We all know the drill with zoo, museum, or theme park food--it's usually overpriced and underwhelming. I had zero expectations when ordering here. But wow, was I wrong! The chicken tenders were phenomenal. Perfectly crispy on the outside and wonderfully juicy on the inside. Since we stopped by around 11:30 AM before the lunch peak, the oil seemed fresh and clean. Next time I'm at the SF Zoo, I'm bypassing everything else and buying two orders of these chicken tenders. High recommended! read more

Leaping Lemur Cafe - Chicen tender and mac&cheese - Pizza Near Me - San Francisco, California

Food - Burgers and fries were okay ($20 SF tourist price) - Condiments table inside the cafe Cafe - Indoor and outdoor seating - People are usually willing to share a long table - There is a QR code at the door to order through your phone, but there is also a register inside where someone can take your order - After ordering, the food took ~30 minutes (it seemed to be a very busy Saturday) - There is a small station where they are handing out the food and it's a bit chaotic. There's no order on where people stand so everyone's crowding around. Misc - You don't come here for a grand dining experience - You're hungry? Kids are hungry? This place is close to the entrance. - Warning to those who eat outside around the seagulls (I'm sure you've seen the videos) read more

Leaping Lemur Cafe - $20 burger - Pizza Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This review is for the manager on duty yesterday, she was awesome! My order was mistakenly given to someone else, she quickly took over my order and made sure it was made correctly, we didn't have to wait long and we had fresh and piping hot chicken, which I must say was delicious. I was expecting low grade food and service as most cafes are but this one was great. I wish I caught her name but that manager did her job and did it well. read more

We got garlic fried and drinks. Fries.were hot, ranch was yummy, drinks were cold and refillable. A little pricey but to.be expected at a zoo in a high tourist city. read more

The 4 is relative. In the universe of zoo cafes, this one is clean, beautiful, affordable and offers ramen! On a cold morning at the SF Zoo (right next to Ocean Beach), this is a huge plus. The premises are beautiful. A large glass building across from the flamingo exhibit and adjacent to the modern restrooms and water filling station, you can eat and people / animal watch from inside. On occasion, you may even see peacocks with fanned feathers sauntering by. With 3 stations offering different cuisines (American, Asian, and Mexican), you're in luck whether you want burritos or a burger and fries. Being Asian, I headed to the Asian station. It's true -- no matter where we are, and especially so when we are older, we Asians gravitate towards our own cuisine. We can be vacationing in London or France or the Caribbean, and we would still get excited when we see a sign for ramen or pho. Strange, but true. And so, I made a beeline for this station, and we ordered the ramen and sweet and sour chicken over rice. Verdict on food: Its okayyy. I'm not a stickler for authentic Asian food. I occasionally crave PF Chang and Panda. But the Asian dishes here needed work. The manager is Chinese. I heard him speaking Mandarin, so I expect a little more. Re the ramen, the broth was okay. Savory and hot enough for a cold SF day but no depth. They also used egg noodles, which I would have enjoyed in my wonton noodle soup but not ramen. For the same price, they could have purchased the correct type of noodles. The ramen egg was actually a Chinese tea egg, which isn't bad but also not the right fit. The veggies were chopped up carrots, corn and edamame. And LOTS of pickled ginger. Replace this with corn, bamboo shoots, and wood ear and you're good. And maybe less ginger. The sweet and sour chicken was actually good. Grilled chicken with a subtle char. The rice could have been cooked better - a little too sticky but not bad. As a mom, I felt much better about my child eating this than something fried. Would I choose those again over burger and fries? Probably. 10% discount for members. read more

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Located not far from the front entrance of the zoo. Leaping Lemur Cafe is large building with lots of seating inside and outside. There are 3 stations of offerings, you will find something for everyone cravings here. My husband & I ordered the cheeseburger & fries ($15.99 each), our granddaughter ordered the Hotdog & fries ($14.99), and my son ordered the Clam chowder ($14.99) in a sourdough bread bowl (addl $2.99). Fountain drinks ($5.99). Prices as of 03/22/25. The cheeseburgers were okay. not much flavor could use more seasoning, average size burger, bun was fresh and had lots of toppings, lettuce tomato onions. My son loved the clam chowder said it tasted great and will buy again. Drinks they have a good selection, bottled and fountain sodas, teas, water bottles & ICEES. The cashier was friendly and directed us to the fountain drink station for our drinks. There were alot of seating available when we came about 1:30pm on a Saturday and we choose to sit inside within the room with a view of the Orangutans exhibit where we could see them playing while we eat. It was amazing. We will definitely eat here on future visits as they have some many options for everyone. I was surprised they didn't offer a kids sized meal for the little ones, like we have been seen at other zoos we have visited. They do offer kid favorites like mac & cheese, chicken tenders and burgers but not all toddlers or young kids can eat a full adult serving. read more

Leaping Lemur Cafe - Cheeseburger and fries $15.99 on 03/22/25 - Pizza Near Me - San Francisco, California

A very good dining option when visiting the S.F. Zoo. There are multiple food stations to choose from, but my wife and I usually opt for the Asian food. I last had the sweet and sour chicken bowl, which was very tasty, and not too sweet. It is basically cafeteria style, and you pay the cashier. Nice selection (including many healthy options), reasonably priced (members get 10% off), good service, and there is usually adequate seating. Very family friendly. There are bathrooms in the building, which is convenient. read more

Bad customer service, almost gave us French fries when we asked for Mac and cheese, TWICE. They think we were being rude when we are trying to be nice about the wrong food order. They gave us the wrong receipt with an attitude read more

They have food... and friendly service... but the two hot dogs for the kids were burnt so they were not very excited about eating them... and the two pizzas were also burnt on one end...I allied my husband how the ramen was for this review and all I got was "meh" read more

Leaping Lemur Cafe - Everything was too well done - Pizza Near Me - San Francisco, California

I'm generally very tolerant of bad food. But the ramen and the teriyaki hamburger bowl take very bad. I suggest to order the fries and pizza. I did not try the fries but it look good. For pizza, it won't go that bad anywhere. read more

This cafe was really tasty! Not just "tasty for zoo food" but actually quite delicious. The prices are definitely museum / zoo / baseball stadium / amusement park prices, about $15-20 per entree. But the food is actually good! I had the cheeseburger, which came with fries. The cheeseburger was juicy and I appreciated how crispy the fries were. It was a large portion of food. Service was quite fast. You can either order and pay at the kiosk or pick out your food and pay at the cashier (cafeteria style). I liked that the condiment table was well stocked with everything you could need -- ketchup, mustard, mayo, ranch, barbecue sauce, salt, pepper, napkins & utensils. I liked that there was such a wide selection of food! Mac & cheese, lasagna, meatballs, Italian sausage, chicken tenders, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, vegetarian chicken, fries, shrimp rolls, cioppini, clam chowder (optional bread bowl), salmon sandwich. They even had something called "pretzel charcuterie" which was a bunch of meat & cheese on a pretzel. It looked good and I liked how creative they were. The desserts also looked really good. There were cookies, chocolate dipped cookies, chocolate dipped waffles, galettes & muffins. There's lots of indoor & outdoor seating. I would definitely choose Leaping Lemur over the other restaurant in the zoo, Pizza Station. Leaping Lemur is such a better value and there's so much more variety. read more

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I have lived in the Bay Area all my life, and I'm vintage, but have never visited the SF Zoo. So Monday afternoon was the day. Late start but headed across the bay. Everyone at the zoo we came into contact with was a pleasure to talk with and so helpful with great suggestions. After walking for 3 hrs experiencing Giraffe and orangutan feeding, bears playing in the water and all around beautiful creatures of this earth it was time sit, rest and have a bit to eat. Happened upon the LLC walked in and found very elevated offerings. The pastry section looked fresh and flavorful. There was an excellent selection of which the blueberry muffin was a definite palette pleaser. Not too sweet or crumbly just the right amount of moisture and flavor. Then there was chowder, a chicken sandwich, flat breads and cioppino to name our favorites. Then an added surprise was as we were sitting, relaxing and finishing up our food I saw Chef Jon walking by. I said "Hi Chef" and he immediately came over. We talked about the cafe, his offerings and what an amazing flavor profile he had built along with his history and his home state of Hawaii. What an amazing experience we happened upon. Chef Jon was personable, had great energy, and was willing to take the time to talk with us. He had the option to just say hi and continue on his day. I'm sure he is a busy man but Chef Jon took the time to connect with us and it was genuine. So wether you have been there before or never like me I highly suggest you visit the SF Zoo. Take in the beauty of this earths creatures then go find Chef Jon and experience cooking from the heart You won't be disappointed. While the pricing does seem a bit high to some, as other yelpers have mentioned, it's all relevant. I don't mind paying for quality offerings and the bonus of supporting the SF Zoo along the way. Bravo Chef Jon and your Zoo Posse Well done and we shall see you soon. read more

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Avoid at all costs...which is overpriced. Don't know the other 2 food venues in this great zoo, but ramen is the WORST ever. Comparable to the speed and service. Half the workers in the kitchen look to be working hard. Other 50% look like they need direction. Waiting over 30 minutes for a burger with fries. That's after I waited in line and was told that it'd be faster to order from the kiosk. Who's managing this joint? read more

The food here is decent here and some are quite good. If you're a zoo member you'll get a 10% discount. Make sure you look at your receipt that they apply it. read more

Overall: I would totally come back here again when visiting the Zoo, a solid choice for food with plenty of options! I just wish it was cheaper (but so does everyone). ~SPECIFICS~ Vibe: There were staff constantly cleaning tables so I actually found this food court to be pretty clean. Food: The pricing was more or less expected for food at a zoo, though I was honestly impressed at the quality of food for a zoo "food court." - Mac and Cheese w/ Bacon: I was really surprised that I genuinely liked the mac and cheese. IMO, it was super cheesy without feeling too heavy, which is a big bonus. It is criminal to charge $3 for bacon, but it is from the zoo and they did give a generous amount of bacon. read more

This place is hit or miss. Of course, everything is overpriced. Our family ordered a few burgers, a pizza and the caesar salad with chicken. The burgers were pretty good--juicy and offered with or without cheese. They came with fries, which were decent in size, but cooled off very quickly in the winter cold (no indoor dining available). Our child found the flatbread pizza a bit spicy (code for more flavor than usual for a kid's menu--probably normal for an adult menu pizza), but the chicken salad was just embarassing in size and quality. We paid $5 extra for greyish boiled chicken that I would barely be willing to serve my cats. If you have dietary restrictions and that's your only choice, be forewarned, and know that's what you're going to get. Hopefully, the San Francisco Zoo can learn to grill up some chicken and slice it nicely instead....as there is always room for improvement, right? Better yet, pack in a lunch and stop in for snacks only. read more

Excellent food. Everything was fresh. The brioche buns were soft and the fries were cooked well. The cheeseburger was cooked good and the chicken sandwich had a nice portion of chicken breast that had a nice flavor. But the big wow was the pizza. Made fresh and even if it was under the heat lamp for a bit they put it back in to warm it up before serving it! And the dough was perfect not soft or burnt with perfect amount of cheese and sauce. Service was amazing! Quick. Ambiance? What's better than eating at a zoo?! read more

Leaping Lemur Cafe - Cheese pizza 8 slices and only $14. - Pizza Near Me - San Francisco, California

Outdoor dining is the only option at the Leaping Lemur Cafe. I got the chicken tenders and fries. I will say the chicken was freshly fried and the French fries were delicious. The zoo has stepped their game up. read more

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Ouch...the food is a bit pricey for the quality you get. But hey we are a captive audience and the zoo needs to pay its bills. The Leaping Lemur cafe is cafeteria style. Grab a tray and go wait your turn at one of the various food stations. I went on a weekday and not all the food stations were open. They did have the likes of mini whole pizzas, salads, soups, sandwiches, chicken tenders and hamburgers and fries. Blah blah. The thing is that most of these items are pre-made. The pizzas sit under heat lamps and you help yourself. For the burger, foolish me I thought would be fresh grilled. Wrong, the woman pulled the patty out of a warmer drawer. The fries also were not fresh dropped. The burger patty was on the larger size, which eased the thought of the price I paid. It was good tasting, not great tasting though. The other cheaper food options in the zoo are the food carts selling the likes of a giant pretzel and bags of chips, and the food station near the train ride. read more

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Leaping Lemur Cafe is the main eatery that's opened on all days right now in San Francisco Zoo. You don't normally expect 'great food' from a cafe inside one of the best attractions in San Francisco. Keeping that in mind, this is a more than decent place. Menu: Not a flamboyant menu. It's kept simple. The grill option will give you Chicken breast tenders, all beef hot-dog, black angus hamburger, black angus cheese burger and impossible burger. All these come with fries on the side. In Snack & Sweets - they have pretzels - bigfoot & salted jumbo, fries, ice cream sandwich and real fruits smoothie also available. They have Chicken and vegetarian salads, adult beverages (beers, wines and cocktails) and other refreshments available as well. Service: Self service. Get in the line, pick your food, pay for it, dine in or outside. It's pretty simple. Or there's an online ordering as well. You can order online and pick up the food from the pick up station near the condiments stand. Expect long line during lunch hours and plan accordingly. Good news is, the line moves fast. They pretty much make sure the customers are served quickly. Contact-less payment options available. Two condiment stands, one near the fountain drink station and other on the opposite side. Seating: You may have to wait for while to find a seating if you want to dine inside. Otherwise plenty of tables outside. (and still it's enough I would say). if you are seated outside, watch out for the "stray peacocks" - yes, I said peacocks. They will try to get the food even from your plates. Quality: Food is quite decent. The impossible burger as really delicious. It's a good portion as well. The fries that comes on the side, well fried and crispy. Again, that's a decent quantity as well. Chicken breast tenders is one of the on demand items in that menu. If you ever have to wait to get any item, it will be tenders. It's crispy, juicy inside and delish. I thought the real fruits smoothie is more like a fresh smoothie, but it turned out to be machine made. Like I said, it's more than a decent lunch place. Of course it's a little pricey, but for the quality and portion, it's ok I would say. Not sure whether their menu is limited due to pandemic, they could easily add a few more variety into it and make it interesting. We enjoyed the food that day! read more

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Never try their mobile order option over the weekend. No one is going to notice the order until an hour later. I ordered at 1:29 PM with a pickup time at 1:45 PM. Not too bad. However, by 2 PM there's still no food at the mobile pick up area. I had to go wait inside and ask if they have a mobile order. They responded saying they had nothing come in. Plus, one item (the portobello burger) was not available so their website is not accurate. I asked for a refund. They claimed they couldn't process the refund. Erroneous! I was forced to order another burger (plant burger) as a substitute, which is $3 cheaper than the portobello. The manager stated she would refund me the difference of $3 via email. Yet, I have not received any email from the cafe. Don't go here! It took an hour to finally have my meal! read more

We were looking to relive our childhood by visiting the zoo. They online ordering available for for pickup but we decided to venture inside to see the menu for a quick bite before the zoo closed in the evening. I was very impressed by their crispy french fries and angus burger which was made to order . After waiting for 20 minutes the manager saw us waiting in our social distance square and asked about our order. She was very thoughtful by offering us a complimentary dip n dot dessert for being newly weds. There is outdoor seating on benches outside the cafe where chairs once stood indoors. Bathrooms were very clean. If youre at the zoo enjoy a snack at the Lemur Cafe even though the lemurs cant come out and play. read more

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Had a weekday trip to the zoo and wanted to grab lunch. There are a bunch of cafes in the zoo and we picked this one Ordered the black angus hamburgers, chicken tenders, fries and salad Just remember, it's an in establishment cafe, so we don't expect amazing food. This rating considers convenience. You could always bring your own snacks Pretty good marketing. 100% grass fed patties. No antibiotics chicken The food overall was tasty and wasn't very salty Burgers can be a bit dry and I figured they expected their customers to add ketchup and other condiments I would go back next time I'm at the zoo. I would only imagine how bad the lines would be during peak days read more

It seems weird to review a food place inside of a zoo but here goes... The Leaping Lemur cafe is an average size cafeteria that does have an acceptable amount of tables, although I would avoid coming here during peak lunch hours. They also have a few tables outside too, but I guess that depends on the weather to see if you would want to sit there or not. They have separate lines for grille food, pizza, and salads/noodles. My boyfriend and I opted for their chicken tender basket and cheeseburger. Getting fries with it takes $1 extra. After you get your food just head towards an open cashier and pay. DEFINITELY get the souvenir cups if you think you're going to get thirsty a lot. They have free refills! The food itself was pretty good. I have to admit, I was worried since it is food inside a zoo, but the garlic fries had a strong garlic flavor to it and their chicken tenders were decent. Bathrooms are located on the right side of this building! You should be able to see the restroom sign. Overall... get food here if you're ever hungry at the zoo! Prices are what they are, but the food is good and edible! It just gets a bit crowded in here because of all the families and their strollers. It was sort of a pain to maneuver through them. read more

Leaping Lemur Cafe - chicken tender basket - Pizza Near Me - San Francisco, California

Brought my family to the SF Zoo after researching the dining options. The Leaping Lemur Cafe states on their website that they offer fries that are gluten free cooked in separate oil. This actually turns out to be false as the chicken tenders are prepared in the same oil. Also, a garden salad is noted as being gluten free on their website, this too was not available. It's very disappointing to spend half a day in a zoo with no food options when you have Celiac. The only good item advertised as gluten free on their website that was a available was the potato chips. This restaurant should really look at their menu and either live up to what's on it or just do away with anything that's stated as gluten free. However, the gentleman that worked the front was very helpful and nice. I would give their service 5 stars and the 1 star is for not offering any gluten free items as advertised. Not a happy customer. read more

The food is ok, but what I'm really impressed by is the amount of seating - we came around 1230 on a Saturday and were able to find a table pretty easily, despite the place being swarming with people. Great for taking a break from walking around and seeing all the animals. We ordered a few things from the grill - hamburger, hot dog, and chicken fingers. The line moves quickly - once you place your order you'll get your food within a few minutes. read more

Leaping Lemur Cafe - hamburger, chicken strips, and hot dog - Pizza Near Me - San Francisco, California

Next time, we'll bring our own lunch. We ordered nachos, which was the worst thing I've eaten in awhile. There were stale chips served with nacho cheese, shredded chicken, salsa and jalapeños. The entire dish was cold. Some friends of ours ordered the Hawaiian Pizza, which also did not look good. Chicken tenders and fries would have been the right pick. We also had a smoothie and the place had no lids or straws. read more

Been to the San Francisco zoo over 20 times over the past 10 years. The food here is pretty good actually for being cafeteria food and there are usually plenty of options. Last time I was able to order a clam chowder in a bread bowl and it was actually very delicious. I do think the tables could be cleaned better though as sometimes they can be dirty and have leftover crumbs, food, etc. read more

I don't really expect anything great from a cafe in a zoo. I ordered their pork plate yesterday just because that's the only thing that I can eat (I don't eat burgers or fries), but boy was I surprised! The pork was so juicy and tender and it was the best pork I've had in my life! Props to the chef yesterday for cooking such amazing food! read more

If you come to the SF Zoo you are pretty much a captive of the food choices they offer. Leaping Lemur is probably the best of the 3 places you can sit down to eat at in the Zoo. Don't get your expectations up, but the Zoo deserves credit by offering a decent variety of food. The only thing to complain about is the prices. If you have a Zoo membership you can get a discount when they go to ring you up. You can view the menu at: http://www.sfzoo.org/pdf/Leaping_Lemur_Menu.pdf read more

Leaping Lemur Cafe - Pizza Near Me - San Francisco, California

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You know, it's not bad at all for zoo food! Don't come here expecting organic fare or gluten free options. Yes, we're in San Francisco, but it's still a zoo. We ordered chicken tenders, chicken and avocado sandwich and garlic fries extra crispy based off other Yelp tips. They were all pretty good. I took some pictures of all three menu stations. The Asian menu looked pretty decent as well. Fountain drinks available, as well as pre stocked fridges with bottled drinks. All in all, not a bad option for lunch. read more

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Only eat here if you are really desperate for food. Everything is overpriced and mediocre tasting, but you are at a zoo so you get what you get. There can be a long line but it moves pretty quickly since most of the food is already prepared, and you just have to walk through cafeteria style. Last time they had a wing station set up outside Leaping Lemur Café, but the wings were just ok- a little too dry and not very flavorful. My friends got the cheeseburger & garlic fries and the hot dog & chips, and both were just so-so. The garlic fries tasted the best out of everything. It is also super crowded and loud in the café, so it's not the most comfortable place to eat at. Needless to say, I hope to not have to eat here again. read more

This cafe is located in the San Francisco Zoo. I wanted to love this place since I was soooo hungry after walking all over the zoo. However, this was not the case. Food was not fresh. Prices were very unreasonable for small portions of food. Tables and chairs were dirty. It didn't look they had been cleaned in awhile. The soda machines were either empty or most of the soda was very flat. It's hard to recommend other suggestions since there is limited food places but I cannot recommend this to anyone. If I had to choose, I would go to The Station Pizza Parlor or the Café Playfield. read more

The Beyond Burger and fries were excellent. The fries were hot and crispy. The Zesty Orange Chicken should be renamed, Steamed white rice flavored with orange sauce topped with a couple of small pieces of orange puffs (i.e., mostly puffy batter and little chicken). This entree used to be good (i.e., generous amount of orange chicken), now it's mostly white rice (i.e., 4 large scoops of white rice) enough to feed a family of four. The watery potato salad is new; I think it used to be a scoop of healthy and tasty steamed vegetables. The baked pretzel was hot and fresh. But, it was tasteless. The cheese dipping sauce was melted processed cheese whiz. read more

If you are hungry, don't want to outside the zoo and then you could eat here. I was with my 5 grandkids and we were all very hungry; I brought 4 still personal pizzas, 4 milks, big water and 1 Smuckers PB & J kid's meal for $62. I remembered why I don't buy meals at the zoo. The pizzas were brunt stiff and it was like eating cardboard with dried up cheese. I would not recommend eating here. Save your money and eat some else. read more

I was so relieved to see that this place had actual decent options for lunch compared to the Oakland Zoo. You can even get beer though I wish wine or boozy lemonades were also offered since I don't drink beer. My husband and I shared a bowl of mac and cheese and a water and both got BBQ Tri Tip sandwiches. The mac and cheese was perfect by not having cheap, watery cheese and the noodles were large and of good quality. However the sandwich was a huge disappointment. It was sitting under a heat lamp so I'm not sure if it was cold on accident or it's meant to be served cold but a BBQ anything sandwich should never be served bone cold. It felt like we were eating leftovers that we were to lazy to microwave warm. The sandwiches looked so tasty but what a let down. Might have been better off getting pizza instead. read more

The food was good I wish I had someone to share it with. at the time I could barley finish half. it was a spur the moment trip. I also ordered a coke and 2cookies for 3 dollars to go with my hot chocolate I had later in the day. It was a cold misty rainy day read more

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Horrifying excuse for food. Run, run, away! Poorly done, pre-made, cafeteria basics sitting out getting stale and aging badly. Don't want mayo on your sandwich? Tough doodoo. Want some relish or onion for a hot dog? LOLOL. How about a stale bun, a cold dog and maybe some ketchup? You will however get a mountain of fries with everything. Ugh. Protip: Stow a sandwich from home in your bag, or call it a day once you are hungry. read more

Better than I expected. I got the caesar salad ($7.00) and it was pretty filling and very fresh. Shredded cheese on top and some croutons. Coffee, $1.75. It was fine. Drank it all. Also I had a couple of their Gordon Biersch garlic fries. They were good. If I was hungrier I would have gotten an order of them for myself. The cafe is very busy and there are a lot of kids. The sun shines into the building and it's a great place to people watch. They have pizza and all sorts of food options, so I have to give them props. If you want to save money eat before you go to the zoo. But I wouldn't, I would eat here again. read more

Pros: * Considering you are trapped in the zoo, I expected ballpark or amusement park prices. Surprisingly, the costs were relatively low. * They have beer Cons: * I asked if the carved turkey sandwich was served dry or did have condiments on it. The reply was, "dry." When I got the sandwich it had mayonnaise on it. I sent it back. So I opted for a hamburger. * They offer a Chicken Club sandwich with bacon. However, despite having the bacon available they will not put it onto a hamburger for you. * The table we sat down at was filthy. I had to go find a damp towel to wipe the table down myself. The food itself was "meh." I guess it was what I expected given where I was. read more