Food at your zoo...

[SoCalChevy]

I definitely used to like their buffalo burger a lot, but the last few times I've been to their cafe the food has been overcooked. And although I won't say the zoo food has improved, they appear to be trying. I thought Reggie's Cafe was alright.

 

[callum]

drussilas has two very average café's the oasis and the explorers cafe

wingham is not very good in the food business having only fast food that smells of grease

 

[Pertinax]

Thread moved to here as it has become more than just UK discussion.

 

[Newzooboy]

Duisburg - Sept 2010

Says it all!

Great Zoo, rubbish food!

 

[jbnbsn99]

Wow, really, Duisburg, a wiener and a slice of bread...

 

[AnaheimZoo]

Alright; The Bronx Zoo's got the kiddie food - chicken fingers, burgers, etc., with the salads and all that. Nothing special. A little overpriced.

 

[azcheetah2]

My "local-est" local zoo (I'm only about 5 minutes away and it's the one I visit most often) has okay-tasting food. It smells good, but it nothing special. The price is kind of high and while I didn't mind paying it when the snack bars were still owned/run by the zoo, now that they have an outside vendor I don't buy any of the food because the money doesn't benefit the zoo.

I've also eaten at Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, San Diego Zoo and San Diego Wild Animal Park. All 3 have pretty decent food and their prices are comparable to others.

 

[AthleticBinturong]

i never eat in resturants in zoos always have picnics or takeaway food

 

[nanoboy]

I was horrified (though not surprised) at the exorbitant prices in the Lakeside Bistro at Melbourne Zoo when I visited today. However, we were in the mood for lunch without seagulls and pigeons trying to snatch our food.

Anyway, I had the Malaysian Lamb Curry ($20) and was pleasantly surprised and impressed by the presentation (see attached). The best part is that it was extremely tasty! I highly recommend the food here as my wife enjoyed her smoked salmon sandwich too.

 

[tschandler71]

Sorry let me edit that. I feel like an idiot I was thinking the AUD had a higher value than the USD when they are very close to each other.

Now 20 bucks is high for that dish but I was thinking it was closer to 40 American which would be outrageous.

 

[ThylacineAlive]

I haven't eaten at Beardsley in years but I've eaten at the WCS facilities a few times and I remember the food being pretty good but a little over-priced. The only other zoo I've eaten at recently was Smith. National but that was just an alright hotdog that I don't remember much of.

~Thylo

 

[Buldeo]

The food @ the San Francisco & Oakland Zoo is... well, average. For my fellow Americans, it's on par with what you would find at a bowling alley. It's not surprising though, since both zoos seem to have outsourced the day-to-day operations of their d-facs. SF tries to do some sort of gourmet grill thing, but I've never been intrigued enough to plunk down money for it.

I keep thinking that zoos should try and serve healthier fare in the same spirit of their conservation message. Towards that end, at least the SF Zoo allows lifetime refills on your soda if you buy a certain sipper.

 

[ThylacineAlive]

Towards that end, at least the SF Zoo allows lifetime refills on your soda if you buy a certain sipper.

So does Bronx and Smith. National.

~Thylo

 

[Gigit]

The food at Paignton's not bad, although I don't eat there often. The cappuccino varies from week to week depending on who's making it and rarely meets the definition of one third coffee, one third hot milk and one third froth given on their menu. And the cups are too small. But then they're not trying to get people to return, like Costa for instance, so probably aren't too bothered about a few regular customers going in for a break or to escape the weather.

 

[nanoboy]

The food at Paignton's not bad, although I don't eat there often. The cappuccino varies from week to week depending on who's making it and rarely meets the definition of one third coffee, one third hot milk and one third froth given on their menu. And the cups are too small. But then they're not trying to get people to return, like Costa for instance, so probably aren't too bothered about a few regular customers going in for a break or to escape the weather.

You have raised an interesting point. I haven't been to as many zoos as compared to some Zoochatters (I have been to less than 50), but there seems to be one thing in common: zoo eateries see their role as providing sustenance rather than providing quality products and a stellar experience. Of course, we don't go to the zoo for the food, and the vast majority of patrons are not regulars, but it would be great to have a decent meal that doesn't cost an arm and a leg in a clean restaurant.

 

[Arizona Docent]

Wildlife World Zoo and Aquarium (Arizona, USA) opened an aquarium addition a few years ago with a full serve restaurant and shark tank. Originally they ran it themselves, food was decent, but recently they handed it over to a local Phoenix area restaurant chain (4 restaurants total). Food quality now is outstanding. One feature is that you can enter the restaurant from inside the aquarium or from outside, for those who want to dine with the sharks but not pay zoo/aquarium admission. I think more urban zoos should do this - have a restaurant at the entrance with admission either from inside or outside the zoo and let a good local restaurateur run it.

 

[epickoala123]

Trotters world of animals food is awful, I ate there once, and have taken my own food ever since.
The last zoo food I had was at Edinburgh, which was quite good (the turkey was a bit tough though).

 

[Shirokuma]

London Zoo's renovated Terrace Restaurant opens tomorrow.

Head to The Terrace Restaurant for a dynamic dining experience in spacious, yet buzzing surroundings with lots of theatre-style counters to browse. Eat out on our exciting new deck for wonderful views of the zoo while you lunch.

Our friendly chefs will carve succulent roast meats for you and serve up tasty fish courses that change with the seasons. We draw inspiration from around the world for those dishes that have become firm family favourites such as stone-baked pizza, lasagne and fragrant curries.

There are fresh seasonal salads arrayed in the deli counter, or build your own and add a hand-made scotch egg, pork pie or deli sandwich. There is a sweets table groaning with delicious baked goodies and a children’s offer with kid-friendly healthy food and yummy treats.

Sustainable, seasonal, local

Just as ZSL’s conservation programme extends beyond the confines of the zoo, so we care that the ethical provenance of our food is sound. This means using fish from sustainable sources, meat from welfare-conscious farms and fruit and vegetables that are in season and sourced as locally as possible.

Say No to Palm Oil

Palm oil is a key ingredient in many processed foods. Hundreds of tigers are losing their homes along with many other species as vast areas of pristine rainforest are slashed and burned each year to make way for palm oil plantations. At ZSL London Zoo we never use palm oil in our dishes.

 

[ThylacineAlive]

The Cincinnati Zoo's food was alright. The first day I went had a burger and didn't care for it much but the second day I had a chicken sandwich which was pretty good to be honest.

~Thylo

 

[DeydraOZ]

Oregon Zoo:
The food they feed the volunteers is pretty good when they doe vents.
Visitor food, not so much. It's pretty pricey, for eh, food. There is some variety besides the hamburger and hotdog. You have to sometimes wait a very long time for an elephant ear, which is the most popular food item. The last item I got was a strawberry lemonaid. I think it was 5 or $6 for a small glass that had half of a lemon dropped in and mostly ice.

The other zoos that I'm close to/visit very frequently include Tracy Aviary and Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center. But none of them have food venues. But there are food places near by. The Tasty Thai near the aviary is very tasty!

Worst experience I've had with food was at Woodland Park zoo. In the winter time I had a cheeseburger....they tossed the 'burger' into a microwave to heat it up. 1 minute isn't long enough. I refused to eat it and asked for a refund. No refund, won't be eating there again.


Generally I avoid eating zoo food at all costs. I usually eat something before hand, go out and eat and come back, or bring my own snacks.