Baseball season is upon us. That means there are all sorts of classic and newly invented ballpark foods to gorge yourself on. Over the last half-decade, stadium foods have moved away from the old-school standards of peanuts, dirty water dogs, and cheap domestic beers and into more fanciful, local, and often bombastic fare. Some stadiums have leaned into the you-know-it’s-terrible-for-you territory, while others have embraced local eats to give baseball fans an authentic taste of the cities they’re visiting.
Below are some of our favorite picks for the 2017 MLB season:
CHRONIC TACOS — ANGEL STADIUM ANAHIEM, CA
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Chronic Tacos prides itself on “recipes passed down for three generations.” It’s Orange County’s answer to Chipotle. The tacos, burritos, and bowls are completely customizable with a much deeper menu including fish, shrimp, and al pastor — and it’s all tasty as hell.
They’re so popular in the OC (don’t call it that), that you can now get them at Angel Stadium anytime you want.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN OYSTERS — COORS FIELD DENVER, CO
The Rocky Mountain Oyster is a delicacy of infamy along the Rocky Mountain corridor. These hammered bull testicles are battered and deep fried — which hides a fair amount of the overly tangy, beefy flavor.
CHICKEN IN A WAFFLE CONE — MINUTE MAID PARK HOUSTON, TX
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Fried chicken and waffles are a staple of soul food menus across the country. The crispy savoriness of the fried chicken balances out with the semi-sweet waffles and the earthiness and intense sugary-ness of the maple syrup.
Now you can get that whole experience in cone form down in Houston. They’ve taken a dish that’s usually reserved for a big plate and made it portable finger food.
MAKE YOUR OWN ICE CREAM SANDWICH — PECTO PARK SAN DIEGO, CA
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For those with a sweet tooth, a make your own ice cream sandwich bar is probably a big win. There are multiple cookies, ice creams, and toppings to mix and match given whatever tickles your fancy in the moment or hits all the right nostalgia spots on your palate.
PRIMANTI BROS SANDWICH — PNC PARK PITTSBURGH, PA
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A trip to Pittsburgh without a trip to Primanti Bros is damn near sacrilege. A Primanti sandwich is massive. It’s a cured or smoked meat (sometimes even a burger patty) that’s stacked with really well made fries, slaw, and possibly some melted cheese all on thick slices of white bread. The sandwiches are a ‘Burgh institution, so of course there’s an outlet at PNC Park.
THE CHOOMONGOUS — GLOBE LIFE PARK ARLINGTON, TX
Texans take the whole “things are bigger here” ethos very seriously. The Choomongous is a sandwich of Texas proportions. That’s epic or gargantuan to all us non-Texans. The sandwich is “Asian-spiced beef, a spicy slaw, and Sriracha on a bakery-fresh bun” and will set you back $26. Sounds like it’s worth every one of those dollars.
STUGGY’S CRAB MAC N’ CHEESE DOG — CAMDEN YARDS, MD
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Stuggy’s has become a cornerstone of the Baltimore food scene with hot dog joints spanning out from Fell’s Point across the city. And with good reason, a Stuggy’s dog is a pretty damn tasty. One of the dogs that put them on the map is the Crab Mac n’ Cheese dog. That’s exactly what it sounds like — an all beef grilled dog topped with cheesy mac, a little bit of that famous Maryland crab, and dusted with some Old Bay. It’s like Baltimore in one bite.
THE BURGERIZZA — TURNER FIELD ATLANTA, GA
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This Frankenstein’s Monster turned county fair abomination is a thing that exists in Georgia. It’s a pepperoni pizza as the top and bottom bun of a gigantic burger. And, you know, it’s probably delicious (albeit wholly unnecessary and kind of an insult to both pizzas and burgers which are totally rad on their own).
S’MORES BACON ON A STICK — CITI FIELD NEW YORK, NY
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Yes, bacon is still all the rage. The home of the Mets decided to take the bacon craze a step further and coat their bacon on a stick with cracker, marshmallow, and chocolate because this is America and we demand out fatty cured meats to be deep fried after getting a solid coating in buttery crackers and high fructose sugars. You can taste the freedom in every bite.
FRIED GRASSHOPPERS — SAFECO FIELD SEATTLE, WA
Probably the boldest shift in ballpark food is coming out of Seattle’s Safeco field which is already famed for serving oysters on the half shell and smoked salmon. This year Safeco is rolling out Chapulines, or fried and salted grasshoppers. The insect snack is hugely popular in Oaxaca and are nutritionally sound. In fact, grasshoppers contain a good amount of protein, potassium, calcium, and other vitamins while being low in fat with zero sugar.
MORE PHOTOS!
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