Stadium Food Power Rankings: Oakland Raiders vs. San Diego Chargers

This week, Stadium Food Power Rankings covers the clash between the Oakland Raiders and the San Diego Chargers to find out which team's stadium has the best food

By Tyler Sullivan, Editor

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Dec 24, 2012 @ 1:48 PM

Qualcomm Stadium, home of the Chargers, rivals their fellow-Californians in this matchup. The stadium opened in 1967, so the timeline is pretty similar to rival Oakland. Stadium renovations and additions took place in 1984 and 1997, bringing seating capacity up to 71,500, and adding 34 suites. Now with 52 concession stands, three restaurants, and 113 executive suites, the stadium's food offerings seem rearing to go. Let’s see how they fare against the Raiders.

The Dog House at Qualcomm Stadium. Photo courtesy of Centerplate.

Unique Items / Variety / Presentation
Fan favorites at the stadium include the items from the Dog House, a vendor featuring variety of gourmet topped hot dogs, where diners can choose a signature stadium recipe or create their own. Some popular dogs include the Carne Asada Dog, with 100 percent ground carne asada with fresh peppers, black beans, pico de gallo, sour cream, and fresh cilantro served on an Amoroso roll; and a selection of quarter-pound hot dogs including the Big Kid Dog, topped with macaroni and cheese; the Nacho Dog, a topped with nacho cheese, jalapeños, guacamole, sour cream, and olives; and the Tailgate Dog, topped with black beans and barbecue sauce. First Down Fries, another popular vendor, is an interactive fry bar, featuring 25 different seasonings, including, but not limited to, salt and pepper, Alamo Zest, and taco seasoning, a variety of hot sauces, and selections of sweet potato fries, coming with maple cinnamon spice or fresh honey.

Other popular stadium items include the Hamburger Huddle, hamburgers noted for their fresh, custom-ground and grilled patties, and the signature bratwurst, a 1/3-pound, 9-inch brat topped with grilled bell peppers and onions, and the option of sauerkraut.

Farm to Fan at Qualcomm Stadium. Photo courtesy of Centerplate.

Healthy / Organic Options
Healthy stadium options center on the Farm to Fan vendor, featuring a variety of vegetarian-friendly offerings as well as locally sourced fruits and vegetables. The 3 Grain Burger, made with brown rice, quinoa, bulgur, vegetables, and fiber, offers the texture of a meat burger, and comes with local field greens with basil pesto. Also offered are the Farmstand Nachos, with house-prepared tortilla chips, black beans, shredded Cheddar cheese, red jalapeños, pico de gallo, and cilantro; citrus hummus dip; and freshly tossed salads, with a variety of customizable fresh produce that's served in an herbed tortilla cone.

THE WINNER

After much deliberation, we have come to a winner, and the Oakland Raiders take the food win of the week. Variety and inventiveness won us over, although San Diego definitely has the hot dog thing on lock. Let’s see if the Raiders can pull is off this Sunday. Tune in at 4:25 p.m.

Tyler Sullivan is The Daily Meal's assistant editor. Follow her on twitter @atylersullivan.