Opinion: 2025 Top 5 MLB stadium foods

There are three things guaranteed in life. Death, taxes and a hotdog at the ballpark. But what if there was something more.

Something that redefines the classic peanuts and crackerjacks. I want something that will make me want to come back. This provokes the question, what if ballpark concessions were not boring?

That was the challenge all 32 ballparks have faced for the past couple of years. This season introduced many new and exciting flavors to the gameday experience leaving fans in awe.

In this article, I will be ranking what will refuel, rehydrate, surprise, and inspire you to get to the ballpark this 2025 MLB season.

5. S’mores Quesadillas, Philadelphia Phillies

The City of Brotherly Love, known for their cheesesteak culture, brings a new twist to Citizens Bank Park this summer. This new twist provides the fans with a sweet tooth, a delightful new treat.

These s’mores quesadillas are a blend of the classic campfire ingredients marshmallow, graham cracker crumbles and chocolate sauce served crepe style in a quesadilla.

Instead of singing songs around the fire, you will be singing AOK while Bryson Stott hits another home run while eating this classic.

The Phillies also introduced a red velvet affogato which looks decadent. This introduces a new lane into the classic Philly Italian culture.

A bitter coffee with the sweet vanilla ice cream combined with an exquisite red velvet cookie. I need a Big Dom food review before I can rank this one.

Citizens Bank Park certainly started it off strong at number 5.

4. Rah Rah Ramen, San Francisco Giants

I’m speaking for all baseball fans when I say that no one expected ramen to reach the diamond. The perfect curveball. The Bay Area being very rich in Asian culture is a suitable entrance.

This stand at Oracle Park includes both miso and shoyu ramen. This is paired with egg noodles, tofu or pork, marinated bamboo, roasted corn, carrots, scallions, wood ear mushrooms and bean sprouts.

Eating this while enjoying the views of McCovey Cove is a match made in baseball heaven. The Giants alongside the Pirates also introduced the popcorn bat. A plastic souvenir bat with a massive barrel meant for a ballpark classic.

Maybe they were onto something with the design as it looks eerily similar to the new torpedo bats.

3. Z-man Sandwich, Kansas City Royals

The only thing more famous in KC than Travis Kelce’s girlfriend is the barbeque. A staple of Kansas city is the excellent barbeque. Simply put, they do it right.

So why not bring the iconic cuisine on an 11 minute drive to Kaufman Stadium? Kansas City answers the call by introducing this mammoth looking sandwich which is layered with slow smoked beef brisket, smoked provolone, two crispy onion rings and loaded with KC style BBQ sauce all topped off with a grilled kaiser roll.

The Royals also brought in various other food items for the 2025 season but this one is surely the best.

2. Parrillada Board, Miami Marlins (compare dodgers food platter)

The vibrant lights of Vice city certainly don’t dim when it comes to Loan Depot Park. Bruce Sherman has ensured a great fan experience for all types of fans.

For the sake of this article, we explore the Miami Marlins in the eyes of the foodie. Miami introduced the Parrillada Board this year. This is probably not meant for one person but begs the question, what is ballpark food?

This is not a handheld sandwich or something to eat at your seat but rather a platter of various foods that you could see at a highly rated restaurant.

This platter ties together Miami’s unique cuisine with a fantastic party-like atmosphere. It consists of grilled steak, chicken and sausage with mashed potatoes and some mixed vegetables.

You can find anything at LoanDepot Park from sushi to tacos. I do not think anything else can surprise us in the 305.

1. Celebration Cake Shake, Chicago White Sox

You need something else to cheer for other than baseball at Guaranteed Rate Field this season. This somewhat cursed franchise celebrates their 125th anniversary this year and has provided fans with a monstrous souvenir milkshake to honor it.

The vanilla ice cream mixed with sprinkles shake is topped with anything they could find in the concession stand. You can find the rim coated in sprinkles and that is then topped with whipped cream.

It does not stop there. On top of that lies 3 pieces of birthday cake, a cookie inspired by the iconic pinwheels perched on top of center field and a cherry to top it off.

On a hot summer day at the ballpark, this shake will be a refresher from the heat. The White Sox hit one out of the park last year with their campfire shake. This year’s milkshake certainly has the ability to take the cake.

With the 2025 season underway, make sure to visit all these stadiums to get a taste of the magic. I have even heard some social media influencers say that they are going to baseball games just to eat. Who knew stadium eats could hit this hard?

Read my other article to see which ones are the best visit in 2025.

Honorable Mentions

Warehouse Burger, Baltimore Orioles

Wagyu Beef Dumplings, New York Yankees

Smoked LA BBQ Platter, Los Angeles Dodgers

Cabot Gourmet Grilled Cheese, Boston Red Sox

Chicken Waffle Sandwich, Houston Astros

Ichi Wings, Seattle Mariners

Jacob Gold is a first-year majoring in communications. To contact him, email jrg6474@psu.edu.