I admit that when I go to a St. Louis Cardinals game I’m pretty habitual about my food choices. I’ll buy a beef hot dog and bottle of water when I arrive and then during about the second half of the third I’ll get an order of nachos with neon orange cheese and as many jalapeños as I can convince the concession person to give me. And I’m always very happy. What a fool I’ve been.
Take a look at the online Cardinals stadium food menu and you’ll see items you had no idea they served. Garlic-lime grilled shrimp? Asian noodles? Kosher pastrami dogs and meat and potato knish? Chicken tinga burritos? It’s an intriguing list but one probably met with skepticism. I get it. Who wants to drop a good chunk of money on mediocre barbecue or a bland vegetarian meal that leaves you feeling empty and unsatisfied? Isn’t it far safer to go with the simple, tried and true items that require the least amount of skill to prepare? I mean, you don’t go to the ballpark expecting restaurant quality food, you go for what you know is going to leave you feeling, more or less, satisfied. While that may have been logical thinking at one time, it is no longer. Now, some of the very best dishes at the stadium are the ones developed and prepared carefully in the house by the cooks and chefs and which you probably have yet to try. Search out the following affordably priced items next time you go to a game and you will be so genuinely surprised and delighted that you, like me, will never eat at Busch Stadium the same way again.
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1.) Coca Cola pork street tacos
Speaking with Norman Taylor, executive sous chef for Delaware North, the team’s food and beverage partner at Busch, is an enlightening experience. Not only is Taylor full of vibrant, animated energy, he shares stories about some of the absolutely insane events which have peppered his career at the stadium. His knowledge, experience, and sheer determination ensure the stories have happy—and often very funny—endings. Something that becomes very apparent when talking with chef Taylor, is the depth and breadth of his cooking knowledge. Just ask him about his three-day process for preparing the pork used in the street tacos served at the Coca Cola Cantina. The tacos are anything but traditional. They are loaded with rich, flavorful, shredded pork as tender and juicy as I have enjoyed at some of the city’s best restaurants. Slightly sweet BBQ sauce lightly coats the meat with Pico de Gallo adding some fresh bite. Say “yes” to the optional crunchy fried onions. A trio of these stellar tacos cost $9.25.
2.) Rice bowl
Searching for something not meat-focused at the ballpark usually leaves you carb loading on salty snacks. At El Birdos, a build your own burrito, nacho or bowl vendor in the Redbird Club, you can find a meat-free meal that will surprise you. The rice bowl is loaded with flavor because of the wide variety of ingredients and toppings available. Rice and tender black beans are bathed in your choice of melty nacho or white queso cheese. Add a variety of both sweet and hot pickled peppers, Pico de Gallo, fresh corn salsa, chopped onions and a good dollop of sour cream. The generously sized rice bowl costs $10. If you find yourself wanting to add some meat, you can choose beef, pork or chicken tinga for $5.25 more.
3.) Mega-sliced pepperoni pizza
While choosing which items to try, I had initially starred the Mega Slice pepperoni pizza in my notes. As I toured the stadium with hospitality specialist, Abby Niebur, eating one thing after another, I wrinkled my nose when I mentioned the pizza slice saying we could probably pass on it. “Oh no. You should definitely try it,” she responded. “It’s so good! And it’s funny, we see people Instagramming it all the time.” So, we ordered the pepperoni. What came out was a New York-style slice of pizza, loaded with bubbly golden brown cheese and pepperoni, hanging out of a cardboard serving tray longer than my forearm. It looked good. It smelled good. I had barely taken a bite when a woman walked up to me and asked me where she, too, could get a slice. I pointed to Dizzy’s Diner in section 139 and chewed. A fresh, crisp, chewy crust and cheese with flavor as well as pull, made it a solid choice that’s worlds better than any national chain pizza joint will deliver to you. The humorously massive slice of pizza will cost you a very reasonable $8.
4.) Mango habanero grilled sausage bites
One of the prettiest areas of the ballpark absolutely invites serious lounging with its open, plant-filled spaces, cabana-style seating areas and two large bars. The space which was known previously as “The Riverview Corner” has been re-designed as “Budweiser Terrace” which houses the Terrace Grill. Here you can order baskets of pub-style meaty snacks. Bacon-onion-cheddar, whiskey peppercorn or mango habanero grilled sausage bites are served on a bed of thick, crunchy potato chips and drizzled with spicy aioli. A plump, whole jalapeño tops the pile. All of the sausages have wonderful snap and were perfectly grilled and juicy. The super savory mango-habanero sausage was particularly tasty with a (slightly) sweet and (moderately) spicy meat. The thoughtful addition of the char on the pepper garnish made it too good not to eat as well. An order of any variety of the sausage bites is $9.
5.) Dingers Doughnuts
I finished my night at the Dingers Donuts vendor where a shiny, large, contraption was pumping out small rounds of dough into hot oil. The line was one of the longest of the evening, for good reason. Piping hot, bite-size doughnuts, drizzled with a squeeze of sticky chocolate or vanilla icing and topped with sprinkles, filled me with as much anticipation as a 6-year-old. After the necessary initial tasting of one freshly made chocolate and one vanilla variety, I refused to give up or give away the rest as I normally would. I managed to speed walk the four blocks back to my car, clinging the doughnut-filled paper deli boat and devouring the little treats while simultaneously dodging pokey pedestrians. As I got to the parking garage, I reached for my last little morsel and heard the sound of cheering fans, the night sky filling with bright fireworks. A “Dingers Dozen” will cost you $6.75.
