Here’s what to eat (and not) at Cheney Stadium during the Rainiers season

If you’re heading to Cheney Stadium for a Rainiers game, here’s the food scoop.

The menus and restaurants look pretty much as they did in the 2018 season, with a few adjustments. Most of the changes are restaurants moving from one stand to another, but one new restaurant stand has entered the stadium this season.

Here’s a look at the restaurants and what to eat.

La Familia Cantina

This is the new addition. Find it at the Basecamp food stand, which is fully accessible for Summit Club members, but anyone can walk up to the side counter and order.

This season, Cheney Stadium is undergoing a multiple-game rebrand to celebrate Latin culture through minor league baseball’s initiative called Copa de la Diversión and La Familia goes right along with that theme.

Menu items rotating through La Familia will celebrate Latin food. Opening week for the home games saw a menu offering $12 entree-sized portions of grande nachos or a taco plate with rice and black beans. Those came with a choice of pork or chicken.

Those nachos were tasty, but super spendy for the portion size (as is the case with nearly everything in the stadium — you will not find outstanding dining deals at Cheney).

Tortilla chips were tucked into a bowl and covered generously with a river of volcanic hot nacho cheese, like the kind you can pump at 7-Eleven, plus slow-cooked pork shoulder that tasted something like carnitas, all the jalapenos you can stomach, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, onions and a fat squiggle of sour cream. Get these if they’re listed, but do expect the La Familia menu to change through the season.

BaR-B-Q

The stand moved from the terrace down into the concession stand behind home plate (where Ribachi was last season. Ribachi has exited the stadium).

As with the menu last year, there are barbecue sandwiches, a choice of barbecue sauces and sides such as macaroni and cheese and baked beans.

The pulled pork tasted much like last year’s version. A tangy pile of slow-cooked pork on an untoasted bun. Brisket was served in a generous portion, with four slabs of slow-cooked brisket stacked on an untoasted bun.

Sauce choices included a super spicy barbecue sauce called Rainiers Revenge, a sweet honey barbecue sauce and a classic barbecue sauce, heavy on tang. Macaroni and cheese was of the creamy Velveeta variety with big elbow noodles. Baked beans came with a shocking amount of spice for something found in a ballpark. Sandwiches with a side are $12.75. Macaroni and cheese with pulled pork is $8.75.

FIRST BASE RESTAURANTS

All the same restaurants — Ivar’s, Kidd Valley Burgers and Invincibles Pizza — still operate along the first-base side of the stadium. Here are the menus.

Ivar’s: 3 piece fish and chips ($12), clams and chips ($12), chicken and chips ($11), fish tacos ($11), Ivar Dog ($9, a hot dog made with fried cod), cup of clam chowder ($6), kid’s meal ($8).

Kidd Valley Burgers: Big cheeseburger ($9), footlong corndog ($8.50), veggie burger ($9), kid’s meal ($8), fries ($4.50), garlic fries ($7.75).

Invincibles Pizza: Cheese slice ($8), pepperoni slice ($8.75), cheese nachos ($8), kids meal ($8).

THIRD-BASE RESTAURANTS

R Haus Brats moved down from the terrace to the third-base restaurant area following this season’s departure of Flying Taco, the Mexican food stand. Fowl Territory returns this year. Here are the menus.

Fowl Territory: Five-piece boneless wings ($10), chicken and chips ($11), spicy chicken sandwich ($10), fries ($4.50), garlic fries ($7.75).

R Haus Brats: 253 Dog ($10), The Kicker dog ($10), Double Smoked BLT dog ($10).

AVAILABLE AT ALL FOOD STANDS ALONG FIRST AND THIRD BASES

Best Dog in Baseball ($8), Rainier dog ($7), Polish dog ($7.75).

Critic’s picks

Need a recommendation? Here are mine.

Pulled pork or brisket sandwich: Slow-cooked pork or jiggly-edged brisket are the choices for sandwiches at the BaR-B-Q stand behind home plate. Either of these is a good choice, although on the upper end of pricing for the park at $12.75 with a side. Pick the super spicy beans over the somewhat gummy macaroni and cheese for your side.

Grande nachos: At La Familia Cantina on my visit, but your visit might differ. Loaded nachos topped with pulled pork, nacho cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, jalapenos and sour cream ($12).

Garlic fries: This is the obvious choice for every game. They’re consistently good and loaded with enough garlic to make you stink for a few days. Available throughout the park at multiple stands ($7.75).

Bratwurst: R Haus Brats returns this year and they’re a solid choice because of the double-smoked or cheddar-jalapeno bratwurst. Get the Kicker dog, made with a double smoked cheddar jalapeno bratwurst, chipotle mayo, grilled onions and jalapenos ($10).