In the early days of Ballpark Digest, merely offering a veggie dog would earn your ballpark a citation from PETA. Today, you”ll find some sophisticated fare and dedicated vegan stands dominating the list of vegan-friendly MLB ballparks, issued by nonprofit PETA annually.
“These popular stadiums prove that vegan eating is as American as baseball and apple pie,” says PETA Executive Director Tracy Reiman. “PETA’s carefully compiled rankings of the top vegan-friendly ballparks will help fans chow down on delicious cruelty-free foods while cheering their favorite teams to victory.”
As noted: it is fascinating to see how this list has evolved over the years. We can remember the days when anyone offering a veggie hot dog would land a team on this list, but today many MLB operators and a good number of MiLB teams offer some sort of vegetarian fare, even if it’s only a stand with fruit, salads and vegetables.
Heading the list is Globe Life Park, home of the Texas Rangers, in the heart of cattle country. From PETA: “Globe Life’s Ballpark Vegan cart, launched last year, has Beyond Chicken wraps, nachos topped with dairy-free cheese, chili with Beyond Beef Feisty Crumble, Texas BBQ meat-free jerky, Southwest black bean burgers, spinach wraps with hummus, black bean tamales, and Lightlife Jumbo Smart Dogs with a whole-grain bun—all deep in the heart of Texas, to boot.”
Second on the list: Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins. As we noted in our 2017 Target Field preview, the Twins and concessionaire Delaware North teamed with trendy Herbivorous Butcher on vegetarian versions of brats and Italian sausages, served on vegan buns, served at a portable booth near Section 129. They are spicy; don’t pass on the onions.
The rest of the list (which you can view here):
3) Chase Field
4) Dodger Stadium
5) Citi Field
6) Oakland Coliseum
7) Yankee Stadium
8) Oriole Park at Camden Yards
9) AT&T Park
10) Citizens Bank Park