Creole Crab Beignets at Universal Orlando Mardi Gras

In the never-ending world of fusion style food at Universal Orlando Mardi Gras, we have Creole Crab Beignets. Fittingly, we find these creations at the “Fusion” tent between London Waterfront and Springfield USA in Universal Studios Florida. Like the Shrimp Po’ Boy Dog at Hot Dog Hall of Fame, this menu item merges things I would have not imagined before this. However, this concept involves a less drastic merging of tastes.

The menu description reads Cajun brown sugar dusted beignets, stuffed with creamy crab dip and scallions. These cost $9.99 before any discounts. You get three beignets.

I lack any other way to communicate how people felt about these crab beignets except to say mixed reviews. Several of the people I spoke with enjoyed them. There were comparisons to Crab Rangoon. Other people stated they were like a crab dish served cold in the New England area of United States. These beignets were stuffed with plenty of cream cheese-based crab dip.

In contrast, others disliked the lukewarm temperature of these. I lack knowledge of that desired temperature though. The ones I tasted were lukewarm. Still, I fell into the category that liked these. I think that the cost of these beignets exceeds a good value though

Other more negative reviews from guests involve too much of a “fishy” taste. Yes, these have some crab in them which could lead to that taste. These concerns match ones voiced about shrimp in the Hot Dog Hall of Fame creation. Also, the menu description states these are dusted with Cajun brown sugar. As I have heard from others, they only tasted an Old Bay type seasoning on top. I tasted the same thing on opening day. Maybe my lack of proper flavor Cajun brown sugar clouded my enjoyment of these.

I felt the combination of flavors within these beignets tasted solid. The item struggles as many Mardi Gras items do this year with one key issue. If you take a bite including all the ingredients, then you taste the chef’s vision of flavoring. However, the texture lending towards cream cheese moving around in this creates a dilemma. If you were unlucky, you could get a huge taste of just cream cheese. Obviously, you must enjoy cream cheese for this menu item.

As usual, the Universal chefs designed a great festival style item. However, the beignets struggle to create consistent flavor based on their structure. You should decide if the price points match good value for you. Still, a crab beignet does sound very Mardi Gras. Let the good time roll!