REVIEW

The cafeteria style at Louie’s Italian Restaurant at Universal Studios Orlando works well for getting your food, which also tastes great, is priced right, and can be enjoyed in a clean dinning area. I break down the Service, Food Quality, Dining Experience, and Overall Value for Money to help you decide if it is a place you'd like to go.

Now, I don’t eat Italian food very often when I go out because it rarely lives up to my own home-made standards based on my authentic sauce-making and cooking, but I decided to give Louie’s Italian Restaurant a try as I searched for something other than a burger at Universal Studios. While the food and restaurant impressed me, the service left a lot to be desired, but I’m going to explain why you should overlook it in the interest of a great value experience.

FOOD SHOULD BE SERVED WITH LOVE

It is very hard to find decent service and sometimes that’s the difference between a good place and a great place. The service at Louie’s Italian Restaurant is not great, it’s not good, and maybe it’s even not even meza-meza (so-so).

The staff simply lacked general engagement skills necessary for best business practices and that’s a nice way to put it.

Make It Easy for Customers

For instance, when I asked them if they could cut the jumbo slice pepperoni pizza slice in half, their response was, “Yes, you can. You can use a knife in the dinning area.” It would have taken them less than 10 seconds to cut that slice in half, instead they made me go use a plastic knife to split it into 2 slices.

In another example, they were rushing to put the plate of Fettuccini Alfredo on my tray and nearly sent it flying off the tray and onto me, if I hadn’t put out my hand to stop the tipping dish and tray.

They also didn’t tell us where the cutlery or condiments were, no thank you for coming, or even any basic small talk to make us feel welcomed. The service was bad, but I gave them 1 star because we at least got our food in less than five minutes.

MAMA MIA LOUIE MAKES GOOD FOOD!

The food on the other hand was better than expected for a fast-food cafeteria experience. Our order included 2 Fettuccini Alfredo with chicken and garlic bread, a Jumbo Pepperoni Pizza slice (1/4 of a pizza that could be split between 2 people), and 4 drinks. The drinks were not refillable, but there was a wide variety of options to pick from.

The pizza crust was cooked just right, not too soft, and not burnt. The pasta was cooked al dente, the chicken was juicy, and the garlic bread was soft and warm. The portions were generous. Overall, one of the better Italian cafeteria food experiences.

ROOMY, COMFORTABLE, & CLEAN

There was also a lot of seating to choose from and the tables all looked clean. You could also pick up single packs of parmesan cheese and red pepper next to the cutlery and napkins located near the entrance ways. The dining room also gave you access to Guido’s Gelato, a small ice cream parlour that could serve customers from the outside or inside, if you had room for dessert. The dining area could have used more air conditioning and the soda machines could have been cleaner. The gentle Italian music playing in the background also gave it that extra special feeling.

WORTH IT DESPITE THE BAD SERVICE

Overall, Louie’s is an excellent option for food quality, a comfortable place to eat, and affordability if you’re willing to look past the bad service. $62US  bought food and drinks for four people, offering a clean place to eat in a theme park setting.

It was good enough that we considered going back to Louie’s Italian Restaurant if we weren’t happy with any of our remaining dining options at Universal Studios.

COST