Stadium Food Power Rankings: Pittsburgh Steelers Vs. Baltimore Ravens
It's week 13 of the NFL season, and we're five and two in our food-to-win predictions. Although our ego may be slightly hurting from our two losses, we're confident in the food offerings to come. This week, we're zoning in on Baltimore and Pittsburgh, taking two sets of notably loyal fans and seeing whose delicious stadium food can turn into a team win. In Pittsburgh, we have the Steelers' Heinz Field, and in Baltimore, the Ravens' M&T Stadium.
The Steelers' Heinz Field sits beside the Allegheny River in the North Shore neighborhood of Pittsburgh. The stadium sports a natural grass playing field, seats just more than 65,000 fans, and has close to 50 concessions locations. The concessions provider, Aramark, has been seen in our matchups previously, championing the Bengals' Paul Brown Stadium and the Texans' Reliant Stadium, and this week, they also represent the opposing team, the Ravens' M&T Bank Stadium.
Heinz Field's Allegheny Burger. Photo courtesy of Aramark.
Unique/Popular Items
Food offerings at Heinz Field span a range of cuisines. The Allegheny Burger, a 5.3-ounce burger topped with shaved kielbasa, fried pierogies, Cheddar, Heinz ketchup, caramelized onions, and sauerkraut aioli, all served on a Kaiser roll, is one of the stadium's unique (and compelling) options. The "Steelers Big Brat and Kielbasa Sandwich," featuring freshly made Silver Star bratwurst and kielbasa that are grilled over wood coal fire and served with the option of grilled onions and grilled peppers, is another unique option on the stadium's food menu.
Our social media editor, Nathan Cyphert, a huge Steelers fan, has provided some insight into Heinz Field's food. "The two most popular and raved about offerings at Heinz Field are probably Primanti Brothers and Quaker Steak & Lube Wings," he says. "Quaker Steak is the holy grail of wings in Western Pennsylvania. Everyone loves them. And Primanti Brothers, as a restaurant and organization is the pride of Pittsburgh." The Primanti Brothers sandwiches, also hailed by Aramark as a Pittsburgh tradition, feature Capicola ham and cheese or steak and cheese, and are served with tomatoes, fresh cut french fries, and coleslaw.
Heinz Field's famous Primanti Brothers sandwich. Photo courtesy of Aramark.
Other popular items for Steelers fans include barbecue pork nachos, served with pulled pork, pit-smoked beans, pickles, red onion, and Heinz Field signature barbecue sauce; Silver Star Local Artisan Cheddar and Jalapeño Bratwurst, served with caramelized onions and peppers and stadium mustard; Allegheny Fry Co. chicken tenders and fries with dipping sauces including Buffalo, BBQ, honey mustard, and ranch; Silver Star Chipotle Chicken sausage, served with caramelized onions, peppers, and chipotle aioli; and Cajun fries with cheese dipping sauce.
New food venues to the stadium this year include Pub 33, featuring local and imported micro brews; Allegheny Fry Co., with the aforementioned chicken tenders; and Hickory Bridge BBQ Co., serving pulled pork sandwiches, smoked beef brisket, pulled pork nachos, and house-made BBQ chips, with all meat smoked in-house.
Heinz Field's BBQ Pork Nachos. Photo courtesy of Aramark.
Healthy/Allergy-Friendly Options
A healthier stadium option is the chipotle pulled chicken taco, served with onion, cilantro, fire-roasted salsa, a lime wedge, and a flour tortilla. Gluten-free items include wings, peanuts, and nachos, as well as Redbridge gluten-free beer.
Sustainability Efforts
Sustainability at the stadium is not overlooked. All Pepsi cups are made from recycled resources and are fully compostable, and all plastic plates and utensils used in suites are made from recycled resources as well.
M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Baltimore Ravens, is located at the south point of Camden Yards. Seating just more than 71,000, the stadium was built with a nod to the rest of Baltimore's architecture, and incorporates a view of the skyline. The field's Shaw Sportexe Momentum Turf, designed to maximize player performance and speed, has received recognition by the NFL Players Association and helped to earn M&T a high ranking in the Association's poll.
M&T Stadium's "The Baltimore Dip." Photo courtesy of Aramark.
Unique/Popular Items
Food at M&T gives the cuisine in Pittsburgh a run for its money. Aramark draws from classic Maryland flavors, using the infamous Maryland blue crab in many of its offerings. Some items include the crab nachos, with crab dip, Jack cheese, tomatoes, and scallions; The Baltimore Dip, with shaved New York strip steak, aged Cheddar cheese, crab dip, horseradish sauce, and pepper relish; Grilled Cheese and Company's Crabby Melt, with melted Monterey Jack cheese atop homemade "crabby dip" loaded with sweet claw crabmeat; and the Oregon Grille's Maryland crabcakes and seafood raw bar (located in the pregame tailgate area "Ravens Walk").
M&T Stadium's Crab Pretzel. Photo courtesy of Aramark.
Popular items at the stadium include the Dietz & Watson hot dogs, beef and turkey sandwiches, and the Maryland crabcakes. Major food partnerships include Boardwalk Fries and Burgers, which serves its burgers, veggie burgers, turkey burgers, chicken tenders, buffalo tenders, and of course, Boardwalk fries; Bill Bateman's Bistro, which offers a crab pretzel made of a soft pretzel covered with Bill's famous crab dip topped with Cheddar and Jack cheeses, sprinkled with Old Bay seasoning, and baked; Papa John's Pizza; and Subway sandwiches.
Other popular partnerships located outside the stadium in the pregame tailgate area include The Greene Turtle, with pulled pork and burger sliders, boneless wings in plain, Buffalo, and smoky barbecue sauces; Attman's Deli, with corned beef, turkey, and hot pastrami sandwiches, as well as bacon-wrapped kosher-style hot dogs, Black Angus burgers, and cheesesteaks; Hightopps Backstage Grille, serving cheesesteak and pit beef sandwiches; and a New Caribbean food concept that serves a Caribbean cheeseburger and jerk chicken sandwich.
M&T Stadium's Crab Nacho. Photo courtesy of Aramark.
Healthy/Allergy-Friendly Options
M&T has also added new gluten-free options this season, offering gluten-free chicken tenders and sweet potato fries, as well as Redbridge gluten-free beer and gluten-free Angry Orchard Cider. The turkey burger and veggie burger at the Boardwalk Fries stand have been added to the list of healthier options this year, as well as the Southwestern black bean and veggie burger and the Hightopps veggie wrap.
Sustainability Efforts
M&T Stadium and the Maryland Stadium Authority work together on recycling programs and energy initiatives for the state and the NFL. All paper, cans, cardboard, grease, bottles, metal, and computer equipment are recycled, and deep-fryers at the stadium undergo a "Pure a fry" filtering system.
After much deliberation and a very, very close race, we have decided on a winner for this gastronomic rivalry. Although M&T's Ravens Walk offers delicious food not only to game-day ticket holders but also to the general public, we have thrown a penalty flag, because those options are technically located outside the stadium — and therefore have declared the Steelers' Heinz Field as this matchup winner. When focusing on food options available only to ticket-holders, it is our educated opinion that Heinz takes this win, for its local flavors, unique options, and a very dedicated fan base. Will we be correct? Tune in this Sunday at 4:25 p.m. to see if the game reflects our predictions.
Get up to date on our previous NFL Stadium Food Power Rankings here.
Stay tuned for next week's matchups of the Arizona Cardinals vs. the Seattle Seahawks, and the Kansas City Chiefs vs. the Cleveland Browns.
Tyler Sullivan is the Assistant Editor at The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @atylersullivan