Levi’s Stadium listed as the sixth-best press box for food in the NFL

It doesn’t get any more “NFL offseason” than discussing what types of food are being served in an NFL press box. The Athletic teamed up with a few writers to rank the best NFL stadiums, and Levi’s Stadium came in tied for No. 6:

San Francisco 49ersOnce again, having options is very important here. The spread in San Francisco — well, to be specific, it’s in Santa Clara, which I learned in 2018 is not even really close to the San Francisco International Airport — is similar to the Seahawks’ setup because the NFL being a copycat league is not exclusive to the on-field product (it’s a joke, Niners fans, don’t kill me). Omelet bar for early kickoffs, meat carving station in the evenings, with snacks and salad throughout (I hear very good things about the brisket). Halftime has chicken strips, which are better than the postgame strips in Seattle. An underrated part of Levi’s menu, though: ice cream. It’s not something I very often associated with an NFL game experience, but it’s a perfect side snack, really. Those postgame columns are much easier to write when you can take a bite of a chocolate drumstick in between sentences about San Francisco blowing the game in overtime because of its second-string kicker (another joke, Niners fans, please don’t kill me).

Honestly, all San Francisco needs is beer, and it would receive the highest possible grade here.

Grade: A-

Okay, let’s talk about this. As they say, options are everything. The omelet bar went to another level in the playoffs. The powers that be added Prime Rib to the menu in addition to the omelet bar and another buffet style row of food. The strips at halftime strips are nice, but so are the nachos and sweets. From cookies to brownies, you can have your pick. Yes, there is a freezer full of ice cream sandwiches and chocolate drumsticks. What the writer doesn’t tell you is that after the game, not only do they give us beer, but there are pizzas everywhere, too. Maybe I’m biased, maybe I haven’t traveled enough, but I can’t imagine five stadiums offer more than the spread in Santa Clara.

The Vikings are tied for second on the list, and my buddy Arif Hasan—who covers Minnesota for The Athletic—ate with me during the Divisional round and said the Vikings have nothing close to what Levi’s Stadium offered.

As for the rest of the NFC West, the Cardinals are tied for sixth as well. Glendale’s claim to fame is chicken parmesan, but outside of that, it’s glorified bar food. Seattle is also tied for sixth, and if Week 17, a primetime game where all of the media was going to show up, was any indication of their food, then the Seahawks should be closer to 26th. The Rams were tied for last, but they have a new stadium, so I won’t be too tough on them.