For me, the summer months mean baseball. I’ve been going to baseball games with my family since I was a kid, and as the weather starts to warm up, I for one am getting more excited to spend time in the stands — and for all of the delicious food that comes with it. Every Major League team has their own regional flavor, so now is the perfect time to get a head start on planning your day out at the ballpark. Scroll through to see what each city has in store, and be sure to save your favorites for later. Here are foods that represent every team in the MLB.
Arizona Diamondbacks: Fry Bread
Something about baseball games and summertime screams yummy fried food, and Phoenix — the home of the Diamondbacks — is famous for something called fry bread. It dates back to 1864 and is a traditional Navajo dish but is now usually topped with meat, beans, cheese, and sour cream — just like a taco!
Atlanta Braves: Chili Dogs
Atlanta is known for its delicious soul food, but mac and cheese might be a little too heavy for a hot summer day. Instead, head to The Varsity, an iconic Atlanta chain, to get a chili dog with french fries — or try their “slaw dog,” a hot dog topped with coleslaw.
Baltimore Orioles: Crab Cakes
My close friend, a Baltimore native, raves about their crab — and it makes sense it would be so amazing with such close proximity to the Chesapeake Bay. My favorite way to enjoy crab is in cake form, and supposedly the best places in Baltimore to get one are Faidley’s or Koco’s.
Boston Red Sox: Boston Cream Pie
Although it might be a little too hot during a Boston summer for a slice of Boston Cream Pie, it remains an iconic staple of the city. For a more summery treat, try Ben and Jerry’s “Bossin’ Cream Pie” pint. If you're like me and are a frequent flier at Fenway Park, you can even put it in one of those adorable mini souvenir Red Sox helmets that come filled with soft serve — I’ve been getting them since I was a kid.
Chicago Cubs: Deep Dish Pizza
I’d be doing the whole city of Chicago a disservice if I didn’t include deep dish pizza on this list. The cheesy and delicious pizza is an iconic Chicago dish, and if you’re looking to get some before a game, try Giordano’s — only a few blocks from Wrigley Field.
Chicago White Sox: Rainbow Cone
The Rainbow Cone is also a Chicago institution, but might do more than deep dish to cool you down on a hot summer day. The Rainbow Cone (which is also the name of the storefront) is a cone stacked high with five flavors: pistachio, orange sherbet, chocolate, palmer house, and strawberry.
Cincinnati Reds: Skyline Chili
The first time I heard about Skyline Chili was from my freshman year roommate, a Cincinnati native, and it’s safe to say I was skeptical about its popularity. But it’s clear the chain is a Cincy staple, and nachos topped with the chili are a fan favorite in the Great American Ballpark.
Cleveland Indians: Polish Boy
A polish boy is a Cleveland-style twist on your favorite ballpark hotdog — it consists of a kielbasa sausage in a bun, topped with french fries, BBQ sauce, and coleslaw. Sounds messy to me, but also like the perfect meal to enjoy if you want to step outside the hotdog box.
Colorado Rockies: Rocky Mountain Oysters
In honor of the Rockies, I had to go with rocky mountain oysters for this one. Never heard of them? They’re deep fried bull testicles, and I don’t think I’m brave enough to try them, but applaud you if you ever do.
Detroit Tigers: Coney Island Hot Dog
American Coney Island is a popular Detroit-area chain, and their most famous dish is the Coney Island hot dog. The Coney Dog is a traditional hot dog topped with beanless chili, diced white onions, and yellow mustard. If you like it, you can even get a “Coney Kit” from the chain, and make your own Coney Island Dog at home.
Houston Astros: Smoked brisket
Like many cities in the South, Houston is known for its smoked and barbecued meats. Smoked brisket is a Houston staple — check out this list from Houston Food Finder for the best places to get brisket in the city.
Kansas City Royals: BBQ
Staying on the BBQ-train, Kansas City is known for its barbecue — it’s the “barbecue capital of the world.” Try Jones Bar-B-Q for ribs and potato salad or Slap’s BBQ for delicious thinly-sliced turkey and mac and cheese with bacon.
LA Angels: Tacos
Los Angeles, like many large cities, has possibly every cuisine you could think of on offer. But the city might be best known as America’s go-to taco scene — here are 38 “essential” tacos to try out if you’re in the area.
LA Dodgers: Carne Asada Fries
If you like tacos, I’m sure you’ve heard of carne asada, a grilled and charred beef with Latin American origins. Dodger Stadium serves their own twist on carne asada, french fries covered in carne asada and topped with salsa, sour cream, and jalapeños — all served in a souvenir Dodger hat.
Miami Marlins: Cuban Sandwich
The Cuban food in Miami is unmatched, and everyone loves the iconic Cuban sandwich. The sandwich is layers of mustard, swiss cheese, ham, pork, and pickles all griddled on deliciously sweet Cuban bread — I can almost taste it now.
Milwaukee Brewers: Cheese curds
When I think of Wisconsin, I think of cheese, more specifically cheese curds. These cheesy curds can be enjoyed fried or eaten as a snack — they’re eaten differently in different parts of the state. In the north, you might see them covered with gravy and tossed over fries, but others prefer them as part of a pasta salad.
Minnesota Twins: Tater tot hotdish
The Midwest in general is known for its affinity for casseroles, but Minnesota has a special favorite — the tater tot hotdish. There are many variations of the tater tot hotdish, but they all have a crispy tater tot topping covered in melty cheese in common.
New York Yankees: Joe’s Pizza
Okay, this is admittedly basic, but Joe’s Pizza is a New York City staple for me. Their locations are frequented by native New Yorkers and celebrities alike — there’s even a location in my college town of Ann Arbor that’s especially popular after the bars close.
New York Mets: Black and white cookie
New York has two baseball teams, so I went for a sweeter choice for the Mets: the black and white cookie. You can’t go into a New York City deli without encountering one, and they’ve always been a fan-favorite in my household.
Oakland Athletics: Fried chicken sandwich
Surprisingly to me, Oakland has a massive soul food scene. Because of its Cali location, the soul food there is traditional but there are many restaurants that offer West Coast spin — like Souley Vegan that serves 100% plant based creole dishes.
Philadelphia Phillies: Philly cheesesteak
Philly is the city of the Philly cheesesteak, a deliciously greasy combination of thinly-sliced steak and melted cheese (usually American or provolone) served on a hoagie roll — if you’re not familiar with the term “hoagie,” it’s basically just a sub roll. Campo’s and Tony Luke’s are the places to go to get a cheesesteak in Citizens Bank Park.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Primanti sandwich
Primanti Bros. is a sandwich joint native to Pittsburgh. The first ever location was opened by Joe Primanti back in 1933 during the Great Depression. Their “Almost Famous” sandwiches are piled high with your meat of choice, provolone cheese, coleslaw, french fries, and tomato and are served on Italian bread — the perfect pre- or post-game sandwich.
San Diego Padres: fish tacos
Located right on the Pacific Ocean, San Diego is known for its delicious seafood. According to the San Diego Tribune, fish tacos are the signature dish of the city, and Rubio’s Coastal Grill is the place to go to get some.
San Francisco Giants: Ghirardelli
Ghirardelli came to life in San Francisco, so it’s the perfect treat to represent the Giants. Oracle Park, the home of the Giants, is also a fan of the chocolate makers and serves fans a hot fudge sundae with Ghirardelli World Famous Hot Fudge.
Seattle Mariners: Salmon, in any form
Seattle is known for its salmon — the city loves it so much that their airport has an annual celebration when the Copper River Salmon is flown in from Alaska. Salmon can be enjoyed in so many different ways, but the best is reportedly at Elliott's Oyster House coated in a house rub and bacon dressing.
St. Louis Cardinals: St. Louis-style pizza
I’d never heard of St. Louis style pizza until a few days ago, but honestly it looks delicious. What sets this pizza apart is its thin and crispy crust and usage of Provel cheese, a blend of swiss, American, and provolone.
Tampa Bay Rays: Blue crab
Another city right on the ocean comes with more iconic seafood, and Tampa is known for its blue crab. Crab is sold all over the city, but if you’re catching a game at Tropicana Field this summer, Crabby’s Beachside Bites sells crab mac and cheese and so many other delicious seafood snacks and bites.
Texas Rangers: Tex-Mex
If there’s one type of food Texas is known for, it’s Tex-Mex, a blending of the cuisines of Texas and Mexico due to their geographic proximity to each other. Thankfully, Tex-Mex restaurants serving everything from tacos to nachos are all over Dallas, so you can get your fix in before hitting Globe Life Field.
Toronto Blue Jays: Poutine
When I think of Canadian foods, I think of two things: maple syrup and poutine. The cheesy gooey mixture of cheese curds, french fries, and gravy is a Quebec staple and has become a permanent fixture on the menus of many Toronto restaurants — you can also find it on basically every level of the Rogers Center.
Washington Nationals: The half-smoke
Washington D.C. was tricky to find a food for, but I came across the half-smoke and thought it fit perfectly for our purposes. The half-smoke is like a hot dog, but is smoked instead of grilled and is a little bit spicier than a traditional hot dog. Ben’s serves the most famous version, and even has a location in Nationals Park.