Jurassic Park Menus and Recipes

Jurassic Park and The Lost World Party Menu

If you’re wanting to throw an authentic Jurassic Park party, there are two ways to approach the menu.

The first is to use the actual food mentioned in the novels. In Jurassic Park, the theme park is currently being built on Isla Nublar, off the west coast of Costa Rica. With a hotel, visitor centre, and luxury restaurant, either built or finishing completion, the meals are more in line with hotel accommodation.

Food mentioned in Jurassic Park [Isla Nublar]

• Coffee. Costa Rica is famous for its Arabica coffee, so it’s a must-have at your Jurassic Park party. (You can also use coffee beans to decorate on the table, along with an overload of ferns and tropical greenery.)
• Banana Daiquiri. “And I could do with a nice banana daiquiri. What do you say, folks? Daiquiri sound good?”
• Grilled chicken.
• Meat-filled pastry. “…Mike said, picking through the box lunch packed by the hotel. There was unappetizing grilled chicken, and some kind of meat-filled pastry. Not that Ellen would eat any of it.”
• Vegetables, milk, T-bone steak, fish, gum, and candy/chocolate. All foods that Lex and Tim find in the hotel kitchen when looking for ice cream
• Ginger ice cream. “You must have just a little, Henry,” Hammond said. “It’s made with fresh ginger, from the eastern part of the island.”

In the second novel, The Lost World, you can separate the foods out based on location– New Mexico and California, and while on Isla Sorna, Costa Rica.

Food mentioned in The Lost World [New Mexico and California]

• Beer. Corona and potentially other brands of beers
• Green-corn tamale. “So there’s no truth to it,” Levine said, biting into his green-corn tamale.” Green-corn tamales are made from fresh corn kernels, cream, grits, chilis, and cheese, wrapped in green corn husks and steamed. I made green corn tamale from this recipe in the LA Times for my photoshoot (then ate it all afterwards. Delish!)
• Huevos rancheros. “The egg yolks ran yellow across green salsa” Huevos rancheros is a large mid-morning breakfast, typically made up on fried eggs, lightly fried corn tortilla, refried beans, rice and guacamole. *Wikipedia
• Soft-shell crab. “Dodgson shrugged, and speared a leg of soft-shell crab.”
• Lobster bisque.
• Baby organic greens.
• Seared ahi tuna. “Thorne walked over and picked up a sheet of paper on the table and read: “Lobster bisque, baby organic greens, seared ahi tuna.”
• French fries.
• Salad.
• Coffee.

Food mentioned in The Lost World [Isla Sorna, Costa Rica]

The foods eaten while on Isla Sorna are food that you take on a trek. If you’re wanting to go with this idea for a menu, pack each person a ‘snack bag’, complete with a sandwich, snack bar, soft drink and candy bar.

• Tuna salad sandwich.
• Turkey sandwich in a bun.
• Power bar.
• Rehydrated meals.–herb-baked chicken breast
• Soft drinks.
• Candy bars.
• Twinkies.
• Canned beef stew.
• Frozen yogurt. (mentioned but not available)
• Diet Coke. (mentioned but not available)

Your second option is to take inspiration from the Jurassic Park locations. Both Isla Sorna (The Lost World) and Isla Nublar (Jurassic Park), are both fictional islands off the coast of Costa Rica. Take the opportunity to explore traditional Costa Rican recipes. For a starting point, try Striped Spatula’s Gallo pinto recipe or this fried ripe plantains recipe from The Spruce Eats. CostaRica.com also has a wide range of recipes, including one for Arroz con leche, that make it a one-stop shop.

Finally, if you’re throwing a dinner party for adults, dinosaur themed wine is a must. Here in Australia, I came across some wine with great packaging. What Lies Beneath is a black and white graphic with illustrations of fossils below the ground (including dinosaur skeletons). While the Land of Giants wine depicts, not a dinosaur, but a moa, a flightless bird from New Zealand that became extinct several hundred years ago due to hunting, I personally thought the packaging had a Jurassic Park feel. And if you can’t find a wine with a dinosaur themed label, at least top off your bottles with a dinosaur wine stopper!

Hopefully this checklist and list of food arms you with some ideas for your Jurassic Park party. If you use any ideas, I’d love to see them! Tag me on Instagram @brytontaylor.