NHL Food Guide: What Should You Eat at Sharks’ Road Games?
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Where should you…eat in an NHL city?
On Wednesday, former San Jose Sharks beat writer Corey Masisak released his NHL food guide for the Colorado Avalanche’s 2025-26 schedule.
I’ve ate with Corey over the years, and he knows his restaurants. I’d like to think that he’d say the same about me!
Whenever I travel, the first thing I do when I get to my hotel or AirBNB is fire up the Yelp app to see the Most Reviewed restaurants in the area.
So here’s my food guide for the San Jose Sharks’ 2025-26 schedule!
Let’s start at home!
Hat tip to Corey, he’s the one who turned me on to Rosario’s Tacos on Almaden. It’s my favorite Mexican food in San Jose, which is no small statement, because like many Angelenos, I take my Mexican seriously.
As Corey said, the quesabirria tacos are excellent, but I like to go off the menu with a surf-n-turf burrito, which is a quesabirria and quesacamaron burrito.
There’s tons of great food in San Jose: A few more standouts include the goat cutlet and sambusa at Somalian restaurant Jubba, the carne asada torta and flan at Mexico Bakery, and the bun bo he at Vietnamese restaurant Bún Bò Huế An Nam.
I’ve only been in Utah for one San Jose Sharks game, so what I can tell you is more what I wasn’t impressed by.
Mexican restaurant Red Iguana is the most Yelp-reviewed restaurant in SLC. I will say, in their defense, that mole is their trademark, and that’s not something that I’d usually order.
But when in Rome…
I had the Mole Coloradito, and didn’t really like any of it. But try it, let me know! It could be me, mole is generally more subtle, I like bolder flavors. For example, I prefer pho and beef noodle soup to ramen.
I lived in New York City for five years, so I can rattle off an hour of restaurants that I loved there (and an hour of restaurants that have closed since I lived there).
But my musts when I go back?
I used to live in East Village, so I always go back there to Italian restaurant Supper for their spaghetti al limone. It’s a rare vegetarian dish on this list, I’m definitely a carnivore-first, that’s how good it is. Next, I have to have a slice of cheesecake from Ukrainian restaurant Veselka.
I also try to get out to Katz’s Delicatessen in Lower Eastside for pastrami on rye. Yup, it’s a touristy spot, but it’s still the best pastrami around for my money.
If I have a midnight craving in Manhattan, I get lamb and chicken over rice with white sauce and a smattering of hot sauce (it’s spicy!) from one of the many halal carts dotted around the island. Halal Guys is the famous lamb and chicken spot, they franchised all over the country, but I’ve had it at the original truck on 53rd and 6th, and I don’t think they’re particularly remarkable.
On Long Island, go to Peter Luger in Great Neck (it’s also in Williamsburg) for the steak for two and the sizzling bacon. I’m actually not a huge bacon fan, but I can say this is the best bacon I’ve ever had in my life.
In Newark, the paella valenciana at Fornos of Spain is terrific.
This is the only NHL city that I haven’t traveled to yet…that’ll change this year!
Touristy, but the New England Clam Chowder at Pike Place Clam Chowder is excellent.
It’s been three years since I’ve been there, but I’m still thinking about the pulled pork and brisket from Hayden Block Smoke & Whiskey. I had it twice on one trip!
I’ve lived in Tokyo, and Tokyo Premium Bakery in Denver wouldn’t be out of place in Japan.
Corey will tell you, he went there to get us lunch last year, on my recommendation.
Everything I’ve ordered here has been excellent, from savory (beef curry pastry, ham and egg sandwich) to sweet (peach pastry, sunrise bun, fruit sandwich).
I’m not into (read can’t afford) fine dining all the time, which Vegas is rightly known for.
But there’s plenty of fantastic food besides that.
Some of my favorites in the season that I lived there?
I still have love for the steak sandwich (not so much the regular steak) at steakhouse Echo & Rig. The souvlaki combo at Yassou Greek Grill Café was a go-to. Everything is good at Roma Deli & Restaurant, but my regular order was the meatball and marinara sandwich. Drunk or sober, Tacos El Gordo on the Strip always hits the spot.
Get the carne asada plate at Meso Maya Comida y Copas. Or the sugar burger at Rodeo Goat!
Still looking for a go-to Raleigh restaurant…I did order the Carolina ribs and chopped BBQ Brunswick stew from the Pit, it was good, but I don’t miss it.
I wouldn’t highly recommend either, but I prefer Geno’s over Pat’s for my cheesesteak.
John’s Roast Pork is a mess of a sandwich, but it’s tasty!
Get the five-spice pork belly sandwich at Banh Mi Boys!
Primanti Bros. was good, but I prefer a recommendation from Dan Rusanowsky, S&D Polish Deli.
Get the smoked kielbasa sandwich and some pierogies!
One of the best food cities in the NHL, I like the yaki pan-fried udon at Kitanoya Guu with Garlic and beef luc lac on rice at Phnom Penh Restaurant.
After a San Jose Sharks-Anaheim Ducks game at Honda Center, there’s a good chance that you’ll probably find me at Slurpin’ Ramen, taking down some tsukemen with egg and extra chashu.
I grew up in the LA area, so I can talk about food here for hours.
The best burrito that I’ve had in America is the chile relleno with carne asada burrito at La Azteca Tortillera.
Go to Armenian spot Mini-Kabob and get the chicken thigh plate.
The Chinese/Taiwanese food in Los Angeles rivals China and Taiwan: If I had to pick one dish, it’d be the House Special Lobster over double noodle from Boston Lobster.
I wasn’t a fan of Ethiopian food, but I might be after the beef tibs at Chercher Ethiopian Restaurant & Mart.
I love BBQ, a theme that I’m sure that you’ve noticed here.
I’ve had the pulled pork, chicken, and brisket from the very popular Slows BBQ, but wasn’t floored.
I need to find a great Detroit-style pizza in Detroit.
I love the Cubano sandwich at Little Cuban Café Restaurant close to the airport.
Okay, I have a weakness for Cubanos.
Get it at La Segunda Bakery & Café and add some plain cheese quesitos.
Another Rusanowsky recommendation: I enjoyed the wiener schnitzel at Bistro Praha.
I’ve been to my share of acclaimed Chicago restaurants, Au Cheval, Pequod’s Pizza, Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria, Portillo’s Hot Dogs, Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse, and Giordano’s…and I don’t know if I have a go-to. Don’t worry, I keep eating.
If I had to pick one? Maybe Pequod’s deep-dish pizza, though that’s not my favorite style of pizza.
I’ve been on a beef on weck bender, I’ve had that basically everyday the last two combines.
Go to Gabriel’s Gate (the wings are great too), Charlie the Butcher, or Wellington Pub (thanks for the recommendation, Rachel Lenzi!).
Get the lobster roll at Neptune Oyster!
I’m not going off the board here, but the smoked meat sandwich at Schwartz’s Deli and the sesame bagel at St-Viateur Bagel are as good, if not better, than anything you get in NYC.
Kanata — not downtown Ottawa — is the worst NHL food area in the league.
The downtown arena can’t come soon enough!
BeaverTails are decent though.
It’s now the most popular in town, but I loved Hattie B’s hot chicken sandwich when they had just one location. Tons of great BBQ in town, the pulled pork from Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint might be my favorite.
The pulled pork at Pappy’s Smokehouse is also excellent!
I almost passed out with how much food that I ate in my trip to Schmidt’s Sausage Haus.
I had the pretzel nuggets and the Old World sausage sampler, my favorite was the Bahama Mama.
I admit, I haven’t been to Winnipeg in seven years. But I do remember liking Famena’s Famous Roti & Curry.
SJHN Daily: Armstrong on Celebrini’s Olympic Case, Sharks Star a Top-20 NHL Center?
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