The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp’s year of yum is ready to begin.
The Triple-A baseball club’s opening night, on March 27 against the Rochester Red Wings, also marks the return of ballpark food for First Coast fans through a schedule with 75 home games.
And while plenty of the Jumbo Shrimp’s offerings have remained staples for decades — hot dogs, burgers and other traditional favorites abound at VyStar Ballpark — this season comes with a few additions as the Triple-A champion franchise enters its next era following its December acquisition by Prospector Baseball Group.
For Jumbo Shrimp premium experiences manager Gillian Bay, the next step meant adding one missing piece on fans’ “food journey” at the park, which already includes distinctive stops around the grounds like the Oasis, All-American Jax, Southern Fried Freebird and Pinstripe Parlor.
“Every area has a unique identity, kind of a unique genre of foods,” she said.
NEW SANDWICH LINE AT WHEELHOUSE
The newest addition is on the Wheelhouse section, accessible at the stadium’s third level behind home plate.
That’s where fans can try the new offerings from what Bay called a “high-end ballpark delicatessen” with hot and cold sandwiches, wraps, salads, dips and other smaller items, as well as a kids’ menu.
“We’re very, very excited to launch that on Friday,” she said.
Reubens, tuna melts, cheesesteaks, a shrimp burger, BLTs and several other items are entirely new at the ballpark, all found at the new third level.
Bay said the club is also rolling out some new shareable foods, and Exhibit A for that category is the new Loaded Mac Bowl, a heaping portion of macaroni and cheese topped with a meat and a barbecue sauce of fans’ choice. It’s available at the Pit Smokehouse, along the right field line, which as in past years will smoke its meats in-house at the ballpark.
Also new inside the Craft Cave in left field is the similarly king-size Daddy Mac Dog. It’s a foot-long hot dog on a hoagie roll, topped with macaroni and cheese and pulled pork. It also comes in a smaller size called the Mac and Frank.
“There’s family platters, baskets, things that people can share, you really need to order only one of, and the entire family is happy,” Bay said.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Yum! See the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp’s new ballpark food in 2026
Reporting by Clayton Freeman, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
