By Rob Charry
NEW YORK — Jews love baseball — there’s no denying it. As the US COVID-19 vaccination rate has soared, many of the ballpark restrictions have been lifted, and remain so even in the face of the Delta variant case surge.
(Image design by Grace Yagel; Getty Images)
For those returning to the stands who keep kosher, we have prepared this guide to eating in every stadium, from Seattle to Miami. There’s no favoritism — it’s in alphabetical order.
Note that it also includes vegan options, which may or may not be kosher.
It appears to be policy now at most ballparks, if not all, that credit cards are required to buy food — though there are special ATM machines.
Atlanta Braves, Truist Park
There are no kosher items here, but vegan food available includes a Beyond Burger and a smoked tofu sandwich. Like some other teams that have held a Jewish Heritage Night, the Braves have featured a special “kosher night” in past seasons. That does not appear to be on the docket this year with COVID wreaking havoc on scheduling.
Arizona Diamondbacks, Chase Field
No kosher items are available. There are vegan hot dogs, vegan chicken wraps and vegan burgers.
Baltimore Orioles, Camden Yards
Though Camden Yards is nearly 30 years old, it’s still a tourist attraction and a great place to watch a game. Like many of the remaining older parks, there isn’t a bad seat in the house. From day one in 1992, the stadium has had a kosher food stand, apparently the first certified kosher stand in any of the major league stadiums. Now called Kosher Grille, fans can find it beyond the left field seats.
Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park
The oldest ballpark in the American League has a unique kosher serving device: a vending machine with kosher hot dogs since 2008.
Chicago Cubs, Wrigley Field
In the National League’s oldest ballpark, the Cubs have a kosher cart behind Section 227.
Chicago White Sox, Guaranteed Rate Field
No kosher items are listed, but vegan and vegetarian items include sandwiches, veggie burgers and an Asian appetizer duo from Impossible Foods, the brand behind the Impossible Burger.
Cincinnati Reds, Great American Ballpark
No kosher items are listed, but they do sell veggie dogs (and Nathan’s hot dogs, which are no longer kosher).
Cleveland Indians (soon to be Guardians), Progressive Field
The park’s kosher hot dog stand is a thing of the past and there are no kosher items listed. Vegan options include tacos, burritos, dogs and a garden salad.
Colorado Rockies, Coors Field
No kosher foods are listed, though the Sandlot Brewery inside the ballpark says its beer is kosher certified. The vegan foods available include a veggie dog and salads. The park also offers vegetarian quesadillas.
Detroit Tigers, Comerica Park
No kosher items here, but fans can pay homage to former Tiger slugger and Jewish sports legend Hank Greenberg — his statue is one of six on the concourse in left center field. Greenberg’s 58 homers and 146 RBIs in 1938 is tops for a season among Jewish ballplayers. Vegan choices such as Beyond Burgers can be found in the Big Cat food court.
Houston Astros, Minute Maid Park
The park doesn’t have any kosher foods, but the offersvegan food options, such as the Beyond Burger, at stands behind Sections 109, 125 and 208. It also has salads and fruit at the 19th Hole concessions stand in center field.
Kansas City Royals, Kauffman Stadium
The Royals boast a stadium cart by Kohn’s Kosher, a Jewish deli from nearby St. Louis (the deli menu is similar to the Kohn’s Kosher cart at the St. Louis Cardinals’ Busch Stadium).
Los Angeles Dodgers, Dodger Stadium
The Jewish sausage factory Jeff’s Gourmet had provided the park with kosher food, but not this season. “Due to health and safety restrictions, we are unable to offer Jeff’s Gourmet until further notice,” the vendor said. These restrictions could be removed or eased at some point this summer, so check before your visit on the team’s website.
Dodger Stadium does have a variety of vegan options as well, including Beyond Burgers, Beyond Sausages, tempeh tacos and tempeh nachos with vegan cheese.
Miami Marlins, loanDepot Park
Kosher hot dogs and hamburgers can be found behind Section 3 — except on Shabbat, as the team website makes clear.
Milwaukee Brewers, American Family Field
The kingdom of the ballpark sausage does not offer a kosher option of the famed Milwaukee bratwurst or other proteins. Non-meat options include soft pretzels and popcorn, but otherwise it’s slim pickings.
Minnesota Twins, Target Field
While there are no kosher items offered, the stadium does offer a vegan burger and veggie burritos and tacos.
New York Mets, Citi Field
The Mets offer several kosher products, including hot dogs, knishes and pretzels, which can be purchased near Sections 115 and 130 on the Field Level, as well as Section 408 on the Promenade Level.
New York Yankees, Yankee Stadium
Strictly Kosher, which features items such as hot dogs and knishes, is in four locations — behind Sections 110, 214A , 229 and 321. There is more than enough kosher and vegan food to satisfy the “long suffering” Yankee fans, who haven’t won a World Series since 2009.
Oakland Athletics, RingCentral Coliseum
No kosher foods are listed. Nor are there any vegan items listed among the foods available for mobile orders. But Aramark, which is in charge of the stadium’s food operations, does offer veggie dogs and veggie burgers at the other ballparks they cater. So there’s always next year.
Philadelphia Phillies, Citizens Bank Park
Concessions manager Bruce Leith told JTA: “Unfortunately, we have not offered kosher items except on Jewish Heritage Night due to several reasons, including preparation concerns and other factors.” But he added that permanent kosher food offerings have been under discussion and will be something the Phillies hope to offer in the future.
Jewish Heritage Night has not been scheduled yet this summer — like most teams, the immediate concern was being up and operational by Opening Day.
Citizens Bank Park offers a variety of vegan options, including dogs and burgers. Before the pandemic, the Phils also had a stand that sold famed musician and Philadelphia native Questlove’s vegan Beyond Meat cheesesteak. It won’t be back this season — they’ve had to pause agreements with several vendors because of COVID-19 restrictions.
Pittsburgh Pirates, PNC Park
The Pirates do not offer kosher food, but like their counterparts at the other end of the state (the Phillies), they have had Jewish Heritage Nights in the past, where they bring in kosher food, and may well have one at some point this summer (even though nothing is currently scheduled). Vegan items include a burger and a greens and grain salad.
San Diego Padres, Petco Park
It has no kosher items and no vegan items.
San Francisco Giants, Oracle Park
Although there are no official kosher selections, there are plenty of vegan food options, including at the Garden (in an actual garden) behind center field and the John J. McGraw Derby Grill, which sells Impossible Burgers.
Seattle Mariners, T Mobile Park
No kosher food listed here. There is a concession stand, The Natural, with vegan and organic foods including Beyond Burgers, vegan sausages and other plant-based food.
St Louis Cardinals, Busch Stadium
The aforementioned Kohn’s Kosher has a presence here as well, behind Section 147.
Among their items:
Pastrami and corned beef sandwiches, knockwurst and hot dogs.
Kohn’s has operated inside the new Busch Stadium since it was built in 2013, which happened to be the last time the Cardinals were in the World Series (they lost to the Red Sox, but the Cards do hold the National League record for most world titles at 11).
Tampa Bay Rays, Tropicana Field
The Rays do not list any kosher food but do have several vegan food items, including Beyond Burgers, and vegetarian rice bowls with vegan sauces.
Texas Rangers, Globe Life Field
The kosher Centerfield Market stand from the Rangers’ last stadium didn’t make it into the new ballpark — the team technically moved into its new home last year, but this is the park’s first year with fans. It does have a vegan cart.
Washington Nationals, Nationals Park
Kosher Nats fans can rejoice: Max’s Kosher Grille features falafel, homemade sausages and hot dogs from the deli in Wheaton, Md.
