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The Watering Hole- San Diego Zoo Safari Park, Escondido, CA

The Watering Hole- San Diego Zoo Safari Park

4.5
4.5
1227 Reviews
$30 and under
Gastro Pub

Make a reservation

2 people
11:30 PM
Booked 21 times today
  • Great for outdoor dining
  • Great for scenic views
  • Charming
Located in the San Diego Safari Park
OpenTable Diners Choice 2022 Award for Best Ambiance

Enjoy an incredible view of the African Plains at the Safari Park's newest gathering spot: The Watering Hole restaurant and bar. Watch rhinos and giraffes as you dine on menu items including tasty sandwiches and fresh salads, or relax with a refreshing beverage from the full-service bar with a wide selection of craft beers, wine, and mixed drinks.

18% Gratuity charge to be added to checks for parties of 7 or more

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Gastro Pub, African, Fusion / Eclectic
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Fri 11:00 am–3:00 pm Sat, Sun 10:30 am–3:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (760) 796-5654 ext. 5397
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Neighborhood
    Escondido
  • Cross street
    San Pasqual Valley Rd
  • Parking details
    None
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, View, Weekend Brunch, Wine

What 1,227 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5
4.5 based on recent ratings
  • 4.3Food
  • 4.4Service
  • 4.8Ambience
  • 4.2Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Watering Hole at San Diego Zoo Safari Park offers an "incredible location" with "beautiful views" of animals like rhinos and giraffes. While the menu is "limited," the food is generally "good," and the service is "friendly and attentive." This unique spot provides a memorable dining experience amidst the safari ambiance.

1,228 Reviews
  1. Dolores

    San Diego

    4 reviews

    1.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    From this restaurant you can view rhinos, giraffes and other animals at Safari Park. However, it is a very poorly run place. We had reservations and we were seated. Another group in front of us with no reservations was told they had a 45 minute wait or they could sit at a small table on the fake lawn. They were served their food way before us. We waited an hour and half for our lunch. The adult food was good to ok. The kids chicken tenders were mushy and flavorless.They charged plenty for the kids meals and basically it was the same food at any place in the park.We definitely would not return to eat there again. It has great potential, but they need to learn how to be a restaurant and not a fast food establishment with super slow wait times.

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  2. Allen

    San Diego

    12 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on November 11, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Vu provided wonderful service today. We lover dining here and the food was terrific. Thanks to everybody who works there. The greeter was friendly and professional as well.

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  3. Ally

    Charlotte

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 11, 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 5
    Took us 30 minutes to be greeted and asked about drinks and if we’d like water. Food didn’t come until after an hour of being seated. Wait staff did not acknowledge this or offer anything once we raised the issue.

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  4. Marsha

    San Diego

    182 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    182 reviews

    Dined on November 10, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wow. It’s been a while and the change is dramatic. Fresh ingredients that gave us great plates of food. We were really happy and will be back.

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  5. Donna

    Las Vegas

    13 reviews

    3.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on November 7, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    We were informed that the watering hole was the best food in the park, so we made 12:30 reservations. The place is way understaffed. I don’t know why I even bothered making the reservation because they sat whoever showed up. The hostess sat 3 tables in the same section so we waited 30 minutes to even be greeted. The good part is the food was good and it did come pretty quickly. This place is very poorly run. Who’s managing this place? Sad that the overwhelmed waitress constantly apologizing for everything that wasn’t her fault.

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  6. Cassie

    San Diego

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on November 3, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The pretzel appetizer is so good! Large portion sizes. Happy and attentive servers. Enjoy watching the animals as you dine.

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  7. Jeffrey

    San Diego

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 3, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 5
    You come here for the view. The food wad surprisingly good, though a bit pricy. But at least we assume it goes to a good cause. Their biggest perpetual problem is that it is SLOW. I mean, REALLY SLOW. We had a reservation and got our table right away. But it took them an HOUR to just take our order. And then ANOTHER HOUR to bring our food. And no, it wasn't busy or slammed. The wait staff are friendly, but it feels like they want to provide a real African experience and make guests spend half of their day just sitting around and waiting. It took us 2.5 hours just to eat lunch; we were only at the park for 6 hours because of their shortened winter hours! What a waste. They seemed like they had enough staff (but maybe not?), so I have no idea what the hold up was. Thankfully we have passes to the Park, otherwise I would have felt even more cheated of my time. And sadly, I've been before with a similar (though not quite as bad) experience. Overall, the food is good and the view is wonderful, but if you actually want to see and enjoy the Park itself you likely want to avoid the Watering Hole.
    The Watering Hole- San Diego Zoo Safari ParkResponded on November 6, 2024
    Thank you for providing us this feedback, I'm sorry to hear that your service was less than ideal. Our vision is to create world-class experiences through service, and your feedback will help us move in that direction. We have responded privately, as we would love to discuss this further with you.

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  8. SteveB

    Orange County

    7 reviews

    1.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on November 3, 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 5
    Pass except the experience was great! Service was terrible.
    The Watering Hole- San Diego Zoo Safari ParkResponded on November 6, 2024
    Thank you for providing us this feedback, I'm sorry to hear that your service was less than ideal. Our vision is to create world-class experiences through service, and your feedback will help us move in that direction. We have responded privately, as we would love to discuss this further with you.

    Is this helpful?

  9. Dan

    San Diego

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on November 1, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great place to eat. Food is great. Very relaxing.

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  10. Marlene

    San Diego

    13 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on October 30, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was delicious and loved watching the rhinos and giraffes while we ate lunch

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FAQs

The Watering Hole- San Diego Zoo Safari Park is rated 4.5 stars by 1227 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
11:30 PM
Booked 21 times today
Google Map for The Watering Hole- San Diego Zoo Safari Park

15500 San Pasqual Valley Rd, Escondido, CA 92027-7017

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross street
    San Pasqual Valley Rd
  • Neighborhood
    Escondido
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Fri 11:00 am–3:00 pm Sat, Sun 10:30 am–3:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Gastro Pub, African, Fusion / Eclectic
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    None
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, View, Weekend Brunch, Wine
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