Pinstripe Alley vs. Yankee Stadium Food: Kalua Pork Nachos

As longtime readers of Pinstripe Alley know, whenever I get a chance to make my way to Yankee Stadium, I like to try something new to eat. I’m fully aware that getting anything to eat there is generally expensive, and I’d probably be much happier packing a meal and bringing it in, rather than paying the cost of food at the stadium.

My view on it is that since I don’t make it there as often as I’d like, I enjoy going for the whole “experience” when I go see the Yankees.

Plus, having this outlet gives me an excuse to feel better about what I’m doing. I’m doing this for you, the readers of Pinstripe Alley. You’re all welcome. Even though I’m definitely just doing this for me, I can pretend that’s not the case and feel better about myself.

When the new food items this year were announced, my main targets were the Tater Keg, the Adobo Bao, and the Grand Slam Celebration Shake. Having crossed those items off my list, I wasn’t sure where to turn next.

Earlier in the year, Tyler Norton interviewed Matt Gibson who is the Senior Executive Chef at Yankee Stadium. Tyler asked Gibson for some suggestions which provide us with today’s offerings. Based on his input, I immediately took a look at the King’s Hawaiian menu and my destiny was clear.

Just from first impressions, everything on this menu sounds absolutely delicious. I was really torn, however, between the burnt ends sandwich and the kalua pork nachos. Ultimately, I wasn’t really feeling a sandwich, so the nachos won out.

Original Sweet Pineapple BBQ Kalua Pork Nachos

Just from sight alone, I can see why Gibson recommended venturing over to the King’s Hawaiian stand. From the first bite, I can easily say he was right. The flavor of the banana-leaf-braised and spicy mayo compliment each other extremely well. The cheese and green onions helped enhance the flavor profile, but my favorite part might just be the use of wonton chips instead of regular tortilla chips.

Don’t get me wrong, tortilla chips would’ve fit just as well, but the wonton chips had a bit of a sweet profile that worked extremely well here. There was nothing to dislike here. All the flavors blended well together and made for an extremely delightful experience.

The portion size was also solid here, as I ate these nachos in the second inning of Sunday’s 1 PM game and I held strong until about 8 PM when I had dinner. The cost of the nachos wasn’t even bad, especially considering what I had before (see below). All this for just $9.99 plus tax, was one of the better deals I’ve found at Yankee Stadium. I don’t mind spending ten bucks on food as long as I can consider it a meal, and this definitely did the job.

The kalua pork nachos were hands down one of the best things I’ve had at Yankee Stadium. I can’t wait to try some of the other offerings available at the King’s Hawaiian stand next time I make it to the stadium. King’s Hawaiian stands can be found by sections 115 and 334. My only complaint would be that as someone who likes to sit in the grandstand, the fact that this is only available all the way at the end by section 334 is a bummer. It’s a bit of a hike, luckily I went on a day that wasn’t too crowded.

Bonus: Chicken Taquitos

King’s Hawaiian was always the goal for me when I got to the game. That’s what I had my sights set on. I didn’t have breakfast though and by the time I got to the stadium I was extremely hungry. So I took to Gibson once again and saw he also suggested taquitos.

Taquitos sounded perfect for a snack before my meal, and I figured if the chef recommended them, they’d probably be worth my while. I was meeting my friends up in the grandstand, so I stopped and got these on my way up since they’re only available in the Pepsi Food Court in section 125.

There are two different taquito options: black bean and chicken. Both are served in a cup with chili con queso and pico de gallo. The black bean can be ordered without the chili con queso and made vegan upon request. I got the chicken taquito cup.

In short, taquitos were fine. The chili con queso had good flavor and made for a nice dipping sauce and the portability of them offering these in a cup was definitely a plus. It was easy to munch on these as I was working my way upstairs. They didn’t wow me, though, so I wonder why the chef went out of his way to recommend them when so many other options are available. I’m guessing he wanted to highlight a gluten-free option, which these are, that could also be made vegan to help those with stricter dietary restrictions.

The problem here wasn’t the taste or the food itself, but the cost. I generally try to be a little considerate or understanding in my reviews. I know that food is expensive at the stadium so while I’ll be sure to say if I feel if you’re getting the bang for your buck, I won’t simply complain about the cost. Rather I didn’t...until now.

Honestly, never buy these. They cost $11.89 + tax. Basically three dollars per taquito, when you can get the same thing from 7-Eleven for a lot cheaper. They even tasted like they were the same taquitos from 7-Eleven. The worst part was, I finished by the time I got to my seat upstairs and I was still feeling hungry. Sure it helped a bit, but the fact that I needed to get up to go get food by the second inning was definitely upsetting. If these were brought down to the $5-6 range, then they’d be a great small snack for anyone. At the current cost, though, stay away.