Buena Park Travel Guide - Where to Eat, Play, and Stay!
Buena Park California is 20 miles southeast of Los Angeles and a world away. Known as the world’s most-fun small city, there is so much to do, see, and experience while you’re here. Read on for your complete Buena Park travel guide and how to spend a weekend or a week in this epic destination.
THINGS TO DO IN Buena Park
KNOTT’S BERRY FARM
Celebrating over 100 years, Knott’s Berry Farm began as a small farm stand and the creation of the boysenberry. What became famous for its incredible fried chicken and desserts, Knott’s has turned Buena Park into Southern California’s entertainment capital. The giant theme park offers 160-acres of thrill rides and attractions including the longest, fastest, and tallest wooden rollercoaster on the west coast. Knott’s Berry Farm is full of daily live entertainment including stunt shows, saloon shows, and Camp Snoopy theater performances.
One must-do while you’re here is to indulge in any of the incredible food options within Knott’s Berry Farm, as well as right outside of the park in the California marketplace. Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner is where the park’s history began with world-famous fried chicken and homemade biscuits served with boysenberry jam. Sit on the patio and enjoy the views of thrill riders on Ghostrider rollercoaster.
Knott’s Berry Farm is full of year-round entertainment with their seasonal festivities like Knott’s Scary Farm and Knott’s Merry Farm. And with the Southern California weather, there’s never a bad time to visit.
KNOTT’S SOAK CITY
Right across the street from Knott’s Berry Farm, is their waterpark Knott’s Soak City. With 23 different speed slides and attractions, you could spend a full day here experiencing them all. The waterpark also includes a 750,000 gallon wave pool, the 3-story Beach House full of interactive elements, and a 1/3 mile lazy river that wraps through the park. Open mid-May through early-September, this is the perfect add-on to a family vacation here in Buena Park.
RALPH B. CLARK REGIONAL PARK
If you’re looking to get outdoors and take in that Southern California sunshine, head to Ralph B. Clark Regional Park on the border of Fullerton. This giant park offers softball fields, tennis courts, hiking trails, and more. There are two massive jungle gyms for kids to play on and a large lake open for fishing. It’s the perfect location to come and barbecue, have a picnic, or just relax for the day.
PIRATE’S DINNER ADVENTURE
Part dinner theatre, part musical, part Cirque du Soleil, the Pirate’s Dinner Adventure Show is an absolute blast! This interactive show is full of comedy, stunts, and all-around talent! I was absolutely blown away with how incredible this show was! Not to mention the amazing service, good food, and delicious drinks.
FREE THINGS TO DO IN BUENA PARK
Looking for some FREE fun in Buena Park? Head to Knott’s Independence Hall just outside of Knott’s Soak City. The exact replica of the original Independence Hall in Philadelphia, is open to the public daily and always free.
Another great (FREE) experience in Buena Park is to take a tour with the Buena Park Historic District. With building’s dating back to the 1800’s and historic artifacts from the area, this is a great way to learn more about this city.
WHERE TO EAT IN BUENA PARK
Speaking of food and drinks, Buena Park is home to some incredible award-winning restaurants and bars. From casual family-friendly dining to unique cocktail experiences, there’s something for every tastebud and budget here.
PORTO’S BAKERY
This Cuban bakery and restaurant has been voted Yelp’s “#1 Restaurant in the Country” for good reason. The family-owned recipes range from empanadas to decorative pastries, to house-made breads. Their famous potato balls are like an entire cuban meal in one bite! With four locations in Southern California, Porto’s Bakery is always poppin’! Come with time to spare and buy with leftovers in mind, trust me, you’ll want seconds!
EGGSLICE
What began in Australian farmer’s markets has made its way to Southern California via Chef Bill’s famous egg sandwiches. The unique chili jam, combined with local ingredients, make Eggslice’s breakfast sandwiches unlike any other. This is the perfect way to kick off a day here in Buena Park!
GAUCHO GRILL
Gaucho Grill Argentine Steakhouse was my favorite stop in Buena Park - maybe favorite restaurant I’ve found traveling ever! The contemporary take on Argentinian food, combined with their vast wine selection and Argentinian cocktails made this an ideal upscale night out. From the empanadas and chimichurri sauce to the perfectly cooked steaks, Gaucho Grill was wonderful from start to finish! On top of the beautiful atmosphere and flawless service, they also have a store connected where you can take home any of their Argentinian baked goods, seasonings and rubs, and other souvenirs. This is one restaurant not to be missed!
BASILUR TEA
Located inside The Source, Basilur Tea is a beautiful tea house/cafe famous for their Ceylon Tea collection and authentic ambiance. On top of the vast number of tea’s to choose from, Basilur also has a full breakfast menu including their famous Soufflé Pancakes topped with fresh fruit and syrup.
CHURROHOLIC
Looking for that perfect Instagramable dessert that tastes incredible as well? Check out Churroholic located inside the Buena Park downtown mall. They take the traditional Spanish-style Churro and turn it into endless combinations of churros, ice cream, and toppings. They also offer incredible milkshakes, coffee combinations, slushies, and milk teas. I chose a Fruity Pebble churro combined with ice cream and a Nutella latte. I was in sugar heaven!
SUP NOODLE BAR
Sup Noodle Bar is an Asian Fusion restaurant that offers some of the best Southern California Pho around! On top of traditional Vietnamese dishes, when you visit, you have to try their famous Shaken Fries. This indulgent dish is a giant pile of french fries topped with cheese, slow-roasted short rib, caramelized onions, and their signature sauce. It’s the kind of dish I’ll be craving for a long, long, time!
HONEYMEE
With no shortage of dessert places here in Buena Park, another stop to make is Honeymee. The award-winning soft serve ice cream is topped with unique combinations of fruit, matcha, or honeycomb. They also offer a wide variety of milkshakes and teas.
MRS. KNOTT’S CHICKEN DINNER
As mentioned above, this flagship restaurant was the start of Knott’s Berry Farm theme parks. Famous for their fried chicken and boysenberry dishes, you can’t go wrong with anything off their menu. And the homemade biscuits…don’t get me started! I went from “I’m just going to have one”, to finishing the entire plate! Topping them with boysenberry jam and combined with the boysenberry mojito I was in boysenberry heaven!
THE CAULDRON SPIRITS & BAR
I love finding unique places to eat and drink when I’m traveling and The Cauldron Bar was unlike anywhere I’ve ever been before. This French-inspired pub is a witch-themed bar with an upscale vibe. The dark and intimate atmosphere is decorated with owner-designed art, bewitching holograms, and upscale Halloween decor everywhere you look. There’s even a secret room behind a hidden bookshelf. But this bar is much more than atmosphere. The bacon jam and comfort food are the ultimate bar bites. Their Knotty Kid martini is made with boysenberry cotton candy and the pop rocks drink was as pleasing to my tastebuds as it was my ears. I can’t recommend this place enough!
WHERE TO STAY
With most hotels being within walking distance of Buena Park’s attractions, it’s hard to go wrong. One of my favorite parts of Buena Park, was how walkable everything was! Here are my top two suggestions of places to stay.
KNOTT’S BERRY FARM HOTEL
Looking to be right in the heart of the action? Stay at the Knott’s Berry Farm Hotel. They also offer package deals for the parks and are located right outside of Knott’s Berry Farm.
COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT
Just over 1/2 a mile from Knott’s Berry Farm and directly across the street from Medieval Times, Pirates Adventure Dinner Shows, and Porto’s Bakery, the Courtyard by Marriott is an ideal location. The contemporary lobby and business center are the perfect place to get away and relax after a day at the theme parks. The beautiful pool and nearby fire pits are a wonderful addition to a high-energy vacation.
Buena Park is the ultimate destination for FUN! Between the epic theme parks, incredible shows, and drool-worthy food, Buena Park should be your next Southern California vacation destination! Watch the full episode below and to learn more go to www.visitbuenapark.com.
This post is sponsored by Visit Buena Park