Albert's Restaurant - San Diego Zoo

Accommodated all our dietary needs
Sat near the waterfall felt like we where in Africa

Wonderful time had by all 8 of us! Even in the rain it was a great cozy spot.we where able to talk, enjoy the view, and at the same time the food was so good. Best coffee in town!

Outside seating area by the waterfall is very lovely! The inside seemed very nice too, big windows so everyone has a nice view. The fries are bomb.

Charming and delightful restaurant, great service, food was good.

First visit altho member for many many years. Birthday lunch for my daughter. Waitress was very friendly, helpful and thoughtful and appreciated the birthday dessert with a candle.

Black Garlic Bread. Get it. Sit on the patio if you like the sounds of waterfalls.

I am zoo pass member, if you go on a very busy day it could take 45 min - 1 hour to get your food out and service is very slow. Food is good but overpriced. I get a steak salad for $19, but most meals are over 20 dollars.

Came for my daughter’s birthday on a trip to San Diego and the zoo. We were seated promptly in the patio where the view was of a nice waterfall. Food is fair, taking into account it’s in a zoo. One daughter ordered the Mac n’ Cheese and it was the stuff from the blue box. She enjoyed it. Other daughter had the chicken strips which she liked. My wife had the entree portion of the Jungle Green Salad with grilled chicken added. Portion was decent, however the salad was overrun with Radicchio and candied bears. I had the Impossible Burger. Execution was mediocre. Doesn’t compare to the Impossible Burger at Umami Burger or even the Cheesecake factory. It tasted more like a frozen veggie burger patty that was dry and over cooked. Our server was disinterested and inattentive. To be fair, other servers seemed much more engaged. We didn’t even get their sour dough bread to start.

In summary, expect food that’s just a step up from a quick service locale save for the burger which may actually be worse. Service is hit or miss. The location is cute albeit dated. The only option at the SD Zoo for table service and climate control.

Food a disappointment; weird-tasting. Chef may be too "creative" for taste combinations.

Kai was our server and he was fantastic. We made reservations and the only complaint was that we had to wait for 10 minutes. We will take that over the 45-60 min wait without a reservation. It was a nice reprieve from the zoo to rest and replenish to tackle the rest of the day. The food was delicious and hot.

It’s the only sit-down restaurant at a zoo. It’s about what you would expect for a restaurant at a zoo.

Best place for dining inside the zoo.

We have been coming to Albert's for 15 years and this was the worst meal ever. My husband's margarita pizza came out over cooked. We would have sent it back, but he was so hungry, he just ate around the over cooked parts. They recently changed the menu, so I decided to try something new, the buttermilk chicken with collards and potato. The collards were good, but there was not much, mostly mashed potato and the chicken was pink in some area. The mustard sauce put on top of the chicken was overpowering and the added broccoli, just did not make sense. My sons, 8 and 10, enjoyed their meal, but I would hope they would not screw up cheese pizza and mac and cheese. The table next to us got cold food and said they were not coming back, the manager had to come to the table to apologize. They only offer a vegi burger, no meat option and the fish and chips are not longer on the menu. The cost of has gone up, we paid $80, the food is worse. We will not go back.

Good vibe in restuarant. Staff was friendly and helpful with menu. The only bump was the menu was not updated from website.

Very disappointed in the changed menu. The only reason we came was for some items no longer listed (the quesadilla on the appetizer menu specifically). The chicken pot pie pizza was good, but the black garlic bread and quesa fundida were subpar. While we were seated at 1:00 for our reservation time, we spent over an hour in the restaurant waiting for either our drinks, food or the check, which is ridiculous. Also upsetting to see young children seated (and eating) UP AT THE BAR...obviously they weren’t drinking, but isn’t having them up there illegal?

Terrible food and poor service. We ordered pizza and a frozen pizza is better. Disappointing experience, but it was nice to sit and rest our legs inside. Truffle fries were decent. Pizza and Bloody Mary (v8) left a lot to be desired.

Great restaurant inside the San Diego Zoo. We went for New Years Eve and sat inside due to rain. I wish they would turn down the lights for more ambience but they did have linens and candles. Dinner menu was set due to the holiday but everything was good. We’ll go back for brunch and sit outside.

nice evening with friends. too bad I have to keep writing to get out of this review page

Benjamin was a 5 star server for our group on a busy, rainy New Year's Eve Day. Food and wine were both great for the day and the celebration with friends.

Food was okay it’s definitely special experience overall to be eating right next to waterfalls. Service was great!

The menu has changed from very imaginative to just commonplace. The dishes were MUCH too salty. Our waiter didn’t even ask us if we wanted dessert or coffee. He just brought the check.

Was a great rest place at the zoo. Had a wonderful time.

One of my favorite places to eat out in San Diego. The food is always great and the menu changes on a pretty regular basis.

Chicken wasn’t cooked! Bloody! Jumblaya was off menu and no hummus or artichokes! Food just wasn’t that good!

Kai was our waiter for the evening and was excellent. If you are a member of the San Diego Zoological Society you get a 10% discount on your meal. I had the short ribs and my husband had the Thai Shrimp Curry. Both outstanding. Albert's is one of our favorite San Diego restaurants.

My buttermilk chicken order was terrible the chicken was hot the veggies and potatoes was ice cold sent it back the second one came out exactly the same except it was missing half the veggies the price you pay the food is absolutely way below standard our server was fantastic so he received a 20% tip he was worth it

Horrible horrible food
Bad quality and very expensive

We did online reservation - highly recommend. Those who walked in were told waiting was 45 mins. - 1 hour. Our 2-person table was very close to the outdoor patio entrance door. Because the weather wasn't warm, the cold breeze hit us in the face - that was uncomfortable. The food made up for that. Hubby had the impossible hamburger (veggie) and I had the buttermilk fried chicken which is to die for. It sat on a bed of mashed potatoes & collard greens, with broccolini and a fantastic sauce. The chef did a fantastic job on this dish which I know you wouldn't get at any other restaurant.

Great steak mushrooms and potatoes. Cocktails were great too. Fancy place inside the zoo with good food and friendly people. A little pricey but considering all, it’s good!

Hostess at the front was very rude. Our waiter, Jacob, was fantastic! Very noisy and little to the atmosphere, but food was delicious. I’d visit again if at the zoo, but not make a special trip.

At the zoo and a nice place to sit down

Great service! Our reservation was at 11:30, but we arrived at 11, and they were able to accommodate us.

Disappointed with the lack of view from the terrace - you could be anywhere in the world. Food was OK but not worth the money.

On Christmas day, the zoo was relatively quiet (just after a rain), but Albert's was packed. Lots of families, so the scene was somewhat chaotic and the noise level high. Food was fine, our server was terrific, and it was really fun overall. The dining room is brightly lighted -- not really a romantic or intimate environment.

San Diego Zoo, Great food, Awesome patio with waterfall. Cost vs quantity needs a bit of improvement

This was our christmas celebration for my whole family. My parents, my sister and her family and my own family. They started us right away and were very prompt. It was a little breezy even inside the dining area, but Christmas Day was very sweet and storms ran through the park all through the day and it was cold in general that day. We had a fantastic day in the park and thoroughly enjoyed our time. Highly suggest making reservations ahead of time as it was an extremely busy place.

This is a find at the San Diego Zoo! The food is wonderful, beautifully presented, the service is excellent and friendly and the bar creates interesting and delicious cocktails.

Service was nothing special. Food was unremarkable. But it was an opportunity to sit down and relax after a great day in the zoo.
No point in making a reservation when we had to wait after our time for the table to be prepped then they seated six adults at a table for four.

Great ambiance and food. Very kewl location and nice to be outside next to the waterfall!

We read some great reviews and poor. However we found the service excellent and the food quite good. They were quite accommodating for the seven of us including doing a variety of plate options. We all had a delightful time and of course we think the zoo is spectacular.