Concessions at Akron RubberDucks games this season are getting slow-smoked, cheesy and indulgent.
Smoky brisket sandwich stacked with pork belly.
Double patties melted together with Gruyere cheese.
Fully dressed nachos served in a baseball helmet.
These new items, as well as sweet and savory treats, encompass the minor league baseball team’s 2026 lineup of extreme foods. All 15 items will be on sale starting Thursday evening at the RubberDucks’ season opener against the visiting Reading Fightin Phils at the newly renamed 7 17 Credit Union Park.
With returning fan favorites and new additions on the menu, this season marks the RubberDucks’ 15th year of incorporating extreme foods into its ballpark concessions.
“Here in Northeast Ohio, we love our food,” said Jim Pfander, the president and general manager of the Akron RubberDucks. “And it’s part of our identity, kind of part of our fabric of our community.”
Don’t worry, baseball purists. A classic hot dog still goes for $2.50.
On the field, the RubberDucks will become the Akron Cream Stick Donuts (June) and the Akron Chip Dippers (July) — connecting back to legacy foods specific to Northeast Ohio.
Cream Stick Donuts are coated white or chocolate frosting and filled with cream, and chip dip is a French onion dip made famous locally by Lawson’s Milk Co. — a now-closed chain of convenience stores that was based in Cuyahoga Falls. It’s now only found at Circle K.
🗓️ New events calendar! From block parties to concerts and kids’ activities, find fun around Akron and Summit County all year long. Dive into the calendar and start planning.
The RubberDucks launched extreme foods in 2011 with three unusual food combinations. By last year, the Base on (Meat)Balls, served in the Bier Garten concession stand, was a top choice.
This year? The hollowed-out French bread stuffed with marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese and meatballs, now known as The Italian Sausage Dugout ($22), returns as part of a trio of sandwiches known as “Dugouts.” There’s also The Philly Cheesesteak Dugout ($24) and The Bratwurst Dugout ($22). Each is served with a 32-ounce 2026 souvenir cup.
Northeast Ohio nonprofits will receive $1 from each sale of select food items:
- WONE Smokestack ($17.50) — benefiting Valor Homes
- WAKR Pineapple TeriyAkron Bowl — benefiting Salvation Army
- WQMX Should Have Been a Cowboy — benefiting NEOPAT
Bring appetites to the ballpark for these food items
Here is a list of food items Signal Akron sampled during a media tasting.
WONE Smokestack — served at The Dog Pound
It’s layered with smoked brisket, pork belly, pepperjack cheese, crunchy chips and a honey mustard sauce. Chips added a crunch to the sandwich, and the bread softened each bite.
Emmet Golden’s Loaded Nachos ($15.50) — served at Godfathers
Served in a souvenir helmet, tortilla chips are topped with nacho cheese sauce, seasoned ground beef, jalapenos, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream and green onions.
Patty Melt ($16) — served at Pineapple Under the C
Double patties are squeezed in between sourdough bread with a house-made mushroom duxelles spread and Gruyere cheese. This patty melt was soft — melt-in-your-mouth soft. The meat crumbled the right way, and the cheese stood out at the end of each bite.
Loaded Pierogies ($18) — served at Bier Garten
These premium pierogies are topped with sauerkraut, kielbasa, chipotle honey mustard, sour cream and green onions. Paired with slices of sausages, the pierogies were a combination of soft (on the inside) and hard.
The Italian Sausage Dugout — served at Bier Garten
Sliced Italian sausage is served in the RubberDucks signature “Dugout” French bread. There is also spicy Giardiniere marinara sauce, peppers, onions and shredded mozzarella packed in the sandwich. The Italian sausage was my favorite. The red sauce is lightly sweet, but, paired with the savory sausage, it becomes balanced.
The Philly Cheesesteak Dugout — served at Bier Garten
Inside of the Philly Cheesesteak Dugout is shaved ribeye, mozzarella cheese, Swiss cheese, peppers and onions.
The Bratwurst Dugout — served at Bier Garten
This item places savory, sliced bratwurst sausages inside French bread with sauerkraut and house-made chipotle honey mustard.
Other extreme menu items at 7 17 Credit Union Park
- The Base on (Meat)Balls
- 98.1 KDD Screamer
- Three Dog NightNice 2 Meat U Burger
- Not Your Routine Poutine
- The Chicken & Waffle Sandwich
