Kosher food joins the lineup for Phillies games at Citizens Bank Park

The letter “K” at a ballpark generally denotes a strikeout.

But at one new food stand behind Section 137 at Citizens Bank Park, the “K” signifies that the entire menu is kosher.

Kosher Grill serves hot pastrami on rye, Chicago-style hot dogs with various toppings (at no extra charge), garlic beef sausage, potato knishes, pastrami and cabbage egg rolls, and pretzels. Food is prepared under supervision by Community Kashrus of Greater Philadelphia, Keystone-K.

The stand, an offshoot of Kosher Grill’s longstanding operation at the Wells Fargo Center, drew long lines in its premiere earlier this month, shortly before the Phillies headed to London, said Kevin Tedesco, Aramark’s general manager at the ballpark. The stand is expected to be particularly popular during Jewish Heritage Night on Tuesday. The stand is closed Fridays and Saturdays during the sabbath.

Besides in Philadelphia, kosher ballpark food is available at Fenway Park in Boston, Wrigley Field in Chicago, Progressive Field in Cleveland, Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, LoanDepot Park in Miami, CitiField and Yankee Stadium in New York, Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Rogers Centre in Toronto, and Nationals Park in Washington. According to recent estimates, 194,200 households in the region identify as Jewish, making the area home to the third-largest Jewish population in the United States.

Aramark has diversified its food lineup in recent years, adding vegan items and a gluten-free stand. Tedesco said he had been trying for years to strike a deal with Kosher Grill founder Mordy Siegal, who opened at the Wells Fargo Center in 2015.

Besides the Wells Fargo Center, Siegal’s company serves McCormick Place convention center in his native Chicago and operates several concessions at Soldier Field, home of the Bears, and the United Center, home of the Bulls and Blackhawks.

Siegal said he believed that “probably a third of our customers are [keeping] kosher.”

Siegal flew in to watch the June 4 game — not only to check out the grill but to give Tedesco a hug. “This was something that was on mine and Kevin’s bucket list for years,” he said. “We were sitting there, just smiling from ear to ear because it worked.”