Every spring, ballparks around the nation compete to impress fans and outdo each other with their creative, outrageously tempting, and too-huge-for-normal-human-consumption food options. What, you thought it was all about the baseball? Nah.
Deep fried, restaurateur-approved, or just plain gimmicky, each year reveals another masterpiece or ten that we can’t wait to get our hands on. It’s no longer all about the hot dogs, peanuts, and Cracker Jacks… though of course there are some mighty spectacular dogs on this list. Keep reading for even more reasons to purchase those tickets to the ballgame!
Image Courtesy of Atlanta Braves / Pouya Dianat, AP
The Burgerizza
Atlanta Braves – Turner Field
Can it get more American than combining two of our country’s favorite meals into one handheld, greasy sandwich? No it cannot. This not-so-classic blend of cuisines uses two eight-inch pepperoni pizzas as the “bread” of the sandwich, while the inside is made up of a twenty-ounce grilled beef patty, topped with bacon and five slices of cheddar cheese. Five! I’m shaking my head as I consider this monstrosity, but at the same time I’m thinking that it’s probably really tasty. Now the only question left is how many slices you’d like that cut into?
Image Courtesy of Aramark
Buffalo Cauliflower Poutine
Toronto Blue Jays – Rogers Centre
I know the title of this article says that we’re talking about ballpark food from “across the country” but hey, let’s throw Toronto in there too. This creative twist on Canada’s most well-known dish is both deep-fried and easy to eat with your hands, so it’s basically the perfect food for sports-watching. No wonder it was named one of the Top Ten Best Ballpark Foods of 2016 by USA Today. And it’s vegetarian! This lightly breaded serving of cauliflower is fried and tossed in buffalo hot sauce, then piled high with cheese curds, cheese gravy, and chopped green onions. What’s not to love? This one isn’t so much “out there” as it is unique and delicious, but less crazy and more tasty is something we should always strive for.
Image Courtesy of Miami Marlins
Miami Mex Taco Dog
Miami Marlins – Marlins Park
A hotdog wrapped in a soft, flour tortilla? Why haven’t we thought of this before? The taco dog is a genius fusion of baseball tradition and Mexican flavors. It’s a grilled foot-long hot dog with meaty chili, pepper jack cheese, pickled red onions, and what else? A jalapeno lime crema, of course! These ingredients all sounds amazing in a fresh yet fatty sort of way, so all wrapped together it has be to delish. Right? And the Marlins’ other concessions are far from your ordinary baseball fare. Their stands also serve up dishes like ceviche and mahi mahi tacos! I’m there.
Image via @h09sier
Pulled Pork Parfait
Milwaukee Brewers – Miller Park
Okay, this might be the most absurd dish on the entire list. But it might also be the one we’re most intrigued to try. If you squint your eyes, you might think it’s a dessert. But don’t be deceived, because instead of ice cream or yogurt, this parfait cup is filled with alternating layers of smooth, creamy mashed potatoes. And in between it’s got pulled pork and gravy, with a few chives on top for good measure. The thing is, it sounds a lot weirder than it probably tastes. It’s just the container and the look that takes some getting used to. Oh, and if you’re feeling fancy and want a souvenir for your troubles, you can have your pulled pork parfait served in a Milwaukee Brewers pint glass.
Image Courtesy of Arizona Diamondbacks / Jennifer Stewart
The D-Bat Dog
Arizona Diamondbacks – Chase Field
The D-Bat Dog is one of those things you just have to see to believe. But I’ll try to describe it for you, because it’s what’s inside that counts. This massive ballpark treat is an 18-inch deep-fried corn dog stuffed with bacon, cheddar cheese, and jalapeños. All the things you love on your nachos are now inside your hotdog! And this baseball bat of a dog will cost you an equally large $25. While it may seem a bit too huge to some fans, it’s not the Diamondback’s first foray into longer-than-footlong meats. A few years ago, they revealed the $26 two-foot “Boomstick,” a hot dog covered in chili, cheese, and jalapeños. And well, they sold 20,000 of those bad boys. Ya gotta give the people what they want!
Image via @Dbacks
Churro Dog
Arizona Diamondbacks – Chase Field
It’s like the concessions folks over at the Diamondbacks club are trying to win the title of “Most Ridiculous Ballpark Food (that you secretly want to eat)” because this Churro Dog looks like the stuff of our childhood dreams. Back for two years in a row (maybe three, we’ll see in the spring), this dessert dog is a triple threat. It’s a warm, freshly-fried cinnamon churro inside of a Long John donut, which acts as its “bun” if you will. If you’re not familiar with the lingo, a Long John is a tubular, glazed doughnut, and this one in particular is topped with chocolate. Then they add three scoops of vanilla frozen yogurt and a drizzle of caramel and chocolate sauce. All together, you’ve got yourself a sweet “snack” of around 1,117 calories. Or ya know, maybe dessert for the whole family!
Image Courtesy of Delaware North
Chicken-Fried Corn on the Cob
Texas Rangers – Globe Life Park
This is like something out of a Texas state fair. Which is probably why the ballpark stand that sells chicken-fried corn on the cob is named “State Fare.” Clever right? This corn on the cob is served handily on a stick, dunked in the traditional thick batter you’d use to fry chicken, and then fried until golden and crispy. Hey, it is what it is! And this might be the most “healthy” of all their menu items. The same stand offers fried pickles, chicken-fried bacon, and deep fried s’mOreos. The Rangers are known for their culinary craziness, so it’s no surprise they have other treats awaiting adventurous eaters and baseball fans. They also make bacon-flavored cotton candy and something called Bacon Beer, so… what are you waiting for?
Image via @Orioles
The Walk Off
Baltimore Orioles – Camden Yards
A knife and fork dish at a baseball game? It’s not convenient, but why the heck not?! The Walk Off is an Old Bay Roma sausage stuffed into a pretzel bun and topped with crab dip (and a little more Old Bay for good measure). Then they brown it in the oven and hand it over to you to decide whether or not you’ll share it with your friends or just hate yourself later. To put it mildly, this stadium and its loyal fanbase have a bit of an obsession with this crab dip. Chesapeake Fries are perhaps their most famous ballpark dish, and they’re just waffle fries covered in the stuff! Fact: Baltimore fans dig the Old Bay-flavored dip so much that the folks in concessions used to make 10 gallons of homemade crab dip at the start of home games. Now? They make 90 gallons! And they put it on almost everything. Because crab dip and baseball – that’s what Maryland does. Apparently.
Image Courtesy of Delaware North
The Meatball Cone
St. Louis Cardinals – Busch Stadium
Now we’re talking practical and portable! Everybody loves meatballs, and the Cardinals are serving them up in a six-inch cone made out of Italian bread. Inside, you’ll get four meatballs in marinara sauce, all topped with Parmesan and mozzarella. And that’s such a smart move because you just know that cone is gonna get all saucy and delicious by the end of your main course of meatballs, and then you’ll get to devour it. Looks like we’ve graduated from the bread bowl, guys. Other things on offer at Busch Stadium? Nachos topped with pork rinds and the fan-favorite, fried mini-doughnuts served in a souvenir baseball helmet.
Image via @Twins
The College Daze Bloody Mary
Minnesota Twins – Target Field
A Bloody Mary garnished with outrageous toppings is so last year in the world of food trends you say? Well, what if it was served with a slice of cold pizza resting inside the glass? Got your attention now? Thought so. Except for the price tag, this $19 cocktail will take you back to your college days. It also comes with a few of the more traditional bloody garnishes like an olive, cheese cube, pepperoncini, celery stick, pickle spear, and a pepperoni beef stick. And they throw in a Bud Light beer back! This drink-snack-drink combo is just what you need if you’ve accidentally penciled in a baseball game after a big night out. If cold pizza isn’t your thing, the Twins have also introduced a Buffalo Chicken Bloody Mary that comes with a chicken wing and blue cheese garnish. And if you’ve got the money to upgrade, you can add a mini bacon cheeseburger!
Image via @darrenrovell
Chicken and Waffle Cone
Houston Astros – Minute Maid Park
What a clever play on a dish that everyone loves! Everyone does love chicken and waffles, right? Handheld for game watching, this waffle cone is filled with bite-sized fried chicken tenders. But there’s more in there than meets the eye! The cone is also packed with fluffy mashed potatoes and a honey mustard drizzle to help fill you up. It’s perfect for portability and sharing (or not). This unique sweet and savory combo sounds incredible, but if you’re looking for a different twist on the classic southern dish, check out the Astros’ sweet potato waffle chicken sandwich. Or just have one of each!
Crazy ballpark eats like these will make your trip out to the game even more fun. Just bring some friends and family so that you can share these ridiculous treats, not only because they’re enormous, but because you’ll definitely want to sample a few of them! And if you get bored after a few innings (like me), these over-the-top culinary treats will help keep you entertained!
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