This post was written for the 2021 season. See the post for the 2022 season.
Food options at T-Mobile Park look a little different this season. For one thing, COVID-19 restrictions prohibit fans from bringing in any outside food (which means I can’t pick up my usual banh mi at Uwajimaya before heading over to the ballpark). With a maximum of 9,000 fans allowed into the stadium per game, many fewer concession stands than normal are open for business, and there aren’t any condiment stations or vendors roaming the aisles. All of the Mariners food is being packaged in to-go containers, and all of the transactions are cashless (and for the first time this season, don’t include taxes in the listed prices). Still, along with the usual ballpark fare of hot dogs, peanuts, and nachos, there are plenty of interesting options to choose from. Here are my picks for the best things you can eat at a Mariners game.
The Best Sandwich: At Paseo in section 183, you can get a credible version of the much-loved Caribbean roast pork sandwich ($16) from the restaurant’s Fremont location. It’s served on a toasted baguette with cilantro, pickled jalapeños, and caramelized onions. For an extra $3, you can add roasted chili lime grasshoppers, which have become a T-Mobile Park staple since they were introduced a few seasons ago.
The Best Pizza: Ethan Stowell’s Ballard Pizza Co., located in the ‘Pen, has expanded this season to a second location in the Terrace Club in section 240. At both locations, you can get slices of cheese, pepperoni, or the “Ballard Bridge,” a combo slice with sausage, pepperoni, olives, and mushrooms ($8.50).
The Best Dessert (for Regular People): Stowell’s also responsible for a new dessert option that you can find at the Frozen Rope Sandwich Company behind section 132. Inspired by the name of one of Stowell’s restaurants, the “How to Wolf a Cookie” is a 4-inch, gooey treat with chocolate chips, pistachios, and cherries ($8, or $6 when it was featured as a “Highlight Bite” the night I tried it.)
The Best Dessert (for the Intrepid Eater): Adventurous ice cream lovers will want to try a scoop of the Creepy Crawly Critters flavor at Salt & Straw in section 184 ($8.50). Matcha ice cream is combined with toffee-brittle mealworms and chocolate-covered crickets in a dessert that’s creamy, crunchy, and just a little bit nutty. If eating bugs isn’t your thing, other flavors include the decadent salted malted chocolate chip cookie dough, and sea salt with caramel ribbons.
The Best Burger: Lil Woody’s, the mini burger chain with locations in Ballard, Capitol Hill, and White Center, has two outposts at the ballpark (only the one in section 219 was open the night I visited). The Big Woody, a grass-fed beef patty with bacon and cheddar, is a tasty, if somewhat messy burger ($12), and there’s also a version without bacon (The Little Woody) as well as a meatless option.
The Most Iconic Seattle Food: New this season at Hiroshi’s Sushi behind section 132, you can customize made-to-order poke bowls with salmon or tuna ($16). They’re topped with your choice of cucumber, avocado, and tobiko.
The Best-Named Menu Item: With apologies to the Marco Pollo, a new spicy shredded chicken sandwich that’s named after Mariners ace pitcher Marco Gonzales but wasn’t available the night I was at the park, I’ll pick the Moose-ubi, a two-piece spam musubi ($8) that’s also on the menu at Hiroshi’s Sushi.
The Healthiest Mariners Food Options: At the stand called The Natural, also behind section 132, you’ll find prepackaged salads and sandwiches, including a wild berry salad and a gluten-free turkey sandwich (both $10). They also offer a hummus plate and fruit cup as well as vegan burgers and sausages.
I left out one iconic Mariners food item that I won’t call one of the best things you can eat at the stadium. But if you haven’t been to a game at T-Mobile Park before, it’s practically a rite of passage to try an order of garlic fries from one of the Grounders locations that are located throughout the stadium. It’s an experience that you won’t soon forget – and a taste that will literally stay with you for a long time. The only way to cleanse your palate might be with some mealworm-and-cricket ice cream.
What are your favorite things to eat at a Mariners game? Leave a comment and let me know!
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What I Ate: The Big Woody burger from Lil Woody’s
