit has a floor to ceiling sliding ladder reminiscent of what you see in a large library or archive stack. We asked about this magnificent display and learned it was a duplicate of a similar unit in their New Orleans location. The entire staff was dressed impressively geared to take care of their patrons with class and style. Each table was set with stemware and properly placed flatware surrounding a charger with the Emeril's logo. A place set for fine dining. We started our experience with corn chowder Soup Of The Day that was full of amazing spicy flavor and the savory Smoked Wild And Exotic Mushrooms. Accompanied with a merlot and a riesling. We selected our entrees from the Chef's Choice and Signature menu. From the Chef's Choice menu, we ordered a crispy Roast Half Duck garnished with scrumptious mashed sweet potatoes and delicious leeks. This was a definite hit. From the Signature menu, we ordered the Gulf Shrimp Pasta and the Blackened Salmon. The shrimp pasta was not very exciting it presented flavors that were very common. The blackened salmon was bland that really was not assisted very well by the red pepper-truffle butter sauce. The blackened salmon did come with a tasty frisée. Our opinion was that we should have all ordered from the Chef's Choice menu. We finished our meal with a Banana Cream Pie (topped with slivers of chocolate) and the Praline Cheese Cake with an espresso garnished with a side chocolate. The banana cream pie was dreamy and huge, the cheesecake was delicious; both were a delightful ending to our visit to Emeril's. Our overall impression was that four stars would be a good description of our experience but believed that this was a major disappointment because we expected to have a five star experience.

    (4)

  • Jolene S.

    3.5 stars Excellent service and, actually, the CityWalk location is a plus. You'll be surrounded by lights and the night-life energy on a Saturday night provides free entertainment. Dining in the room overlooking the Walk is nice (though it's a bit chilly for the ladies, so bring a sweater or wrap). We liked the food at the Miami location better (but we hear it's closed now!) There were some fantastic dishes here: the chocolate souffle and key lime pie (which I tried) and the creme brulee (which I didn't get to taste). Stick to the pork chop and chicken entrees (the red fish was not bad, just not as good as the other dishes--choice of sauce etc didn't work as well as we'd hoped) Boston lettuce salad was good (to me). I liked the fried black-eyed peas, but others didn't. Oh and the dinner rolls were tasty (even though we were hoping for cornbread). In sum, this Emeril's is in a fun location with good night-time parking rates (at the CityWalk) and features great dessert and good entree options + excellent service/ambiance that you expect at this chain.

    (4)

  • Duane D.

    My wife and I had a great anniversary dinner here. To start, we had a fantastic table. We didn't ask for anything special, but were seated in the "Cigar Room" on the second floor. No actual cigars, just a fabulous view of Citywalk and the two theme parks. We were able to watch all the commotion in Citywalk and even see the fireworks at Universal Studios. The room only held 3 small tables. Very cool. Our waiter was excellent. Very helpful without being pushy or overly solicitious. In fact, there were about 4 different wait staff who did different things--filling water, fillling drinks, clearing plates, etc. I had a filet mignon and my wife had sea scallops. The entrees were fantastic. We also started with a couple of salads and an appetizer--the BBQ shrimp. All quite good. For dessert we had the recommended banana cream pie--which was quite tasty and more than enough to share. All in all, a little bit pricey -- $150 with no booze -- but its a very nice resataurant in a tourist trap. What do you expect? PRO TIP: They currently offer a free appetizer or dessert if you show a theme park ticket. We didn't have a ticket, but the waiter offered us the discount anyway. Emerills was a great meal -- worth a try for a special occasion. Ask for the Cigar Room!

    (4)

  • Cory E.

    Not impressed at all. We had two waiters, but they didn't communicate to each other at all. This lead to several gaps in service where it seemed one waiter thought the other was taking care of us. My friend ordered the salmon and was served a duck. This resulted in us having to wait for his salmon to be cooked while the food which was served got cold. I ordered the strip steak. The cut of meat wasn't the best. The bone was left in and it was served with barbecue sauce spread over the top. The barbecue sauce wasn't anything special and tasted like any store bought sauce. I would have thought that when emeril put his name on the door, it meant something, but I was sadly disappointed.

    (2)

  • Gerald G.

    Had dinner at the bar last evening. 16 people sitting at the bar, 3 bartenders and it took 20 minutes to get a drink. Ordered the Mahi Mahi it was good, but not outstanding. The restaurant has the bar doing the espresso drinks which is what they spent most of the evening doing. Therefore, not waiting on those spending $20 a drink. One bartender spent 15 minutes (yes I timed it) with her back to the bar counting her tips. Perhaps the service is better at a table, but the restaurant appears to be lacking management.

    (1)

  • Lauren P.

    This place is decent, but it won't rock your socks off in any way, shape, or form. Just meh all around. What a meh review this turned out to be :\

    (3)

  • Ken M.

    The appetizers were great. I had the cowboy ribeye. I've eaten here before and the last time was far better. Some years back. The ribeye was decent, didn't blow my mind. The service was a bit off. Not bad, just not up to snuff.... Had the banana cream outlet and it was great.

    (4)

  • Virginia E.

    My husband and I ate at Emeril's during our February vacation because I've been dying to eat at a restaurant of a "famous" chef. We probably wouldn't go again. Shortly after we sat down my husband realized there were tiny ANTS on his plate! The waiter assured us that this plate was for decoration only, and we would not be eating off them. He promptly removed both plates. Overall, the food was VERY salty. I started with the tomato soup, good but very salty. My husband had the clam chowder, ok but not what we would get in New England. It was gray and thin instead of white and thick. My short rib dinner was good -- but very salty. The only shining star was my husband's ribeye. He loved it -- but he should for $45! I guess it's one and done here. My cooking could taste like that too if I used that much salt.

    (2)

  • Alice T.

    I was looking forward to dining at my first ever Emeril's but came away rather disappointed. The food was just not very good. We shared a few appetizers (calamari, pasta with mushrooms, and BBQ shrimp). Nothing really stood out and the pasta was actually a little mushy. For the main course, I ordered the redfish because the waiter claimed this was THE signature dish at Emeril's. I found the fish bland and uninteresting. The best thing from the whole evening was the side dish of braised pork Mac n cheese. Worth trying and savoring.

    (2)

  • Theresa D.

    This place is amazing!!! We arrived during happy hour and where sitting immediately, I would recommend reservations. We decided to go with the tasters menu, which is on the pricey side. However if you are a foodie it is a great experience. Not to mention the food it amazing. We had scallops, soft shell crab, Filet Mignon and desert. All with the Emeril flare we have been watching on TV. Great way to feed the appellate after spending the day at universal. In addition even though it is consider upscale you can get away with shorts.

    (5)

  • Princess A.

    Flawless! Everything we ordered was perfect and so was the service! We were even able to bring our own bottle of wine for a small corking fee!

    (5)

  • B. T.

    As expected. We arrived late (10PM) and were unsure of how an Emeril's in a theme park would be but it was just fine. Wait staff were friendly and professional, steak was tasty and overall it was a good experience. One service bobble... we ordered an appetizer that never came. But, we didn't really need it anyway and weren't billed for it so not a big deal but for a higher end restaurant probably something Emeril would frown upon.

    (3)

  • Kiki P.

    Worst food we've had in years. Lettuce in the salad had dirt and mold. The bisque was runny with rick hard bits of bacon. Mussels were covered with salty and soggy French fries. Bread pudding a blob of hardened dough with a side if ice cream and whipped cream. Take s bite at Starbucks next door instead.

    (1)

  • Jason C.

    Poor experience. Emeril should consider taking his name off this place.

    (1)

  • Cici F.

    The food here is truly amazing. I came here for an early dinner with my family and thought everything was just perfect! The service was great, the food was incredible, and the staff were very knowledgeable and accommodating for me (I'm celiac). Although they don't have a gluten-free menu, they were willing to tweak anything on the menu to fit my needs, and prepared it in a separate area of the kitchen for me to avoid any cross contamination. I even got to enjoy a flourless chocolate cake for dessert. It's definitely an expensive place to eat, but the food is so good it was worth the extra cost. Every member of my family left feeling satisfied and couldn't stop commenting on how good the food was. It's definitely a nicer upscale restaurant, so you have to dress up a little bit, but I was still able to wear jeans which is nice. We had a reservation for dinner, but there wasn't a wait when we got there at 5:30 so I'm not sure that a reservation is required if you're going for lunch or an early dinner. There is also a bar on the first floor with TVs so you can also just have a drink and appetizers if you want. Overall, I really enjoyed this restaurant and I think it's worth paying a little extra for the awesome food and service.

    (5)

  • Lauren M.

    Definitely the most impressive meal I had in Orlando. 5 stars for the set lunch menu! For some reason I had really low expectations for this place. Probably due to location (at Universal's "CityWalk"). If you consider yourself a foodie, want lunch and you are planning to be at Universal Studios, well, you'd have to be a FOOL to eat anywhere else, because all the other places are touristy "meh" food (if you can even call it food). Emeril's has an $18.50 set lunch menu including a starter, entree and dessert. At this price, I was imagining unwhelming food but I was completely wrong. For my starter, I had the PEI mussels with chorizo, smoked paprika, beer broth and pommes frites with chipotle aiole. This came out looking like a typical Belgian "Moules Frites" dish (which is mussels served with french fries overtop). The chipotle aiole was drizzled overtop really nice crispy fries. The chirizo was ground up and sauteed into the broth along with peppers and onions. Highly recommend this dish. I can't believe it was a starter, I had to forego eating all the fries to save room for the remaining two dishes. My entree was the Ahi Tuna tacos. Raw tuna was served with perfectly seared outside. The tacos (two) were served with cabbage and onions, cilantro-cream drizzle and an assortment of hot peppers. Some kind of sweet sauce for dipping. Again, a winning dish - at this point I'm in food heaven. For dessert I had the Godiva white chocolate bread pudding. I had no idea what to expect here because I've never even eaten bread pudding, but what I was served was absolutely nothing like I was imagining. This dessert was delicious. It looks like a small round sponge cake but was extremely dense/thick as it was soaked with delicious chocolate cream of some sort. It had a vanilla cream sauce served with a small dollop of whipped cream. My server (Laura) was attentive, polite and helpful. Numerous waitstaff kept my water glass full, brought me free bread (the sweet potato roll was very nice!) and generally made me feel quite taken care of. Too bad they don't do a set dinner menu!

    (5)

  • Michele R.

    I was pleasantly surprised by this place. I was expecting an overrated tourist trap based on location, but found the service and food to be quite good. The bar had a good happy hour deal on wine until 8 (I think the glasses were $5). I had the filet, which was cooked perfectly and tasted delicious. The servers were friendly and attentive and the food was appropriately priced. Nothing really "stood out," but I had no complaints.

    (4)

  • Sase D.

    The food was amazing and creative. Went with a large party of 10 and everyone was very happy with their meal. The service was also great. I highly recommend anyone vacationing nearby to splurge a little on a meal here.

    (5)

  • Ed G.

    I am a huge Emerial fan; however, the food here might as well have been from the Olive Garden. Bubba Gump around the corner would have been a better choice.

    (1)

  • Emily L.

    Surprising superb customer service ! It is 5 star worthy. Food was above average and creative. I recommend their tasting menu, but disappointed my shrimp pasta had way too much oil and not as flavorful. Overall I'm pleasantly surprised with the quality of this restaurant and feel that it's not as much of the touristy chains in downtown Universal Orlando. Extra points for a really nice sunroom where you can watch the fireworks at night ! We were offered a table there without reservations, yay ! Wonderful experience :)

    (4)

  • Ann S.

    We come to Orlando same time every for a convention. We look forward to eating here every year. In fact it is a highlight of our visit. Tonight we were sadly disappointed. Service was almost non existent. Long waits to order,between courses and trying to get a server's attention. Our main or team head had no interest in us. My husband had to ask for the pepper mill and after two turns of the mill my husband asked for more pepper but he just walked away. The ribeye was mediocre, short ribs stringy and tough. Filet was well done when ordered medium. They never asked how the dinner was. Salads were good. Rolls and no butter. Had to ask for more rolls. Dinners were lukewarm - mashed potatoes had lumps, also just warm. You were eating cold food after a few bits. Sent coffee back, decaf came out cold second time. Finished our dessert before coffee came out - "we brew it in small batches" - 5 miles away! Wait staff congregates in the corner chatting. We were not happy and-they didn't care. Emerils does care. The General Manager called and we spoke at length. He called back asking for the date and time of our reservation and credited back 3/4's of the check.

    (3)

  • J T.

    Like that they sat us so late -- we drifted in 30 mins before close -- but otherwise not amazed. Split two apps and two flatbreads plus two drinks (beer and cocktail) for $80. To be expected, but the content didn't quite match. Me? Subtle, light roasted asparagus salad with seared tuna and walnut/truffle vinaigrette. Very gentle on the palate but lacking some bite. Dressing lacked the power to uplift the fish/veggie and so it felt a bit underwhelming.

    (3)

  • D D.

    I was completely underwhelmed by my experience here. Maybe I had my expectations too high based on the name and personality but I've experienced far better cuisine and dining experience at lesser known restaurants. I was first put off by the hostess. Such a blah-personality. I deal in customer service so I know the importance of a first impression. And let me tell you, I should have turned right back around and out the door. She just stared at us (I was in a party of 5). The servers were much better, very friendly and accommodating. Amongst my group, we ordered 2 blacken salmon dinners, 1 gulf shrimp pasta, 1 chicken asiago flatbread, and 1 child's pizza. It took 1 hour. There was nothing special about these dishes. Just overpriced and mediocre. I wouldn't recommend this restaurant.

    (2)

  • Joe N.

    Food was mediocre at best. BLT appetizer served cold. Salad was soggy from too much dressing. Ribeye Steak was bland. My steaks from Costco taste infinitely better. The one redeeming quality of the meal was the banana cream pie. Very disappointed.

    (2)

  • Stephanie G.

    I dined there with my boyfriend, my dad, and stepmom on Sunday for Memorial day weekend and the service is great and the food was pretty good as well, but for the price, I felt the food could have been better and the portions were a bit small. Overall though, it was satisfying. I might come back but only on a very special occasion.

    (3)

  • Jihyun K.

    Food was below average, incl. Filet mignon. Couldn't understand what all the hypes are about the place. Service however, was good!

    (1)

  • Kristina M.

    Such a disappointment. The name is supposed to be worth something and unfortunately either Emeril just doesn't care or has completely sold out. The oyster bisque - i can't think of anything that describes it except BAD. The corn chowder was decent and the corn bread was amazing but our entrees were comparable to an Applebee's. The waiters were non existent, relying on the bus boy (who was great) to do all the work (we tipped him separately). To top it all off, my son had to use the restroom and we were looking for it - asked the manager where it was and he told us it was outside the restaurant (at universal walk). We found the restroom in the restaurant 10 feet away from where the mgr was. When I told my husband and he asked the mgr about it, the mgr told him that he was "just joking with me" and that they all joke around a lot here. Fyi to the manager: it is no joke to tell a mother with her 7 year that the bathroom is in a non existent place! Will never go to any emeril's again. Period.

    (1)

  • Matt G.

    Ok, the four stars are based off a very limited sampling of GUMBO and calamari. We were really just coming for the gumbo and it was really good. Just can't find good gumbo in Colorado. It's a little pricy, but worth the treat. Service was good.

    (4)

  • Marc W.

    I had some service issue that I had posted. I had rated the food a four and service lower. I am happy to say that management was responsive the the issues and I am impressed they took the time to address the issue. With that said I am happy to go to the food side now which was good. The barbecue shrimp were very good. The green tomatoes also good as was the escargot. The creme de la creme was the banana cream pie, to die for!

    (4)

  • Jason P.

    I Had confirmed dinner reservations made through Universal Studios Guest Services during my stay...I was informed when we arrived at Emeril's that I did not meet dress code because I had a tank top on. Mind you, this is a Universal City Walk resort restaurant next to a major theme park. It was 102 degrees with high humidity which is normal this time of year. People in shorts and tanktops should be expected. My large party and I were not allowed to dine. I could have easily packed a proper shirt but was not informed by Guest Services of a dress code when I made the reservation... The General Manager was very matter-of- fact and a bit condescending in his demeanor suggesting that the information is posted on their website. I don't visit the website of every restaurant I visit, especially those where reservations were made for me. I explained that we were staying off property and it would be ridiculous to return home and change just to come back to the park for dinner. The best solution this "General Manager" could offer me was to buy a shirt and then return. Are you joking??? This became a HUGE inconvenience for my entire party of 6 with over a 90 minute wait at other surrounding establishments. NOW HEAR THIS EMERIL: Over a simple matter of sleeves on a shirt your dumbass "General Manager" lost out on a 250-300 dollar dinner bill and further, created a VERY disgruntled customer. It doesn't take a Rhodes Scholar to realize the Epic Fail in business practices here. I will never give Emeril's Restaurant one dime for the rest of my life. I Will tell as many people as I can about their disorganized policy accompanied by their empty apologies and lack of flexibility. Do Not Eat Here. By the way, the menu is also ridiculously pricey and by the looks of the tiny portions it looks like a terrible value. I would have rated the food had I been allowed to eat dinner here. I'm Glad they never saw one dollar from me.

    (1)

  • Tyler L.

    Brand name generic food. Like an upscale TGIFridays. Looked like the best place in CityWalk for food and the pork chop I had was huge. So if you are hungry, don't mind that you are eating in glorified chain restaurant, and are in the CityWalk area, this can be your huckleberry. Not overly expensive, but certainly not cheap. Then again, what is cheap in Orlando?

    (3)

  • Alden K.

    Quality food that does not disappoint. Get the steak, always get the steak! The short rib is often delicious as well. This place is a rare treat on a firefighters salary. But worth every penny. The steak is big enough to make most firefighters happy. I've never ordered the filet though, not my cut. The ribeye here is my recommendation.

    (5)

  • George D.

    Celebrated a birthday here with my wife. What an amazing experience. The menu has a feature called "The Chefs Choice", it what fresh that day. We had it and it was amazing. Five courses meal, with exquisite service. Everyone should go here at least once. It is a wonderful experience.

    (5)

  • Sherry J.

    We ate here after spending the day at Universal. I had the Crab Baked Stuffed Lobster. It was absolutely amazing, and service was impeccable. The bill was $250 but worth every penny!!

    (5)

  • Michael P.

    Dessert is the main event at Emeril's. The service was good even without a reservation, we were seated within 10 minutes. I had a pasta dish which was fine, but the chocolate souffle was out of this world. The drinks were also solid as well.

    (4)

  • Mitchell F.

    I love this place! As Homer Simpson goes: Chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah Sacralicious I have never been to an Emeril's before and I was spoiled from the time I walked in, to the time I walked out. I walked in and told the hostess I would just be having drinks. I took a seat at the bar and was given my first drink on the house. Amazed with the phenomenal service, I decided to stay for a quick appetizer: The Duck Thigh with Dirty Rice, Brussels Sprouts, and Au jus. I had it this afternoon, and I cannot stop taking about this wonderful gem tucked away in Universal. Whenever I've came, I didn't know what to do. Now I know how to spend my day. I just cannot stop emphasizing how perfect this place is. For the love of God, go now!

    (5)

  • Monica D.

    Every city I go to where there is an Emeril's, I MUST go. This is the first of the restaurants I've visited and still in my Top 2 if not the best. Last visit I made was almost 2 years ago (my 3 visit) and it was just as great as the other 2 times. Here are some of the dishes that I recall having that are on the menu or once were. The menu changes so they may appear again. *Emeril's New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp w/Florida White Shrimp, Petite Rosemary Biscuit *Smoked Wild & Exotic Mushrooms:Home Cured Tasso Cream, Angel Hair Pasta, Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese *Emeril's Sausage Plate: Homemade Andouille Sausage with Caramelized Onions, Grain Mustard, Brown Butter Crouton, Emeril's Worcestershire Sauce *Andouille Crusted Redfish w/ Grilled Veggies and Shoestring Potatoes *Emeril's Banana Cream Pie:Graham Cracker Crust, Caramel Sauce, Chocolate Shavings All the above were incredibly wonderful and generously portioned (except for the BBQ Shrimp but it was very tasty) It's been about 10 yrs since I first went with my mom and she still to this day talks about the White Chocolate Bread Pudding she got...and she doesn't even like chocolate!! I remember the waiter strongly suggesting it and telling her if she doesn't like it, he'll take it off the menu and give her another dessert for free. She was very sad when she finished it cause it was amazing. The service, like at all other of his establishments is very polished and knowledgeable and try to accommodate you in any way. Will continue to visit as long as it's there!

    (5)

  • Shannon W.

    Lovely atmosphere and spectacular service. Had a PERFECT filet mignon and the most amazing banana cream pie ever!

    (5)

  • Gayathri I.

    Underwhelming and disappointing for the price and reputation of Emeril's name. Service was really great, our water and drinks were always refreshed and they made accommodations for our vegetarian needs. But the food was mostly boring and sometimes almost laughably bad. The bread was decent. The standout dish was the Smoked Wild & Exotic Mushrooms. Loved the spices and the variety of shrooms. We also got Bibb salad, Ceasar salad, White Truffle Pizza, Alfredo tortellini with veggies from kid's menu and a special Chef's vegetarian plate of the day. The salads and the pizza weren't bad, but they weren't good either. Meh, blah, boring. The tortellini was floating in oil and not very cheesy. My nephew really hated it. I thought he was fussing till I had a bite of it. Greasy and tasteless are the two words that popped in my head. The veggie plate, that cost us $32 was a few stalks of broccoli that were *barely* cooked, some carrots, 2 stalks of asparagus and a few slices of squash. Served with some vinaigrette. It was flavorless, bland and ridiculously overpriced.

    (2)

  • Eric A.

    Very classy place, right on.

    (4)

  • Amy T.

    Sad part about this review is that I received bad service and was disrespected before my family was even able to get a table. I would give this restaurant 0 stars if possible. This is the worst restaurant experience I have ever had. We went there as a family during a vacation around New Year's. We were having a great day and wanted to have a delicious meal. We saw Emeril's and thought it was perfect. We went in to put our name in and was told it was a 20 minute wait. 20 min later we were told it was 40. After another 20 min the wait for us had not changed... still we had to wait 40 min for a table. Meanwhile, other parties of 4 that came in afterwards were being seated. I soon realized the only difference between our party and others... my sister has Down Syndrome, and we were they only family there with a disabled kid. When we finally went to the host and requested a table immediately after waiting an hour and 20 minutes, he gave us the worst table in the house, right in front of the kitchen doors. We called the police for discrimination, and they escorted us to Bubba Gumps where we were treated as valued customers. What makes this even worse is that when we called the manager after receiving the number grudgingly from the host, the manager did not answer. In fact, the host that gave us the number answered, and told us the manager would not be in for the entire week. The host knew this when he gave us the number. I refuse to eat at any of Emeril's restaurants, even related chains, in the future and hope others see that disrespecting and discriminating against any well-paying client is never ok.

    (1)

  • Traveler F.

    Short excerpt from my extended blog post: These choices for the June menu, 3 courses for $30 is an awesome steal. Put aside price point for a minute. The portion looks seemingly same as most other restaurants of this caliber, but the flavors are bold and clean. A true reflection of the chef who created them. The freshness of ingredients stood out. Simple ingredients "Kicked up a notch" to create these wonderful dishes. Now add back in the bargain price. Hello June!

    (4)

  • Megan M.

    I haven't felt the need to write a yelp review in years, but I just had to share my disappointment with this restaurant. My fiance and I normally go out to eat on Christmas and have always had good experiences at other restaurants. Even though there were technically three wait staff assigned to our table, we really didn't get much attention, and on the whole felt ignored. And the food just wasn't good. We ordered a buffalo shrimp appetizer, which was bland. I ordered scallops and my fiance ordered shrimp pasta, and neither of us felt like finishing the meal. I got two small mimosas and some coffee. $150 later I feel like we were completely ripped off. Later on we got nachos from the hard rock and I enjoyed that experience 100x more than what was supposed to be a special meal together on Christmas.

    (2)

  • Lindsey O.

    I had visited this location a few years ago, and we loved the meal. Everyone raved at the table, enjoyed the food choices and drinks. We had to make a trip back, but unfortunately - not the same experience. We grabbed a seat at the bar and ate some of the happy hour meals. Not very good. I know, you get what you pay for, but this is EMERIL LAGASSE. I've been to his location in New Orleans and it blew my mind. I love cajun food. But this fell a bit short, and I was a little embarrassed for talking it up so much without the delivery.

    (3)

  • Mauricio H.

    Delicious food, great service, very impressed with the 18oz Rib Eye, just delicious. AAA+++

    (5)

  • Ann I.

    Overpriced mediocre food. It was just blah, ordered the 18oz Rib Eye, wow, 18oz is a lot of food. There is no reason anyone should eat an 18oz steak by themselves but that is besides the point. I asked for it to be cooked medium rare, the steak was cooked right, but it was sooooo fatty. You can just see the white fat on the steak. It tasted just ok, I think I could have had a better steak half the price at somewhere like a popular steak joint... I also ordered the Creme Brulee for dessert. That was just OK too. This whole experience and $80 later, I just kept saying to myself "Meh, I've had better".... Just because it has Emeril's name one it doesn't mean squat to me!

    (2)

  • Alison O.

    Ok so let's start with we are in a tourist area. The food is good if you know what to get. I would 100% start with their appetizer shrimp. Ask for extra biscuits because you will want to use them with amazing sause!! I had the scallops which were as good as any high end restaurant would have. Husband and father had steak and it was VERY expensive for quality!! Go with something different than steak. We had butterscotch cheese cake and banana cream pie for desert. We enjoyed it. Husband loved butterscotch but banana is more popular. Take my advice; I'm huge foodie. :-)

    (4)

  • Amy B.

    As an Enemy of Emerilâ„¢, I was not thrilled when my colleagues chose this restaurant for our team dinner. After having a wonderful meal, I was further displeased to have to admit that Emeril has put together a damn fine restaurant. Fortunately I was able to overcome my displeasure due to the excellent experience I had. If you come to Emeril's Orlando and only order one item, make it the gumbo. It's delicious--slightly spicy, with tons of andouille sausage and just the right amount of rice. I don't know authentic Cajun cooking from a hole in the ground, but I know I'd happily eat this gumbo anytime. My entree of scallops in a Thai curry sauce was impressive even to my jaded Northeast seafood sensibilities. Five enormous scallops sat in a richly spiced Thai curry, with a small pile of noodles in the center. The scallops were perfectly cooked and took 4-5 bites each to finish. I was able to taste a colleague's lamb shank, and didn't even need my knife to snag a piece, it was so well cooked. Another colleague ordered a steak which boasted some of the most even pinkness I've ever seen. Again, perfectly cooked. The only thing I tasted that was less than impeccably prepared was the calamari, which seemed rubbery. Mixed drinks were strong, and the wine selection had plenty of options. There were several extremely expensive selections on the dessert wine menu, but also a few reasonably priced glasses in the $10-15 range. As to service, my water glass was always full, and I was rarely without a drink. Waiters were attentive without being overbearing. It kills me, but this Enemy of Emerilâ„¢ is forced to award the full five stars.

    (5)

  • Meg R.

    My boyfriend and I wandered in here around 9:30 pm on New Year's Eve after a certain situation prevented us from getting into the Universal CityWalk NYE party. We figured it was worth a shot to see if Emeril's had a table open, expecting it to be fully booked. Somehow, we managed to get the last table available that night. We didn't have to wait at all! After we sat down, a waiter immediately greeted us. I can't say enough good things about the service at this restaurant. We had two servers who worked together to ensure we were taken care of all night as well as a polite and friendly busboy who kept our table clear. The food also impressed. We started off with the tuna tartare. This dish is not your typical tuna tartare - it comes in salad form with an Asian-flavor inspired dressing. I liked this dish a lot, especially the shaved brussel sprouts that provided a next texture. I tried my boyfriend's lobster bisque but found it to have too much of a fishy taste for my liking. I happily could have done without the soup. For my main course, I had the scallops. These were some of the best-prepared scallops I've ever had - smooth and buttery with a seared outside that provided an excellent flavor. Also, unlike other fancy restaurants, you get a huge portion. I think my plate had 6-8 scallops. I couldn't even finish them all! I tried the boyfriend's redfish, which came at the recommendation of our server, and liked the flavor of this new-to-me white fish. Again, the chef nailed the preparation of the fish as it was cooked perfectly. I didn't like that the dish came with fried shoestring potatoes since the fish was crusted there was too much crunch. A risotto and/or vegetables would have been a better pairing in my opinion. Also, the drinks are fantastic. The mojitos are made fresh and the melon martini is also delicious - flavorful without being too sweet. If you're looking for a nice place to eat on Universal's CityWalk, this is definitely my top recommendation.

    (4)

  • Kyle G.

    Emeril should be proud. I recently planned a Holiday party here and only have praise for their food and staff. Their menu is fantastic, well priced, and offers something for everyone. My biggest compliment has to be saved for their sales manager, Cathy, who was an absolute pleasure to work with and made sure my event went off without a hitch. I look forward to eating here soon!

    (5)

  • Matt W.

    First experience at any of Emeril's restaurants. And what a great one at that! Impeccable service throughout dinner accompanied by one of a kind dishes to choose from. For entrees my wife had the filet, and I had the redfish. Filet was great, however the redfish was the favorite at the table. For desert, we had the Banana Cream Pie and creme brûlée. Both were to die for! Not a wine drinker, but if I was I am sure I would have felt like a kid in a candy store with the selection. There will be a trip to any of Emeril's restaurants whenever we are close to them in the future!

    (5)

  • David G.

    I was expecting a lot better. We went with a group of 12. Very pricey... So with that said, I was expecting a great meal. The best thing I had was my sons cheese Tortellini off the kids menu... I tried French Onion Soup. They should change the name to onion soup. There was no Cheese on top... I also ordered chicken ceaser salad. Not good at all. Checken was over cooked. Not sure I will be going back there... Unfortunate because I always liked Emeril...

    (2)

  • Amanda M.

    Stopped in for happy hour on our way out after a long day at the islands of adventure. Happy hour is EVERY day from 5-8, even weekends. We arrived at 5 and there were only 2 other people in the restaurant. Happy hour is only available at the bar. The options were somewhat limited. 2 red wines and 2 white wines $5 each. 4 specialty cocktails for $6 each. Beers were listed but not sure of the price. We went with the sweat tea with vodka. Also very limited appetizer selection. We chose 2 of the 5 items listed-all about 5-7$. We started withe the brussel sprouts with bacon. When done correctly, brussel sprouts are incredible, especially when paired with bacon. My favorite fall veggie. These sprouts came topped with thick cut bacon, nuts and orange peel. They arrived quickly so, it was obvious that they had been cooked off earlier and were rewarmed. We felt that the sprouts were a little hard and could have been cooked longer. Also, the orange peel was an odd, strong contrasting flavor for me. My husband even comment that I make better brussel sprouts. We then tried the pineapple pin wheel. A large puff pastry topped with a pineapple and cream cheese mix with a caramel colored sauce around it. Great flavors. Awesome light dessert option. But, the pin wheel pastry was rather hard in places. We needed a knife to cut it. Overall, my experience was satisfactory but I expected a little more "bam."

    (3)

  • Courtney T.

    Everything was very yummy. Get the fried green tomatoes - they're delish! They have party rooms so reserve a spot if you have a group!

    (5)

  • Sherlonda A.

    Unfortunately, the service was the only great thing there (contributing to the 3 stars ). If I had to rate the quality of the food it would be a mere 1 star. Firstly, my friends and I went to this place for my 30th bday. I was so excited due to the popularity of his name . This place was no replica of what the Food network portrayed Emeril's image to be. We had stale yeast rolls, my shrimp "sumthin with tomato sauce" (I forgot the name ) tasted like ravioli. I didn't finish my entree nor did I want to take it home. Oh, and my desert, pineapple upside down cake tasted like a muffin flipped with a can pineapple placed on top! Not worth the money. Oh... The water was fresh. And the waiter service was good. But, I won't be returning.

    (3)

  • Frederick N.

    Fantastic food. The servers are excellent. A little too stuck up for me. Not really down to earth. The food is absolutely amazing! Delish! Freshness is 10/10 Lovely large sitting room. Food is worth the price and the experience. The Corn bread is divine. The Crab cakes...Cake. Is to die for. Loved the restaurant.

    (5)

  • Sean M.

    A good but not spectacular place. I appreciate that they are offering southern comfort food with a bit of fine dining and the food is good. We both got the three course lunches and both were good to very good. The mussels were well seasoned and fresh. The fried chicken and waffles were good and the apple crumble was also good. My wife had the gumbo with the short rib and sorbet. There are two types of sorbet, the passion fruit and white peach. The passion fruit was wonderful the white peach...eh. We enjoyed our meal aside from some pretty lame mashed potatoes with the short rib. The service was amazing, always someone there to assist and I was impressed with the decor. I am happy we went. A nice place.

    (4)

  • T. F.

    Our family of 6 just returned from a one-week vacation in Orlando. Emeril's was one of the few meals we bothered to make reservations for because we didn't want to miss. The offerings were priced on the high-side but in line with similar restaurants in the area. Had no problem with that. The appetizers were pretty good. We enjoyed the escargot and bbq shrimp. We especially enjoyed the fried green tomatoes. Our dinners however were completely disappointing. First of all - a long wait between appetizers and the meal. Tables were seated and finished while we waited. Finally, we saw someone set up a large serving tray just outside the upstairs dining room entrance (in the hall) with a number of covered plates. We wondered if it was our order and watched waiters walking by the tray for 15 minutes. Finally a server stops to take a look and then summons help. A team of three assemble before lifting the covers and quickly laying the plates before us. The servers make no eye contact, no one comes by at ANY time to ask us how our meals are or to offer beverage refreshments. We were then ignored until we got the bill. By the time we finished there were are only a few tables seated so no excuse for poor attention to service. To top it off, the meals were just okay. The prawns were way over-cooked and the pasta was mushy. The steak was not a tender cut and boring (nothing special). The duck was dried out and lacking flavor. The wild mushroom flatbread was ho- hum. I can't say the results were completely attributable to the delayed delivery but I'm sure it didn't help. Needless to say - one of the low-lights of our vacation.

    (2)

  • Jessica K.

    Three words & three reasons to visit Emeril's at Universal CityWalk: Banana. Cream. Pie. With an impressive menu you'd expect from a famous chef, it's sure to please, but my advice is save room for dessert & coffee! The atmosphere is a lot louder & casual than you might anticipate, but parts of the restaurant offer a more isolated dining experience. The place is probably always very busy, it certainly was on the late weeknight I walked in with a large party, so reservations are a must. The service isn't bad, the servers know the menu well & can offer you suggestions or help you chose if you're stuck. We waited a bit for some things, but when dishes are served to the table in unison, I suppose it takes time to coordinate.

    (4)

  • Jaime C.

    I've been to Universal Studios in Orlando a number of times in the past but was never able to eat at this place as it was always crowded and if you didn't have a reservation, your wait was ridiculous. This time around, knowing I'd be in town for "Fat Tuesday" (Mardi Gras) I made a reservation via "Open Table" a month in advance. It was everything I thought it would be (including, unfortunately, EXPEN$IVE... but what the heck... I'm on vacation, right?). The service was cheerful, helpful and polite. The chicken and andouille gumbo was excellent. Thinner than the almost "stew-like" gumbo I get at Big Daddy's back home, but wonderfully flavorful. The waiter recommended the andouille-encrusted redfish as one of the house specialties so I eagerly ordered that as well. The fish was wonderfully tender and flaky and the andouille added just a hint of heat. My only disappointment was that Bananas Foster was not one of the available desserts; but the creme brulee did not disappoint. My original plan was to wander up to Pat O'Brien's for a hurricane after dinner... but I was so stuffed I had to take a pass. Highly recommended if you're in the area.

    (5)

  • Raghu H.

    After our first night at Universal Studios, we decided to walk in the restaurant. At first we were a bit wary about the price, but it was definitely worth it for a once in a while experience!! For our appetizer we decided to get the New Orleans barbecue shrimp. It only yields about five pieces but the sauce is AMAZING and definitely unique to the restaurant. For our entrees, we ordered roasted salmon, some chowder, the mahi mahi, and a caprese pizza. Everything was delicious, and the pizza definitely was above average compared to a regular dominos pizza. My dad and I got fried green tomatoes as a side and my mother got tempura broccoli. Although we probably could have just split one plate of the tomatoes between the two of us, my dad and I definitely enjoyed it. Overall this resturant is pricey, but the food was impeccable and the service even better: my water glass was constantly attended to and we got new cutlery without even having to ask. Highly recommend for once in a while splurge!

    (4)

  • Philip V.

    While the service was outstanding, the food definitely was not. Let's start with the appetizer which happened to be the best thing we ate. Kurobuta pork belly on top of polenta. It was rather good. I wish we had stopped at that. We also had the gumbo. It was not very flavorful. My wife had the lamb dish. It tasted like lamb stew. Not something I would have ordered at a fine restaurant. I had the redfish. While the fish tasted okay the rest of the plate was complete crap. The fish was on top of a bed of potato strings and by bed I mean a king size pillow top mattress of potato strings. Made the dish hard to eat. Then I discovered under the shit load of potato strings there was a steamed to death vegetable medially. If I was Emeril, I would hang my head in shame.

    (2)

  • MJ J.

    I have no idea why all the bad reviews. The service was outstanding and I am usually hard to please. Escargot good, pizza with truffles excellent, pork chop very good and Blackened snapper outstanding. Wine selection is high end and amazing options for the kids as well.

    (5)

  • Kristin L.

    Beyond awful, and this is coming from a veteran foodie. There are far better restaurants in this city that offer good food at better prices. My girlfriend and I attended for Magical Dining Month, and even at the discounted rate, it wasn't worth the meal. I literally couldn't eat more than two bites out of two of the courses -- the fish was super fishy and the meat was dry and tasteless. I'm sure it makes a killing from tourists and I bet the New Orleans location is fantastic, but do NOT waste your money driving to Universal for this. The food at Bubba Gump and NBA City is way better if you're in City Walk.

    (1)

  • Greg D.

    Service, no good. Food, missing passion. This place lacks character and dedication to the food and customer. Its very vanilla and the food leaves you desiring more.

    (2)

  • C V.

    A great break from the lines and crowds at universal studios. The food here was impressive to be located in the middle of a huge theme park. The manager and service staff were attentive and nice. Did i mention the food was very good? the burger ordered was very tasty along with good sides. Will visit again the next time in orlando. Give them a try if you visit.

    (4)

  • Jaime W.

    I recently had dinner at Emeril's at Universal on the last day of a business trip. I was saving a visit to this restaurant to the last day and I wish I hadn't wasted the time or money going here. The service was adequate, they were professional, but you could sense the artificial hospitality and the quickness of the delivery of drinks and food... and the food BLAND...no "Bam" at all. I decided to order the special for $33, it included appetizer, dinner and dessert. I had the Oyster bisque...boring, flavorless, gross green color, then the Roasted Salmon was Dry and what was supposed to be risotto, was yellow flavored (not well) rice....we even got the "bread" pudding, it was actually made in muffin cups and was the worst bread pudding I ever tasted...it was congealed, and had the worst flavor....I don't actually believe Emeril has anything to do with the recipes or the actual authentication of this restaurant. Don't waste your time or money!

    (1)

  • Leti M.

    The food was delicious. We sat at the bar and the service was slow. Took a long time just to take our drink order. The track lighting over the bar full of dust

    (3)

  • Ashleigh D.

    any pasta is to die for! I love Emerils!

    (4)

  • No N.

    The food was very expensive. My wife ordered the soup of the day while I ordered the Emeril salad. The salad was so good and my wife's soup was good too. They did a great job with service and presentation. For dinner my wife ordered shrimp and pasta and I had the barbecue glazed salmon. Our dinners were delicious. The salmon was the best tasting salmon I've ever had. For dessert we ordered a the vanilla bean creme brûlée and it was delicious, but very small. For the price I would have like to have had more. Overall the dinner cost over $100.00 The food was amazing and the service was great, however it's very expensive and will take a chunk out of your wallet. If it was only cheaper I've give it a 5 star.

    (4)

  • Kevin M.

    Hands down, one of my favorite restaurants in Orlando. We have probably eaten at Emeril's Orlando at least 10-15 times over the last several years. The service is unparalled at any other local restaurant. The servers are knowledgable, they keep your glasses full, and do all the things you would expect of a fine dining staff. The food is always very good and portion sizes are large. I have have never left hungry, and have had times where dessert was simply not an option after an appetizer and entree. From a family standpoint, they have a nice kids' menu with most of the standards that my kids love. The restaurant is also very good for a client or business dinner. Overall, for locals or visitors, Emeril's Orlando is an excellent option, and one I would always recommend.

    (5)

  • Christine L.

    Food was amazing and our server really knew what he was talking about. He made suggestions that weren't necessarily the most expensive items on the menu and took great care of us! We ordered a bottle of Thwomey which i believe is a cabernet sauvignon, the smoked wild and exotic mushroom appetizer, the lamb shank with wasabi mashed potatoes and carrots, and my date had the filet mignon entree. Everything looked, smelled, and tasted delicious! A romantic ambiance set the mood for a perfect date night after a long day of visiting the Universal Studios park.

    (5)

  • Anthony M.

    Bam!!! This place is probably the best restaurant in City Walk. There is a great Happy Hour from 5pm to 8pm but you must be sitting at the bar. The happy hour has half price well drinks, half price beer, 5 buck wines and about 4 reduced price apps. I had the BBQ Shrimp and it was amazing. It had a nice kick to it. I also had a flat bread pizza and it was perfect. It was like a buffalo chicken pizza with blue cheese and hot sauce. This is not a regualr item on the menu and was a special Friday night. Every bite had a nice kick to it but the hot sauce was not over powering. I have eaten here several times over the years and I have always had a great meal. I also love sitting at the bar that faces the kitchen. It is great to talk to the staff as they cook in front of you. I did not have calamari on this trip but I have had it in the past and it is amazing!

    (5)

  • Zach B.

    I ate Emeril's for lunch with my family while at Universal, and first of all I was pleasantly surprised that a three-course meal only us back $22. With the Emeril name I was expecting at least $30. And oh man, was it worth the money and then some. My first course was steamed mussels that were filled with super flavorful corn and the best chorizo I've ever had. They were definitely fishy, but I enjoyed them a lot. Second course was at first a bit of a surprise to see on a fine dining menu: chicken and waffles. It took one bite to see why; perfectly fried chicken with a mustard slaw, on waffles with honey...just awesome. Great-sized portion too. For dessert, I had a chocolate-peanut butter cake. Small, but super rich. I also tried my mom's banana cream pie, which was the best bite of pie I've ever had, hands down. I would definitely get that instead next time. As for the service, just superb. Water glasses always full, personable waiter without being overbearing. A bit jarring to have a place like this in the middle of tourist hell, but the experience really is something else. I really have nothing negative to say: A super memorable meal, and I'd come back again in a heartbeat.

    (5)

  • Jennifer C.

    Absolutely loved the food. I still think about those dishes. The fried green tomotes were cooked perfectly. The dish only comes with 2 and I so wished there were 2 more. So, in comparison to the price, this was a little out of sync. The pan fried redfish was also very good, however the Bordelaise Potatoes stole the show. I've been trying to recreate those ever since. The layout of the restaurant is not very intimate, so not really a place for a romantic meal.

    (4)

  • Mark E.

    We got what we expected... good food and service but certainly at a premium price. We were pleased by the Wild mushroom dish was very flavorful. The calimari was ok but the breading a bit heavy. Dessert was a Godiva white chocolate creme bruelle that was paired nicely with a Coasta Rician coffee to finish.

    (4)

  • Lydiana J.

    The great, the good, and the disappointing. First, the great...If you're into sweet mixed drinks, you must have the 'pineapple upside down cake'. It is a dessert and drink in one. Wonderful! The banana cream pie was out of this world! And I don't even care for banana cream pie...but Emeril's has changed my mood regarding this pie. Yum! The strawberry sorbet, if you enjoy sorbet you will LOVE Emeril's sorbet. The wine list is mind-boggling. The service was incredible, with three waiters at our service. Second, the good...Everything on the menu was good. On tonight's menu we ordered the chicken gumbo, warm spinach salad, fried oysters, shrimp pasta with truffle butter, and redfish over potato strings, banana cream pie and strawberry sorbet. Honestly, it was all very good. The entrees were not knee melting, just good. The spinach salad with goat cheese and walnuts was tasty, the fried oysters were pleasant, the potato strings were the best I've tasted. It's atmosphere was good. However, we did make reservations for a quiet table upstairs. The downstairs portion of the restaurant is loud and busy. Third, the disappointing...Emeril's is located on the Universal Studios City Walk. It's wonderfully busy and bustling, which makes for very, VERY, casual patrons. My husband dressed business casual, and I wore a summer dress with a light summer sweater to cover my shoulders...I was worried I'd be under-dressed. No need to worry, the patrons were in flip flops, shorts, jeans and baseball caps. Oh well, now we know! Casual is ok! The only reason I found this disappointing was that I expected Emeril's to be a touch more classy for a two hundred dollar meal.

    (4)

  • Lyle H.

    This is one of my favorite places to go for a special occasion. We went in August and the service was a little less as good as I remembered from last time, but its still better service than most restaurants. The best thing to do is start here and end a Blue Man Group for a perfect night.

    (5)

  • Lisa W.

    We have dined here several times and each time incuding this time, we have left happy. The food is very well done and the service is spot on. This trip was made even more special because our server was wonderful. He had the perfect mix of professionalism, efficency and sincerity; I wish I could remember his name. Great place to end the day at the park or to celebrate a special occasion. We saw several birhday desserts being served. Ask for a table upstairs, it is not as noisy and more intimate; the food transports you to New Orleans.

    (4)

  • Omoniyi O.

    Pros: The wait staff was attentive and they knew their menu very well. The atmosphere was pretty nice. Cons: The food was not that bad, but nothing spectacular. There are plenty of other places on City Walk with less expensive prices.

    (3)

  • Russell W.

    Based on lunch, not dinner: Had a bangin' lunch here while taking a break from Islands of Adventure/Universal Studios. The prices were very reasonable with the exception of the beer. $18.95 for a three course meal at an amusement park? Deal! (Note - the prices go up substantially for the dinner menu). The food was good and we all left so stuffed that we all agreed on not going on any rides again immediately for fear of...well...you know. Food: I started with the steamed mussels with chorizo sausage and fries (pommes frites). Very tasty with a little heat. I couldn't even put down the fries...and the portion was quite substantial. My main course was the braised pork belly, which was better than I had hoped. I didn't care for the applesauce that came with it, but I didn't want it anyway. Personally I don't understand the pairing to begin with - applesauce makes more sense to me with a pork chop or loin, not with something that's already drenched in juices and cabbage. Dessert: For dessert, though I didn't have room left really, I had the white chocolate bread pudding. It was very tasty but more bread-like than I'm used to. If you like mushier bread pudding you may want to pass. Drinks: Full bar, but bottled beer only, and the price was a bit much - $9 for a bottle. The meal was an incredible steal until those hit the tab. Parking: You'll have to pay $10 for parking, as it's inside city walk (and just outside Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure). Unrelated Comment: It bugs me that pommes frites means french-fried potatoes. Frites = fries, agreed, but pommes = apples. Back in the day we all learned potato was "pomme de terre" (apple of the earth/ground). Makes me wonder what they would call it if I sliced apples and fried them. "Mais nous avons utilisé ce nom déjà, merde!"

    (4)

  • Lisa M.

    After reviewing the menu I was disappointed. I expected more of a New Orleans cuisine on the menu. It seemed to be average American cuisine. Having said that we were going to have a great meal. We started with baked oysters that were dry. Then there was a lamb chili appetizer that was fantastic - things were looking up! My husband had the braised lamb shank which was very good and I had pork chops. Now...these were ABSOLUTELY the toughest pork chops I've ever had in my life. They were also terribly over-seasoned. Along with the rolls which we both thought were just like the ones we used to get with school lunch and the overpriced wine list...we won't be back. The staff was very pleasant but were so rushed that it made for a very harried atmosphere.

    (2)

  • Chris P.

    Very disappointing meal. Pork chops, while very large serving size, were very tough. Gulf shrimp pasta, waiter said its Alfredo sauce but it was actually truffle oil. Shrimp were low quality. Waiter forgot that we ordered a soufflé. Soufflé could have used a sweet element like cream or ice cream on the side.

    (1)

  • Olivia W.

    In all honesty, I had low expectations of this place based on other yelp reviews and that this place was in the City Walk... I mean... how good can a restaurant be inside a theme park? I was mistaken. Maybe it was because my expectations were so low... but the food and experience were great in my opinion. I almost regret not getting the tasting menu! The building is super open. High ceilings and tons of windows. It's crowded in the main dining area, but they sat us in the air conditioned, covered side patio where it was much quieter, not as busy and awesome for people-watching. When I made reservations, I mentioned that it was for an anniversary celebration (the bf and I just celebrated 5 years - queue up the "aww's!") - and the first thing our waiter did after bringing us waters was to present to us appetizers of ahi tuna nachos (yum) on the house in celebration. We had 3 waiters total, and they were all so attentive and friendly. My Order: Herb Roasted Florida Pompano - Anything with artichokes always gets me. I swear, they are my weakness. The fish was tender and light, the marble potatoes delicious and the artichokes did not disappoint. The BF Orders: - Crab Cake: I had a taste and wasn't too impressed, but the bf liked it so that's all that matters. - BBQ Shrimp: One of the bf's faves. - Slow Roasted Asparagus Salad: Really liked this. The seared tuna was so yummy and the truffle vinaigrette wasn't overpowering. Sides: - Broccolini (Veggie of the Day): Nothing too special. It was good, but kind of the same old, same old you would have at other restaurants. - Bourbon Mashed Sweet Potatoes: This. was. so. good. I couldn't stop eating this. Incredibly creamy and delicious. The star of the night. Dessert: Chocolate Souffle - I've had better. It wasn't bad, but it was a little dry and there was a little too much sugar sprinkled on top. I liked the added crunch the sugar gave, but if it was a tad less it would've been better. The waiter also destroyed the souffle by smashing it up to pour the chocolate syrup in. I've seen this done much more elegantly... I'm also a fan of checking into places via Foursquare and it paid off here! I received a FREE lychee martini. The martini was good, not too strong and not a super strong lychee taste. The lychee they give you is soaked in vodka and is so strong, I might have gotten drunk just off of that little piece of fruit!

    (4)

  • paul R.

    Great meal. Tasted 4 dishes and every one was a winner. Fab staff worked as a team on made our first night in Florida great even in the throngs of people on city walk which is way out of our comfort zone. A mass of humanity

    (4)

  • Christopher S.

    I have been here a couple times. Good menu but needs a change. Great location and service. Will be back.

    (4)

  • Candice W.

    Decided to eat at Emeril's on a recent business trip and was extremely dissapointed. The meal was on the pricy side and the shrimp linguine was overcooked, bland and the shrimp were previously frozen. The dinner cost over $30 and was not worth it. If the dinner was $12, I wouldn't mind but the price and atmosphere indicated what I hoped would be a good dining experience and it was not. Will never eat at an Emeril's again!

    (1)

  • Andi G.

    Sorry, love Emeril, but not his restaurant. The service was disjointed at best. Soup was cold, the plates were on the table with napkins, they took two of the for napkins replace with others, removed all the plates, did not put the same menu at each place setting so confusion in discussion of menu items, soup had to be sent back, cold, the portion of the frozen fish was more skin than fish, the waffles had no taste, the only great item was the pork and sweet mash. My husband, when he made the reservation said it was my birthday, not even a song.... Had to ask for more ice tea, then needed more lemon, had to ask twice. Let's just say, we dine out frequenty and for the dollar price a great disajpointment. We will not be going back! The wait-staff was more interested in removing crumbs from the table vs fantastic service. Too bad, lovely atmosphere. We should have had fantastic service as there were only a couple of other tables filled...

    (2)

  • Valarie G.

    An escape from the insanity that is Universal City Walk. We arrived right when our reservations were for and had to wait at the bar for 15 minutes for our table to be ready, but the place is small so we understood. Amazing cocktails and food. I wasn't really impressed with the duck as it was a bit dry, but my other members of my party had the pork and enjoyed it. We ordered the special 30 minute dessert (a version of lava cake) w/our meal and it came out at the perfect time when we had finished our meals. Too bad the cake was soggy and lukewarm rather than the gooey richness you expect from a lava cake. The service was good and I really had no complaints - though the ambiance was lacking compared to the high bar set by the other Emeril's locations. Overall not a terrible choice, it was fine.

    (3)

  • Chris F.

    Went here for 1st anniversary, but it should be noted, after a day at Universal. Interesting and strange location, but family was at the park that day, so we combined events. Was nervous after reading some very negative reviews, but have to say they were wrong. First off, service was excellent, starting with hostess. We had a reservation and were seated promptly. Waitstaff were attentive but not omnipresent. They were knowledgable about both food and wine suggestions. We started with escargot and fried green tomatoes. I nor my son had ever had escargot before, but I figured I could trust Emeril. Oddly, they were pretty tasty. For entrees, my wife had the scallops which she rates as 5 star. This is a dish she orders often I had the double pork chop with green mole. Waiter described this as a sweet/sour taste and he was correct. Delicious and not skimpy on portion. My son, who eats mostly hamburgers, had the rotisserie chicken. As it was a special occasion, we all ordered dessert, most notably the banana cream pie, which is enough for three people, along with cheesecake and bread pudding. After all that food we hit the roller coasters (just kidding). I know celeb chef restaurants come with high expectations and a bit of iconoclastic attitude for some diners, but apart from the location, this one was worth it. The actual restaurant is quite nice inside. So if you are at the park or nearby, this is a nice spot to have a great meal.

    (4)

  • Jessica S.

    Yum! Came here on our 1st anniversary. I had the special 1/2 duck in a ginger-soy glaze, and hubby had bone-in ribeye with truffle butter! Both of us are still arguing over who had the better dish! The wait staff was brilliant and we had a team of guys servicing us. They are very accommodating, friendly, and I think they really are into giving you a killer food experience. Portions of food are huge, and anyone who comes here should just prepare for a flavor explosion. My husband also said that his dessert of praline cheesecake was one of the best desserts he'd ever had in his life. While it's not a quiet, calm dining experience, it's unique and very well-done. Make sure you save plenty of room before eating here - you'll be stuffed!

    (4)

  • Jay O.

    Thought the food and service was great but; the ambiance was horrible. The place was very loud, it was not near the grade I was expecting. For price it was a bust and I for one would not go back, when I pay close to $200 for a party of two I expect excellence and it wasn't even close.

    (3)

  • Amy H.

    So disappointed! We look forward to dinning here every year when we vacation during Christmas, but this year we decided we wont be back. First, they were out of a lot of their menu. Second, I ordered a ceasar salad and was informed they were out of dressing. This is a chef resturant, cant you make it? I was served froazen fish, yes I know the difference. They claim to use local food and produce, why are you serving frozen. The rolls they bring around clearly were store bought, nothing special. So sad they have lost their passion for cooking there. Emeril needs to have a dining experience here and maybe some things will change!

    (2)

  • Jim L.

    This was a great place for lunch. The service is great and very fast. We were in and out in under an hour w/out rushing. Yesterday it took us 2 hours for lunch at The Hard Rock and had terrible service with average food. The food at Emeril's was excellent. Even the kid's menu was great. I went their with my wife and two kids. The kids are 10 & 12 and they ordered off of the kids menu. Both ordered the pizza which was like pizzeria style Pizza, not the usual lame microwave pizza you get at most places. I ordered the Gumbo, my wife ordered the Scallops and we had the calamari as an appetizer. We shared everything and my kids are usually picky eaters but liked it all. I highly recommend it for lunch and can't wait to come back for dinner some time. If your at Universal skip the bad tourist restaurants, which end up being the same price for lunch, and go with Emeril's you will be glad you did.

    (5)

  • Heather H.

    For such a beautiful restaurant, you would expect more. I LOVE chicken and waffles, saw it on their menu, and had to have it! Their 3 course menu started with salad (sad, wilted, greens), the entree, and assorted sorbets (the best course)! The waffles were not freshly made, it was cold and limpy, the chicken must have been fried that morning and kept in the bread box. It was chewy and dry, oh my! Hate to disappoint but don't bother with spending extra $$ here.

    (2)

  • Mimi C.

    3.5 stars. Sorry Lagasse, but your restaurant doesn't compare to Iron Chef Sakai's or Morimoto's restaurants. The ambiance at Emeril's is wonderful which by itself would've placed it at 4 stars. The service was also very good. But your food is okay, minus your sweet potato bread which I love! Why do you only give me one?? =( I had to ask for more. ^.~ I got the Pecan Crusted Texas Redfish which has (taken from the menu) - Grilled Vegetable-Potato Hash, Candied Pecans and Creole Meunière Sauce. Pretty solid dish, nothing very unexpected. Liked the breadcrumbs to add texture. Didn't like the candied pecans much as most were really burnt ...geez... Hubby got the prie fix for $18.50 - Seafood Gumbo - Wayy too salty in my opinion. And not as good as I've had in New Orleans. Rabbit Lasagna - Eh, I'm not a huge fan of gamey meats. It was okay for me. Dessert - Kiwi + Guava sorbet (they add the kiwi for free for our honeymoon) -- okay, but a tad on the too sweet side (probably added more sugar than necessary). Overall, pleasant experience. Plus, this place is located on Citywalk so it's easy to move around from theme park to Emeril's.

    (3)

  • Iris T.

    Emeril's is definitely the best haven from all the Universal Studios madness! And it's only 10-15 min away on foot to boot! We went there for lunch and took advantage of their three-course pre-fixe menu for $18.50. I ended up getting the steamed P.E.I mussels with chorizo, served with pomme frittes topped with chipotle mayo as my appetizer. This was delish! I could definitely taste the cajun spices and not to mention, just with this dish alone, I was already getting my money's worth. For entrees, my friends and I all ended up getting the braised pork belly. It wasn't as fatty as I feared it would be but the meat also wasn't as tender as I would've expected. My friends and I had a bit of trouble cutting through the meat but don't think I let this stop me -- this perfectly seasoned meat was worth the work! (Although I really should've asked for a steak knife...) And now on to the dessert: Godiva White Chocolate Bread Pudding (served with a scoop of cinnamon ice cream)! So. Good. I would definitely suggest this place for lunch, for the foodies with one eye on their wallet and the other on their stomach. But for those who want more variety, definitely check it out for dinner -- and get the bread pudding!

    (4)

  • Cherry J.

    I live in Orlando, but I was at Universal for a conference. After a long day we decided to try Emeril's for dinner. We went all out, ordering a bunch of entrees, starters, salads, drinks, dessert... the works. Everything was cooked to perfection and tasted amazing. The service was above and beyond as well. We had many servers taking care of us and we never had to ask for anything. This is by far the best restaurant I've been to near the theme parks. Oh yeah, and you can reserve a spot at the chef's table for a cool experience. I would gladly return!

    (5)

  • Andy S.

    Head on in no matter what you're wearing! OK so it's a white tablecloth place but they aren't uptight. Our server was very friendly and cool while knowledgeable. I had the Chicken Gumbo soup and it was the best I've ever had. I followed it up with the pork chops and they were prepared perfectly. Tasty, moist and cooked to a "T". For dessert we opted for the crème brulee and the banana cream pie. Both were very good although a bit thick for my taste. Others in the party had scallops (enjoyed very much) and the calamari (also good but a tad spicy) and a fish entrée (perfect!).

    (5)

  • Bryan B.

    Another eh... celebrity dining experience. After a long and actually boring day at Universal Orlando, we decided that a dining experience at Emeril's would be the highlight of our day... in the end it left me with mixed feelings. I have had previous experiences with another Emeril restaurant, Delmonico's in Las Vegas... which to this day is still one of my favorite steaks I have had to date. I also learned that I could really enjoy grits at Delmonico's, especially if they are artfully done. With Emeril's Orlando I can say that I enjoyed the staff quite a bit, the gentlemen serving us were really good and pleasant, the rest of the staff made little impression upon me and there was little interaction between members of the staff. The atmosphere was OK, but it reminded me of a hip mid-90's type of place that was in need of a refresh. I half expected there was going to be someone singing Mariah Carey ballads as part of the live entertainment... but there was no notable music or really anything impressionable about the place. The food was just OK. I was not blown away by anything on my plate, especially for paying the premium celebrity chef price. I think the worst thing I can say about a restaurant besides having bad food would be that their food was absolutely forgettable and there was nothing notable about anything that I had. I was just not overly impressed with anything that I had while I was there. The only dish that stood out was the banana cream pie, which I had at Delmonico's and it was made consistent to the very tasty pie that I had before. The pie was a given, the rest of the menu had me hoping for that 'ah ha!' moment I get from a really good restaurant... but it never happened. 3 stars because of the people and the pie... but I was not dazzled by anything else I had or the menu as a whole.

    (3)

  • Kent H.

    For starters the bread was very good. The french roll and sweet potato bread came warm soft and tasty. My main dish was the chilean seabass which was very good. There was no fishy taste at all. It was served seared and just melted in my mouth. The compliments of clam and mussel were only okay. The vegetable medley broth was a good addition to compliment the seabass sitting in the bowl. I also had an opportunity to try out the pork chop which was very good. The redfish had very little flavor except for the breading that surrounded it. If it wasn't for the taste of the breading, the redfish would have tasted like nothing. When we first came in it was empty, but by the time we go our main dish, the restaurant was full of guests.

    (4)

  • Cindy L.

    I had such high expectations for a restaurant with Emeril's name but wow was I disappointed. My sister and I had the prie fix menu. I had the appetizer gumbo, braised rib for entree, and sorbet dessert. The app and entree were all too salty!! I didn't even finish it. My sister had the tuna tacos which she disliked and left most of it on the plate. The only part I enjoyed was the sorbet but I don't think people go to restaurants just for sorbet. Hyped up amusement park restaurant -- go somewhere else.

    (2)

  • Paul W.

    Overall I was a bit disappointed with my experience at Emeril's. I'd read reviews of Emeril's restaurants in other cities so I was prepared to pay a fair amount for my meal, but based on the reviews I'd read I was also prepared to be surrounded by wait staff who were very attentive. One reviewer had even commented that every time their water glass had condensation form on it, the glass was changed. We arrived at about 9:45 on a Friday for dinner and were seated almost immediately. The wait staff came to our table after a few moments to offer us menus and water. After that, the service became pretty average, which was a bit surprising considering I'd always heard that it seemed there were 3 staff for every table at other Emeril's restaurants and the service was supposedly nothing short of outstanding. The food was very good but not incredible. The highlight of my meal was the caprese flatbread appetizer. The other 2 in our party both had the filet mignon for their entree and both said it was very good. We each had an appetizer, an entree, and ordered a few of the dinner sides to share. We ordered two bottles of wine during dinner and each of us also had coffee after our meals. The final bill was $310 for the three of us before gratuity (the filet mignon alone was $42 each.) My experience here was "A-OK" as the description reads when you click on 3 stars on Yelp. Neither my meal or the service was particularly memorable or outstanding vs. what one might expect from an establishment with Emeril Lagasse's name on it, and the prices are probably a touch high for a restaurant that's situated in the middle of City Walk at Universal Studios with the likes of Hard Rock, Bubba Gump Shrimp and Panda Express.

    (3)

  • Michellea D.

    I got the 4 course dinner with wine pairing. The food was top quality. The waiter was very helpful and made napkin designs for the kids. My kids brought in Panda Express (which was awful tasting) and ended up eating the chicken strips at Emeril's. We went on a Weds night around 5pm, not crowed at all.

    (5)

  • Ann P.

    Great service, we got a table on a busy night with no reservation. Lobster bisque was delicious.. Tried the pesto pizza and the mushroom.........they were exactly like you wanted them to taste. OOOHhhhh the shortribs and mac and cheese..........what can I say but a genius pairing of 2 great foods.

    (4)

  • Steve A.

    Emeril's is one of the original and most high profile fine dining celebrity chef restaurants in Orlando. It's a strange amalgam of upscale and touristy, an inescapable fact when there is a steady parade of sweaty people in shorts outside the windows. Most of the food at Emeril's is really quite good, especially the mushroom and pasta appetizer and the calamari with olives. appetizer. Portion sizes tend to be large; the calamari could easily serve as an entree. Given that, appetizer pricing is reasonable. Wine and entree pricing is a bit high, but given the location and big name chef it's not too surprising. Service is efficient, and sometimes friendly. The biggest problem is the noise level in the main dining room. It's actually quieter to sit at the chef's bar facing into the kitchen! Another trick is to ask to sit in the small room along the windows. It's quieter, and has better ambience than the upstairs rooms. Emeril's is a good choice for pre-show dining before going to a concert at Hard Rock Live.

    (4)

  • Nick B.

    It should go without saying that Emeril wasn't there. it might have added to the experience but I am sure he is there 2 times a year. The menu was OK but nothing really jumped out. The dish I wanted, they ran out of. This is always a disappointment and leads me to believe the manager doesn't know what he is doing. Especially on a Tuesday night. I had Lamb Shank. it was well prepared but not overly creative. it was a massive portion too. Had the sausages as an appetizer and they were also not very creative. Tasted like they were just reheated and made in some central factory kitchen. I've grown to expect this in the "celeb" restaurants. it's a bummer.

    (3)

  • Wayne C.

    The gumbo was good, it was free with an admission ticket from Universal parks. My girlfriend had the scallops, I had the redfish. The meals were good, service was great.

    (3)

  • Robert C.

    For a restaurant with Emeril's name on it, I was very disappointed. The food is overpriced for bland food. I decided to splurge and not be cheap on my vacation so I ordered the 18 oz rib eye. It was decent but not good enough for $48 dollars. My GF ordered the Redfish for $38 dollars and it was dry. The only good thing about this restaurant was the service.

    (2)

  • Sandra M.

    I ordered a salmon medium and another member of our party got it well-done, but they looked identical. Regardless, we both thought it was delicious. It came on top of some black beans, which I thought was very slightly undercooked. I had way better black beans at Fogo de Chao later in the evening. The table bread was slightly warm, but not enough to melt butter - it didn't taste freshly made but rather in the warming oven for perhaps too long. The restaurant wasn't to busy when we all got there so maybe later in the day it would have been moving more and tasted fresher. There was also yuca chips on top of my salmon that was fried and was almost transparent. I tried NOT to eat them but later caved but it didn't leave any yuca flavor to savor. The salmon was the best part of the dish and everything was okay. No complaints.

    (3)

  • Bill S.

    BAM! (Does Emeril still do that?) Well bam to you baby cakes because we had a great meal here! I do have to point out, I came to Orlando on business one year by myself. I came to Emeril's first to eat diner at 'The Chefs Table" A single stool in the corner. Afterwards I went to the "Halloween Fest" and "THAT" scared the stuff out of me!! When we came here as a family for vacation, I started with the Oyster soup, Nice size oysters, soup was really rich. We also ordered a calamari plate (do not say galamad to me, even though I'm from Brooklyn its just wrong) Another starter, The duck quesadilla we ordered was spot on! We ordered the following meals: Blacked Mahi Mahi Fish tacos and what do kids eat: Hamburgers... Everything was cooked perfectly and tasted great. The dessert was kick azzz! I was so full so we ordered pear and mango sorbet. Wow! Great family time had by all. It's a little pricy so if your watching your family vacation dining dollars this might be a expensive choice.

    (4)

  • Andrea C.

    The waiter was so nice, and fast, and smart, and sexy but mostly just really attentive and lovely. (His name was Dan, btw?) Anyway the food. Yum! I had fried green tomatos, and the calamari. Yes, delicious. The menu doesn't say the calamari is lightly breaded but it is -- which I was happy about. The fried green tomatos were good, but the shrimp on them was even better oh my god. So good. I had the appetizer portion of the chicken and andouille gumbo for my entree. It was SO good. The sausage was incredible, but it almost outdid the chicken, so I just ate all the sausage and rice and left the chicken. I saved enough room for the banana cream pie -- sweet god, it's so good. Big chunks of banana, and creamy thick thick pie. It's a BIG slice though, more than enough for two to share! I would go back in a heartbeat.

    (5)

  • Shay H.

    This restaurant deserves 5 stars for the service alone. We came in just a couple minutes before closing on a Saturday night, we were seated right away and the 2 servers helping us were fantastic! I would normally feel really awkward having dinner when the restaurant is closing because I would assume the staff would be irritated by us, but we did not feel that way at all. They were out of 3 of the 5 or 6 specials for the night, which was a little disappointing. I would probably give the food 4 stars. I had the redfish which was breaded with a cajun type seasoning and came on fried shoestring potatoes and squash. I have to agree with another reviewer that the shoestring potatoes weren't quite what I would have liked to have with the fish as they were very crunchy and difficult to eat. But the little squash halves were so delicious! My fiance had the scallops which he enjoyed. I had a canteloupe martini which I would definitely recommend to anybody who likes a fruity drink and he had an espresso martini which he said was one of the best he ever had. They use real espresso in it, and it is definitely a coffee lovers dream. I would definitely recommend this restaurant and would return again.

    (5)

  • Melissa R.

    Thank you so much! Dinner was delicious! BBQ shrimp appetizer was superb! Happy hour is so worth it! Staff is amazing!

    (5)

  • Cobra K.

    Probably one of the best places I've eaten at in Orlando. Did the degustation meal...you eat in the kitchen with the chef and sous chef.

    (5)

  • William P.

    Food quality is very good, but in comparison to other Emeril restaurants that I've enjoyed, the service is much too slipshod. They forgot what wine we ordered. They didn't know who got which appetizer. They didn't land all the plates at the same time. They brought the wrong dessert, and we all had to wait while the fourth dessert at the table was made up fresh. Then, to top it off, that dessert was the worst dish at the table. Mildly disappointing, at least as far as Emeril restaurants are concerned.

    (3)

  • Alex E.

    For lunch, Emeril's is an excellent value. We stopped in here around 2:30 after spending the day inside Universal. Probably due to the time, it was not very busy at all. From the very beginning the service was attentive and engaging. Multiple waiters work together to make sure your water glass stays full, dirty dishes are cleared, and crumbs do not linger. It can be a bit disconcerting having that much service from waiters in ties while in theme park gear, but hey, it's City Walk. I went with the 22$ 3-course lunch option. I chose mussels as an appetizer, braised short rib as an entree, and bread pudding for dessert. My wife had less of an appetite and went for an oyster po-boy. One thing that made a very good impression is that the staff made it easy to share the appetizer and dessert. They didn't give us grief for my wife not buying into the 3-course option or whatever. And let me tell you, with the amount of food given, I'm glad I had someone to share my appetizer and dessert. They don't skimp just because it's lunch. The mussels were cooked well in a broth with chunky tomatoes and onions with some grilled bread for dipping. The short rib was a very large portion, and the horseradish mashed potatoes were an absolutely fantastic accompaniment. The bread pudding was good, but nothing to write home about. We would definitely consider coming back to Emeril's for a nice lunch.

    (4)

  • Tracee A.

    YUMMMMMM YUMMMMMM YUMMMMMM. I ordered the chicken and sausage gumbo as a starter, which was good, but it lacked heat. I like my gumbo with a little spice, but whatevs! For my entree I ordered the Lamb Shank....OMG I could have combusted at that very moment, and been ok with it! It was tender, it was tasty, it was what food it supposed to be. I wish there was one here in California, because I want it NOW! Kudos Emeril...Im a FAN! P.S. The staff was above attentive and very customer oriented.

    (4)

  • MB G.

    My family and I went to Emeril's for lunch recently. Food and service were sub par. We asked for rolls, were told they were coming out of the oven and then never got them. We ordered 2 of their pizzas, they came to us room temperature.

    (1)

  • Kristine W.

    I expected more from Emeril. I wanted some BAM, bitches! Well, not really, I actually think the way he talks to his food is a little too sexual for comfort. I'm not sure how I feel about paying heaps of money to dine with sunburned families in Hawaiian shirts, tank tops, shorts, flip flops (not that I wasn't a hot mess), and creepy old rich men looking for their third wives or mistresses (can't I just stuff my face in peace?)? Minus one star for the creepers...and the kids. I know it's City Walk, but it's Emeril. Anywayyy... let's talk about sex, bay-by---err, I mean, let's talk about food, bay-by... * Crab cakes: Bomb. * Sausage plate: Dry, tiny, disappointing enough not to finish (and I'm CHEAP...and a human garbage disposal). * Baby spinach salad: Sheisty! Probably had 5 little SLIVERS of apple and bacon. BLAND! They raped me for $12!!! * Chipotle Louisiana crawfish mac n cheese: Amazing as it sounds! * Creamed spinach: Don't think I've ever had creamed spinach before--one of the best dishes, for reals! * Cantaloupe martini: Actually tastes like cantaloupe! Sweet but not too bitch-drinky. Loved it! * Strawberry sorbet: Nom nom nommy birthday surprise for my lovely dining partner :) It was a wonderful meal, overall, but that may have more to do with the actual space. But seriously, prices are too high.

    (3)

  • Laura L.

    This was my second time at Emeril's Orlando, husband's first. I agree with other posters - the 'team' approach to the dinner was more of an annoyance than anything. I never knew who I was talking to and they seemed to not quite have their ducks in a row. I would much rather have one waiter/waitress throughout the meal. When you throw a team at a table of 2, it seems very impersonable and mistakes are likely. Also, I didn't take this into consideration when giving stars, but the couple next to us had a TERRIBLE night. The wife was given a menu with an old special inside. When she received her food, it was completely different than what the menu said. Not wanting to wait for her dish while her husband ate, she settled for her starter salad. I truly did feel bad for them. Our food was - eh. We are from Louisiana and upon tasting the andouille gumbo we both agreed that our dads make it much better. It was good enough to finish, but not great and when you're paying as much as you pay at Emeril's, you expect great! I had the Emeril Salad as a starter and I really enjoyed it. One thing to note is that our waiter asked if I would like cracked pepper on my salad. I said SURE! He then set off frantically to find some. I just found that odd and after a minute when I realized he was on the hunt for pepper, I just motioned to him not to worry about it. No big deal, just very random and not something you expect at Emeril's. For our entrees, the husband had the andouille crusted redfish. The meuniere sauce that comes with it was excellent. The fish didn't really hold its own without the sauce though. Overall I give the dish a C+. I had the 8 ounce filet with mashed potatoes and garlic sauce. I asked for the filet to be cooked medium rare. It was VERY RARE - to the point where I couldn't eat a couple of bites in the middle as they were inedible. My husband is tight and was not amused when I left a couple of bites from a $50 dish behind lol. I love a good, tender filet and this was just not enjoyable. The mashed potatoes and garlic sauce were very good and overall I give this dish a C+ too. When you spend $130 for two people to eat, you'd really like to at least say that you give all of your food an A+, but at this point we decided we just paid for the name Emeril's on the sign outside. We are already planning our next trip to Universal, and Emeril's will not be on the itenerary!

    (3)

  • Damien S.

    What a disappointment. Our wait "team" was confused from the moment our group was seated. There were 7 of us and drinks and dishes were given to the wrong person numerous times. When I asked our waitress why the fried green tomato appetizer was cold she told me it was due to the shrimp on top which are served cold. Seriously? The rest of the meal was very bland and not worth mentioning. Thanks Emeril Lagasse for maintaining a very mediocre overpriced tourist trap of a restaurant that makes New Orleans cuisine look mediocre and overpriced. Your franchise may be in trouble if this is your best effort.

    (2)

  • J. D.

    We went to Universal for a family vacay and saw Emeril's had a kids menu, so we decided to give it a shot...The service from the very beginning was outstanding! We have been to fabulous restuarants in NYC and have never been treated as welcoming and warm as we were here.. The atmosphere was wonderful, we had 2 or 3 waiters attending to us constantly and the menu was amazing! We were very impressed with the kids filet mignon and the desserts were out of this world.... The price we paid was worth every single penny and it is a family favorite every time we visit Orlando in the future! TOP NOTCH FOOD AND EXCELLENT SERVICE!!!!!!!!!!!!

    (5)

  • Mike V.

    The food here was inspired 4.5 stars. Make sure you make a reservation though. Also, don't plan on wearing workout shorts and a t-shirt, as the dress here should be nice resort casual. Our kids all are off the kids menu, yet felt like adults. Our waiter was either clearly distracted, or simply annoyed that my wife, Kim ordered an appetizer for her main meal (mind you we sat in the BAR) so that's why overall, I only gave 3 stars. That being said, we'll be back. Waiters can change quality, an Emeril menu cannot.

    (3)

  • Neil Mikel L.

    Beautiful interior. Relaxing. Smells yummy. I would have loved to eat here more, the lunch was just great. The service fair, but we never got our free desert, didn't know about the special until I walked out and saw the lunch special posted. I though the waiter should have tried better to get me my free desert...regardless, you must try this place, it was what I expect when I travel and want a memoriable experience.

    (5)

  • Earl W.

    AWESOME. I ate the steak, collard greens and sweet potatoes. They have the best collard greens I've ever tasted.

    (5)

  • Courtney W.

    I had their pre-fix lunch. I had their gumbo for an app, chicken and waffles for an entree and an apple turnover with vanilla ice cream for dessert. All and all it was a great meal and the price was definitely right. I would go again and I definitely want to try their dinner.

    (4)

  • Sahira G.

    I would have given this restaurant two stars, but I went a few years back and it really was a great experience. This time, however, was not. My husband took me to Emeril's for Valentine's day. We made a reservation and got seated immediately. The servers (there were 3) were pleasant but seemed disorganized. For apps, I ordered the seared tuna. The quality of the tuna was definitely there. The mangoes and cucumber were great contrasting textures. However, the truffle honey was clear and slimy, which made the tuna very unappetizing visually. For main dishes, my husband ordered the chicken, I ordered trout. I should have asked what exactly was in my dish, because I envisioned something totally different than what was given to me. It was two massive filets of fried trout, sitting on a bed of swiss chard, smothered in this heavy cream with corn. I get that I wasn't prepared for that type of dish, but it really wasn't that good. The swiss chard was delicious, but the trout was greasy, the breading on it was blotchy, and the sauce was entirely too heavy and EVERYWHERE. It was smothered over everything. I picked off my husband's plate for most of the meal, as his dish was really good. Halfway through service, one of our waiters dropped a wine glass on the floor right next to one of the guests. It got all over her jacket and shoes. We got two breads during our 20 minute wait time for apps. The waiter wanted to bring our straws with our drinks instead of with the water, so we were thirstily waiting for them to bring our drinks and straws. Overall, the experience was not worth the money. Someone sitting next to us had a steak, which looked good. I'm thinking about giving it one last shot for that steak.

    (3)

  • Jonathan B.

    Ill warn you now to just avoid this restaurant. Food tasted horrible. We had a pizza and roasted lamb leg that they recommended for dinner. Mediocre tasting with 5 star prices. Tourist trap indeed. Emeril should be ashamed to have his name associated with this restaurant.

    (1)

  • Tom B.

    I'm no fan of Emeril Lagasse's "bam," "kick it up a notch" schtick on the TV, but I've enjoyed every dining experience I've had at Emeril's Universal Studios. I was there for lunch for the first time today. The service was friendly, prompt, attentive, professional, and so on. They feature a shrimp and andouille sausage gumbo, which I had for a starter. It took me right back to the Big Easy. Along with the gumbo, they gave me a couple of breads. The sweet potato bread -- I must get the recipe. I had intended to try a muffuletta sandwich, but seeing that the Turkey Breast sandwich was served on marble rye, with avocados which I can't resist, and pomme frites, that was my chosen entree. Seated next to a window looking out at the crowds heading for Harry Potter while drinking a fine red wine, it was "bam" once again.

    (5)

  • Never M.

    Delish! I tried going here before but it was always bad timing for me and the bf. Not this time. We went for lunch and it was awesome. The place was so clean. There were no crumbs in our seats, no balled up napkins on the bathroom floor. YAY. Our waiters (there was more than one assigned to each table) were young but very knowledgeable. They recommended calamari which I hate and truffle flatbread to start with. So that's what we tried. The calamari was outstanding. It was not rubbery or grainy, it was tender and very fresh, also fried to perfection. The flatbread was great. It was hot when it was served to us so the oil and cheese were still bubbling :-) niiiice. The best flatbread I've had. For an entree I ordered the muffaletta sandwich. I know I should've ventured out more. But it was recommended by one of the youngins and it was good! It wasn't a traditional muffaletta though. But very well made. I have no idea what bread was used to make this sandwich but it was some good ass bread. I hate salami. Salami of course was on the sandwich but, it was very good salami. It didn't taste at all like what I've known salami to taste like. The coleslaw that came w/the sandwich was sooo good, and I thought my daddy made a good slaw. Wow. My bf ordered a pecan crusted fish. I don't remember what fish it was but it was VERY fresh and damn good. And it was swimming in some type of spicy brown sauce. We love mashed potatoes so we ordered garlic mash. They were all out of mash for lunch but made some special for us. They were so good. But how can you mess up mashed potatoes. Oh! and Emerils gives you a choice of complimentary breads. French or sweet potato, both were very hot and excellent. For dessert I ordered a strawberry shortcake. It was I guess Emerils version of strawberry shortcake. I have no idea what sweet biscuits are but that was the "cake" part, and it wasn't very sweet. There was whip cream sandwiched between the sweet biscuits and it also lacked sweetness. The strawberries were good and fresh though. Overall It was not good...at all. I probably should've ordered somethin else for dessert and next time I will. What stood out to me about the restaurant was the staff. Their recommendations were right on. They recommended 2 dishes that I hate that were outstanding. But if you're at Citywalk you have to come here. Forget about everyone making fun of the touristy atmosphere and get yourself some good food.

    (5)

  • Rhiannon R.

    Their daily specials are unbelievable. They have a good happy hour each day as well. Great food, good atmosphere. We come here all the time and the service is always top notch.

    (5)

  • David L.

    I came here with about 20 others for a corporate dinner. I am now wishing we had one of these back in Denver. The best part of dinner for me was the dessert. It was a deconstructed banana cream pie and probably the best dessert I've ever had! The red fish dinner was possibly one of the best fish dishes I have ever had. The fried fish was flavorful and tender. It was on a bed of shoe string onions and potatoes. The appetizer I got was the bbq shrimp. Be careful as this sauce is very spicy. I also tried the sausage, fantastic!

    (4)

  • L L.

    Family of four ate here for lunch so we could get some non-park food before heading back in for the rides. They have a prix fix lunch menu with app, main and dessert for $22. Hubby and I had delicious salmon and son had chicken BLT. Loved it. Daughter had puff pastry with seafood and said eh. Prices were $15-20 ish but the food is so much better than in the parks. Enjoy

    (5)

  • C. M.

    The food and service was superb. As a foodie from NYC, being on vacation for long stretches of time is maddening since I'm constantly eating out--at crap places. This place restored my sanity. (Tellingly, click on the one-star-reviewers' profiles and relish their five-star accolades for places as pedestrian as Olive Garden or KFC.)

    (5)

  • Jennifer C.

    We got dragged here for the banana cream pie so didn't expect too much otherwise. The food was good, very nicely presented but flavors not exciting and nothing seemed special or all that bad either. But the banana cream pie was perfection!!!

    (3)

  • Stephanie F.

    Happy hour 5-8. Try the strawberry lemonade, it's delicious, but be ware, it's potent.

    (4)

  • Sabrina L.

    Emeril's was a massive disappointment! We were served by a "team" instead of by one waitress, and the only thing that served to accomplish was a long wait and a lot of confusion about who was supposed to bring our wine. My flatbread was so dry it was unpleasant to eat, and they'd scraped on such a tiny amount of cheese that I couldn't even use a knife to spread it around. I'd also asked for light onions, yet there were so many it was difficult to pick them all up. My dining partner was similarly disappointed with her cajun seafood dish. You can get a lot better food at almost any gas station in Louisiana.

    (2)

  • Sara Y.

    Really decent and convenient to maximize your time in the park without getting stuck with the heavy pizzas and burgers. I was on the look out for something suitable for my diet pescatarian/vegetarian and avoiding wheat. What normally happens on vacation and travel for work is overeating, so I was really looking for a nice light lunch and Emeril's delivered. I got fish tacos (just had it without the flour tortillas for wheat-free)-I wouldn't say it was anything special or unique but was nice juicy and flavorful. For a sit down restaurant with attentive waiters I think the price on the meal was fair enough. Great airy and open feel, quiet enough to carry on conversation with your table.

    (4)

  • Tatiana B.

    We made it a yearly "thing" to come to this restaurant because we really enjoyed it the first time. However, as we kept coming back every year, I've slowly been more and more dissapointed in the food. I usually plan to go during September because of Magical Dining as it gives me the opportunity to try different plates. My BF always gets the same thing on every visit because he really, really, really likes their double cut pork chop. However, the last time we were there it was not nearly as good as usual and they changed a few components of the plate and we did not like them, like before they used to serve it with a delightful tamarind sauce and sweet potatoes. Not anymore; they revamped the dish and added some apples, collard greens and horseradish sauce, not a fan. I have tried various things but of course their menu changes quite often. My favorites items have been the duck dish with bok choy, bacon wrapped scallops, the filet mignon, their white chocolate bread pudding is to die for and what I really, really love is their sweet potato bread (and they did not have it last time, fail!). I can eat 5 pieces of the sweet potato bread covered in that creamy, delicious butter. By the time the food comes out, I'm full. I've tried a few chicken dishes but I'm not a fan as I feel the meat does not have any flavor whatsoever. Service is always fantastic. They make you feel important. You have like 3 different servers checking up on you at all times. The last few times, we have been both very dissapointed with the food as far as flavor is concerned. I might give them another try sometime.

    (3)

  • Sean K.

    Sorry Emeril, didn't have a great meal here :( The service was good, very prompt with re-fills and request. Professional and knowledgeable. The rolls were good and warm. The appetizer wasn't bad had the pork and clam bolognese. Kinda tasted like a regular bolognese didn't have anything really great, nothing really stood out. I had the 18oz Rib eye and it was pretty good nothing amazing. Good cajun spice well seasoned and cooked correctly. However the potatoes that came with it were Bad. Cold, chewy and tasted like the vegetable oil they were evidently cooked in earlier in the day. When I pay over 100 dollars for a meal for two, and especially at a place like emerils, I should walk out of there impressed and unfortunatly I'm not. I really hate to give a place like an Emerils a bad review but I've had better elsewhere.

    (2)

  • Vivian L.

    if I could have given them a 3.5, I would have. This restaurant is located on the Universal Studios Citywalk when at dinner, throngs of people are making a mass exodus from the theme park, past the restaurant, to their cars so lots of people watching if you get a window. The service of 3 servers for a party over 6 was pretty good, they were pretty attentive and did the fancy thing of placing all plates, even dessert, all at the same time. If you don't want their white dinner napkins to flake all over your dark colored clothes, you can also them for a black napkin. Now to the food. They had 2 options for bread, I had the sweet potato bread and it was yummy. Warm, soft, crisp shell, yum. I started with the BBQ shrimp appie. It was ok. The sauce was heavy and I couldn't really taste any spices in it except just a heavy sauce with some BBQ notes in it. Wasn't impressed. Next the Emeril's salad, it had too much dressing on it. The gumbo that followed was better, tasted more like a normal gumbo with homemade sausage in it and some more shrimp. My entree of braised short ribs wasn't very good. It was definitely heavy but greasy!!! the bowl had like half an inch of straight fat/oil sitting in a section between the short rib meat and the mashed potatoes. That sight only made me feel even more full when I was trying to eat it. About 25% of the shrot rib was actually fat. I feel like they made the short rib today and didn't get rid of the fat in the sauce and also didn't let the spices sink into the ribs cause I kept putting salt and pepper on my entree to give it some taste. So quantity is there, but I would rather go for quality. Dessert was the best meal I think. We shared the upside down pineapple cake, strawberry shortcake, creme brulee which were all pretty good. But the best one was a caramelized white chocolate cheesecake, this was heaven. All in all, pretty pricey, service was good (minus the singing and clapping waiters who would sing happy birthday to people really loud like we were at Chevy's), wasn't too impressed with the food.

    (3)

  • Tammi A.

    Pros: the wait staff was attentive and they knew their menu very well. Cons: the food was okay but nothing super. I would definitely go to another restuarant at City Walk with less expensive prices.

    (3)

  • Geri C.

    Food was meh - the lunch specials were a lil over the top -more like fine dining in the afternoon ?? great location though !

    (3)

  • Preeth K.

    When we were planning our vacation to Florida, I tried to center the fun things around good food. We were driving down, so definitely wanted to stop in Savannah, GA and get some Paula Dean's, but sadly the restaurant was closed for renovation. Since we were going to be in Orlando, I was told that Emerils at Universal Studio will be great. As we filed into Universal Studios Island of Adventure and the original park, we walked by emerils and we were excited that it was so close. We already had reservations for 930pm, we decided to go to the restaurant immediately after our time at the park, which would be the best idea since we wouldn't need to return to our hotel and come back to Universal Studios again. We walked into the restaurant and I was immediately impressed at how large the space was. We got our reservations sorted out and got a nice table. Our waiter was extremely nice and friendly. The cornbread and the dinner rolls were absolutely phenomenal. The butter was warm and whipped - my favorite. We skipped appetizers since nothing struck our fancy. We ordered the Duck and the Grilled Red Snapper. The duck was great. It was my first time having duck and i kept thinking about Donald and Daffy the entire time. Besides almost tearing up, the duck was delicious. The rice that accompanied the meat was the star of the dish. It was absolutely phenomenal. The red snapper was good. Nothing majorly great, but the side potatos and mushrooms were deliciously marinated and crispy! Yumm. For dessert we had the caramel macadamia cheesecake which was fantastic. Honestly, on paper, this restaurant is great. But unfortunately like other reviews, it is overpriced when all is said and done. Would I come back to this next time I am at universals? - No. I would def want to try Bubba Gump Shrimps.

    (3)

  • Natalia R.

    Well i thought that my food experience it was going to be delightful, but i was kind of down at the end. At least the food my boyfriend and I ordered wasn't that decorated with garnishes and even that delicious as we imagined it would be. Food too overpriced for my point of view. I'm from Puerto Rico and i made the reservations very excited to celebrate the begining of our vacations.

    (3)

  • Feygens S.

    I've been here once back in the days. I'll be heading back to Orlando soon for business. I will definitely return here. The food is AMAZING!!...BAM!!

    (5)

  • Dana T.

    I went here i think the first year it opened, years ago.... It was one of the first "Fancy" restaurants I ever went to... It was good, very different... I don't associate fancy dining before or after you goto Universal, but we went... I would recommened going for the sake of saying you went to one of his restaurants...

    (4)

  • Edward L.

    Don't believe the hype! I was on a business trip and decided to visit the all famous Emeril's located in Universal Citywalk. Most of the food I've had in Orlando wasn't that good, besides the decent steakhouses and I felt that this would bring some joy to my flavor explosion deprived tastebuds. I was seated promptly with no reservation - then... 1) Service was surprisingly bad. I had to wait an unusually long time to get a freaking wine list. After ordering wine - we waited approximately 20minutes to get our gaddam wine. 2) Fortunately our servers could feel the anger seething from my eyes when I stared at them and they brought some complimentary appetizers to bring my temper from the ceiling to just about halfway. 3) We ordered the special of the day which included a salad, pork tenderloin, filet mignon, and desert. - - Salad was pretty good - - Pork Tenderloin - I could have purchased the same $hit from Costco - The server did a good job of explaining what went into the preparation of the dish, but boy was I disappointed. - Filet - They had explained that the Filet would come out medium to medium rare - that is how I like my beef. The filet came out well done. WTF!!!? They took it back and had to make me another one - After years of watching this guy cook, I figured that this place would rock. It's more like I would want to throw a rock at this place since I spent $300 on wine and dinner for myself and a business associate. I dont know if all the tourists and locals dont know the difference from decent food to really good food - but if you've been to any decent restaurant in a large metropolitan area with alot of competition, that person would agree that this place is terrible.

    (2)

  • Alice R.

    WOW! I was blown away by Emeril's. Went there on a Tuesday night with no reservations, party of 4. We got seated after a few minutes. Generally, you do need to make reservations ahead of time. Our server was excellent. He has been working with Emeril's for a number of years and transferred from New Orleans. He described the offering deliciously and made excellent recommendations. The Fried Green Tomatoes with lump crabmeat was my absolute FAVORITE!!! So Good! My colleague said his dessert of German Chocolate Cake was the best he ever had. Pretty high marks for someone who is a chocolate cake snob.

    (5)

  • Jeff W.

    Ate at the bar. Happy hr. Prices are a good value. Definitely recommend but main dishes are on the pricier side

    (4)

  • Leigh S.

    Way overpriced... but convenient to parks. Ordered the chef tasting, and the food was great. Service was also excellent. However, I've eaten at restaurants with better food for half the price.

    (3)

  • Alec J.

    It was a hassle getting reservations but the food was very good great beansoup appetizer and my salmon wad delicious I had fun went at night you have a great view I liked it

    (4)

  • Jodie F.

    My experience here was clouded by my fantastic experiences at Emeril's other restaurants in New Orleans (I've been to Emeril's and NOLA). I went in for lunch to take a break from the sun while at Islands of Adventure (Harry Potter!). I felt uncomfortable sitting at a table, as I was alone and wearing shorts and sneakers. I sat at the bar, alone, which was fine. The bar tender made me a sazerac, which is my favorite drink, and it was delicious and everything I wanted. I ordered the fried green tomatoes appetizer (it came with rock shrimp, bacon, and water cress with a remoulade). About 2/3 of the way through I realized I wouldn't be able to eat the burger I'd also ordered, but they were unable to cancel the order. So I ate some of the burger, which was delicious. The fried green tomatoes were pretty awesome as well. The water cress was awesome...I wish it popped up in more restaurants. All in all it was a lovely experience. I wish I could have gotten out of eating the burger, but everything else was great. Mmmm sazerac!!

    (4)

  • C. R.

    Given the other choices near Universal, Emeril's would be one of your best bets. It seems like it could be hit or miss though. We went for lunch and started with the tomato and mozzarella app. It was tasty, but the texture of the bread was a bit odd. I had the smoked mushroom angel hair dish as an entree. I wanted to love it, and I appreciated the fresh pasta, but it was way over seasoned ( and that's coming from a salt-a-holic). My husband's truffle flat bread was delicious though. We tried the chocolate cake for dessert which was the biggest disappointment. It looked dark and rich, but all I could taste was super sweet raspberry syrup. Not the chocolatey goodness I was hoping for. Overall it was not out of this world, but for a nice meal I'd give it another try. The service was excellent.

    (3)

  • Rob C.

    Let me say Emeril has never disappointed me with a meal. Not my favorite celebrity chef but he is growing on me as now this is now my fourth restaurant I been to his and I've had a great meal each time. I was sure a theme park restaurant couldn't be that great but I was happy I was wrong. I had the lane snapper that was a special and it was fresh and bright and I really enjoyed it. The appetizers were all great and you can do no wrong. His creole mustard is the best mustard I ever had. I would give it five stars but the parking and the walking just to get here was a bit laborious. If your at Universal and want to end the day with a great meal, this is your place.

    (4)

  • Gerard B.

    (Mar/ 2006) Tried Gumbo for the very first time-- it was good!

    (3)

  • Suzanne F.

    This was my first time eating at any Emeril restaurant. Granted, it is located in a theme park, but I was still surprised at how obnoxously noisy the experience was. Don't go here for a romantic or intimate dining experience. I found the atmosphere a little off-putting - very dim lighting, hovering wait staff and noise, noise, noise. There is an extensive wine list and a good bar. The food, however, was not as good as I thought it would be. I began my meal with the "Fried Green B.L.T. Cornmeal Crusted Green Tomatoes, Florida Rock Shrimp, Crisp Pancetta, Organic Watercress, Creole Rémoulade for $15. The tomatoes were encrusted with a very hard and thick batter, which certainly kept the tomatoes intake. There were at least a cup of tiny rock shrimp, more than an ample serving. The creole remoulade was a little too 'kicked up' for my palate. But the portion size was certainly worth the price. My entree was the " Pan Seared Sea Scallops egg noodles, stir-fry vegetables, Thai red curry sauce, Marcona almonds, cilantro for $37". The plate contained 6 large scallops, cooked to order, and the remainder of the dish was good, but a little over-priced. I had the signature "Emeril's Banana Cream Pie Graham Cracker Crust, Caramel Sauce, Chocolate Shavings for $10". I had been told by several people that this was the best banana cream pie ever, but I was a little disappointed, because the cream in the pie is vanilla, not real banana, and the only bananas were sliced and placed in the middle of the cream. It is an ample portion, and a beautiful presentation, but a little underwhelming. Would I go back to this restaurant? Probably, but I would order a salad and a flat bread, both of which looked fabulous on other people's tables. And I would go for lunch. By the way, there is a kids' menu, and there were lots of families dining the night I ate there. This is traditional NOLA food, with an Emeril twist.

    (3)

  • Val T.

    It's Emeril's need I say more ? One of the best meals I have ever eaten.

    (5)

  • Jeff C.

    A great place. I actually liked it better than his New Orleans restaurant.

    (5)

  • Christine N.

    I'm disappointed with the food and cocktails here. Our group ordered calamari, mussels, fried green tomato, pork chop,red fish, duck. Probably only the mussels taste ok to me. All the meat dishes were overcooked and dry. We ordered some mojitos; they tasted too sweet and artificial. I gave it 3* because the service was very good; they were very friendly. We stayed past closing time, and they still didn't rush us.

    (3)

  • G D.

    Hype but no fire to talk about. Not a foodie place at all yeah I saw the pork chop and it was huge but I've seen better grilled chops near central coast of California.

    (2)

  • Ryan S.

    Great Spinach Salad, Awesome Pork Chop- Easily accommodated our Food Allergies. Did I mention GREAT SERVICE, not just from our waiter but from the bus boy! Cool looking interior features- Thank you Emeril for providing such top notch quality, you've obviously perfected your trade and mastered your business model.

    (5)

  • Joseph L.

    At the time we went my wife and I Had been dating and were talking about marriage we are big Foody people and we decided to go on a Food Vacation stopping a Paula Deens 3 times 2 where free! And on to Universal In Florida. She new that I was going to ask her to marry me somewhere on the trip ( she did not know where). She kept saying Space Mountain, or the tea cup ride :-) Little did she knew that I for a few months I had made plans at Emerils. It was very easy to go online and make reservations also NOT WAITING PAULA DEEN !!!! When we got to the door we walked right in!!! I had spoke with the manager a couple of times to set things up Flowers on the table best seat in the house over looking Universal in a private area upstairs. The service was outstanding the food was outstanding!!!! Here was the plan they had the ring I said "do what Emeril would do for a Surprise" The courses went on I never saw the ring ( did they forget?) then it came to desert she opened her plate I wondered why it was covered? So she lifted the lid the chef had written in chocolate will you marry me and the ring was in the center!!!!! She loved it and so did I... Thats my Emerils story you have to go!!!!

    (5)

  • Jonathan M.

    I would have to say, overpriced, bad service and doesn't meet my expectations from the last time I went there a few years ago. I asked for medium rare for my steak and once I cut into it, it was done. I asked one of the 3 waiters I had that my steak was overcooked and wanted a MEDIUM RARE steak.... 5 minutes later, my steak comes back even more done. On top of that they used the same steak from before. What kind of so called high class restaurant use the same steak to serve me again. The waiters hardly ever came by our table once we had our food and only really paid attention to the tables that had less than 6 people...cause they knew they were guaranteed the 20% tip from us. I will have to say they left a bad impression about Emerils. I was really excited to come back after my first time there, and now I will never come back after this experience.

    (1)

  • Sam E.

    I was a bit disappointed with my experience here. The food was good, not great. Sides weren't tasty at all and everything seemed under seasoned. The service you'd expect at a place as nice as this was lacking. No personal touch, the waiter was seen just 3 times, the staff handled most of the things during the meal. Maybe it's because it's in a touristy area, but Emeril should have some pride and not put his name on things as low quality as this.

    (3)

  • Laine A.

    We tried both Emeril restaurants while in town. This location in CityWalk is easier of the two to get to and very popular. The interior is modern with lots of wood and metal. The lack of soft edges makes it LOUD. The server was very good and everyone enjoyed their meal. Everyone ordered fish, fish and fish. My six year old came. This is not a great place for children. They don't cater to them at all. (meaning no crayons, kid entertainment page, etc.)

    (4)

  • Rick V.

    Emeril, I'm sorry man. I really wanted to like your restaurant, but since it was so bad and completly ruined my sister's birthday, I can't think of much positive to say about the it. Honestly, if it were my restaurnt, I would have fired the manager on the spot or taken my name off the front of the buiding. It was embarassing considering Emeril's repuatation. Firstly, the service was horrible. It looked like they had a job fair at the local high school and hired the worst candidates. They didn't care though considering they were charging us an automatic gratuity (I'm not sure thier policy on this, but we had six in our party). Everything down to the basics were bad. I mean, if I order a salad, it needs to come out before my entree. This is especially the case if the salad costs upwards of $14 and tastes totally bland. I could keep going, but I'm going to leave you with the image that remains in my head everytime I think of this place: the giant hole that looks like it was punched in the wall next to the sinks in the men's room. Come on, have some pride in your restaurant and have some respect for those you charge unfairly large sums of money for an inferior product.

    (1)

  • Lily W.

    Emeril should stick to TV since all his restaurants are one worse than the next!!!!!

    (1)

  • Kat C.

    We went for lunch while we were at Islands of Adventures one day, and we were thoroughly impressed. I had the turkey sandwich and it was really good. My husband had the fixed price lunch with the Ahi tacos and bread pudding, and it was AWESOME. I will totally get that if I'm ever there again. I saved room for the banana cream pie and it was amazing - the absolute best crust I've ever had. Make sure you don't eat too much that you miss it!! The others at our table had the fried chicken with collards and the fish sandwich with a fried green tomato on top. I didn't try either, but both were met with raves. I did have a taste of the sweet potato biscuit with pecan honey butter served with the chicken, though, and it was FANTASTIC. I don't like to watch Emeril's shows, but I will always eat at his restaurants.

    (5)

  • Matthew M.

    It's kind of funny. Is this a waffle house or is this a white table clothe restaurant. Are tank tops and shorts the new suit? Are singing waiters and sparklers the new trend? No I must be at Emeril's. Dont get me wrong Emeril is a great chef and business man and is really opening up to the masses, but he could have done this with out selling out so much. The food was ok. Everything was heavily laden with some sort of fat whither it be cream or butter. The service is ok. We had 5 different servers. The price is the biggest problem here. I realize we are on city walk but 45$ for a piece of trout? Was he hand raised? Didnt taste like it. Bottom line. Do not waste your time or money here.

    (2)

  • Kim G.

    After eating here, I have come to the conclusion that you shouldn't dress up Cajun food, give me a shrimp po boy any day. We went to Emeril's on a Saturday night following the Blue Man Group show at Universal, a show that we were not impressed with. So we anxiously looked forward to Emeril's as a welcome oasis. Not so much. After barreling through the throngs of teen age tourists, we entered and had a round of drinks before being seated. We had an excellent bartender, Susan, who made me the best cocktail ever. Anyway, the restaurant was full and had very tall ceilings, which made it very difficult to hear during the whole meal. I tried to order a bottle of wine, but most of the wines were at $50 and up. They were out of the bottle I wanted and the server suggested 2 more, but they were $15 more so we decided against it. At least we had Susan's drinks to comfort us. We ordered the lobster bisque and the tuna appetizer for starters. The lobster bisque was pretty bland. It actually came out dark red with no bits of lobster in it and it was warm, which is always a bad sign in my book. Plus, I swear they snuck some meat into it. My tuna was decent, served with wonton chips and guacamole, but it wasn't anything to get excited about. For entrees, we ordered prime rib, salmon and sea bass. Alright, so no one got a meal with andouille sausage, was this already a mistake? The steak was OK, but I think the comment was, I had better at Longhorn, salmon was average, but they put this large stack of mashed potatoes on the side, that was tasteless and the sea bass was fine, but the sauce was too creamy and overpowering for the fish. We decided to skip the dessert since we wanted to quit while we were ahead, due to both money and not wanting another lackluster meal. I was very disappointed in the food, but I gave 2 stars because we had really good drinks. Thanks Susan!

    (2)

  • Hiromi N.

    BAM! It hit me as I was sitting Lakeside (facing the Hard Rock cafe) that I was about to taste some Emeril Lagasse creations. I have been to New Orleans many, many times for business and leisure, but was unable to ever make it to NOLA. I was shaking with excitement. At first, the service was pretty average, if not a little below average. I had made lunch reservations in advance, but still had to wait for about 15 minutes while the staff prepared my table for one. Then, my server disappeared after serving me water and forgot to take my order. Eventually, he did return, thank goodness. I put in my wine order and they delivered the demi bottle of 1999 Napa Valley Cain 5 Meritage, but for some odd reason my server had not taken the liberty to open the bottle, or provide a wine glass to me for that matter, for over 15 minutes. Yet, the food was worth the wait. To start, I had a warm spinach salad with feta balls. It was decadent and delicious. I would not recommend this salad to those thinking of dieting because I'm sure the dressing alone would suffice for a meal. For my main entree, I had the Smoked and Grilled Rib Eye. I was transported to heaven after my first bite of food and the wait staff grew increasingly attentive during the dining experience (could it be that I ordered so much expensive food and drink??? NAH..). Dessert was a wonderful ice cream sundae and a cup of coffee to round out the whole meal. All the decadence did cost some major moolah. About $200 to be exact!

    (4)

  • Leigh N.

    I dined here about a year ago just because of the hype and wanted to see if it was all its cracked up to be. In short, the food was pretty darn good. It had great presentation, it was served hot, the flavor was perfection and meat cooked perfectly. The downside...it was way expensive. For two of us, our bill came to over $100 and we didn't even order steaks or desert. Only maybe 2 glasses of wine. Also the atmosphere is really disappointing. Its a giant open room with soaring ceilings and hard floors with hard chairs....which add up to a really noisy place. Also we were seated by the kitchen entry and there were these awful fluorescent lights shining on us from the side. The wait staff was super efficient and took great care of us and overall I would say if you're vacationing and already at Universal, I'd go. Otherwise, there are lots of other better restaurants in the area that are easier to get to.

    (3)

  • Jackie L.

    Totally yummy. I had the prix fixe lunch for $22 which was an amazing deal - salad, pork milanese and godiva white choclate bread pudding. My husband had the custom burger. We also ordered the white truffle flatbread as a started and it was incredible - flaky crust with white truffly oil and freshly shaved paremsan on the top. Portions are not overwhelmingly huge and all the ingredients are fresh and flavorful.

    (4)

  • frank h.

    A few years ago we had the best meal we have ever eaten at this Emeril's location . So we looked forward to our visit on Jan. 19. What a dissappointment!! The food fair at best,.The potatoes were so salty we couldn't eat them, the steak was served lukewarm, the polenta room temp too. The manager apologized and bought us a drink. I wanted a wonderful meal for $200. Shame on you Emeril!!! This restaurant is living on its reputation, not on the food presently being served.

    (2)

  • Mark H.

    If you've dined at Emeril's in New Orleans and expect to find the same in Orlando you're going to be sorely disappointed. I had the smoked wild mushrooms, seafood and andouille gumbo, and the snapper. The mushrooms were decent, the gumbo was mediocre, and the snapper was a pathetic attempt at copying Emeril. Frankly, I had to scoop the andouille "crust" off the fish to stomach it. The only redeeming part of the meal was the banana cream pie, which was about a 3.75/5 compared to a solid 5/5 in New Orleans. I asked the waitress why the menu was devoid most of Emeril's signature dishes and she said that each Emeril's has a different chef and each uses his own recipes... What?????? This restaurant should be precluded from using Emeril's name!!! If you're in Orlando, save yourself a couple of hundred dollars and steer clear of Emeril's.

    (2)

  • Christina S.

    This place was alright. If you don't have reservations here, don't bother going. This place was packed when we got there for a "late" dinner. Both of us had to sit at the bar to eat because we didn't have a reservation. But there really wasn't much to choose from in the area we were in. The food was almost too rich for both of us and the cocktails where mediocre. I probably wouldn't go here again because its not worth the high priced menu items. The good thing about this place is that we could charge the bill to our room at the Portofino Hotel which is on the same "island like" resort area. That really helped because we were in an out of there and we didn't have to wait for the couple of trips by paying with a credit card.

    (3)

  • Christine P.

    I didn't realize that one of Emeril's restaurants was located in Orlando and it was a really amazing way to end the day after Universal Studios. This restaurant exceeded my expectations in many aspects. We came early and they took us in right away without a reservation. The service was very attentive and not too overbearing- offering their personal suggestions without pushing us to order. The food really blew me away. I notice very small details and I liked that the bread rolls were slightly warm. Throughout dinner, the serving assistant came over to the table twice with several options of bread rolls for you to choose from. I really loved that each plate left me feeling very fulfilled in what I expected from it. I personally enjoy simple and elegantly plated food because sometimes when there is too much going on, I feel as if the chef is trying to cover up bad tasting food. This food was probably one of the top 5 restaurants I've ever been too! There was just the right amount of food and it was cooked to perfection. What I found to be most amazing was the amount of flavor packed in the sauces! Emeril found ways to fuse together items people recognize, yet pair it ways that it brought out many other flavors. I could taste each level of intensity in each bite and it ended in very satisfying clean way- no lingering tastes. This restaurant is very expensive, which is way I only gave it 4 stars. Other than that, I really loved the whole experience would definitely recommend it to anybody going to the area.

    (4)

  • Andrea P.

    Noisy, even in the small upstairs dining area. Wine list tilted toward $300 bottles, which was way too rich for our group - a business group out for a staff dinner. Food was okay. Waiter had no idea how to pronounce half the things on the menu and while the staff was clearly well trained and attentive, the fact that he described some things incorrectly and did not pronounce them correctly made me wonder if he knew what they were. The fact that one or two were mispelled (I think) also made me wonder... I'd say... "eh."

    (2)

  • Danielle R.

    Very popular spot in the Universal area. I was in the mood for a non heavy meat dish, so the salmon certainly fit the bill. It was flavorful and perfectly cooked, served with a sweet potato has which was much sweeter than it needed to be, but still lovely. Others at the table were very happy with the pork (huge star of the night), the chicken, and of course the beef. Two of the biggest hits at the table were my starter of braised beef short rib with mascarpone ravioli as well as a friend's filet flatbread with cranberries and stilton. I wouldn't say it was an overwhelmingly fabulous dining experience, but it was good, and likely even better than that, but it was at the end of a long work day. I'd def go back. Reservations are a must. (Yes, there is that overhyped thing Emeril being Emeril and all that, but thankfully, do one runs around saying 'BAM' or anything, they just deliver good food and good wine.)

    (4)

  • Ruben R.

    Long day with the family between Islands of Adventure and Universal so we wanted to eat something else than hotdogs, burgers and pizza (theme park food). And given that we already tried Emeril's at Las Vegas, we ate at this place. Was a major let down that nearly the whole menu was filled with burgers/sandwchs and pizza. Even though we found some hidden gems like the great Gumbo and the chipotle duck tacos but the whole time it feeled as a tourist trap wich it is.

    (3)

  • Jolene F.

    Not super impressed. Our service was spotty at best. Waiter forgot my friend's drink and had to be reminded twice. The pasta dish my friend ordered was very different than the menu description. My salmon was okay, but not amazing. I was expecting more.

    (3)

  • Tom C.

    Great staff, great food, great service!! Ask go Danny to be your server! The BBQ sandwich was amazing. We also had the calamari is was great. I would recommend coming at dinner time the lunch menu is small.

    (5)

  • Zeek B.

    Lame, boring, pathetic... should have listened to the bartender at the place next door.

    (2)

  • April W.

    Very delicious! The lamb shack fell right off the bone, it was tender. The waiters were very friendly and sweet. The rolls they serve come fresh out of the oven for every order! My family was in a hurry so the waiter tried his best to get us out early and he did in a GREAT way! The food was AMAZING!

    (5)

  • Talia A.

    A great way to end a day of fun. We were staying on the universal property and I'm so happy I made the choice to eat dinner at Emerils. The food is delicious and everyone is so nice. I cant wait to go back.

    (4)

  • Daath S.

    One of the best dining experiences in recent times, fabulous food from start to finish, great wine list and a knowledgeable sommelier, great service with southern hospitality.

    (5)

  • Maribeth H.

    Not bad, not blown away. Have eaten here several times. Like to sit at the counter facing into the kitchen. The prep chef there will chat with you if not busy and will also let you taste things that are being made. The last time I was there they let me make my own banana cream pie and I got to futz around the kitchen. Cool experience. Food was solid, but nothing so memorable that I could remember it months later to order it again. Compared to other options in this area its my favorite.

    (4)

  • Alison O.

    Ok so let's start with we are in a tourist area. The food is good if you know what to get. I would 100% start with their appetizer shrimp. Ask for extra biscuits because you will want to use them with amazing sause!! I had the scallops which were as good as any high end restaurant would have. Husband and father had steak and it was VERY expensive for quality!! Go with something different than steak. We had butterscotch cheese cake and banana cream pie for desert. We enjoyed it. Husband loved butterscotch but banana is more popular. Take my advice; I'm huge foodie. :-)

    (4)

  • Nicholas S.

    Wonderful dinner! We had a variety of choices. Prime rib was very tender and well seasoned. Short ribs were unbelievable! Most importantly, the service was incredible! Thank you Yash, Rasheed, and Stevie for your incredible service!!!!!!

    (5)

  • Rob W.

    Emerils is a high end restaurant at City Walk. If you want to eat here, it is best to make reservations. They do have a changing menu, but always seem to have some dishes native to New Orleans on it, which I love. They do a very good job with seafood her, and that is what I usually try to order. This is a very good option for lunch, as well as dinner.

    (4)

  • Sara Y.

    Really decent and convenient to maximize your time in the park without getting stuck with the heavy pizzas and burgers. I was on the look out for something suitable for my diet pescatarian/vegetarian and avoiding wheat. What normally happens on vacation and travel for work is overeating, so I was really looking for a nice light lunch and Emeril's delivered. I got fish tacos (just had it without the flour tortillas for wheat-free)-I wouldn't say it was anything special or unique but was nice juicy and flavorful. For a sit down restaurant with attentive waiters I think the price on the meal was fair enough. Great airy and open feel, quiet enough to carry on conversation with your table.

    (4)

  • Tatiana B.

    We made it a yearly "thing" to come to this restaurant because we really enjoyed it the first time. However, as we kept coming back every year, I've slowly been more and more dissapointed in the food. I usually plan to go during September because of Magical Dining as it gives me the opportunity to try different plates. My BF always gets the same thing on every visit because he really, really, really likes their double cut pork chop. However, the last time we were there it was not nearly as good as usual and they changed a few components of the plate and we did not like them, like before they used to serve it with a delightful tamarind sauce and sweet potatoes. Not anymore; they revamped the dish and added some apples, collard greens and horseradish sauce, not a fan. I have tried various things but of course their menu changes quite often. My favorites items have been the duck dish with bok choy, bacon wrapped scallops, the filet mignon, their white chocolate bread pudding is to die for and what I really, really love is their sweet potato bread (and they did not have it last time, fail!). I can eat 5 pieces of the sweet potato bread covered in that creamy, delicious butter. By the time the food comes out, I'm full. I've tried a few chicken dishes but I'm not a fan as I feel the meat does not have any flavor whatsoever. Service is always fantastic. They make you feel important. You have like 3 different servers checking up on you at all times. The last few times, we have been both very dissapointed with the food as far as flavor is concerned. I might give them another try sometime.

    (3)

  • Sean K.

    Sorry Emeril, didn't have a great meal here :( The service was good, very prompt with re-fills and request. Professional and knowledgeable. The rolls were good and warm. The appetizer wasn't bad had the pork and clam bolognese. Kinda tasted like a regular bolognese didn't have anything really great, nothing really stood out. I had the 18oz Rib eye and it was pretty good nothing amazing. Good cajun spice well seasoned and cooked correctly. However the potatoes that came with it were Bad. Cold, chewy and tasted like the vegetable oil they were evidently cooked in earlier in the day. When I pay over 100 dollars for a meal for two, and especially at a place like emerils, I should walk out of there impressed and unfortunatly I'm not. I really hate to give a place like an Emerils a bad review but I've had better elsewhere.

    (2)

  • Marissa T.

    Any place that gives you three servers instantly makes you feel important, my water glass never fell short of halfway full while dining here. I came here for lunch before heading into the Islands of Adventure one days and I ordered the salmon, which was cooked perfectly medium- just the way I had requested. My dining partner ordered the turkey club, and the portion was definitely fit for two. I also got a glass of Chardonnay, which I left it up to the server to choose and it was right on point with my meal. The bread they offer is absolutely delicious and just the right amount. I peeked at the dessert menu, because I always love to look but nothing really jumped out at me. I wanted to try tchoup chop as well, since it was at my resort but I didn't get a chance to.

    (4)

  • Patty G.

    Went to Emeril's a couple of years ago [okay more like 4-5 years ago]... when my boyfriend and I were vacationing in Orlando as college students. Since we ate here so long ago... I'm judging from what I can remember. We both agree that the food was delicious! The service... OUTSTANDING! The atmosphere and decor beautiful. We pretty much love everything about Emiril's. BAM!

    (5)

  • Jessica G.

    A few years ago I went to a restaurant in rural Ohio and ordered a glass of Pinot Grigio (pee-no gree-jo). The waiter corrected my pronunciation, saying 'you mean pee-nut grig-gee-o'. I let that slide in Ohio, but that same experience (minus the pronunciation debate) is how I would summarize my visit to Emeril's Orlando... Emeril needs to get his butt to Orlando STAT to give the staff an intense refresher course! I've been to several of Emeril's restaurants and this was by far the worst experience I've had. The waitstaff were poorly trained, had very little knowledge about food and wine, and were so informal that they bordered on inappropriate. After we were seated it took about 5 minutes for us to be greeted by a server (it was mid-week and there were only a few other tables). When we were finally greeted I asked about their wine list, the waiter rudely flipped the page of the book I was holding and made me feel like an idiot for looking at the bottles page (versus the 'by the glass' page). When I inquired about the region their Riesling originated, my knowledge of West Coast v. German Rieslings was challenged ... and he was wrong (I may not know much about wine in general, but my knowledge of Rieslings could put Alpana Singh to shame (if you're not from Chicago, look her up)). Once the food arrived, the waiter struggled to even identify the food we'd ordered (we had the butcher plate and he didn't know what was what). The saving grace of this restaurant was the food, we started off with the butcher plate which featured an awesome duck prosciutto that was to die for. The entrees were very good, I had the sea bass that was perfectly cooked and really tasty. Considering the location of the restaurant, the food is about the best it can be... but when you have a name like Emeril attached to it, you expect the service to be stellar (even when you're in Orlando), and it was on par with the service at Denny's.

    (3)

  • C K.

    We went for lunch and it was a slow day so we got seated right away. Service was excellent. Food was very nice. Pricey, but not outlandish.

    (4)

  • Mark N.

    Great food, great service. Nice to sit down and relax after hitting all the parks!

    (4)

  • Jennifer L.

    Looks similar to what I remember from the one in NOLA (though I was there 10 years ago), but with more of a TGIFriday's chain at the mall feeling. A pet peeve of mine is when the bartenders give you grief for transferring you bar tab - especially when all you got was a happy hour glass of wine - what would your tip have been $1? This is the service industry; don't put the customer out so you can make an extra dollar. Spitefully, I probably would've left her cash, but I didn't like the attitude I got when I asked to transfer the tab, so I'll have to trust that our server did his job in tipping out the bar. Service was good - very attentive since we had two guys tag teaming the table. The food was good as well, but I just can't over the way too casual location and the folks wandering in in their "we just got done with a full day of water rides at Universal Studios" garb. The bathrooms looked water damaged and run down. Definitely not the experience I've come to expect from Emeril's.

    (3)

  • Michelle B.

    To start with, they screwed up our reservation. We reserved a table for Saturday night at 7:45pm. When we turned up there was a lot of hanging around at the host stand. He finally announces that our reservation is in the computer for Sunday night. Believe me I didn't screw it up as I had to arrange a babysitter. So, he tells us all he can do is seat us in the noisy bar area. We go with this because it's a crazy and crowded Saturday. The food was nothing special at all. Emeril should seriously get down here immediately because if I were him I'd hesitate to have my name on this menu. The service was good and timely. I would not recommend this place though due to the reservation mix up and the mediocre food. There are better restaurants out there, even in Orlando!!

    (3)

  • Stacey S.

    Came here for our anniversary and they treated us like royalty. Great food, great service, and great atmosphere. Would totally come back!!

    (5)

  • Edward B.

    Emeril's Orlando has a bright and cheery atmosphere with tons of waiters to keep your glasses full and fresh bread on your plate. My favorite roll was the Sweet Potato bread which was addictive! I ordered the Kurobuta Double Cut Pork Chop with Carmalized Sweet Potato, Essence of Tamarind Glaze and Green Chile Mole. It was surprisingly large, cooked spot on and full of flavor. The Green Chile Mole was authentic with a twist and complimented the Pork Chop perfectly. Definitely worth the 4 Star rating.

    (4)

  • Scott R. D.

    We went for lunch I was highly disappointed in the short list of entrees. In fact I couldn't find one I wanted. So, I had two appetizers. I started with shrimp and andouille sausage gumbo. It was hearty and nice, but certainly not the best gumbo ever. It was good, just not great. I had a second appetizer as my entre, the wild & exotic mushroom goat cheese cake($9), with confit fennel, & greens. It was quite good, if not all the elements described on the menu. I was told the lentils would be missing, but not told that the frise salad would be replaced with plain salad greens. Not that it mattered much, but I imagine the bitterness of the frise would have been nice. The richness along with the gumbo and bites of my mother & sister's dishes filled me up. A bit expensive for what it is, but Emeril's food was delicious even though the menu wasn't quite what we expected.

    (3)

  • Kim W.

    We went here for one of our anniversaries. I had been wanting to go for awhile and it was well worth it. I got the crabcakes, because I just can't resist sometimes. They were delicious, and I am hard to please with crab cakes. Also, the banana cream pie is to die for. It's not a cheap meal, but the service is very attentive and the food is top notch.

    (5)

  • Sylvia I.

    Just had lunch here with the entire family and was pretty disappointed. Food was average with a couple of good dishes. Service was initially good, but then they stopped coming or even looking over at the table once the food came, and we had to keep flagging our waiters down. With three waiters assigned per table, why am I having to flag down a waiter?!? My brother and I ordered the andouille crusted redfish, which we both thought was dry and overcooked, but it did have a good flavor. My dad ordered the shrimp and grits, which he said was really tasty. My husband ordered the ciopino which he was raving about so much that my dad ordered one for himself after polishing off his shrimp and grits. My mom ordered the pork milanase through the Big Easy Lunch Crunch, but wasn't that excited about it. Now the biggest downer of the meal and experience... My youngest brother ordered the rib eye cap steak, medium rare, and was given a well-done steak. He sent it back, and it came back even more cooked!! Also, it was the same exact steak that my brother had sent back! (*Note - we know because it had a slice in the steak where my brother had first cut into it.) I've been to MANY other restaurants where they would cook you an entirely new entree. We couldn't believe it. I told the waiter to just take it off the bill since they couldn't get it right. The waiter apologized and said that he thought that my brother asked for a medium-well steak. Um...no. If he did, then why would he have sent back the initially well-done steak?!? A few minutes later a manager came over to apologize and ask if we needed anything else. We told him that we were waiting for our second cioppino. He brought it out within minutes, but by then my brother and the rest of the family were completely annoyed. My brother had to wait 1.5 hours to eat his lunch...and we got there at 11:30am when there was maybe four parties seated. Since there was 6 in our party, a 20% gratuity was automatically charged. I couldn't believe that they didn't comp one of the dishes to make-up for their major mistake on my brother's meal. We were all regretting driving up from Tampa to come eat here. *Note - They will validate parking for up to 2 hours. That was the only perk.

    (2)

  • David M.

    Great place, great service, great food. I have been here at least 5 times and have never been disappointed at all. I love this place! Emeril is the best!

    (5)

  • April K.

    I honestly can't say I was impressed, especially considering that my entree cost about $40 bucks. I ordered the filet mignon and it came with a side of mashed potatoes. The filet was very seasoned, almost too seasoned. I mean every single bite was an explosion of flavor. I did like it, but wished they took the seasoning down a notch. The thing that left a bad impression were the mashed potatoes. If that is the only side you're going to offer, then at least make them good. How hard is it to make decent mashed potatoes? They were the most bland potatoes I've ever tasted. I was shocked, especially considering how over the top the steak was. Overall, I didn't feel my money was well spent.

    (3)

  • D K.

    Unless this place has changed since I visited the menu is in need of a massive overhaul. The experience was OK. I wasn't impressed, but I also wasn't too upset. The restaurant is tastefully decorated, the service is fine, however it's not exactly fine dining though the prces are. The food was just too heavy (nothing wrong with comfort food but this isn't the place for it), full of sauce and filler. Take a look at some of the reviewer's pictures and hopefully you will agree. Emeril is an excellent chef, so I don't think I am wrong to expect more from this restaurant. I know it's at a theme park and that's no excuse--Disney's Epcot has managed to consistently provide great food in the on-property restaurants over the years, even without the endorsement of celebrity chefs... All that said, I would still try out Tchoup Choup, as it seems he is focusing on that restaurant now. Three stars were given to compensate for the time since I ate at this restaurant.

    (3)

  • Tony J.

    I thought this was expensive and over priced for what they charged in Orlando. On the positive side the service and food quality was great, but, definetly overpriced. I enjoyed the duck entree, which was quite filling due to the large serving of meat. The sweet potato bun was especially unusual and delicious. This is a happening place on Universal's City Walk

    (3)

  • Sonja B.

    Greatly disappointed in both the food and the service. Visited for lunch and found the food to be bland and completely unremarkable. My airport food on the trip to Orlando was far more interesting. Service was both rude and unattentive.

    (1)

  • raymond c.

    my 2nd time ans WOW it was killer and my ribeye was out of this world if you want a killer meal ya this it

    (5)

  • Kelly M.

    I do not say this lightly... this was just about the best meal I have ever had. Absolutely fantastic service, attention, and food. I had the filet, and switched out the mashed potatoes for asparagus. It was all perfect and so full of flavor! Just amazing. Our waitress and waiter were attentive but not bothersome. I very much appreciated their willingness to converse and suggest menu items. I give this place my highest recommendation!

    (5)

  • Amy B.

    Seriously?? What's right about this place? Well the name implies you are going to have a foodie indulgent experience, not so. The service was very good - but that is about where it ended. What's wrong about this place? The price and the food and the menu was very odd. The venue was also VERY noisy - we sat in the outter patio area and there were 4 of us - and we were practically yelling at each other to be heard. I ordered a rib-eye - medium ($45). It was actually a rib-eye on the bone and it was very well done. I ordered the soufflé - hummmm.... interesting soufflé - very heavy, not at all delicious. Had a burnt chocolate taste and no cream or anything else to offset the heavy flavor. Overall - we had a $300 bill and a $20 experience I was EXTREMELY disappointed.

    (1)

  • Ann H.

    Went about a month ago and just now getting round to reviewing. Went on a rainy night, visiting from out of town. I had the pan seared scallops, DH had a pasta dish that was very decent. What detracted from the meal was the super loud party of 8 or so that was all wined up and yelling over each other. The acoustics of the restaurant do not lend for a nice quiet and romantic meal. This would lend itself more to a winding down on Friday night kind of place. checked it off my bucket list. Had comparable but less expensive and less noisy at home.

    (3)

  • Sean H.

    Been here three times. First time back 5 yrs ago. I had a great meal but very pricey but no issues. And I have no issue throwing down some $$ for a good meal but it was just OK. Last two times were aweful. Stale, microwavablelike. The last time our meal was comped because there was hair in 2 different meals not to mention the first course was not what we ordered. You are crazy to waste money here. Two thumbs down.

    (1)

  • Laura K.

    Food is ok but overshadowed by shoddy service. Too many waiters to get the order right; never got the glass of wine I asked for. Very disappointing for the money we spent.

    (2)

  • Jeff C.

    Was here during Thanksgiving. Food was excellent, service was good. For the price, may not be appropriate for young children.

    (4)

  • Steph S.

    I come here often. I have never complained nor have had any problems. The food is like it was made just for you. Presentation and taste are always outstanding. With three or more waiters always checking up on you to ensure fabulous customer service. Also, the dessert never lets you down. I always look forward to that part and try to save room. It is an experience everyone should try. Even the pickiest eaters will not complain.

    (5)

  • Steve B.

    Went as a group of 10 people - for dinner. Overall the food was mediocre - I had gumbo which was very good and a filet. For 50 dollars my fillet arrived somewhat cold with a side sauce that was cold The meat was good quality but the plate was not impressive. We tried their desserts - I had sorbet what a disappointment. I was really looking for a wow experience but did not get it.

    (2)

  • Chris F.

    I've been here 3 or 4 times now, and each trip has been equally enjoyable. It's an open, light-filled spot plopped right in the middle of Universal's CityWalk. Thousands of heat-soaked goofball parkgoers stream past the windows while you dine on succulent, Bayou-inspired fare, nearly destroying your appetite, but Emeril's menu triumphs over the panorama of slovenly American mediocrity. It's worth the chaotic trip into CityWalk for sure, and there's something on the menu for everyone - whether you're looking for gourmet or home-cooking or anywhere in between. And definitely get the chocolate souffle.

    (4)

  • Sonny V.

    My wife and I went here one and half year ago, service is good, food is ok....

    (3)

  • Rita S.

    Went here for appetizers just to see if if the Emeril brand was worth the hype. Had just spent the morning at the Harry Potter World in Universal Islands of Adventures on a unseasonably cold Florida day. The nicest thing about this restaurant is the ambience. Elegantly designed restaurant space with great view of the Universal City Walk scene. A nice quiet haven from a janky carnival atmosphere. The not so great things: --The service: it has all the appearances of graceful white table cloth service, but unfortunately, the staff is too young and inexperienced to make it a smooth experience. --food temperature. This was unforgivable. There were only a handful of filled tables, yet, our calamari appetizer came out lukewarm. Honestly, with the amount of people working that day, which was about 1 worker per customer, that calamari should have come pronto from the kitchen to our table. Instead, it was delivered by a staff worker to the dining room area with several other dishes, all covered by a salver (silver cover like you see from room service). It sat there for a few minutes until our waiter took it off the tray to our table. Too many steps, too many people handling the food. --Flavor: Or lack of flavor. Calamari was underseasoned but covered by leaden breading. The shrimp on the Friend Green Tomato dish was again, under seasoned. The highly seasoned remoulade sauce that coated the shrimp made for too much of a contrast. And the tomato was lukewarm (again) and not seasoned. The items on the plate just did not marry well together. This place gets 3 stars instead of 2 because we only had 2 appetizers and wanted to give Emeril's the benefit of the doubt. But we were dissapointed in a lukewarm kind of way.

    (3)

  • Brian R.

    In the hall of the vastly over-rated, this particular Emeril restaurant stands. I should add that I have been to his place in Miami and it is exceptional. Everything that could go wrong, though, here, does. The food was cold. The service was terrible, and these were the HIGHLIGHTS. Save your money for New Orleans or Miami or another place. The Universal Studios restaurant may have a Zagat sign, but it deserves only a CLOSED sign.

    (1)

  • Stacy L.

    OOOOHHH Boy, I hate giving bad reviews....Just got back from an Orlando trip (for business). Yes, I was half drunk when I went there- but being half drunk does not mess with my discerning palette, ha-ha ok not that discerning but hey I know good food vs. bad. So, I shared my meal with another person (we had eight in our party). He ordered the Salmon with some sort of potato side...I ordered the Tiger Prawns and Sea Scallops with Pappardelle. Everything was ok....except the scallops. My meal companion said that scallops are supposed to be burnt on the outside (I thought that was funny). Scallops should be not overcooked and seared lightly on the outside. These were chewy (cooked to long on the inside) and burnt- cooked at too high of a temp and too long on the outside. Hmmm, I have had better....and usually the better things come from the hole in the walls you don't expect....not from a pricey meal that left you wanting to get more drunk just to get the burnt scallop taste out of your mouth.

    (2)

  • Stephen R.

    Had the sea bass and it was very good. The service was good but this place is really average. Solid food but nothing to write home about

    (3)

  • Amanda S.

    We loved eating here! We waited a little too long to make reservations, so we ended up with only one option - the bar overlooking the kitchen. It ended up being the best seat in the house! Talking to the staff, watching how our food was made. It was delicious! I can't wait to go back next time I'm in Orlando!

    (5)

  • Rita L.

    What? no great reviews! This place was great! I don't know if its because it was our honeymoon and we were in bliss, but it was really good! We had a great server, fabulous wine, and awesome food. Till this day my husband has not tried a better rib eye than Emerils! It was one of our favorite dinners on our honeymoon!

    (4)

  • Andrew K.

    Really disappointing!!! While the overall dining experience was 2 stars, there were a few highlights. The fried green tomato were a highlight; they battered and fried the entire tomato deed fried, rather than individual slices. Additionally, the remoulade had a great cajun kick. The other surprise about the dish was that it was overly greasy. Another highlight was the Rib eye. It might have been one of the most delicious Rib eye's that I've ever had. It was massive and seasoned extremely well with a caramelized sweet & spicy encrusting. The last highlight was the service...very attentive and polite (most be noted that waiter did suggest a couple of the "signature" dishes that were disappointing). The rest of the meal fell flat and was very disappointing. Couple of misses: - Signature BBQ shrimp appetizer (very tiny shrimp that were over seasoned and drenched in Emeril's BBQ sauce). - Red Fish (over cooked and the Andouille didn't add the flavor that it was intended to add) - Seasonal white fish dish (bland and overcooked) Overall the meal was overpriced, over seasoned and didn't attempt to live up to the Emeril name!

    (2)

  • Yuna P.

    I won't lie to you. I thought Emeril would be hiding somewhere in the restaurant, and upon my entrance, he would jump out and say "BAM!" Although very unrealistic, I really thought it could happen (I mean, theoretically, nothing is impossible), so my friends and I went. Of course, there was no Emeril and no surprises. Instead, we were greeted by a polite (but less energetic than Emeril) seating host and got seated promptly. I ordered the Sauteed Gulf Shrimp with Herb-Pesto, which didn't taste as amazing as it sounded on the menu. I thought the ingredients (Sun dried tomatoes, pearl onions, and other items) in this dish would make a perfect blend, but it was rather funky. Definitely not something I would recommend. Nothing upsets me more than seeing my entree fail miserably. The service was okay but nothing extraordinary. The waiter was polite, but very impersonal. He wasn't helpful with the menu, failed to recommend me popular dishes, and his service was slow. I know I'm supposed to be in Orlando, enjoying my vacation, but I have other things to do and see than wait around for my check to come. Judging by my experience, this would probably be my first and last visit to Emeril's. Since Martha Stewart Takeover is well under way, I now at least have a legitimate excuse to not return! But overall, I think it's one of the nicer dining options for such popular vacation spot. I would dine here if you are trying to have a romantic night. However, I would highly recommend this restaurant if you are trying to restore your sanity from meeting Mickey and too many of his friends. I'm proud to say, this restaurant is kiddy characters-free!

    (3)

  • Doris Y.

    For the price tag, I was expecting more. ( Birk's in Santa Clara is better for rib eye ). I ordered his cowboy ribeye. The ribeye is pretty tasty but I was really disappointed that the potato came stale ( unless it is supposed to come that way... but it really tasted soggy ) To be fair, the ribeye and the sauce is good so the potato kind of ruined the dish for me. The daily soup of the day came salty and when we mentioned it to the waiter, they shrug their shoulder. We had to asked for the kids menu even though they clearly saw that my daughter is young. I would have given only two stars because I would not have gone back to Emeril except his dessert were good!! I would rate 4 star for his dessert so that is why I am giving him 3 stars. His Emeril banana cream pie and his Grand Marnier Souffle with ice cream are really good. If I ever go back to Emeril, I will go only for the dessert.

    (3)

  • Anthony V.

    Having visited several of Emeril's restaurants, I do enter with a certain level of expectation. The food is solid, the service is great, but for some reason I feel things should be kicked up a notch. Order a taste of New Orleans and Andouille Crusted Red Fish.

    (3)

  • Natalia R.

    Well i thought that my food experience it was going to be delightful, but i was kind of down at the end. At least the food my boyfriend and I ordered wasn't that decorated with garnishes and even that delicious as we imagined it would be. Food too overpriced for my point of view. I'm from Puerto Rico and i made the reservations very excited to celebrate the begining of our vacations.

    (3)

  • Feygens S.

    I've been here once back in the days. I'll be heading back to Orlando soon for business. I will definitely return here. The food is AMAZING!!...BAM!!

    (5)

  • Dana T.

    I went here i think the first year it opened, years ago.... It was one of the first "Fancy" restaurants I ever went to... It was good, very different... I don't associate fancy dining before or after you goto Universal, but we went... I would recommened going for the sake of saying you went to one of his restaurants...

    (4)

  • Sandra C.

    I went here on Friday the 17th. My Husband and I got the sample deal for $80. We where told that the meals where small and the 1-3 courses where excellent. Then came out #4 Quail.... The quail was the size of a small chicken and parts where still raw. The 5th Dish was some pulled beef which was not very good as well. The deep fried thing had no taste and the meat was a poor cut too (Lots of fat). Last was the dessert which I couldn't really enjoy since my stomach was upset from the last couple of dishes. Seriously not worth the cost of the meal. Very disappointed in Emerils I will never go here again EVER.

    (2)

  • Chanel A.

    White truffle flat bread. Enough said. So delicious and so worth the price. Never mind eating it as an appetizer, eat it as your entree!

    (4)

  • Edward L.

    Don't believe the hype! I was on a business trip and decided to visit the all famous Emeril's located in Universal Citywalk. Most of the food I've had in Orlando wasn't that good, besides the decent steakhouses and I felt that this would bring some joy to my flavor explosion deprived tastebuds. I was seated promptly with no reservation - then... 1) Service was surprisingly bad. I had to wait an unusually long time to get a freaking wine list. After ordering wine - we waited approximately 20minutes to get our gaddam wine. 2) Fortunately our servers could feel the anger seething from my eyes when I stared at them and they brought some complimentary appetizers to bring my temper from the ceiling to just about halfway. 3) We ordered the special of the day which included a salad, pork tenderloin, filet mignon, and desert. - - Salad was pretty good - - Pork Tenderloin - I could have purchased the same $hit from Costco - The server did a good job of explaining what went into the preparation of the dish, but boy was I disappointed. - Filet - They had explained that the Filet would come out medium to medium rare - that is how I like my beef. The filet came out well done. WTF!!!? They took it back and had to make me another one - After years of watching this guy cook, I figured that this place would rock. It's more like I would want to throw a rock at this place since I spent $300 on wine and dinner for myself and a business associate. I dont know if all the tourists and locals dont know the difference from decent food to really good food - but if you've been to any decent restaurant in a large metropolitan area with alot of competition, that person would agree that this place is terrible.

    (2)

  • Alice R.

    WOW! I was blown away by Emeril's. Went there on a Tuesday night with no reservations, party of 4. We got seated after a few minutes. Generally, you do need to make reservations ahead of time. Our server was excellent. He has been working with Emeril's for a number of years and transferred from New Orleans. He described the offering deliciously and made excellent recommendations. The Fried Green Tomatoes with lump crabmeat was my absolute FAVORITE!!! So Good! My colleague said his dessert of German Chocolate Cake was the best he ever had. Pretty high marks for someone who is a chocolate cake snob.

    (5)

  • Jeff W.

    Ate at the bar. Happy hr. Prices are a good value. Definitely recommend but main dishes are on the pricier side

    (4)

  • Leigh S.

    Way overpriced... but convenient to parks. Ordered the chef tasting, and the food was great. Service was also excellent. However, I've eaten at restaurants with better food for half the price.

    (3)

  • Alec J.

    It was a hassle getting reservations but the food was very good great beansoup appetizer and my salmon wad delicious I had fun went at night you have a great view I liked it

    (4)

  • Duane D.

    My wife and I had a great anniversary dinner here. To start, we had a fantastic table. We didn't ask for anything special, but were seated in the "Cigar Room" on the second floor. No actual cigars, just a fabulous view of Citywalk and the two theme parks. We were able to watch all the commotion in Citywalk and even see the fireworks at Universal Studios. The room only held 3 small tables. Very cool. Our waiter was excellent. Very helpful without being pushy or overly solicitious. In fact, there were about 4 different wait staff who did different things--filling water, fillling drinks, clearing plates, etc. I had a filet mignon and my wife had sea scallops. The entrees were fantastic. We also started with a couple of salads and an appetizer--the BBQ shrimp. All quite good. For dessert we had the recommended banana cream pie--which was quite tasty and more than enough to share. All in all, a little bit pricey -- $150 with no booze -- but its a very nice resataurant in a tourist trap. What do you expect? PRO TIP: They currently offer a free appetizer or dessert if you show a theme park ticket. We didn't have a ticket, but the waiter offered us the discount anyway. Emerills was a great meal -- worth a try for a special occasion. Ask for the Cigar Room!

    (4)

  • Cory E.

    Not impressed at all. We had two waiters, but they didn't communicate to each other at all. This lead to several gaps in service where it seemed one waiter thought the other was taking care of us. My friend ordered the salmon and was served a duck. This resulted in us having to wait for his salmon to be cooked while the food which was served got cold. I ordered the strip steak. The cut of meat wasn't the best. The bone was left in and it was served with barbecue sauce spread over the top. The barbecue sauce wasn't anything special and tasted like any store bought sauce. I would have thought that when emeril put his name on the door, it meant something, but I was sadly disappointed.

    (2)

  • Gerald G.

    Had dinner at the bar last evening. 16 people sitting at the bar, 3 bartenders and it took 20 minutes to get a drink. Ordered the Mahi Mahi it was good, but not outstanding. The restaurant has the bar doing the espresso drinks which is what they spent most of the evening doing. Therefore, not waiting on those spending $20 a drink. One bartender spent 15 minutes (yes I timed it) with her back to the bar counting her tips. Perhaps the service is better at a table, but the restaurant appears to be lacking management.

    (1)

  • Lauren P.

    This place is decent, but it won't rock your socks off in any way, shape, or form. Just meh all around. What a meh review this turned out to be :\

    (3)

  • Ken M.

    The appetizers were great. I had the cowboy ribeye. I've eaten here before and the last time was far better. Some years back. The ribeye was decent, didn't blow my mind. The service was a bit off. Not bad, just not up to snuff.... Had the banana cream outlet and it was great.

    (4)

  • Virginia E.

    My husband and I ate at Emeril's during our February vacation because I've been dying to eat at a restaurant of a "famous" chef. We probably wouldn't go again. Shortly after we sat down my husband realized there were tiny ANTS on his plate! The waiter assured us that this plate was for decoration only, and we would not be eating off them. He promptly removed both plates. Overall, the food was VERY salty. I started with the tomato soup, good but very salty. My husband had the clam chowder, ok but not what we would get in New England. It was gray and thin instead of white and thick. My short rib dinner was good -- but very salty. The only shining star was my husband's ribeye. He loved it -- but he should for $45! I guess it's one and done here. My cooking could taste like that too if I used that much salt.

    (2)

  • Alice T.

    I was looking forward to dining at my first ever Emeril's but came away rather disappointed. The food was just not very good. We shared a few appetizers (calamari, pasta with mushrooms, and BBQ shrimp). Nothing really stood out and the pasta was actually a little mushy. For the main course, I ordered the redfish because the waiter claimed this was THE signature dish at Emeril's. I found the fish bland and uninteresting. The best thing from the whole evening was the side dish of braised pork Mac n cheese. Worth trying and savoring.

    (2)

  • Theresa D.

    This place is amazing!!! We arrived during happy hour and where sitting immediately, I would recommend reservations. We decided to go with the tasters menu, which is on the pricey side. However if you are a foodie it is a great experience. Not to mention the food it amazing. We had scallops, soft shell crab, Filet Mignon and desert. All with the Emeril flare we have been watching on TV. Great way to feed the appellate after spending the day at universal. In addition even though it is consider upscale you can get away with shorts.

    (5)

  • Princess A.

    Flawless! Everything we ordered was perfect and so was the service! We were even able to bring our own bottle of wine for a small corking fee!

    (5)

  • B. T.

    As expected. We arrived late (10PM) and were unsure of how an Emeril's in a theme park would be but it was just fine. Wait staff were friendly and professional, steak was tasty and overall it was a good experience. One service bobble... we ordered an appetizer that never came. But, we didn't really need it anyway and weren't billed for it so not a big deal but for a higher end restaurant probably something Emeril would frown upon.

    (3)

  • Kiki P.

    Worst food we've had in years. Lettuce in the salad had dirt and mold. The bisque was runny with rick hard bits of bacon. Mussels were covered with salty and soggy French fries. Bread pudding a blob of hardened dough with a side if ice cream and whipped cream. Take s bite at Starbucks next door instead.

    (1)

  • Jason C.

    Poor experience. Emeril should consider taking his name off this place.

    (1)

  • Tiffany J.

    THE best experience I've had in all of Orlando. Great wait staff and wonderful food. We had a 5 course meal which had more than enough food. Great presentation. Friendly service. They have rock candy stirrers to go with their espresso. The waiter brought me one because I was so excited to see they had them. Great place to visit if you want to leave your guest(s) with a good impression.

    (5)

  • Mike B.

    The fried green tomatoes rocked!! We ate at Emeril's for dinner, our appetizer was one of the best preparations of fried green tomatoes we've tasted. The breading was crispy, the remoulade had a very nice tangy flavor, and to top it all off, a deliciously cooked shrimp elevated the dish. For the main course, we enjoyed the roast chicken and duck confit, respectively. Both meals were well executed, tasty, and the portion generous. We ended the meal with the chocolate tort and coffees. Yum! In addition to the great food, the service was the best we experienced in Orlando. Definitely get a reservation and go for dinner, you won't be disappointed.

    (5)

  • Cici F.

    The food here is truly amazing. I came here for an early dinner with my family and thought everything was just perfect! The service was great, the food was incredible, and the staff were very knowledgeable and accommodating for me (I'm celiac). Although they don't have a gluten-free menu, they were willing to tweak anything on the menu to fit my needs, and prepared it in a separate area of the kitchen for me to avoid any cross contamination. I even got to enjoy a flourless chocolate cake for dessert. It's definitely an expensive place to eat, but the food is so good it was worth the extra cost. Every member of my family left feeling satisfied and couldn't stop commenting on how good the food was. It's definitely a nicer upscale restaurant, so you have to dress up a little bit, but I was still able to wear jeans which is nice. We had a reservation for dinner, but there wasn't a wait when we got there at 5:30 so I'm not sure that a reservation is required if you're going for lunch or an early dinner. There is also a bar on the first floor with TVs so you can also just have a drink and appetizers if you want. Overall, I really enjoyed this restaurant and I think it's worth paying a little extra for the awesome food and service.

    (5)

  • Kyle G.

    Emeril should be proud. I recently planned a Holiday party here and only have praise for their food and staff. Their menu is fantastic, well priced, and offers something for everyone. My biggest compliment has to be saved for their sales manager, Cathy, who was an absolute pleasure to work with and made sure my event went off without a hitch. I look forward to eating here soon!

    (5)

  • Shannon W.

    Lovely atmosphere and spectacular service. Had a PERFECT filet mignon and the most amazing banana cream pie ever!

    (5)

  • Lauren M.

    Definitely the most impressive meal I had in Orlando. 5 stars for the set lunch menu! For some reason I had really low expectations for this place. Probably due to location (at Universal's "CityWalk"). If you consider yourself a foodie, want lunch and you are planning to be at Universal Studios, well, you'd have to be a FOOL to eat anywhere else, because all the other places are touristy "meh" food (if you can even call it food). Emeril's has an $18.50 set lunch menu including a starter, entree and dessert. At this price, I was imagining unwhelming food but I was completely wrong. For my starter, I had the PEI mussels with chorizo, smoked paprika, beer broth and pommes frites with chipotle aiole. This came out looking like a typical Belgian "Moules Frites" dish (which is mussels served with french fries overtop). The chipotle aiole was drizzled overtop really nice crispy fries. The chirizo was ground up and sauteed into the broth along with peppers and onions. Highly recommend this dish. I can't believe it was a starter, I had to forego eating all the fries to save room for the remaining two dishes. My entree was the Ahi Tuna tacos. Raw tuna was served with perfectly seared outside. The tacos (two) were served with cabbage and onions, cilantro-cream drizzle and an assortment of hot peppers. Some kind of sweet sauce for dipping. Again, a winning dish - at this point I'm in food heaven. For dessert I had the Godiva white chocolate bread pudding. I had no idea what to expect here because I've never even eaten bread pudding, but what I was served was absolutely nothing like I was imagining. This dessert was delicious. It looks like a small round sponge cake but was extremely dense/thick as it was soaked with delicious chocolate cream of some sort. It had a vanilla cream sauce served with a small dollop of whipped cream. My server (Laura) was attentive, polite and helpful. Numerous waitstaff kept my water glass full, brought me free bread (the sweet potato roll was very nice!) and generally made me feel quite taken care of. Too bad they don't do a set dinner menu!

    (5)

  • Michele R.

    I was pleasantly surprised by this place. I was expecting an overrated tourist trap based on location, but found the service and food to be quite good. The bar had a good happy hour deal on wine until 8 (I think the glasses were $5). I had the filet, which was cooked perfectly and tasted delicious. The servers were friendly and attentive and the food was appropriately priced. Nothing really "stood out," but I had no complaints.

    (4)

  • Sase D.

    The food was amazing and creative. Went with a large party of 10 and everyone was very happy with their meal. The service was also great. I highly recommend anyone vacationing nearby to splurge a little on a meal here.

    (5)

  • Ed G.

    I am a huge Emerial fan; however, the food here might as well have been from the Olive Garden. Bubba Gump around the corner would have been a better choice.

    (1)

  • Kristina M.

    Such a disappointment. The name is supposed to be worth something and unfortunately either Emeril just doesn't care or has completely sold out. The oyster bisque - i can't think of anything that describes it except BAD. The corn chowder was decent and the corn bread was amazing but our entrees were comparable to an Applebee's. The waiters were non existent, relying on the bus boy (who was great) to do all the work (we tipped him separately). To top it all off, my son had to use the restroom and we were looking for it - asked the manager where it was and he told us it was outside the restaurant (at universal walk). We found the restroom in the restaurant 10 feet away from where the mgr was. When I told my husband and he asked the mgr about it, the mgr told him that he was "just joking with me" and that they all joke around a lot here. Fyi to the manager: it is no joke to tell a mother with her 7 year that the bathroom is in a non existent place! Will never go to any emeril's again. Period.

    (1)

  • Matt G.

    Ok, the four stars are based off a very limited sampling of GUMBO and calamari. We were really just coming for the gumbo and it was really good. Just can't find good gumbo in Colorado. It's a little pricy, but worth the treat. Service was good.

    (4)

  • J T.

    Like that they sat us so late -- we drifted in 30 mins before close -- but otherwise not amazed. Split two apps and two flatbreads plus two drinks (beer and cocktail) for $80. To be expected, but the content didn't quite match. Me? Subtle, light roasted asparagus salad with seared tuna and walnut/truffle vinaigrette. Very gentle on the palate but lacking some bite. Dressing lacked the power to uplift the fish/veggie and so it felt a bit underwhelming.

    (3)

  • Marc W.

    I had some service issue that I had posted. I had rated the food a four and service lower. I am happy to say that management was responsive the the issues and I am impressed they took the time to address the issue. With that said I am happy to go to the food side now which was good. The barbecue shrimp were very good. The green tomatoes also good as was the escargot. The creme de la creme was the banana cream pie, to die for!

    (4)

  • Michael P.

    Dessert is the main event at Emeril's. The service was good even without a reservation, we were seated within 10 minutes. I had a pasta dish which was fine, but the chocolate souffle was out of this world. The drinks were also solid as well.

    (4)

  • Mitchell F.

    I love this place! As Homer Simpson goes: Chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah Sacralicious I have never been to an Emeril's before and I was spoiled from the time I walked in, to the time I walked out. I walked in and told the hostess I would just be having drinks. I took a seat at the bar and was given my first drink on the house. Amazed with the phenomenal service, I decided to stay for a quick appetizer: The Duck Thigh with Dirty Rice, Brussels Sprouts, and Au jus. I had it this afternoon, and I cannot stop taking about this wonderful gem tucked away in Universal. Whenever I've came, I didn't know what to do. Now I know how to spend my day. I just cannot stop emphasizing how perfect this place is. For the love of God, go now!

    (5)

  • Jason P.

    I Had confirmed dinner reservations made through Universal Studios Guest Services during my stay...I was informed when we arrived at Emeril's that I did not meet dress code because I had a tank top on. Mind you, this is a Universal City Walk resort restaurant next to a major theme park. It was 102 degrees with high humidity which is normal this time of year. People in shorts and tanktops should be expected. My large party and I were not allowed to dine. I could have easily packed a proper shirt but was not informed by Guest Services of a dress code when I made the reservation... The General Manager was very matter-of- fact and a bit condescending in his demeanor suggesting that the information is posted on their website. I don't visit the website of every restaurant I visit, especially those where reservations were made for me. I explained that we were staying off property and it would be ridiculous to return home and change just to come back to the park for dinner. The best solution this "General Manager" could offer me was to buy a shirt and then return. Are you joking??? This became a HUGE inconvenience for my entire party of 6 with over a 90 minute wait at other surrounding establishments. NOW HEAR THIS EMERIL: Over a simple matter of sleeves on a shirt your dumbass "General Manager" lost out on a 250-300 dollar dinner bill and further, created a VERY disgruntled customer. It doesn't take a Rhodes Scholar to realize the Epic Fail in business practices here. I will never give Emeril's Restaurant one dime for the rest of my life. I Will tell as many people as I can about their disorganized policy accompanied by their empty apologies and lack of flexibility. Do Not Eat Here. By the way, the menu is also ridiculously pricey and by the looks of the tiny portions it looks like a terrible value. I would have rated the food had I been allowed to eat dinner here. I'm Glad they never saw one dollar from me.

    (1)

  • Tyler L.

    Brand name generic food. Like an upscale TGIFridays. Looked like the best place in CityWalk for food and the pork chop I had was huge. So if you are hungry, don't mind that you are eating in glorified chain restaurant, and are in the CityWalk area, this can be your huckleberry. Not overly expensive, but certainly not cheap. Then again, what is cheap in Orlando?

    (3)

  • Alden K.

    Quality food that does not disappoint. Get the steak, always get the steak! The short rib is often delicious as well. This place is a rare treat on a firefighters salary. But worth every penny. The steak is big enough to make most firefighters happy. I've never ordered the filet though, not my cut. The ribeye here is my recommendation.

    (5)

  • George D.

    Celebrated a birthday here with my wife. What an amazing experience. The menu has a feature called "The Chefs Choice", it what fresh that day. We had it and it was amazing. Five courses meal, with exquisite service. Everyone should go here at least once. It is a wonderful experience.

    (5)

  • Sherry J.

    We ate here after spending the day at Universal. I had the Crab Baked Stuffed Lobster. It was absolutely amazing, and service was impeccable. The bill was $250 but worth every penny!!

    (5)

  • Monica D.

    Every city I go to where there is an Emeril's, I MUST go. This is the first of the restaurants I've visited and still in my Top 2 if not the best. Last visit I made was almost 2 years ago (my 3 visit) and it was just as great as the other 2 times. Here are some of the dishes that I recall having that are on the menu or once were. The menu changes so they may appear again. *Emeril's New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp w/Florida White Shrimp, Petite Rosemary Biscuit *Smoked Wild & Exotic Mushrooms:Home Cured Tasso Cream, Angel Hair Pasta, Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese *Emeril's Sausage Plate: Homemade Andouille Sausage with Caramelized Onions, Grain Mustard, Brown Butter Crouton, Emeril's Worcestershire Sauce *Andouille Crusted Redfish w/ Grilled Veggies and Shoestring Potatoes *Emeril's Banana Cream Pie:Graham Cracker Crust, Caramel Sauce, Chocolate Shavings All the above were incredibly wonderful and generously portioned (except for the BBQ Shrimp but it was very tasty) It's been about 10 yrs since I first went with my mom and she still to this day talks about the White Chocolate Bread Pudding she got...and she doesn't even like chocolate!! I remember the waiter strongly suggesting it and telling her if she doesn't like it, he'll take it off the menu and give her another dessert for free. She was very sad when she finished it cause it was amazing. The service, like at all other of his establishments is very polished and knowledgeable and try to accommodate you in any way. Will continue to visit as long as it's there!

    (5)

  • Gayathri I.

    Underwhelming and disappointing for the price and reputation of Emeril's name. Service was really great, our water and drinks were always refreshed and they made accommodations for our vegetarian needs. But the food was mostly boring and sometimes almost laughably bad. The bread was decent. The standout dish was the Smoked Wild & Exotic Mushrooms. Loved the spices and the variety of shrooms. We also got Bibb salad, Ceasar salad, White Truffle Pizza, Alfredo tortellini with veggies from kid's menu and a special Chef's vegetarian plate of the day. The salads and the pizza weren't bad, but they weren't good either. Meh, blah, boring. The tortellini was floating in oil and not very cheesy. My nephew really hated it. I thought he was fussing till I had a bite of it. Greasy and tasteless are the two words that popped in my head. The veggie plate, that cost us $32 was a few stalks of broccoli that were *barely* cooked, some carrots, 2 stalks of asparagus and a few slices of squash. Served with some vinaigrette. It was flavorless, bland and ridiculously overpriced.

    (2)

  • Eric A.

    Very classy place, right on.

    (4)

  • Mauricio H.

    Delicious food, great service, very impressed with the 18oz Rib Eye, just delicious. AAA+++

    (5)

  • Amy T.

    Sad part about this review is that I received bad service and was disrespected before my family was even able to get a table. I would give this restaurant 0 stars if possible. This is the worst restaurant experience I have ever had. We went there as a family during a vacation around New Year's. We were having a great day and wanted to have a delicious meal. We saw Emeril's and thought it was perfect. We went in to put our name in and was told it was a 20 minute wait. 20 min later we were told it was 40. After another 20 min the wait for us had not changed... still we had to wait 40 min for a table. Meanwhile, other parties of 4 that came in afterwards were being seated. I soon realized the only difference between our party and others... my sister has Down Syndrome, and we were they only family there with a disabled kid. When we finally went to the host and requested a table immediately after waiting an hour and 20 minutes, he gave us the worst table in the house, right in front of the kitchen doors. We called the police for discrimination, and they escorted us to Bubba Gumps where we were treated as valued customers. What makes this even worse is that when we called the manager after receiving the number grudgingly from the host, the manager did not answer. In fact, the host that gave us the number answered, and told us the manager would not be in for the entire week. The host knew this when he gave us the number. I refuse to eat at any of Emeril's restaurants, even related chains, in the future and hope others see that disrespecting and discriminating against any well-paying client is never ok.

    (1)

  • Traveler F.

    Short excerpt from my extended blog post: These choices for the June menu, 3 courses for $30 is an awesome steal. Put aside price point for a minute. The portion looks seemingly same as most other restaurants of this caliber, but the flavors are bold and clean. A true reflection of the chef who created them. The freshness of ingredients stood out. Simple ingredients "Kicked up a notch" to create these wonderful dishes. Now add back in the bargain price. Hello June!

    (4)

  • Megan M.

    I haven't felt the need to write a yelp review in years, but I just had to share my disappointment with this restaurant. My fiance and I normally go out to eat on Christmas and have always had good experiences at other restaurants. Even though there were technically three wait staff assigned to our table, we really didn't get much attention, and on the whole felt ignored. And the food just wasn't good. We ordered a buffalo shrimp appetizer, which was bland. I ordered scallops and my fiance ordered shrimp pasta, and neither of us felt like finishing the meal. I got two small mimosas and some coffee. $150 later I feel like we were completely ripped off. Later on we got nachos from the hard rock and I enjoyed that experience 100x more than what was supposed to be a special meal together on Christmas.

    (2)

  • Lindsey O.

    I had visited this location a few years ago, and we loved the meal. Everyone raved at the table, enjoyed the food choices and drinks. We had to make a trip back, but unfortunately - not the same experience. We grabbed a seat at the bar and ate some of the happy hour meals. Not very good. I know, you get what you pay for, but this is EMERIL LAGASSE. I've been to his location in New Orleans and it blew my mind. I love cajun food. But this fell a bit short, and I was a little embarrassed for talking it up so much without the delivery.

    (3)

  • Amy B.

    As an Enemy of Emerilâ„¢, I was not thrilled when my colleagues chose this restaurant for our team dinner. After having a wonderful meal, I was further displeased to have to admit that Emeril has put together a damn fine restaurant. Fortunately I was able to overcome my displeasure due to the excellent experience I had. If you come to Emeril's Orlando and only order one item, make it the gumbo. It's delicious--slightly spicy, with tons of andouille sausage and just the right amount of rice. I don't know authentic Cajun cooking from a hole in the ground, but I know I'd happily eat this gumbo anytime. My entree of scallops in a Thai curry sauce was impressive even to my jaded Northeast seafood sensibilities. Five enormous scallops sat in a richly spiced Thai curry, with a small pile of noodles in the center. The scallops were perfectly cooked and took 4-5 bites each to finish. I was able to taste a colleague's lamb shank, and didn't even need my knife to snag a piece, it was so well cooked. Another colleague ordered a steak which boasted some of the most even pinkness I've ever seen. Again, perfectly cooked. The only thing I tasted that was less than impeccably prepared was the calamari, which seemed rubbery. Mixed drinks were strong, and the wine selection had plenty of options. There were several extremely expensive selections on the dessert wine menu, but also a few reasonably priced glasses in the $10-15 range. As to service, my water glass was always full, and I was rarely without a drink. Waiters were attentive without being overbearing. It kills me, but this Enemy of Emerilâ„¢ is forced to award the full five stars.

    (5)

  • Meg R.

    My boyfriend and I wandered in here around 9:30 pm on New Year's Eve after a certain situation prevented us from getting into the Universal CityWalk NYE party. We figured it was worth a shot to see if Emeril's had a table open, expecting it to be fully booked. Somehow, we managed to get the last table available that night. We didn't have to wait at all! After we sat down, a waiter immediately greeted us. I can't say enough good things about the service at this restaurant. We had two servers who worked together to ensure we were taken care of all night as well as a polite and friendly busboy who kept our table clear. The food also impressed. We started off with the tuna tartare. This dish is not your typical tuna tartare - it comes in salad form with an Asian-flavor inspired dressing. I liked this dish a lot, especially the shaved brussel sprouts that provided a next texture. I tried my boyfriend's lobster bisque but found it to have too much of a fishy taste for my liking. I happily could have done without the soup. For my main course, I had the scallops. These were some of the best-prepared scallops I've ever had - smooth and buttery with a seared outside that provided an excellent flavor. Also, unlike other fancy restaurants, you get a huge portion. I think my plate had 6-8 scallops. I couldn't even finish them all! I tried the boyfriend's redfish, which came at the recommendation of our server, and liked the flavor of this new-to-me white fish. Again, the chef nailed the preparation of the fish as it was cooked perfectly. I didn't like that the dish came with fried shoestring potatoes since the fish was crusted there was too much crunch. A risotto and/or vegetables would have been a better pairing in my opinion. Also, the drinks are fantastic. The mojitos are made fresh and the melon martini is also delicious - flavorful without being too sweet. If you're looking for a nice place to eat on Universal's CityWalk, this is definitely my top recommendation.

    (4)

  • Amanda M.

    Stopped in for happy hour on our way out after a long day at the islands of adventure. Happy hour is EVERY day from 5-8, even weekends. We arrived at 5 and there were only 2 other people in the restaurant. Happy hour is only available at the bar. The options were somewhat limited. 2 red wines and 2 white wines $5 each. 4 specialty cocktails for $6 each. Beers were listed but not sure of the price. We went with the sweat tea with vodka. Also very limited appetizer selection. We chose 2 of the 5 items listed-all about 5-7$. We started withe the brussel sprouts with bacon. When done correctly, brussel sprouts are incredible, especially when paired with bacon. My favorite fall veggie. These sprouts came topped with thick cut bacon, nuts and orange peel. They arrived quickly so, it was obvious that they had been cooked off earlier and were rewarmed. We felt that the sprouts were a little hard and could have been cooked longer. Also, the orange peel was an odd, strong contrasting flavor for me. My husband even comment that I make better brussel sprouts. We then tried the pineapple pin wheel. A large puff pastry topped with a pineapple and cream cheese mix with a caramel colored sauce around it. Great flavors. Awesome light dessert option. But, the pin wheel pastry was rather hard in places. We needed a knife to cut it. Overall, my experience was satisfactory but I expected a little more "bam."

    (3)

  • Courtney T.

    Everything was very yummy. Get the fried green tomatoes - they're delish! They have party rooms so reserve a spot if you have a group!

    (5)

  • Sherlonda A.

    Unfortunately, the service was the only great thing there (contributing to the 3 stars ). If I had to rate the quality of the food it would be a mere 1 star. Firstly, my friends and I went to this place for my 30th bday. I was so excited due to the popularity of his name . This place was no replica of what the Food network portrayed Emeril's image to be. We had stale yeast rolls, my shrimp "sumthin with tomato sauce" (I forgot the name ) tasted like ravioli. I didn't finish my entree nor did I want to take it home. Oh, and my desert, pineapple upside down cake tasted like a muffin flipped with a can pineapple placed on top! Not worth the money. Oh... The water was fresh. And the waiter service was good. But, I won't be returning.

    (3)

  • Frederick N.

    Fantastic food. The servers are excellent. A little too stuck up for me. Not really down to earth. The food is absolutely amazing! Delish! Freshness is 10/10 Lovely large sitting room. Food is worth the price and the experience. The Corn bread is divine. The Crab cakes...Cake. Is to die for. Loved the restaurant.

    (5)

  • Sean M.

    A good but not spectacular place. I appreciate that they are offering southern comfort food with a bit of fine dining and the food is good. We both got the three course lunches and both were good to very good. The mussels were well seasoned and fresh. The fried chicken and waffles were good and the apple crumble was also good. My wife had the gumbo with the short rib and sorbet. There are two types of sorbet, the passion fruit and white peach. The passion fruit was wonderful the white peach...eh. We enjoyed our meal aside from some pretty lame mashed potatoes with the short rib. The service was amazing, always someone there to assist and I was impressed with the decor. I am happy we went. A nice place.

    (4)

  • T. F.

    Our family of 6 just returned from a one-week vacation in Orlando. Emeril's was one of the few meals we bothered to make reservations for because we didn't want to miss. The offerings were priced on the high-side but in line with similar restaurants in the area. Had no problem with that. The appetizers were pretty good. We enjoyed the escargot and bbq shrimp. We especially enjoyed the fried green tomatoes. Our dinners however were completely disappointing. First of all - a long wait between appetizers and the meal. Tables were seated and finished while we waited. Finally, we saw someone set up a large serving tray just outside the upstairs dining room entrance (in the hall) with a number of covered plates. We wondered if it was our order and watched waiters walking by the tray for 15 minutes. Finally a server stops to take a look and then summons help. A team of three assemble before lifting the covers and quickly laying the plates before us. The servers make no eye contact, no one comes by at ANY time to ask us how our meals are or to offer beverage refreshments. We were then ignored until we got the bill. By the time we finished there were are only a few tables seated so no excuse for poor attention to service. To top it off, the meals were just okay. The prawns were way over-cooked and the pasta was mushy. The steak was not a tender cut and boring (nothing special). The duck was dried out and lacking flavor. The wild mushroom flatbread was ho- hum. I can't say the results were completely attributable to the delayed delivery but I'm sure it didn't help. Needless to say - one of the low-lights of our vacation.

    (2)

  • Jessica K.

    Three words & three reasons to visit Emeril's at Universal CityWalk: Banana. Cream. Pie. With an impressive menu you'd expect from a famous chef, it's sure to please, but my advice is save room for dessert & coffee! The atmosphere is a lot louder & casual than you might anticipate, but parts of the restaurant offer a more isolated dining experience. The place is probably always very busy, it certainly was on the late weeknight I walked in with a large party, so reservations are a must. The service isn't bad, the servers know the menu well & can offer you suggestions or help you chose if you're stuck. We waited a bit for some things, but when dishes are served to the table in unison, I suppose it takes time to coordinate.

    (4)

  • Jaime C.

    I've been to Universal Studios in Orlando a number of times in the past but was never able to eat at this place as it was always crowded and if you didn't have a reservation, your wait was ridiculous. This time around, knowing I'd be in town for "Fat Tuesday" (Mardi Gras) I made a reservation via "Open Table" a month in advance. It was everything I thought it would be (including, unfortunately, EXPEN$IVE... but what the heck... I'm on vacation, right?). The service was cheerful, helpful and polite. The chicken and andouille gumbo was excellent. Thinner than the almost "stew-like" gumbo I get at Big Daddy's back home, but wonderfully flavorful. The waiter recommended the andouille-encrusted redfish as one of the house specialties so I eagerly ordered that as well. The fish was wonderfully tender and flaky and the andouille added just a hint of heat. My only disappointment was that Bananas Foster was not one of the available desserts; but the creme brulee did not disappoint. My original plan was to wander up to Pat O'Brien's for a hurricane after dinner... but I was so stuffed I had to take a pass. Highly recommended if you're in the area.

    (5)

  • Rosalind G.

    Great experience! My Hubby and I went there for our Anniversary and they treated us like royalty! He had made reservations in advance and notified them of our celebration so I was pleasantly surprised when the hostess sat us at the top floor in a little romatic candle lit table. The service was exxcellent and the chef even sent us out a lil "gift" which was a amuse bouche of a phyllo dough pastry! Over all food was excellent, service was excellent and chef was amazing! I would most definately recommend trying Emeril's at least once if you are in the Orlando, FL area and are in the mood for fine dining.

    (5)

  • Brett W.

    Fabulous! Best meal we've had, also the most expensive, but worth the price. Service was beyond attentive, we had 4 waiters attending to us. Glass was never half full. Try the BBQ shrimp for an appetizer, only 5 pieces but the sauce is incredible. If you are near Universal Citywalk, go to Emeril's, you won't be dissapointed.

    (5)

  • Loni S.

    The service was great .. Food was great... We had shrimp corn chowder (a little spicy), Salmon with a red sauce which was very good I would order it again; the sauce is what I liked the most about the dish and a fish with mango sauce which was very good also. I liked the service, the atmosphere and most of all the food. We were there with two children after we went to Universal Studios. I was a little nervous about bringing kids in there but everything worked out great.

    (5)

  • Nora B.

    We enjoyed dinner at Emeril's and had a wonderful time! Our meal began with the fried green tomatoes, what a surprise! The appetizer was crispy and fresh and the remoulade and shrimp accounted the dish well. For dinner, we had the chicken and duck confit, respectively. Portions were generous, everything was superbly executed. Finally, we ended the meal with the chocolate tort. Wow! What a great dessert. Ask for Waldo (he was our head server, thoughtful and attentive) and his crew when you make your reservation.

    (5)

  • Gastromere F.

    Service was exceptional the food was not as exceptional. My compliments to the attentive wait staff who did an excellent job of ensuring we wanted for nothing and nothing seemed too much trouble. Michael and partner Erik I think deserve due praise Now the food. The appetizers, salads and dessert were very good but the entrée's were just OK. I was waiting for the BAM!!!! But alas it did not happen. I suggest the owner get back into that kitchen to get that spark it sorely needs. I should also mention the Excellent cocktails and a decent wine list. Enjoy.

    (3)

  • Journey R.

    Uummmm....unreal meal, unreal service, even better company!!!! The Chef's menu tasting in my humble opinion is the way to go.... And wines option was exceptional. The portions were much larger than I would have expected. One item that did surprise me.... I found the prices very fair.... Over all I cannot praise the place greater. I WILL certainly go there again....

    (5)

  • Melissa C.

    The restaurant was incredibly disappointing. I went there this last Friday, August 21st. To begin, I ordered the shrimp and scallop grenobloise. The portion size was terribly small. For 32 dollars, I believe it is fair to ask for more than 4 scallops and 3 shrimp. The plating was sloppy, and looked incredibly rushed. And the wilted swiss chard was also a small portion. The chard lacked seasoning, but was arguably the best item on the plate. There was such a small amount of sauce. I'm assuming it's to accommodate the rest of the dish, or lack thereof. Even if the portion was correct, my scallops were overcooked. I can tolerate slightly overcooked, because I understand scallops are supremely time sensitive. I will not, however; forgive that the scallops were not cleaned properly with sand and grit in 3 out of 4 scallops. I ordered a moscato with the dish, and it was served to me in a champagne glass. Once I was finished with my meal, I went to the restroom, where it was found to be in complete disarray. The stalls were appalling, and the sink's sensitivity to hands was so difficult to utilize. There was also no soap. I went to the Hard Rock Cafe after for dessert, and to wash my hands (not in that order). For a restaurant that is developed by a professional and classically trained chef, I was beyond disappointed. I hope that this is remedied for the future.

    (1)

  • Casey P.

    After two semi drunk foodies go running through universal looking for something to ease the pain.... Well pain eased!! A foodie from Nyc (me) and a foodie from northern Italy (her) run into a restaurant looking for some warmth and find something totally amazing!! Ok.. Emerald is famous but so are many other things not so tasty! Lol Sat at the pizza oven bar for warmth and wa greeted by several workers with honest opinions and great sense of humor!!! Didn't. Read the menu, asked what we should order and it was obvious.... Short rib, pork chop and rib eye... Ok!!! We then needed an appy! Boudin balls!! Yee haaaaaaaaa The appy was exactly as expected boudin at its best, small balls fried to perfection with the right consistency and flavor to match! The short rib was excellent. Tender and flavorful with the most delicate hint of truffle and masculine overtones. The pork chop was a double cut, the best I've had since perry s in Dallas with an amazing glaze bordering tween mustard sauce and balsamic flavored! Perrect temp and texture!! We sat at the bar greeted by several folks one now we know is the chef and bar manager... Of course a daze race was in order! I have had many and believe me this is the real deal!! Chef validated our choices and the pleasure insued! Amazing in every way! Really. Over and above what was expected! Our server drake was on point, there for every request, never an empty glass or bread plate!! Great people, great food and great attitudes equal an amazing experience for some goodies trying to find warmth.. We found the warmth we were looking for and a lot more!!

    (5)

  • Linda H.

    My hubby and I stayed at the Lowes Pacific Resort and were constantly at City Walk. We wanted to have one nice dinner and since we were leaving the park, we decided it would be easier and faster to goto this location instead of the one at our hotel. We made reservations and walked over to the restaurant about 30 mins before our reservation. The hostess was kind enough to seat us early. As we walked in, we were getting tons of stares from people since we literally came from the park. Yes, we were wearing shorts, t-shirts, sneakers, etc. What did you expect??? The restaurant is smack in the middle of two amusement parks. Give us a break people! Anyhow, we were seated right by the window and had a great seat to people watch from. Lol! We started off with the Tuna Poke "Bam Bam" and wow, this was actually refreshing and I really enjoyed it. The tuna is placed on a thick sheet of nori and the flavors just blended together. I had the Braised Creekstone Farms Beef Short Ribs and man, this was to die for. The ribs were fall of the bone, rich in flavor, and went well with the truffled mashed potatoes (I'm obsessed with truffle anything so that's why I chose this plate). This was the best decision ever!!!! My hubby had the filet mignon and had ordered his steak medium and it came out well done. Luckily the meat was still tender, but a just a tad over cooked. We finished off dinner with the banana cream pie and man, that sucker is huge! Make sure you buy only one to share. It was good, but nothing I would die to to eat again. The service was good and the decor was nice. I would visit again.

    (4)

  • Emily B.

    Clean, romantic, modern, and classy. I have been to all 3 of Emeril's restaurants in New Orleans, and this is just as lovely. I have only been here once, but I will be back soon to try more things! The Drum fish was to die for, get that and you'll be happy! I also liked the sour cocktail with the egg whites, very tasty! We came around 9:30 last night, Friday, and had no trouble getting a table. Our waiter and the rest of the staff was a delight and made our experience even better!

    (5)

  • Andi P.

    4 Stars for really noteworthy service and dishes that had us licking our plates. I was at City Walk for a show and we ended up at Emeril's around 8pm. The wait for a table was almost an hour so we took a chance and found seats together at the bar (where food is also served). When the bartenders found out we'd be dining there they cleared our bartop and set white napkins down to mimic the table linens at the regular tables- a really nice touch! We ordered drinks and moved on to happy hour small plates for apps. The truffle fries were wonderfully thin and crisp. I finished them off on my own. We also got the shrimp cocktail small plate which came with only 4 shrimp played beautifully. A small plate indeed! But we each got a shrimp and my friends and I had nothing back to say about dem tasty shrimp! For my main dish I went with the Chef's Creative Vegetable Plate of the Day. I wasn't sure at first but a woman near me ordered it and I saw it was heaping with delicious veggies. When my own plate came I was stoked to find red and green bell peppers, sautéed mushrooms, a fried greasy tomato, some eggplant, corn on the cob, and asparagus. Banana Cream Pie topped off our meal. The slice was insanely big and looked absolutely heavenly. Luckily, the granola crust and the fine chocolate pieces on top add some depth taking . Overall, I was impressed and plan on returning!

    (4)

  • Stacey W.

    We made reservations at emerils Orlando in universal city walk because we were taking our kids to blue man group. When I made the reservation I noted we would only have an hour to eat so we would need to move fast. When we arrived they seated us immediately and mentioned the note, they also shared the information with all of the staff around us.......great start! There was a younger man helping the wait team that was amazing. He noticed my black pants and came back instantly with a black napkin(love this)! They sat us by the windows so we could people watch the kids loved that! To eat I ordered a cup of chicken and andouille gumbo and my husband ordered tuna poke"bam bam". For dinner the waiter suggested andouille crusted Florida drum(I was a little scared because I'm not a huge fish person but he said it had been on the menu for 16 years.....wow ok), my husband got the filet, and the the kids ordered tortellini with Alfredo sauce. Surprise surprise surprise.....everything was DELISH! The rue on the gumbo was dark and gravy like, the fish had an amazing sear and a dark gravy on the plate was soulful and yummy. In such a touristy place I was not expecting a quality meal, but it was. Make sure you make a reservation we have tried to dine here several times while at universal:).

    (5)

  • Anthony L.

    Went to emerils for a my birthday dinner and from the time I walked in to the time I left the experience was top notch the three waiters that took care of use were exceptional we were table of 4 I had the ribeye steak it was the best I ever had it had a lot of flavor and was cooked perfectly (medium) also had a side of carmalized sweet potatoes that were soft and flavorful and for dessert I had the banana cream pie this just might be the best dessert I have ever eaten I give emeril a perfect 10 and I will be returning the next time I'm in Orlando

    (5)

  • Luc V.

    Smacked right in the middle of Universal Studios citywalk, it is very easy to access! We made no reservations on a Saturday night and was immediately seated. Wine selection was certainly right on par. Large selection to choose from. Service was great and price is whatever (you're on vacation who the heck cares). Food could use some work in the flavor department but overall, one of the better restaurants to go to.

    (3)

  • Kevin H.

    Enjoyed a lunch with the family. We took a break from the Universal Parks to have a nice slow-paced meal. Our family always enjoy eating here. A treat. I highly recommend the BBQ shrimp and banana cream pie. Signature dishes that will leave you craving more in the future.

    (5)

  • Bill N.

    We have had a great relationship with the management staff at Delmonico's in Vegas. I conversation my colleague suggested coming my Emerils Orlando. We have been here several years ago. My colleague handled the logistics for our visit. We arrived and was greeted promptly, shortly seated there after. The wait staff was very courteous and attentive. We were treated to a couple of palate teasers while waiting for our main courses. Service throughout the night was spot on. The food was amazing. Lastly the desert arrived. Oh man was that a treat. We were the mayorship of flavor-town

    (5)

  • Jess M.

    Fantastic meal, better than I expected for a theme park restaurant. We liked it so much we went back two days later. To start, the rolls were fresh and very tasty. The potato rolls were my favorite. My boyfriend said that this restaurant had the best butter out of all the universal ones we went to. He's a butter expert apparently. We had the gumbo and BBQ shrimp to start. Our BBQ shrimp was free because they had a promo free appetizer or dessert with the purchase of one entree if you show your valid Universal parks ticket. Check if this deal is still on, not sure if it's seasonal. The gumbo was tasty and the shrimp was very tender. The only thing I didn't like was the rosemary biscuit that came with the shrimp. It was too dry. For our entree (we shared it) we had the seafood cioppino (stew). It consisted of "finned fish of the day," shrimp, and crawfish. The fish in the stew (mahi mahi) was super fresh and tasty, the shrimp was incredibly tender, and the teenie tiny crawfish tails were amazing. The sauce was really flavorful and went well with the mashed potatoes I subbed for the orzo the stew came with. The second time we came we ordered the same thing and the crawfish were overcooked but everything else was amazing again. FYI check out their cocktail hour from 4-8 (bar only). They have half priced bottled beer and "well drinks" (drinks made with cheaper liquor according to the bartender), a bar menu, and the full restaurant menu.

    (5)

  • Peaches P.

    So my companion calls me bougie just because I enjoy the finer things in life...Emeril's being one of them. Yes, I enjoy crisp white tablecloths, sparkling water and more than one fork at the table setting. :) We arrived for an early lunch and there were only a few customers inside. Without even asking our waiter placed us at a scenic table with a view of the water. Very nice. The lunch menu is somewhat limited but I believe that they make special accommodations if your prefer something more. Our lunch consisted of the Fried Green Tomatoes, BBQ Shrimp, Turkey Burger and Shrimp and Grits. Everything was simply divine. Our waiter was very informative and descriptive concerning the menu offerings. I definitely appreciated his knowledge. Overall a wonderful lunch and experience in Orlando. Two of his locations down...many more to go!

    (5)

  • Mickey H.

    Good opportunity to somewhat remove yourself from the crowds around the Universal area. This was my first experience at an Emeril's, I was pretty impressed with the menu presented. The waiter did a great job at pointing out good recommendations and specialties. My absolute favorite dish of the evening was the BBQ shrimp appetizer, flavor was incredible. Packed a good kick offset by sweet/tangy saucy flavors. I found all dishes to be quite flavorful, the service was great, too. I would recommend Emeril's if you would like to get away from the crowds a little bit in the evening.

    (4)

  • Jeffrey D.

    Day after our fiasco at margaritavilles. Meeting one of my favorite cousins and his wife for dinner. Were seated within five minutes. Great service by a variety of staff. Fantastic crawfish boudan? bread. Well textured and with a little kick. Everyone's meal was excellent and shared about. Water glass never empty. We had a great dinner. Was quiet enough that we could talk. Ended with a nice cappuccino. Totally made up for the terrible meal from the day before. not cheap but wait staff got nice tip. I highly recommend this place!

    (5)

  • Jason S.

    Came here for lunch and not only were the prices extremely reasonable, but the food was delicious and the service unparalleled. I ordered the Roasted Scottish Salmon and it was lovely. The salmon was tender, the butternut squash whipped to a tasty, light, and fluffy texture, and the green beans lightly fried to a golden crisp. The Thai chili syrup really brought the dish together and gave the salmon an addicting tangy-like flavor. All of them combined made for an incredibly satisfying bite. The service though is what really makes this restaurant stand out. They handled every situation with ease and to my astonishment, gave us refills on drinks without us even needing to ask for them. I can't remember the last time I've had that happen at a restaurant.

    (5)

  • Lyndsey C.

    Had one of our European Partner parties at Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) here and it was a fantastic meal... so well done, great service, and super delicious food. :)

    (4)

  • Jack S.

    Over rated and over priced mediocrity, Having been to emerils tad hop chop the day before our expectTions were high. Unfortunately we were disappointed by the lukewarm food which took an inordinate amount of time to arrive Waiters were stressed out Go elsewhere

    (2)

  • Cynthia B.

    We have dined at Emerils several times and have never been disappointed. The service is always superb and the food is exceptional. Our favorites are the shrimp and grits, red drum fish, fried green tomatoes and the scallops. The best dessert we have had anywhere is Emeril's banana pie. We order it every time. This place is a must when in the Orlando area.

    (5)

  • Ann I.

    Overpriced mediocre food. It was just blah, ordered the 18oz Rib Eye, wow, 18oz is a lot of food. There is no reason anyone should eat an 18oz steak by themselves but that is besides the point. I asked for it to be cooked medium rare, the steak was cooked right, but it was sooooo fatty. You can just see the white fat on the steak. It tasted just ok, I think I could have had a better steak half the price at somewhere like a popular steak joint... I also ordered the Creme Brulee for dessert. That was just OK too. This whole experience and $80 later, I just kept saying to myself "Meh, I've had better".... Just because it has Emeril's name one it doesn't mean squat to me!

    (2)

  • Heather F.

    Was vacationing in Orlando and my guy and I decided to do a splurge dinner at Emeril's to get away from the theme park food. Theme park food was better. Hotel food was much, much better. Emeril's was bad. Mostly it was just bland -- which is forgivable. But this was expensive and bland. There was not much on the menu for vegetarians (expected, 'cause I was in Orlando) so I went for the cheese pizza. It looked fine. Then I bit into it and CRUNCH! I was trying to fathom why it felt like I was chewing on sand. Then the taste hit me. The entire pizza was covered in a layer of sea salt. Pizza is usually salty enough on its own, it does not need the help. It was inedible. And expensive. My guy's food was expensive and blah. If you are at Universal, save yourself the money and skip Emeril's.

    (1)

  • Ryan B.

    After arriving after 5 on a Friday night, the wait was going to be over 45 minutes. We spent all day at Universal Studios, we were hungry and couldn't wait that long. They offered to seat the two of us at the bar and we could order dinner from there. Plus it was happy hour time and discounted drinks were just what the doctor ordered. The ambiance was very nice. Very upscale, but totally acceptable to walk in wearing shorts and a t shirt. The lighting was set to dim for a nice romantic experience. The noise level was not too loud, that way we could have a conversation without shouting over each other. They had mixed cocktails for $5-6 as well as some tasty appetizers for about the same. We tried the crispy calamari for $6. It was more than enough for two people. Crispy, with a teasing of a spicy sauce with olives and peppers. It was NOM NOM good! The steamed mussels for $5 came in a light creamed-corn sauce. The mussels were so tender and the sauce was so good, we finished it by dipping the house bread in it. The Gumbo was pretty good. Not too spicy but totally tongue tingling. The roasted asparagus frisee was okay. It can with a strawberry vinaigrette with Parmesan cheese, a piece of bacon and lettuce greens. We also grabbed an order of guacamole with nachos. The guac was made into a paste and had to spice. It was okay, but I like mine to be more chunky and spicy. The should have BAM!...kicked it up a notch. But that's okay, everything was good. The bartenders took excellent care of us, coming by and placing napkins and whatever we needed. If you're wondering if you should come here. You should.

    (5)

  • Bob D.

    I live in California but I am by no means a food snob. This restaurant was expensive and the food was terrible. I have sent back food 3 times in my entire life, this was one of those times. I don't know if it was an off day or what happened, but this was easily the worst meal we had while visiting Orlando... the bar was already set pretty low. They bring you a bread plate that has a tiny unremarkable corn muffin and a dinner roll that was cheap grocery store quality. My girlfriend's pizza was covered in Sea Salt, it wasn't BAM! it was inedible. We sent it back and they looked at us like we were crazy. The re-fired unsalted version was just sad. Soggy, undercooked and mediocre. Ugh. I had a chicken dish with brussels sprouts and sweet potato mash. The brussels sprouts were oily and soggy, the mash tasted like they had added brown sugar... inedible. The chicken was a C- effort. My margarita was served in a small cheap scratched up glass that you'd see in a college cafeteria. The service was overattentive hovering, I know some people like that... but I do not want to pay $40 for an entree and have 4 separate people ask me if I am enjoying it. I was not enjoying it the first time you asked. We declined the dessert menu and THEN they offered to comp us dessert for screwing up the pizza... we declined. Pro tip Emril... if you fuck up someone's dinner buy them a drink.

    (1)

  • Jocelyn K.

    Located near the two Universal Studios parks, Emeril's Orlando is the only fine dining option on the Boardwalk. I was always a big fan of Emeril's show, but given its location and its target audience of theme park go-ers, I wasn't sure what to expect. The waiter introduced himself saying him and a team of other waiters would be taking care of us that night. Lucky for us there were other waiters, because after that introduction he promptly ignored our table for the rest of the night. In fact, the best service we received was the bread guy coming around asking if we wanted seconds. Coming as a group, I was able to sample multiple dishes: The Bread: I love when a restaurant does not give a straight up baguette. Here, they give you a small corn muffin and a sweet bun similar to the ones in Asian bakeries. The Appetizers: Smoked Wild + Exotic Mushroom Pasta (house cured tasso cream, angel hair pasta, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese) - One of the three appetizers we ordered and easily the best thing I ate that day. The creamy pasta was accented with the earthy flavor of mushrooms. The pasta was on the softer side, but melded well with the sauce. I wish I had ordered this dish as my entree, but given there were 6 of us in the group, I only had a small bite. Emeril's New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp - My second favorite dish of the night. Delicious but essentially just shrimp in regular BBQ sauce. The rosemary biscuit tasted like a drier version of a KFC biscuit with rosemary flavor. Creole Marinated Fried Calamari- This was a let down especially after the other two appetizers. Listed as Creole Marinated, I expected it to have some strong spice to it. Instead it was bland. Even the marinara sauce, did nothing to help this dish. The Entrees: Pan Roasted Salmon (Chorizo, Fennel, Risotto) - At $26, this dish consists of a piece of salmon, sitting on a bed of tomato based risotto, and topped off with a medley of fennel and chorizo. I chose this dish in hopes of eating a healthier dinner after a day of eating junk food at the theme park. Not a great choice on my part. Although cooked well, the salmon was flavorless. I had to rely on eating it with the risotto to taste any flavor at all. Duck Confit pasta - One of the specials offered, from the little bite I stole, I could discern the rich and fatty taste from the duck confit. Although a little bit overwhelming with the addition of the heavy cream, this pasta was slightly preferable to my roasted salmon. Be prepared for a sleep-inducing food coma, after consuming this dish. If this establishment was located in New York, it would not merit a visit, but given the lack of other fine dining options around the area, it will suffice. Although marked up to take advantage of the tourists, the food is definitely a step up from the surrounding restaurants and a nice get-away from the noise and crowd outside the theme parks.

    (3)

  • Paul L.

    Good news and bad news--the service was very solid and understood the menu and ingredients perfectly. Open Table booked reservations easily even on a busy night in the summer. The bad news was the lackluster meal. Shrimp and mirliton soup had small shrimp and unimpressive flavor. About as complex as something from a can. Wild mushroom and Tasso angel hair pasta was spicy and reasonably good. I was hoping for a lot more from barbecued shrimp, a New Orleans delicacy. When done right, it is heart stopping good--buttery shrimp with rosemary, garlic, and pepper, finished with a little beer. The resulting sauce, like white wine and butter used for steaming mussels, is amazing with French bread or biscuits. Here, it is poorly executed--overly salty and artificially smoky. This is unnecessary! Andouille crusted drum was fresh but over a few pieces of zucchini and crispy shoestring potatoes, it lacked something. I had one of the best meals of my life at Emeril's in New Orleans almost 20 years ago. The Orlando experience was nowhere near as good.

    (3)

  • Matthew N.

    The food didn't wow me at all. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either. I feel like I overpaid for something I didn't fully enjoy. Server was courteous, but service was extremely slow. Sat around for 30 minutes after finishing for to receive the check and pay. Would not recommend.

    (2)

  • RONALD W.

    Free appetizer with any entree in the coupon book you pick up with multi-day Universal pass purchase online is a great deal. Has the BBQ shrimp appetizer which was more like a tasty jerk version to me. I even used the break to sop up the sauce. Had the pork chop. It was moist an very tasty. There wasn't any wait during lunch. I think this is the best meal bargain around Universal Studios.

    (4)

  • Kenneth P.

    It was a bit mediocre for what it costs to dine there. Now don't get me wrong, the food was good but it didn't really deliver that BAM! factor one would expect when dining at Emeril's. The service was pretty excellent, the server and wait staff was on top of all my needs. Though they did tend to argue on the floor on who's duty it was to do what, something that should have been worked out behind the scenes and not in front of the customer's.

    (3)

  • Katherine F.

    This place was all right - by far the best dining option this close to tourist mecca, but not as great as I'd expect from an Emeril's. We had the tuna poke bam bam, which was delicious, and also free when we presented our park passes (check the menu board to see if this promo is still on-going, or ask the waitstaff). Our entrees themselves arrived a little slower than I would expect, considering we came during a slower time (2:30 or so). They were only OK - mussels and frites, and the andouille-crusted redfish. While everything was flavorful, it was nothing particularly to write home about. The staff, on the other hand, were great. So that fourth star is for them. Thanks!!

    (4)

  • Michele D.

    This is my second Emeril restaurant experience and we were not disappointed. Everything from the atmosphere to the wine to the food was fantastic. We had a reservation, which is highly recommended, because the wait without one on a Friday night was more than an hour. We were seated in a small room upstairs that had 3 or 4 tables. I felt a little bit away from the action, but it was nice and quiet and we could see the dining room below through the window. I had the tasting menu which was great and my husband had the pork chop which he loved. We had a team of waiters who were always around when we needed them, were very knowledgeable about the wine list, and made sure that nothing that came out could potentially send me to the ER (I have a severe nut allergy). We will definitely be back to orlando and Emeri's restaurant in the very near future

    (4)

  • John C.

    The food was good but the service was terrible. We were there last Saturday on a very rainy night and the restaurant was only about 1/2 full. We were offered bread but it never made the table, we asked for hot sauce and it never made the table. We were not checked on to see if we needed more of anything. Overall we were extremely disappointed with the service. We enjoy fine dining and do not mind paying for great food and excellent service. We did not get either. We will not return.

    (2)

  • Kim M.

    Service is good! Managers are engaged. However, many of the dishes are NOT what you would expect. We were a party of 4 with different entrees. NONE were worthy of returning. The roux from many of the dishes was the exact same -- Paella, Shrimp & Grits, & Gumbo tastes exactly the same minus the meat/seafood. I will not return. Way over rated. My family and I were disappointed.

    (2)

  • Melody W.

    The service was absolutely wonderful but what's the point if the food isn't very good. I was disappointed by the price for the lack of quality in the food. Fancy atmosphere for a couple but remember most people are on vacation so people sitting around you might be wearing minion shirts and fanny packs. I love the minions... Just saying!

    (3)

  • Mica F.

    I love the Universal City Walk. Way better than Downtown Disney but that's another review. This is a very nice high end restaurant amidst all chaos of the City Walk. Once you're inside, it's quiet and cozy; a sharp contrast to the throngs surrounding the place. Plan you're arrival. Hint: Do not try to come here when the park is closing. You'll wait forever. Our wait has been anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour. Again not a big deal because there's so many shops surrounding the place as well as the stage with music so there's lot to do while you wait. We've eaten here several times and have never had a bad meal. My kids love the food (and they don't eat off the kid's menu). Love the ceviche and also the BBQ shrimp apps. They also have an exceptional wine selection. Great desserts. Nicely stocked bar with top shelf liquor. Excellent service. It's pricey but what do you expect? It's Emerils. I love the atmosphere. It's a funky contemporary feel. There's also a cute side porch sort of room that always fills up first. Even tho it's an upscale decor, there's no problem being in shorts as many of the patrons just spent the day at the park. It's part of the ambiance. If you come to City Walk after 6pm, Florida residents don't pay to park. Yah for us!

    (5)

  • Christina S.

    GREAT SERVICE & GREAT FOOD!! I had a birthday dinner for my husband there for 8. We could not stop raving about the food. I had the BBQ Glazed salmon that was amazing. For dessert we had the white chocolate-cherry bread pudding, butterscotch chesse cake, vanilla bean crème brulee and the flourless decadent chocolate torte. Of course we all shared and they were all worth ordering. The service was great as well. They were attentive but not overly. They accommodated any of our request in a timely manner. Also, the ambiance was great. We sat in the front of the restaurant with all the windows and you could see all the light form City Walk. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend.

    (5)

  • Yevgeniya-Jane C.

    We are so glad that we chose this restaurant out of so many places on City Walk. The decor is modern and inviting. The wait staff was very professional and friendly, on point. The food was a highlight. I got the Tuna appetizer, loved it and my husband went crazy for Duck tacos. The Banana cream pie dessert was to die for. They had a lunch special - get 1 appetizer or dessert free with a purchase of an entree. We had 2 appetizers and 1 dessert that they could chose to take off our bill since we purchased an entree, and they took off the most expensive one, the tuna! Saved us 10 bucks!

    (5)

  • Brian S.

    Came here on a date, and was glad I did. I had the apple cider "ham" chops, and was not expecting what I got. I was thinking of mom's pork chops from way-back-when (nicer, and bigger, but just pork chops) and what I received were two of the biggest, juiciest, and most flavorful pieces of perfectly cooked pork I have ever had. Ever. We ended with a crème brûlée that was in the top 3 best ever. My date had the torte which was equally delicious. Add to that a wine list that inspired us to open two bottles, and it adds up to an amazing night. I'm not dating the young lady anymore, but will be glad to bring someone else in the future.

    (5)

  • Angela P.

    Seafood Pizza. SEAFOOD PIZZA. That is all that you really need to know. Our server recommended this gem. My fiance got the salmon, which we were sure was going to be the star of the show. We were wrong. The seafood pizza is everything that is right with the world. Creamy, salty, carb-y, umami, decadent. The calamari was OK. I had a 'spicy' martini which was also delicious, but very strong. The ambiance is nice, but you will have families coming in from the theme parks, so that puts a little dent in the high-class and romantic vibe that it has going on (i.e. noisy). Nice white table cloths and tall ceilings. Service is absolutely impeccable. Overall a great spot.

    (4)

  • Diana B.

    This place had high quality New Orleans food for a good price (considering the quality abd quantity). The portions are big, my friend ordered the pork, and they gave her a full size pig leg (cooked to perfection I might add). The red velvet cake was AMAZING, and so was everything else. Definitely coming back!

    (5)

  • Steve M.

    I was at Universal yesterday and I was in the mood for a nice steak so I decided to have my birthday dinner at Emeril's. What an expensive disaster. The seating area seemed nice at first. I was in a room of pretty much all windows and that provided a nice view of the park. But it was like an echo chamber and thanks to the nearby obnoxiously drunken middle-aged foursome snorting like hyenas, it was like being subjected to beer pong playing fraternity jackasses on a binge. There were multiple servers coming and going but the service was not good. The main server seated a family of four after me but decided to take their order first. Also, since there were multiple servers, I was asked the same question many times...except for "Would you like something to drink?" I had to order a drink as the server was walking away. I was surprised he could hear me with Loudmouth and the Shrieking Morons rehearsing at the corner table. I was eventually served a rocks martini but the glass was so small it was gone in a couple of sips. On to the entree. I ordered a 45 dollar ribeye steak, expensive right? I thought, hey, this has to be good for this kind of money. I tried the mashed potatoes first and to my surprise, they were unusually delicious. I unfortunately did not have the same thing to say about the ribeye. It was cooked rare to my preference but it was bland and not a good cut. It came with a side of veal reduction sauce but that was also bland. I couldn't even eat half of the steak so I decided to finish the mashed potatoes and have some of the bread and butter and all of these had much more flavor than the steak. I was disappointed because I'm used to really delicious steaks from places like Capital Grille, Charley's Steak House, Vito's Chop House, and Fishbones. I simply expected that one of Emeril's restaurants could at least get steaks right. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone...unless you prefer annoyingly loud intoxicated jackassy tourists, tiny pricey drinks, crappy service, and extremely expensive steaks which would make you prefer A1 sauce and tree bark.

    (1)

  • Eddie M.

    Excellent food and service. Try the Mahi Mahi, I highly recommend it. Make sure you make reservations for large parties, 6 or more people. Overall the establishment has good ambiance and a friendly staff. Parking is free for Florida residences after 8pm.

    (5)

  • Jennifer H.

    The confit mushroom wood oven pizza was amazing. It had gruyere cheese, which was a pleasant switch. Nice service, good food - a nice oasis in the midst of amusement park food.

    (4)

  • Ingrid R.

    Unfortunately it was very disappointing. Pro: soup, salad, service and presentation was on point. Cons: all main courses failed big time. Over cooked shrimp, burned kids pizza, undercooked scallops, tasteless gator tail, tasteless salmon.

    (2)

  • Florence M.

    Loved everything! Our server was very attentive and was ready to refill our drinks before we could even ask him. Our appetizer was delish: exotic mushrooms pasta. I normally wouldn't have ordered it but when I saw on yelp how many people were raving it I knew I had to try it. I was not disappointed and could have easily eaten several plates if this by myself! Entree was the apple cider pork chops which were the best I have ever had. I normally don't like pork and apple pairings but this was the bomb! It was served with grits and when the server told me I would love them I was skeptical at first but after I tried it I could have easily eaten a whole plate of just those grits. They were that good! Dessert: banana cream pie and it was spectacular. Would definitely return!

    (5)

  • Mary B.

    This is me and my husband's first visit to this Emeril's location and we brought our thirteen year old niece with us. We came on a Sunday night and were fortunate enough to be seated without a reservation. Service was friendly but a bit slow. We ordered the guacomole with spiced tortilla chips as an appetizer which was quite good. For the entrees my niece ordered the fresh tomato pizza and my husband and I split the roasted salmon. Although the salmon was good, I felt like it was not much better than I could have made for myself at home. I am fine with the dainty portions but for $25 and dining at Emeril's my expectations that it would be excellent. Finally we got to dessert which is the thing we were most looking forward to. They also have a special that if you order and entree and bring a theme park ticket you can get one dessert for free. We had ordered dessert last year at the Emeril's Tchoup Chop in the Lowe's Royal Pacific hotel and had been blown away. My husband's banana cream pie was every bit as good as he had remembered but I couldn't say the same about my creme brulee. Again, not bad but definitely not as good as I remember from the last visit. Our niece ordered the butterscotch cheesecake that she described as "okay". Overall not a bad experience but when Emeril puts his name on a restaurant you have a high expectation for your meal and I think he missed the mark on this occassion. I've just not been all that impressed by any of the restaurants on City Walk really. I should probably stop trying!

    (3)

  • S S.

    I made a reservation to dine here to celebrate my husband's birthday. It was great on all levels. Great service, nice ambiance, and amazing food. My husband had the blackened swordfish and I had the apple pork chop (which was huge)...both amazing dishes. We also had the bbq shrimp for an appetizer which I thought was just ok but my husband loved it. It was a really great experience and I would definitely recommend going at least once.

    (5)

  • Ro H.

    Visiting from Chicago. Food was excellent and service was spectacular. Yannis and Michael were the best servers ever and they gave great suggestions. Again the food was excellent! The service and the food made this an excellent experience. So glad we came.

    (5)

  • Cheryl S.

    I'm a big fan of celebrity chefs. I always like checking out their restaurants, and although I've lived in Central Florida almost all my life, I've never been here. My husband and I were headed to Hard Rock for a show, so we made reservations here for that evening. Otherwise it's not very practical to drive into Universal City Walk, pay for parking, walk the half-mile or so, etc. But I digress. My husband and I ordered guacamole to start, then we each ordered a seafood entree. They were both good, and I enjoyed the plating that made it feel like an actual chef prepared my meal. Service was excellent, and the prices were somewhat reasonable for the location and celebrity status. I'd definitely come here again if I were in City Walk, but I wouldn't drive out there just for the restaurant.

    (4)

  • Earl M.

    Great food and best bang for the buck. The food was memorable and will definitely visit again in the future. The mushroom pasta dish was the best starter course I've ever had. Perfect appetizer.

    (4)

  • Elizabeth W.

    I've increased my rating to 4-stars because the customer service and guest recovery for my mediocre experience was beyond what I expected and I respect them a lot for reaching out to me and addressing the issues with my visit. I came in here expecting to have something wonderful to say, I mean it's emeril's restaurant for goodness sakes. But no, I've had better food at places for a quarter of the price. I was super excited to take my mom here for Mother's Day because she's always wanted to go and I hate that we were both so disappointed. We ordered escargot which I love but it seemed to be burnt to a crisp and had absolutely no flavor The only food that was good was the pork chop that was my entree and the complimentary bread at the beginning. My mom got the duck and didn't enjoy it, I ended up giving her part of my pork chop. I love creme brûlée as well as banana pie but neither were as good as the were worked up to be, the creme brûlée was mediocre and the banana pie was overly sweet. The service was super attentive which was nice and I was able to get a free app or dessert for having a universal pass and thought it hadn't been taken off of the check yet so one of the two guys waiting on us took it off and we ended up with two apps taken off (I didn't realize this at the time) Thinking that the lower price was what I was paying I gave them my card which was run for the amount I was believed to have been charged and then again for one of the apps they took off. After the waiter already ran my card he comes back to inform me that there was a mistake and they took off more than one app. You do NOT swipe my card for an unexpected charge without informing me first and that really bothered me.

    (4)

  • Ryan V.

    Came here recently for the first time for a work function and was very impressed with both the meal and service. We were upstairs in a private dining room area that overlooks Citywalk. As this was a work event, we had a limited menu to choose from that had been preselected. Two choices of salad, five entrees and three deserts were the amount of options and everyone's opinion (there was roughly 20 of us) was that the food was fantastic. Oh, and there were also three different appetizers that were presented as well. Nearly everyone had the filet which was served with green beans topped w/ almonds. There was a slight issue with the consistency of how each steak was cooked but I never tend to think that its a big deal. Treat each on a case by case basis -you can always just have them throw it back on the grill for a few seconds. The drinks were served promptly and were decent and there was nearly every kind of wine available. I could never imagine coming back however if not for some kind of steep discount or incentive. Places like Emeril's are for the tourists and while a annual pass holder like my self would like to be able to go at least once a year. The price/overall value provided is just not enough where I could rationalize (or frankly afford) coming here. I could much easily to to Outback and have as good of a meal without all of the fine-dining pomp and presentation and $$$$-$$$$$ prices.

    (4)

  • Jack R.

    BAM I feel like I've been sucker punched. Stripsteak for about $40 that tasted like I could have had the same think at Hardrock Cafe down the street for half the price. I guess I was expecting more quality and more flavor from Emeril's. My buddy had their sea scallops and said they were overcooked, which apparently is easy to do if you're not skilled. Mmmm....scallop jerky...LOL. On a side note, I've also tried their lunch menu. I had their burger which is also just as average as their steak. So as I pick myself up from this average place...I'm thankful that it didn't knock a bigger hole in wallet.

    (3)

  • Lovely Lollipop S.

    Amazing! Amazing! Amazing!!! The service was incredible, the food is incredible, and the ambiance is incredible! 10 stars all the way!

    (5)

  • Courtney K.

    Came here for a family reunion dinner with a group of about 30 and we all were very satisfied! The fried green tomatoes appetizer was excellent, as was the salmon with risotto (very flavorful). The famous banana cream pie did not disappoint, it is HUGE and definitely enough for 2 people to share. We also ordered some after dinner coffee, which came with a rock candy stirrer instead of sugar. This was a very innovative concept, and I love rock candy- so so tasty! The waiters are very nice as well.

    (4)

  • Joaquin P.

    Best meal ever!!..last time here was 9 years ago and quality of food, service, ambiance is still the same. My family was very satisfied with everything Emeril's offered. Good job! Coming from California (San Diego) to celebrate my daughter quinceañera here was a good decision, and actually her decision. I'll be back...

    (5)

  • T M.

    The service is great food is great .... I will continue to come back here. Eric, Fabian and Suzanne are the best at the bar. I have been coming here for 4 years because of them, thank you for the great service

    (5)

  • Greg B.

    We ate here every day while at Universal because of the food quality. This restaurant is the best in CitiWalk, Universal, or Island of Adventure - by far. Best dishes were Duck Confit spaghetti with peas, mushrooms, in a cream sauce and the seafood gumbo with andouille sausage. Mixed drinks were superb, particularly the fresh tasting cantaloupe martini. Also enjoyed the Endeflower Blossom, made with elderflower liquor and pear vodka. The wines are typical poorly reviewed bottles at super-high prices. Misses are : the oversalted rib eye steak (I ate less than half despite my habit of eating until the waiter pulls the table cloth from my mouth) and Burrata Mozzarella drenched in balsamic vinegar with only a few tiny cuts of basil. I was not crazy about the bucatini carbonara with duck egg. Service was excellent. They brought us a dessert for our anniversary that was not on the menu, a delicious soft chocolate cake in a glass. Yummy! People tend to dress business casual here at dinner, but they won't kick you out for being super-casual.

    (4)

  • Karen L.

    After a long day at the Universal parks, we decided to treat ourselves to a nice meal. First of all, the service here is really good. The servers seem like they do everything they can to make sure their guests have an enjoyable meal. We had the fried green tomatoes, barbecue shrimp, gumbo, and the pork chop. Everything was delicious. I especially enjoyed the barbecue shrimp. The sauce was so good that I even dipped the fried green tomatoes in it. They even split everything for us--the entree and appetizers on separate plates, and the gumbo in separate bowls. Small details like that can make a dining experience that much better.

    (4)

  • Thais A.

    The first time I came here the food was pretty good. I had ahi tacos and they were fresh and super tasty. However, the service was terrible. I sat at the bar for lunch and it was difficult to get a bartender to notice me. They weren't busy. I tried it out again over a year later and had a very similar experience. But this time, if at all possible, the service was worse. The service staff here is incredibly pretentious and seem to be unable to read their guests. The server this time kept making awkward jokes and the entire bar staff was really snarky. Most of them kept taking their cell-phones out in front of guests. People who come here after being at the park all day just want to sit at the bar with a cold beer and enjoy some good food. Sadly not even the food was worth the awful service this time. The fried bacalao was completely tasteless. The BBQ ribs were dry and the calamari was kept in the frier for way too long. Isn't Emeril suppose to be a celebrity chef? I will never be back

    (1)

  • Tricia D.

    Love this place. Great happy hour! Wine $5. 1/2 beers. Oh wait. They offer emeril quality food at a great price. Service is amazing. Some of the best food I have ever had. Great date night. Kids are welcome but can't imagine they would appreciate the value.

    (5)

  • Chris A.

    Well- after many years, wasn't sure that I could find a place to top or compete with the steak houses in the United States, but coming to Emerils was a very, very pleasant surprise! The steak was cooked to absolute perfection, the detail was on point, & the service was the BEST service I've had to date- this was one of my best dinners ever, & will definitely repeat at Emerils!

    (5)

  • David L.

    I went for Magical Dining and was not pleased with the service, nor the food. To be honest, everything about it was disappointing from the time we walked in the door to the time we left. The waiters had to come over multiple times to retake a few of our orders, there was seven of us. This happened throughout our evening until we received our checks. Going with a large group, we were able to try everything on the Magical Dining menu. Everything on the menu was NOT that tasty. Out of the appetizers, the Ceviche was probably the best but that still isn't saying much. Second would have to be the Oyster Bisque. The taco looked pathetic especially on the large plate it came on, my friend said it would've been more satisfying if there were five more. For the entrees, the chicken was rated best out of my colleagues and myself. The sauce was good and the skin was crispy, the chicken on the dry side and the potatoes drowned in a sauce that they could have lightened. The salmon and the muscles have the same description, dry and bland. For dessert, I recommend just getting the fresh fruit!

    (1)

  • Tracie S.

    Phenomenal!!!! 10 stars!!! Had the guac and chips. Had the rib eye and the banana cream pie. Service was amazing and worth every penny!!!

    (5)

  • Dean C.

    I expected more. With Emeril's name on the door... especially. First The Good: - My wife had the salmon. She really liked it and said it was above average. - We had a reservation and seating was immediate. - The place is trendy looking. - My main waiter was very good and professional. Now The Bad: - The wait staff works as a team apparently. Huge gaps in service was the result. My drink was never refilled the entire evening. I was brought my bill to pay by two different waiters. - I ordered the New York Strip. It had to go back due to some kind of green paste they put on it. It was supposed to have a garlic taste but I could hardly taste it and it ruined the steak. I suggest ordering without the special sauce. - One of the three waiters was very unprofessional. The manager did address this with me at the end. Who knows if things really get resolved though. Overall I give it three stars. 4 for the food and 2 for the service for an average of 3. I doubt I will go to another restaurant with his name on it. There are much better places for less money.

    (3)

  • Luis G.

    Went for lunch on Sunday, make RSVP ahead or you won't get in. Had the Tuna Poke as an appetizer and also the crusted Red Drum. Good as expected was amazing and will definitely be coming back. If you are up for dessert try their popular Banana Cream Pie.Gave it 4 stars as our server forgot one of our sides and had to ask him several times for a straw, other than that EXCELLENT.

    (4)

  • Erika E.

    If you are planning an event - just pick up the phone and work with the fantastic crew at Emeril's. The staff here is amazing. So nice, friendly, helpful and polite. I really can't say enough about how superb the service is. We had a group of 40 and our group of servers were well orchestrated and incredibly friendly. They jumped in and helped me with getting some name tags and thanks you gifts in order and they were warm and welcoming to all of the guests. Food was great - short ribs were awesome. But really, all you need in life is the banana cream pie. Kind servers, attentive management and an outstanding piece of pie.

    (5)

  • Mark L.

    I had dinner here in a private room with a party of 19 people. The service was top notch, and I would expect that for a large party. They ran out of Olives for my martini, and somehow the waiter managed to get me some, which I did not expect. For an appetizer, I had the fried green tomatoes. They were ok. There was too much breading in my opinion and not enough goat cheese. They tasted too fried and unremarkable. I would have gotten something else. I had the blackened Swordfish and switched out the sausage for Brussels sprouts. The fish was cooked right and fresh but could have used some salt. The Brussels sprouts were the right softness and had a flavorful sauce. For desert, I had the key lime pie which was very good. It had the right combination of tartness and sweetness. Most of the party agreed with me.

    (4)

  • Kenneth J.

    Dined here for lunch recently, and I must say the dishes ordered were top notch in taste, freshness, quality and presentation. The blackened mahi mahi was delectable, perfectly seasoned, and had a great kick! The pickled okras and sweet potato chips complemented the meal nicely. The peppered tortilla chips and guacamole, ordered as an appetizer were OK, but the butterscotch cheesecake made up for it! Rich and decadent, this cheesecake was the perfect end to a scrumptious meal. Service was top notch. Will definitely return to try more on the menu!

    (4)

  • Tami H.

    We walked into Emeril's and sat at the kitchen. Overall, it was a great dining experience. Excellent service, great drinks, and yummy food. First we shared the peach salad, tuna watermelon crudo, and something called Boudin balls which were amazing. For entrees between us we had the shrimp and grits (super flavorful) and the Andouille crusted drum -- all excellent. For a "chain" restaurant, Emeril's is super consistent and a stand-out in City Walk.

    (4)

  • Howard H.

    I'm always wary of celebrity chef restaurants but there's not much diversity in the Universal area so we gave this place a shot for lunch after a day in the park. The lunch menu is more limited than the dinner menu but it has plenty to choose from. The duck tacos were decent but the star was the shrimp and marscapone grits. The grits were perfectly done, creamy and complemented with a perfectly balanced sauce. I usually hate grits but this interpretation changed my mind. Other items were so so but it's a good option when you escape the park.

    (3)

  • Bob H.

    All these places priced about the same for lunch might as well eat well !! Shrimp and grits is awesome, also a good place to people watch

    (5)

  • Peter C.

    Nice ambiance in the middle of the City Street, but that's about the best feature of this restaurant that does injustice to its sister restaurants in New Orleans. Everything we ordered was so salty! My friend and I both ordered gumbo, and it was almost inedible because it was so salty. The service was mediocre at best. Overpriced food that failed to deliver on taste...

    (2)

  • Stacey K.

    It was nice to be able to try Emeril's restaurant in Orlando after having dined at Emeril's restaurant in Las Vegas-- it was difficult not to compare the two locations since they served many of the same items. My first impression of the restaurant was that the ambiance did not feel as upscale and intimate as the Las Vegas location. This makes sense since it is located in Universal's CityWalk, a family-oriented atmosphere. We had reservations and were seated on the second floor, which was a bit more quiet/nicer than the downstairs seating. Our server was very helpful and answered any questions we had about the menu, also making suggestions. I told her I liked to drink Merlot, so she recommended the 2008 Northstar Merlot. This wine was light and fruity, I would suggest this to anyone who likes a mild Merlot to start with before feasting. My eyes lit up when our server mentioned that the Soup special of the day was French Onion Soup! I loveeee French onion soup so I ordered this right away and eagerly awaited my piping hot bowl of soup with that melted cheese oozing off the side of the bowl. Unfortunately, this was not the case (so sad). Instead, the "French onion" soup here is pretty much a VERY salty onion soup, served in a shallow bowl, with NO cheese and a soggy slice of bread. This really should be called super salty onion soup. ( yelp.com/biz_photos/emer… ) The appetizer was a bummer so I was excited for my main entree. I ordered the 8oz Creakstone FIlet Mignon, medium-rare. Super tender piece of meat, and cooked very well. I was just a little surprised the meat itself lacked flavor/seasoning. The filet was served with plugra mashed potatoes, cipollini onions, and housemade worcestershire, which gave the dish much more flavor. ( yelp.com/biz_photos/emer… ) My table shared a bottle of the 2011 Elk Cove Pinot Noir. This was an awesome choice and it went well with all of our various dishes (seafood, lamb, beef). Very fruity and earthly. ( yelp.com/biz_photos/emer… ) The Slow Braised Lamb Shank was fall off the bone tender-- no need for a knife! You could definitely tell it was slow cooked and you could also taste the rosemary that was infused into the meat. This shank of lamb actually was not gamey at all, pretty mild for lamb-- although I wish the meat was seasoned more. This serving is pretty large so be prepared to be very full! It may be a good idea to share a couple entrees because you may get tired of the lamb after the 10th bite. ( yelp.com/biz_photos/emer… ) A few people at our table ordered the Andouille Crusted Redfish, which was recommended by our server. This fish is served with pattipan squash, shoestring potatoes, and a creole meuiere sauce. The fish was nice and moist, and I loved the crust on the fish because it has some spice to it. ( yelp.com/biz_photos/emer… ) I. Am. So Full.... But there's always room for dessert :P I really wanted the Chocolate Souffle for dessert but I was misinformed about when to order. If you would like the souffle, be sure you order it while you order your main entree (since souffle takes 30 min to prepare). I went with my second choice, the Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee ( yelp.com/biz_photos/emer… ). This was made really great! The creme was nice and light, and the sugar shell coat was nice and crisp. The homemade shortbread cookies and mixed berry glaze complimented the dessert perfectly. I also tried Emeril's Banana Cream Pie and the Key Lime Pie -- I also tried these two desserts at the Las Vegas lcoation. The banana cream pie was good, but it wasn't as great as the one in Las Vegas-- something about the banana and cream didn't seem incorporated together, was mroe like layers. ( yelp.com/biz_photos/emer… ) The key lime pie was pretty good, but I also liked this better at the Las Vegas location. ( yelp.com/biz_photos/emer… ) This location made the crust a lot thicker and the pie filling was creamier (not as tart). Both desserts were great nonetheless. I really like the expresso selections available; they had 6 different kinds. I went with the Costa Rica Tarrazu Expresso. I love how the sugar is served on a rock candy stick, super cute and easy to stir into the expresso ( yelp.com/biz_photos/emer… ).

    (3)

  • Bruce F.

    Generally expectations are low when dining in airports and amusement parks. Captive audience. Emiril's failed to meet even my lowest expectations. On a drizzly Thursday evening at 8:45 pm last night, we arrived in time for our reservation to a half-full restaurant. After ordering a bottle of Tempranillo, we placed our order. The Cajun BBQ shrimp were passable but served at room temperature. The Chicken and Andouille Gumbo also good, but without a hint of heat. Meanwhile, despite numerous requests for Emiril's famous corn bread muffins--and promises by the server that fresh bread was in the oven and coming right out, our appetizers were long gone and entrees served long before any bread arrived. Instead of warm muffins, we received dry, crumbly, and cold ones that seamed to have been baked early yesterday morning or perhaps even institutional frozen/reheated muffins. Not what one might expect from a southern/Cajun celebrity chef's place bearing Emiril's name. I ordered a filet mignon and Jambalaya. The steak was served room temperature and well done (brown all the way through) and the Jambalaya was nothing more than bland, mushy rice in a Campell's tomato soup/style flavorless sauce with barely a hint of Andouille sausage. Also served at room temperature. This restaurant must have been sued by a patron who burnt his tongue on too much Bam. Apparently, Emiril was advised by his lawyer never to serve hot, spicy, or flavorful food again. None was found at Emiril's last night. Slow service, absent manager, and overall, a New Jersey Boardwalk amusement park dining experience at a Park Avenue price. Yuk! For the lack of bread we were offered a complimentary dessert which was not only a nice gesture, but also the highlight of the evening. Finally an authentically prepared southern dish: key lime pie without any I unnecessary frills. Delicious.

    (2)

  • Mike F.

    The meal was very good, a lot better than other restaurants in city walk. Our waiter was very nice and prompt but seemed to switch to another person about halfway through the meal. Food was brought out timely as to not rush us through each course.

    (4)

  • Surbhi S.

    I really wish I could give this place more than 5 stars. The service is simply amazing!!! The food is really amazing. I had the vegetarian pasta and it was really delicious. My husband had the tuna pork meatballs which was also really good. For dessert we had Crème brûlée which was incredible. Would definitely come back if visiting Orlando!!!

    (5)

  • Anthony C.

    I was looking forward to a reservation here to celebrate a new job. I was very excited and looking forward to this meal and previously have been here for birthdays and just nights out over the last 10 years. My overall feeling is that Emeril has stretched himself too thin and has let this restaurant slip away from greatness. My opinion of this restaurant is based on several negative experiences. The food itself was good, but I can't recommend spending $75 a person for the tasting. There are better options around town at similar or more favorable price points without poor service. First problem- I read the menu online and it seems the website menu is outdated. The happy hour times were off, and I found one thing online on Emeril's website that said if you bring a Universal ticket you get a free appetizer or dessert. Then at the bottom it said it expires Dec 31st 2014. Well 6 months too late and maybe it's time to update your menus. You would think a fine dining restaurant would pay attention to their website and make sure it's updated for their guests. Second problem- We were told at the table we could not get happy hour. I ordered a water and had to go up to the bar and wait on service to bring 2 bottles back to our table. Happy hour is half off bottles of beer, so my choice are keep sitting and pay $7.99 for one Fat Tire, or get up for a free one. I found it ridiculous that we were ordering 2 $75 each tasting menus and I had to get my own beer at the bar if I wanted half off. I would have expected we were the more profitable customers by ordering dinner and we should be able to take advantage of happy hour. I understand if there are special drinks or food options that are only available at the bar, but we just wanted beer. Third problem-I noticed on my beer that the enjoy by date on our beers were May 3rd, which solidified that the employees here aren't paying attention. For a place like this, it is embarrassing that they are serving stale beer that should have been consumed a month and a half ago. That means probably bought the beer a long time ago. This just tells me things slip through the cracks and if they are selling very expired beer, some of the ingredients are probably also not as fresh as you would expect. Fourth problem- Service. There are multiple service issues we experienced. In summary, the employees don't act like they are working at a nice restaurant. The standards here have been lowered for sure and the employees carry themselves as if they are working at any other citywalk restaurant. I have had better service at the hard rock because the server was upbeat, friendly and it was clear she genuinely liked working with people. The servers here were always talking to one another and it was funny they didn't pay attention when I went to the bathroom and didn't move when I was walking towards them. This lack of perception shows they aren't paying attention to customers. Another problem related to service is the waiters absolutely aren't communicating and don't know what each other is doing. They would bring out the wrong utensils, when our meal was winding down they took our salt and pepper, brought it back and then another waiter took it again a minute later. Another service problem was we felt rushed the whole time. During one of the courses, the waiter came back to clear the plates but we weren't both completely done. My girlfriend had a few bites left and the waiter stood right over her waiting. It was weird and uncomfortable and one reason we felt rushed. After she was clearly still assembling her bites, he backed off a little but strangely didn't leave. That was weird and unlike anything I have experienced. Usually they just go away when people are still eating and he didn't. Another service issue was during our main entree as we were finishing they brought out dessert spoons, which was unusual. We wondered why they wanted us to hurry up so much. Of course, those dessert spoons were taken a few minutes later by the main waiter when he was clearing our table. Very odd it's like they don't pay attention to one another and each have their own way of doing things. After our waiter took our plates and another brought utensils again, we were brought our dessert by a waiter we haven't seen all night after our main waiter cleared our table. Since we never saw our waiter, we were not offered coffee. I like when we deal with one main waiter we can build a relationship with. Too many waiters were unnecessary and led to issues. I was hoping a manager would check in with us regarding our experience. I expect for $75 a person there would be some oversight to your experience. No manager came, which made me feel like this place was so terrible today because it's not ran by a capable management team. There were too many employee mistakes. There are so many better dining choices in Orlando. The experience did not meet my expectations and I no longer look forward to visiting Emeril's.

    (1)

  • Tim C.

    We had drinks with soup and salad, so I can't give a full review of the food. The clam chowder was very good. The salads were good. Everyone else really liked their food. The service was spectacular, and the restaurant was well lit with a nice energy inside.

    (4)

  • Raghu H.

    After our first night at Universal Studios, we decided to walk in the restaurant. At first we were a bit wary about the price, but it was definitely worth it for a once in a while experience!! For our appetizer we decided to get the New Orleans barbecue shrimp. It only yields about five pieces but the sauce is AMAZING and definitely unique to the restaurant. For our entrees, we ordered roasted salmon, some chowder, the mahi mahi, and a caprese pizza. Everything was delicious, and the pizza definitely was above average compared to a regular dominos pizza. My dad and I got fried green tomatoes as a side and my mother got tempura broccoli. Although we probably could have just split one plate of the tomatoes between the two of us, my dad and I definitely enjoyed it. Overall this resturant is pricey, but the food was impeccable and the service even better: my water glass was constantly attended to and we got new cutlery without even having to ask. Highly recommend for once in a while splurge!

    (4)

  • Philip V.

    While the service was outstanding, the food definitely was not. Let's start with the appetizer which happened to be the best thing we ate. Kurobuta pork belly on top of polenta. It was rather good. I wish we had stopped at that. We also had the gumbo. It was not very flavorful. My wife had the lamb dish. It tasted like lamb stew. Not something I would have ordered at a fine restaurant. I had the redfish. While the fish tasted okay the rest of the plate was complete crap. The fish was on top of a bed of potato strings and by bed I mean a king size pillow top mattress of potato strings. Made the dish hard to eat. Then I discovered under the shit load of potato strings there was a steamed to death vegetable medially. If I was Emeril, I would hang my head in shame.

    (2)

  • MJ J.

    I have no idea why all the bad reviews. The service was outstanding and I am usually hard to please. Escargot good, pizza with truffles excellent, pork chop very good and Blackened snapper outstanding. Wine selection is high end and amazing options for the kids as well.

    (5)

  • Kristin L.

    Beyond awful, and this is coming from a veteran foodie. There are far better restaurants in this city that offer good food at better prices. My girlfriend and I attended for Magical Dining Month, and even at the discounted rate, it wasn't worth the meal. I literally couldn't eat more than two bites out of two of the courses -- the fish was super fishy and the meat was dry and tasteless. I'm sure it makes a killing from tourists and I bet the New Orleans location is fantastic, but do NOT waste your money driving to Universal for this. The food at Bubba Gump and NBA City is way better if you're in City Walk.

    (1)

  • Greg D.

    Service, no good. Food, missing passion. This place lacks character and dedication to the food and customer. Its very vanilla and the food leaves you desiring more.

    (2)

  • C V.

    A great break from the lines and crowds at universal studios. The food here was impressive to be located in the middle of a huge theme park. The manager and service staff were attentive and nice. Did i mention the food was very good? the burger ordered was very tasty along with good sides. Will visit again the next time in orlando. Give them a try if you visit.

    (4)

  • Jaime W.

    I recently had dinner at Emeril's at Universal on the last day of a business trip. I was saving a visit to this restaurant to the last day and I wish I hadn't wasted the time or money going here. The service was adequate, they were professional, but you could sense the artificial hospitality and the quickness of the delivery of drinks and food... and the food BLAND...no "Bam" at all. I decided to order the special for $33, it included appetizer, dinner and dessert. I had the Oyster bisque...boring, flavorless, gross green color, then the Roasted Salmon was Dry and what was supposed to be risotto, was yellow flavored (not well) rice....we even got the "bread" pudding, it was actually made in muffin cups and was the worst bread pudding I ever tasted...it was congealed, and had the worst flavor....I don't actually believe Emeril has anything to do with the recipes or the actual authentication of this restaurant. Don't waste your time or money!

    (1)

  • Leti M.

    The food was delicious. We sat at the bar and the service was slow. Took a long time just to take our drink order. The track lighting over the bar full of dust

    (3)

  • Ashleigh D.

    any pasta is to die for! I love Emerils!

    (4)

  • No N.

    The food was very expensive. My wife ordered the soup of the day while I ordered the Emeril salad. The salad was so good and my wife's soup was good too. They did a great job with service and presentation. For dinner my wife ordered shrimp and pasta and I had the barbecue glazed salmon. Our dinners were delicious. The salmon was the best tasting salmon I've ever had. For dessert we ordered a the vanilla bean creme brûlée and it was delicious, but very small. For the price I would have like to have had more. Overall the dinner cost over $100.00 The food was amazing and the service was great, however it's very expensive and will take a chunk out of your wallet. If it was only cheaper I've give it a 5 star.

    (4)

  • Kevin M.

    Hands down, one of my favorite restaurants in Orlando. We have probably eaten at Emeril's Orlando at least 10-15 times over the last several years. The service is unparalled at any other local restaurant. The servers are knowledgable, they keep your glasses full, and do all the things you would expect of a fine dining staff. The food is always very good and portion sizes are large. I have have never left hungry, and have had times where dessert was simply not an option after an appetizer and entree. From a family standpoint, they have a nice kids' menu with most of the standards that my kids love. The restaurant is also very good for a client or business dinner. Overall, for locals or visitors, Emeril's Orlando is an excellent option, and one I would always recommend.

    (5)

  • Christine L.

    Food was amazing and our server really knew what he was talking about. He made suggestions that weren't necessarily the most expensive items on the menu and took great care of us! We ordered a bottle of Thwomey which i believe is a cabernet sauvignon, the smoked wild and exotic mushroom appetizer, the lamb shank with wasabi mashed potatoes and carrots, and my date had the filet mignon entree. Everything looked, smelled, and tasted delicious! A romantic ambiance set the mood for a perfect date night after a long day of visiting the Universal Studios park.

    (5)

  • Anthony M.

    Bam!!! This place is probably the best restaurant in City Walk. There is a great Happy Hour from 5pm to 8pm but you must be sitting at the bar. The happy hour has half price well drinks, half price beer, 5 buck wines and about 4 reduced price apps. I had the BBQ Shrimp and it was amazing. It had a nice kick to it. I also had a flat bread pizza and it was perfect. It was like a buffalo chicken pizza with blue cheese and hot sauce. This is not a regualr item on the menu and was a special Friday night. Every bite had a nice kick to it but the hot sauce was not over powering. I have eaten here several times over the years and I have always had a great meal. I also love sitting at the bar that faces the kitchen. It is great to talk to the staff as they cook in front of you. I did not have calamari on this trip but I have had it in the past and it is amazing!

    (5)

  • Zach B.

    I ate Emeril's for lunch with my family while at Universal, and first of all I was pleasantly surprised that a three-course meal only us back $22. With the Emeril name I was expecting at least $30. And oh man, was it worth the money and then some. My first course was steamed mussels that were filled with super flavorful corn and the best chorizo I've ever had. They were definitely fishy, but I enjoyed them a lot. Second course was at first a bit of a surprise to see on a fine dining menu: chicken and waffles. It took one bite to see why; perfectly fried chicken with a mustard slaw, on waffles with honey...just awesome. Great-sized portion too. For dessert, I had a chocolate-peanut butter cake. Small, but super rich. I also tried my mom's banana cream pie, which was the best bite of pie I've ever had, hands down. I would definitely get that instead next time. As for the service, just superb. Water glasses always full, personable waiter without being overbearing. A bit jarring to have a place like this in the middle of tourist hell, but the experience really is something else. I really have nothing negative to say: A super memorable meal, and I'd come back again in a heartbeat.

    (5)

  • Omoniyi O.

    Pros: The wait staff was attentive and they knew their menu very well. The atmosphere was pretty nice. Cons: The food was not that bad, but nothing spectacular. There are plenty of other places on City Walk with less expensive prices.

    (3)

  • Jessica S.

    Yum! Came here on our 1st anniversary. I had the special 1/2 duck in a ginger-soy glaze, and hubby had bone-in ribeye with truffle butter! Both of us are still arguing over who had the better dish! The wait staff was brilliant and we had a team of guys servicing us. They are very accommodating, friendly, and I think they really are into giving you a killer food experience. Portions of food are huge, and anyone who comes here should just prepare for a flavor explosion. My husband also said that his dessert of praline cheesecake was one of the best desserts he'd ever had in his life. While it's not a quiet, calm dining experience, it's unique and very well-done. Make sure you save plenty of room before eating here - you'll be stuffed!

    (4)

  • Jay O.

    Thought the food and service was great but; the ambiance was horrible. The place was very loud, it was not near the grade I was expecting. For price it was a bust and I for one would not go back, when I pay close to $200 for a party of two I expect excellence and it wasn't even close.

    (3)

  • Lydiana J.

    The great, the good, and the disappointing. First, the great...If you're into sweet mixed drinks, you must have the 'pineapple upside down cake'. It is a dessert and drink in one. Wonderful! The banana cream pie was out of this world! And I don't even care for banana cream pie...but Emeril's has changed my mood regarding this pie. Yum! The strawberry sorbet, if you enjoy sorbet you will LOVE Emeril's sorbet. The wine list is mind-boggling. The service was incredible, with three waiters at our service. Second, the good...Everything on the menu was good. On tonight's menu we ordered the chicken gumbo, warm spinach salad, fried oysters, shrimp pasta with truffle butter, and redfish over potato strings, banana cream pie and strawberry sorbet. Honestly, it was all very good. The entrees were not knee melting, just good. The spinach salad with goat cheese and walnuts was tasty, the fried oysters were pleasant, the potato strings were the best I've tasted. It's atmosphere was good. However, we did make reservations for a quiet table upstairs. The downstairs portion of the restaurant is loud and busy. Third, the disappointing...Emeril's is located on the Universal Studios City Walk. It's wonderfully busy and bustling, which makes for very, VERY, casual patrons. My husband dressed business casual, and I wore a summer dress with a light summer sweater to cover my shoulders...I was worried I'd be under-dressed. No need to worry, the patrons were in flip flops, shorts, jeans and baseball caps. Oh well, now we know! Casual is ok! The only reason I found this disappointing was that I expected Emeril's to be a touch more classy for a two hundred dollar meal.

    (4)

  • Lyle H.

    This is one of my favorite places to go for a special occasion. We went in August and the service was a little less as good as I remembered from last time, but its still better service than most restaurants. The best thing to do is start here and end a Blue Man Group for a perfect night.

    (5)

  • Amy H.

    So disappointed! We look forward to dinning here every year when we vacation during Christmas, but this year we decided we wont be back. First, they were out of a lot of their menu. Second, I ordered a ceasar salad and was informed they were out of dressing. This is a chef resturant, cant you make it? I was served froazen fish, yes I know the difference. They claim to use local food and produce, why are you serving frozen. The rolls they bring around clearly were store bought, nothing special. So sad they have lost their passion for cooking there. Emeril needs to have a dining experience here and maybe some things will change!

    (2)

  • Jim L.

    This was a great place for lunch. The service is great and very fast. We were in and out in under an hour w/out rushing. Yesterday it took us 2 hours for lunch at The Hard Rock and had terrible service with average food. The food at Emeril's was excellent. Even the kid's menu was great. I went their with my wife and two kids. The kids are 10 & 12 and they ordered off of the kids menu. Both ordered the pizza which was like pizzeria style Pizza, not the usual lame microwave pizza you get at most places. I ordered the Gumbo, my wife ordered the Scallops and we had the calamari as an appetizer. We shared everything and my kids are usually picky eaters but liked it all. I highly recommend it for lunch and can't wait to come back for dinner some time. If your at Universal skip the bad tourist restaurants, which end up being the same price for lunch, and go with Emeril's you will be glad you did.

    (5)

  • Russell W.

    Based on lunch, not dinner: Had a bangin' lunch here while taking a break from Islands of Adventure/Universal Studios. The prices were very reasonable with the exception of the beer. $18.95 for a three course meal at an amusement park? Deal! (Note - the prices go up substantially for the dinner menu). The food was good and we all left so stuffed that we all agreed on not going on any rides again immediately for fear of...well...you know. Food: I started with the steamed mussels with chorizo sausage and fries (pommes frites). Very tasty with a little heat. I couldn't even put down the fries...and the portion was quite substantial. My main course was the braised pork belly, which was better than I had hoped. I didn't care for the applesauce that came with it, but I didn't want it anyway. Personally I don't understand the pairing to begin with - applesauce makes more sense to me with a pork chop or loin, not with something that's already drenched in juices and cabbage. Dessert: For dessert, though I didn't have room left really, I had the white chocolate bread pudding. It was very tasty but more bread-like than I'm used to. If you like mushier bread pudding you may want to pass. Drinks: Full bar, but bottled beer only, and the price was a bit much - $9 for a bottle. The meal was an incredible steal until those hit the tab. Parking: You'll have to pay $10 for parking, as it's inside city walk (and just outside Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure). Unrelated Comment: It bugs me that pommes frites means french-fried potatoes. Frites = fries, agreed, but pommes = apples. Back in the day we all learned potato was "pomme de terre" (apple of the earth/ground). Makes me wonder what they would call it if I sliced apples and fried them. "Mais nous avons utilisé ce nom déjà, merde!"

    (4)

  • Lisa M.

    After reviewing the menu I was disappointed. I expected more of a New Orleans cuisine on the menu. It seemed to be average American cuisine. Having said that we were going to have a great meal. We started with baked oysters that were dry. Then there was a lamb chili appetizer that was fantastic - things were looking up! My husband had the braised lamb shank which was very good and I had pork chops. Now...these were ABSOLUTELY the toughest pork chops I've ever had in my life. They were also terribly over-seasoned. Along with the rolls which we both thought were just like the ones we used to get with school lunch and the overpriced wine list...we won't be back. The staff was very pleasant but were so rushed that it made for a very harried atmosphere.

    (2)

  • Chris P.

    Very disappointing meal. Pork chops, while very large serving size, were very tough. Gulf shrimp pasta, waiter said its Alfredo sauce but it was actually truffle oil. Shrimp were low quality. Waiter forgot that we ordered a soufflé. Soufflé could have used a sweet element like cream or ice cream on the side.

    (1)

  • Emily L.

    Surprising superb customer service ! It is 5 star worthy. Food was above average and creative. I recommend their tasting menu, but disappointed my shrimp pasta had way too much oil and not as flavorful. Overall I'm pleasantly surprised with the quality of this restaurant and feel that it's not as much of the touristy chains in downtown Universal Orlando. Extra points for a really nice sunroom where you can watch the fireworks at night ! We were offered a table there without reservations, yay ! Wonderful experience :)

    (4)

  • Ann S.

    We come to Orlando same time every for a convention. We look forward to eating here every year. In fact it is a highlight of our visit. Tonight we were sadly disappointed. Service was almost non existent. Long waits to order,between courses and trying to get a server's attention. Our main or team head had no interest in us. My husband had to ask for the pepper mill and after two turns of the mill my husband asked for more pepper but he just walked away. The ribeye was mediocre, short ribs stringy and tough. Filet was well done when ordered medium. They never asked how the dinner was. Salads were good. Rolls and no butter. Had to ask for more rolls. Dinners were lukewarm - mashed potatoes had lumps, also just warm. You were eating cold food after a few bits. Sent coffee back, decaf came out cold second time. Finished our dessert before coffee came out - "we brew it in small batches" - 5 miles away! Wait staff congregates in the corner chatting. We were not happy and-they didn't care. Emerils does care. The General Manager called and we spoke at length. He called back asking for the date and time of our reservation and credited back 3/4's of the check.

    (3)

  • D D.

    I was completely underwhelmed by my experience here. Maybe I had my expectations too high based on the name and personality but I've experienced far better cuisine and dining experience at lesser known restaurants. I was first put off by the hostess. Such a blah-personality. I deal in customer service so I know the importance of a first impression. And let me tell you, I should have turned right back around and out the door. She just stared at us (I was in a party of 5). The servers were much better, very friendly and accommodating. Amongst my group, we ordered 2 blacken salmon dinners, 1 gulf shrimp pasta, 1 chicken asiago flatbread, and 1 child's pizza. It took 1 hour. There was nothing special about these dishes. Just overpriced and mediocre. I wouldn't recommend this restaurant.

    (2)

  • Joe N.

    Food was mediocre at best. BLT appetizer served cold. Salad was soggy from too much dressing. Ribeye Steak was bland. My steaks from Costco taste infinitely better. The one redeeming quality of the meal was the banana cream pie. Very disappointed.

    (2)

  • Stephanie G.

    I dined there with my boyfriend, my dad, and stepmom on Sunday for Memorial day weekend and the service is great and the food was pretty good as well, but for the price, I felt the food could have been better and the portions were a bit small. Overall though, it was satisfying. I might come back but only on a very special occasion.

    (3)

  • Jihyun K.

    Food was below average, incl. Filet mignon. Couldn't understand what all the hypes are about the place. Service however, was good!

    (1)

  • David G.

    I was expecting a lot better. We went with a group of 12. Very pricey... So with that said, I was expecting a great meal. The best thing I had was my sons cheese Tortellini off the kids menu... I tried French Onion Soup. They should change the name to onion soup. There was no Cheese on top... I also ordered chicken ceaser salad. Not good at all. Checken was over cooked. Not sure I will be going back there... Unfortunate because I always liked Emeril...

    (2)

  • Lisa W.

    We have dined here several times and each time incuding this time, we have left happy. The food is very well done and the service is spot on. This trip was made even more special because our server was wonderful. He had the perfect mix of professionalism, efficency and sincerity; I wish I could remember his name. Great place to end the day at the park or to celebrate a special occasion. We saw several birhday desserts being served. Ask for a table upstairs, it is not as noisy and more intimate; the food transports you to New Orleans.

    (4)

  • Heather H.

    For such a beautiful restaurant, you would expect more. I LOVE chicken and waffles, saw it on their menu, and had to have it! Their 3 course menu started with salad (sad, wilted, greens), the entree, and assorted sorbets (the best course)! The waffles were not freshly made, it was cold and limpy, the chicken must have been fried that morning and kept in the bread box. It was chewy and dry, oh my! Hate to disappoint but don't bother with spending extra $$ here.

    (2)

  • Mimi C.

    3.5 stars. Sorry Lagasse, but your restaurant doesn't compare to Iron Chef Sakai's or Morimoto's restaurants. The ambiance at Emeril's is wonderful which by itself would've placed it at 4 stars. The service was also very good. But your food is okay, minus your sweet potato bread which I love! Why do you only give me one?? =( I had to ask for more. ^.~ I got the Pecan Crusted Texas Redfish which has (taken from the menu) - Grilled Vegetable-Potato Hash, Candied Pecans and Creole Meunière Sauce. Pretty solid dish, nothing very unexpected. Liked the breadcrumbs to add texture. Didn't like the candied pecans much as most were really burnt ...geez... Hubby got the prie fix for $18.50 - Seafood Gumbo - Wayy too salty in my opinion. And not as good as I've had in New Orleans. Rabbit Lasagna - Eh, I'm not a huge fan of gamey meats. It was okay for me. Dessert - Kiwi + Guava sorbet (they add the kiwi for free for our honeymoon) -- okay, but a tad on the too sweet side (probably added more sugar than necessary). Overall, pleasant experience. Plus, this place is located on Citywalk so it's easy to move around from theme park to Emeril's.

    (3)

  • Iris T.

    Emeril's is definitely the best haven from all the Universal Studios madness! And it's only 10-15 min away on foot to boot! We went there for lunch and took advantage of their three-course pre-fixe menu for $18.50. I ended up getting the steamed P.E.I mussels with chorizo, served with pomme frittes topped with chipotle mayo as my appetizer. This was delish! I could definitely taste the cajun spices and not to mention, just with this dish alone, I was already getting my money's worth. For entrees, my friends and I all ended up getting the braised pork belly. It wasn't as fatty as I feared it would be but the meat also wasn't as tender as I would've expected. My friends and I had a bit of trouble cutting through the meat but don't think I let this stop me -- this perfectly seasoned meat was worth the work! (Although I really should've asked for a steak knife...) And now on to the dessert: Godiva White Chocolate Bread Pudding (served with a scoop of cinnamon ice cream)! So. Good. I would definitely suggest this place for lunch, for the foodies with one eye on their wallet and the other on their stomach. But for those who want more variety, definitely check it out for dinner -- and get the bread pudding!

    (4)

  • Cherry J.

    I live in Orlando, but I was at Universal for a conference. After a long day we decided to try Emeril's for dinner. We went all out, ordering a bunch of entrees, starters, salads, drinks, dessert... the works. Everything was cooked to perfection and tasted amazing. The service was above and beyond as well. We had many servers taking care of us and we never had to ask for anything. This is by far the best restaurant I've been to near the theme parks. Oh yeah, and you can reserve a spot at the chef's table for a cool experience. I would gladly return!

    (5)

  • Bryan B.

    Another eh... celebrity dining experience. After a long and actually boring day at Universal Orlando, we decided that a dining experience at Emeril's would be the highlight of our day... in the end it left me with mixed feelings. I have had previous experiences with another Emeril restaurant, Delmonico's in Las Vegas... which to this day is still one of my favorite steaks I have had to date. I also learned that I could really enjoy grits at Delmonico's, especially if they are artfully done. With Emeril's Orlando I can say that I enjoyed the staff quite a bit, the gentlemen serving us were really good and pleasant, the rest of the staff made little impression upon me and there was little interaction between members of the staff. The atmosphere was OK, but it reminded me of a hip mid-90's type of place that was in need of a refresh. I half expected there was going to be someone singing Mariah Carey ballads as part of the live entertainment... but there was no notable music or really anything impressionable about the place. The food was just OK. I was not blown away by anything on my plate, especially for paying the premium celebrity chef price. I think the worst thing I can say about a restaurant besides having bad food would be that their food was absolutely forgettable and there was nothing notable about anything that I had. I was just not overly impressed with anything that I had while I was there. The only dish that stood out was the banana cream pie, which I had at Delmonico's and it was made consistent to the very tasty pie that I had before. The pie was a given, the rest of the menu had me hoping for that 'ah ha!' moment I get from a really good restaurant... but it never happened. 3 stars because of the people and the pie... but I was not dazzled by anything else I had or the menu as a whole.

    (3)

  • Kent H.

    For starters the bread was very good. The french roll and sweet potato bread came warm soft and tasty. My main dish was the chilean seabass which was very good. There was no fishy taste at all. It was served seared and just melted in my mouth. The compliments of clam and mussel were only okay. The vegetable medley broth was a good addition to compliment the seabass sitting in the bowl. I also had an opportunity to try out the pork chop which was very good. The redfish had very little flavor except for the breading that surrounded it. If it wasn't for the taste of the breading, the redfish would have tasted like nothing. When we first came in it was empty, but by the time we go our main dish, the restaurant was full of guests.

    (4)

  • Cindy L.

    I had such high expectations for a restaurant with Emeril's name but wow was I disappointed. My sister and I had the prie fix menu. I had the appetizer gumbo, braised rib for entree, and sorbet dessert. The app and entree were all too salty!! I didn't even finish it. My sister had the tuna tacos which she disliked and left most of it on the plate. The only part I enjoyed was the sorbet but I don't think people go to restaurants just for sorbet. Hyped up amusement park restaurant -- go somewhere else.

    (2)

  • Andy S.

    Head on in no matter what you're wearing! OK so it's a white tablecloth place but they aren't uptight. Our server was very friendly and cool while knowledgeable. I had the Chicken Gumbo soup and it was the best I've ever had. I followed it up with the pork chops and they were prepared perfectly. Tasty, moist and cooked to a "T". For dessert we opted for the crème brulee and the banana cream pie. Both were very good although a bit thick for my taste. Others in the party had scallops (enjoyed very much) and the calamari (also good but a tad spicy) and a fish entrée (perfect!).

    (5)

  • Paul W.

    Overall I was a bit disappointed with my experience at Emeril's. I'd read reviews of Emeril's restaurants in other cities so I was prepared to pay a fair amount for my meal, but based on the reviews I'd read I was also prepared to be surrounded by wait staff who were very attentive. One reviewer had even commented that every time their water glass had condensation form on it, the glass was changed. We arrived at about 9:45 on a Friday for dinner and were seated almost immediately. The wait staff came to our table after a few moments to offer us menus and water. After that, the service became pretty average, which was a bit surprising considering I'd always heard that it seemed there were 3 staff for every table at other Emeril's restaurants and the service was supposedly nothing short of outstanding. The food was very good but not incredible. The highlight of my meal was the caprese flatbread appetizer. The other 2 in our party both had the filet mignon for their entree and both said it was very good. We each had an appetizer, an entree, and ordered a few of the dinner sides to share. We ordered two bottles of wine during dinner and each of us also had coffee after our meals. The final bill was $310 for the three of us before gratuity (the filet mignon alone was $42 each.) My experience here was "A-OK" as the description reads when you click on 3 stars on Yelp. Neither my meal or the service was particularly memorable or outstanding vs. what one might expect from an establishment with Emeril Lagasse's name on it, and the prices are probably a touch high for a restaurant that's situated in the middle of City Walk at Universal Studios with the likes of Hard Rock, Bubba Gump Shrimp and Panda Express.

    (3)

  • Michellea D.

    I got the 4 course dinner with wine pairing. The food was top quality. The waiter was very helpful and made napkin designs for the kids. My kids brought in Panda Express (which was awful tasting) and ended up eating the chicken strips at Emeril's. We went on a Weds night around 5pm, not crowed at all.

    (5)

  • Ann P.

    Great service, we got a table on a busy night with no reservation. Lobster bisque was delicious.. Tried the pesto pizza and the mushroom.........they were exactly like you wanted them to taste. OOOHhhhh the shortribs and mac and cheese..........what can I say but a genius pairing of 2 great foods.

    (4)

  • Steve A.

    Emeril's is one of the original and most high profile fine dining celebrity chef restaurants in Orlando. It's a strange amalgam of upscale and touristy, an inescapable fact when there is a steady parade of sweaty people in shorts outside the windows. Most of the food at Emeril's is really quite good, especially the mushroom and pasta appetizer and the calamari with olives. appetizer. Portion sizes tend to be large; the calamari could easily serve as an entree. Given that, appetizer pricing is reasonable. Wine and entree pricing is a bit high, but given the location and big name chef it's not too surprising. Service is efficient, and sometimes friendly. The biggest problem is the noise level in the main dining room. It's actually quieter to sit at the chef's bar facing into the kitchen! Another trick is to ask to sit in the small room along the windows. It's quieter, and has better ambience than the upstairs rooms. Emeril's is a good choice for pre-show dining before going to a concert at Hard Rock Live.

    (4)

  • Nick B.

    It should go without saying that Emeril wasn't there. it might have added to the experience but I am sure he is there 2 times a year. The menu was OK but nothing really jumped out. The dish I wanted, they ran out of. This is always a disappointment and leads me to believe the manager doesn't know what he is doing. Especially on a Tuesday night. I had Lamb Shank. it was well prepared but not overly creative. it was a massive portion too. Had the sausages as an appetizer and they were also not very creative. Tasted like they were just reheated and made in some central factory kitchen. I've grown to expect this in the "celeb" restaurants. it's a bummer.

    (3)

  • Wayne C.

    The gumbo was good, it was free with an admission ticket from Universal parks. My girlfriend had the scallops, I had the redfish. The meals were good, service was great.

    (3)

  • Robert C.

    For a restaurant with Emeril's name on it, I was very disappointed. The food is overpriced for bland food. I decided to splurge and not be cheap on my vacation so I ordered the 18 oz rib eye. It was decent but not good enough for $48 dollars. My GF ordered the Redfish for $38 dollars and it was dry. The only good thing about this restaurant was the service.

    (2)

  • Sandra M.

    I ordered a salmon medium and another member of our party got it well-done, but they looked identical. Regardless, we both thought it was delicious. It came on top of some black beans, which I thought was very slightly undercooked. I had way better black beans at Fogo de Chao later in the evening. The table bread was slightly warm, but not enough to melt butter - it didn't taste freshly made but rather in the warming oven for perhaps too long. The restaurant wasn't to busy when we all got there so maybe later in the day it would have been moving more and tasted fresher. There was also yuca chips on top of my salmon that was fried and was almost transparent. I tried NOT to eat them but later caved but it didn't leave any yuca flavor to savor. The salmon was the best part of the dish and everything was okay. No complaints.

    (3)

  • Bill S.

    BAM! (Does Emeril still do that?) Well bam to you baby cakes because we had a great meal here! I do have to point out, I came to Orlando on business one year by myself. I came to Emeril's first to eat diner at 'The Chefs Table" A single stool in the corner. Afterwards I went to the "Halloween Fest" and "THAT" scared the stuff out of me!! When we came here as a family for vacation, I started with the Oyster soup, Nice size oysters, soup was really rich. We also ordered a calamari plate (do not say galamad to me, even though I'm from Brooklyn its just wrong) Another starter, The duck quesadilla we ordered was spot on! We ordered the following meals: Blacked Mahi Mahi Fish tacos and what do kids eat: Hamburgers... Everything was cooked perfectly and tasted great. The dessert was kick azzz! I was so full so we ordered pear and mango sorbet. Wow! Great family time had by all. It's a little pricy so if your watching your family vacation dining dollars this might be a expensive choice.

    (4)

  • Andrea C.

    The waiter was so nice, and fast, and smart, and sexy but mostly just really attentive and lovely. (His name was Dan, btw?) Anyway the food. Yum! I had fried green tomatos, and the calamari. Yes, delicious. The menu doesn't say the calamari is lightly breaded but it is -- which I was happy about. The fried green tomatos were good, but the shrimp on them was even better oh my god. So good. I had the appetizer portion of the chicken and andouille gumbo for my entree. It was SO good. The sausage was incredible, but it almost outdid the chicken, so I just ate all the sausage and rice and left the chicken. I saved enough room for the banana cream pie -- sweet god, it's so good. Big chunks of banana, and creamy thick thick pie. It's a BIG slice though, more than enough for two to share! I would go back in a heartbeat.

    (5)

  • Shay H.

    This restaurant deserves 5 stars for the service alone. We came in just a couple minutes before closing on a Saturday night, we were seated right away and the 2 servers helping us were fantastic! I would normally feel really awkward having dinner when the restaurant is closing because I would assume the staff would be irritated by us, but we did not feel that way at all. They were out of 3 of the 5 or 6 specials for the night, which was a little disappointing. I would probably give the food 4 stars. I had the redfish which was breaded with a cajun type seasoning and came on fried shoestring potatoes and squash. I have to agree with another reviewer that the shoestring potatoes weren't quite what I would have liked to have with the fish as they were very crunchy and difficult to eat. But the little squash halves were so delicious! My fiance had the scallops which he enjoyed. I had a canteloupe martini which I would definitely recommend to anybody who likes a fruity drink and he had an espresso martini which he said was one of the best he ever had. They use real espresso in it, and it is definitely a coffee lovers dream. I would definitely recommend this restaurant and would return again.

    (5)

  • Melissa R.

    Thank you so much! Dinner was delicious! BBQ shrimp appetizer was superb! Happy hour is so worth it! Staff is amazing!

    (5)

  • Cobra K.

    Probably one of the best places I've eaten at in Orlando. Did the degustation meal...you eat in the kitchen with the chef and sous chef.

    (5)

  • William P.

    Food quality is very good, but in comparison to other Emeril restaurants that I've enjoyed, the service is much too slipshod. They forgot what wine we ordered. They didn't know who got which appetizer. They didn't land all the plates at the same time. They brought the wrong dessert, and we all had to wait while the fourth dessert at the table was made up fresh. Then, to top it off, that dessert was the worst dish at the table. Mildly disappointing, at least as far as Emeril restaurants are concerned.

    (3)

  • Alex E.

    For lunch, Emeril's is an excellent value. We stopped in here around 2:30 after spending the day inside Universal. Probably due to the time, it was not very busy at all. From the very beginning the service was attentive and engaging. Multiple waiters work together to make sure your water glass stays full, dirty dishes are cleared, and crumbs do not linger. It can be a bit disconcerting having that much service from waiters in ties while in theme park gear, but hey, it's City Walk. I went with the 22$ 3-course lunch option. I chose mussels as an appetizer, braised short rib as an entree, and bread pudding for dessert. My wife had less of an appetite and went for an oyster po-boy. One thing that made a very good impression is that the staff made it easy to share the appetizer and dessert. They didn't give us grief for my wife not buying into the 3-course option or whatever. And let me tell you, with the amount of food given, I'm glad I had someone to share my appetizer and dessert. They don't skimp just because it's lunch. The mussels were cooked well in a broth with chunky tomatoes and onions with some grilled bread for dipping. The short rib was a very large portion, and the horseradish mashed potatoes were an absolutely fantastic accompaniment. The bread pudding was good, but nothing to write home about. We would definitely consider coming back to Emeril's for a nice lunch.

    (4)

  • Tracee A.

    YUMMMMMM YUMMMMMM YUMMMMMM. I ordered the chicken and sausage gumbo as a starter, which was good, but it lacked heat. I like my gumbo with a little spice, but whatevs! For my entree I ordered the Lamb Shank....OMG I could have combusted at that very moment, and been ok with it! It was tender, it was tasty, it was what food it supposed to be. I wish there was one here in California, because I want it NOW! Kudos Emeril...Im a FAN! P.S. The staff was above attentive and very customer oriented.

    (4)

  • MB G.

    My family and I went to Emeril's for lunch recently. Food and service were sub par. We asked for rolls, were told they were coming out of the oven and then never got them. We ordered 2 of their pizzas, they came to us room temperature.

    (1)

  • Jennifer C.

    We got dragged here for the banana cream pie so didn't expect too much otherwise. The food was good, very nicely presented but flavors not exciting and nothing seemed special or all that bad either. But the banana cream pie was perfection!!!

    (3)

  • Stephanie F.

    Happy hour 5-8. Try the strawberry lemonade, it's delicious, but be ware, it's potent.

    (4)

  • Laura L.

    This was my second time at Emeril's Orlando, husband's first. I agree with other posters - the 'team' approach to the dinner was more of an annoyance than anything. I never knew who I was talking to and they seemed to not quite have their ducks in a row. I would much rather have one waiter/waitress throughout the meal. When you throw a team at a table of 2, it seems very impersonable and mistakes are likely. Also, I didn't take this into consideration when giving stars, but the couple next to us had a TERRIBLE night. The wife was given a menu with an old special inside. When she received her food, it was completely different than what the menu said. Not wanting to wait for her dish while her husband ate, she settled for her starter salad. I truly did feel bad for them. Our food was - eh. We are from Louisiana and upon tasting the andouille gumbo we both agreed that our dads make it much better. It was good enough to finish, but not great and when you're paying as much as you pay at Emeril's, you expect great! I had the Emeril Salad as a starter and I really enjoyed it. One thing to note is that our waiter asked if I would like cracked pepper on my salad. I said SURE! He then set off frantically to find some. I just found that odd and after a minute when I realized he was on the hunt for pepper, I just motioned to him not to worry about it. No big deal, just very random and not something you expect at Emeril's. For our entrees, the husband had the andouille crusted redfish. The meuniere sauce that comes with it was excellent. The fish didn't really hold its own without the sauce though. Overall I give the dish a C+. I had the 8 ounce filet with mashed potatoes and garlic sauce. I asked for the filet to be cooked medium rare. It was VERY RARE - to the point where I couldn't eat a couple of bites in the middle as they were inedible. My husband is tight and was not amused when I left a couple of bites from a $50 dish behind lol. I love a good, tender filet and this was just not enjoyable. The mashed potatoes and garlic sauce were very good and overall I give this dish a C+ too. When you spend $130 for two people to eat, you'd really like to at least say that you give all of your food an A+, but at this point we decided we just paid for the name Emeril's on the sign outside. We are already planning our next trip to Universal, and Emeril's will not be on the itenerary!

    (3)

  • Damien S.

    What a disappointment. Our wait "team" was confused from the moment our group was seated. There were 7 of us and drinks and dishes were given to the wrong person numerous times. When I asked our waitress why the fried green tomato appetizer was cold she told me it was due to the shrimp on top which are served cold. Seriously? The rest of the meal was very bland and not worth mentioning. Thanks Emeril Lagasse for maintaining a very mediocre overpriced tourist trap of a restaurant that makes New Orleans cuisine look mediocre and overpriced. Your franchise may be in trouble if this is your best effort.

    (2)

  • J. D.

    We went to Universal for a family vacay and saw Emeril's had a kids menu, so we decided to give it a shot...The service from the very beginning was outstanding! We have been to fabulous restuarants in NYC and have never been treated as welcoming and warm as we were here.. The atmosphere was wonderful, we had 2 or 3 waiters attending to us constantly and the menu was amazing! We were very impressed with the kids filet mignon and the desserts were out of this world.... The price we paid was worth every single penny and it is a family favorite every time we visit Orlando in the future! TOP NOTCH FOOD AND EXCELLENT SERVICE!!!!!!!!!!!!

    (5)

  • Kristine W.

    I expected more from Emeril. I wanted some BAM, bitches! Well, not really, I actually think the way he talks to his food is a little too sexual for comfort. I'm not sure how I feel about paying heaps of money to dine with sunburned families in Hawaiian shirts, tank tops, shorts, flip flops (not that I wasn't a hot mess), and creepy old rich men looking for their third wives or mistresses (can't I just stuff my face in peace?)? Minus one star for the creepers...and the kids. I know it's City Walk, but it's Emeril. Anywayyy... let's talk about sex, bay-by---err, I mean, let's talk about food, bay-by... * Crab cakes: Bomb. * Sausage plate: Dry, tiny, disappointing enough not to finish (and I'm CHEAP...and a human garbage disposal). * Baby spinach salad: Sheisty! Probably had 5 little SLIVERS of apple and bacon. BLAND! They raped me for $12!!! * Chipotle Louisiana crawfish mac n cheese: Amazing as it sounds! * Creamed spinach: Don't think I've ever had creamed spinach before--one of the best dishes, for reals! * Cantaloupe martini: Actually tastes like cantaloupe! Sweet but not too bitch-drinky. Loved it! * Strawberry sorbet: Nom nom nommy birthday surprise for my lovely dining partner :) It was a wonderful meal, overall, but that may have more to do with the actual space. But seriously, prices are too high.

    (3)

  • Mike V.

    The food here was inspired 4.5 stars. Make sure you make a reservation though. Also, don't plan on wearing workout shorts and a t-shirt, as the dress here should be nice resort casual. Our kids all are off the kids menu, yet felt like adults. Our waiter was either clearly distracted, or simply annoyed that my wife, Kim ordered an appetizer for her main meal (mind you we sat in the BAR) so that's why overall, I only gave 3 stars. That being said, we'll be back. Waiters can change quality, an Emeril menu cannot.

    (3)

  • Neil Mikel L.

    Beautiful interior. Relaxing. Smells yummy. I would have loved to eat here more, the lunch was just great. The service fair, but we never got our free desert, didn't know about the special until I walked out and saw the lunch special posted. I though the waiter should have tried better to get me my free desert...regardless, you must try this place, it was what I expect when I travel and want a memoriable experience.

    (5)

  • Earl W.

    AWESOME. I ate the steak, collard greens and sweet potatoes. They have the best collard greens I've ever tasted.

    (5)

  • Courtney W.

    I had their pre-fix lunch. I had their gumbo for an app, chicken and waffles for an entree and an apple turnover with vanilla ice cream for dessert. All and all it was a great meal and the price was definitely right. I would go again and I definitely want to try their dinner.

    (4)

  • Sahira G.

    I would have given this restaurant two stars, but I went a few years back and it really was a great experience. This time, however, was not. My husband took me to Emeril's for Valentine's day. We made a reservation and got seated immediately. The servers (there were 3) were pleasant but seemed disorganized. For apps, I ordered the seared tuna. The quality of the tuna was definitely there. The mangoes and cucumber were great contrasting textures. However, the truffle honey was clear and slimy, which made the tuna very unappetizing visually. For main dishes, my husband ordered the chicken, I ordered trout. I should have asked what exactly was in my dish, because I envisioned something totally different than what was given to me. It was two massive filets of fried trout, sitting on a bed of swiss chard, smothered in this heavy cream with corn. I get that I wasn't prepared for that type of dish, but it really wasn't that good. The swiss chard was delicious, but the trout was greasy, the breading on it was blotchy, and the sauce was entirely too heavy and EVERYWHERE. It was smothered over everything. I picked off my husband's plate for most of the meal, as his dish was really good. Halfway through service, one of our waiters dropped a wine glass on the floor right next to one of the guests. It got all over her jacket and shoes. We got two breads during our 20 minute wait time for apps. The waiter wanted to bring our straws with our drinks instead of with the water, so we were thirstily waiting for them to bring our drinks and straws. Overall, the experience was not worth the money. Someone sitting next to us had a steak, which looked good. I'm thinking about giving it one last shot for that steak.

    (3)

  • Jonathan B.

    Ill warn you now to just avoid this restaurant. Food tasted horrible. We had a pizza and roasted lamb leg that they recommended for dinner. Mediocre tasting with 5 star prices. Tourist trap indeed. Emeril should be ashamed to have his name associated with this restaurant.

    (1)

  • Tom B.

    I'm no fan of Emeril Lagasse's "bam," "kick it up a notch" schtick on the TV, but I've enjoyed every dining experience I've had at Emeril's Universal Studios. I was there for lunch for the first time today. The service was friendly, prompt, attentive, professional, and so on. They feature a shrimp and andouille sausage gumbo, which I had for a starter. It took me right back to the Big Easy. Along with the gumbo, they gave me a couple of breads. The sweet potato bread -- I must get the recipe. I had intended to try a muffuletta sandwich, but seeing that the Turkey Breast sandwich was served on marble rye, with avocados which I can't resist, and pomme frites, that was my chosen entree. Seated next to a window looking out at the crowds heading for Harry Potter while drinking a fine red wine, it was "bam" once again.

    (5)

  • C. M.

    The food and service was superb. As a foodie from NYC, being on vacation for long stretches of time is maddening since I'm constantly eating out--at crap places. This place restored my sanity. (Tellingly, click on the one-star-reviewers' profiles and relish their five-star accolades for places as pedestrian as Olive Garden or KFC.)

    (5)

  • Never M.

    Delish! I tried going here before but it was always bad timing for me and the bf. Not this time. We went for lunch and it was awesome. The place was so clean. There were no crumbs in our seats, no balled up napkins on the bathroom floor. YAY. Our waiters (there was more than one assigned to each table) were young but very knowledgeable. They recommended calamari which I hate and truffle flatbread to start with. So that's what we tried. The calamari was outstanding. It was not rubbery or grainy, it was tender and very fresh, also fried to perfection. The flatbread was great. It was hot when it was served to us so the oil and cheese were still bubbling :-) niiiice. The best flatbread I've had. For an entree I ordered the muffaletta sandwich. I know I should've ventured out more. But it was recommended by one of the youngins and it was good! It wasn't a traditional muffaletta though. But very well made. I have no idea what bread was used to make this sandwich but it was some good ass bread. I hate salami. Salami of course was on the sandwich but, it was very good salami. It didn't taste at all like what I've known salami to taste like. The coleslaw that came w/the sandwich was sooo good, and I thought my daddy made a good slaw. Wow. My bf ordered a pecan crusted fish. I don't remember what fish it was but it was VERY fresh and damn good. And it was swimming in some type of spicy brown sauce. We love mashed potatoes so we ordered garlic mash. They were all out of mash for lunch but made some special for us. They were so good. But how can you mess up mashed potatoes. Oh! and Emerils gives you a choice of complimentary breads. French or sweet potato, both were very hot and excellent. For dessert I ordered a strawberry shortcake. It was I guess Emerils version of strawberry shortcake. I have no idea what sweet biscuits are but that was the "cake" part, and it wasn't very sweet. There was whip cream sandwiched between the sweet biscuits and it also lacked sweetness. The strawberries were good and fresh though. Overall It was not good...at all. I probably should've ordered somethin else for dessert and next time I will. What stood out to me about the restaurant was the staff. Their recommendations were right on. They recommended 2 dishes that I hate that were outstanding. But if you're at Citywalk you have to come here. Forget about everyone making fun of the touristy atmosphere and get yourself some good food.

    (5)

  • Rhiannon R.

    Their daily specials are unbelievable. They have a good happy hour each day as well. Great food, good atmosphere. We come here all the time and the service is always top notch.

    (5)

  • David L.

    I came here with about 20 others for a corporate dinner. I am now wishing we had one of these back in Denver. The best part of dinner for me was the dessert. It was a deconstructed banana cream pie and probably the best dessert I've ever had! The red fish dinner was possibly one of the best fish dishes I have ever had. The fried fish was flavorful and tender. It was on a bed of shoe string onions and potatoes. The appetizer I got was the bbq shrimp. Be careful as this sauce is very spicy. I also tried the sausage, fantastic!

    (4)

  • L L.

    Family of four ate here for lunch so we could get some non-park food before heading back in for the rides. They have a prix fix lunch menu with app, main and dessert for $22. Hubby and I had delicious salmon and son had chicken BLT. Loved it. Daughter had puff pastry with seafood and said eh. Prices were $15-20 ish but the food is so much better than in the parks. Enjoy

    (5)

  • Kelly T.

    Fantastic service. Fine dining. Great location away from the masses. In addition, Emeril's has a happy hour with great apps and drinks until 8:00 p.m. I was truly WOWed by the great service from the bar tender and server/server assistant team we had on the second floor. They paid attention to the details, such as providing fine settings at the bar and walking a guest to the restroom. Some delectable dishes include the angel hair mushroom pasta appetizer, gumbo and red fish entree. I liked the vegetarian dish of the night, which was a sweet corn risotto and eggplant parmesan with mushrooms. However, I was not impressed because it lacked a real creamy texture and the eggplant was just a tad boring. If there was a hot rating on Yelp, I would also give them a chili pepper.

    (5)

  • Angela T.

    Awesome view, they put us up in a smaller more private room away from the noise overlooking the bay. Food was astounding, very friendly and helpful staff. And the Banana Cream Pie was super. and I don't care for bananas!

    (5)

  • Cynthia M.

    Dinner with clients, not impressed at all. Servers talking in the dining room, no welcome from the bartender, messy restroom, over cooked entree. Would not spend my money there.

    (2)

  • J T.

    We went earlier than our reservation, around five o'clock. We were dressed very casual and told the hostess that we felt under dressed but she said no problem seeing that no one was there. Although upon seating us, she was going to seat us away from everyone else. Mind you, they were all dressed casual as well. We told her to seat us in the same location as everyone else so that was a little annoying. As far as the food, well have you heard of "your paying for the brand"?? Needless to say that's what your doing here, paying for the name of chef's restaurant. The food was just ok....nothing to brag about and not worth the price. I guess I would go back just to take people who haven't been there but it would have to be a special occasion, otherwise, been there, done that!

    (3)

  • Orlando J.

    Went here over the summer in Florida on the Universal city walk..very nice upscale casual tablecloth service. The food was good the evening we were there. I ordered the pork chop..this thing was huge but surprisingly, it was cooked perfectly..juicy and flavorful. My wife had some Cajun spice fish dish which I didn't really care for, probably because I'm not a fan of cajun flavors. The wife enjoyed it and said it was very tasty. The kids had pizza from the kids menu and I got to say that was a very good pizza. We finished with a Grand Marnier souffle' that was sooo goood. Definitely worth visiting.

    (4)

  • Christopher B.

    One of the best dining experiences ever. I left my menu selections up to the chef and enjoyed everything! Very fresh seafood, a hip and trendy atmosphere with outstanding service. I recommend the grilled seabass and a mojito.

    (5)

  • Natalie B.

    The crab cake appetizer was great...nice kid's menu. Service & quality a little underwhelming for the price. If you bring your universal ticket in---the appetizer's on them. My daughter LOVED her kids' filet mignon...I liked my spinach, asparagus, and soba noodles with tuna.

    (3)

  • Jenny K.

    We had a great experience here despite the horrible weather! We made a reservation but got held up because of a torrential downpour. We even had to buy those tacky Universal ponchos and trek through the rain to get to the restaurant :) When we arrived, our table wasn't available yet because so many people were just hanging out there instead of going out into the rain. Understandable, and the staff was great about it. They sat us at the bar and gave us a free appetizer. We had the mushroom flatbread and it was delicious! Since we came in for a late dinner we decided to get salads instead of entrees. I had the bibb salad, which was really more of a greek-style salad with crispy blackeyed peas, feta, tomato, cucumber, onion and a wonderful garlic dressing. Would highly recommend. My mom also had a salad with crispy goat cheese and an andouille dressing. She loved it-- but I don't eat meat, so despite my love for goat cheese I didn't get to try it :( The drinks and desserts were also to die for. I had the lavender martini, made with lavender simple syrup, gin and a dash of lime. Very refreshing! Upon the suggestion of our very attentive and knowledgeable waitress, our table decided to split the banana cream pie. This was Emeril's dessert special and for good reason! YUM!!! Overall I would highly recommend this. I might have given 5 stars if we had a more traditional dining experience, but considering we were soaking wet and ate at the bar, I'd say 4 stars is pretty darn good! As a side note, I would say this restaurant is on the fancier side, but since it is attached to Universal studios I think they are pretty lax with the dress code. Prices were pretty reasonable for a theme park restaurant, too.

    (4)

  • Dana U.

    What can I say... the food, wine, and experience was delicious. The waiter was very attentive. The restaurant was pretty full, but we still got our wine, appetizers, main course, and dessert without waiting forever. For my main course, I was really in the mood for seafood so I decided to get the Cioppino. It was really really good, fresh, and hearty and just the right amount of food. During the meal, I tasted my friend's dishes too... which was great as well. As for the experience... We went after 9pm on a Tuesday and it was during the time that the park was closing and everyone was leaving. Let me just say... people watching at its finest!!! The part of the restaurant that we sat in was floor to window ceilings and we had a great view of a main walkway and hard rock cafe. We also got to watch a brief firework show, which made me pretty darn happy. Overall, it was a great evening with great food and great company. I was would have given the restaurant 5 stars if I was completely floored by the food for the price that I paid.

    (4)

  • Laura V.

    My friends and I went to Emeril's for a special occasion. There was 6 of us. We started with some appetizers, crab cake, fried green tomato, calamari, and sausage, are just a few. Everything was great. I had the fish (I can't remember what it was called, it was something I had never had before... imagine that), and it was delightful. We also had dessert after and they brought us an array of just about everything they make there. Again, everything was so good. I ate until I literally couldn't eat any more. Everything was so good.

    (5)

  • Gianna R.

    I had 1 of the best fish dishes I have ever had here it was amazing... Had to run in the rain from where the Valet is to the Restaurant but other then that this place was perfect from the 2nd my gf and I walked in the door the service was impeccable they sat us right away and we had 3 different servers waiting on us hand and foot our waiter was very knowledgeable and accommodating.. I started off with the Fried Green Tomato Creole Poached Louisiana White Shrimp, Remoulade Sauce, Creole Tomato Glaze, with Pickled Mirliton Relish I loved everything except I wish the sauce had a lil less mustard taste but besides that it was perfect... Then for my main course I had the Pan Roasted Redfish Homemade Andouille Crust, Bordelaise Potatoes, Creole Meunière Sauce and Candied Pecans and omg it was so good it seriously was the best fish I have ever eaten the Andouille Crust was so fine it was like a dusting of smoked sausage I had to force myself to only eat half of it even though I wanted to stuff my face... The Decor, The Service and The Food Total 5 Star...

    (5)

  • Paul O.

    BAM it was NOT! We went here for lunch to kill some time for our 2 hour wait time for the Harry Potter World at Universal Studios. We got tired of amusement park food and was looking forward for "real food" for a change. THE FOOD: The food was really nothing spectacular for a big name chef. We ordered the calamari for appetizers ($10.95). It was served in some cajun tomato base sauce. It was ok. I thought the calamaris were on the small size. My wife ordered the grilled chicken with bacon and avocado panini sandwich ($14.95). The chicken was overcooked and a bit dry. I ordered their lunch special ($18.50) which came with appetizers, an entree and dessert. The appetizer was a mussels soup with fries thrown in. The broth was good. Didn't understand why the fries had to be in the soup. For the entree I had a tuna taco. I'm a huge fish taco fan so i was hoping it would be on par to a good taco. Not the case with this taco. The sauce you're suppose to put on it was more in line with a raspberry jelly than a sauce. I ended up just eating the tuna sashimi style by squeezing some lime on time and sprinkling salt on top. Dessert was good. I had their bread pudding. It's a small round portion about 2 inches round. THE SERVICE: The service was very attentive. Beverages were always full. If you had to run to the little boys room, they would fold your napkin up and place it on the table for you. Extra warm bread wasn't a problem if you asked them for extras. It kinda felt like Denny's food with a four star wait staff. lol!

    (2)

  • Tundra D.

    I've been here twice, once for lunch and once for dinner. Lunch was good but not great. Dinner was great, but expensive. I think I fell in love with the fresh baked bread they serve. It's nice to start a meal with great bread. I was impressed by the servers knowledge of beers also. I told him I prefer wheat beer and he suggested one. Needless to say it hit the spot. Also tried another beer he suggested called turbo dog which was a good beer to finish the meal with. The servers are always on point here. I will be back here next time I'm in town. The atmosphere is nice and you can walk your food off after a great meal.

    (3)

  • Jen G.

    A little disappointed. This was our family's third time visiting Emeril's, last time being over 7 years ago. Being that we had an amazing dining experience both times we picked Emeril's as our spot for our family's Thanksgiving meal while on our vacation. First thing that bothered me is why have a dress code if the restaurant staff doesn't stick to it? My family and I were dressed appropriately while people around us were dressed in theme park clothing. Kids in camp T- Shirts and even a woman in a tied dyed t-shirt! Come on! Not only is there a dress code but its Thanksgiving. Not happy with the staff allowing this. We received our first course. My husband had BBQ shrimp, it was OK. I had the Caesar Salad, not impressed. My 4 year old had his main course come out which was chicken fingers. Nothing great at all. Same basic chicken fingers you receive anywhere. Lou Cas in Edison NJ blows them away at everything including chicken fingers! I didn't receive my iced tea half way through my salad so I nicely let one of the 3 waiters we had know and he promptly brought it out. No big deal except they continued to bring me the iced teas as soon my glass was half full throughout the entire meal including when I had my coffee and was having dessert. Really!? And mind you they are not free refills. I didn't even drink the last one. My husband went with the Turkey dinner. It was good nothing spectacular his favorite part was the cranberry sauce. My older son chose Gulf Shrimp Pasta. He said it was good. I had the Scallops over Egg Noodles. Was not happy with my selection. Scallops were too spicy so I stuck to the mushy egg noddles. Dessert of course was excellent. The Banana Creme Pie. Can't go wrong there. It was the highlight of the meal. We expected so much more being we've had great meals in the past and we knew we would be spending every bit of 250.00 on a meal for a family of 4. Oh well. Not sure if we will ever return again. Sorry Emeril.

    (2)

  • Craig H.

    We had the tasting menu with wine pairing and it was worth the price. The food was delicious and it was quite an experience. The place is rather noisy and it is a bit odd to go to such a fine dining establishment for a special night out and be surrounded with kids and families in shorts and flip-flops who've just stepped out of one of the Universal theme parks, but that can be expected when the restaurant is at CityWalk.

    (5)

  • Sandy P.

    If this wasn't an Emeril's I would have given it 3 stars. I've been to 3 other Emeril's restaurants and they were always top notch with excellent service. This place is nothing like the Emeril's in Vegas and AC. That's why I gave it 2 stars; I'me comparing it to other Emerils. Decor was nice, modern. It has big windows right on Citywalk and you can sit at the open kitchen and watch your meal being prepared if you like. Team waiter service which normally is fine; these guys just looked confused and lost. None of the waiters had set jobs and didn't know what the other ones were doing. We had to ask for drinks several times and waited for drinks for a while. We had the chef's tasting menu. Had drum fish with shrimp scampi- oily and needed seasoning. Filet was good, served with crawfish potatoes. Potatoes were different tasting and good but also needed seasoning. Dessert was mango meriange with chantilly cream with raspberries and key lime ice cream EXCEPT it was served with vanilla ice cream, really disappoininting, raspberries were frozen and cream was half melted. Wouldn't go back here again if you paid me. Thinking Margaritaville was probably a better choice!

    (2)

  • Sue P.

    This is our second time at this restaurant. We enjoyed it with our daughter, so we wanted to bring our son and experience it as a family. it was no where near as good an experience this time. Happy hour at the bar was great, the drinks were reasonably priced and tasty. We sat upstairs for dinner which I enjoyed because its quieter than downstairs. The service was mediocre. The waiter was in a rush every time he came to our table, and was very difficult to understand- heavy accent and he spoke way too fast. He didn't offer appetizers, and we had to get his attention to let him know we wanted one. The restaurant was freezing and we had to ask them to turn the heat on, which they eventually did. My daughter's filet mignon was excellent, but I tried his "signature dish" the andouille encrusted redfish. It was terrible. The breading completely overpowered the fish. My husband and son both had the Chef"s Dinner and enjoyed all aspects of that, except my husband had to send the scallops back because they were loaded with sand. The Red Velvet

    (2)

  • Iza P.

    So I really think that three stars isn't fair enough, but I also don't believe 4 is appropriate either...I reallly wish Yelp allowed half star ratings. We made reservations through our hotel and were told that it was either a 9pm dinner or 1030pm. Obviously, we chose 9, despite us running a few minutes late. Oddly enough, as we walked in, thinking we JUST made our reservation....the entire middle area of the restaurant was empty. So not sure why we got the song and dance about the 9 vs. 1030 reservation. At the very least, we requested for a table that faced outside...and we got it. We ordered a bottle of Reisling to share amongst ourselves, and with an appetizer a piece + entree, our bill came out to approximately $60 each, tax and tip included. Not bad, as I was expecting a lot more. The first round of food, after the bread plate, was the gumbo, corn chowder, and the house salad. Let's face it, salad is salad...but it was enjoyed. I heard the corn chowder was good, but wasn't paying it any attention because the gumbo...mmmm mmmm good with a generous helping of shrimp, sausage, and a little bit of spice that made my nose run a little towards the end of the bowl. On the table was the Sea Bass with Crab cole slaw (my dish), Porkchops, and salmon. Which again, I heard the porkchops were great (with also a great serving size) and the salmon good. But my sea bass...it was more than plenty enough. What really pushed it over the top with foodie excellence, was the crab cole slaw. The word crab appropriately listed first, as there was ample piece of crab meat. I couldn't stop eating. And of course, when it came to dessert. We just couldn't do it. Our entire palettes were full and we just couldn't do it ourselves. I am sure I'll definitely come back, should I find myself in Orlando. But in the meantime...let's get some half star ratings yelp

    (4)

  • Sharon A.

    Holy most enjoyable (and expensive) meal I've ever had. We brought the kiddos, my 'rents and Grandma Shirley here for dinner in November of 1998. (I KNOW...don't start on how long ago this was) I'm thinking the menu has changed because I'm certain I had the filet with Worcestershire sauce. After one bite of that, I remember very little about the meal other than the service was amazing. But I'd go again if I had the chance!

    (5)

  • Devin R.

    I went here while I was in Universal Orlando. I had been planning on going here for dinner, but the dinner prices are at least $30-$40 per person, which was just more than I'm willing to pay for a meal. I came back and went in for lunch. I took advantage of the three-course meal for $18.50, which includes a salad, main course and dessert. I had Emeril's salad, which had sun-dried tomatoes and a vinaigrette dressing. For the main course I had the ahi tuna tacos, which were absolutely fabulous. The spicy sauce that comes with the tacos is really, super spicy, and I couldn't eat much of it. Then for dessert I had a scoop of kiwi and a scoop of peach sorbet, which was delicious. It was really great food, and all the waiters were friendly and made sure we had everything we needed. I would definitely come back here again if the prices weren't so high.

    (5)

  • P K.

    Love this place Compare every meal to this meal Steak n pork chops are so good ! Expensive but so worth the price!

    (5)

  • Patty W.

    So we went over the top and celebrated my birthday here when we were in O-town. Everything is a la carte, so expect to pay more than what you normally would. It tastes so much better and everything is moist. I had the free range chicken and it was cooked just right. The mashed potatoes were buttery and the sauce was great for the topping of the chicken. I believe it came with a choice of a soup or salad. Of course, they surprised me with a birthday greeting and a chocolate cake. If you are able to afford it for a nice dinner out, this is the place to be.

    (4)

  • Howard L.

    This place has the best pork chop I've ever eaten. The tamarind glaze gave it a bit of a delicious east Indian flavor, and made it somewhat unique for a pork chop. Emeril's is always a little on pricy side, but the evening I was there with wife and son, the food quality was excellent, and I felt it to be an excellent value. We also had the roasted duck and seafood (swordfish I believe). We've been to the Emeril's in Las Vegas also, and it was not quite up to this place, at least on this evening.

    (4)

  • Jamie H.

    We stopped by just to have dessert here. The staff was unamused with our request and said we had to order it at the bar. We did try to order it at the bar and asked for it to go, since we were a party of 4. The bartender rolled his eyes and processed our order...which each came out on a plate. He placed it in front of our group representative and when he asked for it to be put in to go containers he looked at us as if were were from outer space. What part of to-go order did he not understand? Anyway, the desert itself was good, but certainly not all this place is cracked up to be. Save your money and go somewhere else!

    (3)

  • Laura W.

    We met family that lived locally here for dinner after a day of Universal Studios. Service and food was superb! Wonderful experience and worth the price. Not something you experience everyday.

    (5)

  • Allison F.

    I just went here for my graduation dinner. It was amazing from start to end. The staff granted all requests and accommodated to what WE wanted. Our waitor was great and when he brought out a wrong salad, allowed us to keep it, and then brought out the correct salad within five minutes, and only charged us for one. The setting of the restaurant is in City Walk, so you may get a little overwhelmed walking there, but once you are in the restaurant you would have no idea that that you were at City Walk. The drinks were great, my favorite was the cantaloupe martini, SO good. the appetizers were perfect portion for table sharing, we ordered four, the calamari, the flat bread, lobster and cheese noodles, and something else i dont remember the name of, but it was all SOO GOOD. The waiter was honest about the food, what he felt was the best and what he wasnt the biggest fan of, and going with the recommendations it was wonderful food, so tasty and served with great timing. Not to mention they have a set menu with about 6 courses thats paired with wine for about 50 $ very well priced for what you are getting. The dessert was just as good, they have a great soufle that you have to tell them about 30 min before you want it. The food was great and great priced for how amazing it all tastes! I definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone, tourist or resident.

    (5)

  • Jason B.

    i gave it 3 stars instead of 4 for 2 main reasons 1) this place has a GREAT GREAT vibe yet even with reservation we got stuck upstairs but the room we were in looked like a converted mini office. i think 2 or 3 tables for 2 were in there. you could not see the main floor where all the action was happening. it almost felt like a punishment. it sucked the life out of the experience, a little 2) we got the tasting menu. GREAT execution but no creativity. i got what i expected and it was done well. service was great and if i had to go back i'd probably go here but not get seated in the punishment room. JEANS: OK ORDER: wait staff

    (3)

  • RIMA A.

    It's clean and modern look makes it very appealing The food is great a little bit pricey.

    (4)

  • Eric Y.

    This was a good meal, better than I expected, mainly because my expectations weren't that high. Word of mouth reviews were lukewarm and Yelpers were not very enthusiastic. We had dinner after a long day at Universal. The place was busy. The wait staff were very attentive. We had the truffled mushroom flatbread for starter. That was great. The crabcake was so-so. The gumbo was a satisfying dark brown color, indicating an especially slow cooked roux. The flavor was great but it could have been chunkier. Emeril's salad and the caprese salad were ok. Cream of chicken soup was meh. Our entrees were "taken up a notch!" The ribeye was bone-in, very flavorful, served with house made Worcestershire sauce, spicy peppers, and fried potatoes. Mmm. The pork chop was immense, perfectly cooked, and served with a chili-mole sauce. BAM! Duck breast a huge portion and was tasty. Collard greens though, were a syrupy sweet mess. The wine list (Wine Spectator recognized) is big and the glass list pretty good. My martini was well made. All in all, we were happy with our food and experience. Pricey though, and in the end that's what keeps my rating at 3 stars.

    (3)

  • Brett M.

    I love Emeril. I loved Emeril's restaurant. The food was amazing. The calamari appitizer is to die for and my husband was in love with the gumbo. It was one of those instances where he wanted to order more to take home. I was overall impressed with the service and the food. It was a great experience.

    (5)

  • Jennifer B.

    For a dinner that cost $400 for three, I expected to be wow'd by the food. It was okay at best. It's what I would have expected from a newer chef opening his first restaurant. Each plate was 'almost' there in terms of taste and presentation but it just fell flat. * The calamari flavor was nice but there was far too much breading. * The gumbo was tasty. * These rosemary biscuits that come with the BBQ shrimp were amazing. Our waiter brought us three b/c I thought they sounded good. * The red fish has these random thin potatoes (fries) that added nothing to the dish. * The veal fettuccine. Eh. A serving of Alfredo pasta that was average and veal that wasn't very tender. Plus, a few shrimp. We weren't sure how those fit. * The scallops. I liked the sauce, others in my party didn't. Unfortunately they weren't well-prepared and were too tough. * The banana pie tasted like it had been purchased from a big box restaurant supplier. * A friend ordered two rum and diets. It was $30. There was an interesting Asian meets Creole attempt that I'm just not sure succeeded. Our severs were great - there were two who worked back and forth. The only complaint is that he spilled wine on the table with each pour. It wasn't an inexpensive selection so we cringed when it happened. Unlike the other two dinners we had while in Orlando, I have no desire to come back here and wouldn't recommend it to family and friends.

    (3)

  • Colin J.

    This was a huge disappointment First though let me say the service was very good. Other than that nothing was good. I was with a business group of 15 and no one was happy with the food quality. Steaks were tough and poorly prepared. Seafood was not fresh and the overall vibe was this is a tourist place, we will get business regardless of quality. Emeril should remove his name from this place as soon as possible it is an embarrassment

    (2)

  • Jasmine W.

    large wine list, good service (we had at least 2 servers making sure we were content), tasty food. the mushroom flatbread is a must-order and a good deal at $11, mushroom appetizer was yummy but salty - don't think i could've handled a generous serving, dinner entrees run around $30+; wished they offered burgers during dinnertime. try and make reservations if possible - luckily we were able to get a table relatively quickly because of a canceled reservation but they said we'd have to wait around 45 minutes for dinner at 9pm on a wednesday! grand marnier chocolate souffle was delicious - need to order 30 minutes beforehand

    (3)

  • Jason L.

    The food was good, imaginative, and prompt. Good, not great, but I'll get into that in a few sentences. The service was excellent. Well above par I'd say. They are very attentive. The ambiance was also excellent. The food just didn't impress me. For appetizers we had the Anduoille plate, and the truffle/mushroom flat bread. Both were tasty, but I thought the flatbread was devoid of truffle flavor and/or odor, and the sausage portion was very small (4 bite sized slices) for $12 IIRC. I wish I had read through the soups and chosen the andouille gumbo, mais c'est la vie. For the main course, I had the chef's special of Veal Chop, smashed fingerlins, and 2 small fried oysters. My girlfriend had the roasted chicken (she wasn't feeling well). In addition we had the crawfish mac & cheese. So for all of that, the food bill was $115 with no drinks or tip. With those added, you're looking at $190 for two apps, and two mains, drinks, and tips. Had I been served that food at an Outback, I would have been quite happy, but the bill would have been around $100 in my opinion, including tip. So the prices are about double what I believe they should be for the food provided. I have no problem with paying for a quality meal, but I should leave a meal like that waxing poetic about the amazing flavors, and I didn't. Again, the food was fine, it just wasn't worth the price charged.

    (3)

  • Justin R.

    "BAM"! I remember this restaurant distinctively. The food was absolutely delicious. Emeril's staff was very courteous. Had to be the cleaness restaurant I've ever eaten in. The service was outstanding. I tried a bit of fish, steak and even a piece of the kids cheese pizza. Emerils signature essence, dashed on every entree to "Kick it up a notch". Then the part I remember the most aside from the portrait of Emeril hanging on the wall, was the bill. Not only was it the cleaness restaurant I've ever eaten in, but the most my family an I had ever spent for a dinner. I dream of visiting this restaurant again someday. "O ya Babe"

    (5)

  • Jorge O.

    One of my favorites restaurants period. The mash potatoes were amazing, so was the chicken with something in it. The dessert are my #1 of any place. The price was ok

    (5)

  • Jean A.

    I most say I wanted to go there for over 3 years, and if I knew, I would never go. The food was not good, and it gave me food poison.... I paid like 80 for myself, my friend paid 63. And they charged 7 dollars saying tax liquior and we didn't have alcohol. The waiter said its cause we ordered coffee and it was made at the bar.... Should I report this scam???? I love emerils show and I thought this restaurant would be delightful, but I was completely wrong :/

    (2)

  • Alex S.

    My husband and I read good things about this restaurant and were excited to try it. Sadly, we never got the chance. We walked in sat down at the the bar, and waited for 1 of the 4 bartenders working at the time to even acknowledge our existence. Not one of them looked our way, or even brought menus saying they would be right with us. In fact, it appeared as if they were all trying to do everything but serve their patrons, because they really weren't helping anyone at the bar. After waiting for almost 10 minutes we got up and left. Also, no music on at this establishment, which somehow made the unfriendliness at the bar even more noticeable - cold vibe, I guess.

    (1)

  • Jonathan L.

    visited orlando and wanted to take my wife on a date night. we watched ciruqe du soliel (highly recommend) then made reservations for dinner at CityWalk. It was spring break, plus some sort of conference in town, so it was more crowded then I had hoped. the atmosphere was louder than i'd like it, but we chose to eat there anyway. they kept the big parties outside and more of the smaller intimate two-four people tables inside, but the noise was still loud. we ordered calamari for appetizer. they come served with olives and marinara tossed with the calamari. no tentacles = disappointment, and I'm not a fan of pre-mixed calamari/sauce, i like to do the dipping myself. flavor was on point otherwise. for dinner i ordered the 18 oz porterhouse, med-rare. steak was cooked to perfection. served on top of some potato cube thingies that paired quite nicely. i think it was worth the $38. my wife ordered the sea scallops over thai-curried pasta. surprising mix, but very tasty. scallops were big a plump and went well with the pasta. curry was a surprise, but i had to take the plate away from my wife before she picked it up before she would pick up the plate and lick it. definitely worth the $33 dinner we ordered two desserts... FML . we ordered the creme brulee and the banana cream pie. both were good, but nothing to write home about. (who writes home about anything now adays?) i've been to emeril's before, which is why i wanted to take my wife to make a special night. we had good conversation, delicious food and pretty good service. there was some room for improvement. bottom line is, it was worth the price we would definitely go back.

    (4)

  • Richard S.

    A steak here is about 65 bucks and it was one beautiful piece of meat. we both had the gumbo which was ok. I had the beef rib mac and cheese which I thought was sort of greasy not cheesy beefy so that was a disappointment. The service was phenominal. The manager came out and talked to me and my friend he was very nice guy. All and all we were very pleased.

    (4)

  • Timothy H.

    maybe 3.5 stars You would lose to the Japanese Ironchefs. Sakai would kick your butt, Emeril! Best part of the lunch? Sweet potato bread. Sweet potato fries were ok too. I liked the gumbo. But the entrees were just ok. The Japanese actress would say, "I'm sorry, but I was expecting a little bit more." Sorbet dessert was ok as well. Overall, it was... ok... Kind of like all the food in Orlando. Maybe theme parks make food sucky...

    (4)

  • James D.

    My experience was extraordinary! I ordered $100 plates. I figured this may be a once in a lifetime experience. I was correct. This is fine dining at it's best. I would highly recommend this restaurant for special occasions. I feel the service, taste of the food, presentation and ambience were all worth the price of the meals.

    (5)

  • Sabrina L.

    Emeril's was a massive disappointment! We were served by a "team" instead of by one waitress, and the only thing that served to accomplish was a long wait and a lot of confusion about who was supposed to bring our wine. My flatbread was so dry it was unpleasant to eat, and they'd scraped on such a tiny amount of cheese that I couldn't even use a knife to spread it around. I'd also asked for light onions, yet there were so many it was difficult to pick them all up. My dining partner was similarly disappointed with her cajun seafood dish. You can get a lot better food at almost any gas station in Louisiana.

    (2)

  • Jodie F.

    My experience here was clouded by my fantastic experiences at Emeril's other restaurants in New Orleans (I've been to Emeril's and NOLA). I went in for lunch to take a break from the sun while at Islands of Adventure (Harry Potter!). I felt uncomfortable sitting at a table, as I was alone and wearing shorts and sneakers. I sat at the bar, alone, which was fine. The bar tender made me a sazerac, which is my favorite drink, and it was delicious and everything I wanted. I ordered the fried green tomatoes appetizer (it came with rock shrimp, bacon, and water cress with a remoulade). About 2/3 of the way through I realized I wouldn't be able to eat the burger I'd also ordered, but they were unable to cancel the order. So I ate some of the burger, which was delicious. The fried green tomatoes were pretty awesome as well. The water cress was awesome...I wish it popped up in more restaurants. All in all it was a lovely experience. I wish I could have gotten out of eating the burger, but everything else was great. Mmmm sazerac!!

    (4)

  • C. R.

    Given the other choices near Universal, Emeril's would be one of your best bets. It seems like it could be hit or miss though. We went for lunch and started with the tomato and mozzarella app. It was tasty, but the texture of the bread was a bit odd. I had the smoked mushroom angel hair dish as an entree. I wanted to love it, and I appreciated the fresh pasta, but it was way over seasoned ( and that's coming from a salt-a-holic). My husband's truffle flat bread was delicious though. We tried the chocolate cake for dessert which was the biggest disappointment. It looked dark and rich, but all I could taste was super sweet raspberry syrup. Not the chocolatey goodness I was hoping for. Overall it was not out of this world, but for a nice meal I'd give it another try. The service was excellent.

    (3)

  • Rob C.

    Let me say Emeril has never disappointed me with a meal. Not my favorite celebrity chef but he is growing on me as now this is now my fourth restaurant I been to his and I've had a great meal each time. I was sure a theme park restaurant couldn't be that great but I was happy I was wrong. I had the lane snapper that was a special and it was fresh and bright and I really enjoyed it. The appetizers were all great and you can do no wrong. His creole mustard is the best mustard I ever had. I would give it five stars but the parking and the walking just to get here was a bit laborious. If your at Universal and want to end the day with a great meal, this is your place.

    (4)

  • Gerard B.

    (Mar/ 2006) Tried Gumbo for the very first time-- it was good!

    (3)

  • Suzanne F.

    This was my first time eating at any Emeril restaurant. Granted, it is located in a theme park, but I was still surprised at how obnoxously noisy the experience was. Don't go here for a romantic or intimate dining experience. I found the atmosphere a little off-putting - very dim lighting, hovering wait staff and noise, noise, noise. There is an extensive wine list and a good bar. The food, however, was not as good as I thought it would be. I began my meal with the "Fried Green B.L.T. Cornmeal Crusted Green Tomatoes, Florida Rock Shrimp, Crisp Pancetta, Organic Watercress, Creole Rémoulade for $15. The tomatoes were encrusted with a very hard and thick batter, which certainly kept the tomatoes intake. There were at least a cup of tiny rock shrimp, more than an ample serving. The creole remoulade was a little too 'kicked up' for my palate. But the portion size was certainly worth the price. My entree was the " Pan Seared Sea Scallops egg noodles, stir-fry vegetables, Thai red curry sauce, Marcona almonds, cilantro for $37". The plate contained 6 large scallops, cooked to order, and the remainder of the dish was good, but a little over-priced. I had the signature "Emeril's Banana Cream Pie Graham Cracker Crust, Caramel Sauce, Chocolate Shavings for $10". I had been told by several people that this was the best banana cream pie ever, but I was a little disappointed, because the cream in the pie is vanilla, not real banana, and the only bananas were sliced and placed in the middle of the cream. It is an ample portion, and a beautiful presentation, but a little underwhelming. Would I go back to this restaurant? Probably, but I would order a salad and a flat bread, both of which looked fabulous on other people's tables. And I would go for lunch. By the way, there is a kids' menu, and there were lots of families dining the night I ate there. This is traditional NOLA food, with an Emeril twist.

    (3)

  • Val T.

    It's Emeril's need I say more ? One of the best meals I have ever eaten.

    (5)

  • Jeff C.

    A great place. I actually liked it better than his New Orleans restaurant.

    (5)

  • Christine N.

    I'm disappointed with the food and cocktails here. Our group ordered calamari, mussels, fried green tomato, pork chop,red fish, duck. Probably only the mussels taste ok to me. All the meat dishes were overcooked and dry. We ordered some mojitos; they tasted too sweet and artificial. I gave it 3* because the service was very good; they were very friendly. We stayed past closing time, and they still didn't rush us.

    (3)

  • G D.

    Hype but no fire to talk about. Not a foodie place at all yeah I saw the pork chop and it was huge but I've seen better grilled chops near central coast of California.

    (2)

  • Ryan S.

    Great Spinach Salad, Awesome Pork Chop- Easily accommodated our Food Allergies. Did I mention GREAT SERVICE, not just from our waiter but from the bus boy! Cool looking interior features- Thank you Emeril for providing such top notch quality, you've obviously perfected your trade and mastered your business model.

    (5)

  • Joseph L.

    At the time we went my wife and I Had been dating and were talking about marriage we are big Foody people and we decided to go on a Food Vacation stopping a Paula Deens 3 times 2 where free! And on to Universal In Florida. She new that I was going to ask her to marry me somewhere on the trip ( she did not know where). She kept saying Space Mountain, or the tea cup ride :-) Little did she knew that I for a few months I had made plans at Emerils. It was very easy to go online and make reservations also NOT WAITING PAULA DEEN !!!! When we got to the door we walked right in!!! I had spoke with the manager a couple of times to set things up Flowers on the table best seat in the house over looking Universal in a private area upstairs. The service was outstanding the food was outstanding!!!! Here was the plan they had the ring I said "do what Emeril would do for a Surprise" The courses went on I never saw the ring ( did they forget?) then it came to desert she opened her plate I wondered why it was covered? So she lifted the lid the chef had written in chocolate will you marry me and the ring was in the center!!!!! She loved it and so did I... Thats my Emerils story you have to go!!!!

    (5)

  • Jonathan M.

    I would have to say, overpriced, bad service and doesn't meet my expectations from the last time I went there a few years ago. I asked for medium rare for my steak and once I cut into it, it was done. I asked one of the 3 waiters I had that my steak was overcooked and wanted a MEDIUM RARE steak.... 5 minutes later, my steak comes back even more done. On top of that they used the same steak from before. What kind of so called high class restaurant use the same steak to serve me again. The waiters hardly ever came by our table once we had our food and only really paid attention to the tables that had less than 6 people...cause they knew they were guaranteed the 20% tip from us. I will have to say they left a bad impression about Emerils. I was really excited to come back after my first time there, and now I will never come back after this experience.

    (1)

  • Sam E.

    I was a bit disappointed with my experience here. The food was good, not great. Sides weren't tasty at all and everything seemed under seasoned. The service you'd expect at a place as nice as this was lacking. No personal touch, the waiter was seen just 3 times, the staff handled most of the things during the meal. Maybe it's because it's in a touristy area, but Emeril should have some pride and not put his name on things as low quality as this.

    (3)

  • Laine A.

    We tried both Emeril restaurants while in town. This location in CityWalk is easier of the two to get to and very popular. The interior is modern with lots of wood and metal. The lack of soft edges makes it LOUD. The server was very good and everyone enjoyed their meal. Everyone ordered fish, fish and fish. My six year old came. This is not a great place for children. They don't cater to them at all. (meaning no crayons, kid entertainment page, etc.)

    (4)

  • Rick V.

    Emeril, I'm sorry man. I really wanted to like your restaurant, but since it was so bad and completly ruined my sister's birthday, I can't think of much positive to say about the it. Honestly, if it were my restaurnt, I would have fired the manager on the spot or taken my name off the front of the buiding. It was embarassing considering Emeril's repuatation. Firstly, the service was horrible. It looked like they had a job fair at the local high school and hired the worst candidates. They didn't care though considering they were charging us an automatic gratuity (I'm not sure thier policy on this, but we had six in our party). Everything down to the basics were bad. I mean, if I order a salad, it needs to come out before my entree. This is especially the case if the salad costs upwards of $14 and tastes totally bland. I could keep going, but I'm going to leave you with the image that remains in my head everytime I think of this place: the giant hole that looks like it was punched in the wall next to the sinks in the men's room. Come on, have some pride in your restaurant and have some respect for those you charge unfairly large sums of money for an inferior product.

    (1)

  • Lily W.

    Emeril should stick to TV since all his restaurants are one worse than the next!!!!!

    (1)

  • Kat C.

    We went for lunch while we were at Islands of Adventures one day, and we were thoroughly impressed. I had the turkey sandwich and it was really good. My husband had the fixed price lunch with the Ahi tacos and bread pudding, and it was AWESOME. I will totally get that if I'm ever there again. I saved room for the banana cream pie and it was amazing - the absolute best crust I've ever had. Make sure you don't eat too much that you miss it!! The others at our table had the fried chicken with collards and the fish sandwich with a fried green tomato on top. I didn't try either, but both were met with raves. I did have a taste of the sweet potato biscuit with pecan honey butter served with the chicken, though, and it was FANTASTIC. I don't like to watch Emeril's shows, but I will always eat at his restaurants.

    (5)

  • Matthew M.

    It's kind of funny. Is this a waffle house or is this a white table clothe restaurant. Are tank tops and shorts the new suit? Are singing waiters and sparklers the new trend? No I must be at Emeril's. Dont get me wrong Emeril is a great chef and business man and is really opening up to the masses, but he could have done this with out selling out so much. The food was ok. Everything was heavily laden with some sort of fat whither it be cream or butter. The service is ok. We had 5 different servers. The price is the biggest problem here. I realize we are on city walk but 45$ for a piece of trout? Was he hand raised? Didnt taste like it. Bottom line. Do not waste your time or money here.

    (2)

  • Kim G.

    After eating here, I have come to the conclusion that you shouldn't dress up Cajun food, give me a shrimp po boy any day. We went to Emeril's on a Saturday night following the Blue Man Group show at Universal, a show that we were not impressed with. So we anxiously looked forward to Emeril's as a welcome oasis. Not so much. After barreling through the throngs of teen age tourists, we entered and had a round of drinks before being seated. We had an excellent bartender, Susan, who made me the best cocktail ever. Anyway, the restaurant was full and had very tall ceilings, which made it very difficult to hear during the whole meal. I tried to order a bottle of wine, but most of the wines were at $50 and up. They were out of the bottle I wanted and the server suggested 2 more, but they were $15 more so we decided against it. At least we had Susan's drinks to comfort us. We ordered the lobster bisque and the tuna appetizer for starters. The lobster bisque was pretty bland. It actually came out dark red with no bits of lobster in it and it was warm, which is always a bad sign in my book. Plus, I swear they snuck some meat into it. My tuna was decent, served with wonton chips and guacamole, but it wasn't anything to get excited about. For entrees, we ordered prime rib, salmon and sea bass. Alright, so no one got a meal with andouille sausage, was this already a mistake? The steak was OK, but I think the comment was, I had better at Longhorn, salmon was average, but they put this large stack of mashed potatoes on the side, that was tasteless and the sea bass was fine, but the sauce was too creamy and overpowering for the fish. We decided to skip the dessert since we wanted to quit while we were ahead, due to both money and not wanting another lackluster meal. I was very disappointed in the food, but I gave 2 stars because we had really good drinks. Thanks Susan!

    (2)

  • Hiromi N.

    BAM! It hit me as I was sitting Lakeside (facing the Hard Rock cafe) that I was about to taste some Emeril Lagasse creations. I have been to New Orleans many, many times for business and leisure, but was unable to ever make it to NOLA. I was shaking with excitement. At first, the service was pretty average, if not a little below average. I had made lunch reservations in advance, but still had to wait for about 15 minutes while the staff prepared my table for one. Then, my server disappeared after serving me water and forgot to take my order. Eventually, he did return, thank goodness. I put in my wine order and they delivered the demi bottle of 1999 Napa Valley Cain 5 Meritage, but for some odd reason my server had not taken the liberty to open the bottle, or provide a wine glass to me for that matter, for over 15 minutes. Yet, the food was worth the wait. To start, I had a warm spinach salad with feta balls. It was decadent and delicious. I would not recommend this salad to those thinking of dieting because I'm sure the dressing alone would suffice for a meal. For my main entree, I had the Smoked and Grilled Rib Eye. I was transported to heaven after my first bite of food and the wait staff grew increasingly attentive during the dining experience (could it be that I ordered so much expensive food and drink??? NAH..). Dessert was a wonderful ice cream sundae and a cup of coffee to round out the whole meal. All the decadence did cost some major moolah. About $200 to be exact!

    (4)

  • Leigh N.

    I dined here about a year ago just because of the hype and wanted to see if it was all its cracked up to be. In short, the food was pretty darn good. It had great presentation, it was served hot, the flavor was perfection and meat cooked perfectly. The downside...it was way expensive. For two of us, our bill came to over $100 and we didn't even order steaks or desert. Only maybe 2 glasses of wine. Also the atmosphere is really disappointing. Its a giant open room with soaring ceilings and hard floors with hard chairs....which add up to a really noisy place. Also we were seated by the kitchen entry and there were these awful fluorescent lights shining on us from the side. The wait staff was super efficient and took great care of us and overall I would say if you're vacationing and already at Universal, I'd go. Otherwise, there are lots of other better restaurants in the area that are easier to get to.

    (3)

  • Jackie L.

    Totally yummy. I had the prix fixe lunch for $22 which was an amazing deal - salad, pork milanese and godiva white choclate bread pudding. My husband had the custom burger. We also ordered the white truffle flatbread as a started and it was incredible - flaky crust with white truffly oil and freshly shaved paremsan on the top. Portions are not overwhelmingly huge and all the ingredients are fresh and flavorful.

    (4)

  • frank h.

    A few years ago we had the best meal we have ever eaten at this Emeril's location . So we looked forward to our visit on Jan. 19. What a dissappointment!! The food fair at best,.The potatoes were so salty we couldn't eat them, the steak was served lukewarm, the polenta room temp too. The manager apologized and bought us a drink. I wanted a wonderful meal for $200. Shame on you Emeril!!! This restaurant is living on its reputation, not on the food presently being served.

    (2)

  • Mark H.

    If you've dined at Emeril's in New Orleans and expect to find the same in Orlando you're going to be sorely disappointed. I had the smoked wild mushrooms, seafood and andouille gumbo, and the snapper. The mushrooms were decent, the gumbo was mediocre, and the snapper was a pathetic attempt at copying Emeril. Frankly, I had to scoop the andouille "crust" off the fish to stomach it. The only redeeming part of the meal was the banana cream pie, which was about a 3.75/5 compared to a solid 5/5 in New Orleans. I asked the waitress why the menu was devoid most of Emeril's signature dishes and she said that each Emeril's has a different chef and each uses his own recipes... What?????? This restaurant should be precluded from using Emeril's name!!! If you're in Orlando, save yourself a couple of hundred dollars and steer clear of Emeril's.

    (2)

  • Christina S.

    This place was alright. If you don't have reservations here, don't bother going. This place was packed when we got there for a "late" dinner. Both of us had to sit at the bar to eat because we didn't have a reservation. But there really wasn't much to choose from in the area we were in. The food was almost too rich for both of us and the cocktails where mediocre. I probably wouldn't go here again because its not worth the high priced menu items. The good thing about this place is that we could charge the bill to our room at the Portofino Hotel which is on the same "island like" resort area. That really helped because we were in an out of there and we didn't have to wait for the couple of trips by paying with a credit card.

    (3)

  • Christine P.

    I didn't realize that one of Emeril's restaurants was located in Orlando and it was a really amazing way to end the day after Universal Studios. This restaurant exceeded my expectations in many aspects. We came early and they took us in right away without a reservation. The service was very attentive and not too overbearing- offering their personal suggestions without pushing us to order. The food really blew me away. I notice very small details and I liked that the bread rolls were slightly warm. Throughout dinner, the serving assistant came over to the table twice with several options of bread rolls for you to choose from. I really loved that each plate left me feeling very fulfilled in what I expected from it. I personally enjoy simple and elegantly plated food because sometimes when there is too much going on, I feel as if the chef is trying to cover up bad tasting food. This food was probably one of the top 5 restaurants I've ever been too! There was just the right amount of food and it was cooked to perfection. What I found to be most amazing was the amount of flavor packed in the sauces! Emeril found ways to fuse together items people recognize, yet pair it ways that it brought out many other flavors. I could taste each level of intensity in each bite and it ended in very satisfying clean way- no lingering tastes. This restaurant is very expensive, which is way I only gave it 4 stars. Other than that, I really loved the whole experience would definitely recommend it to anybody going to the area.

    (4)

  • Andrea P.

    Noisy, even in the small upstairs dining area. Wine list tilted toward $300 bottles, which was way too rich for our group - a business group out for a staff dinner. Food was okay. Waiter had no idea how to pronounce half the things on the menu and while the staff was clearly well trained and attentive, the fact that he described some things incorrectly and did not pronounce them correctly made me wonder if he knew what they were. The fact that one or two were mispelled (I think) also made me wonder... I'd say... "eh."

    (2)

  • Danielle R.

    Very popular spot in the Universal area. I was in the mood for a non heavy meat dish, so the salmon certainly fit the bill. It was flavorful and perfectly cooked, served with a sweet potato has which was much sweeter than it needed to be, but still lovely. Others at the table were very happy with the pork (huge star of the night), the chicken, and of course the beef. Two of the biggest hits at the table were my starter of braised beef short rib with mascarpone ravioli as well as a friend's filet flatbread with cranberries and stilton. I wouldn't say it was an overwhelmingly fabulous dining experience, but it was good, and likely even better than that, but it was at the end of a long work day. I'd def go back. Reservations are a must. (Yes, there is that overhyped thing Emeril being Emeril and all that, but thankfully, do one runs around saying 'BAM' or anything, they just deliver good food and good wine.)

    (4)

  • Vivian L.

    if I could have given them a 3.5, I would have. This restaurant is located on the Universal Studios Citywalk when at dinner, throngs of people are making a mass exodus from the theme park, past the restaurant, to their cars so lots of people watching if you get a window. The service of 3 servers for a party over 6 was pretty good, they were pretty attentive and did the fancy thing of placing all plates, even dessert, all at the same time. If you don't want their white dinner napkins to flake all over your dark colored clothes, you can also them for a black napkin. Now to the food. They had 2 options for bread, I had the sweet potato bread and it was yummy. Warm, soft, crisp shell, yum. I started with the BBQ shrimp appie. It was ok. The sauce was heavy and I couldn't really taste any spices in it except just a heavy sauce with some BBQ notes in it. Wasn't impressed. Next the Emeril's salad, it had too much dressing on it. The gumbo that followed was better, tasted more like a normal gumbo with homemade sausage in it and some more shrimp. My entree of braised short ribs wasn't very good. It was definitely heavy but greasy!!! the bowl had like half an inch of straight fat/oil sitting in a section between the short rib meat and the mashed potatoes. That sight only made me feel even more full when I was trying to eat it. About 25% of the shrot rib was actually fat. I feel like they made the short rib today and didn't get rid of the fat in the sauce and also didn't let the spices sink into the ribs cause I kept putting salt and pepper on my entree to give it some taste. So quantity is there, but I would rather go for quality. Dessert was the best meal I think. We shared the upside down pineapple cake, strawberry shortcake, creme brulee which were all pretty good. But the best one was a caramelized white chocolate cheesecake, this was heaven. All in all, pretty pricey, service was good (minus the singing and clapping waiters who would sing happy birthday to people really loud like we were at Chevy's), wasn't too impressed with the food.

    (3)

  • Tammi A.

    Pros: the wait staff was attentive and they knew their menu very well. Cons: the food was okay but nothing super. I would definitely go to another restuarant at City Walk with less expensive prices.

    (3)

  • Geri C.

    Food was meh - the lunch specials were a lil over the top -more like fine dining in the afternoon ?? great location though !

    (3)

  • Preeth K.

    When we were planning our vacation to Florida, I tried to center the fun things around good food. We were driving down, so definitely wanted to stop in Savannah, GA and get some Paula Dean's, but sadly the restaurant was closed for renovation. Since we were going to be in Orlando, I was told that Emerils at Universal Studio will be great. As we filed into Universal Studios Island of Adventure and the original park, we walked by emerils and we were excited that it was so close. We already had reservations for 930pm, we decided to go to the restaurant immediately after our time at the park, which would be the best idea since we wouldn't need to return to our hotel and come back to Universal Studios again. We walked into the restaurant and I was immediately impressed at how large the space was. We got our reservations sorted out and got a nice table. Our waiter was extremely nice and friendly. The cornbread and the dinner rolls were absolutely phenomenal. The butter was warm and whipped - my favorite. We skipped appetizers since nothing struck our fancy. We ordered the Duck and the Grilled Red Snapper. The duck was great. It was my first time having duck and i kept thinking about Donald and Daffy the entire time. Besides almost tearing up, the duck was delicious. The rice that accompanied the meat was the star of the dish. It was absolutely phenomenal. The red snapper was good. Nothing majorly great, but the side potatos and mushrooms were deliciously marinated and crispy! Yumm. For dessert we had the caramel macadamia cheesecake which was fantastic. Honestly, on paper, this restaurant is great. But unfortunately like other reviews, it is overpriced when all is said and done. Would I come back to this next time I am at universals? - No. I would def want to try Bubba Gump Shrimps.

    (3)

  • Andi G.

    Sorry, love Emeril, but not his restaurant. The service was disjointed at best. Soup was cold, the plates were on the table with napkins, they took two of the for napkins replace with others, removed all the plates, did not put the same menu at each place setting so confusion in discussion of menu items, soup had to be sent back, cold, the portion of the frozen fish was more skin than fish, the waffles had no taste, the only great item was the pork and sweet mash. My husband, when he made the reservation said it was my birthday, not even a song.... Had to ask for more ice tea, then needed more lemon, had to ask twice. Let's just say, we dine out frequenty and for the dollar price a great disajpointment. We will not be going back! The wait-staff was more interested in removing crumbs from the table vs fantastic service. Too bad, lovely atmosphere. We should have had fantastic service as there were only a couple of other tables filled...

    (2)

  • Valarie G.

    An escape from the insanity that is Universal City Walk. We arrived right when our reservations were for and had to wait at the bar for 15 minutes for our table to be ready, but the place is small so we understood. Amazing cocktails and food. I wasn't really impressed with the duck as it was a bit dry, but my other members of my party had the pork and enjoyed it. We ordered the special 30 minute dessert (a version of lava cake) w/our meal and it came out at the perfect time when we had finished our meals. Too bad the cake was soggy and lukewarm rather than the gooey richness you expect from a lava cake. The service was good and I really had no complaints - though the ambiance was lacking compared to the high bar set by the other Emeril's locations. Overall not a terrible choice, it was fine.

    (3)

  • Olivia W.

    In all honesty, I had low expectations of this place based on other yelp reviews and that this place was in the City Walk... I mean... how good can a restaurant be inside a theme park? I was mistaken. Maybe it was because my expectations were so low... but the food and experience were great in my opinion. I almost regret not getting the tasting menu! The building is super open. High ceilings and tons of windows. It's crowded in the main dining area, but they sat us in the air conditioned, covered side patio where it was much quieter, not as busy and awesome for people-watching. When I made reservations, I mentioned that it was for an anniversary celebration (the bf and I just celebrated 5 years - queue up the "aww's!") - and the first thing our waiter did after bringing us waters was to present to us appetizers of ahi tuna nachos (yum) on the house in celebration. We had 3 waiters total, and they were all so attentive and friendly. My Order: Herb Roasted Florida Pompano - Anything with artichokes always gets me. I swear, they are my weakness. The fish was tender and light, the marble potatoes delicious and the artichokes did not disappoint. The BF Orders: - Crab Cake: I had a taste and wasn't too impressed, but the bf liked it so that's all that matters. - BBQ Shrimp: One of the bf's faves. - Slow Roasted Asparagus Salad: Really liked this. The seared tuna was so yummy and the truffle vinaigrette wasn't overpowering. Sides: - Broccolini (Veggie of the Day): Nothing too special. It was good, but kind of the same old, same old you would have at other restaurants. - Bourbon Mashed Sweet Potatoes: This. was. so. good. I couldn't stop eating this. Incredibly creamy and delicious. The star of the night. Dessert: Chocolate Souffle - I've had better. It wasn't bad, but it was a little dry and there was a little too much sugar sprinkled on top. I liked the added crunch the sugar gave, but if it was a tad less it would've been better. The waiter also destroyed the souffle by smashing it up to pour the chocolate syrup in. I've seen this done much more elegantly... I'm also a fan of checking into places via Foursquare and it paid off here! I received a FREE lychee martini. The martini was good, not too strong and not a super strong lychee taste. The lychee they give you is soaked in vodka and is so strong, I might have gotten drunk just off of that little piece of fruit!

    (4)

  • paul R.

    Great meal. Tasted 4 dishes and every one was a winner. Fab staff worked as a team on made our first night in Florida great even in the throngs of people on city walk which is way out of our comfort zone. A mass of humanity

    (4)

  • Christopher S.

    I have been here a couple times. Good menu but needs a change. Great location and service. Will be back.

    (4)

  • Candice W.

    Decided to eat at Emeril's on a recent business trip and was extremely dissapointed. The meal was on the pricy side and the shrimp linguine was overcooked, bland and the shrimp were previously frozen. The dinner cost over $30 and was not worth it. If the dinner was $12, I wouldn't mind but the price and atmosphere indicated what I hoped would be a good dining experience and it was not. Will never eat at an Emeril's again!

    (1)

  • Chris F.

    Went here for 1st anniversary, but it should be noted, after a day at Universal. Interesting and strange location, but family was at the park that day, so we combined events. Was nervous after reading some very negative reviews, but have to say they were wrong. First off, service was excellent, starting with hostess. We had a reservation and were seated promptly. Waitstaff were attentive but not omnipresent. They were knowledgable about both food and wine suggestions. We started with escargot and fried green tomatoes. I nor my son had ever had escargot before, but I figured I could trust Emeril. Oddly, they were pretty tasty. For entrees, my wife had the scallops which she rates as 5 star. This is a dish she orders often I had the double pork chop with green mole. Waiter described this as a sweet/sour taste and he was correct. Delicious and not skimpy on portion. My son, who eats mostly hamburgers, had the rotisserie chicken. As it was a special occasion, we all ordered dessert, most notably the banana cream pie, which is enough for three people, along with cheesecake and bread pudding. After all that food we hit the roller coasters (just kidding). I know celeb chef restaurants come with high expectations and a bit of iconoclastic attitude for some diners, but apart from the location, this one was worth it. The actual restaurant is quite nice inside. So if you are at the park or nearby, this is a nice spot to have a great meal.

    (4)

  • Jennifer C.

    Absolutely loved the food. I still think about those dishes. The fried green tomotes were cooked perfectly. The dish only comes with 2 and I so wished there were 2 more. So, in comparison to the price, this was a little out of sync. The pan fried redfish was also very good, however the Bordelaise Potatoes stole the show. I've been trying to recreate those ever since. The layout of the restaurant is not very intimate, so not really a place for a romantic meal.

    (4)

  • Mark E.

    We got what we expected... good food and service but certainly at a premium price. We were pleased by the Wild mushroom dish was very flavorful. The calimari was ok but the breading a bit heavy. Dessert was a Godiva white chocolate creme bruelle that was paired nicely with a Coasta Rician coffee to finish.

    (4)

  • Matt W.

    First experience at any of Emeril's restaurants. And what a great one at that! Impeccable service throughout dinner accompanied by one of a kind dishes to choose from. For entrees my wife had the filet, and I had the redfish. Filet was great, however the redfish was the favorite at the table. For desert, we had the Banana Cream Pie and creme brûlée. Both were to die for! Not a wine drinker, but if I was I am sure I would have felt like a kid in a candy store with the selection. There will be a trip to any of Emeril's restaurants whenever we are close to them in the future!

    (5)

  • Rolanda B.

    I've seen and followed emeril for years but the food at the restaurant just wasn't what I expected. My kids ordered the pizza and sprite. I ordered the shrimp (too spicy) I changed my meal and had a pizza with my children. We walked in and were seated immediately.. The hostess and serve were extremely knowledgeable of their menu. Very pleasant and nice. I guess I was just expecting more because Mr.Laggassee is a world renowned chef. The food was ok not worth the price

    (3)

  • Joshua S.

    I have been to every bar and restaurant at CityWalk over the years. Come at least once a week to have dinner and/or have drinks somewhere. For some reason had never checked out Emeril's until yesterday. Please note, this has nothing to do with the food and or restaurant. Sat down at the bar and I'd say there were two other groups waiting as well. It was right before 4:00pm when happy hour would start. A couple bartenders were sort of walking around and completing tasks behind the bar. No one acknowledged us right away and when she did, it wasn't the friendliest. At a "normal" place, maybe a chain restaurant on I-Drive or a local joint it would've been sup-par but people that pay to come to Universal want a little more "umph" I think. If I wasn't a local and that was my first time at Emeril's it would've definitely been my last. Moving on...we opted for a cheap happy hour wine because the bartenders didn't offer any suggestions nor describe the wine in question. When we asked if the house Cab was good we got a simple yeah. Umm, okay. So, we ordered and it was okay. Definitely better $5 wine than we've had before. What was bothersome was the lack of professionalism or communication that you'd assume a place like Emeril's would have. The customer service needs an overhaul. As we and other guests were sitting there paying money, we watched as servers came over and talked about wanting to get off early and the one bartender eating fries right there at the bar. It was tacky. We might stop by sometime to try the food but it will definitely be down the road. I would also suggest some ambiance in the bar. It's very bland and not very inviting. Also, maybe have the bartenders explain happy hour and offer suggestions. We were never offered food or recommendations for anything.

    (2)

  • Kirk L.

    My expectations in a touristy area are lower than they would be elsewhere, and Emeril's probably met or somewhat exceeded those expectations. Service was solid, and atmosphere is exactly what you'd expect. Details: -Tuna Poke Bam-Bam - a good dish, but not notable. I've had similar dishes elsewhere that are much better. -Fried Green Tomatoes - average. -They had an appetizer special that was some type of shrimp balls - I'm drawing a blank on exactly what it was, which is ironic because I thought it was the best thing we had. -Emeril's House Salad - a really good salad...but it's not a $9 salad. -Pork Chop - seems to be a signature dish, and it's good, but it's got a bit too much sweetness for a meat dish in my opinion. I shared this and the drum with wifey, and the first bite I had I thought "this is delicious" but a few bites later the sweetness got to be a but much. -Andouille Crusted Florida Drum - a nicely done fish dish. I probably liked it better than the pork chop overall. -Vegetarian Pasta - I did not try this, but my sister-in-law really did not like it. Overall, it's not a bad place, just unsurprisingly overpriced given where it is. We did have a better meal across the way at Vivo (which actually is reasonably priced).

    (3)

  • Isis G.

    Excellent food, amazing service, nice decor although simple. Took a star off for the noise level. Pretty loud here due to large parties and high ceilings/acoustics. High energy environment. The salmon with saffron rice was amazing. The short braised beef ribs were tender and succulent. Crabcakes were also top notch. I also loved the vanilla bean creme brulee. To die for, seriously.

    (4)

  • Steve E.

    Emeril's is the high-end eatery located within Universal's CityWalk complex. The restaurant is a two-story warehouse with thirty-foot ceilings, hardwood floors, stone walls, and an iron staircase that lend the feel of an industrial warehouse loft. At the center of this modern food studio is an open kitchen and chef's food bar, where lucky guests can watch up close, as the chefs work right in front of their eyes. The restaurant's second floor offers two private party rooms that feature oak barrel slat ceilings, a 10,000 bottle wine gallery, and an intimate chef's tasting room. Chef Emeril Lagasse and his team created this bustling hot spot around the park's lagoon, and it is a very popular dining destination for many people. The food is a modern take on New Orleans classics, and as you might imagine this place is appropriately priced for a fine dining establishment. (If you're looking for cheap let me suggest the NASCAR Café which is nearby.) Our group requested the chef's food bar when we made our reservations, and we were very lucky to snag those seats on a busy weekday night. We were escorted through the main dining room right up to the high-top stools overlooking the main kitchen. We were able to watch and interact with the line cooks and the Chef de Cuisine during our meal, and that was a very special treat. I started my meal with an excellent glass of Merlot and a bowl of the Chicken & Andouille Gumbo which was the classic N'awlins staple of cubed chicken, Andouille sausage, scallions, and steamed rice. An excellent way to start our meal. At this point, the Chef de Cuisine introduced himself across the food bar and made some recommendations based upon everyone's likes. I had the Gulf Shrimp Pasta for my main course, and that was big Gulf shrimps sautéed with shiitake mushrooms, and braised leeks served over homemade fettuccine and drizzled with black truffle butter. Other members of my group ordered lamb shank, and crusted redfish, so we had a lot of fun tasting a true Creole sampler. For dessert I had the classic 'Pain Perdu' bread pudding served with Maple Ice Cream. Someone else ordered the praline cheesecake served with white chocolate ice cream. Again, we shared, so that everyone got to sample the desserts. Be prepared for high-end dining. The food is spectacular, the service exquisite, and the prices are in line with the quality of your meal. Plan to spend a minimum of $50 per person.

    (5)

  • Robin K.

    I went here for lunch with a friend when we were visiting Universal. We didn't want to eat the park's food, so we opted for a nicer restaurant at the CityWalk. With your Universal ticket you got a free dessert or appetizer with the purchase of an entree. I got the fried green tomatoes and salmon. I enjoyed the meal. The servers were very attentive. It was 100x better than the park's food and it was the same price as eating at the park.

    (4)

  • Alex B.

    Another EDIT: General manager Gabriel dropped off the planet after offering to rectify the situation. No longer professional and kind, now just kind of a jerk. Back down to one star! Hooray being right the first time! EDIT: The general manager, Gabriel, reached out to me and offered to rectify the situation. He was very professional and kind. Looks like I'll have to head back and give them another shot. I upgraded the ranking from one star to two. Here's to a good second visit! YIKES! So, my girlfriend and I visited Emeril's for our anniversary. We're not wealthy, so going to a swanky joint doesn't happen too often for us. We rewarded ourselves and saved for a nice night out. This was not that night. Every step of the process was a chore from the moment we walked in. The hostess was uncaring and cold, which I expected a bit being next to Universal - but we were clearly dressed like we came for the food, not the park. After being seated, it was a solid 7-10 minutes before we had a server. I know that figure because I started timing it once I felt like it was taking awhile, and I didn't get a server until my stopwatch hit five minutes, 44 seconds. Being a bartender (and my girlfriend a server), we don't ever complain - you never know when someone is having a bad day, there's something going on behind the scenes or what, so we ran with it. BAD MOVE! Drinks came out watered down and sweating - clearly sitting on service bar waiting to be run. The second round wasn't any better. The food was bad, per normal standards, so I guess if I'm paying $40 an entree, I would use ATROCIOUS as a 'sizzle' word. My chop was cooked to a puck - I could have used it to murder the server it was so hard - but I wouldn't have been able to eat the evidence. It was hot, though, which was awesome because my side was stone cold. It had to be remade, which it was. My girlfriend's fish was decent, but still not as good as the Ale House. When my food came back overcooked for the second time, I got really nasty looks from the waitstaff. Not just one, MULTIPLE. As in, the server was pissed that I expected a restaurant with a world-class chef's name on it to be up to my standards, so he went back to vent to the rest of the staff. Awesome. I know that I hate smiles with my service, I would much rather the atmosphere be that of a prison slop line. During the second re-fire of my meal, the server brought me a bowl of gumbo to tide me over, which would have been a nice gesture had he not delivered it with attitude, had it not had a ring from where the soup settled and sat, and had I liked gumbo. (SPOILERS - I don't). I was hungry, but I didn't eat it. Had I thought that would make me look even MORE pretentious to the staff, I would have poured it in a plant or something. I started to feel bad, like I was the problem. Then I remembered the hundreds of dollars that I was about to drop on dinner, and I wasn't sad anymore. I was angry. Like, when Littlefoot's mom died in 'Land Before Time' angry. My food came out for the third time, by now we had been at the restaurant so long they were closing. We were the last table, and the freakin' meat on my plate STILL wasn't cooked right. I ate it, I was hungry. it sucked. I asked for a manager and was told one would be right out as the check was presented to me. No manager ever came. That's cool, I wouldn't have wanted to talk to me either. Thanks to the internet, the manager can see that the $196 bucks I spent to have a nice evening out was ruined. An absolute failure in every single step of the restaurant process. This, coming from a guy who was trained at TGI Friday's, a shining example of pretty much everything that's wrong with dining out these days. I (reluctantly) paid, and because I hate myself and will feel bad, the server STILL got 10% - although I go on record with friends and family that I was completely ready to stiff a hospitality employee for the first time in my life. You all don't know me, but if you did ... you would know that things just got real. So, here's how I feel in a nutshell - 1. The server we had was the worst ever. EVER. The managers are just as bad, because even if the server hadn't told them about my request to see them, they were floating around all service and should have had a table visit. 2. Your host/hostess should be putting everyone in a good mood. Sorry I distracted you from your gossip hun, I promise I'll run to the table so you can get right back to it in two minutes. 3. If I would have paid $20 for this meal I would have been mad. It was over $200 after tip - I wanted to steal something from the restaurant and burn it outside the front door while Rage Against the Machine played in the background. I will NEVER go back to this restaurant. Check that. Never say never. But it would take a lot. The bread was good. Mom said if I didn't have anything nice to say, don't say anything. So that's my nice thing.

    (1)

  • Susan K.

    If you have ever eaten in New Orleans, this restaurant will disappoint you. Gumbo was good - everything else was average at best.

    (2)

  • Virginia M.

    If I could, I'd give this 3 1/2 stars. Emeril's is located inside Universal Studios. When you walk in you feel like you're in a upscale restaurant. Décor is nice and the place is very clean. The hostess and our waiter were nice and informative. We were constantly checked upon by our waiter and busboy to make sure everything was ok and that we still had water. The food was OK. I ordered the apple ham pork chop with grits and haricot vertes. There was finesse and a lot of technique put into my food. The downside: the haricots vertes needed seasoning and maybe a spice like pepper or something else. The pork chop could've used more apple flavor... Perhaps reduce the sauce more? I feel like I can get this type of food at my local Johnny's steakhouse or any other local upscale restaurant. However, i like bold flavors and my opinion might be biased because of that. On another note, this was my first time trying grits and they were superb! So buttery! The food is a little overpriced but it is in Universal Studios AND it's a celebrity chef's restaurant ;) I still loved the experience. Would I go back? Hmm maybe.

    (3)

  • Erika M.

    Our group walked in on a Sunday night without a reservation. We were seated immediately and waited to be greeted by our server. We waited about 7 minutes, and finally we were half-heartedly greeted by our waiter. Bread service came quickly after that, giving us each two buttery biscuits that we inhaled! We had ample time to look over the menu given the intermittent attention of the wait staff. My husband and the waiter got in a debate about BBQ sauce. My husband asked "Is this BBQ shrimp like traditional BBQ sauce, or like the BBQ sauce they serve in Louisiana?" (Hence the name, Emeril's New Orleans BBQ Shrimp). His answer with annoyed look, "it's regular BBQ sauce". I will spare you the back and forth of BBQ sauce-gate, but we ordered the New Orleans BBQ shrimp anyways, regardless of the waiter's insistence that it was indeed "regular" BBQ sauce. When the BBQ shrimp appetizer came, it was a small portion (4 shrimp = 1 per person). I'm delighted to report that this BBQ sauce was absolutely NOT like traditional BBQ sauce! It's this buttery tangy delectable sauce like they serve in the French Quarter in Louisiana. Definitely NOT what you find on a slab of baby back ribs! It came with a couple rosemary biscuits, but we asked for more bread to smother more of the nectar of ambrosia that was left on the plate. This was the stand out star of the night! The smoked and wild mushrooms were also a treat! Tossed in a creamy white sauce with angel hair pasta and parmigiano-reggiano cheese, at one point I couldn't decide which plate to dip my bread in! The rest of the meal was ok, just ok. The guys had a special, the mixed stew which consisted different meats including andouille sausage. I did not try this plate since my sensitivity to spice is through the roof! I had the prosciutto wrapped grouper which I finished but it didn't blow my skirt up. My sister in law had the baked chicken, ehhh. We ordered the chocolate soufflé at the beginning of the meal, and it did not disappoint! We finished the meal with some cappuccinos. As for my Cajun food fix, I'll wait for the real deal when I visit the French Quarter again!

    (3)

  • M B.

    We came for lunch and happy hour. Excellent service and excellent happy hour options. Their well vodka is Russian Standard which is impressive compared to the nearby restaurants. The sauce on the bbq shrimp is great but a little too peppery. The bread that they serve is excellent but don't fill up! The carbonara has excellent flavor but it's watery and runny, also it had lots of chunks of pure fat instead of nice chunks of pancetta. Pizzas are great, bleu cheese was a bit too overwhelming so sent it back for a new one. Loved that they offered a free lunch app with the purchase of an entree! Also, they charged $1.00 for parmesan cheese to sprinkle on the pizza, I've never heard of someone doing that! And they didn't warn us about that either...

    (4)

  • Amanda P.

    Great stop for Happy Hour! Duck taco & mushroom pasta were my favorites....the Horses Neck was the perfect way to wash them down!

    (5)

  • Jen R.

    Ya know, if you prefer not to serve us horrible theme park people, just put a sign on the door for next time. I would've gladly walked by. After a day of Harry Pottering, we decided to hit up Emeril's for their happy hour. We grabbed seats at the bar, ordered our drinks...and just sat there. Couldn't get the bartender to give us the full menu or take our happy hour app order for anything. Waving at her, talking to her when she was standing in front of us, making direct eye contact - we got nothing. About fifteen minutes in we finally got her to agree to bring us a full menu, but that never happened. Half an hour after we sat down, I finally got up to ask the host for help getting a menu and ordering some apps. He handed me a menu without looking at me and started a convo w/ a random employee. Nice. There's nothing worse than sitting at a bar ignored by staff, when they are so friendly and on point with everyone else. People who arrived after us ordered, ate, and left before we even had our food. But maybe it was our fault, for daring to enter wearing just shorts and tees. Finally, another bartender began his shift, things got better from there, and while the drinks were meh the apps were delish. Still, the thought of ever eating here again gives me gas.

    (2)

  • Alex C.

    I usually reserve my Food Network star restaurants for Las Vegas, however we happen to be in Orlando and it was a friends treat. Overall my trip merited a 3.5 star rating, though I'm giving it 4 since I believe it might have been a fluke. The pricing here is pretty steep, though with the service you get, it's not terrible. Just pricey. I was suggested the crusted redfish by our waiter and it ended up being fantastic. It was perfectly cooked, well seasoned, yet still preserved the flavor of the fish. The execution of the dish could have used some work since shoestring fries are a bit hard to eat with a fork. My fiancee ordered the rotisserie chicken, unfortunately it ended up being a little overcooked and generally lacking flavor. It could've used a brine or something to allow the flavors to penetrate deeper than just the skin. The dishes saving grace was the delicious root vegetable and mushroom mix. It seems that you may want to stick to the seafood at Emeril's, which isn't a big deal, but you'd think they wouldn't screw up the chicken... That aside, I think that this is the best food you'll get if you're looking for something nice on City Walk, but it definitely falls short of the 5 stars it could otherwise achieve.

    (4)

  • Leve S.

    This place fell way short of our expectations. The fast food places in Universal Studios are better for what they are. It took about 50 minutes to get our food. It seems that 2-3 large groups arrived after us and we either got bumped down or the kitchen was just unable to handle this. Our kids had starters for their main course and it would have been nice to at least get those so that we can feed them something quickly after a long day in the parks. My blackened mahi-mahi was barely warm when I got it. It must have been waiting around for other entrées for our table. It was nicely cooked but I only got to taste it for a brief moment when I got a break from the overwhelming jam that was poured all over it. The risotto that came with it was just bland. My son had guacamole with chips. The guacamole was bland with no seasoning that we could detect - just mushed avocados - and that was in sharp contrast with the spicy chips. Or were they just Cool Ranch Doritos?

    (2)

  • Laura C.

    Disappointing in every aspect. Food was mediocre at best, it took forever for our food to come out once we ordered (about 45 minutes) I had the filet, my husband had the mahi-mahi and our 2 kids had pasta, so no huge order. Our 2 waiters had to be asked several times for lemons for water, they let our water run out and one was more than borderline rude. Oh and they never brought out the fruit we ordered for the kids. All in all we left quite disappointed especially considering the price of the meal! Even my 10 year old said she expected more from Emeri after watching his show.

    (1)

  • Liz B.

    The service here is top notch. I'd give the service a 5 and the food a 4, but I can't so the 4 is for the food. I went for lunch one day with my boyfriend. We were seated promptly and tended to by at least 4 different people who were all friendly, quick, and attentive. The boyfriend ordered the seared scallops with cauliflower purée and roasted mushrooms. This is a five star dish, absolutely perfect. I had the three course lunch with gumbo, braised short ribs, and sorbet. The gumbo was good - lighter than most and very smoky but not quite the richly flavored gumbo of New Orleans. The braised short ribs were fall-apart tender and the coleslaw was vinegary and awesome, but the parmesan polenta was really heavy, so for lunch on a hot day, it was a bit too much for me. When the gelato came out, the waiter brought two plates. We flagged our original waiter down to alert him to the mistake, but he said that he sent two plates so that my boyfriend didn't have to sit and watch me eat. How sweet! The gelato tasted fresh, light, and recently made. There was apricot, kiwi, and coconut. The coconut was epic! I could easily eat that stuff every day. I need that gelato in my mouth RIGHT NOW. It was a great experience and very nice to have some quiet, relaxing time away from the crowds. Plus, I paid less that what I'd spent at some of the less fabulous restaurants around the corner.

    (4)

  • Laura Suris G.

    Ok so their food is pricey but it's worth it. My husband and I make it a trip every time we go to Orlando. He loves this place like he loves his mother or maybe I'm exaggerating LOL. But it is true that every time he goes he rolls his eyes back in pleasure every time he takes a bite of the short braised ribs. The staff is super attentive and they are wonderful getting refills or anything you need. This place really makes you feel special every time you go.

    (5)

  • Mike S.

    I've been to Emerils and Delmonico in NOLA and this one is far different. I went here a few months ago while in a trip, hoping that this would be similar in greatness. I was unfortunately disappointed. The service was stellar as as the atmosphere. The food, however, was over salted, under flavored and the presentation was far less appetizing than expected. I had lunch here with a friend who also had similar feelings. I had the BBQ pork sandwich and I cannot recall what she had. While I like to rate the overall experience, i feel so strongly about the food being poor, I can't give it even two stars. I would give it 1.5 if I could. After seeing the reviews now, I wish I mentioned it to the wait staff as others had quite a different experience.

    (1)

  • Robert S.

    Was here with a group (10). The restaurant was very crowded. We went here because it was a nice place to bring our business clients. Otherwise, probably would not eat here. The food was excellent. We had a ton of appetizers. Everything came out perfect. Everyone, and I mean everyone, kept saying the main dishes were really good. A few of us had the Red fish. It was well prepared and tasty. The service was very good. The price point in high.

    (4)

  • Rebecca O.

    When you see a chef's name as the restaurant name, you kind of set your expectations to meet that of a renowned chef. The prices definitely meet these expectations, but I felt that the food did not match accordingly. Now, don't get me wrong, the food was not bad per se; I just felt that the food was lacking what it would take to make it great and memorable. I had the rotisserie chicken (about $30). The chicken was well cooked, and not dry, which is common for rotisserie chicken. It was in a bearnaise sauce, with diced potatoes, ham, and mushrooms. Although the flavor of the sauce was good, I felt it didn't really soak into the chicken to flavor it. Either thickening the sauce to make it more of a glaze or seasoning the chicken more likely would have helped. I saw many reviews for bad service. We really didn't have this problem. The server we had was attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. I'm not sure I'd make it a go to place in this area, especially considering the price point. However, it's definitely not a bad option.

    (3)

  • T Y.

    I received a contact through yelp from the manager of Emeril's asking for my contact info to contact me. I immediately gave my direct email to please contact me as I wanted to discuss my review a bit more. Well guess what? No contact for one month. No surprise though, just like the service we received when we were there. Hence, I dropped them to one star.

    (1)

  • Kristen P.

    I was really excited to visit Emeril's in Orlando but was a tad disappointed upon leaving. The service was extremely slow (it took about 15 minutes before our server even took our drink order) and we found the food to be average especially considering the pricing. I had the salmon and saffron risotto which was very underseasoned and I couldn't taste even a hint of saffron. My friend ordered the duck confit which was very salty and swimming in grease. Probably would not go back.

    (3)

  • Samantha S.

    Amazing amazing amazing. Probably the best meal I've ever had. Definitely in the top 5 at least! I'll start with our arrival to the restaurant. We are on vacation and my boyfriend made reservations of our party of 6. The problem turned out to be that he made a reservation at Emerils at the Lowes resort. Not a problem. They "transferred" our reservation from the other restaurant to theirs. Either that or they just happened to have the space for our party. The wait staff is wonderful. Very patient and willing to answer all of our questions about the menu and make suggestions as to what the best selections were. Speciality cocktails were delicious. I had a mulled berry moonshine concoction served in a mason jar. We had gumbo, calamari and fries green tomatoes as appetizers. Probably the best calamari I've ever had, the sauce is why I say that, and I've had my fair share of it growing up in Brooklyn with Italian family. Gumbo was yum. Fried green tomatoes come with nice sized shrimp on top smothered in a slightly spicy tomato and cream sauce. As an entree I had the "ham hock" pork chop which came nestled in a bed of marscapone grits and collard greens. Again, I can't say enough about this dish. Emerils roots in New Orleans shine in this dish. Normally I don't gravitate towards pork but the soul food theme of the dish pulled me in. Highly highly recommended. Finished off the meal (and I don't know how I had the room after a 14oz piece of pork) with the signature banana cream pie. It was a great way to end our vacation. Something a little more extravagant but well worth the expense. Would come back in a heartbeat.

    (5)

  • Vindaloo M.

    This is an over priced version of Olive Garden. Not much quality or substance or flare...... First, the waiter had no patience with us, he wanted to place our order right away, his name has "Miguel". Since everything was made from scratch the cooking time is 45 min. My son's chicken tenders tasted like the same that come out of the Tyson frozen bag. Second, the veggie pasta dish, was 95% noodles aka "linguine". The veggies were sparse, and not much garlic or other flavor, was almost like hospital food. The guacamole dip was scarce, lots of chips though. The crusted tilapia, had skin on it, why would I pay over $25 to eat fish skin? This tilapia dish was piled high with oil laden potato sticks, come on Emeril??? Seriously, I hope you and your staff/HQ read this review---- -is this the best you could come up with? Emeril: your restaurant is not much better than Olive Garden.

    (1)

  • Liisa H.

    We ate here twice during a recent trip to Orlando--one dinner and one lunch. The dinner was much better than the lunch. Lunch service was slow, although the crispy fish sandwich was really delicious (fish was drum which I had never had before). At least we got everything we ordered--the table next to us didn't get half their items and had to keep asking. Also, we had to wait for a table even though they were less than half full. I am guessing they were short on wait staff because everything was slow. At dinner, the habanero cucumber martini was amazing. The creole calamari and tuna on seaweed were quite good as well. Main courses were fine, but not spectacular. The service at dinner was impeccable though, with two waiters making sure we had everything we needed. Really--I would give 2 stars for the lunch and 4 for the dinner, so I averaged it out to 3 stars overall.

    (3)

  • Carly K.

    While visiting Orlando with friends, we went to Emeril's after a day of wandering around Islands of Adventure. I was craving Emeril's banana cream pie, so I was really looking forward to the evening. It was a great experience, and it was fun to introduce our friends to Emeril's. We started with the bbq shrimp, and it was delicious. Highly recommend. I had the watercress and endive salad, and it was well-balanced with the sweet brown sugar in the dressing and the tangy gorgonzola. The filet was delicious and well-cooked. My husband's andouille crusted salmon was delicious as well. Of course I had the banana cream pie for dessert, and it was as fantastic as I remembered. From the graham cracker crust to the bananas to the chocolate shavings to the fresh cream, it is absolutely one of my favorite desserts anywhere. I highly recommend Emeril's if you are in Orlando. The location is a bit annoying because you have to park as if you were going to the Universal parks, and then go across multiple escalators and things, but it is well worth this small annoyance.

    (5)

  • Ryan N.

    So I decided to drop by for Magical Dining month - what a mistake! Service was alright, but the real issue was the food. From the tiny menu you could choose from came tiny portions that were mediocre at best. I ordered the shrimp taco for an appetizer. It was literally one mini taco with a few shreds of cabbage and mini shrimp. I could make that at home! Next came the entree - I chose the chicken dish. It was bbq chicken with two onion rings. They spared no expense on making this dish! And dish rivaled that of my Highschool cafeteria. On to dessert - bread pudding! Ugh, another tiny dish. I'm thinking someone was running around in the back with a shrink ray. It was alright, but again not out of this world. So sadly, this restaurant like many other reviewers have noted ain't doing so hot. Emeril needs to get back down here and throw some BAM in this place. Or else it will soon turn into a hot dog stand like its neighbor.

    (3)

  • Courtney W.

    My husband and I came here for a nice dinner while on our honeymoon and we were not disappointed. The service was outstanding. We both got the filet minion which was very juicy and cooked perfectly. I ordered the roasted Brussel sprouts on the side that were topped with a Thai chili sauce which were so delicious. I want to try and replicate those at home. My husband ordered a side of mashed potatoes which he loved. For dessert we shared the banana cream pie that was recommended. We both liked that, however, we were extremely impressed with the vanilla bean creme brûlée. We would definitely come back in the future for a nice dinner occasion.

    (5)

  • Kalynne M.

    Fantastic happy hour! $6 specialty cocktail with peach was to die for! $5 wine too! Excellent 1/2 price appetizers. We loved mushrooms, linguine and Brie spread. Sat at the bar and had wonderful service. Bartenders were charismatic and attentive. My mom and aunts (50yrs+) had a great time and so did I. Will definitely go back soon!

    (5)

  • Lauren S.

    I usually stay away from celeb chef places just because I feel like the hype isn't worth it. The people in our group swore this place was legit, so we went to diner here before Halloween Horror Nights. Our server seemed a bit rushed, maybe nervous? I'm not sure. He would take orders and refill requests, then return to the table with out refills/bread/other requested items to ask if we needed anything...How about what we requested? Twice he forgot my drink all together. Once our entrees hit the table my scallops were luke warm and the puree they were sitting in was room temp at best. The same for the other 2 ladies at the table. I suspect our food was plated long before the guys steaks were finished and they just sat there. I won't be back. There's several other places to choose from in this strip that would give equally bad service, with hot food, for a fraction of the cost. Come on.

    (2)

  • Alison M.

    Maybe I expected a little too much considering it's Emeril's Restaurant. Shrimp pasta was salty and the risotto tasted like it came from a can. The food was such a disappointment. Other than that, service was great.

    (2)

  • Lorie N.

    We walked in here after a full day of doing Universal Islands of Adventure. We chose this spot in particular because we saw the Happy hour sign placed right outside. Of course, the choice was made for us. Walking in, I felt a little under dressed but that didn't stop us from sitting our tired butt's down into the lounge area where we proceeded to order a few drinks and every plate from the happy hour menu to share. My phone was dead so I couldn't take proper notes on all the names of the dishes so bear with me while I try my best to describe the food. *Buffalo Wings with Barbecue sauce- Surprisingly, the barbecue sauce overpowered the taste of the buffalo wings so that you couldn't really get a good feel for the meat on the wing. It was almost as if they left it marinating for too long. *Tuna Tartar tacos-- These were the best thing on the menu. Thick cuts of tuna that were seared on the outside, paired with some cabbage, tomatoes and a light drizzle of sauce. I can't remember the other two plates probably from the sheer exhaustion of walking the theme parks for 3 days in a row-- But it's more likely because the dishes weren't anything to write home about. For as famous a name as Emeril's, I was expecting a lot more.

    (3)

  • Arik H.

    Great wine selection. Service ws very good as well. All the dishes we tried were outstanding. Least favorite was the beef shortribs but they were still a 3 of 5. Fried green tomatoes and ribeye. Salmon and pork chop were great. From napa so it was nice to get top quality after being in a theme park for 10 hours.

    (5)

  • Greg M.

    We have visited a few times and each time we have been thoroughly WOWed. This last visit was highlighted by the Chef's table and tasting menu. Very well thought out, the staff where WONDERFUL, special "shout out" to Clifford. He works so hard, I don't think the place would run without him. Chef Edwardo and Matt where especially accommodating of our questions. It's not that much, our bill for two, with alcohol was less than $200. I have spent more and not gotten the quality of the food or the attentive service, that much I know for sure. I'll upload a few pics of our food, but if you get the chance, without a doubt try it.

    (5)

  • Gloria S.

    I ended up walking out after speaking to a manager. And I am not coming back. I had a horrible service at Emeril's Tchoup Chop the night before, so I came here expecting a better experience. Unfortunately, this place had as bad of a service as Emeril's Tchoup Chop. First, the hostess walked me to my table, and as my husband asked me a question while I was sitting down, she THREW MY NAPKIN ON MY LAP and walked away without saying a word. I sat there wondering what was happening for the next 10 minutes when NO ONE SHOWED UP. When the server finally showed up, he was not knowledgeable about the menu. I told him that my husband had food allergies, so what he recommended to stay away from ingredients he was allergic to. The server told us that we could order whatever we wanted and the chef would take care of it. Unfortunately, EVERYTHING we wanted to order could not be accommodated. When I asked for certain substitute ingredients (like corn tortillas), he rambled on about why this restaurant didn't have those ingredients. He did not apologize for any inconvenience, and he did not offer other options. Also, the dish that the server recommended did end up having the ingredients my husband was allergic to even though we told the server of the food allergies. Finally, I asked to see the manager. The manager came out and seemed pretty nonchalant about our situation. He did not offer us free drinks, apps, NOTHING. This ENTIRE restaurant needs to be retrained on customer service. I lost my appetizer and got up and left. Again, for a restaurant of this scale, the customer service is beyond poor. If I am going to shell out $30 for a main plate, then I better get my money's worth, and that includes food and service. I will never return.

    (1)

  • Mia D.

    A group of us ate here last week - we were virtually the only people there, and yet, the service was slllllooooooowww (say that slowly). The food was ok - just ok. I expected to be blown away by it - but for the price, I've had better. No bam for you, emeril.

    (2)

  • Joe L.

    Visited Emerils today, loved the atmosphere, very comfortable. The waitstaff was fantastic as he explained all the specials and what's good. The problem came when the food made it's appearance. Burgers were ordered well done, they came out rare, ones ordered rare we're well done, they got sent back and came out wrong a second time. We gave up after that, when your ordering a 15 dollar burger the chef needs to get it right the fist time. Of course the meals we're takin off the bill but we were very disappointed. The desserts were amazing, which were on the house to make up for the under/over cooked burgers.

    (3)

  • Luciana L.

    Awesome burger, great service. We'd definitely come here again!

    (5)

  • Leticia P.

    I had an amazing time dining at Emeril's yet again, his restaurants never ever disappoint, I would love to know who does the hiring for these restaurant's cause I swear in all the restaurants the men are sizzling, I didn't have the dinner this time, but we came for Dessert,cocktails and wine and let me tell you the Key Lime Parfait is to die for, the waiter paired my dessert with an amazing dessert wine called innskillen and it was truly amazing and mouth popping, I would definitely like to try there pizza's next time I go. Def recommend.

    (5)

  • Steve S.

    I choose Emeril's because none of my coworkers had ever been to Orlando and I wanted them to experience a little bit of standard Disney/Universal fare. I decided on CityWalk and initially had planned to dine @ Hard Rock but choose Emeril's because we were seated almost immediately. Service was good. We had "3 people" serving us but gotta say we only saw two of them. We started with the calamari and mushrooms. I found both dishes to be rather bland but my coworkers seemed to like them. We did have one member of our party who had never had calamari and he seemed to like it so I guess that was good. For my entree I choose the blackened salmon, even though it was farm raised. I would expect someone of Emeril's level to always choose wild caught salmon but this is Universal so I suppose some sacrafices have to be made. The salmon was just okay but I did like the pepper relish. However the frisee was just intrusive and I'm not sure why they included it. Other members of my party loved their filet and redfish. We were able to have a conversation at normal levels though which is rare in today's restaurants. Emeril's is good for people who want to try something slightly different without straying too far from their comfort level. However, if you have dined at truly ground breaking restaurants and have a higher level of expectations, Emeril's will not fulfill any of those.

    (3)

  • Rickey C.

    Emeril should be very proud. This place not only meets expectation but far exceeds them across the board. Service-wise they are completely on point. Super attentive and very courteous It definitely does help that they have more staff on the floor during dinner than any restaurant I've ever seen.. They had what appeared to be no less than 4 managers on the floor-- very active and multitude of servers swarming and immediately on top of your every need. Food-wise it was outstanding. First is the bread which is a delicious sweet bread-very nice and a awesome corn bread. Then I started with Emeril's Salad which was fantastic. My wife got a Shrimp Linguine dish with pancetta and asparagus in a nice scampi sauce which was incredibly good. The pasta, giant very fresh shrimp -just a top notch dish I got Scallops dressed in a Chili Butter sauce accompanied by an intriguingly tasty pickled cabbage mix Dish was perfectly prepared- on the money. I also got a side of bacon garlic horseradish mashed potatoes that was sooo good- the highlight of an epic meal. For dessert I got white chocolate cherry bread pudding which was very good. Overall this place absolutely lives up to any hype or expectation that comes along with its Mega-celebrity owner.. As good a meal as you're gonna get!

    (5)

  • Christina H.

    This Emeril's is located at Universal's City Walk and is accessible for anyone. The service was above par, the food was extraordinary, and they sat us on the city walk tables so we could people watch, which always gets an extra nod on the tip line in my book. Great job!

    (5)

  • Peter D.

    Emeril oh Emeril, how we see you everywhere. TV, Marshall's cookware etc. So when we went to Universal Studios we decided to pop in during the lunch break for the 3 dish lunch special. Food was ok but I have to point out that the ice cream in the dessert was a fail big time. It was so gritty with ice that it was like chewing sweet sand. Ugghhh that is like a mood killer. Appetizer: Mixed Green Salad: This was good though I found the greens rather over dressed with too much dressing to the point of almost wilting. It wasn't terrible by any means but that is a rookie mistake. Shame that. I also had the Sausage and Chicken gumbo. I dunno maybe its me but I just wasn't loving it. Its not really my thing. Again not bad but just meh. Entree: Well we wanted to try the Short Ribs but they were out which was strange given it was only lunch and the place was far from packed but that is fine. Things happen with stock or prep. They offered pulled pork sandwich as an alternative but that really wasn't what I wanted so I did the fried chicken and waffle which I had never had. The other dish was the trout. Now I have never had chicken and waffles and I guess its a southern thing. It was ok but rather dry. It was drizzled with honey but this dish is screaming for a sauce to help with the dryness of it. Its just not a well conceived dish. The trout was nice so no issues there. It came with Polenta and that was quite delicious. Like to the point I couldn't stop eating it. I wish the rest of the dishes inspired me that way. Dessert: We did the open face turnover with ice cream. I think someone forgot to tell Emeril what a turnover is. This was like a pastry cup of apples topped by the grittiest ice cream I think I have ever had. Also the ice cream was bland lacking as much flavor as texture. As far as desserts go this was two stars at best. I wont totally damn them but for the prices particularly in Florida I expect a lot better, like Metropolitan Grill Bourbon Ice cream. Maybe someone there can apprentice for a while in Seattle. Over all the service was good but I have to say that there are too many damn people coming to our table. I found a crew of around 5-6 people grabbing forks, filling water etc. Its just not that busy. 1 server should be doing everything. You feel like you are constantly getting fluffed and after a while its just annoying. I don't want to say service was bad because it certainly was not but it definitely was overbearing. Its an ok place but they need to figure out something here to take it to the level it needs to reach. The ice cream was just one of many things that should have been great and simply were not.

    (3)

  • Alyssa S.

    Had dinner here last night, mussels frites and the shrimp and scallops. We had a reservation and were seated on time. They use a team of servers which was a little confusing at first, but ended up being nice since anyone could help you rather than having to find your waiter. Food was delicious,my only complaint was that the fries were not that crispy, but they ended up in the broth anyways. Otherwise both dishes were awesome. We finished with an Americano and the Banana Cream Pie, we had to stop ourselves from eating the whole thing it was so good. Great recommendation by the staff.

    (4)

  • Scott H.

    The atmosphere was phenomenal. As you enter, the décor is impressive with a high ceiling with a retro warehouse appearance (reflecting the outside of a building) lit with wall sconces that transitions to a modern sheik look. The artwork is abstract to creatively functional. As you enter, there is a floor to ceiling storage unit with multiple doors, oak looking finish, and each door has a cork door handle; the whole unit has a floor to ceiling sliding ladder reminiscent of what you see in a large library or archive stack. We asked about this magnificent display and learned it was a duplicate of a similar unit in their New Orleans location. The entire staff was dressed impressively geared to take care of their patrons with class and style. Each table was set with stemware and properly placed flatware surrounding a charger with the Emeril's logo. A place set for fine dining. We started our experience with corn chowder Soup Of The Day that was full of amazing spicy flavor and the savory Smoked Wild And Exotic Mushrooms. Accompanied with a merlot and a riesling. We selected our entrees from the Chef's Choice and Signature menu. From the Chef's Choice menu, we ordered a crispy Roast Half Duck garnished with scrumptious mashed sweet potatoes and delicious leeks. This was a definite hit. From the Signature menu, we ordered the Gulf Shrimp Pasta and the Blackened Salmon. The shrimp pasta was not very exciting it presented flavors that were very common. The blackened salmon was bland that really was not assisted very well by the red pepper-truffle butter sauce. The blackened salmon did come with a tasty frisée. Our opinion was that we should have all ordered from the Chef's Choice menu. We finished our meal with a Banana Cream Pie (topped with slivers of chocolate) and the Praline Cheese Cake with an espresso garnished with a side chocolate. The banana cream pie was dreamy and huge, the cheesecake was delicious; both were a delightful ending to our visit to Emeril's. Our overall impression was that four stars would be a good description of our experience but believed that this was a major disappointment because we expected to have a five star experience.

    (4)

  • Jolene S.

    3.5 stars Excellent service and, actually, the CityWalk location is a plus. You'll be surrounded by lights and the night-life energy on a Saturday night provides free entertainment. Dining in the room overlooking the Walk is nice (though it's a bit chilly for the ladies, so bring a sweater or wrap). We liked the food at the Miami location better (but we hear it's closed now!) There were some fantastic dishes here: the chocolate souffle and key lime pie (which I tried) and the creme brulee (which I didn't get to taste). Stick to the pork chop and chicken entrees (the red fish was not bad, just not as good as the other dishes--choice of sauce etc didn't work as well as we'd hoped) Boston lettuce salad was good (to me). I liked the fried black-eyed peas, but others didn't. Oh and the dinner rolls were tasty (even though we were hoping for cornbread). In sum, this Emeril's is in a fun location with good night-time parking rates (at the CityWalk) and features great dessert and good entree options + excellent service/ambiance that you expect at this chain.

    (4)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:30 am - 3:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Dinner
    Parking : Garage, Validated
    Bike Parking : No
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : No
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Touristy
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Full Bar
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : No
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : No

Emeril’s Orlando

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