What to Know
- Halloween Horror Nights is haunting Universal Studios Hollywood through Oct. 31, 2023 (select nights)
- The large-scale scare-tacular features several haunted houses, including one based on "Stranger Things 4," and themed foods
- The 2023 menu includes Demogorgon Pizza, a delicious riff on the famous "Stranger Things" monster
Any lifelong horror film fan can name the terrifying times that food, dining, or cooking comes up as a significant theme or plot point in their favorite movies or television shows.
There may be an intense kitchen scene between the hero and monster — Chucky has been known to haunt this particular room — or the characters may be employed at a quirky eatery, such as Scoops Ahoy from the Netflix hit "Stranger Things."
Maybe this is because Halloween is so associated with snacking or indulging in some yummy and photo-ready foodstuffs ahead of a shriek-packed adventure is what many haunted house lovers often do.
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Halloween Horror Nights is all about those haunted houses, from the world-famous Terror Tram to the adventures inspired by local lore — "Monstruos: The Monsters of Latin America" debuted at the Universal Studios Hollywood experience in 2023 — to those startlers that draw their gasps from modern pop culture gems, like "Stranger Things 4" and "The Last of Us," inspired by the acclaimed videogame.
Demogorgon Pizza, speaking of "Stranger Things," is on the haunted happening's new menu, as is the Hellfire Club Pretzel, a knowing and nummy nod to the Dungeons & Dragons devotees of the '80s-loving series.
Fans of "The Last of Us" may want to munch a Cordyceps Corndog before plunging into the dystopian realm of the game via the nearby haunted house.
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And Chucky, that delightfully diabolical doll, is never one to be left out of anything, so, yep, there's a Chucky's A Clucking Nightmare sandwich as well as the Like to Be Hugged Salad, an ode to the unpossessed plaything's gentler disposition.
Libations are also fizzing at the fright-a-rama, including The Good Guy, a lemonade with cotton candy kick, and a cocktail called, eek, Wanna Play?
Executive Chef Julia Thrash revealed that the theme park's culinary team begins dreaming up the dishes and drinks more than a year in advance, all while inventively incorporating a film or TV show's insider-y details, the sorts of touchstones that fright fans adore.
Those haunted homages and hallmarks can be found in the names of the foods and beverages, not to mention the vittles selected to represent a particularly memorable movie villain or character.
Many of the atmospheric offerings can be found at spots dotting the theme park during Halloween Horror Nights; the Chucky's A Clucking Nightmare sandwich is sizzling just inside the Universal Studios Hollywood gates while Mummy Eats, near "Revenge of the Mummy — The Ride" is the place for the Cordyceps Corndog.
CityWalk, too, is in the scary swing, with a Frankenstein-inspired pastry stomping into Voodoo Doughnut and the Grave Awakening shake Milkshake grave-ing, er, gracing the menu at The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen; other restaurants around the district are putting their own spooky and snacky spins on seasonal fare.
The comida sabrosa of Día de los Muertos is a savory staple of Universal Plaza, near the heart of the theme park.
Hearty Beef Birria Tacos with Red Sauce, Horchata Churro Bites, and a number of margaritas and mules, including the Tlahuelpuchi Margarita, are for sale at the fiesta, which features oversized Catrinas and an assortment of merry skeletons.
Universal Studios and NBC-owned TV stations operate under the same parent company NBCUniversal.
