The Abridged version:
- The Athletics and Sacramento River Cats have returned to Sutter Health Park, and fans can look forward to new concessions options.
- New chef Robb Henry aims to use Northern California agriculture for more menu items and suite offerings while keeping the food approachable.
- Henry’s creations include a hot chicken sandwich, jackfruit tacos and a riff on In-N-Out Burger’s animal fries.
The Athletics and River Cats’ seasons are underway. And while options abound outside the ballpark, there are culinary updates inside the gates, too.
Legends Hospitality, which runs concessions at Golden 1 Center and many other stadiums across the U.S., took over operations at Sutter Health Park last year. In the A’s second season in West Sacramento (and executive chef Robb Henry’s first), they’ve added new concourse concessions and shifted to locally sourced produce, bread and cheeses in the suites and clubs.
“I just want to have a super approachable, detail-focused, driven food program here,” said Henry, who previously led kitchens at Sacramento-area Marriott hotels. “We pay a lot of attention to where we are in Northern California. We can source the best of the best here as far as produce and meat, and so I really want to bring that element to Sutter Health Park, but in a way where it’s ballpark food.”
You’ll still be able to get hot dogs and Cracker Jack, of course. But for something a bit more chef-driven, check out these six new options.
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Rotating pizzas at Pizza & Pints (Section 108)
Cheese and pepperoni were the ballpark’s only pizza toppings last season. This year, Henry plans to rotate personal pies for every home stand, starting with the spicy Italian against the Houston Astros this past weekend. Pepperoni, sausage, jalapeño slices and micro basil pop out against a fiery tomato sauce, making up one of the most flavorful ballpark options.
River City hot chicken sandwich at Coop & Kennel Pub (Section 115)
This Nashville-style hot chicken sandwich is arguably Legends’ top addition to the roster this season. It’s light on heat despite a vibrant orange rub but makes up for that with an excellent crisp, creamy remoulade, pickle chips and cabbage slaw, which balance neatly on toasted Martin’s Famous Potato Roll buns.
Carne asada fries at Oso’s Mexican Cantina (Section 109)
This Cali-Mex classic, a ballpark staple throughout the Golden State, is best shared among a couple of people. Cheese sauce, pico de gallo and onions pile atop crinkle-cut fries, joined by globs of sour cream and guacamole. But the real star is flank steak from Newport Meat’s Fremont plant, cut and marinaded in-house.
Street tacos at Oso’s Mexican Cantina (Section 109)
That aforementioned carne asada makes another appearance at Oso’s, nestled in a trio of tortillas as part of a street taco platter. There’s also achiote chicken, a spiced-up version of the chicken tacos from last season, as well as jackfruit “carnitas” for meatless eaters.
Home run smash burger at Bridges Grille (Section 119)
Eater dubbed 2024 “the year of the smash burger,” and they are still plenty popular in 2026. A pair of hand-molded patties (25% beef belly, 25% brisket, 50% chuck) are pressed firmly onto the grill to maximize their crispy edges, then interspersed with American cheese and housemade pickles on potato buns. It’s nearly as All-American as a ballpark hot dog.
Dugout fries at Golden Spike (Section 104)
A sense of place is keenly felt in this riff on In-N-Out Burger’s animal fries, an off-menu favorite of California fast food connoisseurs. These are an upgrade, if anything: the pink Thousand Island-esque sauce is more herbaceous, the caramelized onions are a bit richer, and pepperoncini slices add a bit of kick atop American cheese sauce. The fries themselves keep from getting too soggy under the weight of all those toppings, a fatal flaw in the original design.
Benjy Egel is the senior food editor at Abridged. Born and raised in the Sacramento region, he has covered its local restaurants and bars since 2018. He also writes and edits Abridged’s weekly food and drink newsletter, City of Treats.