Best Baseball Food of 2019
Forget everything you think you know about ballpark food. Peanuts and Cracker Jack may get all the glory in baseball’s greatest hit, but the scene at the concessions stand has seriously diversified—and gone decadent. You can now find tres leches milkshakes with sides of churros; kielbasa served in waffle cones; and Frito-battered foot-longs topped with queso blanco—for starters. To get a taste of the best foods at the nation’s baseball stadiums this year, read on (with our apologies in advance to your cardiologist and your dentist).
The Gourmet Shakes at Yankee Stadium (home of the New York Yankees)
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Yankee Stadium has hereby hopped on the insane milkshake bandwagon that’s been blowing up Instagram for the past few years, and now the Gourmet Shakes stand brings all fans to the yard—or to the concession level, as the case may be. Sold in souvenir cups for $14.99, the shakes score points for both originality and complexity. Flavors range from Tres Leches (churros, tres leches cake, condensed milk, puffed rice) to a Celebration Shake (birthday cake frosting and full Funfetti cupcakes).
Fritos Pie Corn Dog at Minute Maid Park (home of the Houston Astros)
The Houston Astros’ culinary wizards took a Frito pie— Nobel-worthy already in its own right—and dialed it to 11. Introducing the Frito Pie Corn Dog: a foot-long hotdog dipped in Frito batter, topped with queso blanco and Texas chili, then stuffed inside a hotdog bun. (Note to entrepreneurs: Minute Maid Park could use a Prilosec stand.)
The Blooper Burger at SunTrust Park (home of the Atlanta Braves)
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In most scenarios, a $26 burger sounds like a crime against humanity. But the Blooper Burger—named after the Braves’ mascot—is not your average sandwich: It’s four cheeseburger patties, a foot-long hot dog, chicken tenders, jalapeños, and cheese sauce—all stuffed between two pieces of Texas toast. (There’s also lettuce, tomato, and onions—so practically a salad, right?) Split that between friends, and you’ve got yourself a bargain. The only crime is against your arteries.
Dessert Sweet Potato Fries at Guaranteed Rate Field (home of the Chicago White Sox)
Things piled on fries is a recurring theme this year, and the White Sox home turf houses some of the best examples. Of all the loaded options on the concessioners’ roster this year, the Dessert Sweet Potato Fries topped with powdered sugar, chopped pecans, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and Nutella may be the most radical. But if you’d rather your potatoes hold squarely in the savory camp, try the Buffalo Chicken Fries topped with shredded chicken, crumbled blue cheese, hot buffalo sauce, and Ranch dressing—or the Greek Fries topped with sliced gyro meat, feta cheese, tomatoes, and tzatziki sauce. And if the sense of heritage that calls to you is slightly more warped, have a plate of Irish Fries topped with nacho cheese, bacon, sour cream, and chives. (You remember the great Irish Nacho cheese famine, right? No? Nevermind, just eat).
The Fowl Pole at Globe Life Park (home of The Texas Rangers)
Adding to the mountain of evidence that everything is actually bigger in Texas, the Rangers’ concession stands will serve up an item called the Fowl Pole—a two-pound chicken tender served on a bed of waffle fries with honey mustard and Ranch dips. You can try to eat the Fowl Pole yourself, but given the size—and $27.50 price tag—we can’t encourage solo attempts. Bring friends. Lots of friends.
The Pittsburgh Cone at PNC Park (home of the Pittsburgh Pirates)
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If you’re a fan of savory-sweet hybrids, you should probably put PNC Park’s concession stands on your list. This year, the stadium’s featuring a Pittsburgh Cone (though Hospital Cone might be the better name, given the kielbasa, pierogi, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing all stuffed into this waffle cone). Plain old hoagie rolls are so 2018.
BBQ Brisket Tots at Kauffman Stadium (home of the Kansas City Royals)
Tater tots are huge on the concession scene this year (yes, we see the irony), their toppings getting bolder and wilder and less totty all the time. Street corn? Baked beans? Well, why not. Kauffman Center takes the prize for Most Drool-worthy, though. These are called Brisket Topped Tots, and duty compels you to order them, given Kansas City's status as a brisket wizarding zone. Beyond the smoked meat, you’ll get white queso, BBQ sauce, and green onions, all loaded into one of those too-small-to-wear-but-too-cute-to-toss souvenir helmet bowls.
Funnel Cake Poutine at Rogers Centre (home of the Toronto Blue Jays)
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Good news! Canada is still very Canadian, as evidenced by Rogers Centre’s new Funnel Cake Poutine. The dish takes the whole poutine concept (fries topped with cheese curds and gravy) and throws sugar on it, topping a deep-fried funnel cake with ice cream, chocolate, caramel, and marshmallows. Just a little something, eh?