Arizona Cardinals fans will have more than football to look forward to at State Farm Stadium this season, with a revamped concessions lineup that blends familiar stadium staples with Arizona ingredients, oversized creations and new offerings from local chef Mark Tarbell
The Cardinals and Craft Culinary Concepts unveiled the stadium’s new food offerings Aug. 18 ahead of the team’s 2026 home schedule. The additions range from walking tacos and chicken and waffle wings to a 2-foot beef birria machete, while Tarbell’s presence at the stadium is expanding with two club-level pizza locations.
Sean Kavanaugh, executive chef with Craft Culinary Concepts at State Farm Stadium, said the goal is to give fans something different to discover each season while continuing to improve the basics.
“Every year we want to show the fans something new so they have something to look forward to and have great variety,” Kavanaugh said.
That approach extends beyond the specialty items. Burgers sold at concession stands will now use organic beef from Arizona-based K4 Ranch, which Kavanaugh said Craft Culinary has used for several years in the stadium’s premium areas. Burgers and hot dogs are also moving to brioche buns, while hot dogs, chicken tenders and pretzels are receiving upgrades.
Kavanaugh said sourcing locally is important, although supplying an NFL stadium presents challenges for smaller producers.
“It’s important to me, but it’s difficult at times to have a local producer keep up,” Kavanaugh said. “We try and do it when we can, and some of these companies are stepping up and really keeping us stocked with it.”
Arizona and Southwestern flavors also run through many of the new dishes.
The Arizona Chiltipin Honey Hot Chicken Breast Sandwich pairs fried chicken with Arizona honey and chiltepin chiles, which are native to the Sonoran Desert. The Copper State Cheesesteak substitutes fry bread for a traditional roll and combines shaved ribeye, grilled onions, poblano chiles and roasted poblano queso.
Another fry bread offering, the Indian Frybread Dog, places a hot dog inside fry bread with chili, cheese, lettuce, tomato, crema and roasted jalapeno sauce.
“We want to use local indigenous ingredients,” Kavanaugh said. “You want to have an Arizona flair to the food.”
The stadium’s Rivalry Grills will continue that approach with opposing-team-inspired specials that incorporate Arizona flavors.
For the Aug. 22 preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys, the stadium will offer a barbecue brisket burger made with K4 Ranch beef patty, smoked brisket, pickles, barbecue sauce and candied jalapenos.
When the Seattle Seahawks visit for the Cardinals’ Sept. 20 home opener, fans can order a Sonoran-style Seattle dog, combining elements of Seattle’s cream cheese-topped hot dog with Arizona flair. The Sonoran-style Seattle dog will be a bacon-wrapped hot dog with whipped cream cheese, griddled onions, roasted jalapeno sauce and yellow mustard on a brioche bun.
“I didn’t want to give Texas all the credit, so I wanted to add a little Arizona to it,” Kavanaugh said of the Dallas-inspired burger.
One of the most eye-catching additions is the beef birria machete, an oversized tortilla filled with birria and cheese and accompanied by toppings including guacamole, salsa and crema, along with consommé for dipping.
“It’ll probably feed way more than one person if you look at the size,” Kavanaugh said.
Other new concessions include walking tacos with a choice of Doritos or Fritos and several toppings, elote street corn, chicken and waffle wings coated with maple bourbon glaze and waffle crumbs, and hand-dipped ice cream bars customized with toppings.
Kavanaugh said Craft Culinary is also responding to requests for healthier stadium food. New options include the Big Red Turkey Wrap, featuring smoked turkey, smashed cucumber salad, superfood slaw and a seed-based crunch, and a spicy super protein salad with grilled flank steak, hard-boiled egg, roasted vegetables and Little Gem lettuce.
“People request healthy stuff, but then when they’re at the game, it’s cheat day and they don’t buy it, but these are really, really good items,” Kavanaugh said.
The expanded menu is also bringing a larger role for Tarbell, whose Cha Cha Mouche Tapas and Wine Bar is returning to the club level for a second season.
Tarbell said his first season at State Farm Stadium was a learning experience.
“The first year is like drinking through a fire hose,” Tarbell said. “I was both honored and excited, but I was also nervous because I’d never done anything like this before.”
Following the first season, Tarbell and the stadium’s culinary team reviewed what worked and what needed to change. The success of the initial partnership led to an expansion this year, including Tarbell’s Pizza locations at sections 209 and 240 on the club level.
The pizza menu features a classic Margherita pizza, a soppressata pizza and a vegan chorizo pizza, along with rotating Korean-style chicken and barbecue chicken varieties.
Tarbell said the Margherita and soppressata pizzas provide familiar starting points while the rotating offerings give fans an opportunity to try something different.
“Pizza is just a vehicle for flavor,” Tarbell said.
Scaling restaurant-style recipes for thousands of football fans presents another challenge, particularly when orders arrive in concentrated bursts. Tarbell said the culinary team spent months testing the pizza operation ahead of the season.
“The main thing is you have to have people that you trust that are going to be able to deliver that consistently in high volume,” Tarbell said.
At Tarbell’s Cha Cha Mouche Tapas and Wine Bar, new offerings include an artisan cheese and charcuterie board, crispy chicken sushi roll, mozzarella caprese salad, lobster roll sliders and chocolate mousse cups.
Tarbell said larger portions are also part of this year’s approach because stadium dining is often a shared experience.
“It’s a stadium and you want to share,” Tarbell said. “You want to share with everyone that’s sitting next to you in your seats.”
For Kavanaugh, the additions complement rather than replace the classics that remain central to stadium concessions.
Popcorn, hot dogs and cheeseburgers are still going to sell,” he said. “But then we just want to jack some of them up and make it a lot more fun to eat.”
