Alamodome area executive chef Patrick Cole plans to welcome 70,000-plus Final Four visitors with jaw-dropping menu items
Consider the two-foot long, all-beef hot dog: a one-pound frank topped with shredded brisket and fried onions, drizzled with barbecue sauce and wrapped in a specially made bun.
“It’s literally the biggest item we’re showcasing at the Final Four,” Cole said. “A local baker made the bun. We needed a carrying tray for the hot dog. It was definitely an adventure. From the time we decided to run the concept to the time we had everything lined up, tests done and vendors confirmed, it was about five to six months.”
The hot dog sells for $29.75 with toppings — $26.75 without — and is available for purchase in sections 239 and 323.
Also on the Alamodome menu is a Texas-sized pretzel, a massive twist of dough and salt, 12-inches in diameter, best eaten with two hands.
“The pretzel is the size of a dinner plate,” Cole said. “It comes with three dipping sauces. It’s fun.”
Available in section 142, the pretzel costs $22.75.
Alamodome visitors can get their hands on this dinner-plate sized pretzel during Final Four games this weekend. Credit: Brenda Bazán / San Antonio Report Cole and the Alamodome staff are bracing for big appetites. More than 40,000 hot dogs have been ordered (including 4,000, two-foot long dogs), along with nearly 10,000 pounds of brisket, 4,000 pounds of fajita meat, 4,000 pounds of chicken, more than 100,000 bags of chips and countless gallons of queso.
Dessert offerings include Dippin’ Dots and fruit smoothies throughout the building. “I think fans are going to love it,” Cole said.
For those who can’t attend the games, there will be plenty of delicious offerings at the March Madness Music Festival and the Final Four Tip-Off Tailgate at Hemisfair. Both events are free, open to the public and are among Final Four freebies .
“We’ll have a big variety of food, ranging from street tacos and burgers to hot dogs and elote,” said Morgan Marchand, production and vendor manager for Spectrum. “We’ll have Chinese-style barbecue, pot stickers, grilled cheese and aguas frescas. Our dessert vendors will have funnel cakes, mini donuts and coffee.”
The March Madness Music Festival will feature more than a dozen food vendors, five of them from San Antonio. One local, Mas Fuego owner Lucy Sanchez, will be selling tacos, nachos, corn on the cob and fruit juices.
“I’ve been doing this since I was 15,” said Sanchez, 27, who caters at large and small events across Texas. “I’m super excited. I love attending music festivals and seeing people. It’s high energy. I feel an adrenaline rush when I’m in this atmosphere.”
The Mas Fuego specialty is the taco trio: steak or chicken fajitas wrapped in homemade flour tortillas. The trio sells for $18.
Sanchez also offers an assortment of aguas frescas: watermelon, cucumber lemonade, strawberry lemonade and strawberry horchata. A 32-ounce agua fresca goes for $10.
Other local vendors include D&D Kettle Corn , Drakes Fun Foods , Fiesta Roasted Corn and Pop Trunk BBQ.
“These are all mom-and-pop vendors,” Marchand said. “The food here in San Antonio draws from so many cultures. We have something for everyone.”
Back at the Alamodome, Cole is all but out of breath. Preparations began months ago. Work accelerated in January. He’s had barely a day off since February, organizing, finalizing details for the crush of Final Four fans.
“I won’t have a day off until after the Final Four,” he said. “It’s definitely March madness.”
