Food in the Zoo - Highs and Lows?

[evilmonkey239]

I’m vegan, so I’m working with a much more limited diet than the majority of the public, including members of this forum. In my experience, smaller zoos don’t tend to offer much in the way of entrees beyond the classic hot dogs, pizza, chicken tenders, etc, which bodes poorly for someone like me. The offerings at large zoos are usually at least a bit better — in fact, I actually had one of the best vegan burgers I’ve ever had at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

 

[MonkeyBat]

I’m vegan, so I’m working with a much more limited diet than the majority of the public, including members of this forum. In my experience, smaller zoos don’t tend to offer much in the way of entrees beyond the classic hot dogs, pizza, chicken tenders, etc, which bodes poorly for someone like me. The offerings at large zoos are usually at least a bit better — in fact, I actually had one of the best vegan burgers I’ve ever had at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

As a vegetarian, it is a little less difficult to find zoo food, but hard to find GOOD zoo food. I'm usually stuck with a slice of cheese pizza. The Midwest in particular is not great in terms of offering vegetarian options (or anything that isn't greasy in general). Omaha offers some above average egg fried rice. I do agree though that San Diego's selection of vegetarian/vegan food is great!

 

[evilmonkey239]

As a vegetarian, it is a little less difficult to find zoo food, but hard to find GOOD zoo food. I'm usually stuck with a slice of cheese pizza. The Midwest in particular is not great in terms of offering vegetarian options (or anything that isn't greasy in general). Omaha offers some above average egg fried rice. I do agree though that San Diego's selection of vegetarian/vegan food is great!

If I want to satiate my hunger at the zoo, I often have to make do with either French fries or a soft pretzel myself!

 

[Manatee_Sloth]

A few food recommendations for a couple of zoos.

Having spent three months this summer at Animal Kingdom, my extensive research concluded that the best quick service food is at Satu’li canteen. My recommendation is he combination beef and chicken bowl with the noodles and black bean vinaigrette - the best food I’ve had in a zoo. Honourable mention to the cheeseburger bao buns, though I’m less a fan of the vegetable crisps they come with. Also you have to try the metkayina mousse.

In terms of the rest of the zoo, steer clear of Pizzafari. Restaurantosaurus is okay for a burger, and I can recommend the ribs at Harambe market. The best ice cream is either the pineapple crisp sundae or the yeti sundae.

At Chester Zoo my favourite is the Indonesian loaded fries at Manado Street Kitchen. I can also recommend the steak ciabatta at the Oakfield, even if you don’t want to eat there it’s worth a look around.

Twycross is less impressive for food, I normally end up eating in the fish and chip shop, which is pretty average. I never bother with The View restaurant.

I never buy food at West Midlands Safari Park, I prefer to take a picnic and eat on the grass by the parking area. You can look down into the safari and watch the animals.

 

[JigerofLemuria]

I have a feeling that many places have gotten better with time. The Barcelona Zoo used to mostly serve mediocre frozen paellas and pizzas in the places that offered that, but one place was noteworthy for their decent grilled meat.
However, since about 2020, the restaurants have been reduced to three, and they have really improved their craft, making fresh meals every day, and even serving custom-made burgers at the biggest of them, and the prices are surprisingly decent! (Comparable to the rest of Barcelona, and NOT the tourist traps mind you)

 

[Mr Gharial]

I've had foods at multiple zoos in the Netherlands recently so I can now compare a few:

- Beekse Bergen: 1/10
Saw BB had nachos on the menu and was immediately interested (I was craving nachos earlier that day). Turns out this was old, dry doritos with some tomato sauce and nothing else. It wouldn't have been so bad if it wasn't 7,50 euro...

- Apenheul: 5/10
The sandwiches are pretty good, but also very standard. It's a textbook Dutch "broodje gezond" with ham, cheese, lettuce and boiled egg. High quality bread makes this a really good sandwich, but at the end of the day it's only a sandwich. Though it's a lot better than BB's food for the same price!

- Burgers' Zoo: 7/10
Of course I have to try the burgers at Burgers' Zoo. Sadly, they renamed they burgers so that it's no longer an accidental pun (the burgers that were sold at Burgers' Bush used to be called Bush Burgers, now they're just called chicken burgers). The new Asian-inspired burgers include grilled cauliflower, caramelized onions and a crispy chicken burger. The bread is usually a little dry because they can stand under a lamp for a little while sometimes, but since removing the tomato the quality certainly went up. It also helps that it's cheaper than BB's so-called nachos.

- Wildlands Adventure zoo Emmen: 12/10
Wildlands has certainly made a few questionable decisions when it comes to some of their developments, but their choice of being a themed park rather than a zoo did allow them to place some high-quality food stops on their route. I visited twice and had a hot lunch both times, both of extremely good quality at a very reasonable price. The chicken skewers with sweet peanut sauce were amazing, and my second visit was even better. My order of noodles with sweet-and-sour sauce and grilled mushrooms, bell pepper, onions and chicken at the Wok counter was quite possibly the best noodles I've had.

 

[15399]

Like anything else, there are both zoos that excel in the food department, and zoos that flop. Detroit Zoo, Toronto Zoo, and Disney's Animal Kingdom all stand out as having excellent zoo food, while Toledo Zoo stands out as a disappointment. I also though primarily visit smaller zoos, and have purchased food at less than half the facilities I've visited, so I may not be the best person to ask about the overall picture.

 

[evilmonkey239]

Like anything else, there are both zoos that excel in the food department, and zoos that flop. Detroit Zoo, Toronto Zoo, and Disney's Animal Kingdom all stand out as having excellent zoo food, while Toledo Zoo stands out as a disappointment. I also though primarily visit smaller zoos, and have purchased food at less than half the facilities I've visited, so I may not be the best person to ask about the overall picture.

Yeah, I will give props to Detroit. On campus, they’ve got a Buddy’s Pizza, a tropical smoothie bar, and a seasonally open Middle Eastern place I want to try sometime. Even the burgers and chicken tenders are high quality, and there’s even a vegan burger (albeit not a great one IMO) provided at the cafe near Arctic Ring of Life.

 

[TinoPup]

Like anything else, there are both zoos that excel in the food department, and zoos that flop. Detroit Zoo, Toronto Zoo, and Disney's Animal Kingdom all stand out as having excellent zoo food, while Toledo Zoo stands out as a disappointment. I also though primarily visit smaller zoos, and have purchased food at less than half the facilities I've visited, so I may not be the best person to ask about the overall picture.

What didn't you like about Toledo?

 

[15399]

What didn't you like about Toledo?

The chicken sandwich I had was very dry and bland, just overall not a very good meal compared to similar fare I've gotten at other zoos. At least at the place I went, the menu was also rather limited too.

Yeah, I will give props to Detroit. On campus, they’ve got a Buddy’s Pizza, a tropical smoothie bar, and a seasonally open Middle Eastern place I want to try sometime. Even the burgers and chicken tenders are high quality, and there’s even a vegan burger (albeit not a great one IMO) provided at the cafe near Arctic Ring of Life.

Yeah, I'm blanking on the name but I went to the place near Arctic Ring of Life, and had a really great mac 'n' cheese bowl with chicken and other stuff in it. Top tier zoo food right there.

 

[Grant Rhino]

From an Australian Zoo perspective:

Melbourne Zoo and Werribee Open Range Zoo (my 2 local zoos) both have excellent healthy food - including good vegetarian and vegan options (I’ve been both vegetarian and vegan in the past).

Mogo Zoo (near Batemans Bay) has great food too (especially burgers). In fact when we holiday there we often go to Mogo Zoo just to have lunch (as members it’s free to get in).

Adelaide and Monarto (both in South Australia) have good healthy food as well as good junk food options.

Canberra Zoo has good pies and junk food - can’t remember the healthy options there.

Taronga Zoo in Sydney has decent food but it’s been a long time since I’ve been there.

Dubbo Zoo has barbecues and picnic sites. It’s drive through so you can cook your own or have picnics.

And in New Zealand, Wellington Zoo had the best coffee I’ve had in that entire country! The Pygmy marmosets enclosure has a window into the cafe so you can have a coffee with them watching you.

 

[SpruceHeap0]

I will say I haven't been to that many zoos in my life, so I can't speak to food at that many zoos, but from what I have seen the food has pretty much been trash everywhere I went.

I am a person that is also very involved in the amusement park industry and a kind of a new development especially at Six Flags parks are that they are adding more food options. Quality is increasing and food is becoming a part of the experience. While zoos and amusement parks aren't exactly the same things they have a very similar model. I find it very interesting that the zoos I have been too don't try to elevate there food options. Food is such an easy way to make money if done right. Amusement parks in recent years have been adding executive chefs to there portfolios and have been making signature dishes. It is wild to me that these places have not expanded past burgers, fries and pizza


I really hope this is something that changes in the future and food becomes a part of the experience when you visit a zoo. I think it is something if done right can bring in extra money and that of course can be used on future expansions and is another very good revenue stream.

 

[Jambi]

Unless I'm absolutely starving and desperately need some calories, I either don't get food while I'm at a zoo at all, or I just get something basic like a small cake or an ice cream. I normally have a good breakfast before heading out so I have enough energy to last a full zoo visit, plus I've heard more than a few horror stories about extortionate prices for not-too-great food, so I very rarely go in a zoo's restaurant.

 

[Pleistohorse]

I really enjoyed the Fried Chicken concession at North Carolina Zoo. Gulf Breeze Zoo had a pretty good cafeteria...and I think the Henry Doorly Zoo has a steakhouse! I recall Portland Zoo, 18 years ago, having a nice little restaurant. And Denver Zoo as well. Minnesota Zoo too....hmmmmm...maybe I just like to eat. In the distant past (early 1980's) I think Bronx Zoo had a nice cafeteria. The Alaska Zoo and the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center are "no go's". Southwick's Zoo has a full service restaurant as well...wasn't great in my opinion, but they even receive non-zoo business. I got a good Hot Dog at York's Wild Kingdom...their concession specializes in "Fair Food". The Reindeer Farm has a great Food Truck specializing in different types of sausages...brats, hot links, hot dogs, Polish, and of course...Reindeer sausage. Chick-fil-a at Busch Gardens Tampa.

 

[Randomname0183]

I cannot recall any stand-out meals at zoos and aquaria i have visited. In spain, most food fare is of mediocre quality, if not a bit pricey, with the best ive had being in Bioparc Valencia, which was an alright rack of ribs and fries. Oceanografic next door also had a pretty good looking underwater restaurant with view into one of the tanks, but I have yet to eat there to comment, though the ice cream bar by the South American Sea Lions is a nice spot on a hot day.

Elsewhere, the only zoo eat I can remember eating was at Pairi Daiza, which does themed food for its different realms. I remember eating at the African food bar, which sever some pretty good fried plantains, but nothing else of note.

Of course, food is never the highlight of a zoo, so I cannot say I am ever properly upset about meh food at a zoo, when there are other better food options outside most zoos.

 

[JigerofLemuria]

Having visited a significant amount of zoos since my last comment... I must agree with many of these afforementioned posts; the price is often high, and the quality's often... Mid, as the kids say. But I do think that more of an effort is being made to improve the cuisine in these places, with Valencia's collections and the Barcelona Zoo having decent food options. In Germany, though not spectacular, you can still have a decent meal in places.

 

[DaLilFishie]

Can't say I've ever been impressed by the food at any zoo... all the ones I've eaten at had little more than basic takeaway fried/pre-prepared things, like hot chips, meat pies, fish and chips and boxed sandwiches... not to mention it's almost always way overpriced. I usually take my own food.

 

[Crowthorne]

Having recently visited Zoo Antwerpen, I can confirm that the Savanne restaurant overlooking the buffalo/large bird aviary has very good food and an excellent view. I had the fish and chips, and whilst the fish wasn't large, the chips more than made up for this. The tartar sauce was generous but very strong. Great selection of desserts too.

The price was comparable, if ever so slightly less, than other city zoos, and felt like reasonable value considering the portion size. The fish/chips, latte and rice pudding tart came to around £23 total. Fish and chips alone at ZSL London is currently £17.

 

[SpruceHeap0]

Having recently visited Zoo Antwerpen, I can confirm that the Savanne restaurant overlooking the buffalo/large bird aviary has very good food and an excellent view. I had the fish and chips, and whilst the fish wasn't large, the chips more than made up for this. The tartar sauce was generous but very strong. Great selection of desserts too.

The price was comparable, if ever so slightly less, than other city zoos, and felt like reasonable value considering the portion size. The fish/chips, latte and rice pudding tart came to around £23 total. Fish and chips alone at ZSL London is currently £17.

Thanks for sharing, the food you showed looks delicious. The zoos I have been too are Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus all great zoos, but the food is very mid. Cleveland I believe may be out sourced to Aramark so they do not even have there food and beverage team in house. I just feel like it is such a missed opportunity because you could easily have someone be there all day and they might not open their wallets all day and might just get admission.
I would love to see Cincinnati have barbecue because that is super popular in Cincy already. I think if they invested a little bit more money into it they could really be a powerhouse. Food should not only be something you get at the park, but it should be a part of the experience.
All three places that I mentioned of course are super focused on conservation of not only animals, but also the earth. It would be cool to see them try to do some foods that have a small impact on our planet. Showing people that food can be good for the earth and you. I would like to see them try to develop a "green menu" showing people how they can eat greener would be major.

 

[Enzo]

Hello.

I'll be honest, I usually do not really eat at a zoo unless I'm already extremely hungry or if I am with someone else who isn't obsessed with animals like me.

Having lunch is not a real concern to me because I am far too busy looking at the animals, so having a meal is not something I expect to have at every zoo I visit. As an example, I ate absolutely nothing while visiting Pomerode.

Otherwise I don't really have a tendency of struggling with food at the zoo because, ironically, I am far too much of a picky eater, but the options I like are always on the menu. Chicken nuggets and breaded/grilled chicken are present most of the time and I usually avoid eating anything else so I won't loose much time eating. My local zoo, for example, has many food areas spread across its grounds and at least two of the aforementioned options can be picked on certain menus. I usually have lunch by the monkey islands where I can see the baby Peruvian spider monkey playing around and the red-bellied tamarin doing its own thing.

I do have to say, however, that I understand why so many people would complain about food at most Brazilian zoos. The options for neurotypicals are usually underwhelming and many zoos don't even have proper restaurants or a food court where visitors can eat the things they bring from home.