Are there any good eats in US Cellular Park

I like to elotes and that is about it. The grilled hot dogs might be decent if they were not served on stale buns. The grilled onions that come with it are terrible...too sweet. I have tried many things and still have not found a must have at the old ball game. Any ideas? I have found a beer stand in the 100 level that serves a range of imported beers. It is located on the foul side of the foul pool in left field. Stadium club has nice food but way too expensive for a buffet.

I had a couple of pretty tasty brats served right off the grill from the stand outside of section 139 this past weekend. The bun was not stale.

I'm a big fan of the kosher dogs that are served by the roving vendors. The bun gets nice and steamed in the metal case, and the dog is good. Like you said, Elotes.

That usually holds me over til I hit chinatown after the game.

There's a stand that has an okay Corned Beef sandwich as well.

The bullpen bar has passable bar food like nachos and a average-to-below average Beef, and great drinks.

I haven't been in over a decade, but doesn't Sportservice still run all the concessions? They have a monopoly on the place, so what is their incentive to provide anything decent?

I am not usre what level of food people are looking for, it is a baseball park after all. When I go a cold beer, and a grilled kosher hotdog is all I need. Never ran into a stale bun, or a bad grilled kosher dog, and I have seen over 200 games at the Cell.

I typically go out to eat before or after the game, and do not expect a more than a good hot dog, and a cold beer when I am at the park, to complete the whole baseball watching experience.

dradeli wrote: I have tried many things and still have not found a must have at the old ball game. Any ideas? I have found a beer stand in the 100 level that serves a range of imported beers. It is located on the foul side of the foul pool in left field. Stadium club has nice food but way too expensive for a buffet.

I have not had anything at that park that was very good. The sausages are generally ok when they are not overcooked. Sportservice operations generally are uncreative and "old school."

The Levy Restaurants in the luxury suites has been a MAJOR disappointment. They offer great variety but a lot of the food is prepared so far in advance that it is not fresh even at the start of the game. The quesadillas are particularly bad. They do a decent salad and a fruit platter that is pretty decent. What I don't understand is that the Levy operations at Jacobs Field in Cleveland is so much better.

In this day and age, it is surprising that they don't toss Sportservice (Delaware North) and bring in local operations to provide a lot of local options.

jlawrence01 wrote:

dradeli wrote: I have tried many things and still have not found a must have at the old ball game. Any ideas? I have found a beer stand in the 100 level that serves a range of imported beers. It is located on the foul side of the foul pool in left field. Stadium club has nice food but way too expensive for a buffet.

I have not had anything at that park that was very good. The sausages are generally ok when they are not overcooked. Sportservice operations generally are uncreative and "old school."

The Levy Restaurants in the luxury suites has been a MAJOR disappointment. They offer great variety but a lot of the food is prepared so far in advance that it is not fresh even at the start of the game. The quesadillas are particularly bad. They do a decent salad and a fruit platter that is pretty decent. What I don't understand is that the Levy operations at Jacobs Field in Cleveland is so much better.

In this day and age, it is surprising that they don't toss Sportservice (Delaware North) and bring in local operations to provide a lot of local options.

So Sportservice does Kosher Dogs, Polishes, Italian Beefs, Elotes and Churros at all their parks?

ab wrote:So Sportservice does Kosher Dogs, Polishes, Italian Beefs, Elotes and Churros at all their parks?

Head out to some of the baseball parks across the country, especially the West Coast operations, and you'll quickly see that the two Chicago park rank close to the bottom.

I have had CONSISTENTLY better concession stand food at the two local Class A parks - Kane County and Beloit, WI - than i have had in Chicago. And that is a shame.

I am not particularly fond of anything there either and can't think of any "can't miss" items, I usually just get the pulled pork or brisket sandwich. Obviously they have nothing on someplace like Smoque , but they're edible to me at least and come with a bag of chips for $6.50 I do believe.

I've heard the steak pitas are one of the better items too, any thoughts?

The steak pitas are the tastiest handwarmers during chilly April/September night games.

Head out to some of the baseball parks across the country, especially the West Coast operations, and you'll quickly see that the two Chicago park rank close to the bottom.

Add on the premium price they stick you with for that overgrilled brat on a stale bun, and I think you'll find that the offerings at both parks rank near the bottom, along with O'Hare, on the Chicagoland Value/Quality Food-a-meter.

Here is a recent ESPN article on the best of ball park food:

http://sports.espn.go.com/travel/news/s ... titialskip


And a New Your Times article:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008 ... PHIC.html#

Having been to 7 ballparks outside of chicago in the last couple years, I've yet to find a decent dog outside of the Kosher dog at US Cellular.

But some people do like sushi at the park, just not for me. I'll take elotes and a kosher dog and call it a day...

That New York Times article was a joke.

The Kosher Dogs with grilled onions are King at the Cell.

cstenson wrote:The Kosher Dogs with grilled onions are King at the Cell.

I find the kosher dogs with grilled onions unpalatable. The buns are horrible and stale the grilled onions are the worse I've tasted...way to sweet almost taste like syrup. Give me portillos any day.

dradeli wrote:

cstenson wrote:The Kosher Dogs with grilled onions are King at the Cell.

I find the kosher dogs with grilled onions unpalatable. The buns are horrible and stale the grilled onions are the worse I've tasted...way to sweet almost taste like syrup. Give me portillos any day.

Personally, I don't see how they can call it a Kosher dog as they were on the SAME grill with the bratwurst and Italian sausage at the two stands that I was at on Sunday.

jlawrence01 wrote:Personally, I don't see how they can call it a Kosher dog as they were on the SAME grill with the bratwurst and Italian sausage at the two stands that I was at on Sunday.

It's a brand name. It's sort of like saying a persons first name might be doctor.

jlawrence01 wrote:

dradeli wrote:

cstenson wrote:The Kosher Dogs with grilled onions are King at the Cell.

I find the kosher dogs with grilled onions unpalatable. The buns are horrible and stale the grilled onions are the worse I've tasted...way to sweet almost taste like syrup. Give me portillos any day.

Personally, I don't see how they can call it a Kosher dog as they were on the SAME grill with the bratwurst and Italian sausage at the two stands that I was at on Sunday.

get something to eat before or after the game if none of the Cell's options work for you, afterall you are presumably there to watch baseball, food is secondary to baseball. Go Sox.

I am not the biggest fan of ballpark food in general. I find the selection limited, and overpriced. But the Cell is definitely in the top half of the parks I have travelled to. Only Coors Field and Pac Bell had better food. The steak pitas are very tasty. When I was there last week, I noticed Greek sausages which I didn't get the opportunity to try.

Having said that, I find the best solution is to avoid paying the $22 parking, park in Chinatown for a great dinner, and take the Red Line south 1 stop if I am too lazy to walk. For me stopping by Uncle Johns on the way up and carrying in some rib tips is a great way to go also.

Glenn

Having said that, I find the best solution is to avoid paying the $22 parking.... take the Red Line south 1 stop if I am too lazy to walk.

Or, take the Green Line to the Bronzeville stop; the Customary Dining Companion is a Sox fan, and we took this route the last time we took in a game, on his advice. Best route from downtown for a game, as 1) the cars are way less crowded, and 2) the walk is only a block or so more from the Cell. Highly recommended for both to and especially from the game, particularly for Metra people; Clark/Lake is a good place to board and debark. If Buerhle is pitching, you'll have time to whoop it up in River North after the game. I speak from experience.

PS CDC is a huge devotee of the corn, to the point of having me teach him how to do it at home with corn from the green market. He's a mighty good man.

Mmm, I just hit the churro stand and then head to Ed's Potsticker House after the game...

I used to like their pork chop sandwich and I'd put Secret Stadium Sauce on it. Then one time I got one and went to the condiments area to get the sauce. No sauce; they said they stopped having it at that concession stand, although they did have it way upstairs somewhere on the other side of the ballpark. Eating a pork chop sandwich without sauce was a disappointment. By the way, they have Secret Stadium Sauce at Woodman's.

I seem to remember having a nice roast beef sandwich on rye there once.

I still miss the taco stand from old Comisky park.

I had that roast beef sandwich on rye last night....I was impressed. I also liked the brat with sauerkraut not to mentioned the elotes. It was the best food I had there.

Thanks for the suggestions

I keep meaning to post in this thread and then don't quite get around to it.

I am no fan of ballpark food, but I go to US Cellular quite regularly and if I have to eat something...

Both the elotes and the fruit salad (with lime juice and a sprinkling of what looks and tastes like Cayenne) at the elote stand are decent. Next door to the stand in right field there is a Chicago Hot Dog stand that does a passable job of creating the classic Chicago salad dog. The hot dog and bun suffer from bad storage or prep at times, but the condiments are right and it is quite edible.

The two times I have had sky box food were disappointing - the food was prepared a long time before and had not fared well during its holding time. Even worse were the burgers and chicken breasts in the center field deck. Dry chicken and gray burgers floating in their chafing dish. The dogs were a bit better, if still lousy. Experiences like that remind me that free, awful food is no treat.

I found myself in line at the grilled Kosher Dog stand last week to get a soda and was inexplicably drawn to a dog with grilled onions, so I got one. Some fleeting and romantic memory of ballparks and hot dogs perhaps? Won't do that again - there was nothing terribly wrong with the dog and accompaniments, but it was not really good either (see Jim's Polish for reference).

As to grading ballparks on which offer good food and which do not, isn't that like deciding which is the tallest midget? They all offer food service product that is pretty mediocre and shockingly overpriced. Some of it can taste good, certainly, but none of it compares favorably to good versions of the same stuff elsewhere.

One last note - a food friend of mine and I have a standing arrangement where I take him to the game every year and he brings in Q. We have covered Barbara Ann's, Smoque, Honey 1, etc over the years. I share this for only one reason. At US Cellular and every ballpark as far as I know, one is permitted to bring in food, but not beverages. So you can stop at La Pasadita for example, pick up a Carne Asada Burrito, head to the cell and enjoy it with a good beer to the envy of your neighbors (for many years this was our standard Blackhawks routine). Or you could pick up some pot stickers, some fried tofu and a few other dishes and sit there enjoying the game and the weather while dining quite well and for a fraction of what the crap in the park would cost.

BTW, has anyone actually dined at the restaurant in right field? I am vaguely drawn to that, too, just to try it, but I imagine I would leave feeling a true idiot having paid top dollar for pretty much the same stuff you get in the skyboxes.

Dicksond- I went to the restaurant in right field last year for my birthday with a date. While overpriced and not the best of food...it's great to sit indoors during a 95+ degree day or rainy night. All in all..not worth it but I enjoyed the game (even though we lost ). I'll try to post pics later.

dicksond wrote:At US Cellular and every ballpark as far as I know, one is permitted to bring in food, but not beverages. So you can stop at La Pasadita for example, pick up a Carne Asada Burrito, head to the cell and enjoy it with a good beer to the envy of your neighbors (for many years this was our standard Blackhawks routine). Or you could pick up some pot stickers, some fried tofu and a few other dishes and sit there enjoying the game and the weather while dining quite well and for a fraction of what the crap in the park would cost...

Terrific point and one that I have availed myself of quite frequently. I live on Argyle and usually pop into either BaLe or Huoung Xuoung Bakery for one of their boxed items prior to taking the El to Addison. The cold fried chicken at BaLe is superb, and is far cheaper than the Spoon Thai version. I love walking near Argyle and Broadway in the morning when the whole intersection is redolent with the aroma of frying chicken.

Other items I have brought to the ballpark:

1. Lamb kebab and baba ghanoush pitas from Taste of Lebanon. Various spinach and meat rolls from Middle Eastern Bakery.
2. Roast pork box lunch from Hon Kee, or the Soy Braised Chicken box lunch from Sun Wah.
3. Goat biryani, samosas, or kebab paratha from Shan.
4. Shrimp Chang Fen (rice flour rolls), chive dumplings (terrible idea due to their pungent odor) and an assortment of buns from Chiu Quon.

If I don't opt to bring food in, I invariably find myself cursing the various encased meats offered at the ballpark and the S. Rosen rolls which have all the structural integrity of Kleenex. You're usually left with a sodden mess of bread, watery beef, boiled green peppers, and a solid indigestible tube of pork flesh that must be speared with a fork. Ick. Not what the ancient Chicagoans had in mind when they invented the italian sausage combo.

One additional alternative if you're using the Red Line to go to the Cell. Stop off at Roosevelt, wander over to MIchigan about a block and a half and pick up a variety of sandwiches (subways/meatballs/roat beefs) at Panozzo's. Check for hours, tho:

http://www.panozzositalianmarket.com/

The buns have never been anything to write home about at the park, but they seem to have gotten even worse this year. Our group had, from different stands, a polish, a (Vienna Beef) dog, a brat, and an Italian, all with grilled onions, and not one of use got through a single bite of our sausages before our buns literally crumbled.

I asked the gal at the grill by section 146 if they had changed buns this year and she started yelling "I told you so" at her co-workers. She then showed me an enormous pile of buns they had been forced to discard as they were so crumbly and told me that her bosses were denying a change, but that she had certainly noticed one. She asked me to report my experience to Guest Services as she was so frustrated with the bun quality this year, so I did. The gal at guest services said I was the first person to *ever* complain about the quality of the buns at the park and that she didn't think they had changed them up.

Has anyone else noticed this?

On a brighter note, the elotes & various sausages we had were still pretty good, but if you put grilled onions on anything it tastes better!

I too always had a problem with the buns from the grill stations. Always, without fail, the bun falls apart around the second bite. If they would have the buns in a steamer I believe the problem would be solved.

titus wong wrote:If I don't opt to bring food in, I invariably find myself cursing the various encased meats offered at the ballpark and the S. Rosen rolls which have all the structural integrity of Kleenex. You're usually left with a sodden mess of bread, watery beef, boiled green peppers, and a solid indigestible tube of pork flesh that must be speared with a fork. Ick. Not what the ancient Chicagoans had in mind when they invented the italian sausage combo.

Are you even allowed to bring in outside food into the ball park? I do not want to buy food just to have it confiscated at the gate as has happened at a number of sports venues.