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Credit: Inside the MagicFor a long time, theme parks around the world had a reputation for not offering the best food, but charging a good deal of money for it. And most theme parks offer basics like cheeseburgers, pizza, and chicken fingers.
However, over the years, a lot of theme parks have really focused on improving the food that their guests eat. Some of them even have their own food and wine festivals, including EPCOT at Walt Disney World, Disney California Adventure at Disneyland Resort, and Knott’s Berry Farm.
Related: “Real Food” Premieres at Popular Disney World Drinking Spot
Unfortunately, not every dish can look like it came from a world-class restaurant, and sometimes the food looks like something you would never want to eat, or even spend money on.
On a recent trip to SeaWorld San Diego, one guest was shocked and disgusted by a dish that didn’t even appear to be cooked. It was so bad that not even the employee was one hundred percent certain about what it was.
Jeff Gordon shared a picture on X (formerly Twitter) of what was supposed to be a chicken salad. The chicken on top had no color and didn’t even look like it had been cooked all the way. Fat was clearly visible on one of the pieces, and he said the employee wasn’t sure whether it was chicken or fish.
You know the food situation is bad at SeaWorld when this is what the chicken looks like & the team member thought it was fish & had to double check . SeaWorld’s food has sadly gotten worse over the years .
You know the food situation is bad at SeaWorld when this is what the chicken looks like & the team member thought it was fish & had to double check . SeaWorld’s food has sadly gotten worse over the years . pic.twitter.com/MKhckZdJSk
— Jeff Gordon (@jeffgordonla) April 20, 2025
Related: Disney Guest Allegedly Fakes Seizure Over Food Shortage
Commenters were shocked that SeaWorld would feel comfortable serving food that didn’t even look edible. Some joked that the chicken looked 3-D printed, and they forgot to add ink to the machine.
In the comments, Jeff assured everyone that he didn’t purchase the whopping $20 salad because he didn’t want to get sick. He also said that the chicken looked “like gelatin,” but with a hard exterior.
For decades, SeaWorld was owned by Anheuser-Busch, but the company sold SeaWorld San Diego to the Blackstone Group in 2009, and one person said that the food and the park in general had gone downhill ever since.
Of course, SeaWorld is not the only theme park to be criticized for its subpar food offerings. Disney is constantly trying to get more creative with its food, and there are winners like the pickle corn dog, but there are also dishes that were just too out there to be good, like the infamous pickle milkshake.
At one point, a new salad at Disney California Adventure was actually compared to prison food.
What do you think of SeaWorld San Diego selling a $20 chicken salad topped with what looks like undercooked chicken? Should guests complain to managers when they see something like that? Which theme parks do you think have the best and the worst food? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!