The Best Food and Drink at PNC Park: From Hot Chicken to Cheese Curds With Pickles

Pittsburgh's own PNC Park has been open since 2001. It has lots to offer in terms of both entertainment and refreshments. The best food and drink in PNC Park includes three levels of mouth-watering snacks, and tasty treats galore. Whether you are at the stadium to support the local MLB team, the Pittsburgh Pirates, or to see an opposing team on the field, baseball fans have got to eat. In the mood for the classics? Get your fill of burgers and hot dogs, buttery popcorn, cheesy nachos, and lots of drinks. There are also some more unique offerings at PNC Park. Check out the Polish hill dog, a plate of jumbo cajun french fries, or some hot chicken and pickled curds. Let's learn more about all of these.

Keep on reading to learn about the best food and drink in PNC Park. You'll get an in-depth look at the menu options and offerings. We'll also talk about what sections to find each eatery in this rather large stadium setup. The great thing about ballgame food is that there's truly something for everyone. According to Eater, the three biggest standouts of PNC Park include the Smorgasburgh Food Plaza and Pop's Plaza Food Court. So we'll start there with a PNC Park food breakdown. Let's go Pirates!

Smorgasburgh Food Plaza

Quaker Steak & Lube

The main vendors in section 110 of PNC Park include Quaker Steak & Lube. This eatery offer lots of chicken wing options and some great, and zesty sauces. Enjoy classic starters like “Fully Loaded” nachos. These come with with pico de Gallo, cheddar jack, lime sour cream, steakburger or ground chicken ($14.99). Try flavorful quesadillas, onion rings, pretzels, and mozzarella sticks with ranch. Try the peel-out potato skins with bacon, sour cream, scallions, and cheddar jack ($8.99). The Quaker Steak & Lube offers all kinds of unique sandwiches and steak dishes. However, their main offering is their award-winning chicken wings. Taste bone-in, or breaded wings in all kinds of combos. Pick from two sauce combinations with a side of veggies. For the bravest wing eaters, try the hottest sauce options.

The Primanti Brothers

There is also the Primanti Brothers stand. This started off as a food cart but now has a place right in PNC Park. While they have all the classics, including wings, pizza, salads, wings, and loaded fries, the true standout is their sandwiches. The “almost famous” section features small and larger sizes which cost between $8.59-$12.49 depending on the sandwich. There's a capicola & cheese sandwich with spicy Italian ham, and Angus sirloin steak & cheese. Get a ham & cheese, pastrami & cheese, corned beef & cheese, or oven-roasted turkey. Taste classic Keilbasa, ragin' cajun chicken, genoa salami, colossal fish, and Southwest bean. With locations all over Pittsburgh, it's no wonder this stand is a gem of PNC Park.

And Beers of the Burgh, you'll find all kinds of craft brewery and local alcohol options.

Pop's Plaza Food Court

In section 129 of the main concourse, you will find the following great food establishments:

Chicken on the Hill

Home to all kinds of flavorful chicken sandwiches, this menu is inspired by Pittsburgh's own Coop de Ville. Enjoy items like buffalo chicken, or grilled chicken thigh with gochujang mayonnaise ($13/$12). There's the Nashville hot chicken sandwich, a cubano sandwich ($13/$14). Try those alongside all kinds of other fried chicken plates, and a boatload of tasty desserts.

For a hearty beer and pretzel pairing, head to Pub 475. There's also Familee BBQ with all kinds of meat platters and both sweet and savory sauce options. Pop's Plaza specific eateries include the Pop-A Duke's Gryos stand, and a potato patch. Get your fill of greek cuisine with roasted meat, tomatoes, feta, onions, and pita. Or, if potatoes are a better pairing to enjoy watching the Pirates play, get some taters. Try fries in all forms topped with bacon, garlic, cheese or chili at Pop's Potato Patch. New additions to this section include Chickie's & Pete's which serves seafood and pub fare. There's also Nakama, which serves sushi, hibachi, and sashimi options stadium-side (via Visit Pittsburgh).

Other PNC Park Options

According to the Pennsylvania Patch, the other major additions to PNC Park's food scene includes a fried-green tomato BLT from the Bridges Club. Or, get the All-Star Burger from Ballpark Burghers in sections 109, 120, and 133. To try a truly fun PNC Park experience, head to the Chicken Pitt in section 127. Order the fried cheese curds wieth pickles and dill ranch dipping sauce.

Other mentionable options within PNC Park include the All You Can Eat Seats. For $38/ticket you can get endless access to the vendors in section 145 – 147. There's a beverage wall in secton 115 with all kinds of grab-and-go soft drinks, iced treats, and easy snacks. For Dippin' Dots head to sections 113 or 131. And for all the sweet things check out section 119 for all kinds of icecream, rootbeer floats, and soft serve.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Robert Pernell/Shutterstock.com.