It's April, and a new season has dawned: the one where you wear a jacket that's too light for the impending snowstorm because, well, it's spring. In other words, it's baseball season. And that means there's a starting lineup of new foods at Target Field.
The Minnesota Twins held their annual unveiling of new menu items on Tuesday and we had some immediate favorites, from a wide variety of global flavors to fun new ways to share big bites. We also appreciated the opportunity to avoid lines at several new self-checkout kiosks.
Of course, all the samples were prepared for media, so we'll wait to give a final verdict until sometime after Thursday's home opener. In the meantime, here's a taste of the new foods you'll find at Target Field in 2025, ranked from home run to strikeout. (Note: Very few prices were available at press time.)
Vinai's Sweet and Sour Fried Pork
Description: Chef Yia Vang is bringing a taste of his northeast Minneapolis Hmong restaurant to Target Field, with crispy fried pork tossed in sweet-and-sour sauce, served on a fresh cabbage slaw with fresh cucumbers and pickled carrots.
Our take: The ballpark gets a blast of flavor from the single best new dish we tried. The pork bites were crispy and sweet, almost like little candy nuggets, and the slaw kept everything in balance. Truly on Deck Market
Niko Niko Boba beverages
Description: Niko Niko Boba, with its "Big Straws, Bigger Smiles," will offer several boba tea flavors:
- Hawaiian Fruit Tea: Refreshing fruit tea with black tea, ice, Hawaiian fruit tea syrup, peach syrup and water, and choice of boba.
- Signature Milk Tea: Creamy black tea with Sun Moon Lake black tea, bubble tea powder and fructose, and choice of boba.
- Strawberry Lemon Spritz: A caffeine-free, no-tea option with strawberry jam, lemon syrup, water and sparkling water, and choice of boba.
Our take: All three of these drinks were sweet but not cloying. They're refreshing pick-me-ups, and fine NA alternatives that we can't wait to cool off with on a hot day (whenever that finally happens). Section 107
TokiDoki Wings
Description: From Minneapolis' own TokiDoki Burger, wings with your choice of TokiDoki dry rub or Sweet TokiDoki wing sauce.
Our take: TokiDoki Burger and Ramen Kazama owner Matthew Kazama debuts his "American food with Japanese soul" at the stadium, with perfectly moist wings in two outstanding varieties. The dry rub was a study in smoky-salty balance, and the sweet sauce was the best kind of flavor bomb. Section 114
Kramarczuk's Brat Sampler
Description: Kramarczuk's will deliver a Brat Sampler featuring locally made Polish, bratwurst and cherry bomb sausages with grilled onions and sauerkraut on the side.
Our take: In this $40 sausage flight, you get six mini sausages (two each in three flavors) on little buns, plus a ramekin of kraut and onions. Because this is Kramarczuk's, we already knew the Polish and brat would be among the best bites at the stadium (and they were). But the surprise was the cherry bomb, which is studded with dried cherries and brings some serious heat. Sections 101 and 112
Chopped Southwest Burger
Description: Chopped beef patty, chorizo, jalapeño aioli, lettuce, tomato, onion, pepper jack cheese and queso fresco on a hoagie roll.
Our take: What's not to love about a chopped cheese? That's basically what we have here ($17.49), though a vague Southwestern theme doesn't really come through. But it doesn't need to. Just chopped up burger meat, cheese and mayo on a toasted hoagie are the magical components; all that's missing is a beer. Truly on Deck Market
Grilled Spam Sandwich
Description: Seared Spam patty, caramelized onions and bacon on a toasted onion bun.
Our take: Spam can run too salty, but the caramelized onion jam's sweetness balances it out perfectly, and the super-crispy bits of bacon add some needed crunch. We only had sliders (which were just enough), but the real-deal portion ($14.99) looks huge. Truly on Deck Market
The Relief Pitcher
We found treelike stands stocked with these silly frozen margs (red, blue or swirl), which might be an essential summer refreshment. One colleague likened them to the stuff that comes out of the SuperAmerica slushie machine. But at $27, you'd better believe there's alcohol in there.
Pizza Lucé Dugout Dill Pickle Pizza
Description: Pizza Lucé, a Twin Cities staple and fan favorite, will offer a Dugout Dill Pickle Pizza exclusively at Target Field to start the season.
Our take: Dill cream sauce, mozzarella, pickle rounds and dill seasoning on top come together in this State Fair-inspired tangy, gooey slice. Only get it if Lucé's thick crust is your thing. Minne & Paul's (Section 234)
Grand Slam Shawarma
Description: Marinated chicken in garlic sauce rolled up in flatbread with chopped pickles and roasted garlic mayo.
Our take: We found comfort in the well-seasoned (OK, maybe a little too seasoned) marinated chicken on this drippy mess of a wrap we'd totally seek out on another cold day. Section 110
Taco Libre Machete and Rice Bowl
Description: Minnesota's newest destination for authentic Mexican cuisine debuts at Target Field with two offerings:
- Machete: An 18-inch corn masa quesadilla with your choice of steak or chicken, lettuce, sour cream and shredded cheese.
- Rice Bowl: Your choice of steak or chicken served with rice, pinto beans, pico de gallo, sour cream and queso fresco.
Our take: Share (or don't) Taco Libre's famed machete ($23.99), an over-the-top superlong taco for which the suburban chain has become known. The $18.49 rice bowl made less of an impression. Section 103
Bomba Juice
Description: Gray Duck Vodka, lemonade, strawberry purée with a splash of soda and a lime squeeze.
Our take: A juice box in cocktail form. Hrbek's
Lord Fletcher's Walleye Tacos
Description: Fresh-seasoned walleye topped with napa cilantro slaw in tequila vinaigrette and Baja sauce.
Our take: We appreciated the choice of searing vs. frying the fish for something that feels a little healthier than standard ballpark fare. But it all tasted a little too neutral, especially compared with other flavor-packed dishes we tried. Gate 34
Keeper's Heart Spiced Honeycrisp and Vanilla Creamed Whiskey
Description: Keeper's Heart rye whiskey with sweet and sour mix, hot honey Monin syrup and apple Monin syrup topped with soda. Keeper's Heart rye whiskey with vanilla crème Monin syrup and soda will bring you back in time to an old-fashioned soda fountain shop.
Our take: We liked the apple flavor in the first one, like a spiked cider, but didn't notice hot honey at all. The vanilla cream was an easy sipper. Truly on Deck Market
Hrbek's Pork Tenderloin Sandwich
Description: Crispy pork cutlet on a fresh bakery roll with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle and ranch aioli.
Our take: It's not really anything above and beyond a decent pork tenderloin sandwich. But decent, it is. Section 114
Soul Bowl Caribe Bowl
Description: Jerk BBQ chicken, plantains, yellow rice and diced pineapples, garnished with green onions.
Our take: The jerk chicken was succulent and lovingly seasoned. Wish we could say the same for the rest of the bowl, but the accompaniments were bland in comparison. Section 114
Official Fried Chicken Hot Honey Chicken Tenders and Waffles, Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich
Description: Hot Honey Chicken Tenders and Waffles, and a Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich will be available.
Our take: OFC has contributed some of the best new bites over the past couple years of Twins food reveals, but these two didn't rise to the top. A standard tender on a standard waffle was, well, standard. The chicken bacon ranch sandwich was too salty for our liking. Section 134
Roots for the Home Team Jalapeño Popper Salad/Wrap
Description: A mix of quinoa, corn, zucchini, carrots, tomato, cilantro and red onions on top of mixed greens, served with a vegan cream cheese jalapeño dressing and chipotle croutons. Available select weekends Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Our take: We love the idea of a healthful salad, especially when the deep summer swelter hits. This one was herbaceous, but we were missing the creamy-crunchy-spicy zing of a jalapeño popper. Section 110
Cozy Cookie
Description: Chocolate Chip (also available gluten- and nut-free), Cookie Monster, Golden Oreo, Red Velvet, S'mores and Chocolate cookies.
Our take: We couldn't look past the unfortunate blue of the Cookie Monster cookie, or the lack of distinct flavors or uniform shapes/doneness in the three cookies we tried. Most of what we picked up on was white chocolate (not our favorite). Family Value Concession Stands at Sections 120, 133, 311, along with the Section 105 and 109 Market and the Cub Market at Section 126
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