Animal Kingdom is not typically the park that immediately comes to mind when you think about Disney World.

However, it is many people’s favorite park, especially kids’, because of all the animals and genuine beauty of nature you can feel in the theme park.

One thing a lot of us overlook at Animal Kingdom, though, is its food. It has great rides and shows, that are well-known, but people don’t often talk about the food. Well, we’re not those people, because Animal Kingdom has some AMAZING food options. But out of its 33 different dining options, there are FIVE that stand out to us the most.

Yak & Yeti

Yak & Yeti is one of our favorite places to eat in Animal Kingdom. Not only is the food great but you can get Asian-inspired entrees at both table service and quick service locations– making this a double whammy restaurant!

Both locations offer Asian fusion options, however, the table service gives you a larger selection amid a Nepalese-style restaurant with a very cool atmosphere. The restaurant offers adult meals for $15-$34.99 at both lunch and dinner. It also has a kids’ menu which is generally $10.99. 

The quick-service spot serves similar-styled foods with a smaller variety. But it is still very good food and nice when you want something quick as opposed to a whole sit-down meal. You can get breakfast and lunch. and dinner here and it includes a kids’ menu as well! Meals here range from $14.99 and under for adults and $9.49 for kids.

Our go-to’s at the table service version are the Firecracker Shrimp and the Ahi Tuna Nachos. The nachos are certainly large enough to share.

Tusker House

Tusker House is one of the most fun restaurants in Animal Kingdom. It is the only character buffet in the park. You get to see Mickey and his pals dressed up to go on a safari that Donald is hosting. The food is delicious and unique with African inspiration.

This restaurant has a colorful, airy atmosphere with African-style decor. Since this is a character buffet, it is a little on the pricey side. But it’s worth it with all the face time you get with the high-profile stars roaming around.

The characters are wonderful, but they’re not all this spot has the offer. The buffet has a great variety and is quite tasty. We recommend this spot if you’re looking for some good food and personal time with Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Daisy! Currently, breakfast is $47 for adults and $30 for kids, while lunch and dinner are $62 per adult and $4o per child.

Satu’li Canteen

If you’re looking for a fantastic meal that’s quick and has air conditioning, we suggest wandering over to Pandora and dropping into Satu’li Canteen. It’s a cafeteria-style, out-of-this-world restaurant with delicious food.

Here you can get fun, unique, and tasty bowls featuring a variety of options. You pick your base, meat, and toppings.

But the main event here is the steamed cheeseburger pods. These are delicious. Kids and adults can get these pods as your main entree, and we definitely recommend trying them.

We love this dining location and will continue to highlight it as one of our favorites in Animal Kingdom. Adults can eat here for $14.99 and under, and there is a kid’s menu ranging from $7 to $9.

Flame Tree Barbecue

But if you don’t feel like walking all the way back to Pandora for lunch, and you don’t mind sitting outside, then give Flame Tree Barbecue a try!

This barbecue joint is pretty dang good. We especially love the barbecue pulled pork mac and cheese and the french fries with pulled pork and cheese (which are BACK)! You can also get some traditional BBQ options like BBQ chicken and ribs. They also have plant-based options here (however, we weren’t as impressed with these as with other plant-based options). Most of which are very good.

Flame Tree is a great quick-service option that we always seem to go back to. Since it does offer bigger portions and yummy meats, like ribs, adults can here for $15 to $34.99. There are also kid’s options.

Tiffins/Nomad Lounge

Last on our list, but certainly not least, is the duo Tiffins and Nomad Lounge. We put these together because Tiffins is the primary restaurant whereas Nomad Lounge is its adjacent bar location. Both locations have some phenomenal eats. Tiffins is Animal Kingdom’s signature restaurant, so you will spend a bit more here, but it’s worth it.

Tiffins has high-quality service and an artistic atmosphere. The food here is unique and a little adventurous. If you’re ballin on a budget, you may want to try one of the other options. But if you want a new experience with great food and aren’t concerned about the price tag, we recommend giving this a shot. You will need a reservation to dine here.

If you want smaller plate options with a walk-up waitlist, then try the accompanying Nomad Lounge. You can get some of the same menu items here as at Tiffins (like the bread service– YUM) as well as other appetizer-styled options. They also just recently added new menu items that we LOVED.

Tiffins ranges from $35 to $59.99 per adult and it has a less-adventurous kid’s menu. We enjoy Tiffins and Nomad Lounge every time we visit and suggest giving them a try!

When people mention food in Disney World, Animal Kingdom isn’t the first place they think of. But this wild animal park has several locations that are our favorites. So next time you’re there, don’t miss out on one of these top-notch restaurants.

With over a hundred different places to eat at Disney World, we know it can be tough to plan your meals. That’s why we wrote the DFB Guide to Dining at Walt Disney World. We have reviews, pictures, and details about every restaurant all in one digital download – along with ALL of our best tips and strategies from decades of Disney World trips. We’ve got a special discount code for DFB readers, too! Use WDW2023 at checkout for 25% off!

For more Disney food tips, keep following DFB!

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What is your favorite Animal Kingdom restaurant? Let us know in the comments!