Very comparable to the other dining options located in the Zoo, nothing particularly great but it was decent for what you would expect. Line to order took about ten minutes and the wait for food was about the same once you have ordered. There's quite a few tables to eat at but they are very large so there's a chance you don't find a table although you may find open seats. The food was okay. My boyfriend liked his chicken sandwich and the loaded tater tots were decent. However, I did not like my burger at all, it was incredibly dry and flavorless. The meat is barely warm too so the cheese didn't melt at all. I don't think anyone expects amazing food here, but there's definitely room to improve what's being offered. read more

Safari Kitchen - Loaded tots, burger, and chicken sandwich - Fast Food Near Me - San Diego, California

Located near the entrance of the zoo, they offer a few quick options. They have a smaller dining area with some tables so you may need to reserve a table as somebody else is queueing. They have canned beers vs the cup beers in other areas. We only wanted something to snack so we ordered onion rings. These were really good, but they are hard to ruin. They were crispy on the outside and the onion cooked in the inside, not burnt. Probably frozen ones, but they were good specially after walking so much. read more

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I guess at least with the food action at the Zoo, you try? It seems like everything else within the Zoo is pretty nice, the food options really kind of just falls flat. With multiple restaurants around the Zoo, it's a wonder why they all sell about the same foods. You'll see the theme of always finding a form of a burger, chicken sandwich, fried chicken strips, or pizza. Then add other fried sides, such as fries, tater tots, and onion rings, the food options available really just pretty much falls flat. Take a page from Disney? The burgers are dry, but two patties? The tater tots were "warm", so they made it before but it still took over 10 minutes? And they charge around $18 for anything you get--without a drink. Alas, you really are just kind of stuck when you're visiting these parks. Service was fine, standard. Just a kiosk really for take out. The Zoo is awesome, though! Advice, just bring your own food. read more

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It's a decent spot to sit in the shade and grab sustenance on a zoo day. Definitely good for kids with umbrella seating space. I can't say much about the food being 5 star, but it was ready pretty quickly with a buzzer. It's located right next to the flamingos and live music, which is pretty fun. Do not expect a thick burger patty, but it is fine for park food. I had the buffalo chicken burger, which wasn't really covered in buffalo sauce, but was okay. It's edible, which is all you need when you're there to see the animals. Perfectly adequate, folks! read more

Safari Kitchen - Entrance - Fast Food Near Me - San Diego, California

4 stars based on other park food places similar to this one - NOT based on offsite restaurant experiences Good location, shaded seating available The downside of counter seating at parks is that about 99% of the time, one person stands in line to order food and everyone else goes to grab a table. And then, because it's the middle of the day and everyone is half-tired, folks want to remain seated for a bit to get their second wind before heading back out to finish their day. This leaves folks that politely wait until after they've gotten the food struggling to find a table. I know that this is an ongoing problem and likely one that will never get solved, I just feel like someone needs to mention it. Okay, food. We had three people and our orders were the Black Bean Burger, Loaded Tots, and a regular Burger. We enjoyed all. I wouldn't order the Loaded Tots again as my meal, I'd likely get a burger, but saw them on the menu and just decided that I HAD to have them. They were good, crisped nearly perfectly, and I do suggest them! Thanks for reading my review! read more

The kids meal was very good; the service was also amazing. I almost immediately got my food! Very painent and polite, I eat here every time!!! Would recommend read more

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Very good burgers, the fries were made fresh. Great customer service and the surroundings were clean and the best part was we were eating by the ducks. read more

Safari Kitchen - Fast Food Near Me - San Diego, California

DO NOT EAT HERE!!! My whole family got the WORST food poisoning of our lives. We were violently ill for 3 days, vomiting profusely and having the worst digestive pains that left us beyond dehydrated. Seriously it's not worth, you're better off starving than consuming the WORST made food of your life. You have been warned, don't make the mistake of eating here no matter how hungry your family is, just leave the park and go get yourself some In N Out. **Management do not contact me I will not remove this review, your business deserves to be audited because this poisoning left us hospitalized. read more

Best buffalo chicken sandwich I've ever had. It was chicken with buffalo sauce, lettuce, and melted cheese served on brioche buns. It tasted amazing dipped in their side of ranch. Also came with a side of fries. Not only that but this seemed to be the only easily accessible place that had the frozen minute maid lemonade, both regular and strawberry. I had gone around asking several employees where I could get the frozen lemonade and they had told me it was on the opposite side of the zoo, until i came across safari kitchen which is actually right by the front entrance. There were also lots of tables and shade provided. read more

Safari Kitchen - buffalo chicken sandwich on the bottom - Fast Food Near Me - San Diego, California

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Thought it was pretty good, my girlfriend thought it was spectacular. She recommends the buffalo chicken sandwich (don't forget the ranch) and frozen lemonade. She claimed it was the greatest chicken sandwich she ever ate and would actually go into the park just to eat there. She wouldn't even need to look at the animals. read more

Safari Kitchen - Fast Food Near Me - San Diego, California

Want a cold hamburger, dry chicken, and a 20 minute wait all for a Michelin star price? This is your spot.

Located on Front Street, to the left as you come out of the front entrance entering the San Diego Zoo, there you will find Safari Kitchen next to Java Jungle and right by the flamingos. I ordered the bacon cheeseburger which was 2 beef patties, 2 pieces of bacon, ice berg lettuce, tomato, red oinion, pickles, and cheese with a complimentary side of fries. I also ordered the onion rings as well as a souvenir sipper. The hamburger was clearly those frozen patties that you would buy at the store, very similar to the reminiscent Elementary school cafeteria style meat...and that's not a compliment. My lettuce was like a wedge slice which kept falling out of my burger and was too thick to chew in one bite, it was a sloppily made burger. The fries were very pale in color and although it stated they were cooked in 100% vegetable oil, it tasted undercooked and looked old. The onion rings were ok, the breading did fall apart, however it was the most uplifting taste out of the whole meal. The service was fast and efficient with the use of a pager system to pick-up your order at the window and took less than 15 minutes. My suggestion to the staff is to have lettuce slices versus the large wedge and to perhaps have the cheese in between the meat patties to help the burger stay together a little better. Also, perhaps the meat can be made fresh versus frozen, it just didn't add up to it's $13.99 or so price which honestly seemed like you were better off leaving the park for some In N Out instead. I know this is a zoo and not an eating type establishment, but with all the selections and people, you would think that the quality would be a little better. Put it this way, the zoo animals obviously ate better than the humans at this food establishment;) read more

Stopped here during our exploration of the zoo. It's typical fast food you'd find at any venue. Mostly bland and overpriced. We always appreciate when there's a vegetarian option, so kudos for that. The veggie burger we ordered was a decent size but definitely not anything remarkable. The tater tots were the highlight of the meal, covered in nacho cheese and a wonderful amount of green onions. It normally comes with bacon too, but no bacon for the vegetarians. As some others have mentioned, it's probably an better idea to leave the park for lunch, as there are some great options nearby. But I read that a bit too late. Live and learn though. read more

Pretty damn good for zoo food. My daughter had chicken strips with fries and the tenders were all breast meat with a light crispy and crunchy breading. The fries left a lot to be desired but it just needed salt. I had the potato twister which pretty tasty especially considered it was smothered in smoky bacon. 4 out of 5 stars meaning a B seems adequate. read more

Safari Kitchen - Fast Food Near Me - San Diego, California

Delicious food. If you like Poutine then the loaded tater tots are for you! They have Hebrew National hot dogs and their fries are yummy. The burgers are alright. They tend to have two specials on a chalk board. Lots of seating and ducks hang around. A coffee cart is right next to it. read more

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Food is ok not as good as a 12$ Hambuger and fries should cost but if people are content on paying that much for food so be it but iwill not be coming back. Edit: Your allowed to leave the zoo to go eat outside as long as you get your hand stamped. Wish iknew that instead of wasting 60$ on food for 2 and one child when icould have spend 15-20$ elsewhere with better quality and cheaper. read more