The Mara at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is a quick-service restaurant located near the pool deck. Today, we are taking a trip to the resort to enjoy the food this restaurant has to offer. I have eaten here in the past, and I’ve never been disappointed. This time around, I have Craig and Ryno with me, and I know they are very excited about the Zebra Domes, which they serve as a dessert.
The Mara – Location & Atmosphere
The quick-service restaurant is a bit far from the lobby but is very close to the pool. The indoor seating area isn’t huge, but it is bigger than some other places. I’m looking at you, Capt. Cook’s. I do enjoy the theming of the restaurant. There are tree-like structures throughout the location. Near the registers, where guests order, there are beautiful leaves that are part of the tree. So be sure to look up.
Near the seating area, there is a beautiful mural that is on the walls showcasing a bunch of animals that can be found in the region. I enjoyed the artwork. The only thing I wish that were different was the lighting. It felt really dark in there, which made it hard to see all the theming.
The Mara – Food
For my lunch, I ordered the Marrakesh Falafel Platter ($12.29), served with tabbouleh, cucumber-tomato salad, hummus, avocado-tahini sauce, and pita bread. This is one of the plant-based options that’s available on the menu. I enjoyed this meal. The falafel was cooked perfectly, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Another part of the dish I loved was the hummus and the avocado-tahini sauce. They both paired well with the pita and falafel. I could’ve lived without the tabbouleh. It didn’t enhance the dish. Overall, I loved it and thought the flavors all blended well. I want to return and try the South African Vegetable Bowl because it sounds interesting.
For dessert, I got the Flamingo Spice Cake ($5.49), a vegan spice cake with coconut ganache and dried raspberries. I enjoyed the cake, but I wasn’t a fan of the coconut ganache, so I removed it. The cake itself tasted like that perfect spice cake and had a very mushy consistency since it was made with applesauce instead of eggs, but I didn’t mind the texture at all. I wish they used a different type of icing because it didn’t complement the cake.
Ryno ordered the Combination Bowl ($15.79), chermoula-spiced shrimp and oak grilled chicken with pilau rice, kale slaw, cucumber-tomato salad, and chermoula sour cream. He enjoyed his meal and pointed out that the bowl was heavy when picking it up. The portion was perfect; if you like to share food, this is a great option. The only thing he didn’t like was that there were olives in the cucumber tomato salad. He hates olives. Overall, he did like his meal and enjoyed all the flavors in the dish, except for the olives.
For dessert, Ryno ordered the famous Zebra Domes ($4.59), chocolate mousse baked with Amarula Cream Liquor-coated white chocolate drizzled with chocolate strips, and chocolate shavings. Before we get into how he felt about the dessert, I want to point out that this sweet treat contains alcohol. Ryno absolutely loves Zebra Domes. From the moment we walked into the resort, he talked about how he wanted to order them. Craig also loves this dessert; it’s a classic and a fan favorite.
Craig took one for the team and ordered the Fire-Roasted Tomato and Herbed Ricotta Flatbread ($12.79), with fire-roasted tomatoes, herbed ricotta, tomato sauce, cheese blend, and sun-dried tomato vinaigrette tossed arugula. Surprisingly, Craig enjoyed the flatbread and said it wasn’t bad. He mentioned that it is a more elevated flatbread than the other ones on the menu. Ryno tried it and said it had a sweet flavor profile, which he didn’t expect. It makes sense that the flatbread tasted sweet because Disney pizza sauce is sweet, ricotta cheese is sweet, and the sun-dried tomato vinaigrette is sweet in nature. Overall, the flatbread was decent, and Craig enjoyed it.
For his dessert, he ordered a seasonal option. The Halloween exclusive dessert here is a Black Cat Tart ($5.99), a carrot cake topped with orange caramel, toasted coconut, and a pumpkin cheesecake. After Craig’s first bite, he immediately said, “That is the best pumpkin cheesecake I have ever had.” That statement shocked all of us at the table. Next, he tried the carrot cake tart and was surprised by that, too. He didn’t know what to expect with this dessert, but he really enjoyed it and couldn’t stop raving about it.
Overall Thoughts
Overall, we enjoyed dining at The Mara. The food was excellent in terms of taste, quality, and cost. The restaurant is nicely themed and creates a pleasant atmosphere. Again, I wish they would change the lighting, but everything else was great. I am glad we went to The Mara and enjoyed some delicious food with African-inspired flavors and, of course, Zebra Domes.
Enjoy the video below of the team’s review!
The post Disney Dining Review: Savoring the Savanna at The Mara in Animal Kingdom Lodge first appeared on The DIS.