After an offseason filled with anxiety and frustration, the MLB is back, and with it all the fun that makes us love a day at the park.  The best way to enjoy a game though is to indulge in some long-awaited ballpark food.   

Today’s The Top Ten–Major League Ballpark Concessions 

#10 Crabfries — Philadelphia Phillies

Most people head into Citizens Bank Park looking for the well-known donut burger, but if you ask any employee (specifically the groundskeepers) it’s the Crabfries that are worth the hype. A long-time staple in Philly from famous bar, Chickie’s and Pete’s, the line will be around the block for the simple, but classic old bay seasoned fries and cheese sauce.  No there’s no crab, leave that to the Orioles concessions, but the secret family blend of seasoning is legit.  It may not blow you away with creativity–it’s no fruit loops on your chili-dog (see #5)–but it’s siple, worth the trip and wait in line.  

#9 The Skyline Chili Dog — Cincinnati Reds

Take a classic and add the reputation of Skyline Chili and you have our #9.  No day at the park is official without a chili dog, and Skyline adds its renowned family recipe to an already superior staple. Want to take it outside of the box? Switch up the dog and have the chili over a bowl of spaghetti.  The options are endless and totally worth it.  

#8 Toasted Grasshoppers — Seattle Mariners

What… a bug made the list of best ballpark foods?  Absolutely.  Safeco Field is home to the wildest snack on this list, and probably the planet when it comes to sports.  And unlike the Crabfries you saw in #10, this one isn’t a joke—it’s real grashoppers.  Salty and crunchy, these make an amazing “guess what we ate” story to add to your baseball outing, and they’re an excellent source of protein. The M’s may not make the playoffs often, but these get in our top ten for being out of the box.  

#7 The Wowfull — New York Mets

The Wowfull is a much cooler take on the ice cream scoop in a waffle cone.  At Citi Field you can load this up with tons of toppings to choose from, maybe not as many toppings as Bobby Bonilla dollars, but you catch the drift.  Whether it’s the crazy stuff you crave like cereal or gummy worms or you prefer the classic chocolate chips and sprinkles, this dessert is worth the buy on a sweltering summer day.  What sets this apart–if tilted correctly, it’s shaped like a baseball glove catching a ball. So, take a notoriously wonderful dessert and make it a legitimate baseball shape… you get my vote.  At least the Mets fans can be happy about something.  

#6 The Cuban Sandwich — Tampa Bay Rays

This one makes the list for the truly authentic taste of Cuban culture.  Florida boasts a strong Cuban heritage that naturally embedded itself into baseball culture—food included.  The sandwich includes meats, mustard, pickles, toasted Cuban bread, and it fits this list for being a staple without the fancy sides.  It doesn’t need toppings, or shapes, or crazy colors, it’s just authentic, simple, and tasty.  It’s the thing you try anywhere else in the country, and it just doesn’t match up, so it’s worth the wait while you’re in town.  

#5 The Slider Dog — Cleveland Commanders

This one makes the list for creativity alone.  This dog is loaded with pimento Mac N’ Cheese and topped in what had to be a fraternity dorm room idea—fruit loops.  Like every teenager’s dream to just add sugar on something already fantastic, the fruit loops make this dog a destination at Progressive Field, and you don’t need to be a crazy teenager to love it.  The fruity crunch balances the spicy mac and out of sheer inventiveness finds its way to #5 on this list.  

#4 The Pittsburgh Cone — Pittsburg Pirates

#3 The Chicken and Waffle Boat — Atlanta Braves

Southern Comfort food will always have a place on any food related top ten, but this one takes 3^rd for Atlanta’s classic reup on Chicken and Waffles.  With a waffle boat base, the chicken is tossed in mango habanero sauce and balanced with plenty of powdered sugar, and the curly fries on the side are a cherry on top. It’s hard to beat this southern classic, so at a ball game in Atlanta it’s the perfect lunch. 

#2 The Dilly Dog — Texas Rangers

In Texas, they do it big.  The corn dog is a baseball staple that deserves to be on every top 3 of any ballpark food list.  But the Rangers took a corn dog and added a dill pickle, basically making magic and frying it.  The ballpark frank sits inside of a hollowed-out dill pickle that is then deep fried to perfection and topped with mustard—giving the typical CD some crunch and flare.  The take on this ballpark classic gives the Rangers another silver medal. (ouch!) 

#1 Down Wisconsin Avenue Brat — Milwaukee Brewers

This Brat wins for it’s simplicity, creativity, and baseball heritage.  The dog is simple in that it’s a bratwurst, a level up on the classic ballpark frank and a representation of the Milwaukee German culture.  It’s creatively a foot and a half long, named after the main strip in the heart of the city—plus it’s covered in cheese curds from the cheese capital of the country.  And finally, its namesake comes from beloved announcer Bob Uecker who coined the phrase “down Wisconsin Avenue” which he often used whenever pitches were thrown down the middle of the plate.  The brat is perfect for a ballpark afternoon and is loaded with toppings and baseball culture, landing it at number one on the Daily Dime for Best Ballpark Foods.  

Honorable Mentions 

Chronic Tacos – LA Angels  

Rocky Mountain Oysters – Colorado Rockies 

Miami Mex Taco Dog – Miami Marlins 

The Spec-Tater – Atlanta Braves 

Bigger Better Burger Bloody Mary – Minnesota Twins 

Crab Cakes – Baltimore Orioles 

Cleveland Caramel Fries – Cleveland Indians 

The Crazy Crab Press – San Francisco Giants 

Giola’s Hot Salami Sandwhich – St. Louis Cardinals 

Ghost Pepper Wings – Arizona Diamondbacks 

Elote/The Dodger Dog – LA Dodgers 

Fenway Franks – Boston Red Sox 

Tres Leches Shakes – New York Yankees