'America's Best Theme Park Restaurant' Is A Wildly Affordable Pennsylvania Favorite With Rave Reviews

In general, a family day at an amusement park racks up a hefty bill. Considering tickets, food, merchandise, and more, by day's end, you can easily spend a small fortune, especially for families. Even the most affordable trip to Disney World can shock your bank account. But if you find yourself in Pennsylvania's nearly century-old Knoebels Amusement Resort, you won't break the bank feeding the family at one of the park's on-site restaurants, The Alamo.

Named the readers' choice best theme park restaurant by USA Today, The Alamo at Knoebels Amusement Resort earned the title for its affordability and variety of food options, including classics and heartier dishes. The restaurant has topped USA Today's list three years in a row, as of this writing. The menu is especially affordable, with a cheeseburger costing just $5, a hot dog only $3, a variety of sandwiches under $6, and many more budget-friendly options.

Sitting pretty in the Susquehanna River Valley in Elysburg, Pennsylvania, Knoebels Amusement Resort consistently appears on the "things to do" lists and guides and is adored by locals and visitors alike. It's America's biggest free-admission amusement park — that's right, you don't pay a penny to enter or enjoy on-site entertainment. Guests pay only for rides, food, and accommodations if they choose to stay at the resort. Parking is also free. The park prides itself on being an affordable place for recreation for all.

Knoebels Amusement Resort, originally known as Knoebels Grove, opened in 1926 – not quite as far back as America's oldest amusement park, but it still stands out from the rest. In its early days, Knoebels featured food stands, a pool, and a merry-go-round. Nearly 100 years later, the park is a thriving hub with more than 60 rides, games, and a 900,000-gallon crystal pool.

The Alamo Restaurant is as old as Knoebels itself. Feeding park goers since 1926, the restaurant receives rave reviews from those who have dined there. Boasting a 4.2-star rating on Tripadvisor with mostly five and four-star reviews, what people like most about The Alamo is the good food, low prices, generous portion sizes, and friendly service. In particular, visitors love the signature chicken and waffles, with one reviewer writing, "Always a great meal at The Alamo. Famous Signature Chicken and Waffles are always the best."

But don't just take the diners' word for it. The food at Knoebels has won the Amusement Today Golden Ticket Award for Best Food almost every year since 2000. You usually don't expect quality food at an amusement park — quite the opposite – but Knoebels has defied that expectation. Its awards and reviews are a testament to that.