Kings Island

The award-winning Mystic Timbers roller coaster will continue to be the biggest draw when Kings Island opens its 2018 season this Saturday. But a new restaurant and other new food options will make the dining experience just as memorable as the rides for guests.

The new Coney Bar B Que restaurant, which is  located in the Coney Mall section of the park next to the Scrambler, features a menu with a diverse selection of barbecue favorites including smoked St. Louis-style ribs, pulled pork, rotisserie chicken and Queen City Sausage along with a fresh selection of side dishes.  

Coney Bar B Que is included in the park's dining plans, with a majority of the menu items gluten-free.

Guests can also feast on a double cheeseburger, bacon burger and split hot dogs in a butter bun at Juke Box Diner, burritos and quesos at Hank's Mexican Grill, as well as smoked turkey legs, bacon-on-a-stick, hushpuppies and more at other food locations around the park. 

In addition, Kings Island has a new executive chef this year. James Major, a two-time winner of the Food Network’s “Chopped” reality TV cooking contest and contender on Alton Brown’s “Cutthroat Kitchen,” joined the park’s culinary team in March.

An Ohio native and U.S. Navy veteran, Chef Major previously served as executive chef at Great American Ball Park and Funky’s Catering. He is a certified Pro Chef II from the Culinary Institute of America.