There's an irony to eating meat at a zoo. There's also a suspicion; where exactly where the lions today? Anywho, Thorntree Terrace is a fast food-ish burger option in the outdoor food court area in the front of the Wild Animal Park. Yes, I know they changed the name years ago. It'll always be the WAP to me. Burgers were decent and freshly cooked, same for the seafood platter. Pricier than it needs to be but when you buy food in any zoo or amusement park you're a sitting duck so I'm thankful at least that the food wasn't too bad. Service was friendly and the place was clean. Your mileage may vary but I didn't hate it. read more

Thorntree Terrace - Bacon Cheeseburger & Seafood Platter - Fast Food Near Me - Escondido, California

See all

Overall average quality food that is pretty pricey. Definitely takes a long time to get food. Recommend eating outside under covered outdoor patio. They do have one of the better kids menus at the park, especially for kiddos with limited palates (e.g. cheeseburger, etc). read more

For being a restaurant inside the San Diego Safari Park, I thought the food was actually pretty good for being in a theme park. I got these two items. Bacon Cheeseburger - Burger was pretty much like a McDonalds burger with large cut fries. It was okay nothing special but it fills your stomach. (3.5/5) Fish and Chips - It doesn't look like much but the flavors were very good and the fish was crispy and cooked well. I would get this again if I was at the Safari Park. (5/5) There wasn't many options to choose from in terms of open restaurants so this place was pretty good for what it was. Prices were a bit pricey but at least each dish was under $20 each. read more

See all

Came on Feb17th and ordered pork buns and chili cheese fries, thinking those were going to be quick and easy meals. Little did we know that we'd be waiting over 40 minutes for our food to be ready. Pros: -outdoor seating available -they had lunar new year menu items Cons: -long wait time. -the buzzer/pager that they handed out did not work (I only knew my order was ready because I waited inside and heard them yell out my number) read more

Wasted 15 minutes for my order to be told that they are out of Mac and Cheese. This happened only after I asked why my order took so long, and the service person to escalate to the manager to find out the issue. Changed my order to a cheese burger and took another 15 minutes before the manager randomly took a burger to hand to me. Giving the place a 1 star, and adding another star for their attempts. read more

Paid $18 for a bacon cheeseburger with fries. So that's bad but whatever if it's edible. The burger was cold, there was half a slice of bacon cut in half, cheese was so fake and fridge cold. The fries were good but we got a total of 7. I took back the burger because it was cold and the worker was not thrilled. He reluctantly gave me another that somehow was even cooler. If you come to the Safari Park, bring your dinner from McDonalds. It will still be warmer than what you would get here. read more

A day at the Safari Park gave us an appetite. We were looking for a place to eat at the park not expecting much. We were satisfied with Thorntree Terrace. I ordered the chicken teriyaki rice kid's meal. It comes with baby carrots, animal crackers, and a drink. Also, it's served in a cute reusable bag too. I was happy with the meal since I don't eat a lot. My boyfriend got the stacked tempura avocado burger and he enjoyed it. The fries were crispy. You order your food at the counter and they give you a restaurant pager that buzzed when your food is ready for pickup. There's a lot of seating outside to eat with umbrellas. I'm happy with the food here if I need a place to eat at the safari park but if you're looking to save money or have more options just bring your own food into the park to enjoy. read more

Thorntree Terrace - Kid's Meal served in a cute reusable bag - Fast Food Near Me - Escondido, California

A good rule of thumb is to never eat at an amusement park or zoo restaurant- they are generally expensive and the food is not good. But I was hungry, and I don't think you can come back into the San Diego Safari Park once you leave. So, my group settled on Thorntree Terrace, as it seemed to have something for everyone. As a vegetarian, when I go out to eat, I eat a lot of veggie burgers. And let me be entirely honest: most of them are utter shit. Finding a decent veggie burger is rare, and finding an actually enjoyable one is a miracle. So when I saw that the vegetarian option here was a veggie burger (priced at $16 for the burger alone!), I noped out of that immediately. Instead, I ordered the steamed rice and the vegetable spring rolls. To order, you wait in line and place your order at a counter. The cashier gives you a buzzer, and you find a table and wait for your food to be ready. Simple enough. The wait was short, and our food was out within 5 minutes. I was really excited to eat (not because I knew the food would be good, but because I was hungry), so I tore into my steamed rice as soon as it arrived. It was pretty good, but to be completely honest, if a restaurant messes up steamed rice, they probably shouldn't be in the restaurant business to begin with. The vegetable spring rolls were definitely sourced from the frozen foods isle of the nearest bulk food store. They were very greasy, and lukewarm in temperature. Overall, I would order the rice again, but I would hesitate to order the spring rolls again. Maybe the next time I'm here, I'll just pack a sandwich. It would probably taste better anyways. read more

Food came out at a decent time and everything was pretty hot. Had a chicken philly and a veggie burger. Burger was tragically plain and tasteless. Philly was average. But would say the fries were good. read more

Food was really good, got the fish and chips... hubby got the burger, he said it was nice and juicy, just like me... ahem... I liked my fish and chips, fries were so yummy. read more

This is standard fare, burgers with fries, cold drinks and some other choices. The burgers were definitely large, I wish they had some sauce to go with it, the burger was super dry. Fries are great and crispy and I'm glad they were open, most options decided to not even open due to the rain. Pizza across the plaza would have been my first choice. read more

This review is only for the burgers - I haven't tried their bowls or salads. We needed a quick bite to eat in the park and I was looking for something more interesting than the usual pizza, chicken tenders, and burgers. The boyfriend and I got the following: - Craft Beer Hand-battered Fish Sandwich: Honestly, the sandwich was a rip off for the amount of fish I got... 2 small strips that barely covered the area of the bun. I think it was about half the bun. Everything else on the burger was good - the sauce and the brioche bun were tasty. The slaw had a nice kick to it. But the lack of fish made it unsatisfying. Which is unfortunate because the fish itself was crispy and tasty. - Umami Burger: The boyfriend got this, and it was actually a pretty good burger, and I wish I had gotten this instead of the fish sandwich. The tempura avocado is really good with the melted swiss cheese. Like the fish sandwich, they use a brioche bun which makes even the bread tasty. Both of our sandwiches came with fries, which were pretty good. They had a nice crispy outside, the kind that is textured. Not too oily too. Overall it was OK food for the price - typical amusement park prices. I'd give it more of a 3.5, but leaving it at 3 stars because of the amount of fish they give in that fish sandwich. read more

Thorntree Terrace - Umami burger with avocado tempura - Fast Food Near Me - Escondido, California

See all

this food should be a crime the hamburger meat cold, no flavor the cheese cold and the fries cold and thickly disgusting cheese cold fries cold meat I got very sick the next day I believe it was food poisoning the food I believe must of been old that's very scary I never get sick I'm very careful what I eat but that day at the park I arrived from a long drive and I was very hungry , thought I would be ok but I was not ! I've been sick for three days don't eat the food just because the scenery is beautiful you will regret it! sadly in my opinion these people take advantage and make horrible cold food knowing most people will eat it because there's no choice because there very hungry and didn't bring lunch it's a great shame safari feeds the animals better food than the people that go to help pay for the park read more

Place taste terrible, expensive for no reason, to many flies and no fly traps... service is fair.

This is one of the dining options at the SD Zoo Safari park. I ordered Teriyaki chicken bowl (adult size) , Mandarin chicken bowl(kid size) and a drink. The kid's meal came with a drink as well. Wished I had ordered Mandarin chicken in adult size because it was better than the Teriyaki chicken bowl. Drink was a rip off, at a whooping $7 !! Just carry your own soda and save some money! Giving 4 stars but it's more like 3.5 stars. But definitely better option considering the reviews! I wasn't expecting much from these food court type places but this was a good choice. read more

Holy smokes, the tempura avocado burger is better than anything OUTSIDE the park! Need more words to post this review! read more

Surprisingly the tempura avocado burger was really good! Comes with fries which were actually pretty crispy and fresh too. Inside the safari park and the patio area is nice to sit down and relax. read more

Don't know why there's bad reviews for this place. We came for lunch while visiting the Safari Park and the food was great. Large portions. Actually probably should have split with my wife. The hamburger looked kind of sad all by it's like one some, but I got the Double Cheeseburger and it filled me up before I could finish. The fries were exceptionally good and a great temperature. My only complaint would be that the cheese wasn't melted on the burger, but it's a minor complaint. Could have used onion, too. But a great meal otherwise. read more

Thorntree Terrace - Double Cheeseburger - Fast Food Near Me - Escondido, California

Thorntree Terrace is the first "true" food establishment guests will encounter here at the San Diego Safari Park. For the price, it is one of the better places to eat in the park. Their menu consists of burgers, paninis, sandwiches, wraps and salads. Heck! They even got beer in these huge portable self-pouring spouts to bring to your table :D I'll have to admit to taking a liking to their BBQ double cheeseburger and for what I eat, it's huge! I'm full with the side of fries. A bonus to eating here is that it's location is close to the entrance/exit of the park and also in viewing proximity of the center performance stage; so you can watch shows while eating. They're seating space is gracious enough to accommodate any size family and the service is fast and prompt enough to tend to the numbers that visit their. :) read more

Thorntree Terrace - The BBQ Double-Cheeseburger - Fast Food Near Me - Escondido, California

For amusement park food, this is great! Get the fries and the UMAMI BURGER! You're gonna love it if you like burgers! Oh and HEALTHY SALADS can be found here! Seriously not what you would expect. I will certainly eat here again the next time I am at the Safari Park! And of course, the name says it all --- a large and beautiful Thorntree is the shade giving attraction here. Enjoy! read more

Thorntree Terrace - Best park salad ever! Delicious - Fast Food Near Me - Escondido, California

See all

Sign on doors say masks not enforced outdoors as long as you're vaccinated but as soon as I stepped up to the cashier (with windows mind you) she asked me to put on my mask right away. Then I said oh ok I'm vaccinated so I thought the sign outdoors said it'd be fine as it didn't clearly state just wear mask indoor always anyway. Then Mike said in a very nasty tone that I'd need to wear indoors because the sign is for outdoors only and that anytime I'm near someone especially employees to wear a mask. Very nasty service today. I went through hell getting the vaccine to be treated like this, the whole damn county will be open in two and a half weeks!!! No need to have the nasty attitude dude!!! read more

First food place if you walk straight in from the front of the park. Plenty of shaded tables here too! Order your food and you'll be given a buzzer. Condiments are inside near the exit. What we got: Fish & Chips ($11): one piece of fish and a pile of fries. Fish came out super hot and super oily. Super super oily that the oil was dripping off the red paper...fries were okay though. Pineapple Sorbet ($7): not a strong pineapple taste and not as soft and creamy as I thought it was going to be. Service: Super quick and friendly. Just wish the food tasted better. read more

Thorntree Terrace - Fish & Chips ($11) - Fast Food Near Me - Escondido, California

See all

This gets a 3-star rating only because I had to average out the taste of my meal with that of the BF. If you read only one thing from this review: GET THE BEER BATTER FISH SANDWICH. It was honestly really delicious. It was served crispy on a warm brioche bun. It definitely looked like the best thing on the menu and came with a side of fries. The price is a little steep at $12 but it's still very good. Okay, reason for the low rating: the HAMBURGERS ARE AWFUL. The BF and our other friend both got the cheeseburgers and compared them to dry dirt. They said that they tasted awful and really didn't look very appetizing. read more

Food is very expensive and very bad. Their special lemon grass chicken rice bowl cost 12 bucks and is full of vinegar and sugar. Lots of rice and soggy veggies. Very poor experience. Down the road there is a Mombasa - you can have a much better food for the same money read more

Thorntree Terrace - Lemongrass chicken - Fast Food Near Me - Escondido, California

I didn't get why they only got 3 stars. Got a fish burger, an orange salad, a kids meal cheese burger. The fish was crispy, the vegetables and fruits were fresh. The soda was a bit waterish, which was not too annoying after several hours' sweating walk. After all, decent food for such a fast food restaurant. And the price was not too bad. The major weak point was that they don't have indoor tables. It is always nice to sit in the patio, especially in a safari zoo. But while dinning with the nice plants around, we were also dinning with annoying fliers. Food: 4 stars. Meeting expectation. Fabulous plants: + 1 Annoying fliers: - 1 read more

Thorntree Terrace serves standard institutional food at high prices. It's what you'd expect at an amusement park. I ordered a cheeseburger and fries, along with a fruit salad. The burger patty had a bit of strange taste and texture to it, almost as if it was not 100% beef. The fries were standard frozen fries. The fruit salad was actually OK, and was the best part of the meal. Even though it's an amusement park, I was hoping for better food, considering that my wife and I spent over $300 for the park tickets and an extra safari tour. A bit disappointing, but it filled us up, and we didn't get sick, so there's not much to complain about. read more

The food was ok and service a bit better. But I don't think you're coming here for the food unless you have to, right? It was a pretty sunny day so we elected to eat outside and watch some critters crawl peacefully around in their enclosure. Now that was cool! I did get the avocado burger and it was just a weird mess but had such potential. The critter crawling did a decent job distracting me from it. read more

For a theme park food establishment, their food was decently good. I had their bacon cheeseburger with fries combo for $9.99. The bacon was paper thin so I think I'll just skip that next time. The cheeseburger itself was edible but not very flavorful. The fries though were pretty good. They tasted fresh and crispy, and not too oily. read more

Thorntree Terrace - Bacon cheeseburger with fries $9.99 - Fast Food Near Me - Escondido, California

See all

The food was decent and the price not too bad for the zoo. My wife and I both got the bacon cheese burger. It comes with fries ( a little). It was the thinnest cheese slice that I thought possible as well as the bacon. The burger was almost dry, but edible without a lot of drink. We only paid 10 dollars each so not too bad. read more

Thorntree Terrace - Out door eating only - Fast Food Near Me - Escondido, California

The food is maybe a 3 star. The one star is because I ordered a beer and the tap went out. They said they could get me my beer when my food was ready. They didn't have my beer ready. Still hadn't changed the keg. They said it would be awhile so I asked for a refund. Then she never gave me a receipt to show it was returned to my card. I asked for a receipt and she said they keep the receipt for there records. I should have been given a receipt. Really just seemed like I was a huge inconvenience. read more

This looked liked the only good place to eat inside the San Diego safari park. The menu looked really good but food wasn't that great. Decided to try the schzeuan bowl which was supposed to be spicy but wasn't spicy at all. They have huge servings and couldn't finish the bowl in one seating. The fries were amazing though. My wife spicy tofu bowl and she liked it. They have asked have beer on drafts and bottled beer. read more

See all

An OK place. Has two draft beers, one of them IPA. While this place is always open, the food is only average. When park is busy, try Mombasa Island Pavilion instead. Mombasa is not always open, but their Brisket is second to none. read more

Thorntree Terrace - Outside tables - Fast Food Near Me - Escondido, California

No words can thank or compliment or appreciate the efforts of Micheal (Manager or chef) took to prepare a meal for my daughter with extreme life threatening allergies. He showed us the ingredients from the files; made sure his young team understand the importance of a life-threatening food allergy and prepared a sandwich for us. Normally we take home cooked food but we couldn't on this particular occasion as we were traveling. He helped my daughter have a proper meal and enjoy the park. I am thankful and appreciate the efforts of this good man and his team. read more

Unfortunately this place isn't customer friendly. They aren't Gluteon Free, despite the fact that this is a place that should cater to all peoples. Well! When it comes to the food, they suck at it. Their food is overly expensive, one cheese burger is $9, and a salad is $10.99, 11.99 & 12.99. This is some crappy food. read more

The food is about as mediocre as one would expect. The prices didn't feel overwhelmingly gouge-y.

Typical amusement park food prices, but the taste is decent. My cheeseburger tasted like McDonald's. The only reason I'm giving them only two stars is because of the high prices and they got our order wrong, when it wasn't even that busy. read more

Thorntree Terrace is located near the park Safari Base Camp area. Pretty good place to get something to eat while you are visiting the Wild Animal Park. I had the cheese burger which was ok. It was a little dry definitely needs something added to to it. My wife however had the kids meal which is actually a good deal and she said that it tasted pretty good read more

Customer service was great here, seemed like we were helped by a manager at first then had Samantha ring is up. She didn't charge us the 1.00 extra for kids fries like we had asked. But when we received our food we asked for our fries and got them with no questions asked. Wonderful food & service read more

Ok for the location. Umami Berger was good, although not healthy with the fries and fried avocado. Rice bowl with selfie-fry beef was served in the typical Chinese takeout paper cup, just bigger. It is heavy but mostly because of the rice. Gave me hot water when requested, which is nice. read more

Fish sandwich was really good. Not just for an amusement park, but generally tasty.