Allianz Food Offerings & Training Gallery

Okay, let’s get this out of the way first: I am not a food critic, nor do I play one on TV. I’m the photographer! But when duty calls, we at NSJ rise to the challenge! I think the last time I did any sort of long-form writing about the culinary arts was probably in my old college blog, very likely complaining about my freshman dining commons. So… I might be a little rusty at this. Please forgive me.

To start, Allianz Field is continuing some of their popular programs and partnerships for the 2025 season. The Guest Chef Program returns this year, bringing local chefs and restaurants to the stadium for one- or two-game appearances. For the Home Opener against Montréal, fans can find Gustavo Romero’s Oro by Nixta in the Guest Chef kitchen in Section 31.

Allianz Field is also continuing their partnership with St. Paul’s Roots for the Home Team, a non-profit focused on empowering youth through employment opportunities, entrepreneurial skills development, and developing essential life skills. This year, Roots is adding a rotating menu of salad wraps to their concourse offerings in Section 29, with flavors including Jalapeño Popper, Poke Breeze, Two Sisters, Four Elements, and La Unida Salads.

Okay, onto the food! And the pictures of food!

Bibigo Vegetable Spring Rolls

Where: Nice Slice Pizza and The World Fare (Sections 12 and 29)

These spring rolls have a nice, bright flavor inside their fried crunchy shells. Perhaps a little onion-forward in case that sways you one way or the other. The topping sauce, though, was a great compliment to the veggie filling. 3/5 stars

Kramarczuk’s Cheddar Sausage

Where: Grill Portable (Section 35)

As a Minnesota transplant, I will never cease to marvel at the local tradition that is, “stuff meat with cheese and then cook it until the cheese becomes lava.” And you know what? It works! This sizable brat was tasty, if not somewhat intimidating because of the constant threat of lava cheese… but that’s half the fun, right? I think the one knock I have against this dish is that I tend to prefer my sausage with a little bit of a spicy kick, but in order to appeal to the masses, this one lacks such zing. I’d still order one again, though. 4/5 stars

Swedish Meatball Sub

Where: The Hungry Loon (Sections 10, 13, 22, and 34)

Okay, I’ve gotta be honest. I was looking forward to the Swedish Meatball Sandwich, both for myself and for our Executive Director Ashle (who put in a special request to make sure I tried this one), but it didn’t stand up to the anticipation. The cucumber and herbs were a delightful surprise, but they carried almost all of the flavor; the meatballs themselves… I don’t want to use the word “bland,” but I was definitely expecting more from a Swedish meatball. And the hoagie roll itself wasn’t doing many favors. Great idea, but I think the execution could use a little more simmer time. 2/5 stars

Walleye Sandwich

Where: Grand Casino Brew Hall

Here’s a bit of whiplash – we jump from the most disappointing to the absolute standout in just this one sentence! The Walleye Sandwich was a fantastic mix of crispy, salty, flaky fried walleye, delicious cabbage slaw, a slightly sweet and tangy sauce tartar, and a mochi mochi bun that was happy to let the other flavors do the work. I’m still thinking about this one. If there’s one new food item you try at Allianz Field this year, let it be the Walleye Sandwich. 5/5 stars

Shore Lunch

Where: Grand Casino Brew Hall

The Shore Lunch is trying to do something a little different than the other items here: this is an entire meal with main dish and sides included. Maybe I missed it before (very likely… I don’t hit up the concessions all that often), but this feels like a different tack than the meal offerings in previous seasons.

The description reads, “Breaded and fried walleye, crispy fries, Texas toast, ear of corn, tartar sauce, lemon wedge.” I’m not sure what was done differently between this and the Walleye Sandwich, but the walleye in the Shore Lunch felt heavier than the one in the sandwich. I don’t know if it’s an intentional difference in preparation or merely natural variation in preparing large quantities of food, but I found myself preferring the walleye from the sandwich and wishing it were duplicated here. It wasn’t bad or even unlikable… just that it could be improved. The fries (read: chonky potato wedges) were perfectly crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, and well-seasoned. Left at just those first two, the dish would feel kind of heavy, but the ear of corn offered a great complimentary interlude with is light sweetness. The Texas toast was a disappointment (all my notes say is, “meh”), but I wasn’t here for the toast.

Pair this meal with a fizzy beverage of your choice and I think it can be a winner. I like what they’re trying here and I hope that its successful because I want them to continue down this line of experimentation. 4/5 stars

Red Baron Thick-Crust Pizza

Where: Nice Slice Pizza and The World Fare (Sections 12 and 29)

They’re bringing back the thick-crust pizza, apparently by popular demand. As far as stadium pizza goes, I think I prefer this thick-crust style. It seems to be less greasy than last year’s pizza offering, which in and of itself is a huge win, and is probably less prone to becoming cardboard-like in transit from the concession stand to your seat. That said, with all of the other food options available, I’d have a hard time arguing that pizza should be the item of choice. Then again, my six-year-old would vehemently disagree with me on that last point, so what do I know? 2/5 stars

I frankly ran out of time to try the Pressed Broccolini Sandwich (Street Fare Portable, Section 34) and Jalapeño Salad Wrap (Roots Portable, Section 29), so I’ll leave those as an exercise to the reader.