Review: Knott's Berry Farm Fireman's BBQ Flank Steak

Located across from the Bird Cage Theater and Gun/Knife shops, you can smell the sweet aroma of Fireman’s Brigade BBQ about the time you walk past the blacksmith shop. The line here can get a little long on busy days, so don’t wait too long into mealtimes to grab a bite.

At $18.75 the Brigade BBQ Flank Steak is on the more expensive side for food items in the park. With a non-meal plan purchase your sandwich comes with a bag of chips and one side item. Meal plans come with your choice of one side, which includes chips, garlic cheese toast, cole slaw, baked potato, or fire roasted corn on the cob. This time we opted for the fire roasted corn.

Please note that all the food items are pre-cooked in the Knott’s kitchen (elsewhere) and are reheated on the grill. For the most part, this does work, and I am thankful for this – especially when the line is super long! The flank steak is marinated for 24 hours and then grilled over an open flame. The steak is surprisingly tender and does have a real smokey taste. Served with shredded iceberg lettuce and a couple of sliced tomatoes, it is tasty! Not too thick, bun length, and although not juicy the flank strips are not tough with each bit breaking off easily. In previous years, Knott’s would brush BBQ sauce on the steak while it heated on the grill or sauced it on the bun. Now they serve it dry, so you will need to ask for a side(s) of BBQ sauce if you want a little extra kick. Allowing you to control the amount of BBQ sauce is not a bad thing, and kind of thoughtful for those watching sugar intake or calories.

Unfortunately, like many food items at Knott’s, the bread brings the whole experience down a bit. If they would just put a little butter on the roll and heat it on the grill for a few seconds, it would elevate this sandwich to AWESOME! Instead, they swipe a little thousand island on the cold roll and call it a day. Because of this, the bread fell apart towards the end of the meal.

This time around, my corn was perfectly done! The corn can sometimes be a little dry, as it is kept on the grill until served. Corn seems to be the popular side with meals since, which I am guessing is because it’s the most expensive at $7 if you were to order it al a carte. Butter is available at the pickup window, along with take-out containers, if needed.

There is plenty of seating at the shaded picnic tables on two sides behind the BBQ. There are also separate trash cans for food scraps (new California law) and trash.

Would I order again? Yes! If they are not too busy, I would ask them to toast the roll. You can stand right by the grill and talk to the chefs, so this is not that hard. Just tell them your order number so they know which order is yours. As far as food service goes at KBF, it is one of the few spots you can interact with the cooks.

Fact Sheet

What: Flank Steak Sandwich
Where: Fireman’s Brigade BBQ (Knott’s Berry Farm)
Calories: 830-1165
Cost: $18.75
Dining Plan: Yes
Pros: Great flavor and freshly grilled.
Cons: Need to request BBQ on the side. Could use a better bun, or at least lightly grill the bread.