🏀 Vegan Options at Brooklyn’s Barclay Center 🏀
2020 Report

Wanting to keep up my vegan reporting in sports arenas, it was a mid-week Brooklyn Nets game! Having scored special seats many moons ago for my last report, this 2020 reports on any and all veg I can find in the arena’s standard seating sections. But first, a brew down the block. A Kombrewcha.

Right off the bat, let me say that stepping into this venue is like stepping into a time/location warp. At first glance, the drab grey decor and antiquated food offerings harkens back to the days of ‘I’ll have the salad, but can you leave off the chicken cutlet? Oh, they’re already made? Nevermind.’ It’s like you’re in, gosh I don’t know, definitely not Brooklyn. Surreal as “Brooklyn” is emblazoned all over the place as if trying to convince someone. We walked around baffled by the feel of the place. With so much attention to the arena’s exterior, they really dropped the ball inside. (Sports pun!) Or perhaps, plant-based awareness and acceptance is happening so swiftly, that this arena’s ignorance to it seems misplaced. Then I spied… a couple of discoveries…

East Wind Snack Shop has vegetable dumplings. Their Shanghai Vegetable Dumplings have assorted (but indiscernible) mixed vegetables, pan seared then steamed, topped with a ginger scallion sauce. They were good! Though burnt. Better than you’d expect after reading the menu boards along the way. But they are served with those eggy fried chips served with Duck Sauce in Chinese restaurants. Give those to your friend.

And file under “big whoop, ” Brooklyn Taqueria has guacamole and pico de gallo with thick, salty tortilla chips. Yeah, they’re good. But a real lost opportunity for an easy veg option here! The Vegetable Empanada‘s description mentions nothing too suspicious, but the counter woman was a vegan naysayer after she admitted to not having a clue what “vegan” meant.

File this one under “Oh Hey!” Buffalo Boss‘s menu, like all the concession menus, is white on red and in all CAPS. I didn’t even catch this “BUFFALO BOSS MEATLESS WINGS & FRIES, ” immediately dismissing the menu as we passed, thinking “Chicken Place, Next!” After noticing I asked the counter people, but they had no idea information about the menu item–even told me that it just was fries and no chicken. Huh?! But this was on the first floor. After we strolled the second floor concessions, I inquired again as the confusion from my first inquiry grew along the way. This time the counter person had a clue—many clues! It seems the option consisted of Beyond wings and fries, cooked in a separate fryer. Score!

So these are the Beyond wings. (Now I know where Honeybee‘s got its wings. 😐) They tasted like you think they’d taste: highly processed, mass produced, frozen, sent around the country and then reheated. I know, I’m in an arena, so I will manage my expectations. It’s good that they are offered and I am excited to share this with you as they were an unexpected option.

Lastly, Paisanos Burger sells a Beyond burger. I wanted my friend to get it so I may check out the bun and see if it was a true vegan option. But… $16 seem a bit steep for a burger I just wanted to take a picture of! Maybe next time?

Beyond marketing was all over the place. They had a counter that was giving out coupons and trying to get folks to sign up for their mailing list. When asked if there were any vegan options in the arena, the Beyond coupon gal mentioned a butternut squash mac and cheese (?!) This place gets more mysterious at every turn!

I hope I offered some leads on current vegan options at the Barclays Center. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have more information!