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We’ve Eaten at Every Restaurant in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. These Are the Worst.

October 07, 2023 ,

We’ve been to every single restaurant inside Disney’s Animal Kingdom multiple times, and we know where the BEST places to eat are. But we also know some of the WORST spots.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

If you’re heading to Disney World soon, make sure you avoid these Animal Kingdom restaurants!

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Here’s the thing — the WORST Animal Kingdom restaurant is going to depend on your group and what you all hope to do in the park. Depending on your plans, there are some restaurants that will be perfect and others that will be…less than ideal.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Let’s dive into which restaurant is the worst for each situation.

If You’re On a Budget: Tiffins

Tiffins is the signature dining location in Animal Kingdom. It’s a sit-down restaurant serving African-, Asian-, and South American-inspired cuisine. The three dining rooms feature beautiful artwork — much of which inspired the creation of the park itself. The only problem? This food does NOT come cheap.

Tiffins

Appetizers go for $12 to $18, and main courses are between $32 and $65, with most of them being over $40.

Tamarind-braised short Rib

To be fair, everything we’ve had here has been seriously GOOD (that Tamarind-braised Short Rib is especially yummy, and the Tiffins Signature Bread Service is a popular fan-favorite). But if you’re looking to keep the cost low on your next trip, this isn’t the best restaurant to choose.

Tables and booths

Budget-friendly Places To Go Instead: Speaking of Tiffins Signature Bread Service, you can get the same thing over at Nomad Lounge, which is the lounge attached to Tiffins! The lounge also has some other very delicious small dishes, like sliders, a poke bowl, and churros. Every small plate is $16 or less. Yak & Yeti is a good option for a table service restaurant that’s overall not nearly as pricey as Tiffins, or choose Flame Tree Barbecue for a quick service restaurant that has delicious and filling entrées.

If You’re an Adventurous Eater: Pizzafari

If anyone asks where to NOT eat at Animal Kingdom, our top answer is generally Pizzafari. It’s not that this place is bad necessarily…it’s just also not good. This is the token puffy pizza restaurant. You know the kind of cheap pizza you can find at PizzeRizzo in Hollywood Studios? Yeah, it’s the exact same over here.

Pizzafari

Pizzafari has its perks — there’s plenty of indoor seating, and the dining rooms are painted in fun animal-themed murals. Kids will probably love the simple, approachable menu.

The whole spread!

But if you’re looking for fun and adventurous eats, there are SO MANY other great places to try in Animal Kingdom.

Dining Room

Where Adventurous Eaters Should Go Instead: One of our favorite spots for adventurous eats in Animal Kingdom is Yak & Yeti, which features dishes like Bang Bang Calamari, Ahi Tuna Nachos, and a Dragon Roll Bowl. A great option for fast food that’s still delicious and unique is Satu’li Canteen, where you design your own bowls by choosing a base, protein, and sauce.

If You’re a Picky Eater or Traveling with Kids: Yak & Yeti

Now we’re flipping to the other side of things — if you DON’T want adventurous eats, you should definitely avoid Yak & Yeti. It’s a beautiful restaurant with lots of great food, but the particular kind of great food that’s on the menu might not appeal to all palettes. 

Yak & Yeti

There are a couple of more approachable eats on the menu, such as Pork Pot Stickers, Egg Rolls, and a Kobe Beef Burger, and there’s a good-sized kids’ menu that features dishes like a Cheeseburger, Mini Corn Dogs, Mac & Cheese, etc.

Yak and Yeti

Still, if you’re looking for familiar eats for everyone in the group, there are better places to go in Animal Kingdom.

Lettuce Cup Wraps

Where Picky Eaters Should Go Instead: For traditional theme park eats, there’s no better place than Restaurantosaurus. At this quick service spot in DinoLand U.S.A., you’ll find Foot-long Hot Dogs, Burgers, Chicken Nuggets, a Fried Chicken Sandwich, and some Salads. Familiar, easy, and still tasty. If you want to step a little bit outside of that “theme park eats” genre, try Flame Tree Barbecue. This is also a quick service restaurant, but the eats here are more unique and special, including dishes like the St. Louis Rib Dinner, 1/2 Chicken, Baked Mac & Cheese with Pulled Pork, and a Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwich.

If You Hate Making Decisions: Satu’li Canteen

Satu’li Canteen is actually one of our favorite restaurants in Animal Kingdom. However, if you decide to get one of the customizable bowls here (which is what the Canteen is best known for), you’ll have to make not one decision about your meal but THREE.

Satu’li Canteen

You need to choose a base for your bowl (Red & Sweet Potato Hash, Noodles, Rice & Beans, or Salad), a protein (Smoked Chimichurri-braised Beef, Wood-grilled Chicken, Chili-Garlic Shrimp, or Chili-Spiced Crispy Fried Tofu), and a sauce (Charred Green Onion Vinaigrette, Black Bean Vinaigrette, or Creamy Herb Sauce). That’s a lot of decisions, so we understand if you want to avoid that altogether.

Grilled Beef & Chicken Bowl at Satu’li Canteen in Disney’s Animal Kingdom

One option is to go with the delicious Cheeseburger Pods (they’re bao buns stuffed with all the fixin’s you’d use to make a cheeseburger), but there’s not a whole lot else on the menu aside from those and the custom bowls, so if neither sounds good to you, you’ll want to choose a different restaurant.

Did someone say Cheeseburger Pods?

If You Hate Decisions, Go Here Instead: Over at Harambe Market in Africa, you’ll find some menu items that are similar to Satu’li’s custom bowls but just not quite so “custom.” There’s a Rice & Chicken Bowl, a Ribs Bowl, and a Grilled Chicken Bowl, none of which require multiple decisions from you. Or just head to Eight Spoon Café, where you’ll find just a few menu items to choose from and we’ll narrow it down for you even further: get the Baked Mac & Cheese with Pulled Pork. Done and done.

If You’re a Vegetarian or Plant-Based Eater: Flame Tree Barbecue

You probably guessed by the name “Flame Tree Barbecue” that this restaurant doesn’t have a ton of non-meat options.

Flame Tree BBQ

With entrées like the Ribs, Chicken, and Pulled Pork Sampler on the menu, you would be correct in assuming that a someone on a vegetarian or vegan diet would have a hard time finding something to eat here.

So Much Meat!

Now, it’s not impossible to find vegetarian- and vegan-friendly options! There’s a plant-based Hot Link Smokehouse Sandwich that’s actually quite good, and of course, there are sides like onion rings and french fries.

Plant-Based Hot Link Sandwich

But there are some places in Animal Kingdom that have more and/or better options for people with specific diets!

Vegetarian- and/or Vegan-Friendly Places To Go Instead: At Satu’li Canteen, you can get the Chili-Spiced Crispy Fried Tofu Bowl, which is so tasty that some non-plant-based eaters still choose it over the meat options on the menu. Kusafiri has some very delicious Impossible Empanadas, and Nomad Lounge has Impossible Sliders, Churros, and Tiffins Bread Service.

Click here for our Animal Kingdom Vegan Ultimate Guide.

If You Want a Quiet Meal: Rainforest Café

We rarely recommend Rainforest Café for a few reasons. One, the food is just “meh” — there are much better places to eat elsewhere in Animal Kingdom. But another reason to skip this spot is because it’s LOUD.

Rainforest Cafe at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

They really tried to bring the whole rainforest vibe to life, so you’re surrounded by animatronic animals that make their presence known the whole time you’re eating. It’s safe to say that this is not our top choice when we want a relaxing, quite meal.

Rainforest Cafe

You might be asking, “Are there ANY places to go for a quiet meal in a theme park?” YES! Especially in Animal Kingdom. You just have to know where to look.

Relaxed and Quiet Places To Go Instead: We could name several secluded spots where you can take a snack or even a meal and enjoy some peace and quiet, but possibly the best place for a relaxing (and delicious) experience is Nomad Lounge. Ask if you can eat outside on the deck, which overlooks the Discovery River. You might never want to leave. Tiffins — the table service restaurant attached to Nomad Lounge — also has a peaceful atmosphere, and its upscale vibes lead to a luxurious and long dining experience.

If You Hate Typical “Theme Park” Food: Restaurantosaurus

Restaurantosaurus is the classic theme park restaurant. If you want a decent burger, some chicken nuggets, or a hot dog, it’s got you covered.

Restaurantosaurus

We need to note that Restaurantosaurus is still pretty unique in its own right — it’s not every day you get to dine inside an airstream trailer! But the dining room is definitely the most outside-of-the-box part of the restaurant (not the menu).

Airstream

If you’re hoping to reach outside of that genre a bit, you have lots of other great options in Animal Kingdom.

Bacon cheeseburger with fries

Unique Places To Go Instead: We already mentioned a few good spots for adventurous eaters, including Yak & Yeti and Satu’li Canteen. We also want to bring up Tusker House, which is a character meal and buffet. On the buffet, you’ll find some unique eats like Spit-roasted Tandoori Chicken, Green Curry Shrimp, and Chermoula Salmon Filets. There are also several plant-based and vegetarian offerings here. And if you’re looking for a snack, Kusafiri has these really good Flatbreads that feature either Marinated Chicken or Pork.

With DOZENS of places to eat at Disney World, we know it can be tough to plan your meals. That’s why we wrote the DFB Guide to Dining at Walt Disney World. We have reviews, pictures, and details about every restaurant all in one digital download – along with ALL of our best tips and strategies from decades of Disney World trips. We’ve got a special discount code for DFB readers, too! Use WDW2023 at checkout for 25% off!

Grab the DFB Guide!

Stay tuned to DFB for more tips as you plan your Disney World vacation!

Click here to see the BEST restaurants in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

What’s your favorite thing to eat in Animal Kingdom? Let us know in the comments!

The post We’ve Eaten at Every Restaurant in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. These Are the Worst. first appeared on the disney food blog.



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