I've now had a couple chances to eat at the Three Broomsticks restaurant in the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park. The food's great and different from other counter-service restaurants in Islands of Adventure.
First off, this is a counter-service restaurant, even though it has the feel of a sit-down restaurant. I'm not sure this was the best choice for Universal. I really think this could have shined as a more exclusive themed dining experience that could have rivaled Mythos and provided more unique options with a bigger menu than a counter-service location can handle.
That said, it's more authentic as a restaurant that you can just walk into and eat and provides the opportunity for more people to see the great work done by the artists that built the Wizarding World. There's people running around in the attic, antlers on the wall, and giant fireplaces that all create a scene right out of the Harry Potter movies and books.
Three Broomsticks offers a wide variety of foods with an English flair in keeping with the theme of the new island. Most recently, we sampled the fish and chips, shepherd's pie, and rotisserie chicken.
The fish and chips is pretty standard fried whitefish fare. I thought the rotisserie chicken was delightful. I ate all of mine and grabbed more when someone else at our table was getting ready to throw away half a bird. 
I've tried the shepherd's pie a couple times and find it tasting very strange. I love shepherd's pie and fix it quite a bit at home using various recipes. The one at Three Broomsticks just tastes funny to me. One of the people with us last time said it has too much oregano. I'm not sure if that's it or not. Can't say I recommend it.
Overall, the food's pretty good at Three Broomsticks and it's also a good place to get some Butterbeer. Often, the wait to get into Three Broomsticks is shorter than the wait to get a Butterbeer from the stand in Hogsmeade Village.
Speaking of the wait, we learned a little secret last time we were there. If you pay attention, a cast member will make the rounds asking if anyone would like to skip the line and sit outside. This is not a trick where you will end up baking in the sun or being drenched in afternoon rains. The outdoor seating is comfortable and covered! Plus, we found out that even though you're supposedly going to sit outside, you can order your food and then sit inside, anyway.
Let us know what you thought of Three Broomsticks or what you're looking forward to trying in the comments, below!
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I was amazed at how I never had to wait in line to get into the Three Broomsticks, even during dinner hours on a summer day. I loved the details of the decor (if you go around the corner on the outside of the building you can see plates being magically washed, even). But a WIDE variety of food? No way. There were only a handful of entrees and there wasn't a single vegetarian entree (not even a soup or a salad!). I could order a couple sides but that was it–hardly a filling meal and the cost of multiple sides was more than the nice, cost-efficient entrees my friends were getting. Huge fail. I love the place but it's useless to me if there's pretty much nothing I can eat!
Thanks for the input! I did not even consider the vegetarian options when I wrote the post, so I went back and checked on this one.
They do have a soup and salad combo. $6.49 for Potato & Leek soup with a side garden salad. This would make it the least expensive entree option.
Especially when compared to other Universal counter service restaurants, this one has a LOT of options, so although vegetarian dishes may not be one of the options, I still feel there's a wide variety of entrees to choose from.
I know Universal had to Fed-Ex every meal directly to JK Rowling for approval and she was very specific about what she wanted served on the island. She wanted it very authentic to the book and region. Maybe vegetarian didn't fit into that vision that she had? I don't know.
I used to be a vegetarian and wanted to see what I would have eaten, so I went back and looked at my pics of the menu. I would have probably got multiple sides, as you suggested and still spent about the same as any of the entree options and been satisfied. Fresh garden salad, baked potato, and corn on the cob would have made a good meal, for me.
How awesome you are for reading the comment and giving it some thought! Thanks
Sadly, the Potato & Leek soup is made with chicken stock. I was thrilled they were so upfront with this info (I didn’t even have to ask them specifically; they were really sweet to let me know) but sad, because the soup sounded good and I would have liked to have tried it. They suggested I get the chicken salad without the chicken for the same price. Sure, having multiple sides isn’t a bad choice (especially because the corn was utterly delicious) but a bunch of vegetables does not a meal make. But, hey, no one has made a theme park or restaurant based on one of my books, so I’m not going to complain about their vision! I enjoyed the food and the four days I spent in the Wizarding World theme park; I just couldn’t have eaten at the Three Broomsticks every day.
How awesome you are for reading the comment and giving it some thought! Thanks
Sadly, the Potato & Leek soup is made with chicken stock. I was thrilled they were so upfront with this info (I didn't even have to ask them specifically; they were really sweet to let me know) but sad, because the soup sounded good and I would have liked to have tried it. They suggested I get the chicken salad without the chicken for the same price. Sure, having multiple sides isn't a bad choice (especially because the corn was utterly delicious) but a bunch of vegetables does not a meal make. But, hey, no one has made a theme park or restaurant based on one of my books, so I'm not going to complain about their vision! I enjoyed the food and the four days I spent in the Wizarding World theme park; I just couldn't have eaten at the Three Broomsticks every day.
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