This Simpsons-inspired shop is a doughnut-lover's delight. 'D'oh-nut' flavours include maple bacon and chocolate, but the larger-than-life Big Pink is the one to go for. The huge, sugary round of dough is glazed with pastel pink icing and topped with sprinkles. Get your teeth around one at Universal Orlando Resort or Universal Studios Hollywood – just look out for Lard Lad, the joint's doughnut-wielding mascot.
Sweet, tangy and dusted with cinnamon sugar, these deep-fried apple chunks come piled high and finished with a swirl of vanilla cream. They're served warm, in a bright yellow carton – dunk each fry in an ample amount of cream for the tastiest bite. You'll find them on Castle Hill at LEGOLAND California.
Burgers are ubiquitous in theme parks around the world but Disney’s Animal Kingdom has put an unusual spin on the classic. The Satu’li Canteen in Pandora serves these light, fluffy bao buns, stuffed with cheeseburger, along with a side of slaw and crisps.
The reputation of Dollywood's signature dish precedes it. Oozing with butter and powdered with sugar, the chunky bread packs a cinnamon punch. Choose apple butter or icing to go with your bread, which is served fresh from the oven and sticky. Expect a queue at the Grist Mill bakery – but know that it's worth the wait.
Alligator bites might not be for everyone but those who brave a morsel will be rewarded. The alligator meat is diced, breaded and deep-fried, then served on a bed of salad with a zingy dipping sauce. Find them in the International Food Court at Knoebels, where you'll also come across bison burgers, 'hog wild fries' and a punchy sweet-and-sour chicken.
Hersheypark's freakshakes taste as good as they look. Choose which king-size shake you want – there are lots to choose from including Reese's Cupfusion, Slither N' Squirm and Mint the Merciless – and make sure you snap a photo before you dive in. Mint the Merciless is crowned by a mint cake roll, while Slither N' Squirm has gummy worms wriggling out the top.
Over at Cowfish, a restaurant in Universal Orlando, you'll find burgushi – a fusion of burgers and sushi. The Combo Bento Box comes with a tiny burger, edamame beans and sushi rolls. High Class Hillbilly is another favourite: slow-roasted pork is wrapped up like a sushi roll and piled with bacon coleslaw and skinny potato slices. Pair it with a creative craft cocktail.
If you're a fan of both cookies and ice cream, then this indulgent sweet treat is for you. A generous amount of soft-serve ice cream (choose from vanilla or boysenberry) is sandwiched between two gloriously chewy chocolate chip cookies. An extra coating of chocolate chips on the outside completes the confection. Seek them out at the Ice Cream Shop in the Ghost Town area of Knott’s Berry Farm.
This Disney dessert is based on a Norwegian sweet bread often given to children in their packed lunches, hence the name. A hearty sphere of dough is injected with custard or vanilla cream, then coated with icing and dried coconut. Vanilla custard is the finishing touch. The bread is served in the Norway Pavilion at Epcot.
If you're tired of run-of-the-mill fries, go in search of Silver Dollar City's tasty Tater Twists. Golden potato is twirled around a wooden stick – or a juicy hot dog if you order the Twisted Tater Dog – and you can choose from a range of zingy seasonings. Pick them up on Valley Road and feast on the go.
Butterbeer, inspired by J K Rowling's fantasy series, can be found at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in the USA's Universal parks. The syrupy soft drink tastes just like cream soda and comes served in a generous tankard – it's as though you're propped up at the Three Broomsticks. If you're after something a little fresher, opt for a spicy pumpkin juice instead.
Butterbeer need not be just a drink. Available at Universal Studios Hollywood, as well as Universal Orlando Resort, this irresistible butterscotch-like ice cream is a winner with Potter fans. There's also Butterbeer potted cream and Butterbeer fudge too.
You can get a warming Thanksgiving dinner all year round at Holiday World & Splashin' Safari, a holiday-inspired park with areas dedicated to Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and the 4th of July. Celebrate turkey day, regardless of the season, at the Plymouth Rock Café where you can order a plate laden with succulent turkey (or chicken or pulled pork) and all the trimmings.
It's not uncommon to find churros at a theme park, but Disney's offering is something extra special. You'll feel as if you're sitting around the campfire as the s'mores-inspired treat is covered in crushed Graham crackers and comes with a dipping pot of gooey chocolate-marshmallow sauce. Head to a cart at Disneyland Resort to get your fill.
Didn't think Oreos could get any better? Wait until you've paid a visit to Kennywood. Here, they're fried and dusted in powdered sugar. The result is a puffy, slightly crispy morsel with a satisfying crunch as you reach the biscuit.
Choose from 29 toppings to create your own extravagant mac 'n' cheese dish at Kings Dominion's aptly named restaurant, The Mac Bowl. The pasta is tossed in a creamy cheese sauce, then you can fill up the bowl with chicken, bacon or even steak. You can also swap out the pasta for tater tots.
For a sit-down feast, head to Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant at Knott's Berry Park. It's a historic spot that opened in 1934, and always makes sure its customers don't leave hungry. Gorge on a banquet of crunchy fried chicken, homemade biscuits, fresh vegetables and steaming gravy. Finish with a slice of boysenberry pie.
At Silver Dollar City, make a beeline for Lumbercamp Falls Skillet where, as the name suggests, huge iron skillets are loaded with smoky sausage, chicken and colourful grilled vegetables. The dishes are cooked right before your eyes for added theatre.
It's the history that really makes these hot dogs noteworthy. Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs stand has been next to Coney Island's Luna Park for more than a century, and it now doles out burgers, crinkle-cut fries and onion rings too. Of course, the best thing to order is a plump hot dog.
You might not suspect that apples and bacon go together – but this flavourful cake proves they do. Luxuriously light, they're slathered with maple cream cheese icing and covered with bacon brittle. You'll see them wheeled out seasonally and at events such as the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival.
There are lots of places to find cheese at a theme park: melted on top of a burger patty, bubbling on a pizza, oozing over nachos. But for die-hard cheese lovers, this option has to be one of the best. Cedar Point offers a mighty hunk of cheese, speared onto a stick and deep-fried in batter to make a crisp casing for the molten cheese inside.
Gargantuan turkey legs have become something of a theme park staple. They're not the prettiest option, it's true, but these jumbo legs are favoured for their tender meat and smoky flavour. You'll spot them at Disney parks around the globe, Universal and Six Flags venues across the States, and many more besides. Make sure you've got a napkin handy.
A glorious spiral of lighter-than-air ice cream, the Dole Whip has been a Disney favourite for years. The pineapple-flavoured delicacy has been served here since the 1980s, and today, adults can enjoy it with a measure of rum poured over the top. Try it at both Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando and Disneyland Resort in California.
Funnel cakes are obligatory at US theme parks and Six Flags' offering is the best of the bunch. Mighty plates of sizzling hot dough are doused in syrup and can be served with whipped cream, ice cream or powdered sugar. These parks take the funnel cake fun to the next level: sweet-toothed visitors can get involved with funnel cake eating contests, blindfolded funnel cake decorating and funnel cake frisbee.
Fries are commonplace in theme parks the world over, but Kennywood's Potato Patch has a reputation for going the extra mile. Made using high-quality Idaho potatoes, the mountain of fries comes buried under your choice of indulgent toppings. Try barbecue, onion or garlic salt, gravy, bacon and cheese.
Italian food is at the heart of this park. Originally, the founding family owned DelGrosso's Cafe in Altoona, but they soon gave their restaurant up in favour of buying a nearby amusement park, DelGrosso's Park & Laguna Splash, and producing batches of homemade pasta sauce in the park's kitchen. Fast-forward some 80 years and 'Spaghetti Wednesdays' are still a major feature of the park: each week chefs whip up a new Italian dish like rigatoni, ravioli or gnocchi.
Flipped and fried right in front of you, the melt-in-your-mouth pancakes at Polles Keuken at Efteling Theme Park, have been met with much praise. You can order them heaving with warm cherries and cream or smothered with apple, cinnamon and raisins. For a savoury alternative, try the salmon, rocket and cream cheese-filled pancake. Fun fact: Polles Keuken's chefs once held the Guinness World Record for the tallest pancake stack.
A tarte flambée defies usual expectations of theme park food but the Tarte Flambée Bakery in Europa-Park cooks the dish of thin bread dough topped with cheese, onions and bacon to perfection. Peek into the wooden hut and you'll find chefs finishing the decadent tart on an open flame in front of you.
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One slice of this hefty 25lb apple pie from Spotlight Bakery at Dollywood weighs a whopping 3lb. Flaky pastry encasing an aromatic apple centre, it certainly makes a meal. And if you can’t make it to Dollywood, order the whole pie to be delivered straight to your home.
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This colourful dessert from the Volcano Bay water park at Universal Orlando not only looks the part, it has all the flavours of a fruit salad with layers of banana, blue raspberry, orange and strawberry ice cream. So if the water slides don’t cool you down from the Florida heat, head to the ice cream stand near the entrance as this certainly will.
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