America's Best Stadium Food

Sports stadiums have drafted celebrity chefs and local gourmet shops to up their game in the food court.

By Ratha Tep

At the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn, sports fans can taste the best of the borough: pulled-pork sandwiches from chef Zak Pelaccio's Fatty 'Cue; tacos piled with beer-battered cod and mango salsa at Calexico, which began as a popular street cart; and smoky brisket dogs by Michelin-starred chef Saul Bolton.

"By tapping into the Brooklyn culinary scene and sourcing from local artisans and farms, the arena experience can be emblematic of a particular city or region," says Chris Granger, executive vice president of team marketing and business operations at the NBA.

The Barclays Center's concession stands, carts, and restaurants demonstrate how far food at stadiums and arenas across the U.S. has come since the days of industrial-cheese-drenched nachos and other standardized fare. Whether you're rooting for football or baseball, soccer or hockey, your stadium food choices are likely to come from hometown celebrity chefs and local gourmet shops, and incorporate regional ingredients and twists.

We surveyed sports writers like Law and and Buster Olney of ESPN The Magazine as well as sports-obsessed chefs and restaurateurs to come up with the sports stadiums whose food can be as satisfying as the action on the field. Read on for the winners.

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