• Eleni Feggulis

Ballpark Pizza: On and Off the Field

In June of 1889, the term “pizza” was born in Italy. From a dinner table in Italy to, now, the ballpark, pizza has come a long way.

When a fan or customer hits the baseball field for a game, most of the time hotdogs, pretzels, and peanuts are some of the first food or snack items that come to mind to enjoy during the game, but what is really being neglected is the ballpark pizza. Ballpark pizza offers a comforting feeling for everyone in the family.

Image of Champion Field, spring training home of the Atlanta Braves.
Photo by Jake Mastiano was taken of Atlanta Braves Spring training.

What Makes a Ballpark Pizza a Ballpark Pizza?

Ballpark pizza is pizza that accompanies the event of going to a baseball game of any kind either before, during or after the game.

From personal ballpark pizza to sliced ballpark pizza, the options are endless. And if you want to make ballpark pizza at home, check out the recipes and reviews for the kitchen products you’ll need at Spice Kitchen and Bar.

  • Personal & Sliced
    • Plain
    • Pepperoni
    • Hawaiian Style
    • Neapolitan
    • Sicilian
    • New York Style
    • Greek
    • Detroit-Style
    • BBQ Chicken
    • Margarita
    • So many more types of pizza!
Pizza from Simply Recipes (https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/homemade_pizza/).

Ballpark Pizza Must Haves

When looking for a good place to get a ballpark pizza, inside or outside the stadium, here are some of the things you should be looking for to ensure your ballpark pizza experience is out of the park:

  • Quality of the pizza
    • Look of the pizza
      • Determine if it is the perfect grease consistency, cheese to sauce ratio, toppings to cheese ratio, toppings to sauce ratio, etc.
      • Be sure to ask for substitutions or a change if something doesn’t suit your liking because a pizza should always be delicious in the way YOU would like it
      • Inside or outside the ballpark, be sure that your slice seems fresh or you may kindly ask for another slice of the pizza
    • Pay attention to the smell of the pizza
      • When you walk into an outside pizza joint, you should like the smell of the fresh pizza right away
  • Price of the pizza and/or slice
    • Not all good pizza should cost you a fortune
    • Most reviews on Google cover prices and deals on all pizza, so be sure to investigate the cost of each place to get the best quality pizza for the best price
  • Atmosphere around getting a whole and/or slice of pizza
    • Make sure your initial impression of the pizza staff indicates that they are kind, they take their time making orders, and they are overall conversational
    • Keep in mind that some people have bad days, so don’t judge too fast about the attitudes of the staff
Ballpark Pizza from Laguna Niguel, CA.

Outside the Stadiums for Ballpark Pizza

Sometimes the game subsides our hunger from suspense or just cheering the whole time. The appetite may be worked up after the conclusion of the game and there is no better way to fill that appetite with some pizza near the stadium. Some of the best ballpark pizza places near stadiums in the Tri-state Area include:

  • Pizza Sam Near Citi Field
    • Found at 89-06 Northern Blvd., Jackson Heights, New York, this pizza place has a 4.4 rating on Google with the crowd, as well as the staff adding to its high rating. Sitting at a twelve-minute drive from Citi Field, Home of the New York Mets, Pizza Sam has been running for more than 50 years and offers pasta and subs to accompany their ballpark pizza. The types of ballpark pizza offered at Pizza Sam include:
      1. Cheese pizza
      2. Extra cheese pizza
      3. Pepperoni pizza
      4. Sausage pizza
      5. Mushrooms pizza
      6. Meatball pizza
      7. Green peppers pizza
      8. Eggplant pizza
      9. Fried chicken pizza
      10. Onions pizza
      11. Broccoli pizza
      12. Salami pizza
      13. Ham pizza
      14. Olives (black or green) pizza
      15. Jalapeno pizza
      16. Grilled chicken pizza
      17. Bacon pizza
      18. Sicilian pizza
      19. Hawaiian pizza
      20. Fresh mozzarella alla vodka pizza
      21. White pizza
      22. Spinach & ricotta pizza
      23. Supremo pizza
      24. Veggie supremo pizza
      25. Meat supremo pizza
  • Celebre’s Pizzeria Near Citizens Bank Park
    • Located a five-minute drive away from Citizens Bank Park, Home of the Philadelphia Phillies, at 1536 Packer Ave., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Celebre’s Pizzeria offers a wide range of ballpark pizza. A part of the Slice family (the app for online pizza ordering), Celebre’s Pizza comes in at a 4.5 rating on Google. The ballpark pizza establishment also offers pasta, Stromboli, salads, and sandwiches to their ballpark pizza list. The types of ballpark pizza offered at Celebre’s Pizzeria include:
      1. Red Sicilian pizza
      2. Sicilian pazazz pizza
      3. White Sicilian pizza
      4. Spimato pizza
      5. Round cheese pizza
      6. Round pizza with two toppings
      7. Half and half two topping round pizza
      8. Round pizza with half two toppings
      9. Round pizza with three toppings
      10. Round pizza with half three toppings
      11. Half and half three topping round pizza
      12. White pizza
      13. Old-way pizza
      14. Veggie pizza
      15. Round robin pizza
      16. Buffalo wing pizza
      17. Barbecue chicken pizza
      18. Steak pizza
      19. Crouton pizza
Photo taken by Uptown Kitchen Pizza.
  • Uptown Kitchen Pizza Near PNC Park
    • Found at 1710 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Uptown Kitchen Pizza has a 4.8 rating on Google for their ballpark pizza and is positioned a ten-minute drive from PNC Park, Home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Although their motto is “Best Pizza in Pittsburgh”, Uptown Kitchen Pizza offers so much more than just ballpark pizza: fries, garlic bread, poppers, onion rings, wings, salads, calzones (type of ballpark pizza), Stromboli, dinner baskets, burgers, pasta, wraps & gyros, subs, and a variety of desserts. The types of ballpark pizza offered at Uptown Kitchen Pizza include:
      1. Classic pizza ranging from 6 to 18-inches
      2. Sicilian 16-inch pizza
      3. Gluten free 12-inch pizza
      4. Miami breakfast pizza
      5. Hawaiian breakfast pizza
      6. Veggie breakfast pizza
      7. Cheese lover’s pizza
      8. Supreme pizza
      9. Hawaiian pizza
      10. Meat lover’s pizza
      11. Triple pepperoni pizza
      12. Chicken parmesan pizza
      13. Steak pizza
      14. Margarita pizza
      15. Spinach feta pizza
      16. Spinach chicken pizza
      17. Veggie pizza
      18. Broccoli chicken pizza
      19. Mediterranean pizza
      20. Greek pizza
      21. Seafood pizza
      22. Spinach ricotta pizza
      23. Buffalo chicken pizza
      24. Steak ranchero pizza
      25. Chicken ranchero pizza
      26. General Tso’s delight pizza
      27. Chicken alfredo pizza
      28. Seafood alfredo pizza
      29. Barbecue Hawaiian pizza
      30. Barbecue chicken pizza
      31. Taco Grande pizza.
  • Yankees 99 Cent Hot Pizza Near Yankee Stadium
    • Located a two-minute drive away from Yankee Stadium, Home of the New York Yankees, at 52 E 161 St., The Bronx, New York, Yankees 99 Cent Hot Pizza is a great place for a cheap and delectable ballpark pizza and is one of the closest pizzerias to the stadium. Also, a part of the Slice family (the app for online pizza ordering), Yankees 99 Cent Hot Pizza comes in at a 5.0 rating on Google for their great service and ballpark pizza quality. The ballpark pizza establishment also offers beef patties, garlic knots, and wings to their ballpark pizza list. The types of ballpark pizza offered at Yankees 99 Cent Hot Pizza include:
      1. Cheese pizza
      2. Pepperoni pizza
      3. Extra cheese pizza
      4. Broccoli pizza
      5. Black olives pizza
      6. Spinach pizza
      7. Mushrooms pizza
      8. Pineapple pizza
      9. Sausage pizza
      10. Mushroom with broccoli pizza
      11. Chicken pizza
      12. Barbecue chicken pizza
      13. Chicken with broccoli pizza
      14. Mix vegetables pizza
      15. Hawaiian pizza
      16. Sausage with pepperoni pizza
      17. Buffalo chicken pizza
Derek Jeter’s heroic hit in his last at-bat in pinstripes, provided yet another magic memory for Yankee fans. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

Make Ballpark Pizza a Tradition

The greatest before, during, and after game meal: ballpark pizza is always the way to go. Start a tradition by beginning with minor league games and getting a slice of pizza before, during, or after, then keep it going, even if you switch to major league games. Your family and friends will thank you for creating the best and smartest tradition ever.

Let’s Get YOU Trending on Instagram

Use our template below on your Instagram story with our hashtag (#ballparkpizza) to show us how you get your pizza on. Share your favorite pizza places, pictures, stories, and/or memories, and maybe you’ll get a chance to be shared on OUR Instagram story. Just don’t forget to tag us: @ttfbaseball! Sharing is caring when it comes to pizza, so spread the word!