Cardinals fans have new food options this season. See what’s coming to Busch Stadium

Over the years, food options at sports venues have changed. A lot.

Remember back in the day when ballpark food consisted of just peanuts, popcorn, hot dogs and Cracker Jack?

Actually, depending on what one considers “back in the day,” that menu could be different. I seem to recall Pizza Hut being an option back in my day – Ah, the early 1990s.

Anyway, Busch Stadium is no exception to these changes.

In recent years I recall seeing Dippin’ Dots, Ben & Jerry’s, and for a while Beyond Burgers were available.

Starting this season, the food options will include a few new additions.

St. Louis-based Mission Taco Joint has announced that it will be a local food partner inside the stadium.

The West Coast-style taco restaurant will “serve a selection of their fan-favorite tacos as well as additional ballpark exclusive offerings,” according to the news release.

Mission Taco Joint owners Jason and Adam Tilford stated in the release, “Busch Stadium and the Cardinals are synonymous with St. Louis so it’s a proud moment for Mission Taco Joint to have a presence there. Our team will be heavily involved in operations of our concession area, and we’re excited to see Cardinals fans in the stands enjoying our MTJ tacos, street corn, and more.”

The release stated menu items on offer will include the mango shrimp taco, vegan soft taco (Yaaaaay!!!), the “Hot Corner” chicken, and Mission Taco Joint’s West Coast nachos.

The new items will be available starting on Opening Day, Thursday, March 30, and can be found behind home plate in Section 150.

Mission Taco Joint has locations in St. Louis that include the Delmar Loop, Soulard and the Central West End, with others in Kirkwood, St. Charles and Kansas City.

Check out missiontacojoint.com for more info.

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers is also joining the food team at Busch.

Freddy’s issued a release stating that the fast-casual restaurant concept opens its first “Major League Baseball (MLB) location within Busch Stadium … when the Cardinals open their season against the Toronto Blue Jays” on March 30.

“At Freddy’s, non-traditional locations continue to be an integral part of our franchise offering, and we strongly believe that being able to put our brand in high-traffic locations like that of Busch Stadium not only gives us an opportunity to attract new audiences but also capture sales,” Andrew Thengvall, Chief Development Officer at Freddy’s, stated in the release.

“Freddy’s is honored to be able to add a concession in Busch Stadium. This new location is a testament to the unmatched power of The Freddy’s Way among any demographic, market or location.”

Freddy’s will be located in the stadium’s Budweiser Terrace in right field and serve fan-favorite menu items such as Freddy’s Original Double and Bacon Double, shoestring fries and cheese curds.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers in bringing quality, craveable food we know our fans will enjoy,” stated Vicki Bryant, Cardinals vice president, event services & merchandising.

“With several locations in the St. Louis area, Freddy’s has established a dedicated following in our community, making the brand a natural fit for Busch Stadium.”

In addition to Freddy’s opening a place in Busch Stadium, the Wichita, Kansas-based restaurant opened a location at 5570 Belleville Crossing St. in Belleville earlier this month.

For more info about Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, visit freddys.com.

And last but not least, Big Chicken also announced this week that the Las Vegas-based restaurant will be available at the St. Louis ballpark as well.

The menu at this eatery, founded in 2018, is inspired by home-cooked childhood favorites of basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal.

“Big Chicken is quickly becoming a household name, and for all the right reasons – especially their commitment to chef-driven quality,” Daniel Fetcho, vice president of operations for Delaware North Sportservice, stated in the release.

“We’re grateful to grow our relationship with the Big Chicken team to include Busch Stadium, as we know it’ll be a big hit with Cardinals fans.”

The Busch Stadium location will have its own menu, crafted for The Lou and in partnership with local artisan doughnut shop Vincent Van Doughnut, according to the release.

A sandwich called the “314” is made up of Big Chicken’s Nashville Hot Crispy Chicken with Shaq Sauce served on a Cardinal Red Maple Bacon doughnut.

Other menu items include the M.D.E. (fried chicken breast with Shaq sauce and bread and butter pickles), the Uncle Jerome (Nashville hot chicken with lettuce, may and pickles), fries and a “cookie the circumference of an NBA basketball,” stated the release.

Big Chicken stands can be found in sections 135 and 358 of the stadium.

For more about Big Chicken, visit bigchicken.com.