we try fan favorites
The crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd and the smell of hot dogs and popcorn fill the air. That can only mean one thing…baseball is back. Spring training is in full swing and so are the concession stands at stadiums and ballparks across Florida.
But these days it’s not just about hot dogs and popcorn, ballpark food is evolving.
So as we traveled from stadium to stadium we asked fans at First Data Field, home of the Mets; Hammond Field, home of the Twins and The Ballpark of Palm Beaches, home of the Astros what they like to eat at a game.
But these days it’s not just about hot dogs and popcorn, ballpark food is evolving.
So as we traveled from stadium to stadium we asked fans at First Data Field, home of the Mets; Hammond Field, home of the Twins and The Ballpark of Palm Beaches, home of the Astros what they like to eat at a game.
Ball State Spring Training’s Aaliyah English and Breanna Daugherty decided to try out a few of the fans’ favorite foods.
FIRST DATA FIELD
Lemonade
AE: Nothing beats an ice cold, freshly squeezed lemonade on a hot spring day. Finding the right balance of sweet and tart is an art form that I truly appreciate. The freshly squeezed lemonade that we tried at the Mets game was an experience, to say the least. The lemonade is made with a special patented mixture and topped off with a freshly squeezed lemon. Inside of the cup was a lemon slice, and I found that by angling the cup just right so that the lemon is close to your mouth when drinking, it provides the perfect ratio of sweet to tart. I’m not sure if it the special patented recipe that caused my mouth to salivate and my cheeks to pucker, or if it was the freshly squeezed lemon that is added to the mixture, but overall, I really enjoyed this cup of lemonade. One thing I was not a fan of was the size. For $4 I would have liked a larger cup, and the extra work I had to do on my end just to get the right flavor took this sweet treat from a rating of 4/5 to 3.5.
3.5/5
BD: It’s been a little while since I’ve had freshly squeezed lemonade. This lemonade had an almost perfect ratio of sweet and tart. However, it was a tad bit too watery.
This lemonade also had a fresh lemon slice in the cup. I’m normally not one for having lemonade in my drink, but I went for it. I recommend drinking it close to the lemon because it adds a little more zest and fresh feeling to drink.
Overall, it’s not the best lemonade I’ve ever had, even though the employees said the owner worked hard to make the best recipe. I’m also not sure it was worth the $4.
I’d like to believe lemonade is a classic at the game, but I think most people will say beer is their classic go to.
3.5/5
Sonny’s BBQ
AE: The smoky smell of the pulled pork, soulful yelp, “Sonny’s BBQ pulled pork right here!” from the vendor and my personal love of BBQ drew me to try a sandwich from Sonny’s BBQ. Bre and I tried a pulled pork sandwich with the sizzlin’ sauce and one with the sweet sauce. Both were flavorful and self-serve elevated the sandwich. The which sauce had a smoky flavor with a slight hint of spice. Nothing too overpowering, just a slight pepper flavor to really bring out the smokiness of the sauce. On the other hand, the sweet sauce brought out more of a tangy flavor to the sauce. The hint of sweetness paired well with the pork. For the price, I feel lie we got a lot of meat for our sandwich and it was enough to fill me up for the rest of the game. There was a self-served sauce witch I really liked because I could control how much I wanted on my sandwich. The one downside was the pork. The meat was dry and slightly overcooked so I was not able to get the nice juicy bite that I really wanted.
4.5/5
BD: Let me begin by saying I love BBQ. And Sonny’s BBQ is definitely in my top BBQ experiences.
Aaliyah and I tried both the sizzlin’ sweet and sweet sauces. The sweet sauce had a classic smoky flavor that you can find on any pulled pork BBQ sandwich. The sizzling’ sweet on the other hand, was unlike any other BBQ sauce I’ve had. As a person that doesn’t like spicy things, it had the perfect amount of kick for me.
Sadly, the pulled pork seemed a bit dry and chewy at times. Don’t get me wrong, it was still delicious, and the vendor was very generous with our portions. Which made up for the $8 we paid for it.
As much as I love BBQ, I’m not sure it’s a classic to have at a baseball game if you’re sticking with traditions.
4/5
HAMMOND FIELD
Bratwurst with everything / bratwurst with mustard
AE: Let me start by saying I am not the biggest fan of bratwurst, but I will eat one from time to time. At each stadium, multiple fans suggested that the best way to enjoy the game is with a bratwurst with everything on it. Yes, everything on it. That includes mustard, onions, sauerkraut and relish. The brat itself was not too bad it had a nice flavor, but it was the combination of the tartness of the mustard, sweetness from the relish and the tang from the sauerkraut and onions that I was not really a fan of. The taste was reminded me of potato salad but with sausage. I was not a fan of this combination and for the price of $6.25 I was disappointed.
1/5
BD: I do not like mustard, but I’m trying new things so, why not a brat with mustard.
We had an average brat, but paid $6.25 for it. That seems extremely overprices for the only okay brat I had. The mustard doesn’t really add anything to the brat as people seem to say it does. I will admit, as a ketchup user, I don’t think ketchup adds any more or less than the mustard. I honestly didn’t even finish the brat.
I nervously bit into the everything brat Aaliyah decided to have. I was not a fan. There wasn’t any clear taste, it all kind of ran together and nothing stood out in the mix of flavors. I’m just not sure what adding all the flavors really adds to the final brat.
As far as a brat being a classic staple of a ball game, I believe it is.
1.5/5
Kettle Corn
AE: I am not a big fan of kettle corn, but I believe that might have changed today. I am normally not a fan of the sweetness of kettle corn, but the kettle corn we tried today had a nice ratio of sweet a salty. The bag we bought was $8 but it was a large size. Good thing Bre and our fellow classmates were there because I could not finish it on my own. Based on the cost, size and flavor I believe the kettle corn easily earns a high rating.
4/5
BD: As soon as I picked up the bag, I could smell the sweetness through the bag. I don’t have kettle corn a lot and just started eating it a few summers ago.
But the first couple of kernels weren’t as sweet as the bag smelled, so I was a little disappointed. As I continued eating, I would find some salty and sweeter pieces. It seemed like the perfect mix of the two.
The price on the other hand was a little steep–$8 for a large bag. It would take me a little while to eat, but for our Spring Training staff, I’m sure they’ll go through it rather quickly.
But a ball game treat, I’m just not sure it would be my go to ball game treat.
4/5
The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches
Veggie Burger
AE: One thing that a few fans shared was that they would like to see more vegetarian and vegan options at the ball park. After hearing this we felt the need to try some of the options that were available. We tried a veggie burger and I must say I was not a fan. The veggie patty was soft and was heavily loaded with onions. I was not a fan of the mushy texture and other than the onions, it lacked flavor. The patty seemed to fall apart as I continued to eat and I did not like that either. Now that I have tried the veggie burger, I agree that there need to be more options for vegetarians and vegans as well.
2/5
BD: We ended up meeting a few vegetarian and vegan fans, and it was good to hear that there were some options for them at the ballpark. I was in charge of putting the condiments on the burger, which was terrible. It was sliding off the bun and was more of a hassle than it should have been. I also believe it lacked flavor, like Aaliyah mentioned and it was too mushy. The texture was too weird for me, as well as the different vegetables being mixed into the patty. I am glad they have the option, but I was really not a fan.
1.5/5
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Hot Dog
AE: We could not end this list without trying a classic. To wrap things up we tried a hotdog. Almost everyone we asked said that you can’t go wrong with a hotdog at the ballpark, and I must say I agree. Maybe it’s the atmosphere, or maybe it’s the yell of the venders but whatever it maybe, there is something about a warm hotdog on a soft bun that taste better at the ball park. The hotdog I had did not disappoint, they were evenly cooked and the buns were nice and soft. Personally I like my bun to slightly toasted and my hotdog a little burnt and but I could really appreciate the flavor of the hotdog at the last stadium. Over all I give the hotdog a perfect score.
5/5
BD: How could we not try fan favorites and not try a hot dog, especially after so many people said they love a classic dog. I personally like to keep it simple and I just put some ketchup on my dog. It was one of the better hot dogs I’ve had in my time. It had a well-toasted bun (but smashed) and a perfectly cooked dog. I don’t think there’s a better way to end Spring Training besides with a perfect hot dog at our last stadium.
AE: We could not end this list without trying a classic. To wrap things up we tried a hotdog. Almost everyone we asked said that you can’t go wrong with a hotdog at the ballpark, and I must say I agree. Maybe it’s the atmosphere, or maybe it’s the yell of the venders but whatever it maybe, there is something about a warm hotdog on a soft bun that taste better at the ball park. The hotdog I had did not disappoint, they were evenly cooked and the buns were nice and soft. Personally I like my bun to slightly toasted and my hotdog a little burnt and but I could really appreciate the flavor of the hotdog at the last stadium. Over all I give the hotdog a perfect score.
5/5
BD: How could we not try fan favorites and not try a hot dog, especially after so many people said they love a classic dog. I personally like to keep it simple and I just put some ketchup on my dog. It was one of the better hot dogs I’ve had in my time. It had a well-toasted bun (but smashed) and a perfectly cooked dog. I don’t think there’s a better way to end Spring Training besides with a perfect hot dog at our last stadium.
