9 SoCal Restaurants Where You Can Dine With the Animals!
Picture your kids biting into a chicken skewer while an elephant splashes in a watering hole just a few yards from your table. In Southern California, that can be an ordinary family lunch, and it's only one of nine restaurants where you can dine with animals!
Our top pick is Mkutano House at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido, which overlooks the elephant watering hole in Elephant Valley. Keep reading for the rest of our list, which takes you from fluffy sheep to tigers, orcas and galloping horses. We cover what each spot serves, what it costs, and our parent tips for making the meal as memorable as the animals.
Dining With Animals in SoCal: Key Takeaways
Best overall: Mkutano House at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, with elephants at the watering hole beside your table.
Best quick bite: Tu Grill, also in Elephant Valley, for skewers and smoothies with the same herd view.
Most unique meal: Dine With Orcas at SeaWorld San Diego, a reserved buffet near the killer whales.
Best dinner show: Medieval Times in Buena Park, where horses and a falcon perform while you eat with your hands.
Admission: Every zoo and park spot here requires a park ticket. Medieval Times tickets include dinner.
October bonus: Kids 11 and under get in free at the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park with a ticketed adult during Kids Free October.
San Diego Zoo Safari Park: Eat With Elephants, Tigers and Giraffes
The Safari Park in Escondido is the clear winner for animal-view dining, with five spots where wildlife comes with your meal. It's about 35 miles north of the San Diego Zoo, and general parking is $20 per vehicle.
Good timing: October is Kids Free month, so children 11 and under get in free with a ticketed adult (up to six kids per adult) through October 31. Check the official park hours for your date.
Elephant Valley, San Diego Zoo Safari Park
15500 San Pasqual Valley Rd., Escondido, CA 92027
This is the restaurant everyone is talking about. Mkutano House opened with the Denny Sanford Elephant Valley on March 5, 2026, right beside one of the habitat's two watering holes, where the African elephant herd wades, swims and plays.
The name is Swahili for "gathering with purpose," and the shareable menu draws on flavors from across Africa and around the world. The two-story building also holds the upstairs Ona Lounge, with sweeping valley views and an extra cover charge, and the casual Tu Grill. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are available, and parties of seven or more get an 18% gratuity added.
Parent Tip: Reservations are recommended, so book through the restaurant's OpenTable link before you leave home, then plan your Elephant Valley loop around your table time.
Elephant Valley, San Diego Zoo Safari Park
15500 San Pasqual Valley Rd., Escondido, CA 92027
Want the elephant view without a sit-down meal? Tu Grill, on the Mkutano House grounds, serves skewers, sides and smoothies so you don't miss a moment with the herd. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are available.
Parent Tip: A smoothie by the water makes an easy reward for little legs that are done walking.
Sambutan Longhouse, Tiger Trail, San Diego Zoo Safari Park
15500 San Pasqual Valley Rd., Escondido, CA 92027
Tiger Trail is home to the park's Sumatran tigers, and Macan Market sits inside the Sambutan Longhouse right in the middle of it. Pick from a light lunch menu, snacks, soft drinks and draft or craft beer while the big cats keep an eye on you from their yards.
Parent Tip: Check the Safari Park app for the day's schedule so you can line up your snack break with any keeper talks.
Walkabout Australia, San Diego Zoo Safari Park
15500 San Pasqual Valley Rd., Escondido, CA 92027
Head to Walkabout Australia for lunch next to a tree kangaroo and a cassowary, a tall, helmeted bird that looks like it walked out of the dinosaur age. The Sheared Sheep serves salads, wraps and Australian-inspired snacks, plus specialty cocktails and draft beer for the grown-ups.
The Grove, San Diego Zoo Safari Park
15500 San Pasqual Valley Rd., Escondido, CA 92027
For a snack with a safari view, ride the elevator to the top deck at Rift Sand Bar, which looks out over the African Plains. Grab popcorn, a pretzel or a soft drink while the kids scan the savanna for giraffes.
Parent Tip: This stop is snacks only, so treat it as a scenic rest break between meals.
San Diego Zoo: Tacos Next to the Elephants
The San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park is a separate park from the Safari Park. It is usaully open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., arking is $16 per vehicle, and Kids Free October applies here too.
Elephant Odyssey, San Diego Zoo
2920 Zoo Dr., San Diego, CA 92101
Sabertooth Mexican Grill sits inside Elephant Odyssey, the zoo's elephant area, and part of its patio looks out toward the Asian elephant habitat. The menu covers tacos, burritos, wraps, salads, fresh tortilla chips, nachos and soft-serve, with gluten-free and vegan choices.
Parent Tip: Family meal portions make it easy to feed the whole crew with one order.
SeaWorld San Diego: Lunch Near the Orcas
SeaWorld turns dining with animals into a reserved experience. It's an add-on, so you'll need park admission too.
SeaWorld San Diego
500 Sea World Dr., San Diego, CA 92109
Seating times vary by date; reserve ahead
At Dine With Orcas, families enjoy a chef-curated buffet near the killer whales while SeaWorld's behaviorists explain what makes orcas so unique. It's the closest thing in SoCal to having a killer whale as your dinner guest.
Prices usually start at $46.99 for ages 10 and up and $35.99 for kids 3 to 9, plus tax and gratuity. Kids under 3 eat free but still need a reservation, and prices vary by date. Dining reservations do not include park admission, but it is required.
Some seatings sell out, so SeaWorld strongly recommends booking ahead, though Guest Services may have day-of spots available. You can change or cancel once for free at least 24 hours ahead.
Parent Tip: The All-Day Dining Deal does not cover Dine With Orcas, so budget for it separately.
The Living Desert: Lunch With a Bighorn View in Palm Desert
The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
47900 Portola Ave., Palm Desert, CA 92260
Bighorn Cafe has panoramic views of the zoo's bighorn sheep habitat, so kids can watch the sheep pick their way across the rocks while they eat. The menu includes salads, bowls, pizza, sundaes and coffee.
From October 1 to May 31, the zoo is open daily 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with last admission at 4 p.m. Tickets are $44.95 for adults and $34.95 for ages 3 to 17, kids under 3 are free, advance purchase is required and parking is free.
Parent Tip: Outside food is allowed (no glass or alcohol), so you can picnic and still splurge on a sundae. Thorn Tree Grill opens October 23, 2026 if you want a second option.
Orange County: A Royal Feast With Horses and a Falcon
Want an animal dinner closer to LA? This one is indoors, at night, and comes with a full show.
Buena Park Castle
7662 Beach Blvd., Buena Park, CA 90620
Show times vary by date
At Medieval Times, the horses are the stars. Andalusian horses perform dressage, Quarter Horses race knights through games of skill, and a falcon soars over the arena while you cheer for your knight.
The four-course feast includes garlic bread, tomato bisque, roasted chicken, sweet buttered corn, an herb-basted potato and dessert, and yes, you eat with your hands. Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free meals are available, and ticket prices vary by show.
Parent Tip: Stop by the falcon's mews before or after the show, where the Royal Falconer talks with guests about falconry.
Tips for Dining With Animals With Kids
Book the big ones early: Mkutano House and Dine With Orcas both recommend reservations.
Budget for admission: Except for Medieval Times, every spot is inside a park that requires a ticket.
Use the park apps: The San Diego Zoo and Safari Park both have free apps with maps and daily schedules.
Go in October: Kids 11 and under are free at both San Diego parks all month with a ticketed adult. Find more deals in our Kids Free October in San Diego guide.
Let the animals set the schedule: Animals sometimes rest out of view, so treat every sighting as a bonus.
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Takeaway
If your family wants to eat with the animals, start at Mkutano House, where elephants splash in the watering hole beside your table. Add Macan Market for tigers, Dine With Orcas for killer whales, Bighorn Cafe for desert bighorns and Medieval Times for a horse-and-falcon dinner show closer to LA.
Check each official site for hours and prices on your date, book ahead where it's recommended, and grab October's Kids Free deal at the San Diego parks if you can.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What restaurant in San Diego lets you dine with elephants?
Mkutano House at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido overlooks a watering hole in Elephant Valley where the African elephant herd wades, swims and plays. It opened March 5, 2026, with a restaurant, the upstairs Ona Lounge and the casual Tu Grill. Park admission is required, and reservations are recommended.
2. Do you need park admission to eat at Mkutano House?
Yes. Mkutano House is inside the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, so you need a valid park ticket or membership to reach it. Elephant Valley is included with regular Safari Park admission, and in October, kids 11 and under get in free with a ticketed adult.
3. How much does Dine With Orcas at SeaWorld San Diego cost?
On the date we checked, Dine With Orcas started at $39.99 for guests 10 and older and $24.99 for kids 3 to 9, plus tax and gratuity. Children under 3 eat free but need a reservation. SeaWorld admission is required and sold separately, and prices vary by date.
4. Is there a restaurant with animals near Los Angeles?
Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament in Buena Park is the closest animal dinner experience to LA on our list. Families eat a four-course feast while Andalusian and Quarter Horses perform and a falcon flies over the arena. Ticket prices vary by show and include the meal.
5. Can you bring your own food to the Living Desert?
Yes. The Living Desert in Palm Desert allows outside food and has picnic tables throughout the park, but no glass containers or alcohol. If you'd rather buy lunch, Bighorn Cafe serves salads, bowls, pizza and sundaes with panoramic views of the bighorn sheep habitat.
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