An Onion Hoop and a PB & Jammm Doughnut: NBC Sports Grill & Brew at Universal CityWalk Tips Off the NBA Season With Three New Dishes

Published October 20, 2026 at 10:16 AM EDT

Universal has found a way to put a basketball hoop on a plate. The Onion Hoop, a hand-battered and fried onion ring appetizer, leads three new NBA-season dishes at NBC Sports Grill & Brew in Universal CityWalk, and the restaurant is throwing an NBA Tip-Off party on Tuesday, October 20.

Universal announced the menu on its Discover Universal blog on Monday, October 19, tied to the NBA Tip-Off on NBC and Peacock. The dishes are for the 2026-27 season, and Universal says they are "yours to indulge in all NBA season long."

A cast iron skillet piled with battered fried onion rings, one large ring on top, with a small cup of dipping sauce on a white plate

The Onion Hoop. Image: Universal Orlando Resort

One night only: the tip-off party

The party runs Tuesday, October 20, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Universal's post promises a live DJ, "referee-themed stilt walkers, and more." The entertainment is a one-night thing; the food sticks around.

The exterior of NBC Sports Grill and Brew at Universal CityWalk, with large Grill and Brew letters and an NBC peacock above a giant video screen showing a blurred sports broadcast

NBC Sports Grill & Brew in Universal CityWalk. Image: Universal Orlando Resort

The three new dishes

Onion Hoop: a hand-battered and fried onion ring appetizer.
Slam Dunk Chicken Bacon Ranch Sammie: grilled chicken breast with ranch seasoning, bacon, tomatoes, red bell peppers, onions, house-made jalapeño queso and provolone, on a pretzel hoagie roll.
PB & Jammm: a cake doughnut with house-made serrano-strawberry jam, peanut butter ice cream, powdered sugar, peanut brittle and lemon zest. Yes, three m's.

A long sandwich on a pretzel hoagie roll with melted cheese spilling out of it, served on a black board next to a metal cup of fries

The Slam Dunk Chicken Bacon Ranch Sammie, shown with fries. Image: Universal Orlando Resort

Universal did not publish prices for any of the three.

A sugar-dusted cake doughnut set on a scoop of ice cream with red jam, topped with more jam and crumbled brittle, with sliced strawberries and whipped cream on the plate

The PB & Jammm doughnut. Image: Universal Orlando Resort

It is the restaurant's latest sports tie-in: in September it added four NFL season items and a kickoff party. So which are you ordering first, the Onion Hoop or the PB & Jammm?

Sources

Discover Universal, "Get Your Game on at NBC Sports Grill & Brew's NBA Tip-Off Celebration in Universal CityWalk" (October 19, 2026)

Image credits: Universal Orlando Resort.

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CityWalk NBC Sports Grill & Brew

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