The Charleston RiverDogs’ 2024 season kicks off on April 5 with a three-night homestand against the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers. (See schedule here.)
But most people don’t only head to The Joe for some good baseball — the food’s pretty darn good, too. The food and beverage team at the Charleston RiverDogs likes to push the envelope when it comes to ballpark fare. You can get your peanuts and Cracker Jack elsewhere — at The Joe, chef Josh Shea and crew want you to enjoy their elevated eats.
“It’s a show with the baseball [game], and it’s a show with the food as well,” Shea said. He said that his staff tinkered with hundreds of menu items before narrowing down their final list this year.
The items are inspired by the ‘Dogs’ recent history and the food scene in Charleston.
“Coming off three championships, we’ve got the Three Ring Burger,” Shea said. Served with “three huge onion rings” and barbecue sauce, the burger speaks for itself. “We’re going big this year,” Shea added.
Shea and the rest of the RiverDogs staff know how to have fun and how to poke a little fun, too. The “second place duck dog” is a nod to the ‘Dogs beating the Down East Wood Ducks two years in a row. The hotdog is topped with coleslaw and smoked pulled duck meat with duck cracklings on top.
Speaking of fun, Shea is particularly excited about a partnership the RiverDogs have with Cheetos. If you’ve ever wanted to get fully covered in Cheeto dust, well, this season’s your chance to live the dream. The Cheetos stand at The Joe will serve Cheeto popcorn and soft pretzels dipped in Cheeto dust. And yes, the stand will “dust” fans with the orange stuff if they so desire. “It’s something fun and interactive — and messy,” Shea said.
Fans looking for a full, fulfilling meal can head to The Joe’s popular ramen stand, which brings back ramen bowls this year in addition to three fried rice bowls. Choose from teriyaki beef, General Tso’s chicken and an orange glaze crispy cauliflower bowl.
Seafood fiends can snack on fried fish sticks and shrimp po boys from “The Snackle Box.” Shea said that the foot-long fish stick brings some “old school flare” to the seafood lineup and the shrimp and grit wrap has all the flavor of the popular dish with the ease and versatility of a wrap. “It’s a new and cool way to get it [out there] and remind people they’re in Charleston.”
The importance of place
Shea said he wants fans to feel like they’re getting a true Charleston experience at a RiverDogs game, whether they’re looking for a meal out or a great cocktail.
“We’re trying to change that atmosphere for the ballpark,” Shea said. “We’re evolving our services and evolving the way we operate to make sure we’re consistent with what the consumer is looking for.”
In that vein, you can get more than a cold Budweiser at The Joe (although you can still certainly get as much cold Bud as you want on dollar beer nights every Thursday). This year the stadium will serve up margaritas and screwdrivers on tap, as well as a RiverDog mule and Charleston Sunrise. The food and drink stands will offer specials on themed nights, too.
“We’re trying to involve our stand with those nights so it feels more all-inclusive,” Shea said.
On Perros Santos nights, which were started in 2019 as a way to pay homage to Charleston’s growing Latinx community, the stadium will serve horchata bites. “It’s like eating a deep fried oreo filled with horchata cream,” Shea said. Fans can also look forward to churro fries (they’re just what they sound like) launching later this season.
“We run everything in house, from the development side of it to what products we’re bringing in. We don’t have a third-party food purveyor,” Shea said. “That makes us a little different and special. We can put our own twists and spins [on the food].”
At the height of the season, Shea said that the food and beverage arm of the stadium can have up to 220 employees. From food runners in the suites to bartenders to cooks in the kitchen, it takes an army of folks to keep things running at The Joe.
Shea said he wants guests to feel like they’re enjoying not just a ball game, but a night out in Charleston. “You can eat out like you’re going to downtown Charleston,” he said. “That’s what we try to do here. We try to pull all the flavor profiles that Charleston has, and we draw a lot of inspiration from that.”
Help keep the City Paper free.
No paywalls.
No newspaper subscription cost.
Free delivery at 800 locations from downtown to North Charleston to Johns Island to Summerville to Mount Pleasant.
Help support independent journalism by donating today.