Cracker Jack Stuff

Texas Rangers unleash new crop of outrageous ballpark snacks

So much orange.

Photo courtesy Texas Rangers

The 2018 Texas Rangers season nominally brings back baseball, but the real sport these days is the food, with a new crop of over-the-top concessions from Sportservice, the Globe Life Park in Arlington concessionaire.

There's a $27 chicken sandwich, french fries made of ham, and a vegan version of nachos, unveiled in time for the season opener on March 29 when the Rangers play the Houston Astros.

Here's the lineup:

Dilly Dog. A Best Maid dill pickle cored out and stuffed with an Angus Beef jumbo dog, battered, and fried. Like a corndog with a pickle layer. It's $10.

Triple B. Bacon, brisket, and bologna — three meats whose only connection is their first letter — topped with Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce on a soft roll. $18.

Cinnamon Roll. Iced cinnamon bun, battered and deep fried; topped with raspberry and chocolate sauce. Deep-frying a cinnamon roll makes it harder to tell if it's stale. $10.

Cheetos Jalapeño Bacon Dog. Hot dog wrapped in bacon, covered with Cheetos cheese sauce, and topped with spicy jalapeños and crunchy Cheetos. Cheetos cheese sauce, that has to be regular old queso, right. $11.

Chicken Sandwich. Full-size chicken breast split, crusted in Lay's Original potato chips, and fried; served on a giant bun with lettuce, tomato, spicy mayo, and more Lay's chips. The chicken version of that 2-foot-long hot dog, it seems like it's something decent people would split. But that sounds so messy. $27.50.

Vegan Nacho Grande. Tostitos tortilla chips topped with house-made vegan chili and vegan cheese sauce, lettuce, tomato, olives, and Beyond Crumbles. Beyond Crumbles are a vegan substitute for ground beef, with all of the protein and half the fat — 13g of protein and 3g of fat — of regular meat.$13.

Nitro Cold Brew Coffee. Cuvee Nitro Cold Brew coffee offered on draft with Monin French vanilla or hazelnut syrup and almond milk. This is offered at the vegan stand, which is obviously the "cool" stand. $7.50.

Ham Fries. Ham cut into sticks, battered and fried. Sounds greasy, but can probably sit under the heat lamp indefinitely. $7.50.

Pickle Fries. Fried dill pickle spears. $7.50.

Spicy Garlic Buffalo Fries. Garlic fries topped with wing sauce. $10.50.

Cracker Jack Cheetos Popcorn. Cracker Jacks are added to Cheetos popcorn. They're really on a Cheetos kick. $9.

Vegan Top N Go Frito Pie. Top N Go Fritos Scoops served with vegan chili and cheese. $8.75.

Garlic Tots or Chips. Tater tots or thick cut Yukon gold chips topped with garlic oil and shredded Parmesan cheese. $14.25.

The State Fair started this outrageous food stuff in 2006. The Rangers dipped their toe into the waters in 2013 with their introduction of a 2-foot-long sausage, and never turned back.

The Rangers have beaten the State Fair in one dining niche: vegan. Working with Veggie Texas Ranger Fans, the ballpark added a vegan menu in 2016, and subsequently were named No. 1 spot on a 2017 list of Top 10 Vegan-Friendly Ballparks in the country. All the State Fair has going for it in that realm is Fletcher's Corny Dogs vegetarian hot dog.

Other options at Globe Life are at Rebecca Creek Saloon, the bar concept from whiskey maker Rebecca Creek Distillery, which has its own set of new dishes:

Bacon jam burger. A jam made from Rebecca Creek Whiskey, applewood smoked bacon, goat cheese, red onion. $15.

Poblano burger. Queso Oaxaca, stuffed grilled poblano pepper. $15.

Smoked pork ribs. Served by the half pound with jalapeño cornbread, coleslaw, pickles, espresso-chili BBQ sauce, and Texas Ranger Whiskey BBQ sauce. $15.

Chicken tacos, brisket tacos, $11.

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H-E-B news

H-E-B to host mass hiring event for newest store in Dallas-Fort Worth

H-E-B

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A new H-E-B supermarket in the works between Dallas and Fort Worth is inching closer to completion. And here's proof: They're hiring.

According to a release, the forthcoming location in Bedford (officially being called "the Mid Cities store") will open in summer 2026. It's going in the Glade Parks development at the northwest corner of Cheek-Sparger Road and Rio Grande Boulevard.

Before they open, they need a full slate of employees.

H-E-B will host a hiring fair for all Partner (employee) positions within the store on Wednesday, February 18 from 9 am-3 pm. It will take place at the H-E-B Mid Cities Staffing Office, 3600 William D Tate Ave., Suite #100, Grapevine.

Available jobs include full-time and part-time positions in the bakery, deli, produce, seafood, market, True Texas BBQ restaurant, and more.

The benefits associated with working at the top-rated, Texas-based grocery company include annual pay reviews, a partner stock plan, a 401 (k) plan with a 4 percent company match, paid time off, and a health, vision, and dental plan, and a 10 percent H-E-B product discount program.

Those interested shouldn't just show up to the job fair; they must first complete an application. Available positions and the application can be accessed at this link or by going to careers.heb.com. Applicants may also text “JOB819” to 81931 to be directed to all available positions for the store.

First announced in 2024, the mid-cities store joins other recent H-E-B openings across the Metroplex, including the most recent, in Forney, which debuted on February 4.

The Bedford location will face SH121 and include an H-E-B Fuel station and car wash, plus a True Texas BBQ restaurant within the store, a dedicated drive-thru, a pharmacy drive-thru, and an expanded grocery pick-up area.

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Teresa Gubbins contributed to this story.

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