Ballpark Food: What to Eat at a D-backs Game at Chase Field
Since their inaugural season in 1998, the Arizona Diamondbacks have called Chase Field in Downtown Phoenix their home.
Over the years, Chase Field has expanded its food selection, which now includes outside restaurants such as Streets of New York, Gadzooks Enchiladas & Soup, Cold Stone Creamery and Chick-fil-A.
I recently was in town covering the Diamondbacks' final series of the regular season for Inside the Astros. As I always do when visiting a ballpark, I made sure to try some of the stadium's most iconic food items. This led to me sampling some adventurous eats, all of which are Chase Field originals.
All of the foods I sampled can be found at the Taste of Chase stand in Section 130. So without much further ado...
Loaded Greek Fries
The first item I tried were the Loaded Greek Fries. This sounded very appetizing to me. Typically when I hear "Loaded Fries", I'm in! I also love gyros. Gyro meat, feta cheese, olives, tomatoes, red onions, peppers and feta cream sauce, sitting on top of a batch of crispy French fries? Sounds amazing. And it tasted very good, but my fries lacked Gyro meat. It was mostly veggies, feta and fries, which make for a very tasty snack, but this food item cost upwards of $16.00. For $16.00, I was expecting something a little more filling, loaded with meat. The fries tasted very good, but were vastly overpriced. There are more cost-effective meals available at Chase Field. Score: 6.9/10.
The Crispy Chicken Bao Bun
The next item I tried was the Crispy Chicken Bao Bun. The bao bun was recommended to me by another writer in the Diamondbacks press box. This item contains chicken on two bao buns with Thai chili sauce, a cucumber, and carrot slaw. The Bao Bun weighs in around $17.50, but believe it or not, it is actually the best value purchase in the entire stadium. After eating one of the bao buns, I felt nearly full, which isn't something you typically say about food that you order at the ballpark... and I was only halfway finished with my meal! The chicken is indeed crispy, fresh and delicious. The Thai chili sauces add a bit of heat, but not an overwhelming amount. The bao bun is so soft, I wouldn't mind resting my head on it for a snooze, if it were only a little bigger. Not only is this a great value item, it's also the best food item I had all weekend. Splitting this item with a friend, and then adding in an appetizer or dessert is the move at Chase Field. Score: 9.5/10.
The Footlong Sonoran Hot Dog
Arizonans love their Sonoran dogs. For those out-of-towners, a Sonoran dog is a hot dog wrapped in bacon, with seasoned pinto beans, pico de gallo, mayo and mustard. I love the concept of the Sonoran dog. Any food item that puts a twist on the classic red hot immediately has my interest. In fact, one of my favorite items that I've had at any ballpark is the Slider Dog at Progressive Field in Cleveland, which features a hot dog topped with pimento mac and cheese, bacon and... fruit loops. So here's the Sonoran dog, in all of its footlong glory. The toppings were great, but Chase Field didn't quite stick the landing with the dog. The meat itself was okay, but I had higher hopes. The dog wasn't exactly piping hot; it was definitely on the cooler side. Maybe my standards are too high, being a Chicago native, but I was hoping for a tasty dog right off the grill. Maybe I caught the Taste of Chase on the wrong day. Whatever it was, I found myself slightly disappointed. Score: 5.9.
The Churro Dog
Lastly, we have our dessert: the churro dog! The churro dog is an experience I'd recommend to any fan with a sweet tooth visiting Chase Field. The churro dog is a warm, cinnamon churro served on a chocolate donut bun, topped with frozen yogurt, whipped cream, and drizzled with caramel and chocolate sauces. The donut bun is made of a pair of chocolate long johns. The churro dog is a fun time. Listed around $12.00, I was surprised at how big the churro dog actually was. The churro dog is a dessert that could be shared among four or five people. It was a bit difficult getting to the churro part of the dessert. There was a lot of frozen yogurt on top of it, and the churro began to harden a bit, due to the coldness of the frozen yogurt. The donut mixed with the frozen yogurt and chocolate and caramel sauces was a tasty combination. The churro was good too. Extra points for creativity. Score: 9/10.
If you enjoyed this story, check out our Arizona Diamondbacks guide to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
