Cordelia’s Tea Party at Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant

To celebrate Knott's Berry Farm's 100th Anniversary, Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant has some great new menu items that pay tribute to their rich history. The one that excited us most though was their new tea service – Cordelia's Tea Party!

Now, I have a little girl who just loves tea parties. Ever since we had a real tea service in Canada, wee've been hooked. So her and I made a reservation at the Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant and had our very own tea party for two.

But first, before we entered the building, we had to get a picture with the iconic chicken statue LOL.

Cordelia's Tea Party service is offered from 11am until 2:00pm daily. I highly recommend getting a reservation so you don't have to wait for a table, however, reservations are not required for parties under 9 persons.

Our Knott's Berry Farm Tea Party

We were seated in the tea room where we got to order from the Tea Party Menu. There are a few options of sandwiches and treats, and a dozen or so teas to choose from.

This girl was grinning ear to ear the entire time.

So what's included in Cordelia's Tea Party Menu? Each service is for two people and is $17 per person for a total of $34 plus tax and tip. Passholders discounts do apply, so you can save up to 20% off your bill.

Cordelia’s Tea Party Menu

Party of Two • $17 Per Person
TEAS (Choose one from the list below)
Black Teas – Big Awake Early Grey Vanilla Chai
Green Teas – Passion Fruit Green Zen Decaf Lotus Blossom
Herbal Infusion Teas – Chamomile • Calm Mint Refresh • Sweet Orange • Wild Boysenberry
STARTERS (Choose One)
Mrs. Knott’s Biscuits • Boysenberry Scones • Glazed Lemon Scones
TEA SANDWICHES (Choose Two)
Egg Salad • Cucumber Avocado • Prosciutto, Apple & Brie
DESSERTS
(Choose Two)
Apricot Shortbread Bars • Raspberry Shortbread Bars • Honey Lavender Madeleines

Time for Tea!

We ordered from the menu, and very shortly they brought out the tea. I recommend asking them to also bring out cream and sugar. This will make the tea more sweat for the little ones, and yours to if you desire. I also recommend to pour a cup as soon as you get it. It's hot, so this will give at some time to cool down before the tea sandwiches and desserts come out.

This was Dani's face when they brought the tea party food to the table. I wish you could see the video. She was so excited.

If you have ever done a tea service before, then you know how the tiered platters work. Each level is a different source. Cordelia's Tea Party service has a sandwich level for the main course, scones and biscuits for the in-between course, and some fruit crumble bars or madeleines for the dessert course.

Everything was put together very pretty and the food was all very tasty. And even though it wasn't as intricate as some of the more pricer tea services I have experienced, and for the price, I felt that it was a great deal for a team service of this kind. It was absolutely PERFECT for me and my girl. She tried it all, and like it all. And we were able to enjoy an hour together talking and trying all the cute foods.

As you can see....she really liked it.

We chose the boysenberry tea, egg salad sandwiches, cucumber sandwiches, lemon glazed scones, lavender honey Madeleine, and raspberry crumble bar. It also came with two buttermilk biscuits and boysenberry preserves. We liked all our choices!

I let Dani do most everything herself, like put preserves on her scone, and add cream and sugar to her tea. She kept saying how she and I were princesses.

Finally, here is a picture of her and I to show that yes...I was there too! It's a bummer that I didn't have anyone to take both of our pictures together.

Do we recommend Cordelia's Tea Party? Of course we do. We had such a fun time and highly recommend this outing for a parent and me date, or a fun outing with friends or grandma. Each service is for two, so try to get an even amount of guests to join you.

How Mrs. Cordelia Knott Began Her Tea Room and How Knott's came to be.

It’s the berries that started it all when Walter and Cordelia Knott planted their first 20 acres of rented land in Buena Park back in 1920. An extremely cold winter froze most of their first crop, but the Knotts were not discouraged. Their confidence and hard work were rewarded as future crops thrived. Customers loved the quality of the Knott berries, which they sold at their own berry stand.

In 1927, land values skyrocketed as the result of an oil boom. The owner of the Knott land decided to sell. Although the price was high, Walter bought 10 acres. The big Depression hit a year later and the price of land dropped, but Walter never defaulted and also bought an additional 10 acres at the lower price. With the last of their savings, the Knotts built the Farm’s first permanent business building in 1928.

They now had an 80-foot structure housed, a 40-foot Berry Market, a 20-foot Nursery where berry plants were sold, and a 20-foot Tea Room. The Tea Room is where Cordelia served fresh berry pie, hot biscuits and berry jam.

In 1932, Walter Knott heard of an Orange County grower named Rudolph Boysen who had crossed a loganberry, a blackberry and a red raspberry, producing a spectacular new fruit. He located Boysen in nearby Anaheim only to learn the plants had been left in an orange orchard Boysen had sold. Luckily, a few scraggly plants still survived, and Walter asked permission to cultivate them. After three years of careful tending, the large, tasty Boysenberries were ready to be offered to the public.

Today, the Boysenberry is grown in many parts of the nation and in many foreign countries and all can trace their roots back to Knott’s Berry Farm. Meanwhile, the family was kept busy in the little five table Tea Room.

Although Cordelia had repeatedly warned Walter that “we’re not going into the restaurant business,” one day in 1934 she casually announced that she was going to “try selling some chicken dinners.” The first eight dinners served on her wedding china on a summer afternoon were an instant success. The demand became so great that in 1937 a restaurant seating 300 was built.

By 1940 the Knotts were serving 400, 000 dinners a year – and as many 1,200 on Sunday. 1940 also marked the beginning of Ghost Town. The successful farmer and astute businessman Walter Knott cherished a dream. The dream was born as he listened to the tales of his pioneering grandmother as a young boy. The dream was realized when he built Ghost Town as a tribute to her memory and the Old West. By 1946 the Farm, that had started on 20 acres, had grown to encompass 150. Ghost Town was continuing to grow daily. Shops and live entertainment were added.

Today, the Farm continues to develop, guided by the vision of Knott Family. It started with a berry and the end is nowhere in sight.