Burgers with brisket, hot dogs with pepperoni and mac and cheese with smoked pork are among the new concessions at Ohio Stadium for 2025.
What did you expect the defending national champions to serve? Popcorn?
Chris North, vice president of hospitality for Levy, Ohio State’s concessions vendor at the Horseshoe, said his company’s goal this season was to deliver a menu “that’s as bold and memorable as Buckeye football itself.”
If there’s a common thread throughout the new offerings, it’s comfort food with a twist.
For each home game this year, fans can get burgers inspired by OSU’s opponent. For the game against Texas on Aug. 30, a Longhorn burger will include smoked brisket, Colby Jack cheese and caramelized jalapeños. When Grambling State makes the trip from Louisiana on Sept. 6, a Creole Magic burger will include smoked Andouille sausage, Gouda cheese and a house-made remoulade.
Other new items include a Buckeye Bowl cart that will serve rice bowls topped with proteins such as chicken tinga or taco beef, a Mac Attack stand that will serve loaded mac and cheese with smoked pork and other toppings, and a Smashed Bun cart that will serve smashed cinnamon rolls with toppings such as apple compote and toasted oats.
Other new foods include birria nachos, chili cups and Italian hot dogs topped with cherry pepper relish and chopped pepperoni.
North said revamped barbecue stands at sections 15A and 6A will serve house-made chips topped with brisket, cheddar sauce and other fixings, as well as pulled pork and brisket sandwiches served on brioche buns.
Again this season, fans can order from their seats and receive a text when their food is ready for pickup. OSU’s official Ohio State Buckeyes app has also added information on wait times for concessions, drink refills and restrooms. (You can download it for free to your iPhone or Android phone.)
Ohio Stadium’s beer-selling grab-and-go stands and the full-service bar on A-deck also will be able to verify buyers’ ages using state government MobileID readers. The technology allows people to add their identification to a digital wallet on their phones and scan it for verification. That app is available through the Apple store.
Dining reporter Bob Vitale can be reached at rvitale@dispatch.com or at @dispatchdining on the Instagram social platform.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Stadium concessions take comfort food to a new level for 2025 season
Reporting by Bob Vitale, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
