In August, it dawned on me that I'm a bigger Buffalo Bills fan than I am a foodie.
When friends invited us to the first preseason Bills game at the new Highmark Stadium, I enjoyed it the way the other fans did. I marveled at the stadium. I thrilled at Josh Allen's first touchdown and the lopsided score. I soaked in the perfect weather. It was pure relaxation.
It was my day off as food reporter, and honestly, the food was not top of mind. But in retrospect, I do have a few food-related tips for those of you heading to future games.
Leave early to tailgate
We're not hardcore tailgaters the way some fans are, but relaxing, snacking and sipping a cold beverage is a quintessential part of a Bills game experience. We left from Penfield at 9:45 a.m. and with traffic, we didn't
give ourselves enough time to tailgate and also catch the pre-game festivities for the 1 p.m. game. (We ran into construction around the Galleria Mall in addition to the usual stadium backups.) I'd leave earlier next time.
Expect high food prices
The food prices were pretty much what you might expect at an NFL stadium (with the notable exception of Atlanta and a couple of others). Here are some prices I noted on the club level:
- Popcorn: $8
- Black & Red Burger with bleu cheese, red onion bacon jam, dill pickle: $21
- Cup & Char Burger with provolone, crispy pepperoni, Calabrian chili tomato jam, garlic aioili: $21
- A box of French fries: $7
- Buffalo chicken fingers: $16
- Regular chicken fingers: $14
- Beef on weck: $18
- Stadium nachos with brisket burnt ends, white queso, jalapeño, pico de gallo and sour cream: $24
What's not great and what to check out
Being that I was in Buffalo, I opted for a quintessential beef on weck and found the whole thing was very dry. I had a taste of my husband's Buffalo chicken fingers and didn't like the way the sauce made the coating soggy, but he didn't mind it.
Most of the food I encountered was prepackaged in boxes and sitting under warming lamps at self-serve lines, so I didn't get a good look at much of it. The best looking food I saw was some footlong hot dogs browning nicely on a flat top. Their aroma was enticing, too. Those appear to be a good bet.
Chiavetta's Barbeque was grilling chicken at its stand on the way into the game; you can find it after you pass through the security gates (between gates D and E, near the Buffalo statues) but before you enter the stadium. That may be a good option for a future visit.
What I really regret is not seeking out the Southern Junction stand, as I've driven to Buffalo just to have dinner at the Texas-meets-India barbecue restaurant that's been up for James Beard awards. I've swooned at its barbecue but I have yet to try its Texas Twinkies, which are on the menu at Highmark. They are large jalapeños stuffed with chopped smoked brisket and cream cheese, then wrapped in bacon, smoked and glazed with barbecue sauce. Next time for sure.
Take your ID
My final piece of advice: be sure to take your ID if you want to enjoy some alcohol, even if you have a whole head of silver hair. They won't sell you a beer without one. (If you forget your ID, an NA beer is a perfectly acceptable substitute.)
Tracy Schuhmacher has been food and drink reporter for the past 11 years. She's been a Bills fan for 35 years. Email her at tracys@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: A Bills fan's guide to eating and drinking at the new Highmark Stadium
