Jolly Holiday: A Trip to Boma!

In today's column, Jason and Caitie -- our newlywed Disney fans -- have a love/hate discussion about a restaurant many of us know well... Boma in Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Boma

JASON
So far, Caitie and I have been pretty civilized in our discussion here. There have been points of disagreement, sure, but we haven't brought out the real points of contention in our Disney fandom-fueled marriage.

We decided enough was enough, and it was time to take the gloves off.

Our first item of real disagreement, one that actually helped us decide to write the column in the first place, is Boma, the African buffet in the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Simply put, I consider Boma to be my favorite restaurant, not just in Disney World, but anywhere.

I was introduced to it years ago. My dad had gone to Disney World on a business trip, and it was recommended to him by some friends. When we took a trip as a family a couple of years later, when I was seventeen, he took us to Boma. I remember liking it a lot then, and have insisted that I return to eat there in each subsequent trip. I admit thinking "it can't be as good as I remember" every time I've gone " in fact, it's better.

I'm not going to pick apart every menu item here, mostly because it's impossible. The menu changes constantly from my experience, but I will highlight some of the foods that have made my mouth water and made me go back to the buffet for seconds and thirds each time I've gone.

To begin, the soups in Boma are simply the best I've ever had. I know they rotate the soups so there are five available on any given day. My favorite, I remember from two trips ago, was the mulligatawny, which I sorely missed on our last trip. Still, between the sweet carrot ginger soup, savory coconut chicken curry soup, and delicious crab soup, I didn't have long to miss it.

Next came the salads " something I admit I often will skip on buffets, but the options are so unique in Boma that this would just be a shame. I love the watermelon rind salad and the avocado, grapefruit and papaya salad especially. The sweetness of the fruit is not something we're used to at this part of a meal in America, and it's very refreshing before the main course.

Salads

I'm always willing to try various meat dishes, so the slow roasted pork ribs and roasted chicken were right up my alley. I also remember loving the potatoes with Afritude. Last time we were there they had a corn/spinach pudding that was so good we asked for the recipe (which we subsequently misplaced " if anyone has it and wants to share, we'd love it!).

Dessert is assorted pastries (zebra domes!) and fresh fruit. Even Caitie, I'd think, will admit dessert is pretty good here, if not necessarily a central attraction of the restaurant.

Add to the incredibly good food a light, fun atmosphere, friendly servers, and classic Disney crowd management most days, and Boma is a restaurant I will point anyone who is visiting Disney World to as a MUST try!

CAITIE
Jason dragged me here our first trip together swearing I would love it. I was skeptical at best. I don't like a lot of spicy food and everything on the sample menu online looked awful to me. But I said I would try it because he liked it so much.

Uh yeah, I did NOT like it. Those soups Jason loves? I hate curry and thought the carrot ginger was disgusting. And I don't do crab or shrimp. I thought I would love the salads, I love fruit in my salads, but I hated the dressing and mix of flavors.

I tried the meats and they were okay. One had some curry on it, so that stayed on my plate. The part that was the most disappointing to me was that the things I thought I would love still weren't good. They added all of the tastes and flavors I dislike to my favorite dishes - coconut in the rice, shrimp with anything (I am allergic to shrimp), and the American food (pasta, chicken fingers, mac and cheese, etc.) for people that aren't crazy about the ethnic stuff is just bad.

Cookies Ready to be Served

I really don't like it. I wish I did. Dessert there is wonderful though, and it is my reward for putting up with a restaurant I don't like for Jason!

I will also give it this - breakfast at Boma is AWESOME! Western Africa Frunch is the best juice I have ever had. I think I had three or four glasses when we went! There are omelets made to order and made perfectly. It is my one "Must Do" for breakfast, so now we head to Boma twice a trip.

Do you love Boma like Jason or hate it like Caitie? Is it even possible to be in between with this restaurant? Let us know in the comments.