Ballpark Cuisine: Gourmet Eats to Enjoy at AT&T Park

Spring Training has begun which means we are officially closing in on opening day for the MLB. Honestly, I’m looking forward to baseball season mostly because there is nothing better than enjoying a day at the ballpark. Even though baseball might not be the most exciting sport, experiencing a live game will make anyone a fan. What beats sitting in the sun, drinking a cold beverage and eating a delish hotdog while enjoying America’s greatest pastime?

The atmosphere of MLB parks is unmatched in any other sport. Luckily because we are living in San Francisco we have a great opportunity to watch live games at one of the best stadiums in the nation. AT&T Park is a beautiful stadium that overlooks the San Francisco Bay. Not only is AT&T Park beautiful, but it also offers some pretty tasty food that anyone can enjoy while watching the San Francisco Giants play. Whether you take a date to a game or are enjoying a game with a group of friends, AT&T Park offers choices for everyone. Here is a look at some of the tastiest food items that you can find at AT&T Park.

If you’re in the mood for something different and healthier try Orlando’s Caribbean BBQ, which is located in the promenade level in center field. Orlando’s is famous for their Cha Cha Bowl, which was featured on the Food Network. The Cha Cha Bowl is packed full of rice, beans, grilled chicken and a mixture of zucchini and carrots. You can choose to top your bowl off with a pineapple-zucchini salsa that adds a sweeter twist to the dish. Orlando’s also serves tasty chicken nachos, tri-tip sandwiches and tropical drinks. This is a great place to go if you are in the mood for an exotic tasty, filling meal. Also it is reasonably priced at $9.75 considering the amount of food you receive. Orlando’s is definitely worth a try the next time you visit AT&T Park, just make sure you come to the game hungry.

It’s rare that you are able to find clam chowder in a bread bowl at a ballpark but Pier 44 Chowder House offers this tasty San Francisco treat that is perfect for those cold, night games. The sourdough bread is the perfect compliment to the chowder and it’s great for dunking. Besides its great chowder, Pier 44 serves other tasty seafood options such as calamari and fish and chips. If you are looking for some other seafood options, Crazy Crab’z features some tasty food options. Crazy Crab’z has a wonderful crab sandwich that is sure to satisfy any seafood craving. Both Crazy Crab’z and Pier 44 are located next to Orlando’s on the promenade level in center field.

If you’re looking for more of the classic ballgame food, you can pretty much find that anywhere at AT&T Park but a few places offer more than just hotdogs. My personal favorite is the kielbasa sausage sandwich from California Cookout. The sandwich is huge, but every bite is delicious. Top the sausage off with onions and peppers and some sauerkraut if you want to add some more flavors to the tasty sandwich. California Cookout also makes other grilled food options such as a chicken sandwich, polish sausage and of course Giant dogs. Both the polish sausage and Giant dog are very good, like the kielbasa, they are large and grilled to perfection. The Giant dog hits the spot every time, especially when you’re in the mood for classic ballgame food. California Cookout is located in the promenade level at the O’Doul gate.

Many other concession stands offer the same kind of grilled food options, such as Say Hey Stands and John McGraw Grill. Say Hey Stands has a plethora of sausage choices including hotlinks, Italian sausage, bratwurst and hotdogs. Say Hey Stands is located on the promenade level on the third base side. John McGraw grill also offers hotdogs but they are more known for their hamburgers and fries. John McGraw is located on the promenade level on the first base side, near right field. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with either place, it’s just a matter of what grilled food you are craving. The perfect compliment to any grilled food is the delicious garlic fries from Gilroy Garlic Fry. If you bring a date, then you should probably skip this one; your breath will smell so bad of garlic that you would scare off Edward Cullen. But the bad breath is worth it because the garlic fries are delicious and a must have anytime you visit AT&T Park.

Although AT&T has a large selection of food options, nothing compares to the Ghiradelli hot chocolate at the stadium. In the lower sections and the bleachers, a man with a large Ghiradelli backpack walks up and down the aisles selling hot chocolate. If you see this man, you must get a hot chocolate. It’s delicious and the perfect drink for those cold San Francisco nights. The hot chocolate is made of pure Ghiradelli chocolate, which makes it amazingly good. It is also topped off with fresh whipped cream, which is the perfect compliment to warm chocolate. If you want something sweet to eat to go along with the drink, then try the chocolate chip cookie from Ghiradelli. This isn’t just any cookie; it’s like a cookie biscuit. It’s a very think cookie but moist and packed with chocolate chips. It may be one of the best cookies I’ve ever had, and that’s saying a lot because I’ve eaten approximately 10 billion cookies.

Whatever style of food you enjoy the most, AT&T Park has it. Having great food only enhances the ballgame experience. Even if you are not a Giants fan, AT&T Park is a great place to go to enjoy baseball and the experience of being in a stadium. The season is just around the corner, so get out and watch some baseball and enjoy great food at a top notch ballpark.