Ballpark Food-What's Good? What's bad?

A Saturday Night Road trip to Milwaukee with friends for the Braves-Brewers Game led me to ponder what's good and bad in major league ballparks around the country. Here are some of my experiences:

Miller Park, Milwaukee: This is an architecturally spectacular ballpark without a bad seat in the house. The food was some of the worst major league ballpark food that I have ever eaten. Bland Brats, a still somewhat frozen corn dog, and a Gorman's pork sandwich (bland canned tasting pork doused with ketchup on a Gonella type roll). The food ain't cheap (the corn dog was $3.50). Beer is $6 bucks for one of those 16 oz plastic bottle of MGD or Miller Light. There is a Leinenkugels stand within the stadium that we didn't try. On a scale of 1 to 10, I give Milwaukee a disappointing 2.

US Cellular Field, Chicago: The best ballgame food can be found outside the gates in the neighborhood surrounding the park. However, once inside, there is a decent selection of dogs, polish and burgers. There's a great selection of beers in the Cell(for a ballpark) and the service is friendly. I give the Cell a 5 on a scale of 10. If you ever get a chance to sit in the "Scout Seats", by all means do. Your ticket includes a buffet dinner an hour and a half before the game (it's not bad) and an open bar until the end of the seventh inning. The tickets are expensive with a face value of $170. I've been able to negotiate last minute deals for them at $100 on Craig's List.

Wrigley Field, Chicago: There are two things that save Wrigley from total disaster as a ballpark eating destination: A good selection of beers and those grilled Chicago Dogs that you get on the second level walking up to the Bleachers. If it wasn't for those two things, even with a new food vendor this year, I'd give Wrigley a 1. Because of the beer and grilled dogs, it gets a 4.

Pac Bell Field, San Francisco: This may be the Nirvana of ballparks for fatasses like myself. The food outfield concession has been turned over to a number of local restaurants who keep the selection interesting and easy. The Gilroy Garlic Fries, available throughout the stadium, are the star of the show. Other choice include jerk chicken and pork as well as mission burritos-all in the outfield. A good selection of local microbrews is readily available for your consumption. A solid 8 on the ball park 10 scale.

Yankee Stadium, New York: I think that the Boss operates this park under the theory that he's going to sell out whether his concessions are good or bad. The beer is expensive ($6.50), the selection is poor. The food is worse. The only redeeming factor is the Yankee dog which gets some of its flavor from the vendors thumb touching it as he hands it to you. 3.

Shea Stadium, New York: This is a discussion of major league parks. Thus, New York's red headed stepchild of ballparks will not be discussed.

Camden Yards: Three words Boog Powell's Barbeque. I haven't been to the Yards in several years. I hope for my sale that Boogs is still there.
It 's barbeque beef sandwich is the single best Ballpark food item I have ever eaten. 6.

Turner Field, Atlanta: It holds a special place in my heart because it is the only Park in America where one can buy Chic Fil A sandwiches. They usually sell out by the third inning (which is when most of the spoiled Braves' fans go home). The beer selection is somewhat mundane. But, then again, your average Georgian's taste in beer is somewhat mundane. I'll give Teddy's Field of Dreams a 5 (for the Chic Fil A).

Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles: I never understood the adoration with the Dodger Dog. It's basically a really big, really tasteless hot dog. Being the Mr. Fancypants that I am, I usually convince a lawyer that I do business with to buy me dinner in the stadium club before the game. That way, I can just suck down a few beers and watch the most boring team in baseball.

So, give me your ballpark opinions.

Never been to Camden Yards, but used to go to the old Memorial Stadium to see O's games in Summer, usually combined with a DC/Baltimore family weekend. Tickets were cheap, the teams and play were good (of course, this was the early 80's, a golden age of hard-nosed, defensive American League play, the days of Ripken, Murray, etc...) and the crabcakes and Kosher hot dogs (with my namesake, another hungry Rabbi, on premises) were stellar. One of the old-school Kosher meat/hot dog purveyors in Balitimore (based in the working-class neighborhood in which Mem. Stadium sat, a la Comiskey) ran the concession, and the quality and taste of their franks were super (garlicky, snappy). Maybe the crabcakes weren't really special, but such exotica to a Jersey 9 year old made the difference. I agree with the Dodger Dog assessment - didn't see what made em special. Jack Murphy Stadium in S.D. had its share of hot tamale vendors in the parking lot (a la the tamale guys in Chicago), which afforded me my first taste of this food as well - a sack of 6 for $2 or $2.50 or something (this was 1990). Otherwise, the stadium food was unmemorable (obviously, as I can't remember anything about it.) I always like the cities that try to incorporate at least some of the local flavor into the concessions, a la Baltimore and Miami. Hmm, hot dog with Old Bay seasoning?? Cheeseburger with crunchy potato sticks?

Reb

Miller Park: not to apologize for their abysmal food inside the park, but it may be a reflection of the generous tailgate policy and the Wisconsin tailgate culture. The really good food at any Wisconsin sports event is had out in the parking lot. When it was County Stadium the food inside was better but tailgating was still the way to go. And it's not about food but what's the deal with the PC crowd making the brewers ditch the beermug that Bernie the Brewer used to slide into after homers? He's frickin' Bernie the Brewer and it's Miller Park in Beertown, USA for cripes sakes. Now he just slides down a slide; how sad.

Wrigley Field: the grilled dogs (w/ grilled onions) are also available in the main concourse down the right field line around section 35/135. I agree that the food quality at Wrigley suffers greatly even though they now have the same vendor as US Cellular. I don't know if it's the lack of the modern facilities (by comparison to the Cell) that they have to prepare/hold the food or just a general indifference due to the knowledge that they are guaranteed a certain revenue stream based upon a sold-out season and over-served fans. As a card carrying cynic I suspect the latter.

Turner Field: I hate Turner Field food, though had I seen Chik-Fil-A there I would have given them a little more credit (got my Chik-Fil-A jones in Auburn in the 70's from spending holidays with a friend in Atlanta). The BBQ Pulled Pork sandwich? Inedible (and I suspect the same for the brisket sandwich as the use of the term BBQ was never more inappropriate). Something like 20 different varieties of hotdogs but the 2 I tried were not good (though granted as a Chicagoan I have a specific viewpoint and bias). I've learned to eat well at my sister's house before the game and have a snack when I get back after.

Fenway Park: nothing spectacular IN the park but the sausage cart vendors outside the Green Monster server up a great grilled Italian sausage with grilled peppers/onions. I grab a couple of those and then head inside the park - way better than a Fenway Frank (the east coast version of the Dodger dog?). My last visit we were in a skybox and, despite all the different stuff already there, somebody got a pizza. It was floppy and greasy . . . and pretty damn good. Had I not loaded up I would have tried the clam chowder I saw folks in the box next to us having (so we had some after the game in the hotel bar and it was topnotch).

All the other ballparks I've ever been to are gone and I haven't visited their replacements (yet).

A few comments:

Miller's Park - As for not a bad seat in the house ... that is not true. As a season ticket holder, there are some great seats in the place and some teriible seats in the place. The problem is that there are some great cheap seats and some terrible good seats. Must agree - who eats inside the park??? Klements sausages are probably the WORST in Milwaukee.

Actually, in all of the parks I have been to, I have seen little food that is worth the price.

In Cleveland, the Levy Organization does a great job in the private boxes including an above average dessert cart. The food is not bad anywhere in the park.

I thought that Candlestick had the best food ... although you were generally freezing to death to buy it. And I enjoyed the sandwich from The Stinking Rose.

The ABSOLUTE WORST food was in 2000 during the last days at Parc Olympique in Montreal. Despite a crowd of 5,000 on a Saturday night game, all the food was prepared 30-45 minutes in advance - the Coca-Colas, the french fries, the sandwiches ... Absolutely horrible.

I was recently working at my desk with a White Sox game on in the background and thought I heard D.J. (oh, where art thou, our belovèd Wimperoo?) mention SRO and their great turkey burgers. I got the impression he was talking about grub available at the ballpark but, distracted by something I was allegedly working on, I wasn't sure. Anyway, do they, SRO, have a place at Comiskey? (yes, call me a communist if you must; I refuse to bother to learn these corporate names of stadiums -- it's not worth the effort anyway, as they change almost every year)...

SRO is a fine place (block of S. Dearborn just south of Harrison, west side of street); if they have a stand at Comiskey (or whatever it's called by the ruling classes and their bourgeois lackeys), I would try it.

Ball park food is all overpriced crap. Go for the game. Get a score card, eat peanuts (smuggle in your own), and focus on the action.

Then go out and eat real food.

Antonius

P.S. Will: perhaps not obvious from the tone and content of my post is my appreciation of your post; your o.p. is not only highly entertaining but also quite important. As a life-long baseball addict, I enjoyed it very much. Baseball and its absolute opposite, hockey, are what the Gods play and watch up on high Olympus.

P.S. 2: The luxury boxes at 'Comiskey', generally only available to societal blood-suckers who are no more interested in baseball than your average Cubs bleacher 'fan', have pretty darn good grub. I've been a few times, as a fifth-columnist. Many thanks to a certain lurking fellow-traveller for several great box-experiences.

Antonius - when was the last time you were in the Wrigley bleachers? I ask only because in my experience the left field bleachers at Wrigley are where many of the true fans actually reside; I remember when then 70-something Marv fell and broke his hip and still attended games with the help of the other left-field bleacher regulars. Given your remarks regarding the Wrigley bleachers fans I must assume you have some recent experience upon which you base your remarks and I'm interested to hear your account.

Kman wrote:Antonius - when was the last time you were in the Wrigley bleachers? I ask only because in my experience the left field bleachers at Wrigley are where many of the true fans actually reside; I remember when then 70-something Marv fell and broke his hip and still attended games with the help of the other left-field bleacher regulars. Given your remarks regarding the Wrigley bleachers fans I must assume you have some recent experience upon which you base your remarks and I'm interested to hear your account.

Kman:

Yes, that's true, or at least I've heard that there are a lot of real, die-hard fans who sit out in the left-field bleachers; I'll take your word as confirming what I've elsewhere heard. But I am by no means the first person to notice that the bleachers -- center and right-field only? -- have over the years become a place where folks go for the beers and the tan and the socialising and the atmosphere of a ball-park but not especially for a ball-game. I've witnessed that myself a few years back (sitting in right-center) --maybe 2002 0r 2003 -- and decided then I'd probably not return to the bleachers again.

Two points to be added:
1) I admit, I'm not a bleacher kind of a person. I like to be close to the action on the infield and watch the games fairly intently and always keep score.
2) My trip to the bleachers a few years ago was done at the insistence of a die-hard Cubs fan who loved the bleachers, loved the crazy party atmosphere, but himself admitted that there were a lot of folks more interested in partying than watching the game. My first-hand observations confirmed what I have heard him and many others say. It was extremely festive, but the folks around me for the most part didn't seem primarily interested in the game. (Which is fine by me; it's just not my 'scene'.)

An illustrative incident which I didn't see but only heard discussed on the radio was when Prior broke his arm. While he was on the ground, writhing in pain, the party for some of the bleacher-goers continued, at least according to one disgusted local radio-sports-figure.

The reputation of the disinterested bleacher-goers of Wrigley of recent years is well-known and my personal experience did not incline me to decide that that reputation is completely undeserved. Of course, like any such thing, it's probably exaggerated. There are lots of serious Cubs fans (though I doubt many die-hard Sox fans I know would ever say that), just as there are lots of serious White Sox fans (though I doubt many die-hard Cubs fans I know would ever say that).

Anyway, this is a digression from the worthwhile discussion of stadium food.

And you know, my previous post in this thread was written for the most part tongue-in-cheek.

A

P.S. The Cubs used to play down here on Taylor Street and that's where they had their greatest success. They shouldn't have moved.

Antonius wrote:
P.S. The Cubs used to play down here on Taylor Street and that's where they had their greatest success. They shouldn't have moved.

Actually Polk but that's splitting hairs. Certainly the FOOD was probably much better there than at the current locale.

Kman wrote:

Antonius wrote:
P.S. The Cubs used to play down here on Taylor Street and that's where they had their greatest success. They shouldn't have moved.

Actually Polk but that's splitting hairs. Certainly the FOOD was probably much better there than at the current locale.

K:

As I understand it, West Side Grounds was between Polk and Taylor, Wolcott and Wood, so you are right in saying 'Polk' but wrong in correcting me, I think (unless it was between Harrison and Polk? I thought I read it was bordered on the south by Taylor).

Maybe the real source of the curse was moving from here -- they haven't won a championship since.

The Sox played here one year too, I believe.

A

Coors Field - Denver. A beautiful ballpark with classic lines and comfortable seats. If you can get over the nausea from watching the Rockies "play" there are some good basics to be had. You can have a Kosher dog (Hebrew National) or a Rockies dog (this is a foot long of dubious background.) The Kosher's are on par with an average Chicago stand dog.

Good beer is to be had. Although the basic concession stands typically only sell Coors & Coors Light (big surprise.) And the roving vendors sell the same with a Miller or Mike's Hard Lemonade thrown in the mix. However, scattered throughout the park are places where you can get Guinness, Sam Adams, Newcastle and a smattering of local micros like Fat Tire and Odell's 90 Shilling. Stay away from the Margaritas which my wife discovered the hard way are pretty disgusting.

The infuriating part is how the concession stands are structured. God forbid you want fries with your Kosher dog because that stand doesn't sell fries, only chips. Want fries? Go to one of the stands selling Rockie dogs but they don't sell Kosher dogs. And as I said before, you can only get the tasteless beer at these stands, the good stuff is at still another location. So, to get a Kosher Dog, fries and a Fat Tire you need to stand in 3 lines. What Einstein thought of this system?

And then there's the Rockies. But that's a discussion for another board.

As I said - it was splitting hairs. As far as I know the address was a Polk St. address - it would be like saying that Wrigley is at Waveland; it is, but it's an Addison address. And remember, the Cubs were White "socks" before there were White Sox - they started out as the White Stockings.

I'm a Cubs fan and I enjoy Wrigley - but I really do miss the old Comiskey (pronounced ComiNskey by many, in the same way that there are multiple Soldiers at the Field where the Bears play). Now there was a park with good food and great character - a park that had "nooks and crannies", if you will, to enjoy a weekend afternoon keeping score and enjoying baseball (of course, prior to the DH rule). While certainly no Taqueria La Oaxaquena I remember a stand in the concourse behind home plate that sold tacos and a couple varieties of Mexican beer. Beat hot dogs and lawnmower beer any day.

Kman wrote:As I said - it was splitting hairs. As far as I know the address was a Polk St. address - it would be like saying that Wrigley is at Waveland; it is, but it's an Addison address. And remember, the Cubs were White "socks" before there were White Sox - they started out as the White Stockings.

I'm pretty sure White Sox, i.e. the A.L. team, played at West Side Grounds for one season but won't swear to it. The Cleveland Spiders did too, after their park burned down.

...I really do miss the old Comiskey (pronounced ComiNskey by many, in the same way that there are multiple Soldiers at the Field where the Bears play). ...While certainly no Taqueria La Oaxaquena I remember a stand in the concourse behind home plate that sold tacos and a couple varieties of Mexican beer. Beat hot dogs and lawnmower beer any day.

I had some bad experiences at the old Comiskey but will admit that it was in ways a very cool ballpark. I missed the taco stand though.

A

Kman wrote: - but I really do miss the old Comiskey (pronounced ComiNskey by many, in the same way that there are multiple Soldiers at the Field where the Bears play). Now there was a park with good food and great character - a park that had "nooks and crannies", if you will, to enjoy a weekend afternoon keeping score and enjoying baseball (of course, prior to the DH rule). While certainly no Taqueria La Oaxaquena I remember a stand in the concourse behind home plate that sold tacos and a couple varieties of Mexican beer. Beat hot dogs and lawnmower beer any day.

Lets not forget the Steak Sandwiches in the old park too. Downed many of them in the 70's and 80's

The New York Times took on ballpark food this weekend.

Article.

Interactive map feature.

The local teams (see the interactive map) did not fare particularly well. (At US Cellular, under "What to avoid," the listing is "everything." Also, can't direct link to it, but is the Italian sausage in the Cubs photo really a sausage/beef combo? If not, there's something off about the toppings.)

Matt wrote:The New York Times took on ballpark food this weekend.

Article.

Interactive map feature.

The local teams (see the interactive map) did not fare particularly well. (At US Cellular, under "What to avoid," the listing is "everything." Also, can't direct link to it, but is the Italian sausage in the Cubs photo really a sausage/beef combo? If not, there's something off about the toppings.)

There is definitely italian beef in that sandwich.

I definitely favor the old "eat outside the ballpark for the best experience" approach. In fact, while I attend a decent number of ballgames (usually at least 5-10 at US Cellular, plus 10 Bears games and this year I expect to hit both LA parks, Oakland, SF and Pittsburgh), my concession spending is usually limited to no more than $5 for a soda.

The one exception is that I do favor a grilled hot dog with onions from time to time if I have not had a full meal previously, and both Soldier Field and US Cellular offer a fine selection.

I had read the NYT article today with an eye on planning whether I might dine in a park on the West Coast in July, but it hardly changed my mind, though I do have some questions about the writer's taste, partly confirmed by Will's conflicting reports on some items (it is no contest as to whose taste I trust).

To sum up - eat at Gio's, Ed's, Healthy Foods or even Parkside Grill before the game or spend a lot more to get less in US Cellular?

Eat at a wonderful Thai or Vietnamese place in Westminster or Hot Dogs at Anaheim Stadium (or whatever it is called)?

Chinatown or Soldier Field? Okay, if I have to have a sausage product, make the Jim's Polish or SF?

Etc. I think the slaughter rule applies to this ballgame - it is not even close. I appreciate the concept of eating well while taking in a game, but the practice disappoints.

I find some of the best ballpark food to be at minor league parks. For instance, here in New England, you can find some excellent to outstanding hot dogs at McCoy Stadium (PawSox, Pawtucket, RI), LeLacheur Park (Lowell Spinners, Lowell, MA), and the awkwardly named Merchantsauto.com Stadium (Manchester Fisher Cats, Manchester, NH).

In all fairness, my trip to Milwaukee was nearly three years ago. And, while I don't really trust or expect a journalist from Manhattan to know a bratwurst from a knockwurst , it may well be that the food at Miller Park has improved impressively since my visit.

hiddenboston wrote:I find some of the best ballpark food to be at minor league parks. For instance, here in New England, you can find some excellent to outstanding hot dogs at McCoy Stadium (PawSox, Pawtucket, RI), LeLacheur Park (Lowell Spinners, Lowell, MA), and the awkwardly named Merchantsauto.com Stadium (Manchester Fisher Cats, Manchester, NH).

I have not found that to be the case in most of the AAA and A stadiums in the Midwest. The food is generally pretty generic and uncreative.

Of course, the high point of the 2003 Beloit Snapper season was when the concession stand caught on fire and burnt to the ground ... right before the game. They did have pretty good cheese curds when they were fresh from the fryer.

My favorite sports venue for food was the food at SF's Candlestick. And the peanut vendor at Dodger Stadium was great.

Hi,

If you are willing to go to a farm team, then you can get a Luther Burger.

Regards,

I am very unfussy when it comes to ballpark food. I love all of it. James Bond's 007 designation was a license to kill. Well, being at a ballpark is a license to eat. (And drink beer.) Peanuts, hot pretzels, hot dogs, beer--none of it can be bad for you, because you're supposed to have it, you're at a ball game.

The New York Times wrote up America's best baseball food this week, but being the New York Times, it's focused on things like Champagne and sushi. Here's a list of the real best ballpark food - the greasy, cheesy, disgusting stuff that only a sports stadium could sell, including the White Sox Elotes, which The TImes disses. You can vote for the best:

http://www.endlesssimmer.com/2008/06/10/americas-real-best-ballpark-food/

I haven't been to a Kane County Cougars game in Geneva in ages but they used to have some mighty fine pork chops grilled down at the end of the stands. There was also a good Mexican tent run by one of the local joints.

In case the Luther Burger (Baseball's Best Burger) just isn't enough for you, the Gateway Grizzlies are now selling Baseball's Best Soft Pretzel.

“Baseball’s Best Soft Pretzel” will consist of a J&J Snack Foods SUPERPRETZEL® that is marinated in Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce and served with mozzarella cheese melted over the top of it. The soft pretzel will come with your choice of ranch or blue cheese dressing and will cost $3.50.

Apparently, this is part of the rich tradition of Grizzlies baseball:

Last season, “Baseball’s Best Slider” made its way into concessions. It utilized a thin-sliced, steam-grilled, square-shaped burger topped with cheese and grilled onions that is then breaded and deep-fried.
...
The tradition began in 2004 when Baseball’s Best Hotdog hit GCS Ballpark. It consisted of a 1/5 pound Farmland 8 inch All Beef Black Angus Hot Dog, topped with two strips of freshly cooked bacon, 1 oz. Sautéed Onions, 1 oz. Sautéed Sauerkraut and ½ oz. Cheddar Cheese Sauce, all on a fresh baked bun.

In 2005, the Swiss Brat was introduced. The “Swiss Brat” is made from a Landshire Bratwurst with a slice of Swiss cheese in the middle of it. 1oz. of Sautéed Sauerkraut is served on top.

I'm bumping this thread because I'm making my first trip to Soldier(s) Field on Sunday to see the Bears demolish the probably-too-cocky Lions. We're going early to check out the stadium and the United Club before the game. Does anyone have any decent food recommendations within Soldier(s) Field that we should not miss?

Cougars Announce Several New Food and Drink Items. New offerings includes Heart Attack Burger, Oreo Churros, Raging Cougar Ale and more

http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ym ... -186848404

I’ve been to a couple of games at Impact Field in Rosemont to see the Chicago Dogs play. Nothing earth shattering in terms of food options. However, they’re serving a “Spicy Polish Sausage” for $6. I wouldn’t consider it spicy. It has more of a mild kick. It’s a Vienna product and it’s served with grilled onions on a poppyseed bun. Not bad for ballpark cuisine.