Das Stakehaus at Epic Universe: Dining in Dark Universe
- Dreamverse Travel
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
Our Second Visit to Das Stakehaus at Epic Universe
We’ve been to Universal Orlando more times than I can count, but this was only our second visit to Epic Universe. This time, one of the places I really wanted to check out was Das Stakehaus at Epic Universe, a restaurant in Dark Universe that had been recommended to me before our trip. And after two visits to the park, we still haven’t seen everything.
I think if you look at Epic Universe strictly by the number of rides, at first glance it can seem like there isn’t that much to do. But that really isn’t the case.
On our first visit, we spent the entire day at Epic Universe, from park opening until they shut it down for the night, and we still didn’t see everything. We came back for a second visit and STILL didn’t see everything.
There is so much more to Epic Universe than going from one ride to the next. There are so many details throughout each world, things to stop and look at, and different foods and restaurants to try. Das Stakehaus is a good example of something we completely missed the first time.
Heading Into Dark Universe
Before this trip, I had called Universal for something completely unrelated and ended up talking with one of their staff members about Epic Universe. They told me about Das Stakehaus, a restaurant tucked away in Dark Universe, and recommended that we check it out the next time we were there.
After our group cruise, we headed straight to Universal Orlando, and our first park day was at Epic Universe. Since this was only our second visit, we already had plenty of things we hadn't experienced the first time, but I remembered the recommendation and wanted to make sure we tried Das Stakehaus while we were there.
If you're looking for it, Das Stakehaus is about halfway through Dark Universe on the right-hand side as you're walking into the area.
Going Inside Das Stakehaus
Even the staff members working at the entrance were dressed to fit the Dark Universe theme, which I thought was pretty cool.
Once you get inside, there is a lot more to see. This isn't just a regular theme park restaurant with a few decorations added to it. They put a lot of detail into the restaurant itself.
The Dining Area
The dining area is dark, with stone walls, heavy wooden furniture, chandeliers, and lighting that fits right in with Dark Universe.
I really loved the theming in here. There's so much going on around you that it's worth actually looking around instead of just sitting down, eating, and leaving.
More of the Das Stakehaus Theming
There is more than one dining area, and this one had monster figures incorporated into the background.
These are the kinds of details that I think make Epic Universe different. The restaurant itself becomes another thing to see while you're visiting the park instead of simply being somewhere to stop for lunch or dinner.
What’s on the Menu at Das Stakehaus?
The theming also carries over into the menu.
You'll find burgers, chicken, wings, salads, and several of their appropriately named "Stake" entrées, along with some very Dark Universe-looking desserts.
Menus can change, so I always recommend checking Universal Orlando's current menu before your visit, especially if you have food allergies or other dietary needs.
We just used the Coca-Cola Freestyle machines for our drinks, so we didn't try any of the specialty drinks during this visit.
Das Burger
The Das Burger comes with two smashed all-beef patties, American cheese, charred scallion and black garlic aioli, familiar slaw, and an artisan bun. It's served with pub fries.
And yes, the bun really is that dark. Even something as basic as ordering a burger gets a little Dark Universe treatment here.
The food we tried at Das Stakehaus was delicious, and this was no exception.
Carved Staked Steak
We also tried the Carved Staked Steak (aka Steak on a Stake), which is probably one of the most appropriately named things you could order at a restaurant called Das Stakehaus.
It's tenderloin steak served with red chimichurri, charred green onion mashed potatoes, roasted baby carrot, seasonal squash, oyster mushrooms, and bloody jus.
Again, delicious, and I liked that the presentation still played into the theme without going completely overboard with it.
Labotocotta
Then we got to dessert, and this is where things started looking a little more questionable.
The Labotocotta is a Greek yogurt vanilla panna cotta brain covered in raspberry sauce.
Yes, they serve you a brain for dessert.
Thankfully, it tastes a whole lot better than it looks.
Red Velvet Death
The Red Velvet Death might have been my favorite presentation of everything we ordered.
It's a red velvet heart "beet" coffin cake with chocolate crumbs and puffed rice maggots.
So basically, you're eating a little red velvet coffin sitting in dirt and surrounded by maggots.
It sounds absolutely disgusting when you describe it that way, which I suppose is kind of the point. But it was delicious.
Would We Eat at Das Stakehaus Again?
Absolutely.
I'm really glad the Universal staff member recommended Das Stakehaus because otherwise we may have missed it again on this visit.
The food was delicious, but I also really loved the theming. Between the restaurant itself, the staff members, and even the names and presentation of the food, it all fits with Dark Universe.
And this is exactly what I mean when I say there is more to Epic Universe than just the rides. We've now spent two full days exploring this park and still haven't seen everything.
Sometimes it's worth slowing down, looking around, and seeing what else you can find.
Take a Look Inside Das Stakehaus
I also filmed a walkthrough while we were there, along with some of the food we tried. If you want to see more of what Das Stakehaus actually looks like inside, you can watch the video below.
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