Buena Park California // Family Foodie Guide

April 16, 2019

Knotts Berry Farm Family Friendly

Spring Break was good time this year, we hit Southern California and lucked out with the most beautiful weather!

I was planning to speak at Alt Summit Conference in Palm Springs, and realized I would be missing Thomas’ 8th birthday, so I had my family fly out a few days early from their Spring Break and meet me in Buena Park and stay at the Knotts Berry Farm Hotel for some fun!  The kids loved the Snoopy Suite and the fun pool and splash pad area!  It made it super convenient to stay right near the park too!  We had such a good time, and hit up some new to us gems around town to eat at!

Knotts Berry Farm Hotel Pool Knotts Berry Farm Hotel Pool

I’ll be sure to share them all below if you are in the Southern California area, this will make for a great Family Foodie Guide to Buena Park!

Knotts Berry Farm

With our kids all being over 48 inches now, they crave some bigger rides!  We have found that Knotts Berry Farm is the perfect place for our family because it offers a little bit of everything!


Knotts Berry Farm Boysenberry Festival Knotts Berry Farm Boysenberry Festival Knotts Berry Farm Boysenberry Festival

Family Foodie Guide to Buena Park
Knotts Berry Farm Boysenberry Festival

We were lucky enough to be there during their annual Knotts Berry Farm Boysenberry Festival!  It goes until April 28th, and I couldn’t recommend it enough!  It was foodie heaven for all of us, and we left the park so stuffed!  You may as well have just rolled us out of there, happy and full!  I was pleasantly surprised at how amazing all of the food was. The menu consists of all things boysenberry, and it was all so good!  We each had a tasting card that held eight tickets to try any of the 14 dishes included in the tasting card.  We didn’t even get through all of our tickets, but we managed to try several of the options!  There were some great choices!  We started our day with the Boysenberry Waffles. The Boysenberry Elote corn was a favorite, we actually went back for seconds!  Thomas couldn’t get enough of the Boysenberry Jerk Chicken wings, and I loved the Boysenberry glazed salmon for lunch!  Like I said, it was all so good, and completely worth the price to get a lanyard with the tasting card passes!  You could even share a few as a family!  I was impressed with the portion sizes of all the food!

Mrs. Knotts Chicken Dinner Plate Mrs. Knotts Chicken Dinner Restaurant

Mrs Knotts Chicken Dinner
For dinner at Knotts Berry Farm, we finally got to try the Mrs. Knotts Chicken Dinner Restaurant!  We had heard so much about it!  The fried chicken was amazing, and the portion sizes were large!  You could definitely order family style!

John's Incredible Pizza All you can eat Pizza Buffet John's Incredible Pizza Arcade

John’s Incredible Pizza
For Thomas’ birthday, he wanted pizza and arcade games, so we headed to  John’s Incredible Pizza for a bite to eat at their All-You-Can-Eat buffet, and some arcades.  Thomas goes nuts for arcade games, especially the prizes.  It was so fun to see him enjoying himself so much on his special day!  I just love that kid!

Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament Family Friendly Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament Medieval Times Feast

Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament 
Our next stop for that the birthday boy requested on his big day was Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament!  We went about four years ago with our kids and they still talk about it!  I may have watched the birthday boy more than the show, but it was one of those happy and tender moments where you realize your little baby isn’t so little anymore.  I was soaking up all the magic and excitement in his eyes from all the fun!  We ate a huge roasted chicken with our hands, Thomas’ favorite, and we loved cheering for the Red team!  Medieval Times is such a fun spot for families and I would highly recommend it!  Be sure to check out my full post here from our last visit!

Basilur Tea Soufflé Pancakes Basilur Tea Soufflé pancakes and Eggs Benedict Avocado Toast Basilur Tea Basilur Tea Banana Soufflé Pancakes

Basilur Tea
Basilur Tea
.  We went to a new to us spot at The Source Shopping Center in Buena Park.  Man, do I wish we had a Basilur tea back at home, because it is the cutest place for brunch, and I would love to take my girlfriends to their tea service complete with tiered trays of the cutest pastries and sandwiches ever!  The star of the brunch as Basilur Tea is their Soufflé Pancakes!  They take a least 20 minutes to make from when you order, but they are well worth the wait! I am still thinking about them!   The most puffy pillowy pancakes you have ever had!  We devoured ours in seconds really!  The avocado toast, burrata salad, and eggs benedict with smoked salmon were also so so good!  Totally would recommend if you are in the Southern California area!  The food is amazing, as well as the ambiance!  Just look how cute it is!

Family Friendly Restaurant Buena Park Family Friendly Restaurant Buena Park Family Friendly Restaurant Buena Park Portillos Family Friendly Restaurant Buena Park

Portillos Chicago Style Restaurant
Portillos is a great family friendly stop for when you need a good old fashion Chicago style hot dog burger, sandwich, salad, or shake.  We stopped in after a fun day, and my kids loved it all, especially their own milkshakes!  It is casual order first, then sit down and they call your number.  They also have a drive thru if you are on-the-go after a long day of play!

Portos Bakery Cafe Buena Park Pastries Portos Bakery Cafe Buena Park Chocolate Croissants Portos Bakery Cafe Buena Park Pastries Portos Bakery Cafe Buena Park Fruit Tart Portos Bakery Cafe Buena Park Potato Balls

Portos Bakery and Cafe
Portos Bakery and Cafe.  Ok, Portos is another restaurant that I wish we had back home!  It is a Cuban style bakery and restaurant with the most amazing pastries, cuban sandwiches, smoothies, you name it!  We were throughly impressed!  I wanted to try it all!  I go the Cuban Style sandwich and it was amazing!  We also tried their famous potato balls and they were also top notch!  It is definitely a spot that I would like to go back each time we are in the area!  A must go!  Just note, it can get busy especially during brunch hours on Sunday, but the line moves very quickly, so don’t be scared away.

Knotts Berry Farm Hotel Pool Splash Pad Knotts Berry Farm Knotts Berry Farm Boysenberry Festival

A huge part of our experiences when we go on vacation is trying new places, especially local favorites, so I am so happy to come home with a few new favorites we will be visiting time and time again while in southern California!  I will literally dream of the food until I get to go back and give it another try.  I mean,  I have thought about those soufflé pancakes from Basilur Tea and the pastries from Portos every day since we have been back!

So, we will for sure be back time and time again!  Don’t you just love finding your favorite spots in areas you visit often!  Tell me in the comments some of your favorites in the area!

For other ideas, and things to do in Buena Park California, be sure to check out www.VisitBuenaPark.com for more ideas and resources and some of my past posts from our visits to the area here.

Outfit Details:
My outfit details, click here.
Kids Outfits are all Tea Collection.

Disclosure: As typical with Travel Blogging our family was hosted, all opinions are my own.

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