Did you know the Texas Rangers were the first-ever professional baseball team to sell nachos at their home stadium? That’s right. During the 1960s and 1970s, nachos were already a popular dish at Mexican restaurants, but it wasn’t until 1976 that a San Antonio man named Frank G. Liberto brought the idea (and a whole bucket of ooey-gooey cheesy goodness) to Arlington Stadium. Thus, a new craze began.
You’re looking at an aerial view of Arlington Stadium, circa ~1970s — around the time ballpark nachos entered the scene.
Photo by UTA Libraries
Around 1950, Liberto became president of his grandfather’s wholesale food company, Liberto Specialty Co. You could say concessions ran in the family, and Liberto was clearly ready to cheddar the competition. By the 1960s, Liberto had expanded operations to 17 snack bars in malls and shopping centers across Texas.
Nacho ordinary idea
Nachos themselves weren’t new. According to Liberto’s son, Frank sat down at a Mexican restaurant one day and predicted the appetizer would sell well in a concessions setting. Boy, was he right. Liberto founded Ricos Products Co. after successfully tying down suppliers for the tortilla chips, cheese sauce, and jalapenos. Finally, in 1976, nachos made their way to Arlington Stadium in small carts along the concourse. You can probably guess what happened next — crowds went wild. Today, Ricos products are sold all across the US and in 60+ countries.
2026-2027 season
The Texas Rangers are in spring training until Tuesday, March 24, but will tee up for their home opener at 3:05 p.m. on Friday, April 3 against the Cincinnati Reds. The first 30,000 fans will receive a magnetic schedule — and if history tells us anything, plenty of them will be holding nachos.
You can find ballpark nachos at numerous concessions around Globe Life Field. They’re even better topped with Hurtado Barbecue brisket — located in sections 141 + 200. Talk about a home run topping.
