A new lineup of saucy, spicy, cheesy and classy comfort foods at Nationwide Arena is enough to keep Columbus Blue Jackets fans from joining the list of people demanding a trade elsewhere this season.
"We just had fun with this," Sean Barger, executive chef for concessions vendor Delaware North, said of a menu of new items that will be available at concession stands, on the club level, in high-end suites and at the Fanatics Sportsbook adjacent to the arena. "We weren't going anywhere in particular. We just wanted to make good food."
Barger and team officials hosted a preview Sept. 25 for concessions added for the Jackets' 2026-27 season. The team opens the new campaign with three straight games: Oct. 1 vs. Buffalo, Oct. 3 vs. the Utah Mammoth and Oct. 9
vs. Pittsburgh.
For fans who like good, old-fashioned stadium food, there will be plenty of hot dogs, popcorn, burgers and beer throughout Nationwide Arena. But for those who want more, the choices take some comforting standards to a new level.
What's new at Nationwide Arena concession stands?
Surf & Turf Burger: A hamburger patty is topped with lobster salad and white American cheese for a bite that stays just this side of over-the-top. It's $17.99 and comes with fries.
Pimiento Fried Rice: This great combination of Asian, Southern and Latin flavors includes onion, bell pepper and celery, kidney beans and black garlic sauce, a dollop of pimiento cheese and bonito flakes. A serving is $13.99.
Loaded Tempura Shrimp: It's a good serving of battered, fried shrimp atop a roasted corn salad with spicy sambal aioli and popcorn ranch dressing. It's $10.99 at arena concession stands.
Walki Talki: This walking-taco entry is blue Takis tortilla chips with ground beef, pico de gallo, ground beef, pepper jack cheese and lettuce. It's a good-sized dish for $11.49.
Here are your food options in the CBJ club seats
Korean Beef Nachos: If you're springing for club seats, spring for the upgraded nachos. Corn tortilla chips are topped with flavorful bulgogi beef, salty cotija cheese, charred corn, pickled onion, scallions and gochujang aioli. They're $14.99.
Spicy Chicken Stack: The fried chicken sandwich is kicked up with fried cowboy candy (candied and pickled jalapenos for non-Texans), dill pickle cabbage and buttermilk popcorn ranch sauce. The sandwich with fries is $13.99.
Mediterranean Chopped Salad: If you're not playing three periods of hockey, do you really need a salad? If you do, this one has greens, chicken shawarma, cucumber, tomato, roasted chickpeas, pickled onion and a feta-herb vinaigrette. It's gluten-free and $13.99.
Food for Nationwide Arena suite-dwellers
Southwestern Caesar Salad: Instead of the usual Caesar accompaniments, this salad gets cotija cheese, roasted corn and black beans, red peppers, tortilla strips and Caesar dressing. A 12-person portion is $70.
Burnt End Mac & Cheese: The best of everything includes crispy bits of pork belly, barbecue sauce and fried onions. For 12 people, it's $115.
Root Beer Float Poutine: The Canadian comfort food is re-engineered as a dessert. It's funnel cake fries, funnel cake-battered cheese curds, root beer syrup and whipped cream. Enough for 12 people is $75.
New food in the Fanatics Sportsbook
Salmon Burger: The salmon patty is made in-house (Nationwide Arena oversees the bar's food), and it's topped with arugula, pickled onion and lemon-caper aioli. The burger and fries are $13.99.
Pork Belly BLT: Why do bacon when pork belly is an option? It's served with arugula, tomatoes, pickled onion and ancho-garlic aioli in this sandwich. It comes with chips for $12.99.
Jalapeno Poppers: The spicy and creamy snack gets a sweet sidekick with a wild berry drizzle. A serving is $10.99.
Follow Dispatch dining reporter Bob Vitale on Instagram at @dispatchdining. You can reach him directly at rvitale@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Here are our hot takes on everything new at Nationwide Arena this season
