Bernice Olaes

Gorgeous tucked away restaurant at the World Famous San Diego Zoo. We came on a Friday morning and were able to get a reservation right at opening. We were seated inside and ordered the steak, fries, and tomato basil soup. Our server, Madison was not only kind but so attentive! She was quick to bring anything extra that we needed and definitely enhanced our experience with her service. The soup was AMAZING. I asked for the salmon to be more medium rare than well done and the chef(s) cooked it to perfection! The veggies were soft and cauliflower puree was so delicious I had to ask for more!

Amy Kay

Lovely place to eat while visiting this Zoo! We came on a Thursday and there was no wait. Love how they made this restaurant inside the habitat that used to belong to Albert 🦍. We sat outside by the waterfall which made for a beautiful experience! The wait staff was amazing by accommodating our order. We shared a tomato bisque and the chicken sandwich which was plenty for my husband and I. The nice waitress had the kitchen split both of them to serve us our own. Everything was delicious, everyone was kind, and the atmosphere was memorable. Oh, and do order from their signature cocktails! Their vodka strawberry lemonade and their Tequila cucumber drinks were great 👍🏼

Alexander Photography

I’ll start off with the food. We got the chicken picatta and the steak frites. Both meals were cooked perfectly and delicious. The garlic truffle potato wedges with the steak were delicious. When told that this was the best restaurant at San Diego zoo, the food didn’t disappoint. The waiter was very attentive to our drinks and refills were brought out without asking. They even offered to go aluminum cups at the end of the meal which we saved as keepsakes from the zoo. The only down side to our experience was that we went in late January. The weather was chilly and windy and our table happened to be next to the door outside with the waterfall. It was busy so we didn’t have an option to change tables and they weren’t willing to shut the door. All the tables around us were clearly freezing but since they service outside frequently, the door had to remain open.

Rong Mao

One of the nicest dining spots inside the San Diego Zoo. The staff were all cheerful and helpful. It took a while for the food to be served. The cheesy garlic bread was yummy but rich. The flat iron steak kale salad tasted healthy and surprisingly delicious, perhaps one of the best dishes we ordered. The pasta with chicken piccata and creamy sauce was quite good. The mac and cheese and fries in the kids menu were decent. Overall the quality of the food was better than what we expected from a restaurant inside the zoo. The price was on the higher end compared to the other places inside the zoo, but it was a great dining experience for us, especially on a rainy and chilly winter day.

Sarah Trettner

We were looking for something tasty to eat at the zoo, which has a rating of 4 stars and more! With the help of Google, we found the restaurant. The food was quickly prepared, nicely presented and tasted good. With the salad, the combination of strawberries and the bacon chips was well combined! The shrimps in the pasta (additionally ordered) were very good. We definitely recommend the restaurant!

Heather S.

One side of the restaurant had all the families with kids, the other side didn't, and they sat me in the middle of all the kids for some reason, even though I was kidless. The quesa birria tacos were alright but the fries were terrible. Good service until I was ready for the bill, then I couldn't find the server.

EdDeL

Probably just an expensive zoo lunch… Taking as a departing point that Albert’s is a restaurant at the San Diego Zoo, we can say it is not bad at all, yet there are some things that are worth being noted. Firstly, décor is not outstanding, and neither is the view, better get a seat at the terrace or you could end up feeling like having lunch at an IHOP. The view is not great from Albert’s, a shame because I bet it could have been outstanding, but from the terrace you’ll at least have a glimpse of a small waterfall and the nice feeling of the open-air breeze –might get chilly depending on the season. Secondly, service is friendly and polite, probably not as knowledgeable about the menu and its preparation but nothing you cannot live with. Thirdly, food barely scratches the good tier, likely far from the quality of a restaurant you have to book a table for, but doable for a zoo restaurant; pasta and chicken were good, but you definitely want to stay away from the steak, which was fatty and beyond the proper doneness. On the adult side of the story, seems like you can get here some beers and drinks not available at other lunch locations –though not 100% sure about it, maybe they are indeed available somewhere else. Lastly, although reasonably priced, I keep wondering who wants to spend around $80 per person for lunch while visiting the zoo; whilst up to each one’s preferences, I don’t think I’d do it again.

+1

Francis

Was really hoping to have a nice quiet meal here but unfortunately it was not meant to be! The location is definitely very nice with beautiful waterfalls which you can't hear at all due to the overwhelming sound of yelling kids and crying babies. I guess it was due to the long weekend because previous reviews mentioned how quiet it was but be careful since that is clearly not the case on weekends. The food is seriously overpriced as well and service was friendly but very slow. We had the quesa birria tacos which to be fair were good but in no way are they worth $24! We also had the tuna melt which was fine but nothing special. We knew the place would be overpriced like everywhere else in the zoo but our thinking was paying more to get some quiet rest as others suggested but I definitely don't think that's the case on weekends.

Tareq Barakzoy

The food was mediocre. I had the butternut squash soup and it was the thickest soup I had ever had. I think it’s Vegan because I didn’t taste the chicken flavor you get from the chicken broth. The double stacked fried chicken sandwich was truly pile hi and spicy. The service was great.

Ryan's

Have eaten here at least 10x and the food quality has dropped off pretty bad. The Brussel sprouts came out and they were very burnt and black, with a pile of burnt loose leaves. No green anywhere, and just disgusting. They did remake them and the 2nd time was just OK but still lacked that savory crunch amd flavor. Not worth $17... ⭐️ My son got the tacos which were fine and as expected, but not super flavorful like they used to be. ⭐️⭐️ I got the 'double' chicken sandwich. I usually take 1 chicken off as it is to thick to eat and my son usually eats it. Today they decided to cut the patty in half to make it a double stack. So half the chicken at the same price. The chicken was well over cooked and not way to crunchy. You can see how dry/overcooked the chicken was.⭐️ The fries were good, they used to be outshined by all the delicious main courses. Not anymore I guess. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It was quite and not busy at all. I would have been much happier eating anywhere else at the Zoo (not Treetops Cafe, avoid that place at all costs). Even with the pass discount it was not worth over $50 for the meal. Which is sad as the food used to be spot on or better all the time.

+2