Disney4me Posted 4 hours ago Report Share Posted 4 hours ago There is no shortage of dining options at Disney World. There are options for just about anyone, but we don’t want you wasting your time and money on bad food. We have eaten everywhere in Disney World, and we aren’t stopping there! We are constantly trying new food and revisiting locations to make sure you have the most up to date information about dining at Disney World. Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge We recently stopped by The Mara at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge to see whether it is worth a stop. We are bringing you our FULL review, so don’t go anywhere. Is it worth a stop on your next trip to Disney World? Find out here! Atmosphere Today, we are heading over to The Mara located inside of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. This quick service location is named after the Masai Mara National Reserve in Africa. Inside, you will find a taste of Africa, as well as some American favorites. The Mara The Mara is located near Boma and Jiko — The Cooking Place. Just head out the doors between the two restaurants, hang a left, and then your next stop will be The Mara. It is next to the Uzima Springs pool area, so it could be a great option if you are enjoying a day by the pool. One of the really cool parts about The Mara is that you can actually find some of the offerings from Boma on the menu, including Zebra Domes and Butternut Squash Soup. The Mara You can stop by for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and enjoy your food inside or head out to a small area offering tables outside. Of course, you can also take the food to go and head poolside or bring it back to your room! There are a multitude of tables available inside… The Mara seating …as well as a few tables with umbrellas outside. Outside seating When you first walk in, you will be greeted by a tree mural of the acacia tree adorning the entrance, and you will also spot animal murals encompassing the walls behind the seating. Aren’t they fun? Like most quick-service restaurants, you head to the ordering area to grab your food. The Mara is set up like a food court, with a variety of food stations. The Mara There are also coolers with grab-and-go options. Grab and Go Options You will also find a section for grab-and-go snacks, where you can pick up a bottle of wine. You can grab snacks and wine! Plus, there is a bakery section to grab a sweet treat. If you are looking for the famous Zebra Domes, though, you will find them in the refrigerated grab-and-go section. Bakery Section Once you have all your food items, you can head to the check-out counter to pay and then choose your favorite seat. We are stopping by for a late lunch (or early dinner if you prefer), so let’s take a look at what’s on the menu here! Menu Let’s start off with a variety of entrees, including a Harissa-spiced Beef Bowl and a Tamarind Barbecue Pork Sandwich. ©Disney You can also grab a cheese or pepperoni flatbread, or the Fire-roasted Tomato and Herbed Ricotta Flatbread. Additionally, there are options for cold sandwiches, salads, and plant-based options. ©Disney You can also grab French Fries of Butternut Squash Soup as a side. There are also some options for the kiddos, too! ©Disney There are also plenty of desserts to choose from, including The Mara Cupcake and ZEBRA DOMES! ©Disney The Mara also offers some fresh fruit and a variety of snack options. ©Disney Can’t forget about the drinks! You can choose from various beverages like fountain drinks or bottled soda. ©Disney There are also specialty coffees and hot beverages available. ©Disney Or, if you are looking for something with some alcohol, you will find a variety of beer… ©Disney …as well as wine. ©Disney And there are even some cocktails, like a Passion Fruit, Orange, and Guava Frozen Slush with rum or vodka. ©Disney And now, onto the main event — the food! Eats First up, we grabbed the Oak-grilled Chicken Bowl for $13.29. It is marinated chicken thighs, pilau rice, kale slaw, cucumber-tomato salad, and chermoula sour cream. The chicken was juicy and tender. While it didn’t have a lot of flavor to it, the rest of the bowl definitely packed the flavor. Oak-grilled Chicken Bowl The rice was seasoned well and had flavors of cumin and cardamom. The kale slaw had a sweet dressing on it that helped cut the bitterness of the kale. You will also find a tomato and cucumber salad that has a light vinegary taste to it, as well as a chickpea salad with olives. But one of our favorite parts of the bowl was the chermoula sour cream. It was creamy and full of flavor. We tasted cilantro and parsley, and it really helped bring the whole bowl together. Oak-grilled Chicken Bowl Next, we tried the Fire-roasted Tomato and Herbed Ricotta Flatbread for $12.79. It is made with fire-roasted tomatoes, herbed ricotta, tomato sauce, cheese blend, and sun-dried tomato vinaigrette tossed arugula. While the tomato sauce and cheese are about what you would expect on a flatbread, the herbed ricotta and fire-roasted tomatoes take the flatbread to the next level. Fire-roasted Tomato and Herbed Ricotta Flatbread The fire-roasted tomatoes are tender and juicy, with a lovely smoky flavor. The herbed ricotta is wonderfully creamy and herb-flavored. The arugula is dressed in a light dressing that is a bit hard to taste over the rest of the ingredients, but the arugula adds great freshness and peppery flavor to the flatbread. Fire-roasted Tomato and Herbed Ricotta Flatbread We also grabbed the Butternut Squash Soup for $4.79. You can also find this soup over at Boma! This is a very sweet butternut squash soup, but it definitely gives you all the cozy vibes. It is packed with warming spices like cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. Even though it was 85 degrees outside, we still couldn’t help but finish every bit of this soup. Butternut Squash Soup The soup has a great thickness, enough to stay on your spoon easily, but not so much that you feel like you are eating a mousse. The flavors of this soup reminded us of a pumpkin pie filling, but not as thick and not quite as sweet. However, we definitely feel like this soup is on the sweeter side. Butternut Squash Soup Finally, we couldn’t head to Animal Kingdom Lodge without grabbing one of our favorites: Zebra Domes. You will also find these at the buffet at Boma, but if you don’t want to commit to a buffet, you can also grab them at The Mara. It costs $4.59 and they are chocolate mousse baked with Amarula cream liquor-coated white chocolate drizzled with chocolate stripes and chocolate shavings. Zebra Domes These treats are popular, and for good reason! Even though we have had these guys so many times before, we still find ourselves loving them. You get four Zebra Domes in the container, so while there is enough to share, we don’t think you will want to share them. There is a small piece of vanilla cake on the bottom that is topped with a creamy, chocolatey mousse. All of that is covered in a soft white chocolate shell infused with cream liquor. Zebra Domes Then they are drizzled with chocolate and dipped in a few chocolate sprinkles. They are soft and pillowy and have a chocolate and a slight almost coffee flavor to them. However, the coffee flavor you taste is light. You are probably going to want four more of these guys after you finish the first four! Nosh or Not This Disney World restaurant is a must-visit if… You are staying at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. If you are staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge, we think this will be a must-stop restaurant during your trip. Whether you are looking for a tasty breakfast, a quick lunch, or a lighter dinner, The Mara has some great and delicious options. You are looking for a tasty, quick bite and want to spot some animals. The food here was satisfying, and you could taste the African influence in much of it. But there are also options for pickier eaters. Plus, Animal Kingdom Lodge is one of our favorite places to walk around since you can see animals! Make sure to check out the animals before or after you dine. You want to grab Boma’s Zebra Domes or Butternut Squash Soup without committing to the whole buffet. It’s amazing to be able to get Zebra Domes and Butternut Squash Soup without having to worry about a whole buffet. There are just some days when a Zebra Dome will cure the blues, and The Mara is a perfect stop! You should skip this Disney World spot if… You are looking to see the animals at Animal Kingdom Lodge while you dine. There aren’t any good views from the restaurant itself, although you could take your food to go and walk over to an area where you can see animals. However, if you really want a glimpse at the animals while you are dining, we suggest heading over to Sanaa! You are looking for an elevated dining experience. The Mara is a quick-service location, so you will be getting your own food and waiting for your own table. While you will spot some beautiful murals on the walls, this won’t fit the bill if you are looking for an elevated dining experience. The good news is that Jiko is right around the corner, and it definitely fits the bill! You want a knock-your-socks off dining experience. The food was great, and we enjoyed the atmosphere, but this likely won’t make it in our top 10 places to eat at Disney World. The food has some unique flavors, but it likely won’t be a super memorable dining experience that you remember for years to come. Check out our favorite restaurants in Disney World right here. Overall Overall, we were really impressed with the food here! The Fire-roasted Tomato and Herbed Ricotta Flatbread is definitely something we would go back for, and our mouths are drooling all over again just writing about it. Plus, it is hard to beat being able to grab Zebra Domes without having to commit to the buffet at Boma. The food is tasty, although it isn’t anything crazy special that you should go way out of your way for. But if you happen to be nearby, this could be a great choice! While you can’t see the animals directly from the restaurant, this could be a great option for a quick and tasty bite in between your animal watching. A lovely meal at The Mara In the meantime, we’ll be on the lookout for more restaurant updates from Disney World and beyond. Make sure you stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for the latest Disney news and more! The Best Restaurants in Disney World in 2025 Need Disney Restaurant Advice? We’ve Got EVERYTHING You Need to Know The ONLY Disney Dining Planning Tool You’ll Need Is Here – Get the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining! See Our Complete Disney World Restaurants Guide The Best Magic Kingdom Restaurants The Best EPCOT Restaurant Restaurants The Best Hollywood Studios Restaurants The Best Animal Kingdom Restaurants The Best Disney Springs Restaurants Check Out Dozens of Disney Dining Tips and Tools Learn All About Tipping at Disney Restaurants How to Use Mobile Order in Disney World Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest Disney food news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Have you eaten at this Disney World restaurant before? Tell us in the comments!The post REVIEW: Come For the Zebra Domes, Stay For the Flatbread at This Disney World Hotel Restaurant first appeared on the disney food blog.View the full article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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