Technology has without a doubt drastically changed the way we watch sports. On-field interviews and point-of-view cameras have improved the at-home television experience.
However, as a true fan of sports, nothing beats that in-stadium atmosphere. For some, the difference is the indescribable feeling of the roar of the crowd after a touchdown or seeing your favorite player since you were a kid in person.
While you are at your favorite sporting event, you can’t truly appreciate the experience without grabbing something at the concession stand. Stadium grub like hot dogs and hamburgers can range from $8-$10, and that’s not mentioning beverages. But some professional ball clubs have changed the game by incentivizing their menus with peculiar and downright crazy food items.
From the Carolina Panthers’ 15-1 Burger to the Arizona Diamondbacks’ funnel cake chicken sandwich, here are some of the most wild and wacky ballpark foods:
Pulled Pork Patty Melt – Kansas City Royals
This MLB franchise employed a new food item for the 2017 season, the pulled pork patty melt. This sweet yet salty combo is a sandwich with funnel cake buns, BBQ pulled pork, fried onion, shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack cheese, bacon and a jalapeño popper. Oh, and make sure you talk with your doctor before devouring any of these meals.
Jonathon Sawyer’s Animal Style Frites – Cleveland Browns
For the Cleveland faithful, nearly every season is set for disaster, so why not at least enjoy the food while watching the Browns tank once again? The “Animal style” frites with brown peppercorn gravy, mozzarella cheese, pancetta and topped with a fried and whole grain mustard will have fans thinking this is the year for Believeland.
15-1 Burger – Carolina Panthers
During the 2015 NFL season, the Panthers boasted a league-best record of 15-1. To commemorate an unforgettable season, Bank of America Stadium sold the 15-1 Burger to fans during the 2016 playoffs. The behemoth of a sandwich featured a six-ounce all-beef patty topped with American cheese, 15 ounces of pulled pork with fried onions and bacon. Not sure whether the sandwich or the Super Bowl 50 loss to the Broncos was harder to swallow for Panther fans.
Lobster Poutine Stak – Boston Red Sox
Who said concession-stand food is just hot dogs and french fries? The Northeastern region of the United States has a booming fish market, including lobster. In Fenway Park, the Red Sox offer a mixture between baseball and fine dining with the Lobster Poutine Stak. The delicacy is fries covered in fresh lobster meat, cheese curds, bisque and chives.
Deep Fried Moon Pies – Asheville Tourists
Minor-league ballparks are ballparks too. A North Carolina minor-league affiliate of the Colorado Rockies boasts the Deep-Fried Moon Pie to soothe the sweet tooth of baseball fans. The dessert is one giant marshmallow mashed between two chocolate-covered graham crackers deep fried in funnel-cake batter, and then the carnival-like masterpiece is sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Chicken Funnel Cake Sandwich – Arizona Diamondbacks
While the Diamondbacks annually struggle in the MLB, if there was a competition for ballpark dining, they’d win every time. On opening day, Arizona introduced the Chicken Funnel Cake Sandwich, which spotlights an interesting combination of garlic black pepper cheddar, strawberry jam, maple syrup and a chicken breast between two funnel cake buns.
The Moby Dick – Lake County Captains
The class-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians just might be trying to put its fans into a food coma. The Captains concocted an enormous sandwich featuring a 15-inch sesame seed roll with five quarter-pound fish fillets, eight slices of cheese, six ounces of clam strips, one-third of a pound of french fries and a cup of coleslaw; that’s not including lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and tartar sauce.
When attempting to tackle these creative dishes, always enter the stadium with an empty belly and a hankering for a good game.
