The Landing Cafe

Yes, it's expensive. You are inside of a park that doesn't allow food, so they have a captive audience.... Which means they're going to charge you. The food is decent the people who work here are very nice, the people serving and cooking the food are a little slow cuz they're doing two jobs... The VIEW makes it worthwhile... that and the free cold water on a hot day. Seriously it's worth a trip up the gondola just to see the amazing view. Just like the cafe down the hill if you order some garlic fries and get some water you're going to be happy.

If it wasn't for the LONG line to get your food, this place would've gotten 5 stars. Hands down, this cafe has the best food quality of any theme park or places where you take children. The pizza is made right in front of your eyes in a wood-fired oven, the salad is made fresh, so is the mac n cheese, and the garlic fries are also definitely premium with real chopped garlic. The food is simply great, even comparing the price point. And of course, there's the view. You are up on the hills of Oakland where you can see both the Oakland and SF skyline all in a single viewport. Having great weather also helps. My family had a fantastic meal here, felt refreshed and rested, and enjoyed the gondola ride to/from the cafe.

Very new build areas and Cafe. Great view from Cafe. You can see entire city from the cafe. For selection are OK. Price is little high but big portion

Mindy

Yes, it's expensive. You are inside of a park that doesn't allow food, so they have a captive audience.... Which means they're going to charge you. The food is decent the people who work here are very nice, the people serving and cooking the food are a little slow cuz they're doing two jobs... The VIEW makes it worthwhile... that and the free cold water on a hot day. Seriously it's worth a trip up the gondola just to see the amazing view. Just like the cafe down the hill if you order some garlic fries and get some water you're going to be happy.

Wook Chung

If it wasn't for the LONG line to get your food, this place would've gotten 5 stars. Hands down, this cafe has the best food quality of any theme park or places where you take children. The pizza is made right in front of your eyes in a wood-fired oven, the salad is made fresh, so is the mac n cheese, and the garlic fries are also definitely premium with real chopped garlic. The food is simply great, even comparing the price point. And of course, there's the view. You are up on the hills of Oakland where you can see both the Oakland and SF skyline all in a single viewport. Having great weather also helps. My family had a fantastic meal here, felt refreshed and rested, and enjoyed the gondola ride to/from the cafe.

SN L

Very new build areas and Cafe. Great view from Cafe. You can see entire city from the cafe. For selection are OK. Price is little high but big portion

Eating here is a planned stop every time I visit the zoo. The food isn't mind-blowing, but it isn't bad either. They have the comfort foods that kids will consistently eat which is what we need on trips to the zoo. My biggest complaint is that the veggie burgers are beyond meat instead of traditional veggie patties. If I wanted to eat something that tasted or felt like meat, I wouldn't be a vegetarian.

The food was pretty good, they have some good vegetarian options which is rare for a cafe inside a zoo. The service was quick and efficient. They have enough space inside and outside too. It is on the expensive side, but getting food inside a zoo is a plus. The view from their deck is really good.

Aishwarya Nagarajan

The food was pretty good, they have some good vegetarian options which is rare for a cafe inside a zoo. The service was quick and efficient. They have enough space inside and outside too. It is on the expensive side, but getting food inside a zoo is a plus. The view from their deck is really good.

Sarah Weitz

Eating here is a planned stop every time I visit the zoo. The food isn't mind-blowing, but it isn't bad either. They have the comfort foods that kids will consistently eat which is what we need on trips to the zoo. My biggest complaint is that the veggie burgers are beyond meat instead of traditional veggie patties. If I wanted to eat something that tasted or felt like meat, I wouldn't be a vegetarian.

Location is great, view is beautiful, but only problem is burger and pizza quality was cheap compared to the price. Fries were cold. Pizza was alright.

The location is top notch, no better view of the bay than here. The staff are not unfriendly... you can tell they have been through some rough customers, very guarded and will attempt to rush you through the line even if you are the only person waiting. Food is reasonable considering this is a zoo, tasty but in many ways prepared and waiting to be plated.

Balkirat Singh

Location is great, view is beautiful, but only problem is burger and pizza quality was cheap compared to the price. Fries were cold. Pizza was alright.

Julian Tavares

The location is top notch, no better view of the bay than here. The staff are not unfriendly... you can tell they have been through some rough customers, very guarded and will attempt to rush you through the line even if you are the only person waiting. Food is reasonable considering this is a zoo, tasty but in many ways prepared and waiting to be plated.

The food was actually good, but very expensive, at $100 for two people. Also, you have to fight to find a table to seat and eat. But the more annoying part, was the fact they don't allow you to take your left over to go. All you see in the picture was our left over food that had to be thrown away. Totally unacceptable !!!

The coffee was ok. The service was terrible. It’s a great view. I think these people keep their jobs because there are no other choices up here.

Horrible experience, bad food, crazy waiting time and people fighting in the kitchen. I would say this is the worse restaurant I ever have been, most of the employees were on training and messed with the orders on-line and on the counter. At some point the waiting time was so long that people lumped together in the counter screaming and arguing with the employees to get their food. Employees on the counter and inside the kitchen started to fight between them and security arrived. A disturbing scene considered we were there with our kids. After all, we got two burned awful thin burgers, salty fries and an a not-to-appealing tuna salad sandwich. Not a good deal considering every sandwich with fries is $14. Lesson learned, bring your own food to the zoo.

Seriously who makes a pizza like this? When some cafe or restaurant mess up something so easy such as a pizza, it causes doubts on who is running the show. We also got garlic fries and after we ate enough to see bottom of the cup, it was drenched in oil. Sure, we eat fries and it's deep fried but you don't want to see your fries floating in oil when you eat. Gross. Food here sucks! Next time, I will bring my own food. P.S: The employees and the folks who run the place seem efficient and nice.

On August 11 2023, we ordered a buffo chicken wrap and a chicken Caesar wrap for lunch at Oakland Zoo Landing Cafe but we got freezing wraps right from fridge. I asked the service person for warming them up but I was told they don't have microwave. We had to bring the food home.

Frank Sanchez

The food was actually good, but very expensive, at $100 for two people. Also, you have to fight to find a table to seat and eat. But the more annoying part, was the fact they don't allow you to take your left over to go. All you see in the picture was our left over food that had to be thrown away. Totally unacceptable !!!

Lisa & Michael Dimmitt

The coffee was ok. The service was terrible. It’s a great view. I think these people keep their jobs because there are no other choices up here.

Lucy Araya

Horrible experience, bad food, crazy waiting time and people fighting in the kitchen. I would say this is the worse restaurant I ever have been, most of the employees were on training and messed with the orders on-line and on the counter. At some point the waiting time was so long that people lumped together in the counter screaming and arguing with the employees to get their food. Employees on the counter and inside the kitchen started to fight between them and security arrived. A disturbing scene considered we were there with our kids. After all, we got two burned awful thin burgers, salty fries and an a not-to-appealing tuna salad sandwich. Not a good deal considering every sandwich with fries is $14. Lesson learned, bring your own food to the zoo.

Sid Rai

Seriously who makes a pizza like this? When some cafe or restaurant mess up something so easy such as a pizza, it causes doubts on who is running the show. We also got garlic fries and after we ate enough to see bottom of the cup, it was drenched in oil. Sure, we eat fries and it's deep fried but you don't want to see your fries floating in oil when you eat. Gross. Food here sucks! Next time, I will bring my own food. P.S: The employees and the folks who run the place seem efficient and nice.

Eugene Qiao

On August 11 2023, we ordered a buffo chicken wrap and a chicken Caesar wrap for lunch at Oakland Zoo Landing Cafe but we got freezing wraps right from fridge. I asked the service person for warming them up but I was told they don't have microwave. We had to bring the food home.

Food and atmosphere is good. Service was terrible. First they lost our ticket and we had to wait 30 mins to get our order. Then, when I asked for a to-go box, they refused to give me one quoting "the safety of the animals!?" but later when my husband went to get coffee, they gave him a box. Not sure what to make of this. Food is also expensive, so expecting customers to throw away leftovers is unacceptable as previous reviews have also quoted.

It was suppose to be a great dining experience at a scenic restaurant on top of the hill. However, food was not too bad, above average fast food. When we picked up our tray, no one was there to acknowledge that the drinks that were setting on the counter belonged to us. I had to squeeze through some angry customers clumped at the front of the pick-up line to get my tray and no one told us that we need to pick up the tea bag on the far side besides the wall. When we found out we were given just a cup of hot water we had to go back for the tea-bag. Guess what, it was 3:00 and they locked the door and ignored our knocking. All the Kitchen staff stood there stared instead of coming to help us. Thank god one customer helped to open the door so I could get my tea bag instead of paying $5 dollars for the hot water. Wow it was a great way to ruins my first experience at this zoo.

Their order system allows for creation of a huge backlog of orders. As a result, people are waiting for more than an hour, while their cooks still prepare meals for people who has already gave up and left the place hungry. When the meals are ready, stuff calls for people who are not there already, nobody comes, they start cooking a new butch of food nobody needs already. Total mess. People freak out because of waiting for so long with hungry kids. I won't discuss quality of burgers, because it doesn't matter after waiting for so long in this chaos.

Abaya Phadnis

Food and atmosphere is good. Service was terrible. First they lost our ticket and we had to wait 30 mins to get our order. Then, when I asked for a to-go box, they refused to give me one quoting "the safety of the animals!?" but later when my husband went to get coffee, they gave him a box. Not sure what to make of this. Food is also expensive, so expecting customers to throw away leftovers is unacceptable as previous reviews have also quoted.

M Lee

It was suppose to be a great dining experience at a scenic restaurant on top of the hill. However, food was not too bad, above average fast food. When we picked up our tray, no one was there to acknowledge that the drinks that were setting on the counter belonged to us. I had to squeeze through some angry customers clumped at the front of the pick-up line to get my tray and no one told us that we need to pick up the tea bag on the far side besides the wall. When we found out we were given just a cup of hot water we had to go back for the tea-bag. Guess what, it was 3:00 and they locked the door and ignored our knocking. All the Kitchen staff stood there stared instead of coming to help us. Thank god one customer helped to open the door so I could get my tea bag instead of paying $5 dollars for the hot water. Wow it was a great way to ruins my first experience at this zoo.

Ilia Kalistru

Their order system allows for creation of a huge backlog of orders. As a result, people are waiting for more than an hour, while their cooks still prepare meals for people who has already gave up and left the place hungry. When the meals are ready, stuff calls for people who are not there already, nobody comes, they start cooking a new butch of food nobody needs already. Total mess. People freak out because of waiting for so long with hungry kids. I won't discuss quality of burgers, because it doesn't matter after waiting for so long in this chaos.