These Texas stadiums have the worst food in America, according to fans

DALLAS (KDAF) — Yikes, Dallas…it appears we’ve fumbled stadium food. A new study by TheLines.com has named the historic Cotton Bowl the worst stadium in the country for food.

Researchers analyzed nearly 200 U.S. stadiums by digging into food-related Google reviews, tracking which venues left fans satisfied…and which ones left them hangry. The Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas ranks first, with a staggering 74.68% of food-related reviews expressing dissatisfaction. Nearly three out of four fans who mentioned food walked away disappointed, if not disgusted.

The top 10 US stadiums with the worst food (according to fans) 

Rank	Stadium	City, State	Number of reviews mentioning food	% of food reviews classed as negative
1	Cotton Bowl	Dallas, Texas	79	74.68%
2	Ladd-Peebles Stadium	Mobile, Alabama	43	72.09%
3	War Memorial Stadium	Little Rock, Arkansas	57	70.18%
4	The Dome at America’s Center	St. Louis, Missouri	96	65.63%
5	Aggie Memorial Stadium	Las Cruces, New Mexico	20	65.00%
6	Gerald J. Ford Stadium	University Park, Texas	42	64.29%
7	Alamodome	San Antonio, Texas	120	60.83%
8	Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field	Atlanta, Georgia	53	60.38%
=9	Rice Stadium	Houston, Texas	20	60.00%
=9	Protective Stadium	Birmingham, Alabama	110	60.00%
10	Ace W. Mumford Stadium	Baton Rouge, Louisiana	12	58.33%

Complaints mentioned the taste and cost of the food, the long wait times in line, and menus that were described as “very limited” and even “virtually non-existent.” Out of 79 reviews that mentioned food, only 14 had anything nice to say.

Built in 1930 and seating over 92,000 fans, the Cotton Bowl is steeped in Texas football history. But if you’re hoping for gourmet eats with your gridiron action, then good luck.

And the Cotton Bowl isn’t the only Texas stadium reportedly struggling to feed fans. SMU’s Gerald J. Ford Stadium in University Park also made the top 10 worst list (#6), with 64.29% of food-related reviews being negative. One fan called the prices “extremely outrageous,” while another urged people to “come already eaten and full.”

Over in San Antonio, the Alamodome fared slightly better but still landed in the bottom 10 (#7) with 60.83% of food mentions being complaints. Other Texas stadiums on the naughty list include Rice Stadium in Houston and Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso.

The trend? Older stadiums are more likely to offer less-than-stellar food experiences. In contrast, newer venues—particularly those built after 2010—tend to serve up better bites. You can thank modern infrastructure, diverse vendors, and higher fan expectations for that.