Workarounds

Yes, You Can Bring Your Own Food to a Mariners Game

Save some money. Eat Salumi. Here are some nearby options for BYO ballpark food.

By Allecia Vermillion March 25, 2024

This particular example might stretch the definition of "single-serving sizes."

When the Mariners return for Opening Day on March 30, they bring with them the annual refresh of T-Mobile Park's concessions. This season, you can watch baseball with a lap full of Din Tai Fung or Moto pizza, even an exclusive Salt and Straw flavor collab with Beecher's. The team that's consistently great about bringing local food and drink within its walls even lets ticket-holders do the same. Visitors can take in outside food, provided it’s in “single-serving sizes.”

This move can save a little money—and a lot of time standing in long concession lines. It also opens up more possibilities. Here are some nearby destinations for food that travels well and won’t be a nightmare to consume in a fold-up seat. Any funds saved on lunch can be promptly re-invested into $5 value beers: The only beverage T-Mobile allows from outside the stadium is water.


Salumi

Pioneer Square

The hallowed Italian deli has changed a lot since new owners arrived in 2018. But it still puts out a solid sandwich, one automatically wrapped and ready for takeout. Hot sandwiches like the cubano, meatball sub, and hallowed braised porchetta have few peers in town, but colder creations like the muffo (mortadella and sopressata with provolone and a generous smear of tapenade) travel best. The mobile ordering setup is friendly to custom sandwich requests.

Vinason Pho Kitchen

SoDo

This underrated local chain has a location facing the T-Mobile Park marquee. The titular pho feels a little complicated to consume during a game, especially since the kitchen packs broth and noodles in separate containers for you to combine upon arrival. But the quality of the proteins really comes through in the rugged, crunchy banh mi; the garlic noodles are rib-sticking ballpark food that just happens to originate on the other side of First Avenue. The mobile ordering setup is easy (and friendly to custom requests). You can also order at a kiosk by the door—and maybe kill a little time availing yourself of Vinason’s 40 self-serve taps of beer, wine, and hard seltzer.

Paseo

SODO

South of the stadium, this outpost of a Seattle sandwich favorite has a low-key patio with picnic tables and a menu of margaritas and rum cocktails ideal for pre-gaming. While you’re there, order a hearty Caribbean-style sandwich or bowl for the road. Paseo built its following on its Caribbean roast and press sandwiches, both filled with rich roasted pork shoulder. But other options like seared cod, tofu, prawns, steak, or roasted chicken thighs all display similar levels of unruly sandwich greatness. The kids menu is helpful, too. Paseo does mobile orders, though it sometimes gets shut off during busy game days.

Chung Chun Rice Hot Dog

Chinatown–International District

A time-tested ballpark staple levels up with a coating of squid ink batter or chunks of fried potato or ramen noodle chips. This counter near the Chinatown paifang sells a Korean street food take on corn dogs, made with rice batter and all manner of flair. The variations can be mind-boggling: Different flavors of hot dogs, various toppings like finely diced sweet potato, hot cheetos, or a a sprinkle of sugar. Some iterations also have cheese. Online ordering helps beat the crowds, though if the lines aren’t long, it’s fun to get staff input on what combos taste best; the dusting of sugar proves enjoyable where you least expect it.

Any Nearby Hot Dog Vendor

SoDo

Ferndale-based meat purveyor Hempler's supplies the Seattle dogs for sale inside T-Mobile, but a host of hot dog vendors are waiting outside the ballpark. Some people like Pioneer Grill, others pledge fealty to Seattle Sausage. What really matters is the ability to pick up a hot, paper-wrapped frank along your chosen route into T-Mobile Park, most likely somewhere on Occidental Avenue. Oh, and that your toppings of choice include cream cheese and grilled onions.

Slice Box Pizza

SoDo

Consider this the solar eclipse of ballpark takeout. This fantastic slice shop is just a five-minute walk from T-Mobile, but its weekday lunch hours only occasionally align with the Mariners’ schedule. If you happen to be headed to a Wednesday day game, this counter sells maybe 10 pies by the slice, a mix of crunchy Sicilian-style squares and classic rounds. The barbecue chicken pizza, a favorite with regulars, is far more balanced than other versions of this 1980s throwback.

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