MLB stadiums debut new menus for opening day

The 2023 Major League Baseball season is underway, and stadiums across the country are ready to feed fans with new takes on team favorites and chef-inspired regional specialties.

Aramark, Legends, Delaware North and Sodexo Live! are the major foodservice providers overseeing food and drink at many ballparks, and their kitchens have been cooking up a storm in the off-season. Not only are they hitting it out of the park with new menus, they’ve also upgraded tech to ease and speed up ordering, service and more.

2023’s bill of fare

Aramark Sports Entertainment manages the concessions and dining venues at nine stadiums, from Fenway Park in Boston to Oakland Coliseum on the west coast. New this year is Seasons Inning Stretch, a limited-time seasonally inspired food and beverage program designed to give fans a taste of new dishes in spring, summer and fall.

To kick off the program in spring, there are Avocado Fries at Fenway Park; a Fried Green Tomato BLT at PNC Park in Pittsburgh; Pork Belly Tacos with anise pickled carrots, mint, arugula, queso fresco and chimichurri at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City; and a Strawberry Shortcake Parfait in Oakland.

At Citi Field, home of the New York Mets, Aramark is partnering with well-known Big Apple chefs, including Marc Murphy at Porchetta Sandwich Shop and Sunny Anderson at Sunny’s All-American Kitchen. Local eats reflecting NYC’s melting pot of cultures are also on hand from Tang Korean Cuisine, Empanada Mama, Takumi Taco and others.

Rogers Centre, the Toronto Blue Jays’ home field, is doing up some regional specialties, like Montreal smoked meat sandwiches and the Peameal Bacon Sandwich, as well as global handhelds, including banh mi.  

T-Mobile Park, the Seattle Mariners stadium managed by Sodexo Live!, has a roster of new fare for the 2023 season. Chick Chick Boom is the first all-emoji food stand, with a menu written with the popular icons. Fans can head to right field to enjoy chicken tenders and waffle fries, garlic waffle fries and a special “Mind Blown Sauce."

Mariners fans can order the Chick Chick Boom sandwich at T-Mobile Park in Seattle by deciphering the emojis. / Photo courtesy of Sodexo Live!

A more traditionally written menu is available at Ballard Pizza, featuring New York-style pies with dough aged for two days to develop the crust. Local crowd-pleaser Moto Pizza is doing deep dish pizza at the ballpark, also with a spelled-out menu.

Asian cuisine is also popular with Mariners fans, and Din Tai Fung’s pork and veggie bao buns, chicken fried rice and spicy chicken wonton soup are now available at two locations. And a new option in the luau plate lunch at Marination is sweet ginger miso chicken, sided by Hawaiian-style macaroni salad, signature slaw and rice. On the Latin side is Edgar’s Cantina, with updated tacos del barrio, BBQ brisket quesadillas and new crispy fish taquitos and shrimp quesadillas.

Batch cocktails at Scotty’s Juice include new offerings such as palomas and spiked strawberry or raspberry lemonade.

Foodservice at New York’s Yankee Stadium in the Bronx is operated by Legends Hospitality, and several new dining options will greet fans. Native son and celebrity chef Christian Petroni is sharing his famous Cheesy Garlic Bread made with seeded Bronx bastone, mozzarella, pecorino and Parmesan, seasoned with Sicilian oregano and served with marinara.

Fuku, a spicy fried chicken concept founded by uber-chef David Chang, will be making its signature sandwiches, tenders and waffle fries at a stadium concession, while the Mac Truck is dishing out premium mac & cheese with toppings including Buffalo chicken and charred corn pico de gallo with crushed tortilla chips.

Fuku's spicy chicken sandwich / Photo by Clay Williams via Fuku

Yankee Stadium executive chef Matt Gibson has also created some exclusives for Legends, including a Pork & Broccoli Rabe Cheesesteak, Bronx Burrito with either barbacoa or veggies, and a Wagyu cheeseburger with caramelized onions.

Of course, all the ballparks are still offering classic game-day eats like nachos, fries, hot dogs, and ice cream, some upgraded with new twists.  

Eat this tech

This baseball season, the stadiums are promoting tech enhancements as much as food and drink options.

While direct mobile ordering has been available at many venues, diners at Yankee Stadium can now use the Uber Eats app to order food and drink from their seats during games.

But what’s really taken off at ballparks this year is Just Walk Out technology, powered by Amazon. Delaware North partnered with the tech giant to launch Amazon One-enabled purchasing at Globe Life Field in Dallas, home to the Texas Rangers. Customers with Amazon One IDs simply wave their palms over the readers at the entrance to outlets labeled “Express Grill” to purchase cheeseburgers, corn dogs, sausages, snacks and beverages, including beer. What’s unique is that the Express Grills offer hot prepared food—not just packaged grocery products.

Newer this year is the expansion of Walk Thru Bru at Rogers Centre, Citi Field, Fenway Park and Minute Maid Park in Houston. This concept, powered by Mashgin’s self-checkout kiosks, is a grab-and-go adult beverage market for those 21 and older.

Sodexo Live!’s T-Mobile Park boasts the most walk-out style markets in any stadium, with three Walk-Off Markets added this season. On offer are salads and wraps from Seattle’s home-grown Evergreens concept, bowls from Just Poke and Din Tai Fung’s Asian specialties.

For thirsty fans, the newWalk-Off Brews features grab-and-go snacks and a wide selection of alcoholic and booze-free beverages.