@Sky Six Highway 39 was a busy place, but during our time in early So Cal and my wife's time living just a couple of blocks from Knott's Berry Farm property, it was crowded in the summers, but never that crowded. One thing going, our folks made delicious fried chicken, but to go to a restaurant and get some really good chicken dinners was pretty outstanding back in those days. Our mom liked the restaurant as she did not have to cook fried chicken in a hot kitchen at home. Hello, When our dad discovered Knott’s Berry Farm restaurants, he instantly took our family for the original Chicken Dinner portion of the public shops row on Highway 39. But, it was not until 1949. Also, it was not as crowded as the photo shows, but it was a short wait to get inside. The dinner was good, but, not as good as our mom’s fried chicken dinners. For her, though, it was better, due to not having to cook the fried chicken dinner for her own family, weekly. A giant respite of sorts… For our dad, his best place at Knott’s Berry Farm was the dark Steakhouse Restaurant. For some reason, every time went to the steak house, it was very dark inside and we had to check the cooked steak to see if it was rare, medium, or well done in a finished state. My brother and I liked the smell and texture of the medium version. Our mom liked the well done. Our dad liked the rare version, although the outside looked like our version. All cooked to perfection. Jnaki My wife and I went to both of the restaurants as it was only a few blocks away from her family’s last Buena Park home. Her family had also gone to both restaurants. So, for us being there, was for the food and not a place to take someone for first date or such choices. It was just a steak house or chicken dinner place among all of the other cool So Cal locations of quality restaurants for an impressive showing for “date night” dinners. Plus, it was an after dinner "walk about" throughout the old ghost town, which was the main attraction. panning for gold, listening to the rumble of a giant volcano, and funky miner's statues from the Old West in life size statues. The Old West in local So Cal was a destination place for a lot of families, but no visit was complete without stopping in a small shop called Virginia's. Note: As far away as Buena Park was to the coastal area where we lived, the restaurants gave us a reason to go inland many miles for a great meal. There was also a killer, Mexican Restaurant just around the corner from Knott’s Berry Farm, too. YRMV
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