Power Up Cafe

During our recent trip to Universal Studios Hollywood on July 18, 2025, we decided to check out Power Up Cafe, the charming Super Mario-themed spot that’s been getting quite a bit of buzz. The decor is absolutely delightful, with vibrant colors and fun Mario motifs that really set the mood for a whimsical dining experience. We ordered the 1-Up Mushroom Calzone, which is a cute mushroom-shaped calzone filled with spinach, green pepper, mushrooms, mozzarella cheese, and basil pesto. I have to say, the service was impressively fast! We received our food almost immediately, which is always a plus when you’re in a theme park and eager to get back to the fun. However, while the presentation was spot on and the theme was undeniably fun, the calzone itself was a bit of a letdown. It was decent but didn’t quite live up to the excitement of its appearance. For $13.99, I expected a bit more in terms of flavor and uniqueness. It felt like something you could easily find at a regular cafe, rather than a special treat in a theme park. Overall, Power Up Cafe is a fun stop for the atmosphere and quick service, especially if you’re a Super Mario fan. Just don’t go in expecting gourmet food. It’s a great place to grab a bite and snap some photos, but I’d recommend keeping your expectations in check when it comes to the taste. Happy gaming and dining!

The theming is just perfect! Every food item is so aesthetically pleasing that you just got to have it! The replication of everything like the super mushroom calzone looks like it just hopped out of the video game into your hand and you can actually eat it. The super mushroom calzone did look amazing but taste wise was just okay, they can improve the recipe of the calzone to taste more like it’s from a pizza shop but other than that, it was nicely filling. Can’t wait to try the other products like the power up drinks and the fire flower pretzel 🙂

This Nintendo themed cafe is located on the upper lot. For snacks, they have really cute calzones, popcorn and a pretzel. We tried the super mushroom calzone, the fire flower pretzel and the habanero drink. It is not as spicy as it might sound. It’s an orange drink with a little bit of heat with orange flavored popping bubbles. The pretzel tasted ok but there is a better pretzel in the park for about half the price. The super mushroom calzone is packed with tomato flavor and sausage. There is no mushroom in it.

Food is fine for a quick meal (yes, expensive). Calzones aren't always made fresh, so won't look like the ads. The Mario theme will make up for most of the downsides.

New cute little place to get some Nintendo themed snacks. We've tried the 1-Up Drink, a calzone, and a pretzel. The calzone felt a bit school cafeteria, but it didnt stop us from gobbling it up. We liked all of the dipping sauces for the pretzel, would purchase again. The 1-Up drink was Sprite at its base, the flavor didn't change that much with the mushroom fizzer. The apple pearls were yummy too. Order via the app to skip the line!

This is a super cool little cafe in Universal Studios that did well with showing the Super Mario theme. These have some cool themed drinks and souvenirs inside of the shop too.

I went when they were doing soft openings. Was not bad. I got a calzone and drink. I think the calzone had too much dough though, but other than that I liked the flavor. The mushroom sugar and glitter you put into the drink is cool. Interior decor of the cafe was nice as well.