I’m not a big fan of fast food or counter-service restaurants at home.  When I’m not on vacation, I probably don’t eat at a fast food place once a month.  I like to cook and I try to avoid fried and processed foods.  I like to think we save money by not eating out much.  I also figure if we eat well most of the time, we earn the right to splurge a bit (or a lot) when we go to Disney World.

I’m not the person who can tell you where on Disney property to find the best hamburger or pizza.  I’ve only eaten one Disney World hamburger (Olivia’s Duval Street Burger at Old Key West and it was spectacular).  Anytime I’ve tried pizza, I’ve been remarkably disappointed.  Pizza and hamburgers aside, there are some mighty good counter-service eateries to be found at Disney World.  You just have to know where they are.

Let’s talk Animal Kingdom.  Personally, I’m hoping for the addition of more counter-service choices as the park expands.  In October, Raymond and I found ourselves there and in dire need of a late, but not too heavy, lunch.  Normally, we’re Flame Tree Barbeque fans, but I’d heard that Yak & Yeti had a quick-service counter serving a variety of Pan-Asian menu items that were both tasty and inexpensive (relatively speaking, of course).  We had FastPasses for Expedition Everest, so grabbing a bite in the park’s Asia section was convenient.

As with everything in Animal Kingdom, the Yak & Yeti’s exterior is full of fun and interesting details.  Unlike most restaurants at Walt Disney World which are either table service OR counter service, the Yak & Yeti is both.  Inside is a sit down restaurant, outside is a quick-service counter. 

Because it was so late in the day, we skipped the main menu items and ordered from the “Sides” section.  We each ordered the Chicken Fried Rice ($3.99 ea.) and we got an order of two eggrolls ($5.49) to share.  To wash it down, we added two Safari Ambers ($7.00 ea.).

Nearby, we found a covered seating area filled with large tables and soon found ourselves sitting with a friendly family from Alabama.  It was warm out, but the shade and cold beer helped a lot.  Too much food!  Can you believe it?  I ate only half of the rice and my eggroll and was full.  The food was good, the beer refreshing.  Not gourmet or fancy, but our meal at Yak & Yeti was satisfying and tasty. 

Have you tried the Yak & Yeti?  What did you think? For more pictures and full menu information, visit the Yak & Yeti website here.