The South’s Best Ballpark Bites

Montgomery, Alabama

At  this old-school park where trains still rumble past just along the left-field wall, crowds chant “Hey, Butter, Butter” at opponents, and cannons shoot hot biscuits into the stands. If you didn’t bring your glove or prefer food that doesn’t fly, head for concessions and try the biscuits and gravy, strawberry shortcake biscuits, or the award-winning chicken biscuit with local cane syrup.

Pensacola, Florida

With panoramic views of Pensacola Bay from just about every seat, it’s no surprise the Blue Wahoos lead the historic Southern League—it was founded in 1885—in attendance. Fittingly, the waterfront stadium is also home to the first raw bar in minor-league baseball. A dozen oysters on the half shell behind home plate? Sounds like a home run.

Waldorf, Maryland

Owner Brooks Robinson, the Hall of Fame Baltimore Orioles third baseman and World Series MVP, lends instant credibility to the Blue Crabs—the Old Line State’s newest club. It helps that they also know how to throw a proper crab feast. In addition to the regular all-you-can-eat crustacean feasts, the stands dish up snacks like crab-filled soft pretzels and Old Bay–seasoned fries.

Durham, North Carolina

Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon, and Tim Robbins immortalized Durham’s original Athletic Park on the big screen in the 1988 classic Bull Durham. The old stadium was retired years ago—the current brick ballpark opened in 1995, giving a boost to the now-thriving American Tobacco District—but a replica of the famous mechanized bull looms high in left field. Score a seat beneath it and order the Carolina ’Que Dog—foot-long, all-beef, and topped with mustard-and-vinegar-sauced chopped pork from Hog Heaven.

Memphis, Tennessee

Built in 2000 and modeled after Camden Yards, Wrigley Field, and Fenway Park, the Redbirds’ downtown stadium has classic ballpark appeal. The team is pretty good, too. But the BBQ nachos—corn chips topped with pork or chicken, cheese, and barbecue sauce—keep fans coming back.