Take yourself out to the ballgame. Take yourself out with the crowd. Buy yourself peanuts and Cracker Jack. But this is Oracle Park, so why stop at that?
Like the city that surrounds it, the San Francisco Giants' home stadium brims with culinary options, its concession stands a showcase of fresh and local dishes that go well beyond standard ballpark fare. Because you can't try all the items in nine innings, here's what to consider when it’s your turn at the plate.
Crab Sandwich at Crazy Crab'z
Location: Center Field, Upper Level
Shrimp rolls, chowder bread bowls, and fried calamari can all be had at this bustling seafood stand. But the stunner here is the Dungeness crab sandwich, with mounds of sweet crab meat and warm tomatoes on buttered sourdough bread.
Kale Smoothie and Roasted Vegetable Sandwich at The Garden
Location: Centerfield, Lower Level
Back, back, back under the centerfield scoreboard, you'll find a working garden. (Maybe this is what they mean by "farm team.") Beside it are two bistros, Hearth Table and Garden Table, serving hot and cold dishes, respectively. Try the roasted eggplant and pepper sandwich at the former, and the kale and banana smoothie at the latter. They're healthy options that taste good, too.
Sheboygan Bratwurst at Doggie Diner
Location: Multiple locations throughout the park
No disrespect to a plain old hot dog. But this juicy brat comes with sauerkraut and onions on a sourdough roll. As the scouts like to say, it's got big league stuff.
Cha Cha Bowl at Orlando's Caribbean BBQ
Location: Promenade Level and View Level
Like the former Giant's slugger Orlando Cepeda, the Cha Cha Bowl has plenty of pop. It's a generous medley of rice, black beans, pineapple-zucchini salsa, and a choice of pork carnitas or grilled chicken, with optional chipotle BBQ sauce.
Roast Turkey and Cranberry Sauce at the Carvery
Location: Field Club and Promenade Level
Baseball is as American as apple pie. So is roast turkey and cranberry sauce. Here, the cranberry sauce is sweet and tangy, and the turkey meat is carved straight off the bird. Try the house-made potato chips to round things off.
Anchor Steam Battered Fish at the Public House
Location: Willie Mays Plaza
True to its name, the Public House pulls craft beers on tap. It also puts forth elevated pub grub from noted San Francisco chef Traci Des Jardins. The braised short ribs are succulent. The wild mushroom risotto is satisfying. But it’s hard to beat the golden-battered fish and chips, with tartar sauce on the side.
Pizza at Tony Gemignani's Slice House
Location: Promenade Level, Field Club Level, and Alaska Airlines Club Level
The 2007 World Champion Pizza Maker, Tony Gemignani has restaurants in San Francisco, Sacramento, Las Vegas, and beyond. He also has stands in AT&T Park, which sell perfectly blistered cheese and pepperoni pizza by the slice.
Beef with Broccoli at Edsel Ford Fong's
Location: Promenade Level
Edsel Ford Fong was a famously rude waiter at Sam Wo Restaurant in Chinatown. At the concession stand named for him, you can get tasty renditions of Cantonese classics, without the abuse.
Mission-Style Carne Asada Burrito at Mission Street Taqueria
Location: Promenade Level
"Mission style" means without rice, so there's no starchy filler to smother the flavor of the nicely marinated grilled meat. Throw in an order of nachos for good measure. They taste like, well, nachos. But they're served in a plastic baseball hat.
Final Bites
The USDA-certified organic fast food restaurant the Organic Coup brings its fried chicken sandwich to the ballpark’ Promenade Level, while the ice cream sandwich chain CREAM has started serving up its signature sweet treats at a kiosk, also on the Promenade Level.