Looking for the perfect lunch at Animal Kingdom? We’ve rounded up all of the best lunch restaurants, meals, and snacks inside the park!
Whether you’re looking for a quick service snack or a full sit-down, table service experience, we’ve got you covered.
The park is broken into several different sections: Discovery Island, Africa, Asia, Pandora and DinoLand, U.S.A. Every section of Animal Kingdom has it’s own eateries and we’ve covered every one of them below from best to worst, specifically for lunch.
Animal Kingdom really is one of the best Disney parks for both great attractions and excellent food.
P.S. – If you’re making it a full day at AK, we also have guides to Breakfast at Animal Kingdom & Dinner at Animal Kingdom!
Best Table Service Lunch at Animal Kingdom
Yak & Yeti Restaurant
- Location: Asia
- Unique/Themed Dining
- Reservations Strongly Recommended
- $15 – $35 per person
- Asian/Chinese Cuisine
Yak & Yeti is one of the best options for table service lunch in Animal Kingdom. It’s got a nice, casual atmosphere and a large menu of delicious meals to choose from. The interior pulls from the same inspiration for the whole Asia section of the park – it’s styled after small mountain villages in Nepal near the base of Mount Everest.
Yak & Yeti is a great location for adults & children, small and large parties. They’ve got a pretty extensive children’s menu with kid favorites and healthy options, along with many meals and alcoholic beverages that adults will enjoy.
Our picks for lunch would be a small plate of Pot Stickers out first, followed by entrees of Honey Chicken or Lobster Garlic Noodles with a side of fried rice, then a light sweet treat like the Mango Sorbet.
Tusker House Restaurant
- Location: Africa
- Character Dining/Buffet
- Reservations Strongly Recommended
- $35 – $60 per person
- African & American Cuisine
Tusker House is the perfect place for families to enjoy a great meal with their children amongst friends – of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse gang. Here, you’ll get the chance to meet Minnie, Donald, Daisy and others as you select items from the buffet for your lunch.
The main draw for Tusker House is getting to meet the characters without waiting in line. The food is pretty standard, nothing outstanding, so we suggest coming here only if it’s your goal to meet and take photos with the characters.
The lunch buffet typically consists of fresh bread, pitas & dips, curries, chicken, pork, salmon, salads and kids items like deli meat & cheeses, potatoes, macaroni and nuggets. They also have a special dessert bar with puddings, brownies and cakes.
Nomad Lounge
- Location: Discovery Island
- Lounge
- No Reservations Necessary
- $15 – $35 per person
- African, Asian & Indian Inspired
Nomad Lounge is attached to the side of Tiffins Restaurant and is seated right along the water overlooking Pandora. The great thing is that you don’t need reservations to eat here, simply walk up to the bar or ask if there’s open seating on the patio.
Nomad Lounge is perfect for adults who want to escape the bustle of hopping from attraction to attraction at Animal Kingdom and take a moment to relax. The menu is comprised of small plate options served from the Tiffins kitchen.
We suggest trying any of these items for lunch paired with your choice of signature cocktail: Chicken Manchurian Nomad Bowl, Togarashi-spiced Tuna Nomad Bowl, Nomad Sliders or the Fish Tacos. All of these are decent sized portions for lunch.
Tiffins Restaurant
- Location: Discovery Island
- Fine/Signature Dining
- Reservations Strongly Recommended
- $35 – $60 per person
- African, Asian & Indian Inspired
Tiffins is our number one pick for table service in Animal Kingdom – that being said, it may not be the best option for lunch. It’s pretty pricey and the portions are large so it’s typically better to eat here for dinner. But if you prefer to book lunch instead of dinner at Tiffins there are tons of flavorful options to choose from.
The beauty of Tiffins is in the entire dining experience. You’ll want to keep it on the lighter side when eating lunch, especially when you’re planning to spend the rest of the day running around the hot park. But take in the beautiful decor brought from Africa and surrounding regions while you eat your delicious meal.
We recommend skipping the appetizers (even though they’re delicious) and going straight for the lunch entrees. The Butter Chicken and the Whole-Fried Fish are incredible, as well as the Shrimp and Grits and Crispy Sadza. Finish up with a Passion Fruit Tapioca Creme.
Rainforest Cafe
- Location: Main Entrance
- Unique/Themed Dining
- Reservations Strongly Recommended
- $15 – $35 per person
- American Cuisine
Rain Forest Cafe is seen as a destination restaurant by some, but we don’t list it higher simply because the other restaurants on this list have superior food. Rain Forest Cafe is pretty standard as far as American cuisine goes and it’s definitely more geared towards entertaining children.
The interior is laid out like a jungle with larger-than-life plants, animatronic animals and huge fish tanks around the restaurant. It’s very fun for families to experience this at least once in their lifetime. It’s also got a secret entrance to the part which we explain on our 30 Tips & Secrets of Animal Kingdom post.
We would suggest getting a lighter meal for lunch like the Chicken Quesadillas or a flatbread from the appetizer menu, a soup and salad pairing or the Jungle Turkey Wrap.
Best Quick Service Lunch at Animal Kingdom
Satu’li Canteen
- Location: Pandora
- Fast Casual
- Mobile Orders Available
- $15 and under per person
- Asian, African & Indian Inspired
Satu’li Canteen is considered the golden standard for Animal Kingdom quick service. It’s complete with excellent food, mobile ordering and a large cafeteria with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. They’ve even got a great kids menu with some unique offerings you won’t find anywhere else.
We suggest getting one of their bowls. Our favorite combo is the chopped chicken and potato hash topped with creamy herb dressing. Another great option is the kids’ Cheeseburger Steamed Pods.
Flame Tree Barbecue
- Location: Discovery Island
- Fast Casual
- Mobile Orders Available
- $15 and under per person
- American Cuisine
Flame Tree Barbecue is one of the first places you come to in the park, so it can be busy, but it’s a great place to get a reliable meal. It’s got limited seating on the patio, so you may end up standing to eat or walking a little ways to find a bench.
Most of their dishes make an excellent and filling lunch. We like the Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwich and the 1/2 Chicken with baked beans and cole slaw.
Yak & Yeti Local Foods
- Location: Asia
- Counter Service
- $15 and under per person
- Asian Cuisine
Yak & Yeti Local Foods is another go-to lunch place for us. It’s not anything like the table service restaurant, but it’s got delicious food nonetheless. It’s open from breakfast to dinner and has a wide selection of good choices that should please the whole family.
The only thing lacking is ample seating; most of which is outdoors along the side of the counter. Our top picks from the lunch menu are the Teriyaki Beef Bowl, Honey Chicken, and the Ginger Chicken Salad. It’s also hard to pass up some Pork Egg Rolls and Chicken Fried Rice.
Restaurantosaurus
- Location: Dinoland, U.S.A.
- Counter Service
- Mobile Orders Available
- $15 and under per person
- American Cuisine
Restaurantosaurus has ample indoor seating for the whole family, with fun children’s carnival games just steps away in Dinoland, U.S.A. This is a great place to get that cheeseburger you’ve been craving all day while letting your feet rest. They’ve also got grilled and fried chicken and a good Cobb Salad.
Harambe Market
- Location: Africa
- Counter Service
- Mobile Orders Available
- $15 and under per person
- African Cuisine
Harambe Market is a nice outdoor counter service location with a fair amount of patio seating for its patrons. They’ve got delicious bowls, gyros and Pork Sausage, but be warned – they are only open from 11am till 4pm – if you really want to eat here, get there within that timeframe.
Pizzafari
- Location: Discovery Island
- Counter Service
- Mobile Orders Available
- $15 and under per person
- Pizza & Flatbreads
Pizzafari is a quick service spot on Discovery Island that offers pizzas and flatbreads at most times of the day. They actually have a Family-Style portion of the restaurant that is considered table service for the dinner hour. But if you come for lunch, pick up a slice of their Pepperoni Pizza or get the Chicken Caesar Salad.
Kusafiri Coffee Shop & Bakery
- Location: Africa
- Counter Service
- $15 and under per person
- Multiple Cuisines
Kusafiri serves really good breakfast until 11am, then they consider the food served for the rest of the day as a “snack”. We think one of their curry dishes like the Chicken Curry or the Shrimp Curry with the Quinoa Salad makes a nice dish. Otherwise, come here for a scrumptious pastry and coffee.
Eight Spoon Cafe
- Location: Discovery Island
- Counter Service
- $15 and under per person
- American Cuisine
Eight Spoon Cafe is a stealthily good stand that serves some of the most delicious mac and cheese dishes you’ve ever had. If you’re in the mood for something cheesy, order a combo of the Baked Macaroni & Cheese with Pulled Pork and the Baked Macaroni & Cheese with Shrimp – you won’t be sorry.
The Smiling Crocodile
- Location: Discovery Island
- Counter Service
- $15 and under per person
- American Cuisine
The Smiling Crocodile is another stand with a small menu of unique offerings. Order both the Pork Tamale and the Street Tacos together if you’re looking for something suitable for lunch. If you’re feeling adventurous, try their Pulled Pork Jelly Donut Sandwich.
Dino Diner
- Location: Dinoland, U.S.A.
- Counter Service
- $15 and under per person
- American Cuisine
Dino Diner is an adorable stand tucked away in the Dinoland, U.S.A portion of Animal Kingdom and offers a small selection of snacks that could make a good lunch. One of the All Beef Hot Dogs with potato chips is a good option, along with an order of the Corn Chip Pie made with chili, sour cream, queso and jalapenos on corn chips.
Terra Treats
- Location: Discovery Island
- Counter Service
- $15 and under per person
- American Cuisine
Terra Treats has a couple small pizzas and this little Spaghetti and Meatball Cupcake. We’d suggest combining two of the menu items to make a full meal and grabbing a cup of the Loggerhead, made with Sprite and sour apple with a rock candy apple straw and topped with a gummy worm.
Thirsty River Bar & Trek Snacks
- Location: Asia
- Counter Service
- $15 and under per person
- American Cuisine
If your ideal lunch is an Uncrustables with some popcorn and a chocolate-chip cookie, then Thirsty River Bar & Trek Snacks is the stand for you. Otherwise, pay this one a visit when you’re looking for some adult beverages, desserts and ice cream.
Trilo-Bites
- Location: Asia
- Fast Casual
- $15 and under per person
- Asian Cuisine
Trilo-Bites has a really scrumptious snack of Buffalo Chicken Chips that we think could pass for a meal on it’s own. This is the only real food item on their menu among all the ice creams and drinks, so we wouldn’t consider this stand for lunch.
Harambe Fruit Market
- Location: Africa
- Counter Service
- $15 and under per person
- American Cuisine
We more so recommend Harambe Fruit Market – not to be confused with Harambe Market – as a snack instead of a full meal. The only way you could turn whole fruits, pita and hummus, mandarin oranges and assorted chips into a meal is if you combined them all together.
Planning a Trip to Animal Kingdom?
We’ve got tons of great resources for you to reference as you plan your trip. Take a look at the complete Insider’s Guide to Animal Kingdom Dining for a summary on all the eateries in Animal Kingdom, or read our Animal Kingdom Fastpass Tiers as your booking fastpasses for attractions.