What’s new at Nationals Park for 2023

The Italian sub from Capo Deli is one of several new food items available at Nationals Park this season. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)

With Opening Day less than a week away, the Washington Nationals hosted their annual ballpark tour for media Friday. The team didn’t offer a demonstration of the new pitch clock behind home plate, but it did provide a look at — and taste of — what else is new at the ballpark this season. Here’s what to expect at Nationals Park in 2023.

Food

The two most notable additions to the ballpark’s food lineup are Swizzler and Capo Deli. Swizzler, which began as a food truck and opened its first stand-alone restaurant in Navy Yard in 2020, will offer smashburgers, fried chicken sandwiches and hand-cut fries, with locations in Sections 106, 130 and 320.

Capo Deli, which opened its first location in Shaw in 2017, replaces the former Hard Times concession stand next to See You Tater in Section 107. Capo’s menu of sandwiches includes the Italian combo with capicola, genoa salami and provolone; roasted turkey and provolone; and a tomato and mozzarella caprese. It will also offer tri-color pasta with genoa salami, provolone and housemade dressing.

Don’t fret, Hard Times fans. The local chain, which was an original vendor when the ballpark opened in 2008 and returned after a long hiatus last season, will operate a portable stand in Section 128.

Jammin’ Island BBQ is back for the first time since 2018, with locations in Sections 218 and 243. The menu includes jerk chicken, jerk ribs, a pulled jerk chicken sandwich, a jerk angus burger and a variety of sides, including potato salad and plantains. Chesapeake Crab Cake Co. also returns with a crab cake sandwich, crab dog, crab pretzel and crab nachos.

Char Bar in right field plaza will offer certified kosher food, including pulled beef brisket sliders, falafel sliders, hot dogs, potato wedges and potato knishes. The Budweiser Brew House menu features several new items, including truffle mac 'n cheese, barbacoa tacos and a crab hot dog.

Post reporter Scott Allen gives us a tour of the new concessions at Nationals Park: The Cherry Blossom cocktail, smash burger and more. (Video: The Washington Post, Photo: Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)

Other food options include:

• Ben’s Chili Bowl (Sections 110, 140 and 307)
• Haute Dogs (Section 105)
• Shake Shack (Section 240)
• La Casita Pupuseria (Section 117)
• Arepa Zone (Center Field Plaza and Section 304)
• Roaming Rooster (Section 238)
• Capital City Mambo Sauce (Section 231)
• Rocklands BBQ (Section 118)
• South Mountain Creamery (Sections 115, 136 and 310).

Among the favorite items this reporter sampled Friday: Capo Deli’s Italian combo, Swizzler’s smashburger, Jammin’ Island BBQ’s jerk chicken and South Mountain Creamery’s cherry blossom ice cream.

Grab-and-go concessions

The Nationals are hoping to reduce the amount of time fans spend waiting in line for concessions by introducing four Grab-and-Go Marketplaces outside Sections 110, 136, 141 and 314. Fans at these concession stands will be able to pick up the items they want and proceed to a self-checkout kiosk, where their items will be rung up automatically. Staff will fill drinks and check IDs for fans wishing to purchase alcoholic beverages. Additionally, all concession stands, except Shake Shack, will offer kiosk ordering.

There will also be four grab-and-go beer markets, including three on the main concourse, offering a selection of canned beers. The Craft Corner market outside Section 110 will provide the largest selection of local canned beers in the ballpark. The District Drafts program, which has offered a rotating selection of local craft beers on draft for more than a decade, is back, but it will feature fewer carts this season.

Giveaways

The Nationals’ 2023 promotional calendar includes six bobblehead giveaways, beginning with Josiah Gray in his cherry blossom-themed City Connect jersey on April 15. The other bobbleheads, which will be given to the first 20,000 fans, are Screech holding a pride flag for the Nationals’ annual Night Out (June 6); Racing Presidents — Teddy and Abe (June 17), CJ Abrams (July 22), Racing Presidents — George and Tom (Aug. 12) and Keibert Ruiz (Sept. 22).

The first 20,000 fans at Washington’s April 28 game against the Pirates will receive a City Connect fedora. The Nationals will celebrate Star Wars Day on May 20, when the first 10,000 fans receive a light or dark Hawaiian shirt. The team will also hold its first Harry Potter Day on July 8, including a House scarf giveaway for the first 20,000 fans.

Merchandise

The Nationals will wear the cherry blossom-themed City Connect uniforms they debuted last season for most Friday and Saturday home games. They plan to roll out new City Connect merchandise throughout the season. New vendors in the team store include Peter Millar, Wear by Erin Andrews, Darius Rucker and Tiny Turnip.