The view is fantastic! The restaurant overlooks the African Plains. The seats are a bit uncomfortable, but you can use a sweater to use for back support. There are misters, which feel nice on a hot day. Even though the temperature was very hot, I didn't feel hot at the restaurant. The server was very friendly. I ordered the strawberry & avocado salad. I requested extra avocado and added walnuts that I brought with me to the park. I was satisfied with my meal. My husband ordered the pulled pork, and my daughter had the nachos. They too were satisfied. If you go to the Wild Animal Park, you should definitely eat here. Be sure to make reservations in advance. We arrived around 11:40 and it wasn't too busy. You also receive a discount if you are a member. I received 10% off. read more

Watering Hole - Nachos & pulled pork - American Near Me - Escondido, California

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Wow... What a great way to experience the safari park. You get to see the animals from a vista viewpoint that's semi private for restaurants guest. On top the food is amazing and way over expectations I had for food at a park. It was a hot summer day and we had a large group sitting on the patio watching the animals and I had a few appetizers and everyone else had their mains. I also had a beer flight with one cocktail mixed in. The only complaint would be the alcohol wasn't cold enough for the hot day, but the restaurant is located in the middle of a safari park. The service was also excellent for a park and they were able to move the shade umbrellas for us as the sun moved in the sky. It was a great experience overall for a very affordable price point. 7 ppl $160 with alcohol. read more

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Food quality and quantity is okay, but I'd have to say it's quite overpriced for what you get. The real selling point for this restaurant is the view of the Safari park! Also the waiters and staff are very welcoming & professional. But there were lots of kids running around in the grass area today, which made it hard to get a clear photo from our table. Artichoke dip is highly recommended but they give you pretty cheap chips--unlike the sandwich. The sandwich we ordered was decent, nothing spectacular, but it came with some delicious freshly made potato chips! I mixed the potato chips with my dip and that pumped up my vote for the food. Highly recommend to make reservations online. You won't be disappointed if you have the right expectations going in! It was nice to just get away from the other crowded areas in the zoo. read more

Watering Hole - View of Safari - American Near Me - Escondido, California

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The address might be confusing, but The Watering Hole is actually located inside Safari Park, overlooking the African wildlife plains. There is both indoor and outdoor seating, in an open air building with the look of a palapa. There's a small bar area, only four seats, and jungle park sounds abound. The menu is perfect for adults or children, with shareable, salads,, pasta and sandwiches, all reasonably priced. The kids menu includes Mac n cheese and chicken strips. There's a small dessert list, as well. Drink options include the usual, water, iced tea, coffee, fountain products, as well as beer, wine and specialty cocktails. Reservations are more than a good idea, as the park can get pretty busy. As one would expect, the staff is super friendly and accommodating. I think we might make this into a date stop during future visits. read more

One of our go to spots as frequent visitors of the park! Amazing vegetarian & pescatarian options with a beautiful view. Elevated cuisine for a zoo restaurant, highly recommend the Mushroom Grilled Cheese, Burrata, & Nachos. Quick service and accommodating staff, make reservations on busy days as it fills up quickly! 10/10 read more

We were on our way to see the elephants when we happened to wander into the Watering Hole. We hadn't decided if we really wanted to take a break yet but then we were invited by a super friendly server to check the place out and so we did. We were so happy with the decision we made as Kenna turned out to be the best server, kid entertainer and direction giver ever! She went above and beyond by getting our kids some extra treats and was just super friendly and attentive. The food was good but the drinks, especially the margarita flight was even better! Plus how can you beat dining al fresco under cooling misters next to the wondrous animals of the African savanna! It was truly one of the highlights of our day! read more

Watering Hole - The view from the restaurant - American Near Me - Escondido, California

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Let's be honest for a minute -- you don't come to the zoo for stellar, mind-blowing food. That being said, the selections at the Watering Hole are pretty dang delicious for an amusement park meal. This spot is a little pricey, but has solid quality and tasty food. And, more than anything, it's worth it for the incredible views. Eating here feels special, because you can enjoy your meal while looking out over the safari park's open space where the animals roam. Grab a drink or a snack and watch the animals walk by. The food might not change your life, but it will be satisfying and the experience itself is enough to make it worth it. I'm always excited to come back and eat here because of that alone. read more

Watering Hole - Mushroom flat bread and pulled pork sandwich - American Near Me - Escondido, California

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This restaurant has great ambiance. You can eat lunch with all the safari animals in the background. Great customer service and food choices. I would totally come here for lunch again, had a great experience read more

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For the view it's nice! But for the food! Just average! Make reservations if u can in advance! Nice bathrooms and just a nice place to look out at giraffes, rhinos, and other animals. 1. $10 kids meal! Worth it so your kid gets their own cup and little baggie afterwards. 2. Got the sandwhich for the day and it was this super heavy pork sliders with Mac&cheese, and jalapeños. 3. Power bowl - now that was good and refreshing! The portion for that one was super small thought! They could have put more quinoa and made it a real bowl versus a plate. If we didn't happen to not wait too long we would have not gone! But glad we got to chill and rest our legs! read more

Watering Hole - Power bowl! Very refreshing but super small portion - American Near Me - Escondido, California

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The Watering Hole is a great place to sit and relax with one of the most beautiful backdrops in San Diego. They offer more than just drinks too! The food is made to order and reasonably priced. Service is quick! Just wish it wasn't such a walk from the entrance lol. I'll be back for sure. Maybe I'll see you there!? read more

Watering Hole - My son wasn't really hungry lol - American Near Me - Escondido, California

Views were great and food was average but service was NOT good. Our food and drinks took quite a while to come out. Once they did, a fly was floating in one of our drinks from how long it had been sitting at the bar before our waiter picked it up. We will be eating elsewhere for our next visit. read more

Hands down top highlight of the day eating at this amazing restaurant. The food was top notch and so was the service. Worth the wait to eat at this place with spectacular views. Highly recommend it the food is great. read more

Amazing service, amazing food, amazing views. Reservations HIGHLY recommended. Reserve 20min to walk there, an amazing walk to Africa!

Judged by the (very low) zoo restaurant standards, this one is excellent. Enjoy by far the best view of all the food joints in both the San Diego Zoo and the Safari Park. Food is mostly sandwiches of OK quality, wine and beer pretty much the same as in the rest of the park, full bar with cocktails is at your service. This is the only (?) sit-down place in the Safari park, service is good. As all the places in the zoos, this does not come cheap: expect $18 for a sandwich, similar amount for an alcoholic drink. Unless you come really off-season, the place is fully booked. Getting a reservation in advance is recommended (this is the only place in the SD zoos that takes the reservations). Otherwise, walk up, get on the waiting list and enjoy the animals for an hour or so, they will message you. Overall: plan to use it if you want to have lunch in the Safari park. read more

Watering Hole - View - American Near Me - Escondido, California

Terrific place. The food is good, we had a pulled pork sandwich, nachos, and pita / hummus. The service was terrific and the view is incredible. Recommend making reservations well in advance of your visit. read more

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What a super unique experience! This is sit down dining in the safari park (note that they take reservations). The restaurant overlooks the safari area of the zoo so you can see all kinds of animals while you eat. There's also a grassy overlook area that kids (or adults) can run around at and watch the animals. We had their pork sando and the olive tapenade appetizer. Both were good enough for zoo food - the olive tapenade was better. The pork sandwich was lightly marinaded with pickles and coleslaw on a typical (boring) hamburger bun. They make their own chips as a side. The olive tapenade came with a big piece of burrata cheese in the middle. I wanted a little more olives but overall this was really good. We also had some drinks, their Bloody Mary was done well. Service was awesome. Overall I recommend it due to the experience/view. read more

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Amazing view, tasty food and cocktails, great service. A little pricey but I think it's worth the experience to relax and enjoy the views and dine in a breezy, private-feel, shaded area. I highly suggest to reserve through open table before coming because it's hard to tell when they're open. The zoo website states that this restaurant opens at 9:30am but when we got there at 10:30am for our reservations, they were just opening. There were other times that I was at the zoo meaning to stop by but they were closed for private events like weddings, zoo events, etc. read more

Watering Hole - Burrata and marinated olives - American Near Me - Escondido, California

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We had a party of 4 and we had a great time. Server Kenna was great and very attentive even though she had half the restaurant. Drinks were a little slow but we weren't in a rush. The food came out fast and was really good. We had the rhino pretzel as appetizer, mains were pulled pork sandwich, lemon creamy pasta and strawberry avocado salad. Lastly we had the cheesecake for dessert. All were really good. And you CANT beat the view and ambiance. Would come back again. read more

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Very relaxing place to eat. Got the overlook view of the safari animals. Food and service are great!! Will definitely come back to enjoy this. read more

Watering Hole - Beef n Cheddar Sandwich - American Near Me - Escondido, California

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The view is the best location to stop for lunch! Make reservations for the best tables which look out on the actual wildlife freely roaming the park. We saw giraffes, buffalo, and other wildlife animals. The food is ok, slightly pricey but the homemade potato chips are amazing! Staff is courteous and kind. Covid rules in place at the moment (June 2021): staff wear masks, tables are 6 feet apart, seating is limited. Get there early for a gorgeous view and quiet lunch. After 12pm it gets crowded and a bit noisy so plan to eat early. read more

Watering Hole - The view - American Near Me - Escondido, California

Food was very basic. Bread from the sandwiches we're not toasted and tasted like a sponge from soaking up all the juice from the meat. Service was very slow. We were served appetizers and never even received water until a couple minutes later. Only thing good was the pretzel. When we checked in for our reservation, I requested to sit at a table on the edge of the restaurant to get a better view of the park and the host told us, yes...she can sit us on the edge. When a different person sat us down, told us there is no table on the edge and then got a manager. I told them we are early and can wait a few minutes to get an edge table and manager said they can't really guarantee an edge table. AFTER ANOTHER PERSON JUST TOLD US THAT WE CAN AN EDGE TABLE!! Terrible service. Would not recommend this place. Even with the allure of having a great view...chances are, you will not get those seats. Definitely recommend to others to not eat here even with the allure of scenic views. Waste of money. read more

The place is cool, plus it's nice to have a break from all the walking at the Zoo. But I was disappointment of the food, I really went 'cuz all the reviews I saw here , but I can't agree with most part of them. The service is great , and staff very polite . read more

Watering Hole - Kids Burger - American Near Me - Escondido, California

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You need a reservation which is smart, and the view is spectacular overlooking the herds of rhino, antelope, and gazelle. Other than those two things...the service is extremely slow (we waited 20mins for water, and 60mins to get an appetizer), the food taste and presentation was lacking severely (watered down rancid salsa)...we were served from their Fall season menu and it's Spring (end of March)! To pay top- dollar for food in a theme park, we had higher hopes. No plans to revisit. read more

Watering Hole - American Near Me - Escondido, California

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Watch out for Tammy. Good lord. If you dare ask her a question she will jump down your throat and do everything in her power to ensure you are aware she is in control. She has the power. She will demand you stand where she wants you to stand and be sure to draw attention to her throughout the process. This is the Tyler of experience that will likely prevent me from renewing my membership to the Zoo/Safari Park all together. If you're going to hire customer facing people, please be sure to hire people who know how to talk to people. read more

Only place to have a sit-down meal in the park, but the waits are absurd. We were told to come back in an hour and a half to two hours. They asked if we had a reservation, but of course the Safari Park app doesn't allow reservations. Now we have to eat garbage while we suffer in the heat. Terrible experience for anyone with taste wanting to trek out to Safari Park. Definitely don't recommend. read more

Food is actually not bad. Service on the other hand- zero stars. 30 minute estimate to sit down which turned into 45. 15 minutes to even be spoken to before ordering, 30 minutes for food to arrive with a half empty restraint. All in all wasted 30% of my day for an average chicken club Sammy. Absolutely horrible. read more

This is by far the best place to eat at the San Diego Safari Park! The views are amazing!!! I saw a baby Rhino and Giraffe while waiting for our food. The food was excellent and having a couple beers with a spectacular view, you can't beat it! The tables were spread out, the staff all wore masks and everything was super clean and well managed. No reservations (as far as I know) but we lined up a little before 11:00 and we were seated promptly. read more

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Wonderful atmosphere, we can see animals from sitting table half outside location. We came lunch time. I want to come back breakfast and dinner time. read more

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Lunch with a safari view? Yes, please! The menu is kind of small and simple, but service is very friendly and the vibes can't be beat. Watering Hole is set away from a lot of foot traffic, so even on a busy day, you're likely to find a bit of peace and quiet. I had the chicken sandwich, which was solid but nothing mind-blowing. Honestly come here for the relaxed atmosphere and 180 degree views of the African Safari. It's fun to sip your drink while watching giraffes and rhinos roam the hills! read more

Watering Hole - Safari view over lunch - American Near Me - Escondido, California

We ordered: Pumpkin Hummus - Wasn't sure what to expect, but I thought it was good. It was pumpkin hummus topped with feta cheese, pomegranate, figs, arugula & small amount of balsamic glaze. It came with pita bread. It was oddly tasty. Pear Salad - This was very good & would def order again. Pulled pork sandwich with chips- The sandwich was underwhelming, but the pork was moist. The chips were the best part of this dish. Definitely recommend reservations through Open Table as a lot of people were turned away. I thought this restaurant was fun! I had a table more inside than close to the view, but enjoyed the experience nonetheless. I probably won't be back, but everyone should eat here at least once. read more

Food is ok. Service is horrible and waited for 50 min before anyone took our order. Plus another 30 min for the food to arrive.

I came down from Los Angeles to go with my family to the Safari park. I throughly enjoyed this little restaurant and the amazing views it offered. Service was great. Our waiter Sean was funny and very nice. I had the open faced tuna and the hummus plate and enjoyed everything. read more

Watering Hole - The amazing views - American Near Me - Escondido, California

Lovely spot to eat. The tables were well spaced out and the staff were all masked up (no chin diapers or forehead guards). Had a lovely view of the park for the meal as we had the front table. It did mean sitting out in the sun as our table was one without an umbrella which was a bit warm but there was a decent breeze so it wasn't too bad. Opted for the kids meal so would have space for dessert. Mac and Cheese was mac and cheese. Not fab but not bad. Came with a small drink, tote, crackers, and carrots. The crackers and carrots became a lovely snack later in the day. The tote came in handy for later in the trip. Could keep things in the backpack but just put more commonly used items into the tote like a small purse so if I just wanted a smaller bag for wallet, keys, etc, could just use the tote. The Malva was lovely. The cake is like a warm spice cake. Not too rich and spice-filled to over-power but complemented the ice cream nicely. Would definitely order it again. Staff was very kind and easy going. Easy to get a hold of when you wanted something but not intrusive. With the smaller crowds, it wasn't too noisy even with the restaurant about half kids half adults. Would eat here again. read more

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David was so off putting and rude. He was no meant to handle difficult situations as he can CLEARLY not handle them. We had a reservation, i accidentally deleted the email confirmation therefore i didn't have a confirmation number and it was not coming up on his end. And he would NOT seat us. I had 4 children with me ready to eat and he still denied us EVEN WITH A RESERVATION. Food looked awful anyway so i guess it was a blessing in disguise. Don't eat here not worth it. read more

Trying to find a local getaway spot from your average day to day life staying at home, the safari park is the place to go! It's easy to social distance and everyone at the park is on top of being safe. We wanted to check out this restaurant and I can say the view of the Africa Plains was beautiful. It didn't feel like you were in San Diego honestly! We loved the tri-tip sandwich! The service was fast and friendly! We really appreciated that the tables were spread out to meet social distancing standards. Overall a great restaurant to eat at the Safari Park with beautiful views! read more

Watering Hole - California Tri-Tip Sandwich, Beer flight, Spinach and Artichoke dip - American Near Me - Escondido, California

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I really enjoyed having lunch here. The food was good, the view was great! We had the nachos (no meat) and the pasta. Bathrooms are clean too. They have a bar if you just want a drink and a view. The service was very good. You don't have to eat here to see the animals (you can keep going up the pathway to the viewing area), but it really is an excellent dining experience. The prices are reasonable too for a full-service restaurant. FYI the menu changed recently because it was different than other Yelp photos. read more

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This has been our go-to eatery in the Safari Park. The view is fabulous, and sometimes there are giraffes and other animals wandering very close by that offers a VIP-like experience. The experience has been going downhill for the last few times. The servers seemed overworked and did not have enough support, this rendered service quite slow. The food was bland and portion small. read more

We arrived around 30 minutes early to be rudely greeted by a lady who acted like we were slightly clueless. It was okay so we then moved onto our seats where everything seemed quite swell. Ordered the nachos, pulled pork, and rhino pretzel. Additionally, we added on a diet coke and a couple of alcoholic beverages. Our food came out first as our waitress said the bar was backed up. We shortly went after to check and sure enough, our drinks were sitting right on the bar diluting in ice. We then asked the front where our drinks were to one of the front managers and they said our waitress would shortly bring them. Eventually she brought them and said they had just finished. They had been there for 10+ minutes. Food was alright and the view was decent but the service is . Might save you some money bringing a protein bar or two for the day. read more

Why's better than a beautiful lives of wildlife with some ice cold beer! I absolutely adore this place. I can't wait to comer here especially towards sunset! This is a must at the safari park. read more

Watering Hole - Bar overlooking safari park. - American Near Me - Escondido, California

We wasted over 40 minutes waiting around for our food that never came. After awhile I finally noticed the tables around us that just got seated got their food immediately. Our server had been MIA since we ordered and when we did find her she asked if we wanted the check. We told her we never even got food and she took another 5 mins to check and eventually tell us that our order wasn't ever placed and she had just placed it. No apology no offer to expedite our order. My toddler was starving, I'm pregnant and was also starving. We just got up and left so my child could get a pretzel at the stand nearby while we walked to a faster option. Maybe I'm used to better run parks like Disneyland but I was disappointed in the service and how they overall handled the situation. They never apologized and acted so casually over their mistake. It was a giant waste of time. I actually can't remember when I've had service this bad before, just anywhere. This tops it. read more