The 5 things you should eat first at a Timberwolves game

Just in time for the 2023-2024 Timberwolves season, the Target Center unveiled new items fans can order while cheering on the Pack.

Crunch, the team's official mascot, was on hand shaking hands and pawing at burgers as we tasted a selection of new bites along with classic local favorites — like the Parlour Burger and chicken lollipops from chef David Fhima, who curates the arena's concessions program.

But this year there are new faces in the starting lineup. Making their debut are four new food counters from Chicago-based Levy Restaurants: Chicken Shack, Northwood Diner, Frozen Spoon and Rolling Smoke, a barbecue concept.

"Like everything in life, we want to keep getting better," said Fhima. "We live in one of the best food communities." The chef, who has his eponymous restaurant Fhima's Minneapolis and the recently opened Maison Margaux, said he began working with the team with the goal to have the best food available to sports fans. "Let's elevate expectations."

With that game plan in mind, we dove into the new food samples and crowned these the best bites to try first. (Prices weren't immediately available.)

This is everything you want while celebrating an Anthony Edwards' dunk. One-handed eating leaves the other free to pump in the air. Bright yellow like a Lakers jersey, the flaky crust is wrapped around some legitimately spicy beef. This bite would also pair well with an ice cold beer.

Section 106, Soul Bowl

The iconic El Burrito Mercado has served Twin Cities eaters its family recipes and a wide selection of groceries for generations. Having the opportunity to order their tacos and fresh-tasting salsas at a game amps up the Wolves experience. Al pastor, or marinated pork, is vibrantly colored thanks to the achiote in the marinade. Topped with just a little bit of pineapple and a dollop of salsa (choose your own spice level), it's big-time flavor in each bite.

Section 111, El Burrito Mercado

This fried chicken sandwich has no business being this good. The chicken patty is familiar to anyone who has visited other Levy Restaurants food stands (like inside area zoos), yet somehow, topped with the new signature Howler sauce, it's leveled up beyond what could come out of any air fryer at home. Highly seasoned breading coats a thin chicken cutlet, topped with the rosy sauce on a squishy bun — it's a satisfying dish served with house fries tossed in a salty dry spice blend.

Sections 109 and 231, Chicken Shack

There's no shortage of burgers inside Target Center. Even alongside the known and beloved burgers from Parlour and Fhima's, this new patty melt stands out. "A classic Minnesota diner burger," said one of Levy's chefs. Toasted white bread sandwiches a burger with a pile of sautéed sweet onions and a layer of melted Swiss cheese. While the other burgers angle for fame with rich content, this one delivers a wallop of sweet nostalgia right to the taste buds.

Sections 129 and 225, Northwoods Diner

This one drops in ranking on a naming technicality. The tender barbecued meat is not your standard chopped cheese. What it is, however, is a great barbecue sandwich with the smokehouse's tangy-sweet barbecue sauce and a healthy dollop of oozy cheese sauce. It's all served on a pleasingly crusty/soft hoagie roll that's a hearty meal sure to satisfy any Wolves fan's ravenous hunger.

Section 126, Rolling Smoke

Honorable mention: Cheese curds at the game are nothing new, but the concessions have started making their own ranch and smothering the crispy cheese nibbles under the Dairyland's favorite condiment. It's a dish so deeply satisfying in a Midwestern way that they really ought to be ordered at every home game.