Madison Square Garden: 5 Foodie facts you may not have known

When it comes to sports, there are some foods that come to mind instantly. But Madison Square Garden in New York City wants to shake up our game day thinking when it comes to the food and even drinks we consume at New York Knicks and Rangers games (and even at their concerts and shows).

Recently, Guilty Eats was invited to visit Madison Square Garden and learn more about the foods of the Garden and what is on the menu for latest season of sports in New York. This also lead us down an interesting foodie rabbit hole. We wanted to learn all the things when it came to indulging during a game or show.

Ultimately, we learned some very fascinating things about the food of the Garden and we can’t resist sharing what we learned. So here are five foodie facts about Madison Square Garden that you may not have known.

5 Foodie facts about Madison Square Garden that you may not have known

1. Did you know that there is a Carnegie Deli in Madison Square Garden? Not only is there a Carnegie Deli, but it is actually the last one in New York City. This means that if you love a good Pastrami on Rye or a next level Carnegie Cheesecake, there is only one place to get these foodie delights – Madison Square Garden.
2. Did you know that you could get vegan or gluten-free food options at the Garden? That’s right fellow foodies! MSG is an all-inclusive venue for people with dietary restrictions and needs. And after speaking to an Executive Chef from MSG Entertainment we know that their goal is to make sure that everyone who visits the arena is able to enjoy a game or a show without worrying about what they can and cannot eat. Some of the gluten-free options you can find include pizza and even chicken fingers. Over on the vegan side of things they have Beyond Bratwurst and even Vegan Nachos on the menu.
3. How many burgers were sold during the 2021-2022 seasons for the New York Knicks and New York Rangers? According to the facts sheet we received, “almost 100,000 burgers were sold at the Daily Burger stands.” That’s a lot of beef (and vegan burgers) being consumed!
4. How much popcorn do they make for a single game?! For just one Rangers or Knicks game, MSG uses approximately 630 pounds of kernels in order to pop enough popcorn for a single game. (That’s a lot of popcorn for a single game, but can you imagine what that means in terms of how many pounds of kernels they are popping every year just for the Knicks and Rangers games?)
5. From burgers to hotdogs, how many hot dogs are served at games and concerts? When we think ballpark and arena food, we think hot dogs. So it may not come as any surprise that during Knicks and Rangers games they serve around 540 pounds of hot dogs, whereas concerts see Madison Square Garden serving 420 pounds of hot dogs. That’s a lot of dogs!

Honestly, there are so many things to know when it comes to the food of MSG. And yes, we were pretty impressed with everything we learned about the menus for games and concerts. But that’s not all, because the thing that really sold us on the magic of dining at Madison Square Garden is just how delicious everything we got to try really was.

But we want to know what you think about these foodie facts. Have you enjoyed food at MSG? Did you know any of these facts? Do any of these facts surprise you?