10 Best New MLB Stadium Foods

Photo courtesy of the Arizona Diamondbacks

Baseball season is here, and Major League Baseball (MLB) is fully underway. For fans flocking to the ballparks, one of the delights is knowing you can count on chowing down on hot dogs, peanuts, and Cracker Jack; they are the tried-and-true staples that have helped make baseball America’s Pastime.

In recent years, the big leagues have also gone “big league” with their concession items. Designed to target fans with discerning palates and/or who are adventurous eaters, each spring finds newer and crazier ballpark eats. Sports Illustrated recently went in-depth on some of the new dishes that stood out.

Some of the “most absurd” new dishes that SI identified include the Colorado Rockies pizza donut and the Kansas City Royals Beef Wellington hot dog. A cousin to the classic pizza bagel, the pizza donut is exactly what it says it is, namely a plain donut topped with pizza sauce, pepperoni, cheese, and pesto sauce.

Photo courtesy of the Colorado Rockies

The Beef Wellington hot dog, quite frankly, looks insane; this foot-long hot dog is wrapped in prosciutto, minced mushrooms, chipotle ketchup, and yellow mustard. It is then wrapped again in puff pastry. It sounds delicious and scary at the same time!

In addition, listed by SI among the “most appetizing” new dishes are the Chicago Cubs Chicken and Churros option, and the Washington Nationals D.C. Monument Chicken Tower. The new dish at Wrigley Field is a riff on the classic chicken and waffles combo, just swapping in churros, but the fried chicken is brined in pickle juice and served with ancho syrup and fresh strawberries.

The D.C. Monument Chicken Tower is a mammoth grilled chicken sandwich topped with smoked bacon, greens, Gruyere cheese, and chipotle ranch sauce, all of which comes stacked on a soft pretzel bun, pinned together by a baseball-themed toothpick.

Lastly, in the category of “most stomachache-inducing” is the Arizona Diamondbacks Take Me Out to the Ballgame Shake and the Philadelphia Phillies Schwarbomb Sundae. The shake at Chase Field basically just takes most of your favorite ballpark foods – whipped cream, peanut butter sandwich cookies, KitKat candy bars, and Cracker Jack – and combines them into a sugar-overload drink.

Meanwhile, in the City of Brotherly Love, the Schwarbomb takes the traditional ice cream served in the mini baseball helmet and turns that up to 11; the ice cream is topped with a funnel-cake-fried Uncrustables sandwich, fresh strawberry sauce, and fruity breakfast cereal.

Are you brave enough to try any of these?