Knott’s Berry Farm is taking steps toward becoming a more vegan friendly theme park destination. They offered a fair number of vegan options during their foodie events while the park was closed in 2020, and now they’ve added a Special Dietary Needs Menu to their website and app.
If you have food allergies or other dietary needs, I would recommend cross-referencing my vegan guide with the Special Dietary Needs Menu. At the Knott’s link, you will also find more beverages (alcoholic and non), as well as a couple more locations where the only vegan option is french fries.
I also have a Knott’s Berry Farm Playlist on my YouTube channel covering current and past dining options.
I will continue to revise this post with new photos, reviews, and commentary as I am able to try more items for myself. I hope you will find this information helpful on your next visit to Knott’s Berry Farm, and please let me know if you have any questions or see any options that I missed!
A note on 2021 special events: The full menu for Knott’s Merry Farm menu 2021 has not been released yet, and although they have teased some of the holiday offerings, none of the ones I’ve seen appear to be vegan. For Knott’s Spooky Farm, the only vegan item on the special diets menu was a lemonade. Knott’s Merry Farm begins on November 19, so the menu should get posted soon, and the special diets menu typically follows a few days later. I will update this post and/or make a new one covering the vegan Merry Farm items, if there are any. I was pretty impressed with their special menus during the 2020 holiday season, so hopefully things trend back that way!
CALIFORNIA MARKETPLACE
The Marketplace is located just outside the main gate, and can be accessed without park admission. Parking is free for the first hour, and $10 for each additional half hour with a daily maximum of $30. Validation is available for an additional 2 hours of free parking, when you make a purchase of $18 or more in the Marketplace shops or restaurants.
Farm Bakery | This is where you’ll find some hidden vegan gems of Knott’s Berry Farm! The park’s vegan menu skips Farm Bakery entirely, so hopefully they will add this soon. The first time I came here, I had to ask if there were any vegan options and the very helpful crew member directed me to this cupcake and chocolate tart. They were not labeled as vegan in the bakery case at the time, but now they are! So you should be able to identify the vegan options now at a glance, but if you ever need clarification you can ask someone working the counter. I have had both options multiple times now and they are both very good!
Starbucks | I haven’t been to this specific Starbucks yet, but wanted to make sure you know it’s there. I assume the vegan offerings are typical of any other Starbucks, but I will update if I stop in.
Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant | According to Happy Cow and other sources, the vegan options in the past have been less than stellar. But it seems like they may have new options since reopening, and I look forward to checking them out. I haven’t found a vegan menu online, and I think it may be an ask-your-server type situation. I will update with photos of the food and menu (if available) as soon as I can.
GHOST TOWN
Ghost Town Bakery | The Knott’s special diets guide says you will find “select pastries” here, but I have typically had better luck at the Marketplace Bakery. Last time I poked my head in (October 2021), the line was long and I didn’t see anything labeled vegan, so I left. When I have more time I will stop in and ask a crew member. Luckily, the Marketplace Bakery is just steps away from the front gate, so I would recommend checking there if you’re in the mood for something sweet.
Wagon Wheel Pizza | Located across from the exit to Ghostrider, you can order vegan pizza here. The picture below is of a cauliflower crust pizza I had at Taste of Fall-O-Ween, but the current option is regular crust and I believe it is usually vegan cheese only (no other toppings). I will update with a current photo when I am able to try it.
Sutter’s Grill | Sutter’s Grill is one of several quick service options in the building just in front of the main gate. You can order a Boca Burger with no bun, or vegan chicken tenders here. The tenders they’ve been using in the past are Gardein (or very similar).
Sutter’s Pizza | This is another location that carries vegan pizza, and it is around the corner from Sutter’s Grill.
Wilderness Broiler | Located across from the Calico River Rapids in the Southwest corner of the park, here you will find vegan chicken tenders and a Boca Burger (without bun).
Calico Tater Bites | They had pulled BBQ jackfruit tots here during Taste of Knott’s, but currently the only vegan offering is plain tater tots with no toppings.
Calico Saloon | Stop in here for a pickle, soft pretzel, or some fresh popped popcorn.
Judge Roy Bean | You can find pickles & soft pretzels here.
Pemmican Pickle | Pickles, soft pretzels & ICEE are available.
Calico Mine Popcorn Cart | A convenient and centrally located popcorn cart just outside the Calico Mine Train.
Ghost Town Grill | The Knott’s vegan menu mentions there are select entrees and salads available here, but it says that you will have to ask your server. In the past, it seems like people have been disappointed with the vegan options here, which included stir fry or curry, salad, and buffalo vegan tenders with fries. I have not been here myself, but will update when I do.
FIESTA VILLAGE
Fiesta Dogs | I will double check the brand of vegan dog they are using, but I think it’s either Field Roast or Tofurky. It is more substantial than a regular hot dog, and more like a sausage. I liked it, but next time I would order without the peppers and onions as they seemed to be steamed/boiled and didn’t have a lot of flavor. Instead, I would ask for sauerkraut, ketchup, mustard & raw onion. They also have potato chips available.
Fiesta Lemonade Stand | This location has soft pretzels, cotton candy & ICEE.
La Papa Loca | Known for their loaded french fries, the vegan option here is plain fries with no toppings.
BOARDWALK
Coasters Diner | The Knott’s special diets menu lists a Boca Burger with no bun, french fries, and salad (with modifications) as the vegan offerings here. I’m including a photo of a salad I’ve had here in the past, but the current option is a salmon, orzo & spinach salad for $13. I don’t think it would be worth the price after removing the salmon, and I’m also not sure if the orzo, dressing etc. are vegan-friendly. I will check on these modifications and update this post when I know more.
Pictured below is the Beeting Heart Salad from Coasters Diner, which was part of the Taste of Fall-O-Ween menu in 2020. Although this is no longer on the menu, I wanted to include it as an example of something you might find at Coasters. I thought this was more flavorful and higher quality than I would expect from a theme park salad.
Hollywood Hits Pizza | Vegan pizza is available here as well, please see Wagon Wheel Pizza for a photo. They also have smoothies. And, another hidden gem — they have Dole soft serve, AKA Dole Whip! This is not listed on the Knott’s vegan guide, but I reached out via email and someone from the Food & Beverage team confirmed that it is vegan. I believe they also have (non-vegan) vanilla & other soft serve flavors here, so it’s important to note that it’s usually only the pineapple and other fruit flavors that are vegan. When in doubt, you can ask to see ingredients as this comes as a pre-packaged mix.
Supreme Scream Dippin’ Dots | The Rainbow Ice pictured below is my favorite so far, but I also liked the Boysenberry Ice featured at Taste of Merry Farm. Typically, the “Ice” flavors of Dippin’ Dots will be vegan-friendly, except for the one that contains popping candy. If you are unsure about a specific flavor, I would recommend Googling the ingredients or asking a crew member.
Johnny Rockets | The official Knott’s vegan menu lists Boca Burgers without a bun as the only vegan option here. However, this location also has fries and tots, which are typically vegan-friendly at other Johnny Rockets locations, though they may be made in a shared fryer. This shouldn’t take too long to clear up, and I will update this post ASAP. From what I understood, the buns at Johnny Rockets used to be vegan-friendly if requested without butter, but now their standard buns contain dairy and gluten-free buns contain egg. Some Johnny Rockets locations have started offering Impossible burgers with Daiya Cheese, and vegan shakes made with Craig’s ice cream — this location does not carry those options, but hopefully that’s something we can look forward to in the future.
Charleston Circle Coffee | This coffee counter serves Starbucks Coffee, including hot and cold drinks and Frappuccinos. This is a smaller location with a walk-up window, so I assume their menu may be somewhat limited. I will report back when I’ve had a chance to check it out.
Snack Carts | The Boardwalk Popcorn Cart carries cotton candy and popcorn, and the Boardwalk Pretzel Cart carries cotton candy and pretzels. These are only open on select days, so check the app on the day of your visit before you head over.
CAMP SNOOPY
Grizzly Creek Lodge | This seems like a great place to stop if there are multiple people in your party who can’t agree on one thing, as you can find items from across the park all in one place! They have the underwhelming Boca Burger with no bun, along with vegan chicken tenders, vegan mac & cheese, vegan pizza, smoothies, ICEE, and french fries.
I have not tried the chicken tenders here, but I have had a vegan buffalo wrap in the past and they appeared to be Gardein. I will post more information about the smoothie base when I have it, but it is listed on the Knott’s special diets guide as vegan without modifications. Please refer to the entry for Wagon Wheel Pizza for a photo of Knott’s vegan pizza.
Pictured below is the vegan mac & cheese from Taste of Merry Farm in 2020. I don’t know if the current dish is the same recipe or portion size, so I will update with a current photo when I am able to try it. It was pretty decent for theme park food, and I think it was better than reports I’ve heard of the vegan mac they’ve served in the past. I would get it again if I was in the mood for mac & cheese.
Cave Inn Snacks | Located between the Balloon Race and Linus Launcher, you can find soft pretzels and ICEE here.
Camp Snoopy Fruit & Refresh Station | Fruit cup, cotton candy & popcorn are available.
KNOTT’S BERRY FARM HOTEL
You may walk past the Knott’s Berry Farm Hotel if you park in the lot just south of the park, and it is only 0.3 miles from the front gate. I have not stayed here myself yet but I would like to, and I will update when I do!
Amber Waves | The hotel restaurant is not included on the Knott’s vegan guide, but looking at their menu online it looks like they may have some very limited options, such as a fruit plate and salads with modifications. I will update if/when I eat here, but as the menu exists now it is low on my list of priorities.
Now that I am a Season Passholder, I look forward to filling in this guide a little more with additional photos & reviews! You can also find more theme park content on my YouTube channel, and on Instagram @themeparkvegan & @vegan.dynamite.
vegan DYNAMITE 
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