There are things that stir in the shadows, and then there are cravings that rise from them. At Universal Horror Unleashed, you’ll experience both in equal, haunting measure. Between the fog-choked corridors and the flicker of cinematic dread, the team of Universal chefs has staged a different kind of horror show: one where the monsters are on the menu, metaphorically speaking, and every bite tells its own dark story.
Here, the food offerings don’t whisper. They growl.
ROUGHCUTS
Step into ROUGHCUTS, a blood-red oasis of smoke, spice, and cheeky irreverence where screaming apparently burns calories. The scent of charred ribs hits first — Coca-Cola Cherry–lacquered, sweet and sticky, with a glisten that’d make Leatherface set down his chainsaw for a bite. Chef Ryan Casarez and his team have turned carnage into craft, carving meat “of the non-human variety,” as the menu assures, into sandwiches and snacks so decadent it’s almost unsettling. The Butcher’s Choice Ribs pull apart like a secret you shouldn’t tell, tender and sticky with that tart cherry glaze
Then there’s the Shoulder (Torta al Pastor) — pork shoulder marinated to near-religious perfection, layered with pineapple, avocado, and pickled onions that zing bright against the smoke. It’s the kind of bite that makes you laugh mid-chew, equal parts street food and fever dream.
For the daring, Parts and Pieces turns spicy sausage, peppers, and onions into a handheld inferno — unapologetically messy, dangerously addictive. And yes, you can order Ears—a roasted corn handheld covered in citrus aioli, cotija, and a dusting of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. It’s loud, chaotic, and weirdly beautiful, like a horror movie finale where everyone’s covered in glitter instead of blood.
If you’re feeling playful (or mildly unhinged), end with The Leftovers. A chocolate-raspberry monkey bread that resembles — deliberately and disturbingly — a crime scene aftermath. Gooey, warm, unapologetically rich. It’s dessert as dark comedy: macabre enough to make you squirm, sweet enough to make you surrender.
Rough Cuts is the appetizer reel — the delicious prelude to the main event. To go deeper into the horror-culinary experience, you step through the massive metal roll doors of Premiere House, the full-service restaurant and bar where the lights dim, the décor gleams with eerie nostalgia, and the ghosts of Blumhouse’s horror icons watch you dine with silent approval.
Dining in the Dark (and Loving It)
Premiere House is what happens when a film set and a fine-dining kitchen decide to commit a beautiful crime together. The space is cinematic: props and relics from legendary horror films create an atmosphere that’s both chilling and absurdly stylish. But the food? It’s where the real magic (and madness) lives.
“Working with Universal Hollywood’s head chef, Julia Thrash, has been a true honor,” says Executive Sous Chef Ryan Casarez, who leads the kitchen. “She’s given me the freedom to really take Premiere House’s menu head-on. My main goal is to give people visiting Universal Horror Unleashed a proper, elevated experience — amazing food that pairs well with cocktails and mocktails. It’s all about telling a story with the same whimsical elements that our [haunted] houses tell, mixed with Michelin-level flavors.”
That storytelling begins with Boiler Bread —thick pumpernickel rolls stuffed with garlic herb butter and served alongside a molten smoked paprika cheese sauce. It’s the culinary version of opening a forbidden tomb: fragrant, molten, shockingly addictive. If you’re not ordering a second round, you’re stronger than most.
Then there are The Cook’s Chili Fries, an unassuming name for what might be UHU’s ultimate sleeper hit. “People think it’s just chili fries,” Chef Ryan says, “but when you taste it — from the fry to the house-made chili to the horror sauce — everything just makes sense when you bite into it.” He’s right. These fries are architectural: crisped edges, tender interiors, smothered in award-winning chili and molten cheese, crowned with green onions. It’s sports bar food reborn as fine dining edible art.
Next comes The Crow’s Nest, an almost sculptural dish: bourbon BBQ chicken lollipops perched in a fried rice noodle nest, dotted with sesame seeds and arugula. The chicken’s tangy glaze cuts through its smoky sweetness, and the delicate nest crackles under the weight — a textural masterstroke that nods to the Scarecrow: The Reaping house. Chef Ryan explains, “It just makes sense — the nest, the dust bowl vibe, the chicken lollipop. It ties right into the story.
For those craving something fresh and eerily beautiful, The Antidote offers salvation in salad form. Seasonal greens tossed with cranberries, candied walnuts, and Granny Smith apples, finished with a balsamic glaze delivered via syringe. Yes, a syringe. This is Universal Horror Unleashed, after all. The result? Playful presentation meets clean, bright flavor — a creepy-chic moment that somehow feels refreshing in the middle of the mayhem.
The menu of shareable/tapas style items reads like love letters to both cinema and comfort. The Funnel’d Shrimp Tacos steal the spotlight — shrimp fried in funnel cake batter, draped with cabbage slaw and chili aioli. The balance of sweet batter and spicy tang hits like a jump scare in the best way: surprising, slightly sinful, and completely satisfying.
The Believer Flatbread is an herbaceous dream of wild mushrooms, mozzarella, chimichurri, and lemon crema — each bite equal parts earthy and citrusy. Chef Ryan designed other flatbreads that wink at Universal’s greatest monsters, like the Texas Chainsaw Flatbread, whose crust bears tiny “chainsaw bevels” pressed along the edge. “It’s whimsical,” he says, grinning. “You see it, and you just get it.”
Then comes the Brisket Burger, served as three sliders and offering a powerhouse of candied bacon, Swiss cheese, and crispy onions. It’s the last survivor of the menu — smoky, messy, impossible not to love. Each bite evokes backyard nostalgia but executed with obsessive precision.
Desserts to Die For
Dessert at Premiere House isn’t a sweet ending — it’s a final act. The star: Death by Chocolate . A lush, layered creation of devil’s food cake, chocolate pastry cream, raspberry sorbet, and a feuilletine crunch that crackles beneath your fork. It’s garnished with tiny white chocolate doll heads — cracked, eerie, and utterly captivating. “When you see the doll heads, you’re automatically transported into that area of the houses,” says Chef Ryan, referencing the thematic tie-in to Universal Horror Unleashed’s “Kill Vault” and “Dead Storage” sections. The artistry borders on unsettling — but that’s the point. This is dessert as horror cinema: rich, dark, and impossible to look away from.
A Culinary Fever Dream in Viva Las Vegas, Baby
What makes UHU’s food remarkable isn’t just its flavor — it’s how it tells the same story the haunted houses do. The chefs play with tension and release: smoke against sweetness, comfort against chaos, beauty against fear. It’s a feast that rewards both your palate and your dark imagination.
Casarez sums it up best: “We don’t want to put out run-of-the-mill attraction food. We want guests to experience far more. We want them walking away fulfilled — and that their expectations have been blown away.”
Universal Horror Unleashed isn’t just a night of screams — it’s a fever dream of bloody remarkable flavors. Every dish is a scene, every bite a revelation, and every flavor a reminder that sometimes, the most unforgettable thrills don’t happen in the dark corridors of a haunted house. They happen on your plate, illuminated by candlelight and the faint, echoing laughter of monsters who, finally, approve of your taste.
Which dish would you dive into first? Tell us your pick in the comments — we’re taking notes for our next visit.
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