Taste of Knott’s – A Foodie Review

It’s a little known fact about me that I love roller coasters. It’s been a while since I’ve ridden on any, though, because of what I have to go through to actually get on one! The expense to get in a theme park, the crowds, long lines, screaming kids, crazy people, blah blah blah. It’s almost not worth it. Also, amusement parks are known for having really crappy food at really high prices. Someone recently told me it cost them over $80 to feed a family of four dry tasteless burgers and stale fries. Now, to me that does not sound like a good time and not generally worth it for a few seconds of roller coaster thrills.

So, when I got an invitation to come to Knott’s Berry Farm and try their new menu offerings I was definitely intrigued. I knew what I had come to expect from amusement park eateries and, alternatively, what I would like to see. I honestly did not have high hopes. Theme parks are not known for their food. But maybe I was selling Knott’s a little short with my preconceptions. After all, their business began with Mrs. Knott’s Famous Chicken Dinner Restaurant. And, they must have had some faith in this undertaking, having invited so many foodies and food bloggers uber-discerning food critics.

I took this opportunity to try out Instagram for the first time. I had two thoughts. “So much fun!” and “Great. Now another thing for me to be addicted to!” As you’ll see I went a little crazy with the blur feature!

M and I started with the Hawaiian Ahi Poke. This item was a true test for me and I based my initial evaluation on the three bites (one bite for M) it took to eat it. Result? I was delighted, surprised and excited to try more! The ahi was cool and fresh and layered atop a crispy wonton with avocado mash, wasabi cream and seaweed salad. I intended on judging everything I ate in comparison to other amusement park food but I must say I would have been delighted if I had ordered this in a standard restaurant.

We also tried the Bruschetta and Mrs. Knotts fried chicken, both of which I felt were pretty standard. My favorite thing I tried, however, was their Flank Steak Sandwich. The steak was juicy and tender and there was a sauce on it that complemented the meat perfectly. If there hadn’t been so much to try I would have gone back for seconds!

Also delicious (and veggie friendly) was the Veggie Wrap stuffed with bell peppers, tomato, cucumber, cheese (and I believe corn) and the Black Bean Burger which was moist and a little spicy. Both of these came in a close second to the Flank Steak Sandwich.

Probably the most delicious thing on the menu [that I would never order because it must be like a thousand calories but insist on taking a bite of it if anyone I was with did order it] is the Chicken Pot Pie. Oh my bejesus! The filling is amazing on its own but the real star is the crust. They could probably make a profit just selling this crust. It was so flaky and buttery I wanted to wrap myself in it. Yum.

By this time I was getting full and knew I still had to try dessert. I had to abandon savory and go for sweet. M and I shared a slice of Boysenberry Pie and each had a few bites of a gigantic funnel cake shared with our table. Now I normally love pie but I have to say I was a little disappointed with this slice. Perhaps the bar was set too high with all the other delicious items or maybe I’m just really picky about pie but I wished there was more berry, less of the gooey filling, and replace the pie crust with the amazing crust from that pot pie (again, Yum.)

The funnel cake did not disappoint, however. This is again another item that I would never order for myself because of the thousand calorie problem but definitely take a couple pinches off a friend’s! It was soft, doughy and donuty and with a gazillion toppings to add the debauchery!

… Still thinking about that pot pie crust. Uh, yeah, Yum.

All in all I was truly impressed with the new menu items at Knott’s. The food was tasty and surprisingly inventive. They also did a great job with their pricing, not gouging you just because you have nowhere else to go! Now I know that at least one of the hurdles to getting me back on a roller coaster is solved. I can definitely eat well here. Now, if I could only have the park to myself so I never had to wait in line. After watching the killer roller coaster, Silver Bullet, whiz past my head though, who cares about lines! I’m all in.

Below is the menu from the event along with the location they are each served in the park and the current price. I have marked the healthier options with a * so you can better plan your next visit. Let me know what you think of the new menu, if you’ve tried anything on it and how it turned out!

Knott’s Berry Farm Menu

Fireman’s Brigade BBQ (located in Ghost Town)

Slow Cooked Ribs – $11.99

• Smoked for 11 hours, basted with homemade BBQ sauce and served with garlic toast and baked potato

Flank Steak Sandwiches – $13.99

• Marinated 24 hours and served on jalapeno and cheddar roll. Served with chips and fountain drink

Bigfoot Broiler (located adjacent to Pony Express)

*Chicken Kabob Sandwich – $12.99

• Marinated chunks of chicken served on a roll with lettuce, pepper, onion, tomatoes and tzatziki sauce. Served with fries and fountain drink
• *forego the fries for a healthy option

Chowhouse (located across from the Calico Saloon in Ghost Town)

Cookiewich – $5.49

• Two chocolate chip cookies filled with vanilla ice cream and rolled in chocolate chips

*Fresh Fruit Cups – $4.49

• Seasonal fruit in natural juices

Ghost Town Grub (located across from the General Store)

Funnel Cakes “Fully Loaded” – $10.99

• Funnel cake with vanilla ice cream and choice of strawberry, apple or boysenberry topping

Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner (located in the MarketPlace)

Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Meal – $16.90

• Fried chicken with choice of soup, salad or cherry rhubarb; corn or seasoned cabbage, biscuits, mashed potatoes with gravy and choice of boysenberry pie, apple pie, vanilla ice cream or sherbert.

Chicken Pot Pie – $16.90 (Yum.)

• Pot pie filled with chicken, garden vegetables and chicken gravy. Served with choice of soup, salad or cherry rhubarb; corn or seasoned cabbage; biscuits, mashed potatoes with gravy and choice of boysenberry pie, apple pie, vanilla ice cream or sherbert.

Knott’s Boysenberry Pie – $3.95(slice) $11.95 (whole)

Coasters (located next to Xcelerator on the Boardwalk)

Coasters Cheeseburger – $13.99

• Beef burger with jalapeno chips inside

Soak City

*Veggie Wrap Sandwiches – $7.99

• Filled with bell peppers, tomato, cucumber and cheese

*Gluten Free Pizza – $7.99

• Topped with Mozzarella

*Deli Sandwiches – $7.99

• Turkey, ham or roast beef with lettuce and tomato

Spurs (located across from Ghost Rider)

*Bruschetta – $7.99

• Marinated tomatoes with red onion and Parmegiano Reggiano on focaccia

*Hawaiian Ahi Poke – $11.99

• Tuna, green onion, avocado, sesame vinaigrette, wasabi cream & wontons

Cajun Lime Salt Riblets – $9.99

• Pork tips marinated in seasoned Cajun lime sauce

Hollywood Hits (located across from Bumper cars in the Boardwalk area)

Meatball Sandwich – $7.49

• Meatballs in tomato sauce topped with mozzarella cheese

Ghost Town Grill (located in Ghost Town across from the Blacksmith)

*Black Bean Burger (Vegetarian) – $13.49

• Spicy black bean patty with mayo, provolone and fried onions. Served with French fries, mashed potatoes or green salad
• *order without mayo cheese or fried onions and with green salad on side

*Goldie’s Honey Garlic Salmon and Baby Spinach Salad – $13.99

• With honey soy dressing
• *order with dressing on the side