Baseball 2024: SF Giants' Oracle ballpark offers eats for vegan and vegetarian baseball fans too

gqlshare

March 26

For a long time, ballpark fare has been dominated by hot dogs and burgers, leaving vegetarians with slim options for diamond-side bites — unless you really love peanuts and Cracker Jack.

But San Francisco's Oracle Park has expanded its concessions menu in recent years to appeal to vegetarian baseball fans, offering everything from Impossible burgers to vegetarian lumpia and falafel wraps.

Peter McGuinness, CEO of Impossible Foods, says he thinks the transition is all about giving baseball fans more choices. "People want healthier options and better options," he says. "Some people want plant-based options. We want to make them available to everyone."

That effort took a step forward with the opening of a That's Impossible! kiosk — his company's first brick-and-mortar outpost — on the ballpark's club level, where club-level ticket holders can enjoy dishes made with Impossible-brand "meats," including Philly cheesesteaks, Impossible chicken nuggets and chili.

Impossible burgers and similar veggie fare are also available at food stands throughout the ballpark, a nugget we discovered in the waning days of the last baseball season, as we set out to find the best vegetarian and vegan-friendly options there. And while we're ready to declare the Impossible cheesesteak a home run, it has competition.

That's Impossible! at Oracle Park before the San Diego Padres game against the San Francisco Giants in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

That cheesesteak ($16) is a delightfully drippy affair, with veggie and Impossible "meat" juices running from the thick roll and combining into a happy, sloppy cheesy meal. It's a satisfying alternative to the traditional dish. And the upcoming season brings potentially big news: An Impossible-brand hot dog may be available as soon as opening day, according to McGuinness.

The Lumpia Company's vegetarian lumpia for $15 at Oracle Park before the San Diego Padres game against the San Francisco Giants in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) — The Lumpia Company's vegetarian lumpia makes a great bite at Oracle Park before the San Diego Padres game against the San Francisco Giants in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

The ballpark's vegetarian lumpia ($15) will easily get you to second plate — as in, you'll want seconds. Made by Bay Area fave, the Lumpia Company — the Oakland food company owned by restaurateur Alex Retodo and East Bay rap legend E-40 — this Filipino classic boasts a flaky, crisp exterior that gives way to chewy, flavorful veggies. The food stand is also known for its vegan-friendly Dole Whip in both classic pineapple and new wave strawberry-calamansi flavors, if you're looking to sate your sweet tooth.

Meanwhile, the Super Duper veggie burger ($14) from the popular San Francisco-based burger purveyor is fine, but a bit dry inside. The addition of hummus instead of traditional burger condiments doesn't add enough moisture or flavor — and it doesn't mix well with ketchup and mustard. Still, it's pleasing enough to wash down with a nicely chilled beer and an easy thing to let slide — especially when the traditional vegetarian alternative has been to just go hungry all game.