What to Eat at the Seattle Mariners' Safeco Field [2018 update]

I spent the summer of 2017 eating my way around Safeco field, which was glorious. This little tour of the stadium has been updated with two more items [waffles and crab sandwiches!] in June of 2018.

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Original post from 2017:
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Summer is, without a doubt, my favorite season of the year. Oh, I've said it before? Well I will probably say it again and again. Plus, can't we all use a little more talking about what makes us happy? I love the long summer days, the warm weather, and the accompanying clothing [HELLO dresses and flip flops!] The fresh fruits and no-cook meals are so simple, delicious, and satisfying. Who doesn't like an adventure to get ice cream after dinner?

If you ask my husband about the highlight of his summer the answer will undoubtedly be baseball. His dreamy summer day consists of going to (and actually watching) a baseball game, drinking a few draft beers, spitting sunflower seeds all over a sunny stadium, and watching his favorite team take home a win. Then he'll go home and watch the highlights of the other baseball games on ESPN before calling it a night!

I try my best to be a supportive partner and "step up to the plate" by attending baseball games. While I have no intention of watching the ball game, I love to do a few laps around a stadium to people watch and search for the best food and drink. The home team here is the Seattle Mariners and their stadium, Safeco Field, has a great reputation for diverse and interesting food offerings and, more recently, food safety! 

A beautiful sunset view at Safeco Field

In recent years we consistently ordered and demolished a boat of garlic fries followed by a bowl of frozen yogurt at Safeco Field. This year we really took things to the next level, attending more games than ever and seeking out the best and newest food items. Here's what I tried, where to find it, and which items were the best. The list includes:

• Poquito's at Edgar's Cantina
• Great State Burger
• Way Back Crab Shack
• Frozen Rope Ice Cram Sandwiches
• Rita's Italian Ice
• The Big Cheese

Edgar's Cantina is a great spot from which to watch a Mariners game. It's located in "the Pen" which is a stretch of eateries behind left field. Like at a beer garden, you and your friends can gather around standing tables to watch the game and/or socialize, rather than sitting shoulder to shoulder in the stadium seats. Edgar's Cantina is named after Mariners great Edgar Martinez whose jersey was just retired a few weeks ago. The advantage of Edgar's Cantina, over the beer garden, is that you can enjoy delicious food and handmade margaritas from Poquitos, one of my favorite Seattle restaurants.

Catching a Mariners game from Edgar's Cantina. Clearly before summer weather hit Seattle.

Poquitos serves all sorts of Mexican favorites including tacos, margaritas, and even  toasted grasshoppers! While I didn't try the grasshoppers I did really enjoy the purist margarita and fresh guacamole with tortilla chips. The margarita was perfectly made with enough tequila, fresh lime juice, and agave. I recommend 2 orders of guacamole: 1 for yourself and 1 for the others to share!

Ranking under "just OK" were the mahi-mahi tacos, which I didn't expect to be deep fried. They were tasty but very heavy.

Poquitos fare at Edgar's Cantina inside Safeco Field

Great State Burger is also located in "the Pen" at Safeco Field. My husband had a double cheeseburger while I tried a veggie burger. We both shared an order of crinkle fries and a milkshake.

I'm happy to tell you that everything we had from Great State Burger was excellent and we'd gladly visit again! Veggie burgers, especially in a quick serve setting like a ball park, can be awful. This one was incredible in both taste and texture. The fries were super salty and crunchy, just the way I like them. We're both chocolate fanatics but were encouraged by all of the Great State Burger employees to try the strawberry milkshake. Apparently it's everyone's favorite! It certainly lived up to the hype, I didn't miss chocolate for a single second.

Great State Burger grub inside Safeco Field

The Way Back Crab Shack is where I struck gold. The stand is located in section 187, just next to the flags that you can see from all over the park. 

The Way Back Crab Shack inside Safeco Field. Don't miss this gem!

You may remember that I recently ordered Crab Fries at Pittsburgh's PNC Park to discover only crab seasoning and that seafood wasn't included in the $10 order of fries. Forget about those imposter fries and focus on the Way Back Crab Shack's menu in the photo above. Correctly described and priced Old Bay Fries are $5.50.

The crab fries are $16.00 and worth every single cent. Now I know that $16.00 is a pretty high price tag for ball park food. The two of us shared these fries and a beer and we weren't hungry again for a few hours/many innings. ​Honestly I wish I wasn't full from one (half) order of these because I'd gladly and immediately eat another.

Crab Fries from the Way Back Crab Shack inside Safeco Field

Now, let's talk crab fry goodness. The hot fries are topped with a mountain of fresh crab meat and a few lemon wedges plus a white sauce that brought all of the flavors together perfectly. We devoured them. They're served with a fork which seems really prissy but is necessary for the right amount of crab to fry to sauce. 

These crab fries are 100% the best thing to eat at Safeco field.

A nice cold beer and the crab fries from the Way Back Crab Shack inside Safeco Field

The ​Frozen Rope Sandwich Company is a stand I'd been meaning to visit all summer. When the weather was finally warm enough for ice cream I made it happen. Located in section 132, Frozen Rope offers ice cream sandwiches from your wildest dreams.

The Frozen Rope Sandwich Company inside Safeco Field

First you decide on your ice cream flavor and your sandwich "pieces." We went with vanilla ice cream, one chocolate chip cookie, and one brownie for our heavenly sandwich.

So many choices at the Frozen Rope Sandwich Company inside Safeco Field

Then for the final touch you select from 6 options for what to roll the ice cream sandwich through before digging in. There are candies, sprinkles, cereal, and candied bacon. The world is your oyster...or ice cream sandwich!

Our beautiful creation from the Frozen Rope Sandwich Company inside Safeco Field

Perhaps M&M's aren't the best option as they're a little bigger and less sticky than the others. All of that doesn't matter because the carefully constructed dessert is a giant and delicious sugar filled mess. 

Who's happier about an ice cream sandwich from the Frozen Rope Sandwich Company inside Safeco Field?

We each took a few bites and shared the massive treat with our friends, including 1 year old Mackenzie. She's in baseball bliss with a bag of Cracker Jacks clutched tightly in her fist while being hand fed by an ice-cream-nosed Uncle! This ice cream sandwich is a must-try for a warm night at Safeco Field. 

We've got one more Mariners game planned for next week and I hope to try the Sweet Iron Waffles. If I can't find them or I'm not in the mood for sweets you can find me at the Way Back Crab Shack! I'll let you know how it goes :) SPOILER ALERT: Sweet Iron Waffles are below...

While we've covered most everything I do have a few words of warning for you regarding Safeco Field.

While Safeco Field now has Rita's Italian Ice I don't recommend it

Just this year Rita's Italian Ice made its way to Seattle and into Safeco Field. To say I was excited about Rita's arrival would be an understatement. The gelati, a combination of Italian ice and custard, wasn't anything like the stuff back home in Pennsylvania. 

Typically the custard is soft serve and the Italian ice is nice and smooth so you can easily run your spoon through both, eating them together. At Safeco the custard was a hard scoop plopped on top of an also too-hard Italian ice. It was a big disappointment for me, very far from the real deal Rita's back in PA. 

Finally, steer clear of the grilled cheese sandwich from The Big Cheese, it's a major bummer. Too much bread, not enough cheese, and a cold sandwich make for a strike out. If you're looking for a sandwich I'd guess that the crab sandwich from the Way Back Crab Shack won't let you down! Proven to be true, read below for 2018 update.

Thanks so much for eating around Safeco Field with me! Let me know your favorite ball park foods or if you've had something wonderful at Safeco.

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UPDATE: Reporting live from the 2018 Mariners season!

After my original post, last year, I'd gone back to Safeco for one last game. Sweet Iron Waffles had a stand inside the stadium just for the 2017 season. I ordered the brie cheese and basil waffle, and it was ah-maz-ing. The waffle was just slightly sweet and the brie cheese was melted with a torch, right in front of me, before they adorned the top with fresh basil. It was a pretty far walk from the waffle stand back to my seat and 3 or 4 people stopped me to ask what I was carrying on my plate! Now I'm a little sad that Sweet Iron isn't still in the stadium.

Sweet Iron Waffles at Safeco Field - the brie cheese and basil waffle, EXCELLENT.

Just last night we went to Safeco for the first time in the 2018 season. I had no plan for dinner and made my way to my tried and true favorite, the Way Back Crab Shack.

My husband and I shared the crab fries - our ol' favorite - and tried the crab sandwich for the first time. It was crabby heaven! I swear I can eat those fries, doused with all of that lemon, every day. The sandwich was buttery and toasty and delicious. This meal isn't cheap, but it's so worth it. 

Crab fries and a crab sandwich from the Way Back Crab Shack inside Safeco Field

I understand there's a NEW item at Safeco, a lobster roll, which is only available on the club level. I'll be scheming my way into that level before this season is over to try it, PROMISE. 

Until then, I hope you enjoy something delicious at Safeco. Oh yeah, Go Mariners!

Woohoo, baseball!