The great amusement park architects of the world, the men and women who have paved our planet with scream machines and loop-the-loops, tend to see food as a necessary evil. A means of keeping the customers alive just long enough to extract their last dollar before they collapse from either exhilaration or dehydration. And so, in most places, you get the standard issue amusement park fare: a limp hamburger at the price of a used bicycle, a pretzel harder than the pavement beneath it, a soda that costs more than your father's first car. But not at Knoebels. At Knoebels, they believe food is part of the show, an act unto itself. So much so that they have won multiple Golden Ticket Awards for Best Amusement Park Food in the Nation, which is the closest thing we have to a Nobel Prize for deep-fried brilliance. (Yes, Dollywood is in the conversation, but Dollywood is playing catch-up, while Knoebels is out there setting the pace.) Here, you can have a full sit-down meal at The Oasis, where the air is thick with the scent of home-cooked comfort. You can grab an ice cream (sort serve or hand scooped) that, defying all odds, is better than 90% of what you'd find outside th park gates. You can walk up to a stand and, depending on your mood, leave with perogies, pulled pork, fresh-cut fries, or a funnel cake so perfectly crisp and golden that you will wonder if it was fried by angels. And unlike every other amusement park that keeps the menu unchanged since the days of the Industrial Revolution, Knoebels is always tinkering, always innovating, always adding something new, because they know that the best way to keep winning is to never stop trying. And here's the kicker: Knoebels doesn't have to do any of this. They could serve overpriced slop and force you to buy it, like most every other park does. But they don't. Instead, they do something radical. They let you bring in your own food, encourage it even. They even provide free picnic areas. It's an act of either extreme confidence or benevolent madness. But here's what happens: people eat the Knoebels food anyway. Because it is that good. So if you ever find yourself in Elysburg, PA, and you hear the distant clatter of a wooden roller coaster, follow it. Eat a meal that doesn't taste like an obligation. Eat a meal that was made for joy. Eat at Knoebels. And then, for the love of all that is holy, go ride the Phoenix. read more

The food is always good and the service is also good. They have a large menu . I always like going there.

Best good of all amusement Parks. If you want to sit down in air conditioning you need to go to The Alamo. Chicken and waffles is sooooo delicious. They have a variety of food on their menu. Some days it's really busy, I would suggest to make reservations. Just a reminder: The Alamo closes ONE (1) HOUR BEFORE THE PARK. read more

The food is really good! The amusement park is also extremely fun! I love the non-extreme feel of knoebels. The service can take a little while occasionally, but is normally quick. I recommend the international food court. read more

I got breakfast here. I got the eggs and toast with potatoes and bacon it was so good. The bacon was super Kristy and the eggs were delicious!!! read more

World Food Court opens for breakfast! Delicious and reasonable hot made to order breakfast! 2 Eggs any style, breakfast potatoes, bacon and toast was reasonable at just 5.50. Service is always very friendly and courteous, per the receipt Cole took our order and knew the menu up and down. The wait was a little long but for hot fresh made to order food, it's well worth the wait. We had occasion to eat here because we stayed in a knoebels cottage which was also very nice and rustic. 5 stars for quality food, fair price and stellar service! read more

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We decided to get Mexican food while we were here. The corn bread is honestly something to boast about. The rice was above average and really stood out for amusement park food. The enchiladas were basic and not very flavorful but that is to be expected based on the environment. I was happy to see that they do a brunch menu at one of the other stands and I can't wait to return and try some of the other food. This park has plenty of options for anyone that is hungry. read more

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These cranky old hags wouldn't give me the crusty part of the mac and cheese. Charged $10 extra on my bill for ham I didn't order or eat and they weren't even serving ham! read more

As my hobby is visiting amusement parks, I've been to nearly every amusement park in the country, plus many abroad, and I can honestly say that Knoebels has the best overall amusement park food! They have dozens of food outlets and each one seems to have a good selection of menu items, and the menu items go well beyond the usual amusement park fare. For the person who suggested that everything is fried, think again -- there are salads, wraps, burritos, enchiladas and a whole host of other alternatives, not to mention The Alamo, a full service restaurant with a giant menu (most of which isn't fried food!). It's also noteworthy to point out the the food is all priced reasonably at fair prices. Considering that the amusement park has free admission and free parking, it's worth it to go there just to eat your way around the pleasant, shady, wooded park that is unlike most any other amusement facility that you'll visit. The international food court near Black Diamond and the flume ride is one of my favorite places and is sure to satisfy everyone with four different counters that include American, "World," Mexican and a deli. At the deli counter you can create your own sandwich, but they also offer salads, soups (usually three of them) and even pastas, among other things. Besides what you'd expect from the American stand, they also offer San Francisco melts (grilled cheese-style on sourdough), bison burgers and more. The World stand offers some ethnic dishes including Haluski (eastern European cabbage & noodles). The Mexican stand offers burritos and enchiladas. While I find most of the food at Knoebels to be on the awesome side, the chicken burrito was quite bland -- cold and almost like a generic chicken wrap, but in a burrito. Some of the packaged taco sauce and hot sauce livened it up enough. Breakfast is also served there, partly to serve those at the park's on-premise campground, which includes cabins and cottages as well as sites for tents, campers and large RVs. Cesari's pizza, near the Haunted Mansion has both slices and full pizzas, including some non-traditional pizzas. The open and cool, old looking "round stand" in the same area has a wide variety of grilled options including pierogies of the fried variety. I believe that another stand elsewhere in the park offers my preferred style of pierogies -- swimming in melted butter with onions. An ice cream stand in that same area has a nice selection of flavors including the unusual teaberry. The Waffle Shack, also nearby, serves up a more limited selection of flavors in fresh-made waffle cones, but the real treat is an ice cream sandwich with the ice cream stuff into a folded waffle, which choices of vanilla or Neapolitan, the later of which is the way to go. Phoenix Junction has a more limited menu, but offers reasonably priced steaks(!) one night a week. A Starbucks is located on the other side of the park near Twister. The Oasis Cafeteria and The Alamo are more in the center of the park. The Oasis cafeteria is a traditional, cool, old school cafeteria that has covered outdoor seating. They have lots of usual fare as well as daily specials, in addition to some popular specials that are held weekly, some of which are of the all-you-can-eat variety. There's a fish fry on Fridays, spaghetti one night and wings another. Barbecue chicken is featured on weekends. The Alamo is a full-service sit-down family-friendly restaurant with a giant menu containing some great items (beef on Weck, Chicken & Waffles). See separate Yelp listing and reviews for more information on The Alamo. Note that alcoholic beverages are not served or allowed in Knoebels. read more

Knoebels Groves Restaurants - Neapolitan ice cream on a freshy made waffle. What's not to like?! - Restaurants Near Me

Knoebels loves patting itself on its own back about the awards it has received from an industry magazine that rates amusement park food. I think it bears mentioning that that is a pretty exclusive category, and the bar is not very high. They do have a lot of variety of food that they sell, but nothing that I would call impressive. In fact, some of the items I have had there have been downright terrible. You can wander around looking for something acceptable to eat, but it can be confusing to backtrack given the large layout and homogenous dining areas. Last time we were there we got a burger and a chicken sandwich. Both were freshly made, and both were just as bland as you'd expect from amusement park food. read more

I've been to many amusement parks and Knoebels has the best variety and best tasting food anywhere.

Knoebel's has far & away the best park food of any amusement resort! We've been going for years and almost always find some new item or snack. There is a wide variety of cuisines to choose from and the prices are extremely reasonable. You won't pay $7 for a hot dog here! read more

Great if you want fried, woe be unto you if you try to find anything remotely heathy, or, heaven forbid, a vegetable. (We were amused that the "vegetable" selections at the Alamo consisted of baked beans, hyper sweet applesauce, and other similar non-green items. Pretty much everything has way too much sugar in it. read more