By: Charleston RiverDogs Media
Fans of the food served at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park will no longer have to wait for the gates to open at home games to taste their favorite items. The Charleston RiverDogs are instead planning to take the dining experience at The Joe on the road with the unveiling of the RiverDogs Food Truck in 2022. The food truck, along with the debut of several new creations from the food and beverage team, should make this season especially tantalizing on the taste buds.
The RiverDogs will become one of a few teams in Minor League Baseball to own and operate their own food truck. The truck will be stationed outside of the front gate at select home games while also serving as Charlie T. RiverDog's transportation to various community events. In addition, the RiverDogs Food Truck will have the option to be booked for private events.
“Our fans have come to expect delicious and creative food offerings when they attend a game at The Joe,” said RiverDogs Vice President/Food & Beverage Josh Shea. “However, prior to this season, that experience was limited to what happened inside the gates. The idea behind the RiverDogs Food Truck is to take that same standard of culinary creativity and deliver it to more people in locations around the city of Charleston.”
The RiverDogs Food Truck will be operated in large part by the team's Assistant Food and Beverage Manager, Michael Clark. Clark will journey with the food truck across the city, preparing a wide selection of foods along the way. The truck will cater to many different themes with several packages featuring customizable menus. From backyard barbecues to weddings on the beach, the RiverDogs Food Truck will feature the versatility to send guests home happy.
Inside of the ballpark, the RiverDogs are looking forward to relaunching fun food on the concourse level following a year filled with unknowns in 2021. New to the lineup of food options will be the “Wicked Sausage Stand” down the left field line. The stand will feature unique signature sausages from Cooper River Farms including brats, Italian, Andouille with a New Orleans flare, and Reuben inspired menu item. The most famous menu item at this stand is sure to be The Man Salad, featuring a 10-ounce German-style pretzel, three signature sausages, and a healthy portion of Wicked Weed beer cheese.
The “Smokehouse” makes a return to The Joe, specializing in the smoked meat sandwiches that remind everyone of the South. Two former fan favorites, “The Pie House” and “The Taco Stand” have been combined into “Taco Pie” this season. This concession area will serve various pizza and taco-themed items, including its namesake Taco Pie. The specialty dish includes taco filling inside of a pie shell that is topped with colby jack cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, Pico de gallo, and sour cream. Also being served from this area are the fan-favorite Kitchen Sink Nachos. This meal for two, includes pulled pork, chicken tinga, Southwestern beef, nacho cheese, Southwest bean mix, barbecue, sweet chili sauce, and Pico de Gallo.
The final addition to the concourse level is “Joe's Shrimp Shack,” located behind home plate opposite of the Belly Itcher Bar. For the first time at The Joe, fans will have the option to enjoy seafood while taking in the action. The menu will include Mexican street corn Po Boy's, Charleston shrimp rolls, and the first ever Stadium Fish Stick. This is definitely not your childhood fish stick, instead it will include a foot-long filet of cod battered, fried, and served on a stick.
The food and beverage team will also begin their second season fully managing the catering for the suite level and the Segra Club at Riley Park. Following a successful debut in 2021, the team has made necessary adjustments and built a stronger culinary presence in those areas. The spaces will continue to serve high-end menu options from local products. Some of those local products include grass fed burgers from North Carolina, pork from Cooper River Farm, and hydroponic lettuce from Columbia.
Opening Night presented by REV Federal Credit Union is Friday, April 8 as the RiverDogs welcome the Myrtle Beach Pelicans to The Joe. Individual tickets to all home games are still available. Season tickets, Dog-E Coin plans, and group tickets, including options to the Segra Club at Riley Park, are already available at riverdogs.com/tickets or by contacting the RiverDogs front office at 843-577-3647 (DOGS). The Segra Club is also open for events year-round. Visit segraclub.com for more information.
