This Elevated Sausage at Camden Yards Is a Feat of the Imagination

The food choices at your local ballpark used to fall somewhere in the categories of hot dogs or popcorn—that was it. But baseball stadiums have gotten innovative over time, creating food that you’d actually buy in a restaurant. The Baltimore Orioles’ Camden Yards is no exception. 

Like many ballparks, Camden Yards has a slew of food options inside. But the stadium’s Baltimore Seafood House just rolled out a new dish this season, and it’s what culinary dreams are made of. It’s called The Chessie, and it’s a Maryland-style twist on a classic hot dog with all the fixings. The Chessie debuted this season, and it’s already getting plenty of buzz from foodies. 

The Chessie is loaded with delicious ingredients. Available outside of section 5, The Cheesie’s foundation is a footlong spiced sausage. It's topped with crab dip (in a nod to the famous Maryland crabs), pickled sweet corn, and fried green tomatoes. 

The whole thing is nestled in a pretzel bun for a salty, flavorful combination. 

There’s a little bit of a dilemma when it comes to eating The Chessie. This soon-to-be famous food is essentially two dishes in one. The crab dip and accessories on top can technically be a meal on their own, and the sausage can, too. Plus, a little squeezing is necessary to fit the whole thing in your mouth, raising the risk of overflow spills. 

You have three options for eating The Chessie: Go fancy by using a (plastic) fork and knife to work your way through the whole thing, one bite at a time; eat the dip and corn off the top before diving into the sausage; or give your bun a squeeze to make the whole thing compact and hope for the best. There are no wrong answers here, only ideas. 

The Chessie is far from the only new dish at Camden Yards this season. This ballpark is now home to lots of new meal options, including a cheeseburger topped with queso fundido and “pickle de gallo,” along with beer-battered local fish covered in creole mustard tartar sauce and served on a hoagie roll.

But one of the coolest new menu options (besides The Chessie, of course) is the park’s Birdland Value Menu, which offers 11 items for $5 or less, including $4 hot dogs, $4 nachos, and $2.50 peanuts. A publicist for the Orioles tells Only In Your State that this new menu is an attempt to make the ballpark “even more family friendly.”

But if you really want to splash out on something unique while cheering on the Orioles, you know what to do.