The Tasty Roman Pre-Match: A Guide to the Food Trucks at the Olimpico

If you’ve ever found yourself outside the Stadio Olimpico on derby day, you’ll know the score. You’ve got the Obelisco towering over you, thousands of Romanisti and Laziali chanting, and that unmistakable smell of smoke from the flares drifting through the air.

In Rome, the pre-match ritual happens at the food trucks which you’ll find lined up along the Lungotevere and the Ponte Duca d’Aosta. It’s loud, it’s chaotic, and it’s the perfect place to fuel up before the match.

Here’s your guide to eating like a local before you head through the turnstiles.

How To Order

Like most bars in Italy, head straight to the till to place your order and pay. You’ll then be given a receipt with a number and either instructed to join another queue or to stay close by and listen out – it can get a little chaotic, but that’s part of the fun.

Salsiccia vs Porchetta

If you are a meat eater, there are two ways to go. It’s a pick-your-side moment, much like choosing between the Curva Sud and the Curva Nord.

The Salsiccia: This isn’t a sausage you’d find at your local chippy, this is proper Italian pork – herby and coarse, butterfly-cut and grilled until the edges are crispy. Perfect for those who want a satisfying but less fatty option.

The Porchetta: Arguably the most popular of the two, this option consists of roasted pork, a side of caramelised onions that have been grilled for hours and a layer of sauce. Messy, satiating and often served with the choice of crackling or extra fat.

For non-meat eaters, you’re limited to a cheese and tomato piadina, which, in our experience, is a little disappointing. Opt for a portion of patatine (chips) instead.

The Cost

We’ve all been stung at major stadiums, paying a small fortune for a warm beer and a substandard burger, but the Olimpico trucks don’t hike up the prices on match days.

On average, most of the trucks charge €5 for a beer and €6 for a sandwich. In the grand scheme of European football, it’s not bad at all and enough to keep the hunger at bay through 90 minutes of shouting and then the post-match traffic.

It’s not fancy, and it’s certainly not gourmet, but standing by those trucks with the sun setting over the Foro Italico? That’s the real Roman matchday experience.