We all expect stadium food to be pricey, but some of it is ridiculous. I remember spending nearly $20 on a burger and a soda once, and it wasn't even good. The bun was soggy, the patty was dry, and I still felt hungry afterward. That was the moment I swore I'd never fall for the overpriced stadium food trap again. If you've ever felt robbed after ordering snacks at a game, you're not alone. These items are some of the worst offenders.
Note: The content of this article does not reflect the Writer's personal beliefs.
Hot Dogs
If you go to the grocery store, you can buy hot dogs for a fraction of a dollar. Grab some buns and some ketchup, and you are good to go. If you try to buy a hot dog at a stadium, you will spend about 15 times as much.
The average plain hot dog costs a ton and that is with absolutely no toppings. Add chili or cheese to that dog and you are looking at a high bill. Definitely don’t get more than one!
Beer
Beer is a classic stadium drink, and everyone feels the need to buy it. But you may want to reconsider that can of beer when you see that one single can costs as much as a whole case of beer at the grocery store. It is pure insanity. You really don’t need a beer that badly…
Pretzels
We used to think a soft pretzel at the stadium would be a nice, cheap snack. We thought wrong. Those warm pretzels are rising in price and cost more than you probably make in an hour of work.
If you also ask for cheese or any other type of dipping sauce, you will be broke with just that one order. Maybe wait until you get home to eat a pretzel.
Popcorn
Popcorn is cheap, right? Not if you’re at a stadium! Popcorn is actually one of the most expensive stadium snacks. This is probably due to its popularity and the fact that it really is a stadium staple.
But if you want to continue the tradition of eating popcorn while watching a game, be prepared to spend a super high price for a very small bag of popcorn that you will devour in minutes.
Nachos
Watching the game with a tray of nachos sounds like such a good idea—until you see how much they cost. They are expensive, to say the least.
Stadium nachos cost as much as a gourmet dinner at a fancy restaurant. Don't even think about adding meat or extra toppings. We don’t even know what that would cost us, but we know the total wouldn’t be pretty.
Burgers
There are some crazy burgers at stadiums across the country. Almost every stadium has a specialty burger that reflects a player on the team or the team as a whole. These specialty burgers are fun and exciting since you can’t get them elsewhere. But guess what? You will pay for that excitement.
Alcohol
Do not go to a stadium and expect to get happy hour prices. Instead, you should expect to spend about five times more than you normally would at a bar. Stadium drinks are super expensive.
Yet, not only do the stadiums want to make a ton of money on drinks, but they also don’t want you to drink too much. The solution to keeping your alcohol intake down and their profits up is to simply change a ton for every drink. You will likely only buy one. The stadium gets their money, and you stay fairly sober.
Water
A bottle of water at a sports stadium will cost you almost all the cash in your wallet. Seriously. You could buy a whole case of water at the grocery store for the price of one tiny bottle. But, when you need a drink of water, you are willing to spend whatever money you have to get it.
Luckily, most stadiums allow you to bring a bottle of water, so make sure you do! You don’t want to spend all your hard-earned cash on overpriced water.
Chicken Tenders
Ordering a big bucket of fried chicken at a stadium will cost you a lot. But at least you are getting “real” food. Spend the money on the fried chicken and consider it your dinner. Thinking this way may make the high price tag a little easier to stomach.
Ice Cream
Stadium vendors are always coming around asking if you want ice cream. On a hot day, you are likely to say yes! But then you will have to fork over quite a bit of cash to get that cold, refreshing ice cream.
A regular ice cream bar costs several dollars. For that same price, you could buy a whole gallon of ice cream plus whipped cream in the grocery store. The price gouging is simply ridiculous.
Pizza
Stadiums do not have pizza ovens. Keep this in mind when you are paying a full day's wage just for a pizza. It was microwaved, and it was going to taste disgusting. People love to buy pizza to eat as they watch the big game, but it is one pricy food we should all give up.
No stadium in the history of sports has ever made a good pizza. So why are we paying so much for something that tastes so bad?!
French Fries
French fries are fun to snack on while watching a game. They are also very easy to share, which makes them the perfect stadium food. A small container of fries will cost the same as a massive bag of grocery store fries.
However, fries are actually one of the cheapest stadium foods so you may want to snag them and split the cost with a friend.
Peanuts
Baseball stadiums are especially known for their peanuts. It is an unwritten rule that you must have a pack of peanuts if you go to watch a baseball game.
But to get those peanuts, you will need to pay an arm and a leg. Just be prepared! And then enjoy your peanuts (and the game!).
Soda
If you buy a soda at a stadium, you may need to pay a second mortgage on your house. You will pay a high price for a huge cup of ice and some fountain soda syrup. Plus, the fountain soda is typically watered down, so it doesn't even taste good. Such a bad choice!
This post was originally published on Spatula Desserts
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