2013: Best Food Values

I would say the best food value is obviously Famous Dave's. I would like to see a Donatos Pizza place at the park in the next couple years. (They'd probably still jack up the prices even though Donatos is a local chain :( )

its not advertised but at the food stands we went to we bought only the chicken fingers (I can't recall the price now) it was enough to tied us over instead of filling up on fries.

We were disappointed to not be able to buy a whole pizza deal at the park (near Cedar Downs) when we went in May. We used to buy a whole pizza and 2 large drinks for about $25-30 as we were leaving the park to go back to the Breakers. To buy individual slices it was outrageous this year, so we skipped it!

Are the "Meal Deals" really deals? How much of a savings would it be? Is the cup deal really a $3 savings by buying in advance? We ended up buying one in the park 2 years ago because, although I was fine with water, my husband needed caffeine. We leave on Monday for the point so I am trying to finish my planning.

Doesn't seem that Cedar Fair would figure out that more people will eat outside/before/after visit or leave coolers in their cars rather than pay the in-park prices for food?

I have to assume that they have run the numbers and found those of us that have changed our park eating habits are a minority and don't affect the bottom lone all that much...I see lots of people walking around eating park food.

Well plus the food is cheap...

The employee cafe sells pop for 25 cents a cup, I bet they're still making a minute profit

Burgers are the same you get at the stand by gatekeeper all minus some veggies...still like I think 1.75 or 2.50 or something...still making profit

They're just maximixing their profit margin with these prices honestly. And as for coolers, they already got you for parking so there ya go

I tried Famous Dave's Saturday. I wasn't impressed with the ribs. They aren't the type that fall off the bones. They seemed like they were boiled and that's it. Pink's is about the only place I like in the park other than the fries.

To chris9ty, there is a pizza delivery on-point to the hotels and campsites. Big Daddy delivers up to 1 hour after the park closes. It is located at the breakwater café and can be reached at 419-626-0830. ext. 3633

Posting a statement/question, I know some Cedar Point higher ups read these forums....

Sky Ride Refreshments, (June 22, 2012) 11:18am.

Does anyone feel that if there is a large poster showing Chicken Strips and Fries, with (4) four Chicken Strips and fries on the poster for $10.99, that you should get (4) Chicken Strips...

I received my meal with only (3) Chicken Strips....

I didn't make a fuss, (well not until now), but I just wonder how many guest would really say or do something about it at the moment in time that they received their food... either give the guest (4) strips, or take down the posters showing (4) strips..

Ok done ranting. :)

I work at Sky Ride Refreshments, and have only had a guest complain about getting three chicken fingers when it showed four on the picture once, so far. The basket should come with three.

I dunno why the sign is like that, but we do our best do balance out the amount of chicken in each basket. If they're small we'll sometimes add an extra one, etc. There's a lot of other little things they could clarify too that I wish they would change...

Gameday Grille is great value in my opinion. Huge portions. Go with the perch. It was great.

^I agree. Gameday I feel is often overlooked, and I think it has really good food.

Captain Bob said:
Doesn't seem that Cedar Fair would figure out that more people will eat outside/before/after visit or leave coolers in their cars rather than pay the in-park prices for food? I have to assume that they have run the numbers and found those of us that have changed our park eating habits are a minority and don't affect the bottom lone all that much...I see lots of people walking around eating park food.

Imagine those people that come on tour buses, they don't have much of an option for eating at a restaurant beforehand or bring coolers (or leave the park to eat). Some tour buses stop on the way home, but I am betting the majority that come on those buses don't think they should bring their own "lunches".

But just like the 20oz pop prices, people will pay the price for the convenience.....

I too only go to Famous Dave's. Even though they charge much more than other Dave's, you still get your moneys worth. My meal is $5 more at CP but still full when finished.

Lately, I've been packing a cooler with fruit/veggies/snacks/drinks when we visit. It tides us over until we're really hungry, at which point we will exit the park and grab something from a fast food joint nearby (either the McDonald's or DQ Grill or one of the places near the OH-2 highway). It's a shame that the CP fries are $7 an order now. I simply can't justify that even if they're my favorite thing to order inside the park. If anything, we'll do the Platinum Pass Fry Perk that gives you a free order of Regular fries and two drinks when you buy an order of Chili Cheese Fries.

I've heard really great things about the Red Gable Mesquite Grill, which is located outside the park on US Rte 6. Haven't tried it yet but will try to make it their this summer/fall. If I'm going to pay a ridiculous amount of $$$ on food, I'm going to get an edible/filling meal.

I did the platinum pass deal at the fries place next to Raptor. Yes, it's a good deal, but the dude at the counter was totally incompetent. I told him I didn't want the chili cheese on any of the fires, and this apparently was a crisis. He brought me fries with the chili cheese anyway, then flipped out when I explained (again) that I didn't want that. If that wasn't enough, he went to the other employees in the stand and bitched about me to them, within ear shot. What a jackass. And of course, because they're slow to begin with, I waited another five minutes.

Later, for dinner, I got boneless wings at Famous Dave's, and the waitress brought them out without any sauce. She knew I wanted sauce, and explained I could just put sauce from the table on them. The whole point of any wings is the sauce... why didn't she just handle the mistake before bringing the food out to me?

Things have gotten better in so many areas of the park, but I can't understand why foods continues to suck in terms of service and pricing. I've had those kinds of jobs, while in college. They're not brain surgery. I think their hiring and training needs to step it up.

I feel so cheap but last time we went to the park we brought both lunch/dinner and ate outside the park. I brought plenty of snacks and fruit too. Not only are the options at CP expensive, but healthy options are far and few in between. I ended up getting my hotel comped as well (non cedar fair property, had a ton of issues) so I feel like I got quite a deal :) Stopped in Amherst on the way home and spent almost $20 for me and my kid at Panera, and there was the rip off!

Jeff I agree w/ training and also who they're hiring. Many a times I had to gripe to food service supervisors or call out foods employees for doing crap. Biggest pet peeve was when power tower's entrance was at the corkscrews not it's current spot and there was an employee gate only where the current entrance was. That entrance leads you to a foods prep area and also my low zones for corkscrew & their maintance shops. Guests would frequently hop that area or go through the gate to get in line at Power tower, and a few instances of jackasses going back in the low zone areas that I had to call out. I would tell their sups or even the foods employees to shut the damn gate SEVERAL times, yet they'd open it and walk through, and I'd call them out & they'd just look like....oh...k then...

They fail...hard

shamrockcb said:
I feel so cheap but last time we went to the park we brought both lunch/dinner and ate outside the park. I brought plenty of snacks and fruit too. Not only are the options at CP expensive, but healthy options are far and few in between. I ended up getting my hotel comped as well (non cedar fair property, had a ton of issues) so I feel like I got quite a deal :) Stopped in Amherst on the way home and spent almost $20 for me and my kid at Panera, and there was the rip off!

Can I ask what kind of foods do you bring to cover both lunch and dinner? Our fastest and most convenient lunch we have taken is the Walmart long big sandwich for $6 that we divide up, some chips, drinks, etc. Trying to think what we can pack for a supper.

Yesterday I went with only one of my boys and we ended up eating supper at Perkins at the Breakers. I don't think it was that bad for the value. His $8 kids meal is kind of expensive but it also included a cup of chicken noodle soup which he liked a lot, a drink and a very large cookie. I had the french dip sandwich and chose the house salad as side which was quite large for $11. I'd say if you're going to spend the money anyway, might as well get some better quality food at the restaurants rather than spend the same for a hot dog and fries.

3snoH un=l said:

Can I ask what kind of foods do you bring to cover both lunch and dinner?

For lunch - PB&J, a bag of chips for sharing, fruit (oranges/grapes/apples/bananas) and veggies (cucumbers/carrots/green peppers).

For dinner - Could do lunch meat as an alternative to PB&J, pasta salad, or even a cold pizza if you/family will eat it cold.

Snacks - granola bars, pudding cups, fruit snacks are easy and quick

Just a few ideas...

rmrufe said:

3snoH un=l said:

Can I ask what kind of foods do you bring to cover both lunch and dinner?

For lunch - PB&J, a bag of chips for sharing, fruit (oranges/grapes/apples/bananas) and veggies (cucumbers/carrots/green peppers).

For dinner - Could do lunch meat as an alternative to PB&J, pasta salad, or even a cold pizza if you/family will eat it cold.

Snacks - granola bars, pudding cups, fruit snacks are easy and quick

Just a few ideas...

Thanks for some ideas. The snack items aren't hard, but I've got some of the pickiest eaters, including my husband, he and one son don't like peanut butter, I'm the only one who would eat any "picnic" food side dishes like pasta salad, potato salad, cole slaw, etc. It's frustrating, I've tried and tried. Meat sandwich is the only thing we can all rally around. Just trying to think of something, besides more deli meat sandwich. If only I had a microwave for the car!