Toyota Stadium kicks off major league soccer season with Texas-style eats

FC Dallas and the Legends Hospitality culinary team at Dallas’ Toyota Stadium introduced a roster of new menu items to kick off the 2023 major league soccer season.

The new Texas-style offerings are available starting Saturday, when FC Dallas plays its first match of the year against Minnesota United.

Included in the lineup are several locally inspired foods, such as a Double Stacked Quesadilla overstuffed with adobo chicken and steak, cheddar and jack cheeses, and sauteed peppers and onions; Birria Grilled Cheese layered with five-hour braised short ribs and cheese grilled between two slices of Texas toast with a side of consomme; Texas Caviar Salad made with beans and corn; and Elote on a Stick.

Birria Grilled Cheese, inspired by popular birria tacos, also comes with a cup of consomme for dipping.

Plant-based eaters also have expanded choices, with vegan chicken tenders and a grilled vegetable sandwich. And for heat seekers, there’s Hot Nashville Chicken Mac n Cheese featuring fiery Casa M Chain Reaction spice.

“We know FC Dallas fans love spicy, bold and fresh flavors, and more and more fans seek out vegetarian and vegan offerings,” Toyota Stadium Executive Chef Erika Dabney said in a statement. “Our work together to develop the new additions focused on building on our successes like the Monster Taco and our delicious new-twist approaches to classics, along with vegetarian and fresh flavor menu selections.”

That Monster Taco is returning to the stadium this season at the Everything’s Bigger in Texas Stand. It lives up to its name, piled with a pound of barbacoa, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream and hot sauce inside a crisp-fried flour tortilla shell.

Those with a sweet tooth may want to follow up by ordering Funnel Sticks with a sweet cherry dipping sauce.

The new menu items were presented by FC Dallas at a preview culinary tasting held last week in the Gallagher Club at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Frisco, Texas.

Elote on a Stick is the stadium's take on Mexican street corn. 

“The soccer match experience at Toyota Stadium is outstanding, and we love creating new and next-level exciting flavors for fans, based on their continual feedback,” Kristy Rempel, general manager with the Legends Hospitality culinary team, said in a statement. “We’re also so excited to launch our Everything’s Bigger in Texas Stand, where fans will enjoy big portion, shareable items for the family like our famous Monster Taco, as well as the new Double Stacked Quesadillas.”