Best Signature Ballpark Foods in the U.S.

Get a taste of the most unforgettable eats in America’s baseball stadiums

By Larry Dobrow Posted May 11, 2009 from WomansDay.com

Some still subscribe to the popular belief that consuming anything except hot dogs and beer at a baseball game, with or without a Cracker Jack chaser, is as un-American as crêpes. But let’s be (ahem) frank. When given a wealth of gustatory delights to choose from, it’s increasingly difficult to justify a lukewarm hot dog on a moist bun. We took a tasting tour through the country’s top major league stadiums, searching for the culinary equivalents of a home run. Here are the imaginative, often over-the-top dishes that we thought—quite simply—hit it out of the park.

The Schmitter Sandwich
Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia

Just looking at this behemoth of a sandwich is enough to raise your resting pulse. Fans of the local Philadelphia Phillies are as passionate about this stacked creation as they are about their starting lineup. The dictionary-thick mound of salami, steak, cheese and onions is bookended by a mammoth kaiser roll that’s slicked with a “secret sauce” that tastes suspiciously like Russian dressing. Photo credit: McNally's Tavern | yelp.com

Barbecue Stuffed Potatoes
Minute Maid Park, Houston

Talk about a loaded potato! The good old Minute Maid Park concessionaires have offset any positive nutritional value these spuds offer with a generous sprinkling of jalapeños, onions, pork, oozing cheese and tangy BBQ sauce. Eating bad has rarely felt so good. Photo credit: Juancho | bluesmoke-bbq.com

Crazy Crab’z Crab Sandwich
AT&T Park, San Francisco

Upon arriving at the Crazy Crab’z stand, you’ll see the $15 price tag and be tempted to walk away. Don’t. After putting away one of these garlicky baguettes, packed thick with fresh Dungeness crab, tomatoes and a light mayo-ish sauce, you’ll have a hard time remembering why you showed up to the ballpark in the first place. Photo credit: Wilhelm Yee

Cheese Coney
Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati

Cincinnati is the famously designated Chili Capital of the United States, so it comes as no surprise that the Reds’ ballpark bows to local custom, piling chili atop a hot dog and adding a thick glaze of cheese. Stick to your strengths, they say—and in this case, the tactic has certainly paid off. Photo credit: Kathryn Ware | Flickr

Zeppole from Mike’s Arthur Avenue Italian Deli
Yankee Stadium, New York

These deep-fried balls o’ dough invoke as much passion as the pinstriped ballplayers who call the stadium home. The fist-sized zeppole are served piping-hot and straight out of the Frialator, sprinkled liberally with heavenly powdered sugar and filled with everything from vanilla custard to tart jelly to an inexplicably addictive butter-honey concoction. Photo credit: Gary Soup | Flickr

Ruby’s Diner Sliders
Dodgers Stadium, Los Angeles

These days, passable sliders can be found nearly anywhere, from haute-cuisine boîtes to generic chain restaurants. But these morsels, which feature juicy beef tinged with a thimbleful of horseradish, belong to a category all their own. (We suggest something along the lines of “little bites of happy.”) Photo credit: Michael Fletcher

Primanti Brothers Sandwich
PNC Park, Pittsburgh

Here’s a sandwich that could humble a grown adult: Choose between either a meat or fish base, then stare in amazement as it’s topped with cheese, a fried egg, coleslaw and french fries. Anybody who can eat another meal within 12 hours of downing one of these monsters is of a hardier spirit than we could ever imagine possessing. Photo credit: Primanti Bros

Corn off the Cobb
U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago

This big bowl of goodness packs a lot of sophisticated flavor for a dish that resembles baby food. Fresh-roasted corn is pared off the cob, then stirred with freshly squeezed lime juice, piquant red peppers, white cheese and generous amounts of butter. Need we say more? Photo credit: Linsey Herman | cakeandcommerce.com