Blue Wahoos new menu knocks it outta the park with mac & cheese cart, shrimp tacos and more

Brittany Misencik, Pensacola News Journal
Updated ·4 min read

While we can all appreciate a simple ballpark hot dog lathered in ketchup on a hot summer day, Pensacola’s Blue Wahoos have redefined what concession-style dining can look like.

The Blue Wahoos culinary team has spent the past several years elevating its food roster and now have seven brand-new food items that are likely to be a home run with fans.

“Our fans have high expectations for us, so hopefully we can just keep impressing them, because they’re kind of a tough crowd to impress sometimes. But I don’t blame them, because it just means we set the standard that high,” said executive chef Travis Wilson, who has been cooking for Wahoos fans since 2012.

Wilson has taken the helm for menu design alongside sous chef Carl Sackman. Together, the two have worked to get the Blue Wahoos’ dining scene recognized far beyond Pensacola − and they've been knocking it out of the park. The Blue Wahoos won the 2019 Ballpark Digest Award for their signature Crabzilla sandwich, which was named the best new food item at any stadium throughout the country, according to the Minor League Baseball website.

Since partnering with RS3 Strategic Hospitality in 2019, the stadium has stepped up its game in providing not just a quick meal, but a culinary experience true to Pensacola’s culture. This why you’ll notice items like fried mullet on the menu sourced from Joe Patti’s Seafood and Maria’s Fresh Seafood Market, fresh salads from Bodacious and sushi rolls from Rock n’ Roll Sushi.

“Our company is chef culinary driven concepts, and we really try to take that focus of chefs’ menus, converting them from a fine dining style atmosphere and fine dining style of cuisine into a fast-paced concession ballpark,” said Eric Kroll, the Blue Wahoos’ general manager of food and beverage. “So, we rebranded all four of the storefronts inside the stadium, and then corresponded those rebranding of the storefronts with the style of food that you would find at each of those.”

These are the four major dining locations inside the Blue Wahoos stadium:

  • Casa De Kazoo: A Mexican food inspired storefront featuring menu items like carne asada tacos, the Southwestern Taco Salad and Pork Nachos Conquistadores.

  • The Wheelhouse Diner: A retro American diner starring menu items like old fashioned milkshakes, smash burgers and footlong hot dogs.

  • Fish & Hits Pub: This is a spin on an Irish style pub, complete with items like Olde English Fish, Mr. Marlin Fish Sandwich and garlic parmesan fries on the menu.

  • Hook, Line & Sinker: This stop is for the seafood lovers, featuring items like the B.L.T. Shrimp PoBoy with fries, Crab Mac & Cheese Footlong Dog and fried mullet (based on market availability).

7 tasty new menu items new to the Blue Wahoos ballpark this year:

  • Smoked chicken wings: Doused in a homemade Guinness barbecue hot sauce, you’re going to want a big bowl of these to snack on during the game. These will be found in the Fish & Hits Pub.

  • Margarita shrimp tacos: Capturing all the refreshing flavors of the classic cocktail, these tacos will feature a margarita guacamole and lime crema. They can be found at Case De Kazoo.

  • Mac and Cheese cart: A macaroni and cheese cart is rolling into the stadium, offering different specialty varieties of macaroni and cheese, including a house pimento gouda version.

  • Bread pudding bites: This will be a sweet treat offered from Casa De Kazoo inspired by the flavors of traditional Mexican horchata.

  • Shrimp and grits: While this dish is already an established local favorite, you’ve likely never had it like this before. This version comes with gouda pimento cheese grits and a signature sweet bacon jam.

  • The Fresh Prince: This dish features a Philly Cheesesteak smash burger that is comprised of double smash patty, garlic mayo and provolone cheese.

  • Bullpen Barbecue Burger: This All-American burger comes topped with pickles, American cheese, bacon, fried onion straws and a special bourbon barbecue sauce.

Also, soon to come are a new line of specialty cocktails and new frozen machines that will have rotating varieties of island inspired cocktails. One beverage in particular is expected to standout: a frozen Bushwacker. If you're looking for a non-alcoholic alternative, keep an eye out for items like the Light Up Lemonade, which comes with glow-in-the-dark ice cubes.

Hungry for more? Stay up to date on the latest restaurant news by subscribing to our free Pensacola Eats newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign up for the newsletter at profile.pnj.com/newsletters/pensacola-eats/

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Blue Wahoo Stadium menu Pensacola features wings, tacos, poboys more