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Okavango Outpost
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Okavango Outpost
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Okavango Outpost

Coffee · Escondido

4.1 · 147 reviews Google
sdzsafaripark.org

About Okavango Outpost

Located in Escondido, Okavango Outpost offers a welcoming atmosphere perfect for relaxing, dining, or waiting with friends. Known for its tram safari feature and accessible facilities, this café provides fast service and outdoor seating for all guests. While some dishes arrive pre-packaged, many vis...

Located in Escondido, Okavango Outpost offers a welcoming atmosphere perfect for relaxing, dining, or waiting with friends. Known for its tram safari feature and accessible facilities, this café provides fast service and outdoor seating for all guests. While some dishes arrive pre-packaged, many visitors enjoy fresh salads, pretzels, and hearty sandwiches like the turkey pesto option. The staff is consistently friendly and accommodating to diverse needs, including solo diners and those requiring wheelchair access. Despite occasional wait times during peak hours, the location remains a popular spot for lunch and dinner, offering beverages at zoo prices. It serves as a convenient refuge within the park, blending casual dining with essential amenities in a spacious, easy-to-navigate setting.

What Customers Say About Okavango Outpost

Okavango Outpost offers a convenient but inconsistent dining experience within the park. While some appreciate the fresh salads and flavorful sandwiches like the turkey pesto, many complain about high prices, slow service, and pre-packaged food. Staff friendliness is also inconsistent.

Popular Dishes

turkey pesto sandwich pretzel Caesar salad meatball sandwich chicken sandwich rootbeer float paninis

Best For

Families Tourists Quick Bite Casual

Tip: Be prepared for potentially long wait times, especially if the food line gets long. Consider downloading the park map app for easier navigation.

Features

🌳 Outdoor Accessible 🍽️ Lunch 🌙 Dinner Coffee
🎯 Casual 👨‍👩‍👧 Family 👥 Groups

Frequently asked questions about Okavango Outpost

Okavango Outpost is located at San Diego Zoo Safari Park, 15500 San Pasqual Valley Rd, Escondido, CA 92027, Escondido.
Okavango Outpost offers coffee cuisine.
Okavango Outpost has regular opening hours. Check their profile for updated schedules.
Okavango Outpost offers the following services: dine-in, takeaway.
The most recommended dishes at Okavango Outpost based on customer reviews are: turkey pesto sandwich, pretzel, Caesar salad, meatball sandwich, chicken sandwich.
Okavango Outpost is ideal for families, tourists, quick bites, casual dining.
Okavango Outpost offers a convenient but inconsistent dining experience within the park. While some appreciate the fresh salads and flavorful sandwiches like the turkey pesto, many complain about high prices, slow service, and pre-packaged food. Staff friendliness is also inconsistent.
Be prepared for potentially long wait times, especially if the food line gets long. Consider downloading the park map app for easier navigation.
147
Reviews

Okavango Outpost Escondido Reviews

4.1
147
5★
53%
4★
23%
3★
13%
2★
3%
1★
8%
Reviews (40)
R
Robin L

Very good place to eat. All the stuff we ordered was fresh. (We got salads, pretzels and chips.) The ladies were really nice. They spoke loud so we could hear over the loud equipment.

K
Kelly Heffern

It's a nice place to sit and relax while enjoying a beverage or waiting for others.

J
John Richardson

One of the best views you could ask for while eating. Nice shaded areas.

Kelly Heffern
Kelly Heffern

It's a nice place to sit and relax while enjoying a beverage or waiting for others.

Robin L
Robin L

Very good place to eat. All the stuff we ordered was fresh. (We got salads, pretzels and chips.) The ladies were really nice. They spoke loud so we could hear over the loud equipment.

C
Christian Lund

We went to this place for the first time today and it was pretty good. We ordered the turkey pesto sandwich and the pasta, along with a pretzel and cheese. The food wasn't hot and the pretzel was kind of hard but everything was flavorful. There is a nice terrace overlooking the lagoon below. If you feel like digesting after a large meal you can take the 40 minute tram ride that's very close by. We paid $52 after our member discount for two of us to eat but that's to be expected when coming here. A bonus is that the people who work here are very nice. Overall good food and good experience!

Christian Lund
Christian Lund

We went to this place for the first time today and it was pretty good. We ordered the turkey pesto sandwich and the pasta, along with a pretzel and cheese. The food wasn't hot and the pretzel was kind of hard but everything was flavorful. There is a nice terrace overlooking the lagoon below. If you feel like digesting after a large meal you can take the 40 minute tram ride that's very close by. We paid $52 after our member discount for two of us to eat but that's to be expected when coming here. A bonus is that the people who work here are very nice. Overall good food and good experience!

L
Lowell Gutknecht

The tram safari was fantastic. Whish the layout for it was a little different. I have a feeling with the terrain it's just what they were able to do. Downloading the map app is recommended as it will give you GPS directions. The place is a real maze so it's hard to find your way around. Crowds at the time of this post were light and helped make it more enjoyable.

A
Amanda Skipworth

Food was good. Big rootbeer float with a lot of ice cream. For zoo prices, I think it was worth it. Only downside are other customers who can't deal with covid protection protocols here.

A
Andrew Hutchinson

Same prices as the rest of the park, can be a 10+ minute wait for a quick beer/soda refill if the food line gets long though

Lowell Gutknecht
Lowell Gutknecht

The tram safari was fantastic. Whish the layout for it was a little different. I have a feeling with the terrain it's just what they were able to do. Downloading the map app is recommended as it will give you GPS directions. The place is a real maze so it's hard to find your way around. Crowds at the time of this post were light and helped make it more enjoyable.

Amanda Skipworth
Amanda Skipworth

Food was good. Big rootbeer float with a lot of ice cream. For zoo prices, I think it was worth it. Only downside are other customers who can't deal with covid protection protocols here.

Andrew Hutchinson
Andrew Hutchinson

Same prices as the rest of the park, can be a 10+ minute wait for a quick beer/soda refill if the food line gets long though

K
Keith Mikas

Just a generic stock bar with overpriced food nothing really made to order.

Keith Mikas
Keith Mikas

Just a generic stock bar with overpriced food nothing really made to order.

E
Elle EG

Its sandwiches, salads and chicken fingers. View is nice. I had the chicken sandwich on brioche bun. Beer selection is good. Its take out style. Better than the standard fast food park faire.

D
Deepak Patil

Went there for lunch. They have paninis which were warm. Kids menu is a joke. Two tiny chicken strips with few carrots and crackers. Paninis were good but the staff was super slow. The lines was long because the folks preparing food were not efficient.

A
Anthony Rice

If you want expensive cafeteria food, this is your joint. The food all comes pre-packaged and isn't very fresh. The croissants fall apart in your hands and the sandwiches are very dry. The chicken tenders are not crispy. Reminds me of my college cafeteria :) That being said, when you are walking around the Africa loop in the heat of the day, there's not much better of a place to pop a squat and rest your feet. There is a medium size grassy area near the cheetahs and plenty of tables and seating in the shade near the outpost. There's also a beautiful overlook over the Africa loop.

B
Bri Roberts

Service was great, staff was friendly and accommodating but the food was just okay and pricey. It is what I'd expect from a park. It was sustenance and allowed us to continue enjoying the park without leaving.

Deepak Patil
Deepak Patil

Went there for lunch. They have paninis which were warm. Kids menu is a joke. Two tiny chicken strips with few carrots and crackers. Paninis were good but the staff was super slow. The lines was long because the folks preparing food were not efficient.

Elle EG
Elle EG

Its sandwiches, salads and chicken fingers. View is nice. I had the chicken sandwich on brioche bun. Beer selection is good. Its take out style. Better than the standard fast food park faire.

Anthony Rice
Anthony Rice

If you want expensive cafeteria food, this is your joint. The food all comes pre-packaged and isn't very fresh. The croissants fall apart in your hands and the sandwiches are very dry. The chicken tenders are not crispy. Reminds me of my college cafeteria :) That being said, when you are walking around the Africa loop in the heat of the day, there's not much better of a place to pop a squat and rest your feet. There is a medium size grassy area near the cheetahs and plenty of tables and seating in the shade near the outpost. There's also a beautiful overlook over the Africa loop.

Bri Roberts
Bri Roberts

Service was great, staff was friendly and accommodating but the food was just okay and pricey. It is what I'd expect from a park. It was sustenance and allowed us to continue enjoying the park without leaving.

p
pǝɯɐɥoɯ

One of the worst services I’ve experienced. The staff was rude and unhelpful. I ordered a Caesar salad, which turned out to be just lettuce and cheese. When I asked for croutons, they handed me a tiny portion in a ketchup cup. They served the food without a tray, and there weren’t any clean trays available ... They were like oh well guess we need to clean them 😅 The food was mediocre at best, with very few options for those who don’t eat pork. On top of that, it was ridiculously overpriced—imagine paying $80 for two salads and a cheese pizza. Definitely wouldn’t recommend.

pǝɯɐɥoɯ
pǝɯɐɥoɯ

One of the worst services I’ve experienced. The staff was rude and unhelpful. I ordered a Caesar salad, which turned out to be just lettuce and cheese. When I asked for croutons, they handed me a tiny portion in a ketchup cup. They served the food without a tray, and there weren’t any clean trays available ... They were like oh well guess we need to clean them 😅 The food was mediocre at best, with very few options for those who don’t eat pork. On top of that, it was ridiculously overpriced—imagine paying $80 for two salads and a cheese pizza. Definitely wouldn’t recommend.

V
Vanessa Lauenstein

I witnessed the rudest and most disgusting behavior from the staff. The company and manager should be ashamed at how their employees treat customers. This lady came in to pick up multiple trays of food and asked for an empty water cup and the girl working there told her to get back in line with an attitude. For an empty water cup- to a line that was over 20 minutes long. Then she just turned and walked away from the lady. This the standard that the safari park feels is adequate for its customers.

C
Chelsea & Matthew Turner

Okavango Outpost is the worst eatery between the zoo and safari park. Not only is the selection limited to deli-style "paninis" (aka cold sandwiches) and prepackaged salads, the service is atrocious. A few months ago, this would have been a different review. However, the manager and staff today were unfriendly, lacked customer service, and simply don't know their own menu. In short, the pictures on the menu do not match what is served (especially the treats/desserts), and rather than remaking or actually fixing the problem, they argued with the customers and simply gave a refund without another proposed solution. The dumbest part is that one staff member said the customer's expectation and request was correct, but the supposed manager said "no" and took on a "defend your own" approach rather than a customer service one. Definitely will not be returning here despite holding a park membership.

C
Chelsea Turner

The customer service was terrible. The photos of the menu items don't match what you actually get, especially the desserts. The food is as-expected for deli options. Nothing really tastes super fresh.

A
Ajay Kunde

Very basic and priced so high! You could count four pepperoni slices on an $18 flat bread.

M
Mohammad ElDaouk

We ordered Turkey panini. It was filled with cheese and no taste of Turkey, just few slices. It wasn't cheap nor delicious. It went to trash. Employees at the counter seemed confused!

E
Eddie Mitchell

The food is incredibly overpriced even for an amusement park but meatball sandwich was decent. staff could be more friendly. a few of them acted as if they didn't want to be there.

C
CESAR FIGUEROA

Wish to have cero stars but well 10/31/2021, food was basically from a vending machine, main reason for this review just to point out Chelsea and Maria, they were so pushy and rude when trying to make my mind picking one of the options from menu, they should have a better training in food business and dealing with different people, patience and people treatment... anyways, avoid this spot.

Vanessa Lauenstein
Vanessa Lauenstein

I witnessed the rudest and most disgusting behavior from the staff. The company and manager should be ashamed at how their employees treat customers. This lady came in to pick up multiple trays of food and asked for an empty water cup and the girl working there told her to get back in line with an attitude. For an empty water cup- to a line that was over 20 minutes long. Then she just turned and walked away from the lady. This the standard that the safari park feels is adequate for its customers.

Ajay Kunde
Ajay Kunde

Very basic and priced so high! You could count four pepperoni slices on an $18 flat bread.

Mik
Mik

This is the slowest experience I've ever had. The people behind the counter went so slow, didn't care, and weren't at all efficient.

Chelsea Turner
Chelsea Turner

The customer service was terrible. The photos of the menu items don't match what you actually get, especially the desserts. The food is as-expected for deli options. Nothing really tastes super fresh.

Chelsea & Matthew Turner
Chelsea & Matthew Turner

Okavango Outpost is the worst eatery between the zoo and safari park. Not only is the selection limited to deli-style "paninis" (aka cold sandwiches) and prepackaged salads, the service is atrocious. A few months ago, this would have been a different review. However, the manager and staff today were unfriendly, lacked customer service, and simply don't know their own menu. In short, the pictures on the menu do not match what is served (especially the treats/desserts), and rather than remaking or actually fixing the problem, they argued with the customers and simply gave a refund without another proposed solution. The dumbest part is that one staff member said the customer's expectation and request was correct, but the supposed manager said "no" and took on a "defend your own" approach rather than a customer service one. Definitely will not be returning here despite holding a park membership.

CESAR FIGUEROA
CESAR FIGUEROA

Wish to have cero stars but well 10/31/2021, food was basically from a vending machine, main reason for this review just to point out Chelsea and Maria, they were so pushy and rude when trying to make my mind picking one of the options from menu, they should have a better training in food business and dealing with different people, patience and people treatment... anyways, avoid this spot.

Mohammad ElDaouk
Mohammad ElDaouk

We ordered Turkey panini. It was filled with cheese and no taste of Turkey, just few slices. It wasn't cheap nor delicious. It went to trash. Employees at the counter seemed confused!

Eddie Mitchell
Eddie Mitchell

The food is incredibly overpriced even for an amusement park but meatball sandwich was decent. staff could be more friendly. a few of them acted as if they didn't want to be there.

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About Okavango Outpost

How to get there

San Diego Zoo Safari Park, 15500 San Pasqual Valley Rd, Escondido, CA 92027

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Highlights

Good Rating
4.1/5 stars
💬
Many Reviews
147 reviews
👨‍🍳
coffee
Cuisine type

Services

🍽️ Lunch
🍾 Dinner
Coffee
🍰 Desserts
🥡 Takeout
🍴 Dine-in

Dining Options

🍽️ Dine In
🥡 Takeout

Restaurant Info

🕐 Hours Today
9AM-6PM
Rating
4.1/5
💬 Reviews
147
🌐 Website
sdzsafaripark.org

Amenities

🌿 Outdoor Seating
Wheelchair Accessible
🚻 Restroom
💳 Credit Cards
📱 Mobile Payments
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Location

San Diego Zoo Safari Park, 15500 San Pasqual Valley Rd, Escondido, CA 92027

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