Sorry for the delay, folks, but illness has kept me from posting. But here is the fourth installment in our continuing review of the best fried chicken in Southern California.
I've hesitated to write about Knott's Chicken Dinner because everyone has such strong opinions about the place. Some people love it while others don't see what the fuss is all about. I, personally, am a big fan of the place - with some reservations. One of my reservations is the fact that they don't take reservations. But let's start this review with a short history.
In 1920, Walter Knott and his family moved to Buena Park and began farming 20 acres of leased land. The family struggled, but by 1928 they had built the start of what was then known as "Knott's Berry Place." It was a long stucco building with a home on one end, a berry stand in the middle, and a tea room at the end. Amazingly, most of this building still stands, and the restaurant you eat in today is this original building. A second story was added to the building in 1950.
The family struggled through the depression of the 1930's. However, two things happened in the first half of the decade that would change their destinies forever. First, Walter discovered a neglected little plant called the Boysenberry, and began to produce and popularize the berry. Second, Cordelia Knott, Walter's wife, began serving chicken dinners in the tea room to help make a little extra money during the depression. The meal was almost the same as it is now: salad, cherry rhubarb, vegetable, chicken, drinks and dessert, all for the whopping price of 65 cents. Business was good, and soon the 40-seat tea room was expanded with a patio that seated 30. In 1937, they added two rooms and seating jumped to 225. Still, the lines kept growing. In 1938, they decided to keep the restaurant open year-round instead of just during the berry season. More than 265,000 meals were served that year.
As the lines grew, Walter looked for ways to keep the crowds entertained. He added a rock garden and some small displays, and in 1939 expanded the restaurant again. This expansion presented a small problem: a stand pipe sticking about 10-12 feet out of the ground. This pipe was essential to the irrigation system and could not be removed, but it was quite an eyesore to the public. Walter thought it over and came up with a solution: he built a volcano around the pipe. This volcano, fondly remembered by old-time visitors, was built with 18 tons of volcanic rock that Walter had brought in from the Mojave Desert. A boiler was built into the base to create the steam, and a little devil inside a wooden box would turn a crank and start the eruption. This was the beginnings of Knott's Berry Place becoming a roadside attraction. Eventually Walter would build Ghost Town, and the rest, to coin a cliche, is history.
Knott's Chicken Dinner remains a popular place for dinner in the surrounding area, so just getting inside can be a problem. Lines form early on most days, and the place should be avoided on weekends. Try not to go when the amusement park closes for the day, or you'll be sucked into the vast hordes of people who decided to have chicken dinner at the end of the day. Go early or late, and try to go on a weekday. You'll want your whole party there or you won't be seated... they'll place you on the penalty bench until the rest of your party shows up.
They have a menu... You don't need it. I'll tell you what to order. You want the original chicken dinner. Yes you do. I don't care if you think it's too much food. What you don't eat will be my lunch tomorrow. And you'll save me from pulling chicken off the discarded plates of strangers, which is not a pretty sight.
There is a litany of questions the waiter / waitress will ask you when you order the chicken dinner. Dressing on the salad, soup or rhubarb, cabbage or corn, what to drink... everyone is asked the exact same way, with no change in the wording or the facial expression of the server. By the third person you should have it down. I usually place my order by saying "Original chicken dinner thousand island soup corn boysenberry punch." It saves time and gets the food to the table quicker.
You can get cherry rhubarb if you want, but why??? WHY???
First you get biscuits. CAUTION: These are very dangerous appetite-ruiners. They are delicious, especially with boysenberry jam, but it is too easy to accidentally fill up on these. They're like peanuts; you can't eat just one. Practice restraint, unless you are eating with me. Then eat all you want. That way, I get more of your chicken later.
The salad is adequate, nothing more. It seems to be packaged greens with a cucumber and tomato thrown on top to dress it up. The soup, however is quite good, a creamy chicken noodle that whets your appetite for the chicken that is coming. No one gets the rhubarb. (WHY???)
Now comes the main event: fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn or cabbage. The mashed potatoes are good - not great, but good. The corn is usually good. No one cares about the cabbage. As for the chicken... here comes the disclaimer.. Most times, the chicken is great. It's juicy, tender, crispy and just what you'd expect from homestyle fried chicken. Some of the best chicken you'll ever eat. But occasionally, you get a bad night. Sometimes the chicken tastes a little old. Or dry. Or just not quite right. It's rare, but it does happen. I recently met someone who used to work in the kitchen, who said much of the frying equipment dates back to the 1950's and is hard to maintain, so that may explain the occasional lapses in quality. If you go one night and the chicken isn't great, try it another night. Most times it's on the money.
About this time you are ready to burst. especially if you didn't heed my warning about the biscuits. But it ain't over yet, because your meal comes with dessert. There are choices of pies and ice creams, but again, there is no real decision to be made: Berry pie ala mode. It's best if you eat it there, but I will allow you to take it home. Don't let it sit in the refrigerator long. When you're read for it, heat it up, add the obligatory scoop of ice cream, and enjoy.
All-in-all, I love this meal. The food is almost always great, and it's one of the only places I can get boysenberry punch with my meal. I almost forgot to mention the punch, it was invented by Knott's and still served throughout the farm. Why would you go to Knott's and not order boysenberry punch? Better yet, why would you order rhubarb? Why??
Here is my rundown on Knott's (scales are from 1-10):
Giant Chicken on Roof: No
Ambiance of restaurant: 7
Taste of Chicken: 9
Side Dishes: 9
Something besides Coke to drink: 10
Mashed Potatoes: 8
Gravy: 7
Overall rating: 9.5
 |
| Walter Knott and wife Cordelia posing in the original berry stand |
The family struggled through the depression of the 1930's. However, two things happened in the first half of the decade that would change their destinies forever. First, Walter discovered a neglected little plant called the Boysenberry, and began to produce and popularize the berry. Second, Cordelia Knott, Walter's wife, began serving chicken dinners in the tea room to help make a little extra money during the depression. The meal was almost the same as it is now: salad, cherry rhubarb, vegetable, chicken, drinks and dessert, all for the whopping price of 65 cents. Business was good, and soon the 40-seat tea room was expanded with a patio that seated 30. In 1937, they added two rooms and seating jumped to 225. Still, the lines kept growing. In 1938, they decided to keep the restaurant open year-round instead of just during the berry season. More than 265,000 meals were served that year. 
