New Food at the Ballpark

With a new season comes new Ballpark food. Ever had an alligator corndog? You can if you go to a Texas Rangers home game this season.

The team unveiled to media members the assortment of food that will be sold at Globe Life Field in 2022.

“We always try to find something unique,” said Casey Rapp from Delaware North, the company that oversees food service at the stadium. Ranging in price from $10 to $16.50, the following new items are available now.

• The alligator corndog is an alligator andouille sausage hand-dipped in corndog batter and fried to a delicious golden brown. Available at the Bullpen Grill in Section 125.

• For the chicken-fried brisket sandwich, generous pieces of in-house-smoked Nolan Ryan Beef Brisket are hand-battered, fried, and piled on thick slices of Texas toast with pickles, red onions, and Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce. Available at the Sweet Baby Ray’s stand in Section 125.

• Created by a Rangers fan in 2020 as part of a recipe contest, the brisket egg rolls feature tender house-smoked brisket shredded and rolled up in a classic eggroll wrap with Napa cabbage, then deep fried until crispy. Served with Togarashi-seasoned fries and Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce for dipping. Available at the Go Deep Fried stands in sections 121, 225, and 230.

• The Impossible vegan bratwurst is served on a fresh, locally baked vegan roll with grilled onions. Available at the Vegan Cart in Section 101.

• This is a classic chicken salad sandwich — but with vegan “chicken.” Served with Terra Chips and sliced vegan bread. Available at the concession stands in sections 101 and 205.

• Golden Chick’s signature battered fries come loaded with Ricos Nacho Cheese, bacon bits, and Ricos Jalapenos at the Golden Chick stand in Section 128.

• For the mac ’n’ cheese nachos, Tostitos Tortilla Chips are covered with Ricos Cheese Sauce, a pile of creamy mac ’n’ cheese, pico de gallo, Ricos Jalapenos, and a drizzle of sour cream. Available at the concession stands in sections 106 and 225.

• For the cornbread chili pie dog, a Texas Chili all-angus beef hot dog is served with fresh-baked cornbread as the bun. It’s all topped with Texas Chili, shredded cheddar cheese, and Ricos Jalapenos. Available at the concession stands in sections 132 and 225.

Although this is Texas, where folks like their red meat, Globe Life Field was once again recognized as the Best Vegan Ballpark.

In addition, there are three new hospitality spaces.

• Arlington Eats, which is located near Section 101, features pop-up outposts of local restaurants during weekend games and select events. Arlington’s Hurtado Barbecue Co. was the main concept for the home opener Monday and the Tuesday game. The Rangers will next shine a light on Ella B’s Restaurant April 15-17 and Prince Lebanese Grill April 29-31.

• 421 Food Hall — named as a tip of the cap to the Rangers’ first game in Arlington (April 21, 1972) — has been added to the upper concourse near Section 225. The space features buffet-style dining with a mix of open seating at picnic and high-top tables, along with an exclusive lounge for season ticket holders.

• The High Ball Bar, which is close to the 421 Food Hall, has a cocktail lounge vibe, complete with couches, lounge chairs, and a mix of high-top and traditional tables. The High Ball Bar will serve a variety of specialty cocktails and beer and will be accessible to all fans near Section 223.

“We work closely with the Rangers to ensure our hospitality program is constantly evolving and adding to the game-day experience at Globe Life Field,” Rapp said. “Our culinary team has been hard at work this offseason creating a fun mix of new items for the 2022 season that feature creative twists on fan-favorites, with a range of regional flavors and products.”

The All You Can Eat Section has been moved to sections 27-33 to allow fans to have a full view of the game while they dine, unlike last year.

This is a media event I always look forward to attending, not only for the food but also to see fellow media members, whom I see only during the regular season.

Two years ago, I was at the same event to once again write about ballpark food for 2020. It was an exciting time as we were all looking forward to the stadium’s inaugural season. Then came some contagious virus called COVID, and everything shut down. There were no fans to purchase food that year as Doppel Rangers cardboard cutouts don’t eat.

A limited number of fans were allowed later that year during the postseason, and fans returned in full last year, but there were some restrictions and mask requirements.

“It’s exciting not to have restrictions this year,” Rapp said.

I definitely echo that.

Ozzie Garza has been writing about the Rangers for more than 20 years and is a frequent contributor to the Fort Worth Weekly.