Any visit to Knott’s Berry Farm isn’t complete without a visit to Mrs. Knott’s Fried Chicken Dinner Restaurant. Now, many people who visit the park may see this as a randomly chosen theme for a restaurant at the park. But in reality, fried chicken played an integral part in the development and creation of what we know as Knott’s Berry Farm! For me personally, I cannot think of Knott’s without thinking about their fried chicken. As a kid, my Father would drive us down to Buena Park and order a bucket of chicken. We would all sit outside and eat it on the hood of the car. We didn’t even need to go inside the park to feel like we got some home cooked fried chicken. So this food has played a part in my growing up in Southern California. Learn a bit more of that history below and also make some plans to visit Knott’s for Fried Chicken Day, your stomachs won’t regret it. Oh, and don’t forget about the biscuits with boysenberry butter and preserves!

Knott’s Berry Farm had a very distinct start by being a theme park that was born from food. Before the many attractions and rollercoasters were installed the Knott family began a humble business by selling berries and fried chicken to Buena Park locals.

The history of Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant started in June 1934 when Cordelia Knott served the first fried chicken dinner meal for 65 cents to make ends meet during the Great Depression. Cordelia served these chicken dinners on her best wedding china. The success of the chicken dinners was immediate and by 1940, visitors were standing in line for hours to try Cordelia’s famous fried chicken.

Mrs. Knott’s signature fried chicken dinner meal continues to be served with its family-style dining that includes deliciously herb-seasoned fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, tossed green salad, cherry rhubarb, kernel corn, freshly-made buttermilk biscuits with butter and boysenberry preserve; and a slice of Mrs. Knott’s scrumptious boysenberry pie for dessert. Each meal is freshly prepared by the Knott’s culinary team with the freshest ingredients. Today the kitchen serves an average of 1,000 chicken meals per day and serves a grand total of 1.5 million guests per year.

For National Fried Chicken Day, Knott’s invites guests to Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant for the opportunity to savor the tastiest fried chicken this side of the west. Guests on this day will have the opportunity to experience special restaurant photo-ops and a commemorative National Fried Chicken Day pins available for purchase at Virginia’s Gift Shop to celebrate the special occasion.