San Jose Jazz 2023: What’s new to eat, drink at this weekend’s festival — plus returning favorites
As jazz, blues and salsa return for San Jose Jazz Summer Fest from today through Sunday (Aug. 11-13), so too will jambalaya, barbecue, tacos and sweet potato pie.
And some new food and beverage offerings, including jerk lobster rolls, pork belly bao, vegan pizza, hot mini doughnuts and kombucha on tap. There’s even a new vendor, Coffee Companions, with a mission to help dog rescue organizations give shelter animals a second chance at life — one cold brew at a time.
All told, more than 30 food and beverage booths will be located near the Main Stage at downtown’s Plaza de Cesar Chavez. Four will be situated at the Latin/Tropical Stage.
Here are our music writer’s picks for the top acts to see. And when you want to plan your between-sets snacking, here is the vendor lineup for the festival, with some menu details. We’ve highlighted the vendors that are new.
MAIN STAGE
Barya Kitchen: Lumpia (birria, veggie, Shanghai), bistek and sisig street tacos, chicken adobo pie, ube horchata, fried banana turon. (NEW)
Lord of the Ribs BBQ: Ribs, brisket, pulled pork, hot links, Texas sausage, chili, potato salad, loaded nachos.
Bun Me Up: Bao (buns) filled with pork belly, shaking beef (ribeye), shoyu pork or tofu. (NEW)
BNB Wings N Things: Chicken wings, chicken tenders, Philly cheesesteak melts, mac and cheese, Cajun fries, lemon-pepper fries.
Enduro Pizza Co.: Meat lovers, pepperoni, margherita pizzas plus vegan margherita, vegan cheese and kale-lemon. (NEW)
Ribs N Things BBQ and Soul Food: Smothered pork chops, oxtails, meat loaf, ribs, links, gumbo, turkey legs, potato salad, sweet potato pie, banana pudding.
Lake Family Forest Farms: Hot mini donuts with toppings. (NEW)
Olde Tyme Kettle Korn: Kettle corn, caramel kettle corn and roasted peanuts in the shell.
Seymart: Catfish, snapper, chicken wings, shrimp, oysters, calamari, breaded okra and hush puppies, potato salad.
Coffee Companions Coffee Co.: Nitro cold brew coffee and lavender-vanilla cold brew latte, with proceeds from every sale benefiting dog rescue organizations. (NEW)
Thai Chef: Pad Thai, teriyaki beef, orange chicken, chow mein, shrimp rolls, vegetable eggrolls, potstickers, calamari, Thai tea, boba.
Howard Gumbo: Seafood gumbo, fried catfish, gumbo fries.
Cali Cool: Hawaiian shave ice, lemonade slushies, boba tea, root beer floats, ice cream sandwiches, cotton candy, deep-fried Oreos. (NEW)
Hot and Sizzling Grill: Greek gyros, Philly cheesesteak, sausages.
Sandi’s Cobbler Cups and More: Jambalaya, gumbo, red beans & rice, Cobbler Cups, sweet tea.
Pizza Way: Pizza, salads, sandwiches, sodas, lemonade. (NEW)
Frutísima: Chicken, chorizo or cheese arepas, natural fruit juices (pineapple, sugarcane limeade or salpicon, Colombian fruit mix).
R & D’s: Barbecue plates, sandwiches and desserts.
The Original Mommie Helen’s Bakery: Pies, cobblers, desserts, drinks.
Chicken and the Farm: Smoked-meat sandwiches, “cow tipper” skirt steak tacos, chicken wings, loaded fries, deep-fried cauli bites and brussels.
Nunas Grill and Prime Seafood: Crab cakes, scallops (seared or deep-fried), seafood gumbo, fish poor boy, macaroni and cheese, corn on the cob. (NEW)
Mama’s Papas: Kalua pork quesatacos, chicken quesatacos, mac & cheese balls, potato balls.
Roux: Fried fish plates, fried honey chicken sandwiches, “soul rolls” (aka Southern eggrolls) stuffed with turkey and collard greens, smoked pork and cabbage or apple pie and sweet potato pie).
Poor House Bistro: Po boys, sliders, nachos, salads, bread pudding.
The Juicery: Warm weather coolers, including frosts (lime, watermelon, mango, red hibiscus), fresh lemonade, iced tea and Arnold Palmer freezes.
Samara Southern Creations: Deep-fried jerk lobster corndog, hot link roll, Cajun andouille roll, veggie roll, loaded tots — all with candied jalapenos, marinated onions and dijon-garlic aioli. (NEW)
Nita Bee’s Tastys: Salmon burgers, funnel cakes, pies (sweet potato, pecan), cobblers (peach, apple, berry), banana pudding, cookies.
Bizuri Ice Cream: Soft-serve ice cream, funnel cakes, churros, nachos, potato chips with chili and cheese.
On a Stick: Fried potato twists and battered, fried zucchini twists, mango on a stick, fresh cucumber-mint lemonade. (NEW)
Suds & Floats: Ice cream floats, cold brew floats, ice cream cookie sandwiches, scoops of ice cream.
Wise Jun-Kombucha: Kombucha on tap. (NEW)
Twisted K’s Soft Serve: Eleven flavors of soft-serve ice cream, plus a vegan option and Dole Whip.
LATIN STAGE
Chick N Bros: Nashville-style fried chicken sandwiches.
3 Hermanos Mexican Grill: Burritos, tacos, quesadillas, nachos, quesabirria, ceviche, hot dogs, agua fresca.
Mister Softee: Soft-serve ice cream with toppings.
Krazy Kettles: Krazy korn and lemonade.