Highlighting the 2013 Masters Menu and Augusta National's Best Food Options

FOXSports.com columnist Jason Whitlock took to Twitter on Thursday with an interesting explanation for why he skipped this year's Masters (h/t Deadspin).

Though opinions on Whitlock are markedly mixed, few would dispute the man's appreciation for food.

Dude loves to eat.

And when Whitlock says the culinary offerings at Augusta overpower his ability to self-moderate, you know he's speaking from experience.

It's an experience few of us will ever have—unless you happen to have a few grand burning a hole in your pocket—but I figure we should at least know what we're missing.

That in mind, here's a look at the standout items on Augusta's concessions menu.

Egg Salad Sandwich

Cost: $1.50

Image courtesy of plainchicken.com

What They're Saying

 "It’s kind of a tossup as to what’s considered the official comfort sandwich of the Masters. Some say the egg salad, some say the pimento cheese. Once, for no particular reason, I grabbed one of each, peeled off a piece of bread from each, and combined them. I’m not insinuating it’s the best sandwich ever, but as I bit into it, I think I heard harps and saw a rainbow."

-- Ken Willis, Daytona Beach News-Journal

 The Skinny

It's an egg salad sandwich, folks. Eggs. Mayo. Bread. You know the drill.

Pimento Cheese Sandwich

Cost: $1.50

What They're Saying

"What hot dogs are to baseball, the Pimento Cheese sandwich is to the Masters’ at Augusta."

-- GolfBlogger.com

The Skinny

No food item is more closely associated with the Masters experience than the pimento cheese sandwich. For those unfamiliar, pimento cheese is a popular southern spread that blends sharp cheddar, pimento peppers and a handful of other seasonings.

Then you put it between two pieces of white bread. Bam! Pimento Cheese sandwich.

The Masters recently switched its pimento-provider, causing a good deal of consternation among tournament goers. Normally I'd balk at that kind of cliquishly hidebound fussiness, but when you're paying five figures for a weekend pass, you ought to get whatever kind of southern cheese spread you flipping want.

Classic Chicken Sandwich

Image courtesy of augusta.com.

Cost: $3.00

What They're Saying

"After being off the menu for a couple years, this legend has returned to the Masters. The price is apparently up to $3 now (the highest of any food item), but they're well worth it. Those things are fit to be served at the Champions Dinner."

-- Alex Myers, Golf Digest

"Can't confirm rumors that the new, reconstituted Masters chicken sandwich may include some chicken. #Mastersdisgrace"

-- Sports Illustrated golf writer Gary Van Sickle (via Twitter)

The Skinny

As you can see from the picture above, there isn't a whole lot going on in the chicken sandwich outside the good ol' cutlet and bun. Basically, you're eating Chick-Fil-A— that is if Chick-Fil-A were flush against the most famous golf course in America.

Bar-B-Que Sandwich

Image courtesy of mybbqblog.com.

Cost: $3.00

What They're Saying

"I was impressed [with] how rich, flavorful, and smoky the pulled BBQ pork was."

-- Yelp user Daniel B

The Skinny

The Bar-B-Que sandwich doesn't get as much play as the pimento or egg salad, which I have to assume has something to do with the fact that you can get pulled pork on almost any street corner in Dixie. If you're going to wow southerners with your Bar-B-Que, you better come strong. But even if it isn't blue-ribbon stuff, it's hard to argue with the combination of sauce-slathered pork and championship golf.

Chicken/Sausage Biscuit

Image courtesy of ESPN.com

Cost: $1.50

What They're Saying

"Fried chicken biscuit for breakfast...Must be Masters week."

-- Brendan Prunty, Newwark Star-Ledger (via Twitter)

"The biscuit itself is good, not too doughy. The chicken still juicy despite spending time in the foil bag. "

-- Brad Lendon, CNN

The Skinny

Our breakfast menu item of choice is another Dixieland staple, the biscuit sandwich. Not for the calorie-averse, the biscuit sandwich features either sausage or a fried chicken strip slapped between a pair of—you guessed it—buttery, flaky southern biscuits. In the immortal words of Liz Lemon, "I want to go to there."

Chocolate Moon Pie

Image courtesy of redclaysoul.com.

Cost: $1.00

What They're Saying

"Moon Pie! YUM!"

-- Tony Korologos, The Golf Space (via Twitter)

The Skinny

A moonpie is essentially an inverted s'more. Chocolate coated exterior. Marshmallow interior. Graham cracker layer in-between. I'm not sure I need to defend its worthiness as a food item outside that matter-of-fact description. Augusta also recently added a Georgia Peach Ice Cream Sandwich to its dessert menu.

A Note on Pricing

Yes, Masters concessions are cheap—especially when compared to the shameless profiteering that takes place at most sporting venues.

The reason is simple:  Augusta National doesn't need your money. The club makes so much coin off the Masters and Masters merchandising that it can afford to offer dirt-cheap food, free parking, reasonable ticketing prices (the big money is actually made on the secondary market) and relatively inexpensive membership fees.

Besides, Augusta loves to flaunt its old-timey sensibilities. And nothing says old-timey quite like a dollar-fifty cheese sandwich.