Knott’s Berry Farm Dining: Savoring the Flavors

Food lovers everywhere should put California’s Knott’s Berry Farm and Buena Park on the bucket list.

Knott’s Berry Farm, the country’s oldest theme park, began as a roadside stand to sell berries. Then, Mrs. Knotts opened a restaurant that was so popular the waiting lines were long. So, Walter Knotts opened the first section of the theme park, Ghost Town, to entertain waiting diners. He was working with Rudolph Boysen during this time to develop the boysenberry.

This was a hosted trip but opinions are my own.

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Knott’s Berry Farm

Knott’s Berry Farm is divided into four sections: Camp Snoopy, Fiesta Village, Old West Ghost Town and The Boardwalk. There are about 37 food or drink concessions within the park, many offer boysenberry items.

Food: We tried Dipping Dots’ Frozen Boysenberries, Cantina Del Sur’s Boysenberry Margaritas, Gourmet Churro Factory’s Boysenberry Stuffed Churro, Calico Saloon’s Boysenberry Cream Soda, Ghost Town Bakery’s Boysenberry Sugar Cookie,Sutter’s Boysenberry Funnel Cake, Boysenberry Cotton Candy, and Boysenberry ICEE.
Vibe: Each restaurant fits the theme of their park section. In Calico Saloon, I was in the old west, while at Cantina Del Sur, it’s the heart of old Mexico. While enjoying my funnel cake, I was transported back to the 1960s with Chuck Berry’s “Maybelline” playing in the neighboring section.
Must try dishes:The Frozen Boysenberries are so unique everyone needs to sample them.

SheBuys Travel Tip: The park offers “All day Dining Passes” starting at $34.88 without drinks and $46.99 with drinks, a good deal for park visitors.

Thirty Acres Kitchen

Food dishes on table with Boysenberry Pancakes in center. — A few of the breakfast dishes at Thirty Acres Kitchen. Photo credit: Kathleen Walls

The Thirty Acres Kitchen, inside Knott’s Hotel offers a choice of traditional American menu items or a rich buffet.

Type of Food: Traditional American with full bar.
Vibe: Bright and modern with a farm house feel…complete with a mason jar chandelier, photos of the Knotts family and farm memorabilia on the walls.

Must try dishes: For breakfast, I recommend the Boysenberry pancakes topped with boysenberries and whipped cream and served with boysenberry syrup.

Mrs Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant

Two plates of fried chicken with mashed potatoes and several bowls of vegetables on table. — Some of Mrs. Knott’s fried chicken. Photo credit: Kathleen Walls

We dined in the Tea Room at Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant where it all began 90 years ago.

Type of Food: All things chicken but famous for its fried chicken.
Vibe: As one of the largest restaurants in Orange County and a historic landmark, it still preserves its farmhouse roots.
Must try dishes: I suggest the Boysenberry BBQ Chicken Wings and the fried chicken with mashed potatoes, salad and veggies. The fried chicken crust is perfectly crispy. The breast is my choice for the crispy crust and tender white meat.

SheBuys Travel tip: Be sure to browse the family photos in the hall which tell the story of how the park and restaurant began.

Porto’s Bakery

Three plates of food and two drinks on counter. — Some of our breakfast items and drinks at Porto’s. Photo credit: Kathleen Walls

Our hostess at Porto’s, Larissa, told us how the chain grew. Rosa Porto and her husband, Raul, came to Southern California from Cuba in the 1960s. Rosa started making cakes from her mother’s recipes out of their apartment. It’s now a third generation family-run chain with six locations, this one in Buena Park is the largest.

Food: Pastries of all kinds from strudel to mini fruit tarts, potato balls and eclairs
Vibe: The vibes are plural. In the dining room it was calm. Up front as we toured the bakery, the vibe was busy in the kitchen as the pastry chefs created tasty treats and gorgeous cakes. In front, where the long line of customers waited for a pastry or cake, it was longing. The smells wafting through the air were tantalizing.
Must try dishes: Larissa told us the most popular items are the cheese rolls, the guava cheese strudel, and the potato ball. A popular seasonal item is the Ube Coconut Eclair (my personal favorite), created by Leanne Tolentino, one of the pastry chefs, using Ube from the Philippines. It’s a triple coconut, coconut topping and filled with shredded coconut inside.

The Source OC

The Source OC is a mixed use mall with shopping, entertainment, dining and more. It features many ethnic food and drink places, especially Korean and Mexican. We sampled dishes at Don Melt, Sweet Box, Myungrang Hotdog, Old Ferry Donuts and Milky.

Food: Myungrang Hotdog offers several Korean hot dogs. At Don Melt we moved to desserts. Their croffles topped with non-dairy ice cream are delicious, at Sweet Box try both the chocolate and red velvet cookies, and you won;t go wrong with a delicious Cream Brulee Donut at Old Ferry Donuts and a chocolate soft ice cream cone at Milky.

Vibe: These are all outdoor, buy at the counter and take away or find a table and eat there.
Must try dishes: My suggestions are the Cream Brulee Donut at Old Ferry Donuts followed closely by the Mozzarella & Sausage Hot Dog at Myungrang Hotdog.

SheBuys Travel Tip: Tables are scarce at the places we sampled so if you spot an open table grab it quickly.

Gangnam House

Two women sitting at table with an array of vegetable dishes and BBQ built in while server cooks meat. — Our server cooks some meat on our BBQ pit. Photo credit: Kathleen Walls

The owner, Kyungsuk Park, known as Ken, wanted to create a Korean food haven where diners select their choice of ingredients and spices.

Food: Korean

Vibe: Gangnam is on the third floor of The Source OC and has a modern open feel.
Must try dishes: If you are going with a group, try the combo, but if just a couple or solo, the chuck, brisket and shrimp were my favorites. They have a full bar so you can enjoy a cocktail with your meal.

Nobibi

Server spinning cotton candy to make a Dream Cloud. — Our server spinning cotton candy to make a Dream Cloud. Photo credit: Kathleen Walls.

Nobibi is the perfect spot for an ice cream dessert. The server makes each dessert right in front of you.

Food: Icy desserts ranging from simple ice cream cones to the elaborate Dream Cloud.
Vibe: Nobibi is decorated like a kid’s dream. Bright pinks and open prep area where you watch your confession being created. Overhead lights, shaped like puffy clouds, highlight the pictures of ice cream on the wall. There’s a few tables and claw machines towards the rear.
Must try dishes: Order and watch the server make a Dream Cloud, cotton candy surrounding a cup of soft serve ice cream with assorted cookie and candy toppings. As he spins it, the cotton candy is pink but begins turning a soft blue when he places it around the ice cream. It looks amazing.

The Cauldron Spirits and Brew

Cauldron owner, Lara Hanneman, worked 24 years as an entertainment director at Knott’s Ferry Farm and wanted to do her own thing. Her “own thing” is dining in a witch themed setting with a classy New Orleans French Quarter feel. It’s been going strong for over eight years, so it must be many others’ “own thing” too.

Food: French-inspired home cooked flavors

Vibe: The dark wood bar illuminated with a string of tiny lights. The dining area has a rug on the stone floor There’s a fireplace with a bubbling cauldron and exposed wooden beams overhead, with vintage illustrations of witches and black cats on the walls. A selfie photo machine you snap a photo and share. It’s a bit spooky and a bit romantic.
Must try dishes: The Coconut Pineapple Fried Rice with shrimp added and the French Meatballs are my favorites. I also suggest sampling dishes: a cheeseboard with assorted cheeses, fruit, berries and nuts; Gougerets, small cheese puffs; Frites, large potato fries and French Meatballs, turkey meatballs in a mushroom sherry cream sauce are all good choices. Cocktails and mocktails have cute names like Raven’s Claw and Bourbon and Brimstone.

SheBuys Travel tip: Be sure to see the speakeasy style private dining room behind the bookshelf. It’s dark and spooky inside and very Victorian. Also, see the conservatory, off to the right, filled with lush herbs growing along the wall and hanging from the ceiling. The wall of windows provides sunlight for their growth.

Hilton Buena Park

Three dishes of food and wine on table in front of pool. — Our appetizers from The Rosemary Room on the table at the rooftop pool. Photo credit: Kathleen Walls

The Hilton Buena Park Anaheim opened in June 2014 and is only a mile from Knott’s Berry Farm. It’s a mid-century modern style with 179 guest rooms and is connected to The Source OC shopping mall.

Food: Southern California Americana

Vibe: I love the deco in the modern rooms with colorful orange and green touches. Rooms have all amenities and tea bags included with coffee choices. The Rosemary Room and bar, on the first floor, keeps that same decor with the bright orange touches.
Must try dishes: My favorite here is the Pomegranate Passion Fried Chicken Wings. The pomegranate added such a unique flavor to the perfectly fried wings. Some delicious appetizers from the Rosemary Room include: Pomegranate Passion Fried Chicken Wings, Farmers Market Stone Fired Flatbreads and some Tuna Tartare. Top them off with a Pacific Mist Pinot Grigio from Wente Family Vineyards.