Universal's Islands of Adventure · Port of Entry
Backwater Bar
The bar attached to Confisco Grille - dim, air-conditioned, almost always half empty, and the quietest seat inside the turnstiles.
The facts
- Meals
- Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Typical cost
- Cocktails around $13-16 and shareable plates around $12-18 as of July 2026.Verified July 2026
- Mobile order
- No
- Dining plan
- Not accepted
- Alcohol
- Served
- Air conditioned
- Yes
- Dietary
- Vegetarian, Gluten-friendly
Last verified July 2026
What it is
Backwater Bar shares a kitchen and a building with Confisco Grille and has its own door that most guests walk straight past looking for the restaurant entrance. It is small, dark, cool and rarely more than half full, which in a park with this little indoor space is worth a great deal more than the drinks list.
You can order most of the Confisco menu here without a reservation, which makes it the fastest route to a real plate of food in Islands of Adventure. The cocktails are decent rather than ambitious, the beer list covers the Florida basics, and nobody moves you on.
Our verdict
The best-value seat at Islands of Adventure: Confisco's food, no reservation, air conditioning, and a room most guests never find. Worth knowing about before you need it.
What to order
The dishes this kitchen is actually known for. Menus change seasonally, so treat this as what to look for rather than a guaranteed list.
- Frozen margarita
- Mediterranean hummus platter
- Flatbread of the day
- Draft beer flight
Tips for Backwater Bar
- Order the Confisco menu here. Most of it is available, there is no reservation involved and the wait is usually zero.
- This is the best air-conditioned sit-down in the park that is not a full restaurant. Use it at 2 PM in August.
- It has its own entrance separate from the restaurant. If the Confisco podium has a queue, walk around to the bar door instead.
- Bar seating fills before the tables do. If you want a table, go before 5 PM.
Who it suits
- Good for
- Solo · Date Night · Air Conditioned Break · Quick Bite · Groups
Backwater Bar: common questions
Can you eat a full meal at Backwater Bar?
Yes. It shares a kitchen with Confisco Grille and serves most of the same menu, with no reservation needed. For a party of two it is frequently the faster and better option.
Is Backwater Bar hard to find?
It is easy to walk past. It sits behind and beside Confisco Grille in Port of Entry with its own separate door, and most guests heading for the restaurant queue at the podium without noticing the bar entrance around the corner.