The Best Theme Park Food is at Adventureland in Altoona, Iowa

The best theme park food is at Adventureland in Altoona (Des Moines) Iowa.

Some of the biggest name theme parks in the United States seem to put no effort into providing their guests with a wide variety of food and drink options. This is a big mistake. Disney World in Orlando, Florida is probably one of the biggest disappointments in this area.

Guests at a theme park are not always thrill seekers. Non thrill seekers want to enjoy the ambiance of the park while the thrill seekers in their group are on the rides. For some people, that means getting to eat a decent meal or have a nice snack while they wait.

Thrill seekers may not all have a cast iron stomach and may only get along with certain foods, and the standard fare of a place like Disney World just may not cut it. Some theme parks have the same menu at multiple restaurants or snack bars. Typically this might include hamburgers, hot dogs, and chicken strips; all served with fries.

This standard menu gets very tiresome at theme parks that are so large that you might spend multiple days there.

One theme park that stands out above all the rest is Adventureland in Altoona, Iowa, just outside Des Moines.

Adventureland has such a variety of restaurant styles and menus that it would take several days at the park just to try them all. One could almost say that there are as many food outlets as attractions!

At Adventureland you will find everything from hamburgers, hot dogs and corn dogs to tacos, pizza and a sit down buffet of southern fried chicken.

The Iowa Cafe on Main Street in Adventureland offers fresh southern fried chicken in either a two piece or three piece dinner in addition to a la carte. And if you like chicken wings, two wings count as one piece.

For our group, fried chicken sounded a whole lot better after hitting the roller coasters a half dozen times each than a hamburger or hot dog. Having the chance to sit down in an air conditioned building with two pieces of fried chicken (not scrawny chickens either), two sides and a biscuit with a cold drink was a great way to recuperate. Additional salads are also available.

After the meal you can wash up from the chicken in a nice clean restroom and then head next door, without even venturing out into to the heat, to the ice cream parlor for a dessert of sherbert, ice cream, ice cream treats or even a fancy coffee. If you are not in the mood for ice cream maybe a quick trip across Main Street to the fudge shop is more to your liking.

Fresh fried chicken is not everyone's choice, though, so some in your group can choose from one of the many other food offerings such as gyros, subland sandwiches, tacos or pizza.

Mid meal snacks also abound at Adventureland. The aforementioned ice cream and fudge are always big hits, so are mini donuts, dippin dots and funnel cakes. For a thirst quencher maybe you will choose a frosted lemonade or even a beer.

Check out the pictures and videos at the theme park review website in the resource box for more detailed information about the food and fun available at Adventureland in Altoona, Iowa.