18 Best Restaurants in Disney's Animal Kingdom, Walt Disney World Orlando

Boma takes Western-style ingredients and prepares them with an African twist. You walk through an African marketplace–style dining room to help yourself at counters piled high with flavor from an upscale buffet like no other. The dozen or so serving stations have entrées such as roasted pork, Durban-style chicken, spice-crusted beef, and fish served with tamarind and other robust sauces; intriguing salads; and some of the best hummus this side of the Atlantic. Don't pass up the soups and salads. The zebra dome dessert is chocolate mousse covered with white chocolate and striped with dark chocolate. For a more relaxed breakfast experience, book a table for before 9:30 am; Boma gets crowded quickly. 

"Jiko" means "the cooking place" in Swahili, and this restaurant is certainly that, offering a menu that is more African-inspired than purely African, as well as a large selection of African wines. The dining area surrounds two big, wood-burning ovens and a grill zone where you can watch cooks in North African–style caps prepare your meal. The menu, crafted by some of the best chefs Disney has to offer, includes authentic flavors in appetizers like flatbreads and dips. Menu items often change, but entrées might include seafood tagine, spicy Botswana-style beef short ribs, and sorghum chicken.  Though it's one of Disney's best restaurants, its distance from the parks means reservations are easier to get.

Set in the heart of Pandora, Satu'li walks a line between fast-casual and fine dining with counter service and surprisingly sophisticated, internationally inspired dishes. The menu features grain bowls with fresh-cooked ingredients and kids' meals that are actually nutritious.

Inspired by the worldwide journeys of Disney Imagineers, this wildly popular, upscale restaurant is possibly the best theme-park eatery—period. The menu is international, the inventive space has enough unique Disney decor to fill a museum, and the attached Nomad Lounge (the park's only air-conditioned bar) serves small bites and handcrafted cocktails. Meat-free offerings are every bit as good as their carnivorous alternatives.

This good-value restaurant offers all-buffet dining three meals a day, and a Donald's safari-theme character crew complements the African-esque decor and menu. In addition to standard kids fare, the menu has healthful dishes like curry chicken, marinated salmon, strip loin rubbed with berbere (an African spice mix), and saffron-infused root vegetables. Kids will be happy to see corn dog nuggets and mashed potatoes on the buffet, but this is a great chance to add something unusual to their palet. This restaurant has a large vegetarian selection.

It's hard to miss this funky truck serving vanilla and chocolate ice cream in floats and sundaes.

Here you'll find small cups of mac 'n' cheese with or without pulled pork on top. Those looking for a true culinary adventure can try the pulled-pork jelly doughnut sandwich.

This quick-service eatery is one of the park's relatively undiscovered gems; there's nothing fancy here, but you can dig into ribs, chicken, and pulled-pork sandwiches. Tables beneath intricately carved wood pavilions make great spots for a picnic, and they're not usually crowded.

Carved into the walkway leading to the Wildlife Express train, this four-station food mart offers a selection of shrimp or chicken bowls and salads. Everyone will want their own watermelon lemonade.

Be it for breakfast or a snack, stop here for a latte and danish to avoid the lines at the Starbucks on the other side of Discovery Island. In the afternoon, several tropics-inspired alcoholic beverages are available, but the ever-popular Island Cappuccino with Captain Morgan spiced rum is there all day.

On your way to Kilimanjaro Safaris in the morning, stop by this coffee shop to grab a colossal cinnamon roll or pistachio honey croissant to split while waiting in line. In the afternoon, the flatbreads are a refreshing choice to share.

Na'vi-inspired treats, such as pineapple cream cheese spring rolls and giant pretzels, can be found here. But what kids will love is the Night Blossom, a limeade topped with boba. Pongu Pongu also offers breakfast, so if you find yourself deep into the park without having stopped to eat, grab a biscuit here.

Most of the flavors are from India, yet Sanaa is really a celebration of the Spice Islands—locales off the coast of Africa that, for centuries, enticed traders from the world's far corners. Exotic yet approachable lunches and dinners make it a true find on the outer edges of the Disney empire; views of zebras and giraffes on the savanna right out the picture windows are another draw. Potato-pea samosas are good starters. For the main course, try the tandoori chicken or the potjie-inspired meal, a bowl with a mix of a protein and unique base. This is the only sit-down restaurant open for lunch at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. 

Look for the colorful, smiling (of course!) crocodiles on the side of this little hut offering delicious street tacos. Choose from pulled pork, chicken, or corn, and combine it with an Island Sunrise for a quick snack.

If you liked the Dole Whip pineapple float in the Magic Kingdom, stop here for another, or upgrade to the Pineapple Crisp Sundae. 

If Expedition Everest isn't for you—or if you need something to help you relax before boarding or calm down after riding—head here for specialty margaritas and unusual beers such as the Safari Amber or Tampa Bay Old Elephant Foot IPA. If you can get a seat at the bar, this is a great place to people-watch for a bit.

This two-story, 250-seat restaurant offers everything from noodles, curries, and wok dishes to Korean barbecue, with standout entrées that include seared miso salmon or roasted duck with plum barbecue sauce (an occasional prix-fixe menu is offered as well). The decor is pleasantly faux-Asian, with cracked plaster walls, wood carvings, and tile mosaic tabletops, and the adjacent bar is a surprisingly intimate place to escape from the crowds and grab a drink while the kids are getting wet at Kali River Rapids.

Within this shop, hidden in the back of the Africa section, you'll find enough to satisfy any sweet tooth. A constantly changing selection of candied apples, Mickey-theme cookies, and cupcakes can be found in abundance. Order in advance on the Disney app to avoid long lines.