Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival Review (2025)

If you’re heading to Busch Gardens this spring, you should consider checking out the Food & Wine Festival! We spent the day eating our way through the festival, and I’m giving you the inside scoop on what’s worth trying (and what’s not). I went with my friend Ashley and we tried as much as we could!

Festival Details

The Food & Wine Festival at Busch Gardens Williamsburg features over 150 dishes across 18 themed food and beverage locations. Access to the festival is included with park admission, with food and drinks available for purchase. It’s the perfect way to unleash your inner foodie while exploring the park!

• 🗓 Dates: Thursdays through Sundays, April 24 – June 22, 2025
• 🎟 Cost: Included with park admission (food & drinks are extra, usually $8–14 each)
• 📍 Location: Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Everything We Ate at Busch Gardens

Italy

• Maltagliati – ★★★★☆ (4/5)
  I loved the big, flat noodles! The sauce had great texture too, making it hearty and satisfying. The combo of sun dried tomatoes and capers was really nice.
• Lemon Ricotta Cake – ★★★★☆ (4/5)
  Sweet but not too sweet, with a lovely lemon flavor. Light, fresh, and perfect for spring.

Turkey

• Chicken Döner Kebab – ★★★☆☆ (3/5)
  Nicely seasoned chicken, but the toppings didn’t really stand out.
• Simit – ☆☆☆☆☆ (0/10)
  This tasted like a dry hamburger bun. Hard pass.
• Turkish Delight Cocktail – ★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)
  If you love drinking perfume, you’ll be thrilled. If not… maybe skip this one. Way too heavy on the rosewater.

China

• Vegetable Jiaozi – ★★★★★ (5/5)
  These veggie potstickers were a standout! Flavorful, well-seasoned filling, and perfectly cooked. This was my favorite dish overall!
• Panda Dessert Bun – ★★☆☆☆ (2/5)
  Adorable? Absolutely. Tasty? Not so much. It was like eating a very cute, flavorless marshmallow.

Africa (Egypt)

• Koshary – ★★★★★ (4.5/5)
  A hearty blend of rice, pasta, lentils, chickpeas, crispy onions, and tomato sauce. SO much flavor and a really satisfying texture combo. I want to try remaking this one at home!

Hawaii

• Kālua Pork Slider – ★★★★☆ (4/5)
  Good flavor, but tricky to eat without it falling apart. Proceed with napkins.

Poland

• Pierogies – ★★★☆☆ (3/5)
  The caramelized onion jam was great! The pierogies themselves were a little bland.
• Strawberry Rhubarb Kompot – ★★★★★ (5/5)
  Absolutely loved this! It was a refreshing, slightly sweet drink with strawberries, rhubarb, lemon, and peach. This was a great mocktail option.

Other Festival Finds

• Herbal Infusion – Mandarin Basil Wine Spritzer – ☆☆☆☆☆ (0/5)
  Basil lovers might enjoy it…but it was basil overload for us.
  

• BarKastle Spirits – Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Tart – ★★★★☆ (4/5)
  Strong bourbon flavor (in a good way!) and a delicious pecan crust.

If you’re planning a trip to Busch Gardens, definitely carve out time for the Food & Wine Festival. Even if you hit a few duds (looking at you, Turkish Delight Cocktail), there’s still a ton of delicious food to enjoy!

Bring your appetite — and maybe a few friends to share dishes with. Trust me, you’ll want to try everything.