Photo: Lakeside seating at Flame Tree BBQ | Mike Christoferson via Flickr
At some point on your family’s safari trek across Disney’s wildest theme park, you’re going to have to stop for lunch. But what’s the best place to eat? Where can you find food that’s as quick and delicious as it is good for you? These tasty Animal Kingdom restaurants are your answer. They’re the perfect places to grab a quick lunch or snack with the family.
1) Flame Tree Barbeque
Photo: Smoked Chicken at Flame Tree BBQ | Zeke Yusof
It’s my favorite counter service restaurant in all of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The food is great and the waterfront seating makes it that much better. However, when it rains, there’s not too much cover, so this might not be your best bet.
Their half-smoked chicken is excellent. Moist and succulent on the inside, with a dry rub and distinct smoky flavor on the outside. The Ribs and Chicken combo, the Ribs in St. Louis-Style BBQ, and the Smoked Chicken Sandwich are also great choices. There are turkey legs too, and most dishes come with a side of baked beans and cornbread.
What you need to know
Price for entree: $7.00 - $16.20
Location: Discovery Island
2) Pizzafari
Photo: Pizzafari Pizza | Disney
Yes, they do serve pizza here for lunch and dinner. However, this is one of the few Animal Kingdom restaurants that serves breakfast. The Bounty Platter contains your usual suspects: scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, breakfast potatoes, French toast sticks, and biscuits. The breakfast burrito is a delicious combo of eggs, sausage, and fresh salsa. The kids will have a kick at the breakfast pizza, topped with scrambled eggs, bacon, and cheese.
An unexpectedly tasty and healthy option is the Breakfast Croissant. It’s a multigrain croissant served with egg whites, cheese, spinach, and vegetable chutney, accompanied by breakfast potatoes.
For lunch and dinner, the menu is pizza, pizza, and pizza. However, there are also other items such as the Meatball Sub, Pasta Bolognese, and Wedge Salad with Chicken. While these are OK, I would recommend going elsewhere for lunch and dinner if you’re not into pizza.
What you need to know
Price for breakfast: $3.70 - $9.00
Price for entree: $9.20 - $12.00
Location: Discovery Island
3) Yak & Yeti Local Foods Cafe
Photo: Shelly Central via Flickr
This Animal Kingdom restaurant has distinct Asian flavors on the menu. You can get Teriyaki Beef Bowls, Korean Barbecue Chicken Stir-Fry, and Honey Chicken. The food is good if you’re not too fussy about having an “authentic” dish. But what Americanized foreign dish is truly authentic anyways?
The healthy alternatives here are actually quite good. Their two salads are wonderful during a hot Orlando day, while the Roasted Vegetable Couscous Wrap is a nice vegetarian dish that even non-vegetarians will like.
They have the usual kids meal here too. However, pay attention to the “Sides”, which includes Pork eggrolls and Chicken Fried Rice. These can easily work as full kids meal as well.
What you need to know
Price for entree: $9.00 - $11.00
Location: Asia
4) Kusafiri Coffee Shop & Bakery
Photo: Coconut Cupcake at Kusafiri Cafe | Javier Loren via Flickr
This counter or window is opened for breakfast and serves the usual pastries and hot drinks. You might get stares if you walk away with one of their Colossal Cinnamon Rolls. Try the Elephant Ear pastry just to get with the theme of Africa land where this counter service is located.
What you need to know
Price for snacks: $2.50 - $9.00
Location: Africa
