Our Dining Favorites: Balboa Park

It’s no secret Balboa Park is a fantastic place to visit with kids: museums, fountains, gardens, and the world-famous San Diego Zoo. All of that sightseeing is bound to make you hungry, so here is a short list of my favorite places to dine at the park.

The Zoo
There are fast food eateries all over the zoo, but the one with the best view is the Treehouse Cafe. The menu is decent and you’ll get a nice breeze out on the deck. If you are looking for a fancier meal-without giant gorilla head beverage cups-then take the elevator down from the Cafe to Albert’s Restaurant. I enjoy splurging on a meal (even while at the zoo), if it means I get to rest my tired footsies and let the waiter do all the work. The food is good, but know you’re mostly paying for the rainforest ambience. The best seats are out on the deck by the waterfall; call ahead to reserve those tables.

The Park

I already wrote about my love for the at Sculpture Court Cafe in the San Diego Museum of Art. We dined there again, on a recent trip, and found the menu a bit different, but still delicious. This is a relaxing place for a lunch break and to check out the cool architecture of Balboa. If you want to eat at the culinary gem of the park, then you’ll have to go to the The Prado. We didn’t make reservations for this popular restaurant, so we opted to sit in the bar section. This worked out well since we wanted a light lunch. By light, I mean the best fish tacos I had while in San Diego, and some kickin’ macaroni and cheese for my little guy. The colorful, Spanish-style decor is going to keep the kids busy looking around, at least until the appetizers get there.

Picnic

You could opt to do the more rustic dining experience and plop down anywhere in the park. The Zoo has a picnic area right outside the zoo and there are hot dog carts to be found near the Natural History museum.