Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Best NFL Stadium Food Rankings

It's the most wonderful time of the year - the NFL season has begun! Esquire magazine ranked all the stadiums from 1 to 31 and it looks like Seattle was ranked #1 due to the local options and solid beer selection.

1. Seattle Seahawks (Qwest Field)
Number of concessions: 47
Number of restaurants: 1 (The FSN Lounge)
Local options: Excellent (Seattle Dogs, Taco Ma's, Glo Bowl Thai)
Beer selection: Very Good (Miller and Coors, plus Amberweizen, Hefeweizen, IPA, Curve Ball, and Red Hook ESB)
Pro: More international options than you probably even need.
Con: More options than you probably even need.

2. Dallas Cowboys (Cowboys Stadium)
Number of concessions: > 150
Celebrity chef: Jamie Samford
Local options: Very Good (Texas catfish po' boy, The Kobe Burger)
Beer selection: Good (Miller, MGD, Coors, Bud, Shiner)
Pro: The Cowboys cheese steak.
Con: $7.50 for a hot dog?

3. Washington Redskins (FedEx Field)
Number of concessions: 50
Number of restaurants: 1
Local options: Good (Famous Dave's BBQ)
Beer selection: Excellent (24 on draft, 26 in bottles, and then the175-seat glass-enclosed brew house)
Pro: Hooters.
Con: Hooters.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (Heinz Field)
Number of concessions: 32
Number of restaurants: 0
Local options: Very Good (Benkovitz Seafood, Quaker Steak and Lube)
Beer selection: Excellent (Iron City, Blue Moon, Yuengling, Bass, Guinness, Harp, Penn Pilsner)
Pro: Two words: Primanti Brothers.
Con: Six words: 61 percent critical health violations.

5. Houston Texans (Reliant Stadium)
Number of concessions: 38
Number of restaurants: 0
Local options: Good (Cactus Cantina, Red River dogs, Luther's BBQ)
Beer selection: Very Good (St. Arnold, Dos Equis, Corona, Fat Tire, Pyramid and Blue Moon).
Pro: "The barbecue capital of the NFL."
Con: The walk home.

6. New Orleans Saints (Louisiana Superdome)
Number of concessions: >150
Number of restaurants: 1
Celebrity chef: Lenny Martinsens
Local options: Very Good (gumbo, jambalaya, cajun sausage, alligator sausage)
Beer selection: Good (Bud, Heineken, Corona, Abita, Michelob, Newcastle)
Pro: Did we mention the alligator sausage?
Con: Have you tried the gumbo?

7. Miami Dolphins (Sun Life Stadium)
Number of concessions: 40
Number of restaurants: 2
Celebrity chef: Orlando R. Morales
Local options: Good ("Asian" stir fry, Caribbean "cuisine")
Beer selection: Average (Miller, Coors, Landshark)
Pro: The paella.
Con: Again with the health violations.

8. Arizona Cardinals (University of Phoenix Stadium)
Number of concessions: 47
Local options: Very Good (Grande Roja, PizzaZ Mr. B's BBq, Touchdown Tortilla)
Beer selection: Average (Bud, Bud Light, Miller Lite)
Pro: Mr. B's brisket.
Con: After the brisket.

9. Chicago Bears (Soldier Field)
Number of concessions: >400
Number of restaurants: 0
Celebrity chef: Mark Angeles
Local options: Very good (you know, sausage)
Beer selection: Very good (Miller, Goose Island Honker's Ale)
Pro: Steamed pork buns.
Con: Steamed pizza.

10. Green Bay Packers (Lambeau Field)
Number of concessions: >200
Number of restaurants: 1 (Curly's Pub)
Local options: Very Good (Meat Packing Company, Titletown Grill)
Beer selection: Good (every kind of Leinenkugel Beer on tap)
Pro: Fratello's lasagna — oozing, in a good way.
Con: The service at Curly's Pub — standing, not in a good way.

11. San Francisco 49ers (Candlestick Park)
Number of concessions: 44
Number of restaurants: 4
Local options: Good (Papa Murphy's Pizza, Boudin's chouder, lots of seafood)
Beer selection: Good (plenty of microbrews on tap)
Pro: Edible fish tacos.
Con: Not-that-edible hot dogs.

12. Baltimore Ravens (M&T Bank Stadium)
Number of concessions: 45
Number of restaurants: 0
Celebrity chef: Chad Vandegrift
Local options: Good (a big BBQ stand)
Beer selection: Good (Miller, Budweiser, Michelob and Coors, Heineken, Amstel and Yuengling, Sam Adams and Corona)
Pro: Crab cakes. Lots of crab cakes.
Con: Eight dollars for a hot dog. Really.

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Raymond James Stadium)
Number of concessions: >500
Number of restaurants: 0
Local options: Good (but all pirate-themed: Treasure Cafe, The Galey, Crows Nest)
Beer selection: Good (Miller, Coors, Red Bridge Gluten-Free beer)
Pro: Smoked short ribs.
Con: It's Tampa.

14. New York Giants/Jets (New Meadowlands Stadium)
Number of concessions: 42 fixed, 92 portable
Celebrity chef: Eric Borgia
Local options: Good (Boardwalk Fryer, Brooklyn Custom Burgers)
Beer selection: Good (Brooklyn Lager, Hoegarden, Guiness)
Pro: "Go eat a goddamn snack."
Con: "Eating a bunch of fucking cheeseburgers before you stretch? That's being a jackass."

15. Carolina Panthers (Bank of America Stadium)
Number of concessions: 429
Local options: Good (Bojangles, the BBQ Shack)
Beer selection: Very good (SC Doubloon Double Pale Ale, Maelstrom IPA, Olde Meck Copper)
Pro: Serious pulled pork.
Con: Seriously not much beyond Carolina BBQ.

16. Detroit Lions (Ford Field)
Number of concessions: >50
Number of restaurants: 7
Celebrity chef: Joseph Nader
Local options: Good (Poletown Sausage, Big Boy, Charlie Sanders's BBQ)
Beer selection: Average (Bud, Miller, Coors)
Pro: The chicken.
Con: The Lions.

17. Oakland Raiders (Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum)
Number of concessions:: >50
Number of restaurants: 1
Local options: Average (garlic fries...)
Beer selection: Good (Anheuser/Busch brews, Sam Adams, Sierra Nevada, Guinness, Dos Equis)
Pro: Teriyaki everywhere.
Con: Almost too friendly to vegetarians.

18. Denver Broncos (Invesco Field at Mile High)
Number of concessions: >100
Celebrity chef: Christopher DeJohn
Local options: Average (Jalapeno Heaven, Blitzburger Grille, Buenos Dias Burritos)
Beer selection: Good (come on: it's Colorado)
Pro: Prime-rib sandwiches.
Con: Primetime prices.

19. Philadelphia Eagles (Lincoln Financial Field)
Number of concessions: >200
Local options: Average (Chickie's and Pete's)
Beer selection: Substandard (Bud, Miller, Coors)
Pro: Cheese steak.
Con: Cheese steak from Massachusetts.

20. Kansas City Chiefs (Arrowhead Stadium)
Number of concessions: >50
Celebrity chef: Kevin Williams
Local options: Good (BBQ, Primo Italian Classics, the Flame Grill)
Beer selection: Average (Boulevard, Bud Light, Miller Lite)
Pro: KC BBQ.
Con: The Chicken Basket? No.

21. Cleveland Browns (Cleveland Browns Stadium)
Number of concessions: 576 points of sale
Number of restaurants: 1 (Gridiron Square)
Local options: Average (Dawg Pound Deli, Browns Bistro, Donato's Pizza)
Beer selection: Average (Budweiser, Bud Light, Miller Light, Coors Light)
Pro: The Dawg Pound Deli
Con: The nachos in a dog-food dish — degrading.

22. Jacksonville Jaguars (EverBank Field)
Number of concessions: >40
Number of restaurants: 5
Local options: Average (El Gato Grande, Andrew Jackson's BBQ)
Beer selection: Good (Duke's Cold Nose Brown Ale, Killer Whale Cream Ale)
Pro: Andrew Jackson's BBQ!
Con: Andrew Jackson?

23. Tennessee Titans (LP Field)
Number of concessions: 60
Local options: Good
Beer selection: Substandard (no local beers)
Pro: Serious buffet.
Con: Seriously boring beer selection.

24. Indianapolis Colts (Lucas Oil Stadium)
Number of concessions: >160
Local options: Average
Beer selection: Average (Budweiser, Miller, Coors, Corona, Heineken, Amstel Light)
Pro: Good nachos, actually.
Con: The rest? Not so much.

25. New England Patriots (Gillette Stadium)
Number of concessions: >500
Local options: Average
Beer selection: Good (the Sam Adams roster)
Pro: Tailgating is fantastic.
Con: The $9 "value" meal at the McDonald's.

26. San Diego Chargers (Qualcomm Stadium)
Number of concessions: 125
Number of restaurants: 2
Local options: Substandard
Beer selection: Coors Light, Heineken, Dos Equis, Blue Moon
Pro: Fish tacos?
Con: Crowded.

27. Atlanta Falcons (Georgia Dome)
Number of concessions: n/a
Number of restaurants: 1
Local options: Average (Taco Mac
Beer selection: Good (Bud, Miller, Michelob, Coors, Heineken, Corona, Newcastle, Guinness)
Pro: Spitting out the Michelob?
Con: Too expensive for not much.

28. Buffalo Bills (Ralph Wilson Stadium)
Number of concessions: 42
Number of restaurants: 1
Local options: Average
Beer selection: Average (Budweiser, Bud Light, Coors Light, Heineken, Guinness)
Pro: Beef on weck sandwiches.
Con: The weck.

29. St. Louis Rams (Edward Jones Dome)
Number of concessions: >40
Local options: Average
Beer selection: Substandard
Pro: Toasted (read: deep-fried) ravioli.
Con: $9.50 for a beer?

30. Minnesota Vikings (Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Dome)
Number of concessions: >40
Number of restaurants: 0
Local options: Substandard
Beer selection: Substandard (Miller, coupla local brews)
Pro: BBQ pork sandwiches at Famous Dave's.
Con: Not much else.

31. Cincinnati Bengals (Paul Brown Stadium)
Number of concessions: 56
Number of restaurants: 0
Local options: Awful
Beer selection: Good (Bud, Bud Light, Miller Lite, Guinness, Warsteiner)
Pro: The Mett by Bluegrass Meats.
Con: Everything else.

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