You wouldn't expect to find pretty decent food at a zoo, but I was pleasantly surprised by how good the food items I've tried at the Zoo Cafe, Kampala Cafe, have been. It's also not outrageously priced, with meals under $20; most places in any type of amusement park price gauge. Most of their items are parked with fries, and they're actually cooked perfectly! Not mushy at all. I've consistently gotten the cheeseburger from here. It's been great most times, but one time there was a bunch of hard/inedible small pieces inside. They also have some seasonal items and specials. It's centrally located in the zoo, so it makes for a convenient food stop when visiting the zoo. Seating indoor and outdoors. read more

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Really enjoyed lunch here today! The BLT is quite delicious and fresh. It actually has a bit of a spicy flavor profile from the sauces that come on it. Unexpected and nice with the crisp buttered bread. And my daughter is happy with the hot dog and eating my fries that came with my sandwich. It's a win today! read more

Kampala Café - BLT that comes with fries - Cafes Near Me - Sacramento, California

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HAVE AGAIN: Soft serve twist ice cream is still very good. NOT HAVE AGAIN: The Mojo pork nachos - was that pork (tasteless) - was ok but very oddly flavored with the sauce/salsa. read more

The cheese curds are so good and the seasoning is amazing. I would come back to the zoo just to eat them again haha

Multiple hairs in my food (short black while I am a blonde with long hair). Absolutely do not recommend.

Why are these the best fries I've ever had. I would never assume that it would be at a zoo but it is... just giving you guys your flowers. read more

Kampala Café - Fries - Cafes Near Me - Sacramento, California

5 stars for a zoo career with good food. Of course it is expensive. That is expected. Still, the size of the portions is outstanding. The chicken tenders are almost excessively crunchy. The fries are thick and crispy. The Caesar wrap is decent and a bit spicy. The pizza is also decent. We have had worse at the fabulous Oakland Zoo landing Cafe and paid twice as much. read more

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On Sunday afternoon while visiting the zoo, my boyfriend and I decided to stop in for lunch with my daughter. I ordered her the Kid's Meal, which she enjoyed and it came with both sides and a drink! I ordered their Nachos, from the ooey gooey melty cheese, to the flavorful fire roasted corn, array of jalapeños and crunch to the bright colored tortilla chips, they really hit the spot! What do you call cheese that is not yours? Nacho Cheese! Lol anyone remember that joke? I would definitely recommend paying a visit the next time you are at the zoo, they have outdoor seating available and the staff were both helpful and friendly despite the line! We'll be back to try more off of their menu, maybe their salad or my boyfriend's bbq pulled pork sammie I tried, yum! read more

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I was surprised at how amazing the Sacramento Zoo is considering that it is a smaller zoo. This cafe is in an incredible location for outdoor dining - lots of foliage and birds (flamingos, ducks, etc) and a small lake for ambience while dining. The chicken fingers were lacking in flavor and a bit pricey. My adult son and I shared this meal and it was more than enough food. The portion size was large. The chicken strips were very meaty (chicken breast) and looked appetizing but were very bland. They were somewhat crunchy but not a lot of breading. Some people like that though. I prefer more breading and crunchy with some flavor. The fries were fine....nothing spectacular but also not bad. read more

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The California burger here was pretty good. Plenty of complaints about the prices but I'm willing to pay extra knowing that prices are paid out to employees and back to the zoo. I was full from sharing the burger and fries with my boyfriend so the portion is great. Do the upgrade to the garlic fries. It's good! They don't skimp on the garlic either. The employee who brought our food to the table was very kind in letting us know to leave our trays on the table and they will clean it up for us. 5 stars for their friendliness alone! read more

Kampala Café - The California burger was pretty good here. I do not regret upgrading to the garlic fries! - Cafes Near Me - Sacramento, California

5 stars for what this cafe is, it is a place to grab lunch or a bite to eat while you are at the zoo. That being written, my husband and I usually bring a picnic lunch. We have eaten here a few times. In the last month we have eaten here 3 times. Everything we have ordered is really good. Prices are fair. They make their own chips. So yum!!! I love the jalepeno bread club sandwich. It has a really good aoli on it. They have a good selection of soft drinks, tea, and juices. If you are a zoo member you get 10% off. Staff is all very friendly and brings your food to your table. Just let them know if you are sitting outside. read more

Kampala Café - Turkey bacon club on jalapeno bread. Ate half. Very Yum! 9.25. - Cafes Near Me - Sacramento, California

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Small portions and pricey. Same bland menu. Better kid options. Adult options are hamburgers (vegan option) chicken strips (weekdays only), pizza, and ceasar salad. Go before or after you visit the zoo to eat. read more

If you're at a zoo or other attraction, you expect to pay high prices for food. That's just a given. So yes, the prices are high. HOWEVER... 1. I don't mind high prices here as much as at a theme park, since the money is going back into the zoo, so I think of the added cost as a donation to the animals 2. The food here is far better than your average theme park food I was surprised by the menu selections, which included various pasta, salad, and sandwich dishes. You could still get your average zoo food: burgers, fries, etc., but they have so much more. I selected the chicken Parmesan sandwich, which came with kettle chips. I expected a frozen product to be warmed up and served with a bag of chips. But when they brought it to the table, it was a freshly made breaded chicken patty with melted cheese, tangy marinara sauce, on a fresh rosemary roll, served with a giant heap of homemade kettle chips. It was delicious!! We got a plate of garlic fries for the table- fresh and delicious, but WAY more than a group of 3.5 could eat. One person in our group got the chicken teriyaki bowl, which looked fantastic, but was pretty salty. The chicken tenders were good, and also came with homemade chips. They do advertise farm to fork products here, and I believe it! Much better than expected! read more

This place ticked me off for a few reasons, both for me and also by proxy. The hamburger literally tasted like an elementary school cafeteria....and I assure you that a not a compliment. And guess how much that "delicious morsel" will set you back... $11 + tax, and that's before you add cheese. Add fries and a drink, and I spent $25. I could either pay $6 for a crappy size of soda, or $8 for the "novelty cup." Pathetic, Sacramento zoo. Now, the kicker. I was with my summer campers on a field trip. One of my campers brought $3, and literally couldn't even afford a crappy soft serve artificially flavored ice cream cone (I broke the rules and bought him one). Are you that sore up for money that you would charge kids Ben and Jerry prices for worse than McDonald's cones, and $25 for a terrible, presumably microwaved, burger and soda?? STAY AWAY, PEOPLE, AND SAVE YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY. I was not only pissed on my behalf, but also on kids who didn't bring enough money for an ice cream cone. Pathetic.... read more

The presentation of the Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowl was excellent (didn't look like Raj M's picture). However, the rice was cold and the taste was mediocre. The food lived up to my low expectations. But... the food did have themed names, which the kids loved! It'd be nice if they put the menu online (the zoo website or Yelp). read more

chicken tenders are HUGE but they taste off . like fishy but not fish and the texture isn't right . they are super juicy and break alart easily but have a weird rubber texture . maybe they were just fried while frozen. idk but the fact that im at a zoo I just had to spit it out. my mind went far left trying to figure out what animal it might be but it ain't chicken I've also. ever had anything fried that still had the skin intact . usually the skin is fried too. won't be eating here again . read more

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Pretty darn good for a restaurant inside of a zoo!The prices are high(er), but the portions are large and the quality is good. The are quite a few wine choices and the staff was quite friendly and helpful. read more

Great food! Good burgers, solid fries and great chicken tenders. A lil pricey, but its convenient. Would definitely do lunch here again.

The food here used to be great. Kids meal has changed, burger is bad now, kids wouldn't eat the pizza. Hard pass.

Was shocked to see stir fry on the menu. Although pricey, they do give you big potions like the fries. Food was okay and not the typical bland and hard food you would find in parks. read more

Only cafe located inside Sacramento zoo. Prices are quite reasonable for regular menu. Kids menu is slightly overpriced. We tried the Chicken strip basket from the regular menu and mac and cheese from kids menu. The food was ok, served the purpose. read more

This place don't deserve even one star cold greasy pizza very disappointed .. the hot dog was ok...

The usual zoo/theme park over priced food. They did give a decent volume of fries but they are so disorganized. We had to ask for a number for the table since they bring the food out. They seemed put out because they had to do it. We got 324. A while later, one of their staff was walking around saying "323....323....323...." It looked like our order so we went up to him to check if it was ours. The first thing he says, "Did you get a number?" Yes, but it was NOT 324. Again, the irritated look, like it was our fault they gave us the wrong number. Keep in mind, we had to ask for a table number so to have the person bringing the food out be irritated with us is a double negative. The final nail in the coffin is that the floor is a mess. Someone had spilled fries with ranch dressing and a staffer swept it up with a broom, smearing the ranch every where. We were there for another 10 minutes and he never came back with a mop to clean it up. If you are going to the Sacramento Zoo, pack a lunch. Don't give this place your business since the workers don't seem to give a care about anything connected to doing their jobs and are irritated when they have to do it. read more

Wow. Chicken tenders that are absolutely spot on with tons of seasoning! Pulled pork sandwich with a mound of pork! And the crispiest and most delicious onion rings. So good. I would normally expect garbage food from a zoo. It I was so impressed I leaving a rare post. Thank you and I'm glad I ate before heading to the airport! read more

Great menu, food is excellent. Always a family favorite when visiting the zoo. They have your everyday zoo fare but so much more with a wide variety of selections for a fair price. Everything is farm to fork and made fresh and delicious! They deliver the food right to your table! A must visit when you are at the Sacramento Zoo! read more

Nice staff but for the cost i expected the food to be better. In fact it was terrible and cold. Very disappointing.

Burger and fries for $12! Some burger, right? Nope. I've had better freezer burnt burgers. It's a disgrace to the zoo and the community that such a culinary blunder is permitted to take up prime real estate and at such prices. Give the contract to In-n-Out, or some other local business. This cafe would die on the vine if it weren't for it's privileged location within the zoo where there are no other options. For a $12 burger, I would've expected the meat to be organic, grass fed, on homemade buns with organic lettuce, etc. What a rip off. read more