The Watering Hole at Kijamii Overlook

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Watering Hole at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park What an incredible spot! The location and ambiance are absolutely amazing — you're surrounded by open savanna views, animals wandering nearby, and that relaxed, breezy feeling that makes you want to stay all afternoon. The food and drinks were fantastic — we tried the Club Sandwich, Grilled Cheese, and Nachos, all fresh and flavorful. The margaritas and beer hit the spot on a warm afternoon! The service was equally great — friendly, attentive, and perfectly paced so you could enjoy the scenery. If you're visiting the Safari Park, this is a must-stop for a drink or lunch. It's not just a restaurant — it's part of the experience. 🦒🍹🌿

We were at the park for a birthday and made reservations at the watering hole. The location and view is stunning. We were early for our reservation but they seated us immediately. The service was very good, a little slow at time so we enjoyed the view. I recommend ordering drinks early as they can a little time to make. The food was very good and portions were also very nice. Our server treated our birthday guest with a dessert and everyone enjoyed their lunches and dinning experience.

This is one of my favorite spots at which to dine. The service is always attentive (Vu was fantastic), the food is plentiful and healthy, and the views are breathtaking. What a treasure.

Great experience. We always eat at the Watering Hole when we go to the park. Beautiful view and great food. Third time for us and we will come back at our next visit.

I am a Zoo/Safari Park pass holder, and have been wanting to try the Watering Hole for quite some time. I decided that for my birthday, I would treat my kids and grandkids here. We had reservations (highly recommended) and were seated promptly. The view was beautiful - expansive over the safari area which the trams travels. The service was not that great. It was not the fault of our server so much since one bartender had called out, along with a server that day. The wait to get our drinks was over 30 minutes and food (about an hour) was way too long, especially when there were 3 kids aged 1, 4, and 7. Luckily, the viewing area had a lot of artificial turf on which the kids could run around away from the diners while waiting for our food. The overall food was overpriced and not very good. In my personal opinion, the shrimp and chorizo nachos and burrata appetizers were the most tasty and flavorful of the entire meal. The children all had the kids' meal of mac n cheese which was a huge portion. 2 young kids could have shared it. It came with a commemorative bag which included applesauce and animal crackers. The adults all had sandwiches - the menu choices were a couple of salads or sandwiches, that's it. Two of us had a short rib hoagie. The meat was flavorful, however, the sandwich was visually unappealing. The shredded short rib was put between a plain roll. There was about a teaspoon of aioli in a corner of the roll. That's it. Everyone else seemed to be very blase about their sandwiches (toasted Cuban, Italian deli grinder) except for my son who ordered the vegan mapo tofu bahn mi. Not only did it have visual appeal, he said that it was delicious, and he is a meat eater. He loves to cook and wants to re-create the sandwich. Overall, as much as I love coming to the Safari Park, I highly doubt that I will be coming to the Watering Hole any time to soon. Way overpriced for sub-par food.

We had the truffle mushroom grilled cheese and the toasted ruben. Both were delicious. The service was great and of course you can't beat the views.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

As always, a great experience. Service gets better and better. The food is consistent. Noticed a price increase since our last visit a few months ago. But, it's still a good value for the food, ambiance, and location.

We all had sandwiches, which we enjoyed. We had reservations which i would always reccomend.

We absolutely loved this place! Very cool atmosphere with the bar in the inside of a cool looking tree and awesome safari vibes. The view overlooking the Savannah with all the animals was amazing and really made for a very special lunch! The food was excellent with large portions! But the best part of our dining experience was our server, Vu! She was so polite, friendly, and helpful! She made sure we had everything we needed and is the best server that we have had in a very long time! She is the best!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Great place to cool off and eat some good food. Plenty of space for our toddler to run around and play. Also had lovely view of rhinos sleeping in the shade. Spritzers were on and keeping everyone cool in the well shaded dining area. We had the shrimp nachos as an appetizer, and then for main courses got the chicken salad, salmon salad and Italian sandwich. Not cheap- but also not your typical zoo food.

The ambiance was amazing. The food was Very Good. The service was a little underwhelming, we left feeling our waiter did not like his job. Having said that, the host was very friendly.

The staff was incredible and so was the food. From the nachos to the sandwiches it was so delicious. My picky daughter said her grilled cheese was the best ever cause it was crunchy, warm and the cheese stretch was huge.

We waited about 45 minutes to get our food. The group next to us left because they waited so long for someone to come and take their order. Our waitress was very sweet but she was overwhelmed. Not enough help. The ambiance is amazing that's why we always want to eat at the Watering Hole. I hope this situation is resolved . No one wants to wait excessively long to receive their meal.

My most favorite place to eat. If i can't zip over to Africa for lunch, I'll go to The Watering Hole. And service is fantastic. Kudos to Herschel at the bar, to Vu and Stein as servers, and to Brett the manager. Plus all the others who provide excellent service every time I've been there. This place is a hidden gem for lunch and for private events.

Unique & beautiful African lodge setting overlooking the San Diego Safari Park's savanna animals. Excellent variety of menu items - appetizers, sandwiches, salads & desserts made to order. Good bar & beverage choices. A totally fun destination!