Major League Cricket has arrived in Dallas, and it rules. The atmosphere is electric, the players are world-class, the stadium is comfortable, and the game itself—well, it’s fast-paced, and I’m starting to understand it. As a food writer, of course, I was attracted to another aspect of the experience: the concession stands, which sell South Asian food and drinks.
The playoffs are coming up this week, in four games: day and night games this Thursday, a Friday night matchup, and a Sunday night championship. Here’s what to eat and drink when you go.
All the concessions at Grand Prairie Stadium are operated by a local mini-chain called Foodistaan. Foodistaan’s first location opened in Irving in early 2022; now it’s got a second location in Southlake and plans to debut soon in Frisco and Cedar Park (outside Austin). Four restaurants and a whole darn stadium is an ambitious expansion in less than a year and a half. But, based on our stadium experience, Foodistaan is handling it pretty well.
The menu includes South Asian appetizers—samosas, chili garlic fries, and bagged snacks—along with American ballpark staples like nachos and popcorn. Chicken and veggie burgers are available (not beef), and chicken wings, too.
We thought the wings were ordinary, but the potato and pea samosas were stars. Ballpark samosas have no right to be this good: full of flavor and seasoning, with fresher pastry than some I’ve had in actual restaurants. One guy in front of us in line carried away a paper boat of six samosas.
When we picked up our samosa order, the man at the counter pointed and told me, “The ketchup’s over there.” So I dutifully dunked a bit of samosa in ketchup. I’d never done it before, but it turns out that if you start with a spicy enough samosa, it’s not bad with ketchup. (The stadium also stocks packets of mustard, relish, mayo, and tamarind chutney.)
The big-ticket items, at $20, are takeout trays of biryani, the dish of long-grained rice, spices, and (here) your choice of veggies or boneless chicken. We passed our chicken biryani back and forth—it’s big enough for a group of four—and let the rolling heat pass over our tongues.
Beers are $8—except for Arka, an Indian-style lager with rice added, which is $7. It’s light, malty, and easy to drink. There’s not a lot of information about Arka online, but based on the bottle label and some information I dug up online, it appears to be contract-brewed at the Abita Brewing Company facilities in Louisiana. It comes in glass bottles, which stadium staff pour out into red plastic cups.
At the concession stall behind our section, a lot of items were already sold out or unavailable. I was ready to take down some chili garlic fries. Maybe next time. In theory, all of Foodistaan’s stalls carry the same menu. Make no mistake: we’ll be back, and we’ll go hungry. Major League Cricket is serving up a good experience—and that includes the stadium food.
Grand Prairie Stadium, 1600 Lone Star Pkwy., Grand Prairie.
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