New food for Arizona Cardinals games gets fresh, fun upgrades

Game days at State Farm Stadium call for football fan essentials, and we’re not just talking about your Arizona Cardinals gear. Fueling up on stadium snacks is part of the experience, too.

The vendors who feed tens of thousands of hungry fans during the games are ready with a roster of new, lavish and sometimes ludicrous options for the upcoming season. Healthy food is on the menu, too.

Five local eateries will join the roster of food choices across the Glendale stadium. Someburros, The Chicago Dawg House, Tarbell’s Cha Cha Mouche Tapas and Wine Bar, Humble Bistro and Chef Peter’s Bistro are on deck. They join returning local favorites that include Lola’s Tacos, Pork on a Fork and Spinato’s Pizzeria.

The Cardinals' refreshed concessions are also about making ordering easier. This season, the stadium will launch express mobile ordering and pickup, so fans don’t have to miss a down while waiting on their food.

Here are some of the new dishes fans can try this fall.

Sonoran Beef Nachos from Someburros

Section 102

Nachos are synonymous with football spreads. Someburros, the local chain of fast-casual, Sonoran-style Mexican restaurants, has teamed up with the Cardinals on the heels of its debut season at Chase Field and Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. While locals may know Someburros for their burritos, one of its stadium locations – in Section 102 – will also serve nachos. These start with tortilla chips, which are topped with refried beans, green chile beef, cheese, jalapeno cream cheese, pico de gallo, avocado salsa and sliced jalapenos. Someburros will also serve burritos, tacos and churros around the stadium near sections 121, 413 and 442.

Sonoran-style Fruit Cup

Sections 103, 125, 220, 227

Craft Culinary Concepts, the in-house caterer for State Farm Stadium, has a number of fresh new dishes. One of the healthier items is a Mexican-inspired fruit cup. Large planks of mango, watermelon, pineapple, jicama and cucumber will be topped with chamoy, lime and tajin.

Chicago-style Hot Dog from The Chicago Dawg House

Section 135

The mother-and-son duo behind the food truck The Chicago Dawg House are proud Chicago transplants. With their new location inside the stadium, owner Linda Upshaw says she wants Arizona fans to get “a real hot dog with no ketchup.” The Upshaws' Chicago dog starts with a Vienna Beef dog on a poppy seed bun that’s dressed with the Windy City’s distinctive septet of condiments: mustard, neon sweet pickle relish, diced onions, sliced tomatoes, a dill pickle spear, sport peppers and celery salt. You can get a taste of Chicago, just don’t start cheering for the Bears.

Rivalry Grill specials

Sections 129, 235 and 420

Adding a culinary twist on gridiron rivalries, the stadium’s Rivalry Grills will launch unique dishes that take inspiration from the Cardinals’ opponent. On deck at Arizona’s first preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs are barbecue-style disco fries. Frites Street steak fries will be laded with beer cheese mac and cheese, more cheese, smoked brisket burnt ends, barbecue sauce, sour cream and green onions.

Lobster Roll Slider and Cardinals Reserve wine from Tarbell’s Cha Cha Mouche Tapas and Wine Bar

Section 233

Chef and restaurateur Mark Tarbell has created a new wine bar on the stadium’s club level, and he’s partnered with the Cardinals on two wine labels – Cardinals Cellar and Cardinals Reserve. The cellar wines are sold at the stadium in cans, but Tarbell calls it “the anti-canned wine,” because the small-batch red and white blends are organic and come from small farms. At Tarbell’s Cha Cha Mouche, diners will find the food Tarbell likes for game day – “simple, easy to eat” options, he says. Those include crispy soppressata chips, truffled Parmesan popcorn and Thai chicken lettuce cups. For a luxe lunch, opt for the Maine lobster roll slider, made with lemon aioli and tarragon, paired with the Cardinals Reserve white, a chardonnay.

click to enlarge

A host of new food options have joined the menu at State Farm Stadium.

Sara Crocker

Meatball Hero from Humble Bistro

Section 213

Humble Bistro, the Italian-inspired north Phoenix restaurant, is another local addition to the stadium’s club level. The restaurant’s stadium menu includes game-day favorites like wings and fries. One of its most satisfying bites is a meatball hero, served on sourdough forno bread with fresh mozzarella and crisp pepperoni. Make it a meal with Humble’s zesty Caesar & Cajun Chicken Salad.

Breakfast Panini

Section 227

During the first part of the NFL season, games start airing here at 10 a.m., so why not lean into brunch? The breakfast panini is one of several pressed sandwiches made by Craft Culinary Concepts on the club level. This sandwich is made with scrambled eggs, breakfast sausage, maple peppered bacon, breakfast potatoes, melted cheddar, green onions and mayo. The sandwich comes with a side of kettle chips.

Roasted Veggie Salad at Chef Peter’s Bistro

Section 115

Chef Peter Salazar, who runs a bistro in Surprise, is bringing Mediterranean fare to Cardinals fans. His stadium restaurant will serve hummus, charcuterie boards, gyros and salads. Among the healthier options is the roasted veggie salad, packed with roasted corn, peppers, cucumbers, Brussels sprouts, feta cheese and grains. Salazar hopes diners save room for dessert, as he’ll offer baklava and Dubai chocolate bars made by the Phoenix bakeshop Mr. Sweets.

click to enlarge

Disco fries get a birria twist with this new dish available throughout the stadium.

Sara Crocker

Birria Disco Fries

Sections 107, 129, 235, 247, 408, 420

Craft Culinary Concepts has mashed up birria and poutine for one of its newest, most decadent dishes. Fries will be piled high with braised beef short rib birria, then topped with a birria gravy, Oaxaca cheese, red onion, cilantro, cream and roasted jalapeno.

click to enlarge

Satisfy your sweet tooth at the club level with the creme brulee-filled donut tower.

Sara Crocker

Crème Brulee-filled Donut Tower

Sections 203, 222 and 247

Club-level fans will find one of the most over-the-top treats of the new season from Craft Culinary Concepts. Each filled doughnut is torched with turbinado sugar and topped with a piece of maple candied bacon, Cardinals red-and-black sprinkles, whipped cream and mini M&Ms.