Non-park food

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rollergator said:
local BBQ joints. ;)

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Yeah, just imagine how this southern country boy felt in 2007 when he got to leave Connecticut, drive to Statesville, NC, over to Dollywood, back down to Carowinds and then up 95 back home.

I think I gained about 5 pounds, 4 of them consisting just of pork fat...oink oink

Ironiclly a majority of Erie's locally owned eating establisments are within a mile of Waldameer. The only sit down chain fare is Applebees and Eat n Park.

For italian I would suggest Valerios which is 1 mile w on westlake rd. Seafood-Syds which is across from the west entrance. Steaks-Joe Roots on penninsula dr. I have not been to the Sandbar yet so i can't recommend it. And there is Sara's for burgers and 'dogs at the bottom of the hill with a great view of the Ravine Flyer2! Oriental fare at the Hibachi on 12 st west of penninsula and mexican at El Canelo on 12th east of penninsula. If you insist on chain fare you will have to venture up to the us19 (peach st.)&I90 corridor. There are at least 20 places to choose from.

There will be a lot of people at Waldameer this summer, stop at Sara's just past the entrance on the right. They have hot dogs, burgers, ice cream etc. Its an Erie tradition. Good times.

Damn! Forgot about In-N-Out too.I'd kill to have one up here in New England. Closest Sonic is Akron, Ohio for me.

Matt., BTW, where in New England are you? *** Edited 4/2/2008 6:01:15 PM UTC by Hopman***

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matt. said:

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rollergator said:local BBQ joints.

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Yeah, just imagine how this southern country boy felt in 2007 when he got to leave Connecticut, drive to Statesville, NC, over to Dollywood, back down to Carowinds and then up 95 back home.

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LOL - we left WoF one day to cruise back to the hotel for a midday break. Stopped for some KC-style BBQ on the way back. That was some very *interesting* 'cue, what with the hint of cinnamon in the sauce. For me, I generally would prefer TX brisket or Carolina gold. But I'm glad I got to try the KC stuff....and I hope to try it again during next year's Con... :)

No body can cook pig like the folks in AL. So, if you are in Birmingham to go to Al ADV, make sure to go to Jim-N-Nicks BBQ, Full Moon BBQ or Johnnie Rays BBQ. I can assure you will not be disappointed.

Well, you guys down in 'Bama could make a good pot of clam "chowdah" if you tried! :P

That said, there are plenty of reigional things out there. For example, I wouldn't try and order a fish sandwich anywhere that's not within 100 miles of a coast or lake, just like I wouldn't try ordering good BBQ outisde of the south or Texas.

Bottom line: ASK THE LOCALS!!! They'll know.

I care mostly about chain food restaurants outside an amusement park.

Near Disney World, there is Taco Bell, Mcdonald's, Wendy's, Chick Fil - A, Rainforest Cafe, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Hooters, Pizza Hut, Shoney's, Ponderosa, and Sizzler (I think that's a rip-off though.) plus more.

Near, Six Flags Over Texas, there is Chick Fil A, Hooters, (I really want to try to Sonic, and Whatamcallitburger- I call it the Wonder Woman place.), and I think they have a Wendys, and a Taco Bell.

Near Magic Mountain, I like Red Lobster, and Hamburger Hamlet. There is a Mcdonald's, and an Olive Garden farther away.

For St. Louis, I like Ponderosa, Mcdonald's, Jack in the Box, 7 Eleven, and Pizza Hut.

For Six Flags America, I liked Arby's, Wendy's, and Mcdonald's. They seem to NOT have much bigger corporate restaurants around that park. Arby's was further away near the hotel.

Near Kiddieland, there is Russell's, and Viena Hot Dogs.

For Cypress Gardens, I liked Hardee's, Dairy Queen, and Mcdonald's. There was some park that I couldn't find the Hooters, and this might have been the park. it was near a Super Wal-Mart maybe. I forgot.

For Dorney Park, I liked Boston Market. They had a Mcdonald's around there. They had Friendly's, and that place was kind of scary.

By Kentucky Kingdom, there was a Kentucky Fried Chicken over there, but there wasn't as many as I thought there would be. It's Kentucky, and I think of KFC. I ate at some Chinese Place. That's tells me that there wasn't much to choose from.

By Over Georgia, there is a Wendy's, Taco Bell, and a Shoney's. On the one street, the places are just going away which is sad. However, they did make a Wal-Mart over there. It might be Super, but it might not be. I forgot.

By Disneyland, they had Jack in the Box, Red Robin, and they had a Little Ceasar even though I don't go there. I believe that was the park where there a Shoney's a little farther away from the park.

For the Ohio area, I used to like Ponderosa near Cedar Point, but that's gone. I like Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Chick Fil A, and Big Boy.

For Six Flags Great America, I like Rainforest Cafe, Mcdonald's, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Long John Silvers, and KFC. *** Edited 4/2/2008 7:50:58 PM UTC by Spinout***

Spinout, you can find half of those by nearly EVERY park!

i'm talking about the LOCAL stuff! You know, the places like "Bob's Steak House" & the like.

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Mamoosh said:
Two words: Zankou Chicken!

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I'm gonna check that out the next time I'm at DL!

If you are ever at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, El Paisano is just across from the Giant Dipper on Beach street. I haven't been in a few years, but they used to have KILLER chile verde burritos.

And I'm glad to hear props for In-n-Out. I know some folks ain't into it...but MmmmHmmmm! That IS a tasty burger!

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Hopman said:
Closest Sonic is Akron, Ohio for me.

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HUH??!! I've been dying to try some of that stuff/slop from Sonic, I've been seeing their commercials for years and I've been watching them pop up in southern Ohio and Pittsburgh but nothing here yet. I just checked their locator and no Akron. I want to believe you!! Give me a location!! I need a new form of grease!!! :)

Tom

That's according to a friend of mine. You know, I wouldn't mind a Red Robin up here.

I just looked it up. Try Heath, OH. It's in between Columbus & Zanesville

Love Red Robin! Have been known to make the occaisional drive to the 'burbs to go there.

Closest RR to me is in Southern Mass.

I also developed a taste for Streak & Shake too. Good stuff.

Surprised no one has mentioned Mrs Knotts Restaurant at KBF. The chicken there is awesome! And another place near there along the PCH is the Shake Shack, near Newport Beach and not far from Buena Park. MMMMMMM shakes!

Kings Island, don't forget SkyLine Chili. yum!

Michigan's Adventure, Brann's Steaks, a local chain in West Michigan. Good prices and good food. Also, if you're in Grand Rapids proper, 2 great places: Cottage Inn downtown has good food and the Beltline Bar on 28th/Division. Great burritos!!!

Kennywood in Pittsburgh, you gotta go to the Permanti Bros near downtown. goooood food and been featured on the Travel Channel as a good place to eat. cole slaw and fries on your sandwich. great stuff!

Well, Hopman, when you're @ HP this year, you'll have to visit Red Robin. You can see it from the lift hill of Lightning Racer. It's literally across the street from the park (but two miles from the entrance :) )

A very good non-chain restaurant near Hersheypark is a Greek restaurant called Dmitri's. Little more upscale, but excellent food. A regional PA chain I like is Hoss's Steak & Seafood, which is a few miles away from the park towards Harrisburg.

I seldom eat out of the park when I'm at Knoebels-- I either eat there or I can wait till I get home. But one decent place I've stopped at a few times is Original Italian Pizza in Elysburg.

Red Robin, Sonic and Hoss's are chains. Get them out of this conversation!

Fair enough. You guys still need to eat at a REAL New England diner. Not the gussied-up joints in PA & NY that call themselves "diners" when they're really 5 star resturants.

See example 1: The Red Arrow, Manchester, NH www.redarrow.com

Example 2: The Maine Diner in wells, Maine

This is REAL food. Heck diners were the original road food joints.

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Hopman said:
Closest Sonic is Akron, Ohio for me.

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Not anymore. The first Sonic in New Jersey opened last fall - it's on US 9 in Ocean Township, Ocean County, between Lacey & Barnegat, about a mile south of the Oyster Creek nuke plant. On the left heading south. If you drive too fast you'll miss it because the township wouldn't let them put a big sign up. Yeah, it's Jersey. If you're on the Parkway it's between 74 and 69. And as they've been saying around here since they completed the interchange - "69 goes both ways now."

There are also a handful of Sonics in southern Delaware and the on eastern shore of Maryland and Virginia.

Speaking of Delaware, I gotta hit that Charcoal Pit on Concord Pike north of Wilmington before I cross the bridge back into NJ no matter where I'm coming from.

If I've been at Kings Dominion I try to stop at Horne's on US 301 in Port Royal. It's a little gas stop with a lunch counter - good crab cakes.

Ditto on Chet & Matt's. Sam's pizza in Wildwood is OK, but I like Mack's better. The rest all suck, they're nothing but dough. Ocean City NJ has Mack & Manco, even better. If you're heading west from Great Adventure, gotta hit DiLorenzo's Tomato Pie in Trenton, that's the best.

That's enough food talk, Great Adventure opens Saturday and I better fit into El Toro.

Thanks for the heads up on the Sonic.

This one's a bit of a strech, but one of my local favorites in Concord, NH is called the Sandwich Depot. it's a hole in an old RR depot, but thry have some DAMN good chili. In fact, when I drove home from CP, I went here first before my house!