Safari Kitchen

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!

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

Good food but very rude staff. Older gentleman was very quick to close. We where the last ppl in line after getting lost. And was made to feel like a burden..

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.

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;)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.