Beloved themed restaurant once mocked as cheesy sees huge surge in popularity thanks to younger diners
Where art thou, my knight in shining armor?
The younger generations are looking for a unique experience – and maybe a little romance – at Medieval Times.
Located in nine US states and in Toronto, Canada, the eclectic venue has seen a flock of Gen Z ‘peasants’ rushing to the ‘Royal Court’ to watch dashing knights duke it out on horseback while eating a half chicken with their bare hands.
For those in the front row, they have a prime spot to call out flirtatious jibes at the colorful knights jousting away in front of them, all while wearing a cardboard crown and hoping they’ll receive one of the six knights’ roses.
‘Money comes and goes, but you’ll never be in your mid-20s sitting front row at Medieval Times ever again,’ Sydney Brown, a TikToker with 4,000 followers, wrote on a video.
Tommy Taylor, 26, and his friend, Savannah Trimble, 28, both of New York City, found themselves back in the arena again to celebrate the latter’s birthday in February in New Jersey.
Both have previously attended the event as children, and with the surge in popularity online, Trimble decided it was time to go again.
‘I went once before when I was in seventh grade and remember having such an amazing time, so I wanted to be able to experience it through an adult lens – aka being able to drink wine and watch men sword fight,’ Trimble told the Daily Mail.
Gen-Z is running out to enjoy a night in the Medieval times by feasting on a half chicken with their bare hands while they watch knights duke it out
Attendees wear cardboard crowns and cheer on their knight for a two-hour show
‘The experience was amazing…There were hawks, sword fights, a huge dinner, birthday announcements, cheering for your knight, and booing others.’
The night Taylor and Trimble attended, their knight won the joust, adding to the fun. The birthday girl was even crowned ‘queen of the tournament.’
And Taylor noticed many of the young women were documenting the handsome knights in colorful armor, a fascination that can be seen by just a quick search on TikTok.
‘Everyone is there to have a good time and get involved in the action without getting too carried away, of course,’ Taylor told the Daily Mail.
‘It’s meant to be a cosplay of the era, so it will be more worthwhile if you just go with it and delve into the experience.’
The crowd is a mix of young adults and families with children, Taylor and Trimble said. And with more young people attending, Trimble believes it their way of being ‘more nostalgic.’
‘Even if you haven’t been there before, Medieval Times makes you feel energized,’ she told the Daily Mail.
She compared it to attending a sporting even, where those in the stands scream and yell for their team – in this case, their knight.
Jeffrey Keller, of New York City, got into the spirit of it when he went in January by dressing up as a knight
He enjoyed the experience and leaned into the cheesiness. His biggest gripe was the lack of silverware. The tomato soup comes in a cauldron with a hand and diners are not given a spoon
‘It’s even better, in my opinion!’ Trimble said. When asked if everyone should try it at least once, she said: ‘Absolutely.’
Taylor agreed, saying: ‘There’s not a lot of dinner theatre experiences anymore, so I think it’s certainly worthwhile. It’s also a good way of learning about history in a way and definitely excited everyone involved.’
Jeffrey Keller, also of New York City, leaned into the cheesy side of the experience, as he dressed up as a knight when he went.
‘I think you should definitely go once, especially if you have kids,’ Keller told the Daily Mail. ‘Or if you’re like me and are a child,’ he joked.
Keller, who opted into the VIP experience, loved the experience – albeit, he’ll admit he was high during it. The comedian documented the experience on his TikTok page, where he was seen heartily cheering on his knight while sipping tomato soup and tearing into a piece of cake.
‘Your job is to just cheer as loud as you can for your fighter,’ he told the Daily Mail.
‘Oh my gosh,’ he screamed in the video, dragging out the last word. ‘Get him!’
Keller said the best way to enjoy the experience is to lean into the cheesiness of it.
The show was once considered cheesy, but Gen-Z has given it new meaning. ‘Everyone is there to have a good time and get involved in the action without getting too carried away, of course,’ Tommy Taylor told the Daily Mail
The experience cost a base price of $76 to $78, depending on the location
‘If you accept the cheese and play into the cheese, you can have a blast,’ he told the Daily Mail. ‘If you are upset with how cheesy it is, you won’t. It’s super cute.
‘I think people sometimes forget you can go experience new things and have an amazing experience. If it isn’t amazing, you still have a great story to talk s**t about.’
His biggest gripe about the experience was the lack of silverware.
‘That bothered me,’ he told the Daily Mail. ‘I get that it’s about medieval times, but give me a fork so my hands aren’t covered in chicken, you know?’
As soon as the lights dim, the king, queen, knights, and squire take the center stage and the battle begins, featuring ‘magnificent’ horse and flying falcons.
While enjoying the medieval joust, guests will dine on a four-course banquet, which includes tomato soup (sans spoon), roasted chicken (which is referred to as a ‘baby dragon’ and doesn’t come with silverware), garlic bread, buttered sweet corn, herb-basted potatoes, and more.
The experience lasts two hours, involving jousting, swordsmanship, and hand-to-hand combat.
Influencer, Brittany Broski, also enjoyed going to Medieval Times, where she can be found flirting with the handsome knights.
The crowd cheers loudly in hopes of gaining one of the six knights’ roses
Medieval Times is in nine US states and in Toronto, Canada
‘I would highly recommend you get some girls together, go to Medieval Times, and really lay it on thick,’ she said on her podcast The Broksi Report. ‘Sit front row, okay. And if you’re not front row, be loud.’
Broski said ‘being loud’ is part of the experience, especially for women hoping to get one of the knight’s roses.
Many young people have even gotten into the spirit of the times, dressing up has knights and squires and noble women as they drink from goblets and wave around flags from their seats.
The experience cost a base price of $76 to $78, depending on the location, but peasants have plenty of options to upgrade their experience for an additional $16 to $30 for the ‘best seats in the house’ and a ‘slice of cake.’
