ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis Cardinals are stepping up their food game this season, offering a mix of beloved local spots to national favorites at Busch Stadium. With new additions and revamped concession stands, there’s something to satisfy almost every appetite.
Here’s a brief breakdown of what’s new for this season…
MAYO KETCHUP
Mayo Ketchup, a local Latin food hotspot from St. Louis’ Midtown neighborhood, now has a food stand across the Cardinals’ team store outside left field. Fans can enjoy a variety of international selections like Cuban sandwiches, empanadas, plantains and arepas.
CRUMBL COOKIES
Crumbl Cookies, known for its rotating lineup of gourmet cookies, will make its ballpark debut at Busch Stadium with a stand outside right field. The selections will include milk chocolate chip, chocolate cake batter, peanut butter, and a gameday mystery selection.
INTENTIONAL WOK
Intentional Wok is the new name for a stand formerly known as the Asian Café, serving up a variety of Chinese specialties with several protein options over noodles or rice. It is now served at a food station in centerfield as opposed to a small stand.
OUTFIELD GRILL
The Outfield Grill is a ballpark hot dog vendor with new specialty hot dogs topped with brisket, peppers, or sauerkraut.
FREDDY’S
Freddy’s has expanded to a second station in the stadium, adding a second spot focused on shakes and frozen treats, while its original location continues serving burgers and more dinner-like foods.
WHAT ELSE TO KNOW
In terms of the concession layout, the biggest change fans will notice is in deep center field, where a concession stand near Ford Plaza has been transformed into a spot with three distinct food stations for Intentional Wok, Outfield Grill, and Freddy’s.
For many leaders of Busch Stadium’s food experience, these changes mark a significant step forward from previous seasons, bringing new excitement and variety to the ballpark food scene.
“Cardinal Nation has an expectation for the players on the field, and they also have an expectation of what they want to eat,” said Norman Taylor Jr., Busch Stadium executive sous chef. “We have to infuse local flavors with all-world style baseball because we are a baseball town and also we want to have cool, creative new things for the younger fans.”
“The cool thing for us is to see people’s reactions to the food because it does match baseball,” said Mayo Ketchup owner Mandy Estrella. “I’m super excited for my staff. They’re all from Latin America, so they’re all huge baseball fans. We’re very excited for them to see the fans excited about the food. They spend so much time making it, so it will be very cool to see people and have them excited for what they’re making.”
“Being called by the St. Louis Cardinals and asked to join forces for this season has been amazing,” said Melissa Bohlmann, Crumbl Cookies franchise owner. “We will be the first franchise in a major league stadium, and we’re really excited about it. We’ve got a lot of interest in what we’re going to serve, and we’re excited to release those cookies on Opening Day.”
“We have a great food experience,” said Taylor. “We have everything you want at a baseball game. There’s a reason they call this baseball heaven. When you have the fans come and say this is the best of this, or we’re so happy you had this, it’s one of the best feelings in the world.”
Opening Day is set for Thursday against the Minnesota Twins. First pitch is set for 3:15 p.m. To check on tickets still available for Opening Day, click here.