Animal Kingdom has the most varied and exotic restaurants in Disney World after Epcot. If you love sampling African, Indian, and Asian foods, you’re in the right place. If you’re more of a steak and burger type of person, that’s all right because there’s plenty of BBQ and burgers available.
Quick Recommendations
Pandora / Africa / Western Side Of Discovery Island
If you’re in the western side of Animal Kingdom, either in Pandora or Africa regions of the park, there are plenty of great places to eat. For fast food, I recommend Satu’li Canteen in Pandora – it’s a Chipotle-style build your own bowl restaurant where you pick a protein (shrimp, beef, chicken, tofu), a base (potato hash, noodles, etc) and a sauce (various vinaigrettes). All of those are mixed up with a cabbage slaw and it’s delicious! If you have a child who’s a picky eater, they also have cheeseburger pods, hot dogs, and a quesadilla. Satu’li is one of my favorite places to eat in Disney World – make sure to drop by!
If you prefer a more sit-down restaurant experience, try Tiffins. Located in between the entrances to Pandora and Africa it serves up a delicious African/Asian inspired fusion menu. I particularly liked the Surf n Turf, although the entire menu is top notch. A special note: right next to Tiffins is the Nomad Lounge which serves a selection of mixed drinks and small appetizer-sized food plates. The lounge is a great option if you need a quick snack, but not hungry enough for a full meal.
Asia / Dinoland / Eastern Side Of Discovery Island
There are so many great places to eat on the eastern side of Animal Kingdom. I’m not sure where to start! If you’re in Dinoland, I love Restaurantosaurus – a terrific burger place with plenty of dinosaur-related jokes! If you have children fascinated with dinosaurs, this is a must visit place. If you’re in the Asia region, try the Yak and Yeti Cafe: it offers bowls of Asian flavors including Korean fried chicken, Indian tikka masala vegetable bowl, and teriyaki chicken salad.
If you are a more carnivorous type of eater, make a detour to Flame Tree Barbecue located on the eastern side of Discovery Island (on the way to Dinoland). The ribs and pulled pork are delicious!
Recommended Fast Food Restaurants
Satu’li Canteen
Located in the Pandora region of Animal Kingdom, this place is just like Chipotle: you select a base (select potato hash, noodles and other options), protein (tofu, shrimp, chicken, others) and a vinaigrette sauce – all of those get mixed up with a cabbage slaw and it comes out delicious and healthy! A great option for everybody.
Recommendation: Get the potato hash, shrimp, and your favorite vinaigrette, and throw down a ton of hot sauce at the condiments area!
Restaurarantosaurus
I never go to Animal Kingdom without dropping by my favorite burger spot, Restaurantosaurus! It serves up the expected burgers and fries you’d expect from a theme park, but does so in a fun dinosaur themed way. Even if you’re not hungry for a full meal, just drop by and have some cheese fries as an afternoon snack.
Recommendation: It’s a burger and fries restaurant – you can’t go wrong with a burger! If you’re not hungry for a full meal, just have a side of fries and a drink to cool yourself down with.
Recommended Sit Down Restaurants
Yak & Yeti Restaurant
I love Asian flavors, and there are Asian flavors galore at this exotically-themed restaurant. One of the few restaurants in Disney World that capture Indian/Chinese fusion tastes, this restaurant is not only gorgeously themed, but also has a wide variety of terrific and filling meals. Yak & Yeti offers noodles bowls, grilled steaks, soups, salads and various specialty dishes such as my favorite, Bhaktapur Deck (duck in plum BBQ sauce). If you love Asian flavors, this is the restaurant for you.
Recommendation: The Bhaktapur duck, or a grilled rib eye.