Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner
Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant first opened in 1934 with Mrs. Knott and her children serving the first customers in their tea room. The restaurant has grown over the years into one of the largest in California, but the classic fried chicken dinner is still made the same way today using Mrs. Knott's recipes.
Every complete chicken dinner includes handmade biscuits, side salad, choice of cabbage or cherry rhubarb, three pieces of fried chicken and mashed potatoes smothered in gravy. For dessert: your choice of boysenberry pie or boysenberry sherbet. Many other dishes are also available including grilled chicken, salads, and a number of appetizers. A full-service bar, serving signature boysenberry-infused cocktails, is also available.
Currently, we are following all government-issued guidelines and seating is currently outside only. Thank you in advance and we are in this together.
Safety precautions
- Surfaces sanitized between seatings
- Common areas deep cleaned daily
- Digital, disposable or sanitized menu provided
- Sanitizer or wipes provided for customers
- Limited number of seated diners
- Distancing maintained in common areas
- Extra space between tables
- Waitstaff wear masks
- Diners must wear masks unless eating or drinking
We were able to seat all 10 of my family on the same table. Thanks for the cheery service plus the dependable Knotts chicken dinner. We were entertained by the rooster and a couple of hens wandering around (my 11 yr old grandson was very happy to "chase" them).
Considering the circumstances with the whole covid thing it was a good experience
Outdoor eating under white tent was very cold sitting on end. Would have been much happier, warmer and more comfortable had we known there was seating around the corner past Virginia's gift shop. More protected by side of restaurant and heaters were there. Food became cold quickly where we were seated, as well as servers traveled longer distance through people walking on sidewalk and our food not covered.
In this time of Covid-19, it was interesting to see the tents up in the middle of the road. However, dining in the open air tent didn't feel any different than the original dining room, with the exception of the headlights of the cars passing by. The interior decor made it feel cozy. Our server was exceptional and the full experience was wonderful. From the first bite of chicken noodle soup to the last sip of coffee, once again, Knott's Famous Chicken dinner lived up to it's name. We can't wait to come back!
Really good chicken
We went on Dec 3rd at 4:45 pm, the staff was amazing, very kind and helpful. Tim was our server and he did an amazing job, so attentive and hospitable. I felt very safe there. Will go again very soon.
Never disappointed with food or the service. The staff is great.
Timing of food coming to our table was way off. Buffalo wings were over fried.
It once was a good place to eat!
Now...it's more of a tourist spot. Food was bland, not a lot of seasoning and it was served lukewarm. My kiddos chicken strips weren't crispy - kind of cold and the breading was soft - like it was sitting there for a while.
The chicken soup is almost the exact same as chicken and dumplings dish.
Food could use a definite redo - folks will go in droves if the food was revamped.
Food was amazing. Service was outstanding. Server was very intune to our needs and was on top of everything.
Always enjoy eating at Mrs. Knotts. They give so much food.
The hostess said I didn’t have a reservation, I showed them my opentable confirmation, they seated us anyway.
We showed up on time for our reservation and were seated right away. The waiter came, brought us bread , butter and jam, and took our drink orders and then came back and took our food order. My friend and I both chose the half chicken dinner, which came with soup, salad, half chicken, corn and pie. The salad was brought to us by another server, and then, immediately came the soup. About 3 minutes later, the fried chicken and corn came, and we hadn’t even finished the salad or soup. So, there we were, sitting outdoors at 6:30pm in the cold, with a table full of hot food, that was turning into icicles. Our original waiter came by and was astonished to see all that food on the table at the same time, and offered to take the chicken and put it under a hot lamp in the kitchen. So, I asked him to take it back, and to bring freshly made chicken, when we were ready for it, and not the same chicken heated, and he did. After we were done eating, my friend and I asked for boxes and 2 separate bags to carry out our leftovers. We were pretty stuffed, so we asked for our pie orders to be packed to go, and the waiter brought us 2 pieces of pie in one bag... I thought it was clear that my friend and I were not a couple since we took our leftovers in two separate boxes and bags, but I guess he didn’t get the message. So, I had to ask for the pieces of pie to be packed separately... that wasn’t a crime, but with all the other faux pas that happened, it was just frustrating, and honestly, took away from the dining experience, and our enjoyment of the food.
We loved this place before COVID, but in a weird way, we actually enjoyed the temporary outside tent setup more than the "regular" indoor setup. They've done a great job spacing out tables outside and have themed the chandeliers and whatnot. Our server - Emily I think was her name - was awesome; on top of everything even though there was 10 of us and we all had multiple courses. We hope this restaurant and all of its employees can continue to thrive!
Had a wonderful meal with great service!!
Best possible considering Covid-19 restrictions, outdoor dining in road that normally leads to parking lot from Beach Blvd.
Everything about our experience was great. It was very windy and they did everything they could, without us asking, to make us comfortable. Food and service was amazing
Justin was a rude waiter , asked if we could move to a different table because of the wind, was told to grin and bare it and asked if we could be seated in the tent area and he said we could go and find out. The food wasn't good. The dressing tasted like stove top, the chicken noodle soup looked like country gravy with no taste. The turkey looked pressed.
Dinner for $33 for Thanksgiving was not worth it. Meat was overcooked and yams were cold. Service was great by the waiter
Awesome experience. Loved the food. Had a great Thanksgiving dinner.
Always the best service food did not disappoint.....
My second Thanksgiving with Knotts
Would like to make it a tradition.
Thank you guys
Great food and service. Everything was good. Precautions were in place.
Holiday meals are always a gamble... Thanksgiving is one on which we should have passed. Service was good and attentive. However, the food was simple and tasteless. Super disappointed with the options/offerings. Would not recommend!
Food was awful. Had Thanksgiving dinner and it was definitely not worth what it cost.
It was a safe and happy—and properly distanced—Thanksgiving Day experience and the food was great as always.
The food, service, and atmosphere were all outstanding! We felt very valued as customers and very safe with the location of our table and with the service. So pleased with everything! Will definitely be back.
Thanksgiving Day. Great food and service. Even with the restrictions they did a great job of creating a great ambiance on the porch of the chicken house. Food was fantastic this year. Have been here several times in Thanksgiving.
Both the food and the servicw were excellant! Glald we got in!
Delicious food, friendly service, and great atmosphere, especially when able to sit inside.
So glad we came. A delightful afternoon. Great service. Good food.
It was a very nice atmosphere and the service was great. You get a lot of food at a very resonable price.
Our waitress was outstanding and very responsive to making sure she informed us of our order the entire time including refilling our drinks the entire time.
Husband and mine yearly Thanksgiving tradition
They ran out of chicken so we had to wait for more to be made. The mashed potatoes were hard. It was cold under the tents. We were sat at the first table, so workers and patrons were walking by to be seated and workers back and forth throughout our meal. They should have left that table closed because of Covid.
Tommy was our server and he was amazing. I loved how he payed close attention to our every need. MORE BISCUITS? MORE BOYSENBERRY PUNCH? He is what you call outstanding service, and I really hope this gets to him. Working during COVID19 is scary and going out to eat dinner is scary. Glad to see Knotts is paying close attention to social distancing and cleanliness. Food is pricy, but so worth it!
Our server, Megan, made it all magical! We had a reservation, the tables were rightfully spaced. The food was amazing, the wait staff had to travel a long way to get our food and any extras that we asked for, always with a smile. The chicken dinner did not disappoint, it is so much food that we had to take a lot of it, including our dessert home.
I would highly recommend a trip out to visit Knotts Berry Farm and go get yourself a chicken dinner. I got the traditional and my husband had the chicken and waffles. Yum!
My family has had a tradition the past 13 years to meet up during the holidays at Knott's for the fried chicken dinner. I was worried we'd have to cancel this year due to covid. The outdoor seating on the north side of the restaurant was perfect, plus a big beautiful rooster and two hens were hanging out along the walkway there. As usual, it was 5-star all the way across the boards!
We had a great time at Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant. The food was good, and the service was good.
Everything was great. Love the outdoor dinning area.
Great late afternoon dining, very strange not hearing any amusement park noise.
FAQs
Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner is rated 4.5 stars by 2660 OpenTable diners.
Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable. Due to local restrictions, this restaurant may not be accepting reservations at the moment.