From a new 125th anniversary birthday cake milkshake in Chicago to 2-foot-long burritos in Texas, MLB stadiums are offering up much more than just the games this season.
Hours before the Texas Rangers take the field, chef Cris Vasquez and his team of 180 cooks fire up eight kitchens spread across Globe Life Stadium to begin cooking up 42,000 meals. The house specialty: BBQ brisket and pulled pork, smoked in house.
The Rangers helped to usher in an era of viral big ticket food items with their 24-inch boomstick hot dog back in 2012. They still sell more than 100 at every home game.
"People like to eat. They want to see something different, a ballpark, not just traditional nachos, hot dogs. They want to see something more, so every year we have to come up with something fun, something wild," Vasquez said.
This year, they're selling a 26-inch burrito, packed with almost 3.5 pounds of taco meat, rice, black beans and cheese – costing $36.
"I didn't think it's gonna be this big, but I'm pregnant and it sounded good," Mary Ellen Sorrell said laughing.
The Boomstick Burrito is a massive 26-inch flour tortilla filled with rice, beans, seasoned taco meat, Rico's Nacho Cheese, pico de gallo, lettuce and sour cream. Served in four shareable portions at the Texas Rangers' games.
Delaware North
Stadium concessions are big business. Fans spend an average of about $75 on food and drinks at an MLB game with teams finding demand for special premium offerings.
"You only come to the game every once in a while, right? So might as well go big," said Reid Walker, who ordered the original boomstick hot dog.
Lou Piuggi is the head chef at Delaware North that provides food service to 10 big league parks. He said signature dishes keep fans engaged.
Big ticket food items that are new this season include the "lob dog" for San Diego Padres fans: a hot dog topped with grilled lobster, Milwaukee Brewers fans can catch a brat flight at a game and the Cleveland Guardians have done their own twist on a cheesesteak hot dog.
Last season, the Chicago White Sox finished on the baseball field with the league's worst record, but their biggest home run was the campfire milkshake. This season, the team is celebrating 125 years with a birthday cake milkshake. The ballpark's menu will also feature the El Diablo Korean dog with mozzarella wrapped in Flamin' Hot Cheetos and a special sauce, letting fans get a taste they won't soon forget.
The Home Run Stack at the Atlanta Braves stadium is a towering indulgence featuring three slices of toasted brioche layered with two CAB beef patties, large slabs of Hungarian candied bacon and smoked brisket. Topped with tangy pickled onion slaw, Carolina golden BBQ sauce and Coca-Cola BBQ sauce, then crowned with crispy jumbo onion rings. Served with a side of golden french fries.
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Kris Van Cleave
