Another NBA season is upon us.ย
For some fans, that means hoping their team finally breaks out of mediocrity and ascends to the playoffs. For a lucky few, it's a victory lap after a thrilling Finals victory.ย
But for anyone actually planning to attend a game this season, it's the start of a pilgrimage to try the weirdest new foods their arenas offer for the 2026โ27 season.ย
As social media trends continue to push food and beverage trends into more and more unhinged territory, NBA arenas are among many bar and restaurant programs competing to create the next viral food item. (Short rib corn dog, anyone?)
Here are the weirdest ones you can find around the U.S. this season.
American Airlines Center (Dallas Mavericks): Crunchy Sweet Corn Fritters
1 of 11Everything's bigger in Texasโincluding the appetite for state-fair-style food.
It makes sense. Dallas is home to the State Fair of Texas, where figuring out what to deep-fry next has practically become a competitive sport.ย
At American Airlines Center, the Mavericks have submitted their own offering: Crunchy Sweet Corn Fritters by Loro, the Asian smokehouse and bar co-founded by chef Tyson Cole and Aaron Franklin, as part of its arena concessions residency.
Though Texas is situated outside of the traditional Midwest "Corn Belt," corn has deep roots in Texas, making this gameday snack even more apropos.
Fiserv Forum (Milwaukee Bucks): Campfire Funnel Fries
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In a state that spends as much time outside as Wisconsinites do, it makes sense that the home of the Milwaukee Bucks would bring the great outdoors courtside.ย
This season, Fiserv Forum is serving up Campfire Funnel Fries: warm funnel fries piled with marshmallow cream, chocolate sauce, cinnamon sugar and graham cracker crumbles.ย
It's everything you love about a gooey campfire s'more, minus the smoke, the sticky marshmallow stick andโfor most of basketball season in Wisconsinโthe below-freezing temperatures.
Intuit Dome (L.A. Clippers): Poke Nachos
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If there's any arena in the country you would trust to prepare raw fish for you, it would almost certainly be in Los Angeles.ย
At the L.A. Clippers' Intuit Dome, poke nachos are new for 2026 and feature fresh bigeye tuna with spicy mayo, green onion, sesame seeds and crispy wonton chips.ย
This isn't the first Intuit Dome item to feature raw fish; it's simply the latest. Previously, the arena unveiled a spicy tuna "sushi dog," which was described as being "like a sushi burrito in the size and portability of a hot dog."
The new poke nachos can be found at Pick & Roll and Fast Break markets.
Kaseya Center (Miami Heat): Caviar Latkes
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Miami is synonymous with luxury, so it stands to reason that the high-end indulgence wouldn't stop at the doors of Kaseya Center.ย
At Heat games this season, fans can find Caviar Latkes, which offer a decadent spin on a comfort-food staple. Crispy potato latkes come topped with caviar, shallot, chopped egg and crรจme fraiche, giving a humble classic a South Beach glow-up. Whether you're ordering them to your seat or enjoying them in one of the arena's swanky lounges, these are not your bubbe's potato pancakes.
As a bonus, if you've been looking at the calendar for a reason to convince your family to celebrate Hanukkah at the Heat game, consider this your sign.
Kia Center (Orlando Magic): Hot Honey Chicken Sub
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Publix, the Florida-born supermarket chain that opened its first store in Winter Haven in 1930, has practically cornered the market on chicken tender subs, affectionately known as PubSubs among its devoted fan base. So it's only fitting that Orlando's Kia Center is getting in on the action this season.ย
Magic fans can find the Hot Honey Chicken Sub in two 100-level sections at Kia Center. The sandwich features crispy chicken tenders coated in hot honey and topped with house-made blue cheese coleslaw.
Moda Center (Portland Trail Blazers): Elote Mini Corn Dog Nachos
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Every word of this menu item is a surprise, yet it just keeps getting more unhinged.ย
At Portland's Moda Center this season, the Trail Blazers are serving Elote Mini Corn Dog Nachos, a concession-stand fever dream that dared to ask, What if an NBA game was held at the state fair and also somehow a gas station?
Mini corn dog bites are topped with roasted street corn, creamy chipotle mayo, cotija cheese, fresh cilantro, Tajรญn and Flamin' Hot Cheetos dust. Subtlety has left the building.
Paycom Center (OKC Thunder): Chicken Fried Steak Sandwich
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Chicken-fried steak isn't just an Oklahoma comfort-food favorite; it's actually part of the official state meal. In 1988, the Oklahoma Legislature bestowed that honor upon it, along with barbecue pork, sausage and biscuits with gravy, cornbread, fried okra, black-eyed peas, strawberries and pecan pie.
It's really three official mealsโbreakfast, lunch and dinnerโand you can satisfy one of them at Thunder games this season with Paycom Center's new Chicken Fried Steak Sandwich.ย
The stick-to-your-ribs item features chicken-fried steak topped with Tabasco onions, black-pepper house gravy and bread-and-butter pickles on a brioche bun, served with fries.
Rocket Arena (Cleveland Cavaliers): Birria Eggroll
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One of the trickiest parts of attending an NBA game is wrangling your food and drink as you attempt to find your seat on a 35-degree slope 75 feet in the air. While the trend lately in arena food innovation has been "bigger is better" (see: the Pittsburgh Penguins' new 14-pound deli sandwich), some chefs understand fans just need something portable.ย
This is where the humble eggroll shines. The vehicle is perfect: loose fillings are safely secured inside a crispy, hermetically sealed shell. In Rocket Arena's new creation, those fillings include birria and Chihuahua cheese. The birria eggroll is also served with a lime wedge and a customary rich consommรฉ for dipping.ย
Rocket Arena notes that the concoction is only available for a limited time, so keep an eye out for it when you attend your first Cavs game this season.ย
State Farm Arena (Atlanta Hawks): Dirty Sodaย
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There's no question that dirty soda has reached obsession status in the U.S. From brick-and-mortar shops to mobile trucks to movie theaters and sports arenas, the fizzy, syrupy, creamy concoctions can be found across almost all 50 states.
However, when they're served as part of a menu lineup in quick-service environments such as movie theaters and arenas, dirty sodas are often premade directly from the fountain (think: Dirty Mountain Dew). So it's notable that State Farm Arena is offering four craft dirty sodas made to order.ย
The lineup includes Peaches & Cream (Sprite with sweet peach syrup, vanilla and a splash of sweet cream); the All-Star (Coke with coconut syrup, fresh lime juice and sweet cream), the Creamsicle (Orange Fanta with vanilla and sweet cream) and the Shark Attack (Sprite with blue curaรงao syrup, grenadine and sweet cream).
TD Garden (Boston Celtics): Beer Sneaker
10 of 11The hottest concessions items in 2026 are not food at all; they're unique vessels out of which to consume liquids (most often, beer).
Hockey has really gotten the jump on this trend. The Carolina Hurricanes have had a viral Beer Skate, the Buffalo Sabres have offered a Beer Sabre, and the Utah Mammoth contributed a Tusk Mug. The Boston Celtics' TD Garden roommates, the Boston Bruins, will debut a Beer Glove this season, and now the Celtics themselves are joining the trend with a Beer Sneaker.
The visionary plastic vessel, shaped like a classic Chuck Taylor All-Star sneaker, features green shoelaces and a Celtics logo.
The sneaker costs $24 and comes filled with draft beer of your choice. Maybe we've become numb to inflation-era pricing, because that seems like a great deal.
Xfinity Mobile Arena (Philadelphia 76ers): Short Rib Corn Dog
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When it comes to the trend of mixing culinary highs and lows in the U.S., Philadelphia has always been at the forefront. From Roxanne's dinosaur chicken nuggets served with crรจme fraรฎche and caviar to wagyu cheesesteaks topped with cheese from a can, Philly understands that food shouldn't take itself too seriously.ย
That mentality is perfectly on display in the new Short Rib Corn Dog offering at Xfinity Mobile Arena this season.
The short rib fried into the corndog is the same high-end meat served at Primepoint Social, the members-only club-level restaurant inside the arena. But the general public can get it on the concourse mezzanine level.
