Animal Kingdom Quick Service Dining: Best and Worst!

Animal Kingdom overall has some of the most unique dining options of any of the Walt Disney World theme park. This also holds true for Animal Kingdom quick service dining options, at least for the most part. Quick service locations are often thought of as simple burgers, chicken fingers, and fries. While you can always find a few places like that, Disney does a good job of adding more variety for everyone.

Here is all of the Animal Kingdom quick service locations ranked from best to worst – in my opinion anyway!

Satu’li Canteen
Flame Tree Barbecue
Yak & Yeti Local Foods Cafe
Harambe Market
Pizzafari
Restaurantosaurus

1. Satu’li Canteen

You’ll be hard pressed to find anyone who frequents the parks that dislikes this place. It has been a standout restaurant since Pandora opened and is regularly one of the highest rated dining options. It is also a great location for first time park goers.

The theming here is amazing, but that isn’t what makes it #1. The food truly is that good. The highlight of this place is the “create-your-own-bowl” option. It is filling, yet healthy, which is a nice added bonus. I personally love the chocolate dessert, but it can be a lot of chocolate for those who aren’t obsessed with the bitterness of dark chocolate.

There is plenty of seating indoors, as well as some outside in a few covered areas. The value here is also great. You get a lot of delicious food, for around $13. Just some of the menu reasons it is the best Animal Kingdom quick service dining option.

Location: Pandora – The World of Avatar
Meal Periods: Lunch and Dinner
Mobile Order Available: Yes
Menu: Satu’li Canteen Menu
Price Range: The most expensive item is a combination bowl at $16.99, unless you count the Satu’li Sampler Platter which is $74.99.
What to Order: Besides the bowl options, order cheeseburger pods for the kids (or as an appetizer for yourself) and the blueberry cream cheese mousse for dessert.

2. Flame Tree Barbecue

This is not far behind my #1. The prices make it a great value for a quick service credit on the dining plan. If you’re an adult and getting an alcoholic beverage, the Safari Amber is refreshing on a hot day.

I would venture to say that most people had this as their #1 Animal Kingdom quick service dining option before Pandora opened. The prices are truly the biggest drawback, but I personally think its worth every penny. The meat falls off the bone and the smoked flavor is pretty incredible.

The atmosphere, while completely outdoors and lacking A/C, is very serene and offers covered pavilions as well. Unless it is a busy time of year, you won’t have an issue finding seating. Plus, it offers some beautiful views of Expedition Everest!

Location: Discovery Island
Meal Periods: Lunch and Dinner
Mobile Order Available: Yes
Menu: Flame Tree Barbecue Menu
Price Range: The most expensive item is the sampler at $18.99. The other entrées range from $10.99-$18.29.
What to Order: The sampler is great to split, especially if you want variety. Plus if you are on the dining plan, its a great use of a quick service credit! The ribs are a fan favorite and a must try if you love ribs, but I personally love the pulled pork too. The pulled pork and cheese fries were also amazing and a good side to share.

3. Yak & Yeti™ Local Food Cafes

Not to be confused with the table service location Yak & Yeti Restaurant, Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafes is a quick service location that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The lunch and dinner menu lean toward Asian cuisine, but definitely not exclusively Asian cuisine, more like influenced by it.

The honey sesame chicken and teriyaki beef bowl are the most popular dishes, but they do like to play with the menu here. It isn’t actually operated by Disney, so the food is unlike anything else you’d eat in the parks. However, flavor wise there is nothing that stands out.

There isn’t anything wrong with Yak & Yeti, but there is nothing I would consider a must try item. It is a great option for a family that wants something slightly more adventurous than burgers, but not super out there.

All seating is outdoors, but finding a seat is never a problem.

Location: Asia
Meal Periods: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Mobile Order Available: Yes
Menu: Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafes Menu
Price Range: The most expensive item is the American Kobe Cheeseburger at $15.99, while the other entrées are around $12.
What to Order: Skip the burger and hot dog, they are the most expensive items and the other options are better anyway.

4. Harambe Market

Harambe Market’s atmosphere really gives off the feeling of a market, which I enjoy. The details put into it are truly something else. However, if you are looking for a quieter place to enjoy a meal, this is not for you. It can also be hectic and hard to find a table at times. You can order from one or multiple windows, or use mobile order.

Disney markets this as “soulful street food” with the menu being altered for fresh and seasonal ingredients. The nice thing about Harambe Market is the menu seems to change quite a bit, but the offerings are typically pretty solid and. You can get shaved ice to cool off too. The meals are pretty inexpensive, with most entrees coming in under $12. However, some of the portion sizes reflect the lower price point too.

Location: Africa
Meal Periods: Lunch and Dinner
Mobile Order Available: Yes
Menu: Harambe Market Menu
Price Range: The most expensive item is the Ribs Bowl for $14.29 and the other entrées are around $11-$12.
What to Order: The menu changes quite a bit, but the gyro options are always a solid choice. For those willing to be a bit more adventurous, get the pork sausage with curry.

5. Pizzafari

Disclaimer, for me, almost every pizza in Disney World is usually a major let down, with a few exceptions like Via Napoli and Blaze Pizza. Pizzafari has been tweaking their menu for awhile and seems to have found one to stick.

At Pizzafari you will find, shockingly, pizza, as well as flatbreads, pasta and some salad options. The flatbreads and pizza choices change occasionally, but you will always find a cheese or pepperoni. The prices are on the lower end for Disney as well. If you have kids who are picky eaters, this is a solid choice.

The biggest positive about this place is that it is indoors. There’s ample seating and air conditioning. The inside features five uniquely themed rooms with bright colors and mosaics.

This is definitely not a bad place to eat, but as far as food quality goes, there is far better in Animal Kingdom.

Currently (Summer 2019) Pizzafari is offering a new family-style dining option. It is $22.99 per adult, plus tax, and $12.99 per child, plus tax. You get appetizers, beverage and entrées served family style, plus dessert. You can find the menu here to learn more. It is unclear if this is remaining permanently, but it still counts as a quick-service credit on the dining plan!

Location: Discovery Island
Meal Periods: Lunch and Dinner
Mobile Order Available: Yes
Menu: Pizzafari Menu
Price Range: The most expensive item is a shrimp flatbread for $13.49. You can get a Caesar salad for just $7.99 too!
What to Order: The flatbreads are good quality, so if the current toppings featured interest you, definitely go with the flatbread.

6. Restaurantosaurus

Remember how I said Disney likes to be more creative than burgers and fries? This is that exception. I frequently go to the restaurant to get free cups of ice water and to leave. It rarely has a line and there is a reason.

One of the pros of this place is that its your standard burger meal, nothing special here. They aren’t terrible, but they definitely aren’t amazing.

Another pro is the seating. The majority of the seating is inside and air conditioned which is a huge bonus for a lot of families who just need somewhere to recharge on a hot day.

They do also the the Safari amber beer that Flame Tree Barbecue has (this beer can be found throughout Animal Kingdom). So if you just want to grab a drink and relax for a bit, but don’t want any food, this isn’t a terrible place to do it.

Location: DinoLand U.S.A.
Meal Periods: Lunch and Dinner
Mobile Order Available: Yes
Menu: Restaurantosaurus Menu
Price Range: The most expensive item is a Bacon Cheeseburger Combo at $16.99. Most other entrées are around $12-$13.
What to Order: There isn’t anything here that stands out for quality, it all is pretty average.

Overall

These rankings are my own opinion. Animal Kingdom overall has one of the most solid quick service options. Besides the last one, you can’t really go wrong with eating at any of these. Even at Restaurantosaurus, if it makes your family happy, that is all that matters!

Do you have a favorite Animal Kingdom quick service? Let me know below!