I agree with your statement, but I'd also add the California condor and bald eagle aviaries to the short list. The condors in particular have an impressive exhibit, and the birds have a view of the ocean on one side and images of traffic congestion on the highway on the other!
The Channel Island fox habitat and desert tortoise areas are also quite good.
This is the only zoo that I have been too that explicitly groups their "yucky" animals (reptiles, spiders, insects) together in a themed exhibit to celebrate why they are not in fact yucky and should be appreciated.
