The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar is a table-service restaurant in Universal Orlando’s CityWalk. With an eclectic menu featuring both sushi and burgers, the restaurant also has locations in Charlotte and Raleigh. The Cowfish at Universal Orlando does offer discounts to certain annual passholders. In this post, we’ll review the restaurant’s atmosphere, cuisine, and value.

Choosing to name your restaurant The Cowfish means that you already have quite a bit going for you. A sense of humor is there and so is some excellent imagery. Who doesn’t want to picture a fish that looks like a cow? I’m careful with how I worded that because I’m not sure that I want to see a cow that looks like a fish.

Yes, there is an actual fish called the longhorn cowfish. It is actually depicted in the restaurant’s sign (see above). I like those fellas but I’m not sure it’s capturing my imagination more than just picturing two animals melded.

Having that name also means, at least in this case, that a place called The Cowfish is pulling from two of the best food groups – seafood and beef. Yes, those are definitely two food groups in and of themselves. There’s no need to look it up. On first blush, a place that serves both burgers and sushi might strike you as strange. Heck, you might even be right in thinking that! But then, at least if you’re like me, you remember how much you love burgers and sushi, and can’t help but be pulled in.

That’s only multiplied by the lack of quality restaurant options at Universal. Epic Universe has excellent dining but that’s a different park not attached to CityWalk. Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida aren’t totally void of good food but it’s easier to find something appealing outside of the gates. Thankfully, CityWalk usually stays open pretty late to grab something after closing or is in close enough proximity to not take much time out of your park day.

The Cowfish sits right in the middle of all of the CityWalk action. After entering on ground level, guests ascend the stairs to find most of the seating for the restaurant is on the 2nd floor. There are more tables and a bar on the 3rd level that weren’t being used when we visited.

The restaurant doesn’t take itself too seriously. There are sight gags throughout and a broader theme of diners being inside of a terrarium. Cows, fish, loud artwork – it’s organized chaos aesthetically. That seems appropriate for a restaurant called Cowfish that serves burgers and sushi. Blues and oranges make up most of the color palette, making the place feel bright and lively.

The Cowfish’s atmosphere is very casual. That’s not a negative in my eyes, the restaurant is trying to be silly, not swanky. The tables and chairs do feel like a bit of an afterthought, looking more like a counter-service spot in some areas. Again, there’s nothing wrong with that and it doesn’t throw off the atmosphere. It all fits in with a fast, casual table-service restaurant that makes some stylistic choices.

There’s also outdoor seating at The Cowfish that overlooks CityWalk. While that space didn’t have a ton of decor, it would make for some interesting people watching. The outdoor seating does have a roof to protect from the Florida elements.

As a whole, we thought the atmosphere at Cowfish was fun but not a reason to book a table. There are some interesting touches to put this well above a chain restaurant like Applebee’s but it’s not as immersive as other options at Universal Orlando.

Moving to the food, here’s a look at the menu. As you can see, there’s a mix of sushi, burgers, and salads. Most of the offerings lean into Asian fusion save for a few omissions.

We started with a two piece Unagi Nigiri for $14. This is on the more expensive side for two pieces of nigiri. We were impressed by the quality, certainly not the best we’ve ever had but it was a healthy portion of eel and a delicious unagi sauce on top. The price isn’t too far out of whack relative to prices throughout Universal Orlando. If you like nigiri then this is a tasty option.

The main item we ordered was the Specialty Bento Box. This includes a mini-burger with American cheese, pickles, chopped red onion, sweet potato fries, Thai cucumbers, edamame, choice of a 4 piece specialty roll (Mark’s, Firecracker, or The Boss) or 3 pieces of mixed nigiri (tuna, salmon and shrimp). We went with the nigiri option because that’s generally my preference when it comes to sushi.

Let’s start with the burger, which was very tiny and tasty! It could have used a pickle and sauce but the meat did shine through and was a highlight. I would caution that if the burger is what you’re most looking forward to in the Specialty Bento Box then I’m not sure it’s big enough to satisfy that craving.

The nigiri included salmon, tuna and shrimp. We thought the Unagi was superior to any of these pieces. While they weren’t bad, I can’t say they left a huge impression on us. Of the three, the salmon was my favorite which isn’t how I typically feel about nigiri. All of these were adequate but none of them blew us away.

I did like the edamame and the Thai cucumbers. Melissa liked them less but that was more because of personal preference and less about the quality of these specific items. It’s hard to mess up edamame and they certainly didn’t here! The Thai cucumbers were like a pickled cucumber slaw that had a little bit of heat behind them. I thought they were one of the highlights of the meal.

The sweet potato fries were also good, albeit ours came out a little cold. They were crispy and fresh, not appearing to come from a frozen bag. I typically prefer regular French fries over sweet potato but I thought these were a nice choice within the bento box.

At $26, the value for the Specialty Bento Box was decent. There’s quite a bit of food here, to the point where I don’t think anyone is leaving hungry if they ordered this. We came away thinking almost every item we ate was good but not great. It was nice to have something fresh and still filling after a full day in the parks.

That leaves The Cowfish in a pretty favorable spot compared to other options at CityWalk, Islands of Adventure, and Universal Studios Florida. The restaurant doesn’t necessarily stand out for its offerings but it’s better than the majority of food we’ve tried. Between The Cowfish having some fun atmospheric touches and decent food, this ends up being one of the best spots for dinner at CityWalk.

Do you likeThe Cowfish? Let us know your thoughts, along with any questions you have, in the comments below! Looking for discounted tickets to Universal Orlando? Check out this site! Here are all of our travel guides to Disneyland, Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disney Resort. If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends, as well as like our social media pages. You can also subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email. All of those links are on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!