Boma, Flavors of Africa Breakfast Review

Boma, Flavors of Africa is a restaurant located at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. And it’s not just any old restaurant. It’s the best buffet OF ALL TIME.

In this Boma breakfast review, we will take a detailed look at the breakfast buffet. Since the restaurant reopened, I’ve had the opportunity to eat here a couple of times.

Boma, Flavors of Africa, is exceptional as far as buffets go.

Yes, that’s right. The restaurant serves a buffet for extended breakfast hours and then changes to a dinner buffet in the evening.

When I heard that it was reopening, I immediately went online and made a reservation. And that’s a testament to how good this dining experience truly is.

Rarely do I return to restaurants that I’ve already reviewed. It doesn’t make much sense from a blogging standpoint.

If you have visited Boma for breakfast before, you already know what I mean when I say the buffet is out of the ordinary. And that’s coming from someone who doesn’t usually care for buffets.

Let’s take an updated look at what you can expect.

This article was updated on February 17, 2022.

First of all, the breakfast buffet at Boma generally boasts around 75 items. Some of those items are gluten-free and accommodate food allergies. If you have cross-contamination issues, a chef will come out to take your order and prepare it separately.

In addition, vegans will find a selection of items that meet their dietary needs. Vegan-friendly food options have a green leaf indicated on the sign. Below is an example.

The buffet offers a large variety of meats, bread, vegetables, salads (for breakfast!), traditional breakfast items, specialty items, and more! If you stick around until the end, I’ve updated a list of all the items available on the breakfast buffet from the Boma menu.

Boma Breakfast Review

Boma is located on the lower floor of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. The resort is made up of two sections.

The first section is Jambo House, the resort’s main lodge, where Boma is located. The second is Kidani Village, the resort’s vacation club section.

Related: Animal Kingdom Lodge Review

I am mentioning this because if you take a bus or drive over to Boma for breakfast, you need to know that there are two different buildings. Jambo House is where you’ll want to either park or get off at the bus stop.

Disney’s buses drop guests off at both resorts. The bus driver will make an announcement before arriving at each stop so guests can prepare to disembark.

After entering the lodge, you will head toward the right middle of the lobby area. There are elevators to your right and this large staircase. You can take either down to the lower level.

Boma is actually located where I’m standing taking the above picture. Once you get down on the lower level, you can’t miss it. This is also the area where you’ll find the resort’s signature dining restaurant location, Jiko.

I have a full review of Jiko if you are considering a meal there. It’s one of my top five signature dining choices at Disney.

At the time of this update, the breakfast buffet at Boma is $29 per adult and $17 per child, plus tax and tip. The restaurant serves breakfast between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. You can confirm pricing here on Disney’s site.

As for Boma, I consider it to be one of the best breakfasts at Disney World. To this day, I find the value of the buffet here much better than most restaurants.

For instance, our meal at the ‘Ohana character breakfast and the Akershus princess breakfast wasn’t that great. In comparison, Boma doesn’t offer characters, but the food selections more than make up for it.

Additionally, Boma has a great atmosphere and has a more casual, laid-back breakfast. Since Boma doesn’t serve lunch, there is no rush to leave or get last-minute items off the buffet if you have a late morning reservation.

Boma Breakfast Buffet

Since the breakfast buffet at Boma is substantial, I decided to take a video of it during my last visit. Unfortunately, it isn’t easy to accurately portray what’s available between the lighting, guests, and cast members.

You might be wondering if anything is different since Boma re-opened. You’ll be pleased to know that not too much has changed.

After ordering my beverages, the server mentioned the main changes. One change was that chefs no longer provided made-to-order omelets. And the other difference was that the French toast bread pudding was located in a different place on the bar than before.

These things were accurate. However, since I’m kind of an aficionado in all things Boma, I noticed a few other missing items.

For starters, we’ll take a look at the bread section. Be forewarned. There is plenty of bread at Boma.

The main selection of these fabulous carbohydrates (not diet-friendly, I’m sure) is actually at the end of the buffet line. But sometimes, it’s fun to enjoy a little sugar before savory, so here we are.

Below we have a picture of the bread section before Boma closed.

And here is the same section from my recent visit. Again, no changes were noted in this area.

This portion of the buffet consisted of assorted bagels, wheat bread, white bread, croissants, and toppings. The toppings included cream cheese, peanut butter, African chocolate hazelnut spread, jellies, and butter.

I assume the African chocolate hazelnut spread is the same thing as Nutella. However, I didn’t try any of these items since there were so many options.

The next carbohydrate station included a variety of muffins and pastries. Here is the before picture.

And here is the current version of Boma’s breakfast buffet. Again, no significant changes here either.

However, after looking through my photos, I noticed I had never had Boma’s bread pudding. On my prior visits to Boma, I always would select either a sticky bun or a donut.

I love the donuts at Boma. Unfortunately, they were no longer available. Here is a before picture.

Instead, cinnamon rolls now sit in their regular place.

Thankfully, there were still Sticky buns for days! They will probably stick with you for days, if we are honest. But calories don’t count on vacation, right?

A before photo.

And after. In addition, this is the bread pudding on the far right. The cast members constantly had to replace it. There is a vanilla sauce to drizzle over it.

In addition, that’s a caramel sauce in front of the sticky buns. As if they needed anything else.

Boma is a four-letter word for carbs if you haven’t figured it out!

A toaster sits at the very end of the buffet line if you prefer your bread warm and crispy.

Our next stop along the buffet line is to check out the different meat selections. You’ll find that the meats are spread out across several areas. For the sake of this review, I have gone through and put them together.

Boma has plenty of bacon and sausage. This is the before image.

And from my last visit.

All of this was the same as before. These two options are Afritude tots and West African sweet plantains.

No, I didn’t make that up. They are called Afritude Tots, per the sign. And those plantains are delicious. Make sure to try them.

There is a carving station that formerly offered several different selections of meat.

Ham was the only carved meat available on this recent visit. You definitely want to try the ham along with the Boma mustard.

I think about that mustard sometimes. It’s sweet and tangy at the same time, making the perfect accompaniment to the ham. I’m sure you understand the sentiment if you have tried it before.

Since the buffet at Boma features various African cuisine, there are several specialty dishes available. Unfortunately, the corned beef hash that’s pictured below was not available.

While I thoroughly enjoyed my meal at Boma, this is the one thing that I really felt was missing.

However, the Turkey Bobotie is still a staple on the buffet. This bobotie dish reminds me of a breakfast casserole. I found it to be an excellent option.

Formerly, the turkey bobotie sat next to the chakalaka, a South African spicy tomato stew. And on further down, there was pap, which is creamy white cornmeal.

Both of these items are still available. The pap is another top item on my list. It has a creamy consistency similar to grits. However, the texture is a bit different.

The vegetables are in this same section of the breakfast buffet. Below we find the grilled asparagus and oak-grilled Roma tomatoes. The asparagus has a nice, smoky flavor, and it was an enjoyable item. I don’t do tomatoes, so I can’t help you out there.

This next section of the buffet has changed somewhat significantly. Before, there was a rather large selection of meats and cheeses plus smoked salmon and accompaniments.

Now the area has a few types of meat and cheese selections alongside hard-boiled eggs and deviled eggs.

Instead of smoked salmon, there are deviled eggs topped with smoked salmon.

Mixed berry yogurt parfaits were available. In the past, you could mix and match different items to make a personalized parfait.

Another specialty item that Boma is known for is the watermelon rind salad. Unfortunately, it was not available on this visit. However, they did have a new item, watermelon with mint pistachio crumbs.

This combination was excellent!

There was an avocado, grapefruit, and papaya salad in the same area.

Continuing, we look at a few traditional items for the not so adventurous diners of the family. Previously biscuits and gravy were available.

Now there is one large section with eggs instead. Eggs come prepared two ways on the buffet, scrambled plain and whatever the “scrambled eggs of the day” are.

Instead of having a make-your-own omelet station, several different preparations are made. Guests can choose which one they prefer.

Children and adults alike will appreciate that Mickey-shaped waffles remain plentiful.

In addition, there were plain pancakes and blueberry pancakes. The blueberry pancakes appeared as though the berries were dropped in the batter in the shape of a hidden Mickey.

On previous visits, there was a grains section that had oatmeal and quinoa along with toppings.

Now there was regular oatmeal with toppings and no quinoa.

However, there was something new, coconut steel-cut oatmeal. Being a fan of oatmeal, I decided to try a bite of the coconut version.

You might notice a little green Le Creuset honey pot sitting in front of the dish. I drizzled it over my oatmeal, and it was the most surprisingly delicious bite. I’ll definitely try to make this at home.

One of the nice things about breakfast at Boma is that beverages are included in the price. A cast member will bring you water upon arrival and then ask you what you care to drink.

Unfortunately, the former Jungle Juice was not available this time. I believe this is commonly called POG juice as well. The POG stands for passion fruit, orange juice, and guava.

From my understanding, it’s hard to outsource right now but will hopefully return at some point. And I imagine that is the case with many of the items that are missing. So it is likely they will return in the future.

Would I let a few missing items stop me from having breakfast at Boma? No way. I’m already daydreaming about my next visit.

List of Items on Boma’s Breakfast Buffet

Below are the items that are listed on Boma’s former breakfast menu. I’ve put an NA for not available besides the missing items on my most recent visit. I would imagine some of these items will return in the future as conditions improve.

Per the Boma menu:

Pod One-Cured Meats & Cheeses

• Smoked Pastrami Salmon (NA)
• Sliced Cheeses
• Cucumber, Tomato, Red Onion, Caper, Egg Whites, Egg Yolks (NA)
• Salami and Ham

Cold Station Pod Two-Fruits

• Watermelon Rind Salad (NA)
• Melons
• Grapes
• Pineapple
• Apple Sauce
• Seasonal Fruit

Cold Station Pod Three-Fruits

• Greek Yogurt (These items were replaced with the pre-made parfait.)
• Banana Yogurt
• 8 dry toppings

Cold Station Pod Four

• African Fruit Fool Salad (NA)
• Hard-Boiled Eggs
• Avocado/Papaya/Grapefruit Salad
• Spinach Quinoa Salad (NA)
• Create your own Omelet (Replaced)

Hot Station Pod Five

• Maple Syrup
• Pancakes
• Waffles

Hot Station Pod Six

• Sausage Gravy (NA)
• Biscuits (NA)
• Scrambled Eggs of the Day
• Scrambled Eggs

Hot Station Pod Seven

• Fried Sweet Plantains
• Fried Breakfast Potatoes
• Sausage
• Bacon

Rotisserie

• Grilled Asparagus
• Oak Grilled Roma Tomatoes
• Chakalaka
• Creamy Pap
• Turkey Bobotie
• Corn Beef Hash (NA)
• Carved Turkey (NA)
• Boma Mustard
• Sambal (NA)
• Brown Sugar
• Raisins
• Oatmeal
• Quinoa (NA)
• Fried Quinoa (Replaced with Coconut Steel Oats)

Bakery Items

• Wheat Bread
• White Bread
• Croissants
• Whipped Butter
• Peanut Butter
• Jellies and Jams
• Assorted Bagels
• Whipped Cream Cheese
• Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
• Breakfast Muffins and Bread
• Apple Pockets
• Vanilla Sauce
• Pecan Praline Sauce
• Bread Pudding
• Sticky Buns
• Doughnuts (NA)

Allergy-Friendly Options Upon Request

• Sweet Bread (Doughnuts and Muffins)
• Allergy-Friendly Bread (Toast and Bagel)
• Allergy-Friendly Waffles

If you are dining with food allergies at Boma, Gluten & Dairy Free at WDW has a list on their site here of common food allergens that are in each item.

Final Thoughts on Breakfast at Boma

Whether you consider yourself a foodie or are just looking for that one place to enjoy a nice meal for breakfast, you’ll definitely want to consider Boma, Flavors of Africa.

Prepare to leave this dining experience beyond full, and allow time to pace yourself during the meal. I tend to start with a trip to the buffet for savory items, followed by a second trip for sweets, I mean, sticky buns.

Cast members behind the buffet line are constantly working to replenish dishes. They will be glad to help you if you need any assistance.

Since the restaurant is almost always busy, the food is fresh. So you don’t have to worry about anything that has been sitting out for a while.

My other favorite breakfast place is Ale and Compass at Disney’s Yacht Club. I enjoy breakfast there nearly every time I stay on property and constantly update it with new items.

Related: Ale and Compass Breakfast Review

And we really love the Topolino’s Terrace Character Breakfast. So if you are looking to do character dining at Disney, this is my top recommendation.

For more dining options at the resort, check out our guide to the Animal Kingdom Lodge Restaurants. It will help you familiarize yourself with all the different restaurants at the resort.

Additionally, you might like to check out our complete list of articles for the Animal Kingdom Lodge here.

You might also like to browse our entire list of Disney Dining Reviews. It includes every single dining experience we’ve reviewed to date.

And if you are planning a stay and haven’t decided on a resort, make sure to check out our list of Walt Disney World Hotel Reviews.

Thanks for joining along on this Boma Breakfast Review! If you have tried breakfast at Boma, let me know your favorite items below in the comments.