Bay Baseball Bites - Oakland Edition # 2
Like every baseball season there are articles published surrounding the question of “Which stadium has the best food?” This Thrillist article came across my Twitter timeline recently since the Mariners/T-Mobile Park were very proud of their coveted first place spot (which they absolutely should be; I strongly believe T-Mobile has the best ballpark food as well). But enough about the Mariners. This post isn’t supposed to be about them (even though I love them ❤) . It’s about the Oakland Athletics and their food offerings.
According to the Thrillist article, the A’s rank last in all of MLB for their ballpark food. Because they had to say something nice about every stadium, even the one that they ranked last, it was mentioned that the food trucks on the Championship Plaza are the saving grace for the food situation at the Coliseum.
Let’s be clear, I definitely do not believe that the A’s should be ranked last (or that the Giants should get as much praise and a high rating for their “variety” of food options, all of which that are mentioned are basically each only found in one location in the ballpark, which requires you to stand in prohibitively long lines to try any of those options even in a season with lower than usual ballpark attendance). Something that I think believe that adds to the ballpark food conversation that the Thrillist does not acknowledge is the craft beer scene that some ballparks have (while others do not). This article from the Athletic discusses some of the backstory of how difficult it is to get craft beer into ballparks for fans to enjoy and highlights a bit of the demand and success of doing it at the Coliseum (while also acknowledging that the craft beer scene used to be better).
Given all that, I do have to admit that having the food trucks at the Coliseum is special and it is an experience all its own, deserves more respect than it gets, and works so well for the setting that they have at their ballpark. By this point in the season, I have gone to a number of games at the Coliseum and have gotten a taste of the variety the food trucks provide. I am not going to go into any of my reviews of the food trucks that I have sampled quite yet, but I will give you a preview of what to expect from them and how to find them (since that part is a bit tricky if you are visiting this ballpark for the first time).
Coliseum Food Trucks 101 - What to Expect
The food truck scene at the Coliseum looks a bit like what it does when you reach the end of a small farmer’s market. There are a few (usually three or four) trucks pulled up, each specializing in a different cuisine for you to try. You will see lines and crowding around as everyone scopes out the different menus. Plus there are picnic tables set out on the grassy (turf) area for you to enjoy your food or just to kick back and play some yard games like cornhole, giant jenga, and oversized connect-four.
The food truck scene at Championship Plaza on August 6th, 2021
I’m interested (and hungry). Now where in the world are these food trucks?
That was my first question when I first visited the Coliseum and heard about these food trucks as they were advertised on the stadium’s scoreboards. On my first visit, I took a whole lap around the concourse and couldn’t figure out how to get to them. I knew that they weren’t just in the parking lot and that it was a ticketed area for you to access them but it wasn’t until my next visit to the Coliseum (and having a more watchful eye out) that I figured out how to get to them.
Now after a few visits I know of a couple of different ways to get to the food trucks. I do not want to confuse you with too many sets of directions because I want to set you up for success to enjoy these wonderful food options when you visit the Coliseum. And so, I will explain just one of the ways to get there.
Directions to the food trucks
Start on the main (100-level) concourse.
Find the game-used and autographed memorabilia shop behind section 120 (which is ever so slightly on the 3rd base side behind home plate).
Go up the ramp that snakes up behind the memorabilia shop and continue to follow it.
You will make a right turn on the path and then continue on through a set of doors and you will then be in the Championship Plaza and be at the food trucks!
Hope you are as intrigued about the food trucks at the Coliseum as I was when I first found out about them! Though I haven’t yet included my reviews about the food truck cuisine, I will say I have not been disappointed in the slightest! And even though it is hard to say this food truck food falls into the exact same category as your traditional ballpark food offerings, it definitely gets points for creativity and deserves more respect than it gets by a lot of people *ahem* Thrillist *ahem*.
#baybaseballbites