When Knott’s isn’t scaring Halloween fans in the fall, they work tirelessly to fill the rest of the year with fun. This year the celebrated Boysenberry Festival returns to Knott’s Berry Farm from March 18 through April 24, 2022, and it is easily one of our favorites. While Haunt is all about the screams, Merry Farm is about Christmas, the Boysenberry Festival put the namesake of the park front and center while celebrating the mouthwatering food that has been drawing in the crowds since the first plate of fried chicken was served. In short, this event is a foodie paradise.
During the festival, guests will have the option of purchasing a tasting card for $50 that will allow them to enjoy 6 Tasting Card menu items. But there will also be additional items throughout the park available for purchase ala-carte from a menu that will feature over 75 unique boysenberry-inspired creations.
Here is a breakdown of some of the major highlights from Laura Brubaker, VP of Food and Beverage.
HorrorBuzz was invited to a special preview event that highlighted some of the upcoming food offerings. Here we were able to sample new dishes and some returning favorites.
At the event, we were able to sample…
Chicken Dumplings with a Boysenberry Wonton and a Teriyaki Dipping Sauce
A really tasty little nosh here with two chicken dumplings on a bed of Fried Rice. Definitely missed the berry notes here but still tasty.
All-Beef Meatballs in a Boysenberry BBQ Sauce on Mashers
SO GOOD! If you have been waiting for them, they are back and as good as ever. Savory meatballs with a sweet boysenberry finish followed by rich, red mashed potatoes. Heaven.
Spring Fling Salad with Shrimp and a Boysenberry Vinaigrette
Far better than we anticipated. The Spring mix of greens was light and fresh while the shrimp was a nice buttery counterpoint to the boysenberry vinaigrette. Simple and tasty.
Mini Crab Sushi Roll with Boysenberry Aioli
Full disclosure, we were hesitant but were pleasantly surprised by how edible this sushi roll was. The fresh taste of cucumber paired with the crab, wrapped in seaweed and rice was topped with crunchy wontons and a boysenberry drizzle that felt like a requirement rather than a compliment. Still, a fun surprise.
Boysenberry Cowboy Chili with Mac & Cheese and a Frito Garnish
Sorry, but Mac and Cheese, Chili, Fritos. If you like any one of those three you will be happy with this.
Boysenberry Filled Donut Open-Faced Chicken Sandwich with Bacon Jam and Arugula
While not exactly a fan of doughnuts (sue me) I gave this a shot. Still not a fan of doughnuts. However, the arugula did pair well with the savory chicken breast and bacon jam.
Boysenberry Mousse Chocolate Cake
The major surprise of the night was the Boysenberry Mousse Chocolate Cake. Throbbing with the eye-popping purple color you don’t expect the lightly sweet boysenberry mousse to be as subtle as it is. then you get to the yummy bit of chocolate cake in the middle and all expectations are met.
New Boysenberry Heff Beer
While the New Boysenberry Heff Beer is new, we personally couldn’t help but order our favorite beverage. Ask for the half and half blend of the boysenberry beer and the boysenberry cider. It’s some good stuff.
Plant-based Meatballs in a BoysenberryBBQ Sauce
While not vegetarian, I am a big fan of plant-based foods. The plant-based meatballs are a near miss here. They have the texture down perfectly in my opinion. We just need a little bit more smokiness and a hefty dose of boysenberry. Really so glad that this is now an option for the event. Paired with a vegan mashed potato, this would really be amazing.
Chickniless Sandwich on a GF Bun with Boysenberry jam and Arugula
I have to say that I really liked the Chickniless Sandwich on a GF Bun with Boysenberry jam and Arugula. The patty pretty much tastes like any ground chicken patty that you might have had before, but it’s all plant. YUM. Then of course you have the Gluten-Free bread, arugula, and boysenberry jam and it all works.
We did NOT get to…
- Veggie Chili on Boysenberry Polenta
- Boysenberry Pie Bar
- Boysenberry Rocky Road Brownie
- Boysenberry Horchata
- Deconstructed Lemonade with Blackberries, Loganberries, and Red
Raspberries - Boysenberry Sangria
- Boysenberry Wine
- Prosecco with Hibiscus and Boysenberry
- Boysenberry & Sweet Tea with Vodka
There really is something for every taste be it sweet or savory, vegetarian or otherwise. Just don’t plan to be on a diet during the Boysenberry Festival. While you will have to see our #7SecondReviews below for the ultimate winning dish, both Jeff and I agreed that the food is stellar. Almost scary good.
