Besides the World Showcase in EPCOT, the best Disney food can be found inside Animal Kingdom. Food options range from exotic to well-known and delicious. Here are the best Animal Kingdom restaurants ranked.
What Type of Food Will You Find at Animal Kingdom?
When it comes to Walt Disney World Dining in Animal Kingdom, you will find everything from barbecue to exotic culinary treats, and even some food from an entirely different world.
Overall, most food is Asian or African inspired and features a few exotic notes and nods to traditional dishes from those areas.
With so many diverse food options, our list of Animal Kingdom restaurants ranked, we will split our choices across two categories based on dining experience.
Ranking the Best Counter Service Restaurants at Animal Kingdom
Best Counter Service Animal Kingdom Restaurant Ranked #1: Satu’li Canteen
Sa’tuli Canteen can be found in the heart of Pandora adjacent to the exit of Flight of Passage. Sa’tuli Canteen is a counter service restaurant specializing in fast service and food made with seasonal favorites from Pandora’s bounty.
For those of us from Earth, the food is reminiscent of a rice bowl with fresh veggie slaw and your choice of meat and sauce. If you prefer something other than rice, additional bases for the bowls include sweet potato hash, noodles, and beans.
The food is tasty and delicious and certainly different from many other meal offerings at Disney World. This is a must-do for us when we visit Disney World.
Rating the Environment at Satu’li Canteen
The atmosphere of the restaurant can get a bit loud inside the large building. But the amazing Pandora artwork and chandeliers are worth seeing. Remember, this is an RDA mess hall on Pandora, so the lively atmosphere is fitting.
If you’re seeking something a little quieter, there is exterior seating available, offering a more private experience if the weather is nice.
Best Counter Service Animal Kingdom Restaurant Ranked #2: Flame Tree Barbecue
Flame Tree Barbecue obviously serves barbecue, and pretty tasty smoked concoctions at that. But don’t take our word for it. The delicious aroma wafting out from the restaurant will certainly draw you in as you walk by.
Flame Tree Barbecue is a quick service restaurant which serves many different traditional options. The menu features half BBQ chicken, St. Louis ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, mac and cheese with pulled pork and combo plates offering more than one meat choice. Sides include some expected options, such as corn bread, Cole slaw and the restaurant’s signature baked beans. You may also enjoy a side of French fries or rice and beans.
If you like barbecue, you’re sure to enjoy a meal at Flame Tree
Rating the Environment at Flame Tree Barbecue
The one thing that really sets this Animal Kingdom counter service restaurant apart is the lakeside seating area overlooking Expedition Everest. The atmosphere is quiet, with many small outdoor pavilions that provide views of the Discovery River.
This is one of the most strangely themed Disney restaurants. The seating is Asian inspired, while the food is not. That being said, the views of Expedition Everest are spectacular, particularly at sunset.
Best Counter Service Animal Kingdom Restaurant Ranked #3: Harambe Market
Harambe Market is a marketplace located inside Africa in Animal Kingdom. It is considered one of our best Animal Kingdom restaurants because it offers some unusual dining options.
Food choices have tended to vary over the years, but currently include different rice bowls with shrimp, chicken, or both all topped with tzatziki sauce. The more adventurous palettes can try the beef and lamb kofta pita, stuffed with housemate beef and lamb kofta, a type of meatball most common to India and the Middle East. It’s all topped with a combination of tzatziki sauce and chermoula seasoning, for a tasty meal inspired by more unique culinary origins. You can also order a quinoa salad with grilled corn, black-eyed peas and crispy chickpeas, doused in chermoula herb vinaigrette.
Harambe Market also serves many fun beverages. The Frozen Flamingo drink is a non-alcoholic beverage made with strawberry and passion fruit. Additionally, the watermelon lemonade is a must have.
If you are looking for a fun alcoholic beverage, Harambe Market has plenty of options from more traditional, to fruity and fun like the Leopard’s Eye, made with vodka and different fruit juices.
Rating the Environment at Harambe Market
Harambe Market is a rustic outdoor, open air dining experience. Tables are plentiful, but those in the shade fill up fast on warm days. This restaurant is not known for being too loud, but can be during crowded times.
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Best Sit-Down Restaurants at Animal Kingdom
Best Table Service Animal Kingdom Restaurant Ranked #1: Yak and Yeti Restaurant
No best Animal Kingdom restaurants list would be complete without Yak and Yeti. While Yak and Yeti does have a counter service kiosk called Yak and Yeti Local Food Cafes, the establishment is no match for the sit down, table service restaurant called Yak and Yeti Restaurant in the same park.
Yak and Yeti has friendly staff, in depth theming and delicious food. Food offerings include American Asian fusion food such as Lo Mein noodle bowls, miso salmon, chicken tikka masala, Bhaktapur duck, and coconut shrimp.
Additionally, the large menu features various flavors of wok cooked stir fries, teriyaki chicken, a kobe beef burger, and ribs in Korean BBQ sauce.
When we ate at the Yak and Yeti, every member of our group thoroughly enjoyed our meals. The food is full of flavor and comes in large portions which can easily be shared. Meal prices range from $18 to $30 a person.
Yak and Yeti is also known for its many nonalcoholic and alcoholic cocktails.
Rating the Environment at Yak and Yeti Restaurant
Yak and Yeti is located in the Asia section of Animal Kingdom near the Feathered Friends in Flight show and the Anadapur Tea Company. The restaurant is unique in that it has two floors for restaurant seating. We were seated at a window table on the second floor and enjoyed the views and people watching opportunities.
Yak and Yeti is filled to the brim with Asian artifacts and offers a relaxing atmosphere that is perfect for stepping out of the heat for a bit.
Best Table Service Animal Kingdom Restaurant Ranked #2: Tiffins
Many food connoisseurs would put Tiffins on the top of the list of best Animal Kingdom restaurants ranked. But, we just cannot. The first reason would have to be cost.
Tiffins is fine dining at its best, with an emphasis on adventurous food choices as well. Offerings are full of Asian, African, and Latin flair, with the typical small portions you would expect of fine dining.
Appetizers range from $13 to $18 per person, and entrees average $44 per person.
Another reason we cannot officially add Tiffins to our best Animal Kingdom restaurants list is because we have not personally tried it. Our typical visit to the Disney Parks consists of a party of at least five.
For each person to order an appetizer and entrée, you are looking at $60 per person before drinks, (depending on what they order.) This brings us to a total of well over $300 for a family of five to dine here. If you are on a budget, Tiffins may not be the restaurant for you.
All this being said, Tiffins does have a cult following of those who love to splurge on their Disney dining. Tiffins fanatics rave about the craft cocktails and flavorful food. Additionally, Tiffins is all about presentation, meaning every plate and drink are Instagram worthy.
Best Ideas for Snacking at Animal Kingdom
When we visit the park, we tend to skip snacks and save our stomachs for the best Animal Kingdom restaurants. If you are feeling snacky in the Kingdom, there are a few must try options.
Tamu Tamu Refreshments in Africa not only has Dole Whip treats, but also rotating seasonal concoctions. If you want to spice up your Dole Whip, Tamu Tamu offers a number of alcoholic varieties as well. This hole in the wall establishment located in the Africa land of Animal Kingdom is also one of the few restaurants that offers breakfast items inside the park.
Pongu Pongu in Pandora has two cult favorite snacks. The first is a nonalcoholic boba slushie called the Night Blossom. This drink combines apple and dessert pear limeade and passion fruit boba balls.
Another favorite from Pongu Pongu is the Pongu Lumpia. The Lumpia is a pineapple cream cheese roll dusted in sugar. You’ll also find a sausage and egg sandwich slathered with guava jelly if you’re in the mood for something unusual for breakfast on the run.
Caravan Road is another favorite when it comes to a less traditional snacks. Serving up iced plushies with some delectable flavors such as watermelon, mango passion fruit and Pina colada, it’s a hit with many guests looking to cool off. One of the more popular items is the Kakigori, a shaved iced dessert shrouded in watermelon flavors and sweetened condensed milk.
Character Dining at Animal Kingdom
It’s fairly easy to pick the best Animal Kingdom restaurant for character dining, because there is only one! Despite this, Tusker House has quickly become one of our favorite restaurants, not for the characters, but for the food.
Tusker house serves American foods with African influence in an all you care to eat buffet. Tusker House serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast options include pastry baskets, fresh fruit, eggs, waffles, Durban chicken, curry eggs with jasmine rice, bacon, sausage and exotically-seasoned potatoes.
Lunch and dinner features breads, various salads and other sides with a wide variety of unique main courses, including Spit-roasted Tandoori Chicken, Berbere-marinated Pork, Green Curry Shrimp, Chicken Curry, Za’tar Braised Beef, Chermoula Salmon Filets.
While you are dining, Disney characters in safari gear come and visit your tables for photos and signatures. This is the only Disney character meal where Donald bests Mickey and takes top billing. You might want to leave your Mickey ears and other inspired garb in your hotel for this one. Donald has been known to get a little testy when he sees Mickey memorabilia, and we all know how legendary his temper can be.
Tusker House is located in Africa in Animal Kingdom.
Animal Kingdom Restaurants and Disney Dining Plan
Most restaurants located in Disney’s Animal Kingdom participate in the Disney Dining Plan. If you aren’t familiar with the mouse’s dining program, you can check out on full dining plan guide for all the details. If you’re planning to book the dining plan with your upcoming vacation package, rest assured our top Animal Kingdom Restaurant rankings are covered by the plan.
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