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Introducing some of the food options available at the United Center this season

A quick preview ahead of Thursday’s home opener.

On Monday at the United Center, the 30th anniversary of the stadium’s existence was front and center as the food and beverage options for the 2024-25 season of Blackhawks hockey and Bulls basketball was unveiled with local media in attendance at the event.

Second City Hockey was represented by yours truly, which did limit how many of the items that could be sampled in one afternoon. So, an executive decision was made to focus on the items available in concession stands around the stadium while ignoring the dining options which exist inside the building like the Ketel One Club or the Queenie’s Supper Club based on the assumption that the people who visit this blog aren’t heading to the United Center for a sit-down meal. Instead, they’re probably heading to the United Center to, ya know: watch some damn hockey. Crazy idea, right?

With that preamble out of the way, let’s get to it.

Crispy Chicken and Pimento Cheese Sandwich

Crispy chicken sandwiches are always going to be a crowd-pleaser as far as stadium food goes, but the pimento cheese here gives it a little something extra than most versions of this item. Also helps to have chicken that isn’t more breading than meat, which was absolutely the case here. Speaking of chicken …

Honey Butter Fried Chicken’s Crispy Chicken Strips

Now, the chicken that was served at the event had been sitting out for a while, so I imagine this would taste even better if it was fresh out of the fryer. But knowing that these items can still sit under a heat lamp for a while before they make their way into your hands at the UC offered me some encouragement because it was still pretty damn good despite not being the ideal temperature. Like the sandwich above, the breading is the important part here and there was an excellent flakiness to them that was delectable. And absolutely do not sleep on the biscuit that comes with these chicken strips, because I was tempted to go back and collect all of the biscuits from the other trays just for myself. Find it in Section 115.

The Double Dog

During the initial comments from the hosts of the event, Levy Restaurants chef Scott Perez noted that the way these hot dogs are cooked is such that there’s a “snap” from the casing on the hot dogs when you bite into them — and said snap can be confirmed. Quality meat is important here as hot dogs are a stadium classic and dressing it up like this is a Chicago staple that needs to be in every stadium in the city, so here it is. Also served with crinkle-cut fries, which is the correct side item. This is available all over the UC: Section 104, 222, 305 and 322.

This Little Goat Taqueria’s Homemade Chips and Avocado Dip

I’ll be honest: not a big avocado guy. This is making me change my mind, though. This offering from the restaurant co-owned by Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard might have been the tastiest thing I ate all day. The tortilla chips were of a higher quality than you’d probably expect at a stadium and the dip itself was a delightful blend of flavors that I probably could’ve eaten with a spoon if the chips weren’t around to aid in the process. I’ll let the description of this item from the press release handle the rest: “A creamy and zesty avocado dip topped with chili lime crunch seasoning, pickled peppers and queso frecso.” Pick it up in Sections 114 and 230.

United Center Signature Prime Rib Onion Roll

If you’re looking for something to treat yourself a little bit without wanting the hassle of getting into a restaurant and sitting down and ordering and waiting for your food and all that, this wonderful item is probably the best bet. Along with the prime rib that’s the star attraction here, there are crispy onions, Dijon cheese and a spicy BBQ sauce which come together in a perfect combination that’s excellently topped off by the onion roll. Probably not an item you’ll want to eat from your seat inside the stadium because it can get messy in a hurry, so find yourself a table around the concourse so you can fully appreciate this sandwich after you pick it up at MadWest in Section 105.

A few more items that didn’t get taste-tested but probably don’t need them because of how prevalent they are in the city:

Giordano’s Assorted Pizzas

United Center-Style Italian Beef

Both of these items are available at the Giordano’s in Section 120.

Need dessert?

As for alcohol options, the beer features plenty of local flavors, with the Goose Island Beer Company heavily represented alongside other Chicago establishments like Revolution and Half Acre.

As LBR correctly pointed out to me during our Tuesday night podcast recording, though, beer is not everyone’s preferred alcohol of choice and the United Center will have options aplenty for those in pursuit of spirits with their hockey. Seltzers, pre-mixed cocktails and more or on the list. A few specific items to highlight include:

  • Rocky’s Bar is outside Section 119 and offers options that include an old fashioned, Manhattan and martini
  • Chicago Pours Bar is in Section 201 and 218, highlighted by the prickly jalapeno margarita and black cherry old fashioned

And, yeah, if you’ve always wanted to drink a beer out of a plastic hockey stick, the United Center can now make that dream come true:

Talking Points