Fenway's Concessions

The Fenway experience almost always includes one or more trips to a concession stand.  Many fans head to a food line once and a beer line twice or thrice.  There are concession stands all over the place, especially in the concourses and open spaces under the stands.  An alternative food or drink source is at-seat service, provided by roving vendors or dedicated servers in the high-price seats.
Fans gripe about the high prices for food and drink, and yet most of the stands do a very brisk business.  Lines at some are so long they severely constrict the flow of people passing by.  The huge sales volumes must provide enormous incomes for the Red Sox and for Aramark, the concession company.

Aramark has practically been the only food provider at Fenway since the park was built in 1912.  To be precise, the original concessionaire, Harry M. Stevens Inc., was bought out by Aramark in 1994.  Mr. Stevens came to America from England in the 1880s, and soon began selling scorecards and refreshments at several baseball fields.  He is credited with coining the phrase, “You can’t tell the players without a scorecard!”.

The Fenway Purist remembers only a few details about Fenway’s concessions in the 1960s.  My favorite treats were Table Talk Pies, which came in a tiny aluminum pan inside a cardboard box.  I think they cost a quarter.  Another fun treat was Hood ice cream in a rectangular slab in a paper wrapper.  Popcorn offered a reusable package, because it came in a paper megaphone with a paper stopper and metal ring at the small end.  Once the popcorn was gone, you removed the stopper and began cheering through the megaphone.  That was necessary back then, or at least before 1967, because the crowds were so small that amplification really helped.

My father drank Narragansett Beer at the park, which sponsored Red Sox broadcasts beginning in 1945.  Narragansett had ads during three innings of every game on radio. Anyone remember this jingle?
    Hi, neighbor! Have a ‘Gansett!
    Give this lager beer a chance,
    It has that straight-from-the barrel taste,
    In bottles, cans, on tap it’s great
    ‘Cause ‘Gansett’s got that flavor,
    Narragansett flavor,
    ‘Gansett’s light, but not too light,
    Straight-from-the-barrel taste,
    That’s right!  That’s ‘Gansett!

Narragansett faded away, but has been revived by new talent and is once again brewed in Rhode Island.


Concessions today

Expensive, predictable, not too healthy.  That’s the conventional wisdom about ballpark food.  And yet, the beer and hot dogs call you. For many fans, a game just isn’t a game without beer, or without a Fenway Frank, or without a tray of french fries with two pieces of chicken on top.  On a hot day, it’s hard to resist the lemonade vendor stepping up the aisle.  On a cold day, coffee and clam chowder have a similar appeal.  Food and drinks sell, and there are a multitude of concession stands for a good reason.

The stands open an hour and a half before game time, and close in the late innings, giving fans about four hours to buy stuff.  Rain delays present another opportunity to sell food and beer to frustrated fans who have little else to do.  And some spots, like the Budweiser Brewhouse, stay open well after the game ends.  All this adds up to big bucks coming in, and lots of fluid emptying out in restrooms.

So, what are the choices?  The old standards are easy to find — they’re everywhere — but there is a surprising variety available, with some items sold only at one stand.  There are more choices than you might think: over 75 different food items and over 40 drinks, including at least 22 beers.  On signage around the park (including video screens), there are six kinds of hot dogs, five burgers, and over twenty sandwiches.

Are there healthy foods?  Yes, but you have to know where to look. My new favorite, which took me time to discover, is the build-your-own salad bar, where you get a bowl of lettuce, dressing, and add-ins you choose (you don’t actually build the salad, the employees do that).  Create a yummy salad with bacon, ham, chick peas, and croutons, for example.  With food like this, you can feel good about ballpark eating!  The salad bars are in the Big Concourse below the right field stands, and below the loge boxes on the third base side (the lowest level).

Are there unusual foods?  Yes, but you have to hunt for them.  Several are only available in one location.  There are no comprehensive guides to locations of various items; ushers and greeters have a list, but it is not complete by any means.  Anyway, this gives you a good reason to explore Fenway Park. Enter as early as you can, and walk all over the place.  You may find, for example, “meatballs in a cone” in the Big Concourse under the far left field stands; or a “chicken and waffles sandwich” also in the Big Concourse.  The latter comes with a fresh-grilled pineapple slice and a side dish of real maple syrup.

“Maria’s Greek Kitchen” recently opened a stand on Yawkey Way to great fanfare (get it? FAN FARE).  Maria Menounos of TV fame, and former Medford resident and Fenway sausage cart vendor, created some unusual and healthy treats including lettuce wraps and “deconstructed” beef and chicken kabobs (meat, onions, tomato, pita bread segments, and optional sour cream).  Worth checking out, and very untraditional!  The Fenway Purist gladly bucks tradition for these.

Here is a recently compiled list of concession foods and beverages at Fenway Park.  If anything is unfamiliar, you might have to look all over the park to find it.  There are some mysteries in this list… such as, is there a difference in the pulled pork sandwiches at two locations, and why are “corn chips” and “Fritos” so different in calories.

Food:
    item                          cost    calories
---------------------------------------------------
Fenway Frank                      $ 5.25     340
Footlong dog                      $ 7.50     520
Gourmet dog                       $ 6.50    430-600
Monster dog                       $ 8.25     630
Natural dog                       $ 6.50     - -
Cheeseburger                      $ 8.50     700
Tasty Burger                      $ 8.50     370
Tasty Cheeseburger                $ 9.00     450
Tasty Jalapeno burger             $ 9.00     460
Burger, Brewhouse, w/fries        $16.00    1070
Hot Italian beef sandwich         $13.00     630
Savenor’s steak tip sandwich      $13.00     380
Steak & cheese sandwich           $ 8.00     560
Roast beef sandwich, deli         $10.50     620
Roast beef panini                 $10.50     760
Italian sausage sandwich          $ 8.50     310
Chicken sausage sandwich          $ 8.50     280
Buffalo chicken sandwich, deli    $10.50     620
Buffalo chicken panini            $10.50     760
Hot pastrami sandwich             $10.50     530
Hot reuben sandwich               $10.50     750
Turkey sandwich, deli             $10.50     520
Turkey bacon slider               $ 9.25     - -
Turkey panini                     $10.50     660 
Turkey tip sandwich               $13.00     430
Pulled pork sandwich (B concourse)$10.50     750
Pulled pork sandwich (Yawkey Way) $12.00     - -
BBQ pulled pork stak w/fries *    $ 9.75    1030
Pizza, slice                      $ 6.25     440
Pizza, pepperoni slice            $ 6.25     500
Pizza, gluten friendly            $ 8.00     340
Pizza, whole                      $29.00    2640-3000
Chicken quesadilla                $11.00     880
Chicken tenders & fries           $18.00     970
Souvenir chicken tenders          $12.00     990
Chicken cheesesteak sandwich      $ 8.00     460
Cuban sandwich & chips            $10.50     650
Meatball sub                      $ 9.75     - -
Meatballs in a cone               $ 9.75     520
Lobster roll, hot (Yawkey Way)    $25.00     910
Lobster roll, cold (Yawkey Way)   $25.00     690
Lobster roll, cold                 MKT       420
Lobster poutine stak w/fries *    $14.50     700
Lobster roll, Brewhouse, w/fries   MKT       550
Fish & chips                      $16.00     500
Fish sandwich                     $14.00     530
Fried clams                       $20.00    1200
Clam chowder                      $ 8.50     250
New England clam chowder stak *   $14.00     600
Maria’s Greek Kitchen items:
  Kabob in a cup, chicken or beef $13.00    190-340
  Hummus plate                    $13.00     870
  Greek gyro w/tzatziki           $12.50     600
  Greek salad wraps               $11.00     410
French fries                      $ 5.25     620
Souvenir fries                    $ 6.50     880
Souvenir soda & fries combo       $13.50    560-1020
Fries, truffle parmesan           $14.50     480
Crispy potato skins               $ 7.00     —
Tasty Burger tater tots           $ 5.25     320
Tasty Burger tater tots w/cheese  $ 6.75     450
Tasty B tater tots, chili & cheese$ 7.25     520
Nachos                            $ 5.25     460
Nachos, souvenir glove            $ 8.00     730
Nachos, loaded                    $ 9.00      —
Nachos, Brewhouse                 $17.00    1250
Build-your-own salad              $ 9.00     - -
Hummus & chips                    $ 8.00     620
Fruit cup                         $ 4.50     140
Yogurt                            $ 3.00     130
Potato chips                      $ 5.00    390-450
Pretzel                           $ 5.50     460
Pretzel braid, Bavarian           $ 7.25     460
Peanuts, salted                   $ 5.50     800
Popcorn                           $ 4.50     510
Cheetos popcorn                   $ 6.50     680
Popcorn, souvenir, refillable     $ 8.50     680
Popcorn, souvenir Tessie bucket   $10.00     900
Kettle corn                       $ 6.75     650
Corn chips                        $ 3.00     160
Fritos                            $ 3.00     490
Cracker Jack                      $ 4.50     350
Cotton candy                      $ 3.75     470
Candy                             $ 3.00    200-250
Fried dough                       $ 6.00     540
Fried dough sundae                $ 7.75     750
Ice cream, cup                    $ 5.00     130
Ice cream, cone                   $ 5.50     150
Ice cream, helmet                 $ 6.50     170
Ice cream, Wally bowl             $ 8.00     210
Ice cream add-ons:
  Sprinkles for ice cream         $  .50      50
  Oreo crumbs or M&M pieces       $  .50      70
Milkshake                         $ 5.75     950
Limited time offers:
  North End dog (peppers, arugula,
    tomato pesto, mozzarella)     $ 7.25     490
  Chicken & waffles sandwich      $10.00     830
  Pulled pork potato cup          $ 6.00     - -
Kids’ Meal: PB&J, grilled cheese,
    or hot dog; + chips & water   $ 5.00    350-430


* “stak” means w/steak fries, cheese curds, bisque, & chives.


Beverages:
    item                        cost        calories
————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Water, 16.9 oz.                   $ 4.50       0
Water, 1 liter                    $ 6.50       0
Fountain soda                     $ 5.25    0-220
Souvenir soda, refillable         $ 8.15    0-460
Powerade                          $ 5.50     130
Coffee, hot, L                    $ 4.25    10-200
Coffee, hot, XL                   $ 4.75    15-200

Hot chocolate                     $ 4.50     330
Hot tea                           $ 3.50       0
Tasty Burger milkshake, chocolate $ 6.75     480
Tasty Burger milkshake, vanilla   $ 6.75     420
Tasty B. milkshake, monstah mint  $ 6.75     470

Craft beer, draft                 $10.25    150-290
Craft beer, 16 oz. can            $10.25    180-240
Domestic beer, 16 oz. can         $ 9.75    100-170
Blue Moon, draft                  $10.25     250
Blue Moon, 16 oz.                 $10.50     230
Blue Point, draft                 $10.50     220
Bud Light, draft                  $ 9.50     110
Bud Light, 12 oz. can             $ 8.00     100
Budweiser, draft                  $ 9.50     150
Coors Light, draft                $ 9.50     110
Corona Extra, 16 oz.              $10.25     200
Dos Equis, 12 oz.                 $ 9.75     130
Goose Island IPA, draft           $10.25     290
Goose Island, 16 oz. can          $10.25     290
Harpoon, 16 oz.                   $10.25     170
Harpoon IPA                       $10.25     240
Harpoon, seasonal, 16 oz.         $10.25     200
Heineken, 16 oz.                  $10.00     190
Leinenkugel, draft                $10.25     180
Magic Hat, 16 oz.                 $10.25     210
Michelob Ultra                    $10.00      95
Miller Lite, draft                $ 9.50     130
Miller Lite, 12 oz. can           $ 8.00     100
O’Doul’s nonalcoholic beer        $ 4.00      70
Redbridge gluten-free, 12 oz.     $ 9.75     130
Sam Adams Seasonal, draft         $10.25     170
Shock Top, draft                  $ 9.75     170
Smithwick’s, draft                $10.25     200
Smuttynose, 16 oz.                $10.25     280
Stella Artois                     $10.25     150
Wachusett Blueberry ale, 16 oz.   $10.25     140 

Malternatives                     $ 8.75    130-450
Mike’s Hard Lemonade              $ 8.75     240
Monster Mule (Tully Tavern)       $12.25     135
Rita beverage                     $ 9.75    400-450
Sauza Margarita                   $12.25     220
Sangria, white or red             $ 9.50    150-160
Spiked seltzer                    $10.00     100
Stella Cidre, draft               $10.25     170
Wine                              $ 8.75    120-160
Lemonade vodka ("Ketelade")       $12.25     200
Mixed Drink                       $10.25    75-220
Premium mixed drink               $11.25    75-200

Saving money and time

The cheapest meal (entree and drink) is $8.75 for a Fenway Frank and a hot tea.  Not too exciting, certainly.  Other relatively affordable items are the yogurt and corn chips for $3.00 each, and the bargain-priced O’Doul’s nonalcoholic beer at $4.00, making it cheaper than water!  The best way to save money at the ballpark, of course, is to bring your own food.  Food is generally allowed in, but not drinks except a sealed plastic bottle of water.  And you can always fill a container at the many drinking fountains around the park.  Zero dollars, zero calories.

Need a stick-to your-ribs affordable snack? Try the Tasty Burger tater tots for $5, available on the Third Base Deck. You get a good quantity, and in my opinion they are much tastier than fries.  They are imported from Canada.

To save time getting food, come to the park early when there are no lines.  During the game, the stands on the Pavilion levels (4 and 5) are much less busy than those below.  Climb the stairs in far left and right field to get there.


High-end dining

Aramark service isn’t limited to the concession stands — it operates the restaurants as well.  The three clubs with restaurants are limited to those holding the appropriate tickets: the Dell EMC Club, the State Street Pavilion Club, and the Royal Rooters Club.  The Royal Rooters Club is available to season ticket holders who pay a yearly additional fee to get club access.

Personally, I think the Pavilion Club has the best food at Fenway, and my favorite food purchase is the $43 all-you-can-eat buffet there.  The long serving line has many kinds of wonderful, delicious foods, and it includes something to please everyone’s taste.  The service is outstanding, whether you order from your server or help yourself at the buffet.  The buffet is open from the time the park opens until the end of the third inning.

The EMC Club also has very good food, but it can be difficult to find a free table unless you arrive as early as possible.  This club is also where you can buy the most expensive drink at the park: a $375.00 bottle of Dom Perignon champagne, vintage 2004.  The most expensive single drink is a $30 glass of Veuve Cliquot Brut champagne.

The Royal Rooters Club has an affordable menu (tasty entrees from $15-$22) and a well-equipped bar.  The service here is also excellent.  If you have never been, it is worth your while to try to get in at least once, because the Club contains many large displays of Red Sox archives.  To get access, search for tickets on secondary sites such as Stubhub or Red Sox Replay, looking for seats that are coupled with Royal Rooters access.  This is easiest on Red Sox Replay: some listings have a link to “More Seat Details”, and clicking there will disclose the Rooters access.  Or find a friend with Rooters access; he or she may be able to request a guest pass in advance.