We wanted to be consistent with theme park dining reviews every weekday at noon Eastern Time…even on Christmas Day. So, we decided that a Christmas Town food review would be ideal. That event runs through January 5, 2026, at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Thus, we determined a good option would be to cover the two Christmas Town food offerings that appeared after the event had already started.
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has quietly expanded its holiday menu with two late-season additions at Candy Cane Cottage, giving guests even more Christmas Town food to explore. These new dishes weren’t available during opening weekend, making them a fun surprise for returning visitors hunting for something fresh and festive. With Christmas Town running daily through January 5, 2026, there’s still time to enjoy these cozy new bites.
Christmas Town Food
We stopped in to try both offerings—the Crab and Corn Chowder and the Spinach & Artichoke Empanadas—each priced at $9.99, or one punch on a sampler lanyard. Here’s the full breakdown of these new additions and also whether they deserve a spot on your holiday snacking list.
Crab and Corn Chowder — $9.99
Warm (as you would absolutely expect from soup), the Crab and Corn Chowder offers a straightforward but satisfying entry into the lineup of Christmas Town food this season. It is, very simply, what it says it is, a creamy, comforting chowder with corn sweetness, tender potatoes, and just a whisper of smoked paprika.
The potatoes are also well prepared and hold their shape, adding a hearty base without getting mushy. The broth, while mild, is enjoyable and rich enough to feel like a genuine winter treat. This is one of those dishes that practically begs for saltine crackers. So, if you’re a cracker-with-soup person, you may find yourself wishing they were included.
One of the pleasant surprises: you can actually taste the crab. It’s not buried, it’s not imaginary. The crab is present. For a festival cabin chowder, that’s a win. Is it life-changing? No. But for Christmas Town, it’s firmly in the “good but not bad” category, and on a cool Tampa night surrounded by glowing lights, that may be exactly what you want.
Spinach & Artichoke Empanadas — $9.99
These new empanadas come as three small pieces, each soft to the touch and soft throughout. Although described as “crispy,” these lean much more toward a tender, non-crunchy pastry.
The filling is familiar, essentially a warm spinach-artichoke dip tucked inside a soft pastry shell. The cheese blend is enjoyable, but “rich trio of cheese” might be overstating things. It’s creamy, it’s pleasant, but it’s not decadent or dramatic.
Flavor-wise, this is another “it is what it is” entry: good, comforting, and easy to enjoy, but not something most guests will sprint across the park to get again. That said, plenty of visitors probably aren’t making spinach-artichoke empanadas at home, so the novelty alone may hold some appeal. If your goal is to sample as much Christmas Town food as possible, these are a worthwhile stop, but not a headliner.
Using a Christmas Town Sampler Lanyard
Both new dishes can be purchased individually for $9.99, or redeemed with a Christmas Town Sampler Lanyard, which remains one of the best ways to explore holiday offerings throughout the park.
Lanyards include a set number of sample punches, valid at most Christmas Town cabins. Items like the chowder and empanadas count as one punch each, offering solid value depending on the size of the lanyard you choose.
Benefits include:
- Lower per-item price
- The ability to share punches across your group
- A more flexible, build-your-own tasting experience
If you plan to try multiple dishes or are determined to explore as much Christmas Town food as your stomach can handle, a sampler lanyard is highly recommended.
A Welcome Mid-Season Addition to the Christmas Town Food
The new items at Candy Cane Cottage feel like a small gift tucked into the middle of the event, a reminder that Christmas Town food can (and often does) evolve even after the season begins. Neither dish aims to reinvent the festival menu, but both fit the cozy, comfort-food vibe that defines Christmas Town.
The chowder offers warmth and simple comfort, while the empanadas provide a familiar, shareable snack. Together, they round out Candy Cane Cottage’s offerings and give returning guests something new to enjoy. If you’re visiting Busch Gardens Tampa Bay anytime before January 5, consider swinging by Candy Cane Cottage to try the latest bites added to the Christmas Town lineup.
For more theme park dining reviews, visit MSM News every weekday (including holidays) at noon Eastern Time. As always, eat like you mean it!
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