The Eagles fans are lucky to dine on some of the best stadium food across the country. Lincoln Financial Field proudly embraces the stereotypes by offering cheesesteaks, soft pretzels and other excellent versions of street cart classics, but the one dish you can't miss is the crabfries from Chickie's & Pete's. A local favourite, the famous fries are tossed in Old Bay seasoning and served with homemade cheese sauce.
Chronic Tacos shops are a fairly common sight in California (and a few other states) but familiarity can be nice when you’re cheering on your favourite team and a plate of fresh tacos certainly hits the spot at a California Angels game. The brand was developed in Orange County, so visitors can feel a bit of local pride as they bite into a carne asada or al pastor taco with a side of Chronic fries.
San Francisco is one of America’s greatest food cities, so it’s not surprising that its football stadium would be a draw for food lovers. The Shop food stall is run by Rodney Baca, a San Jose-based chef known for his line of flavourful salsa and sauces. Visitors to Levi’s Stadium can feast on Baca’s signature pastrami sandwich or this luxurious panini oozing with truffle burrata cheese and loaded up with smoked maple bacon while watching the San Francisco 49ers.
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Being in New York, the Mets’ Citi Field is full of great food options, but one of the tastiest are these little fried risotto balls from Arancini Bros. The company has a few locations throughout the city, but there’s something special about breaking into a warm and crispy arancini filled with savoury centres like basil pesto or pizza sauce and cheese (or, for sweet tooths, Nutella) while sitting in the stands at a baseball game.
Said to serve the best fried chicken in the city, Sweet Chick offers a limited menu to Mets' fans too. With chicken and waffles and loaded crinkle cut fries on the menu, it might seem like a tough choice, but go for the OG sandwich and you won't regret it. A simple, but effective classic, the boneless fried chicken is paired with herbed mayo and bread and butter pickles in a soft potato bun.
There are other hot dog options at Denver’s Coors Field (like the legendary Rockie Dog), but Biker Jim’s offers an unusually diverse selection of franks. The “gourmet” dogs at Jim’s (which also has a bricks and mortar location in Denver and carts that appear at various locations) come in a range of unusual sausage types, including the popular Jack-a-lope, infused with cherry and habanero. From there, customers can top their tube steaks with a variety of creative topping combinations.
A “half smoke” is a regional hot dog from Washington DC that is larger than a typical wiener, with a courser meat grind made of a combination of beef and pork. Washington DC institution Ben’s Chili Bowl has been selling the dogs at its flagship location since 1958, and Washington Nationals fans can also get a taste at Nationals Park. The classic half smoke is served on a warm steam bun with mustard and onions and a generous helping of Ben’s famous chili sauce.
Killen's BBQ is one of Houston's top spots for a proper barbecue and Astros' fans can have a taste of their impeccable creations pitch-side. The famous nachos are covered in queso blanco before a mountain of chopped beef brisket is piled on top. It's then finished with pickled jalapeños, green onions and a jalapeño ranch dressing. Good luck not getting that on your shirt.
Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins football team, has long supported a number of local food businesses including this beloved doughnut shop that specialises in unusual flavours that include both sweet and salty toppings. With flavours like bacon and Nutella, guava and cheese, and banana cream pie, these sweet treats are a nice alternative to more savoury stadium fare.
Another excellent dish to try, created to celebrate Astros getting to the World Series, is the lobster corn dog. The Maine lobster tails are deep fried in a tempura batter and served with fresh-fried kettle chips and a remoulade dipping sauce. Now that's watching sports in style.
While many of America’s biggest cities’ fast food scenes were built on cheap cuts of pork and beef that were turned into hot dogs and hamburgers, since New England shellfish used to be so cheap and plentiful, Boston’s signature handheld meal is the no-longer-humble lobster roll. Eating lobster rolls have long been one of the perks of watching a Red Sox home game at Fenway Park, with the style of rolls on offer changing slightly over the years.
There’s no question that some of America’s greatest hot dogs can be found at baseball stadiums and perhaps none is greater than the Chicago Dog at Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs. The secret to a proper Chicago-style hot dog is a Vienna beef sausage on a poppyseed bun with relish, yellow mustard, diced onions, sport peppers, fresh tomatoes and celery salt. There are other toppings available at Wrigley, of course, but this is the undisputed classic.
Hot dogs are always a treat, but the classic Eastern European sausages from Kramarczuk’s in Minneapolis make for a particularly satisfying snack while enjoying a Minnesota Twins game. The deli has been a Minneapolis mainstay since 1954, known for its high-quality sausages. The Polish sausage stand is a favourite at Target Field – made all the better with a little bit of mustard.
Kansas City is one of America’s great BBQ hubs and the KC Royals’ Kauffman Stadium certainly offers plenty of smoked meat to reflect that, but one of the stadium’s best regional treats is much sweeter and much colder. Belfonte Dairy is a Missouri favourite and the brand sells milkshakes and sundaes in the stadium’s Outfield Experience area, with additional pint stands scattered throughout the building.
Denver Bronco's fans have never had to complain about the food options at Empower Field at Mile High, from kimchi hot dogs and pork spare ribs to French dip sandwiches and pork belly BLT. But now a rotating menu of dishes from the acclaimed Denver chef Frank Bonanno's award-winning restaurants is also on offer. Make sure you get your hands on Frank's steamed bao buns with pork belly, hoisin sauce and green onions.
Eating deep-fried cheese curds is an essential part of any visit to Wisconsin, and there’s no better place to try them out than at a Green Bay Packers game. 1919 Kitchen and Tap is a gastropub at the Packers’ Lambeau Field that serves a classic version of the dish, dusting the squeaky cheese curds with a Parmesan breading before frying. Each crunchy bite is best dipped in the tasty romesco sauce that comes on the side.
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You can’t go to Philadelphia without indulging in a classic Philly cheesesteak like the ones that Tony Luke’s serves up in Ashburn Alley at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies. The iconic beef cheesesteak is the way to go (though you can also opt for roast pork), preferably with some sharp provolone, though Tony Luke’s also offers American cheese or Cheese Whiz. Make a meal out of it with a side of curly fries.
One of the most popular food kiosks at Pittsburgh’s PNC Park is Manny’s BBQ, named after former Pirates player Manny Sanguillén. The sandwich to get from Manny’s is the Pierogi Hoagie, featuring the BBQ stand’s signature pulled pork topped with crispy onions and mini cheese and potato pierogies. The dumplings are a staple in Pittsburgh, thanks to the city’s robust Eastern European community.
With a name like Great American Ball Park, the home of the Cincinnati Reds needs to have some classic American food. This ball field delivers with several kiosks from Cincinnati mainstay Skyline Chili, purveyors of an obscenely cheesy coney dog. The coney is essentially a hot dog in a steamed bun topped with diced onions and Skyline’s secret recipe chili, finished off with a mountain of grated Cheddar cheese.
Are you even in Maryland if crab cakes are not on the menu? Local favourite Jimmy's Famous Seafood is an official partner of Baltimore Ravens, which means fans at the M&T Bank Stadium can gorge on their tasty crab cakes while watching the home team hopefully score a touchdown. The crab cakes are served in an egg roll with a cream cheese blend over coleslaw and are topped with a lip-smacking mango ponzu and spicy mayo.
Missouri and barbecue are pretty synonymous so it’s no surprise those attending a Chiefs game at the Arrowhead have myriad options to choose from. Burnt end mac 'n' cheese aside, one of the best options comes from the popular Kansas City restaurant Plowboys Barbeque. Their signature BBQ nachos come loaded with award-winning BBQ meat, freshly made cheese sauce, sour cream and jalapeños.
Las Vegas Raiders' fancy new stadium comes with a wealth of incredible dining options, from award-winning fried chicken to Guy Fieri himself. For a belly-busting meal head straight for Colin Fukunaga's excellent Fukuburger and its namesake – a beef patty with American cheese, lettuce, tomato and onions, finished with wasabi mayo and Fuku sauce. Allegiant Stadium's classic menu also deserves a shout out for tasty stadium classics like hot dogs and pretzels all priced at a very reasonable $3 (£2.23).
During the cold and often freezing Minnesota winters, Vikings fans might be keen to turn to something fiery to warm them up. Nashville Coop at U.S. Bank Stadium is the go-to place for a hot Nashville-style chicken 'sammich'. Pick your heat level, from no heat to "24hr PAIN" and add any extras if you wish. The sandwich comes in a butter bun with pickles and Coop sauce.
Progressive Field is where the Cleveland Guardians play ball and several local restaurants have in-stadium outposts that offer top-notch nachos. There’s some dispute over which is the very best, but it’s hard to beat the loaded chips from Momocho, which are made-to-order and topped with chicken, pulled pork, chorizo, oozy queso and a signature coriander lime cream.
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