What can you eat at Kroger Field this season? We tried burritos, pizza, pretzels and more.
Another season of Kentucky football at Kroger Field means that hundreds of thousands of UK football fans will enter the venue over the course of six remaining home games.
While the headline news of the offseason — and Saturday’s season opener against Ball State — was the adoption of alcohol sales inside Kroger Field, several other concession stand options are also available to fans.
During Saturday’s game, I (that’s Herald-Leader reporter Cameron Drummond for the uninitiated) made my way around Kroger Field to sample some of the food fans can buy this season.
Burritos, pizza, pretzels and more were all on the menu for me.
Here’s what I found.
Disclaimer: My food preferences are not your food preferences. You might try these same items and have a totally different taste experience than me.
Reviews are listed in alphabetical order, and a complete listing of the food items available for purchase at Kroger Field for the 2023 UK football season is included below.
LaRosa’s Pizzeria
Despite moving to Lexington more than two years ago and being a frequent visitor to Cincinnati, I had never tried LaRosa’s Pizzeria before Saturday.
I’d heard the discourse about it, and specifically concerning the sweet pizza sauce that separates a cheesy exterior from the dough.
I thought the sauce was sweet but not overpoweringly so. I took much more umbrage with the dough being thin but not crispy, and the overall presentation of a greasy, oily personal pepperoni pizza.
It was reminiscent of a school lunch pizza, and I’ve outgrown the need for that in my life.
Rating: 2.5/5.
Mr. G’s Kettle Corn
A Louisville-based offering, Mr. G’s Kettle Corn keeps things simple.
The final product contains only four ingredients: Kentucky-grown popcorn, corn oil, sugar and salt.
One of the big benefits of this snack comes from its broad appeal.
The kettle corn has no nuts involved, is dairy-free and gluten-free and is also both vegetarian and vegan. It also comes in a resealable bag, which is a big benefit for storage purposes.
Like any product of this nature, once you start eating it, you can’t seem to stop, making it ideal for sharing purposes and for convenience while watching a game.
Rating: 4/5.
Nathan’s Taqueria
Nathan’s Taqueria was the first stop of the day for me, and plenty of people are probably familiar with its food truck operation.
After a bit of an extended wait, the steak burrito I ordered was brought to me in a paper tray along with some sufficiently spicy salsa verde and some plain tortilla chips.
Despite being a 25-year-old man, I still lack the ability to eat a burrito properly. Within three to four bites, the burrito always collapses and its contents spew out.
So from that standpoint, and uniquely for me, the plain tortilla chips were a benefit as a way to still enjoy the meal as it unraveled.
Those contents — steak along with rice, beans, lettuce, cheese and sour cream — were good enough but not spectacular.
The price point is also quite high for all items offered by Nathan’s Taqueria.
An order of three street tacos and a soda will run you $18, and nachos that feature a protein, queso, pico de gallo and sour cream cost $11.
The burrito I had cost $12.
With that all said, the stand represents a distinct dining option in an otherwise plain food landscape at Kroger Field, and that’s worth something.
Rating: 3.5/5.
Soft pretzel
It’s hard to mess up a soft pretzel.
The combined forces of a lightly salted soft pretzel, along with a cup of commercially made nacho cheese, is one of the best things about this country.
It’s my favorite food item (non-ice cream division) at Rupp Arena, and seems to always hit the spot.
So while it’s not exactly reinventing the culinary wheel, it’s probably going to be exactly what you want.
The Kroger Field soft pretzels have just a bit too much salt on them, and they’re a bit on the skinny and crisp side.
But other than that, it’s exactly what you expect it to be, and that’s exactly what I want from my soft pretzel and cheese experience.
Rating: 3/5.
Taylor Belle’s
A quick mea culpa from me to close out the reviews.
Already a staple of the Kentucky dessert scene, Taylor Belle’s ice cream has already been sold inside Rupp Arena and is available for purchase at Kroger Field.
I fully intended to make a stop by the stand to try one of several delicious-sounding flavors, from Bourbon Blast to Strawberry Cheesecake.
But when I made my way to the concourse to get some during the fourth quarter, I found the stand had closed for the day. (A Barion Brown kick return touchdown meant I had to spend a few extra minutes in the press box working, costing me the chance to get ice cream.)
This was a disappointment to be sure, and it bordered on personal failure on my part.
I fully intend to stop by Taylor Belle’s nice and early before Saturday’s game between UK and EKU to do my sworn duty.
Rating: N/A.
Kroger Field concessions for 2023 UK football season
There are plenty of locations to find food inside Kroger Field during the 2023 UK football season.
Here’s a list of where you can get something to eat, sorted by section number.
Section 1/40: Taylor Belle’s Ice Cream.
Section 2/3: LaRosa’s Pizzeria.
Section 3: Soft pretzels.
Section 4: DJC Concessions (chips, cotton candy, peanuts, etc.).
Section 5: Dippin’ Dots.
Section 7: Mr. G’s Kettle Corn.
Section 9, 10: Soft pretzels.
Section 12: Mr. G’s Kettle Corn.
Section 13: Taylor Belle’s Ice Cream.
Section 14: Chick-fil-A and Nathan’s Taqueria.
Section 16: LaRosa’s Pizzeria.
Section 17: City Barbeque.
Section 19: DJC Concessions (chips, cotton candy, peanuts, etc.).
Section 19/20: LaRosa’s Pizzeria.
Section 21: Mr. G’s Kettle Corn.
Section 22: Kroger “Grab ‘N’ Go Beer & Snacks.”
Section 24: Dippin’ Dots and DJC Concessions (chips, cotton candy, peanuts, etc.).
Section 25: LaRosa’s Pizzeria.
Section 27: Chick-fil-A.
Section 30: Kroger “Grab ‘N’ Go Beer & Snacks.”
Section 32/33: Mr. G’s Kettle Corn.
Section 38: Mr. G’s Kettle Corn.
Section 39: Taylor Belle’s Ice Cream.
Section 201: Soft pretzels.
Section 202: Dippin’ Dots.
Section 206: Nathan’s Taqueria.
Section 210: Dippin’ Dots.
Section 211: Soft pretzels.
Kentucky football fans wanted alcohol. Now they have it. Here’s how opening day went.
You can buy alcohol at Kentucky football games in 2023. See what’s being sold, and where.
