Turns Out That Billionaire-Backed Stadium Food Slaps

Some of Dallas’s fanciest restaurants (and some less fancy spots that still end up on many best-of lists and Reddit recommendations) are partnering with the Mavericks to bring a “culinary showcase” to the second half of the season.

Apparently, this idea came from the new owners who want to enhance the VIP experience with a pop-up food series. We tried so hard to hate this (for obvious reasons), but after tasting some of the bites, along with the new food that the American Airlines Center food team developed for select games, even we have to admit that it’s a slam dunk. 

Culinary Pop-Ups

The next opportunity for fans to check it out is a Loro pop-up on Feb. 3, when the Mavs take on the Celtics. The Asian smokehouse from two James Beard chefs (Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue and Tyson Cole of Uchi) will have an oak-smoked beef brisket sandwich on the menu, served with papaya salad, peanuts, chili aioli and Thai herbs, for $23.

Feb. 3 against the Celtics, you can get waffle fry nachos (Modelo beer queso on top of waffle fries with pico and jalapeño ranch). We can attest that they are ridiculously good.

On March 23, Carbone Vino brings its happy-hour chicken Parmigiano sliders to the game when Dallas plays the Golden State Warriors. That comes with a filling side of Buffalo cucumbers (don’t ask us why Buffalo sauce on cucumbers works, but it does, and they are nice and crunchy) for $20. Overall, the prices aren’t bad for stadium food and align with the menu prices at these restaurants. Feels like a win-win. 

In April, the billionaire team owners who think Trump should run again in 2028 and who donated $100 million to his 2024 campaign will tap into their Vegas connections to bring Wakuda to AAC to serve a yet-to-be-announced bite as the team plays the Lakers. 

New Everyday Features

There will also be gelato in vanilla, salted caramel and the outstanding buttered popcorn flavor made with stadium popcorn. It’s a must-try — it tastes like kettle corn because of the sweetness of the gelato.

The drinks also get an upgrade, with premium booze from Patrón, Angel’s Envy and Grey Goose added to fancier versions of the stadium margarita, Old Fashioned, Greyhound, espresso martini, Aperol spritz and the paloma.

And if you haven’t stopped by Zavala’s at the AAC, then why are you even going to games? Consistently ranked among the best barbecue spots in North Texas, they serve brisket, sausage, ribs, and tacos. Find them near section 121.

The first pop-up happened on Thursday, Jan. 22, and was a collaboration with The Mexican, in which the restaurant will serve a limited amount of the highly prestigious Heartbrand filet-and-bone-marrow tacos for $20. You should be very sorry if you missed it (and we’re sorry we didn’t get the news to you ahead of time, but the showcase was literally hours before the game) — those handmade flour tortillas and perfectly melted onions were top-notch.