Lunch at the Zoo--oddly similar to shopping at Costco on Saturday, but more crowded

We went to the zoo last weekend. We just got a membership so we were exicted to be able to go for just a couple of hours. Our original plan was to go & brave the cold for a couple of hours and then get home in time to eat lunch. The weather was a little warmer than we'd expected so we ended up staying longer. Being a not-too-busy winter day, not a lot of the concessions were open, so we thought we'd zip over to the Qdoba on 17th for lunch. Sometime between making this plan and getting to the exit, our children decided they were really hungry (and really cranky about it). The goldfish I'd packed for a snack were long gone and the smashed up nutrigrain bar that had been at the bottom of the diaper bag for who knows how long just wasn't cutting it. As we neared the exit, we discovered the restaurant by the exit was open. In a moment of desperation, we decided to give it a try. Now, I was expecting low-quality, high-priced food. After all, we were at the zoo. The prices were a bit lower than I expected, but the food was definitely low-quality. We got two cheese pizzas. Our friends got mac-n-cheese for their kids. Tasting both of these lunch items, I was reminded of shopping at Costco on a Saturday afternoon...you know...when they give out all those samples near the frozen food section. Both of the mac-n-cheese and the pizza were definitely assembled in their entirety in some place far far away from the zoo. I recently read Omnivore's Dilemma. As a result of what I learned in that book, I'd also guess that both of these food items contained a lot more corn than you'd probably think. The pizza crust resembled wonder bread and it was covered with a flavorless red sauce and an oddly smooth sheen of white cheese. The mac-n-cheese had that lovely orange color which lets you know that at one point this "cheese" was in powder form. Interestingly, the food was not the worst part of the experience. The dining area was jam packed with tables. It was so tight in there that it was nearly impossible to navigate through let alone with a stroller, even on the permiter of the tables. I managed to push a table away here & there to get my stroller through but then I came face to face with another family trying to go the opposite direction with their stroller. What a mess! They had highchairs but I literally had to carry it over my head to get it to the table & I still think I bumped into several chairs on the way!

Maybe next time, we'll just pack a lunch. However, the question still remains about where to eat it until the weather gets warmer. I noticed some people had brought their own food to eat into the restuarant we ate at. But I don't think I want to set foot in that overcrowed dining room again!