Satu’li Canteen in Disney’s Animal Kingdom is one of my favorite quick service restaurants in the park, (not ahead of Flame Tree Barbecue to be clear, but it’s up there).
Located in Pandora: World of Avatar, Satu’li Canteen features a variety of entrees because of the ability to be able to mix and match the menu items. It’s also a huge space that can accommodate lots of guests at one time, so even when it’s prime lunch or dinner time I’ve never really seen any issues if you mobile order on your way through Pandora.
I’m going to be totally honest and say I’ve only seen Avatar once and as a result I’m not entirely clear on the storyline behind Satu’li Canteen. It’s based on an RDA mess hall and the menu is inspired by the plant life on Pandora, but that’s the best I’ve got. Thankfully the food and ambiance still hold up and it’s easy to get a lot out of Pandora as a whole whether or not you’re into the movie (though I do need to watch the movie again…)
The menu at Satu’li Canteen is largely comprised of different bowls, where Guests choose a base (like rice/quinoa, potatoes, or salad), a sauce, and a meat (or fish or tofu). It’s a similar concept to say, Chipotle or Qdoba in some sense, albeit with entirely different food.
In addition to the bowls, there is a shrimp noodle dish that looks really good though I haven’t had a chance to try it yet, and some interesting items on the kids menu, like cheeseburger pods. Usually at Satu’li Canteen I order my *usual* bowl of beef, with rice and the creamy herb sauce and we split a kids order of cheeseburger pods. The cheeseburger pods pretty much taste like a McDonalds cheeseburger chopped up and used as filling in a bao bun, and somehow they’re…delicious.
As for bowls, I’ve tried both the chicken and steak so far and they’re easily both up there for some of the best quick service meals in Walt Disney World. The steak in my experience has always been on the pinker side, which I prefer, but if you don’t that’s probably something to note and maybe ask for it to be a little more well done.
The chicken is always really well seasoned and seems to go well with any of the bases and sauces. The menu also now features a chicken/steak combination bowl and a crispy fried tofu bowl (that can be ordered entirely vegan).
For alcoholic beverages, Satu’li Canteen stacks up to the rest of Animal Kingdom (which I think is getting close to Epcot in terms of the best park to do some day drinking at Walt Disney World). There are a couple of mixed drinks on the menu, all good from what I’ve tried but sort of the usual pre-mixed variety you tend to find at Disney quick service restaurants, but Satu’li Canteen also has a fairly extensive beer list with a couple of items that are exclusive to Pandora so I’d start there.
Satu’li Canteen really tops my list for the combination of great food and convenience. I think mobile ordering is a game changer for those days in the parks when you find yourself getting ready for lunch during the rush. It doesn’t necessarily solve the issue of searching for a table, but where Satu’li Canteen has plenty of seating both inside and outside I haven’t really experienced any issues there.
It’s hard for me to say whether I’d choose this over Flame Tree Barbecue as my favorite Animal Kingdom quick service– Flame Tree doesn’t have any indoor seating, so if air conditioning is important to you they’d lose points for that. But the barbecue at Flame Tree is so delicious I usually end up eating there once every trip, and I can’t get enough of the view of Expedition Everest from across the water.
Which Animal Kingdom quick service restaurant is your favorite? Let me know in the comments or share what your favorite thing to order is at Satu’li Canteen?
