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Turkey legs with cranberry barbecue sauce. Peach cobbler. Pumpkin-spiced milkshakes.
Ford Field will celebrate the Detroit Lions‘ traditional Thanksgiving Day game with a variety of festive Thanksgiving foods for fans.
Playing on Thanksgiving Day is a longtime tradition for the Detroit Lions. The tradition started in 1934 and remains a big deal for the Lions and loyal fans.
With the Lions now 10-1 after Sunday’s 24-6-win game against the Indianapolis Colts, they’ll head home to take on the Chicago Bears for the annual Thanksgiving Day game.
As more than 60,000 fans head to Ford Field, they can expect, per usual, special Thanksgiving Day food for sale along with regular concession items.
Levy, the hospitality partner of Ford Field since 2002, is ready with its playbook of holiday favorites.
“It’s one of the great moments at the intersection of sports and food, and an absolutely cherished tradition,” said Andy Lansing, CEO of Levy in a news release.
You will find the Thanksgiving offerings spread throughout Ford Field, according to officials.
Fans can choose from the classic turkey leg, a Thanksgiving game highlight for years, to brunch fare in the suites and specials reflecting flavors of the opposing team and items from Detroit Lions’ local restaurant partners and purveyors.
“Not only do we host and feed 60,000+ hungry fans in the stadium, but our homestyle cooking is on full display for the millions at home watching the annual post-game turducken and turkey leg celebration. That celebration truly kicks off Thanksgiving, and we take great pride in bringing everyone together,” Lansing said.
Here are the highlights:
Turkey Legs: A staple for years and a popular concessions menu item at the Thanksgiving game, they are returning by popular demand. The turkey legs come with savory cornbread dressing and tangy sweet cranberry BBQ sauce.
Where: Tailgate Grills in sections 119, 135, 219, 242, Lions Loyal Marketplaces in sections 100 and 120 and at Kickoff Classics near section 308 in the South Club.
Signature hot dogs: Classic Detroit-style Coney Dog and Chicago-Style Hot Dog from the Windy City.
Where: Streats of Detroit Stands in sections 109, 126, 217 and 244.
Local restaurant partners and purveyors specials
- Peach Cobbler from Cooking with Que
Where: Meijer stand section 134
- Sweet Potato Cheesecake from For the Love of Cheesecake
Where: Henry Ford Health stand in section 114
- Pumpkin-Spiced Almonds and Candy Corn Mix from K&R Almonds
Where: K&R tents throughout the concourse
- Pumpkin-spiced milkshakes from Big Boy
Where: Sections 108, 127, and 230
- Buckeye Brownies from M Street Baking Company
Where: Meijer stand section 140
- Pumpkin Bundt Cake with bourbon maple sauce from Honcho
Where: Section 132
- Cinnamon-sugar Donuts and Blake’s Hard Cider, as well as non-alcoholic cider from Blake’s Farms
Where: Lions Loyal Marketplaces in sections 100 and 120
Cocktails
Three signature holiday and team-themed cocktails:
- Blazin’ Apple: Vanilla vodka, cinnamon whiskey, and apple cider, garnished with a cinnamon-sugar donut
- Roarin’ Roary: White rum, piña colada, blue raspberry lemonade, garnished with blue boba and dried pineapple, and served with a silver straw
- Chicago Thunder: Vodka, triple sec, peach puree, and orange juice, garnished with an orange wheel and blue gummy bear skewer
Where: Across the stadium – in concessions and clubs.
- Goose Island Bourbon County Stout on tap
Where: Beer of the Game cart near section 127
Suite menus feature a special Thanksgiving-themed brunch menu that includes:
- Egg & Brioche Casserole with wild mushrooms, sautéed spinach, roasted heirloom tomatoes, creamy goat cheese
- Thanksgiving pull-apart sliders with chopped roasted turkey, melted Gruyère, and cranberry-orange slaw on a buttered sweet Hawaiian roll
- Breakfast Griddle with maple pepper bacon, chicken apple sausage, honey garlic smoked brisket
- Sweet potato hash with roasted sweet potatoes, kale, red onions, charred peppers, Cotija cheese
This is Levy’s 23rd Thanksgiving Game at Ford Field. The Levy chefs and team members, about 1,200 of them, expect to prep, cook and serve:
- 2,500 pounds of turkey
- 2,000 pounds of mashed potato
- 1,800 turkey legs
- 1,400 pounds of stuffing
- 600 pounds of green beans
- 500 pounds of corn
- 100 gallons of gravy
- 55 gallons of cranberry sauce
- 4,500 slices of pie
- 2,000 slices of pumpkin pie and 870 turkey legs ready for Detroit Lions fans
Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter. Subscribe to the Free Press.
