Miller Park named Best New Concessions Experience of 2017 by Ballpark Digest

[Polish Falcons]

I thought the bratwursts stand was a big improvement.

[Polish Falcons]

The craft beer bar on the Loge Level was enough of an upgrade by itself to warrant an award.

I'm a big fan of all the food upgrades in general, but the beer upgrades are really the stars of the show.

 

So you guys are the ones paying $12 for a craft beer? I can't justify paying that when I could get one for $5 at almost any bar, or by a 12 pack for $15. It's Friday's long island or bust as far as alcohol goes at miller park.

 

Yeah but the $12 beers are large, perhaps 24 ounces, which is like two beers, or $6 apiece. That's not much more than a bar price. The added cost is for drinking in an MLB stadium. That's sort of how I justify the high cost in my head. I usually get one or two if any, so it doesn't feel so bad.

[billymac]

I enjoy food a lot and I have to admit, it was a challenge finding something that sounded good at the ballpark this year. I don’t care for Usingers which eliminates the sausages, they can’t make tacos or Ajs burgers without onions, usually went with bbq pork for $13 and still hungry. Had cheese fries a lot too, same issues with the wife, nothing ever sounded good. Lines most of the time were terrible.

 

Do they actually sell Usingers at Miller Park?

 

As far as I know, all of their sausages are Klements. They put them right into the hot dog water after each race.

 

My bad, Usingers/Klements, both the same in my mind. Johnsonville guy all the way.

[FVBrewerFan]

Setting the record straight.

 

1) No way are the beers from craft bar 24 oz. Guessing 16?

 

2) Johnsonville, Klements, whatever. Brats are over-rated.

[homer]

I'm sure you're all great people but I just shake my head at anyone who buys a beer at a game. Especially now these fancy beers. People are free to do whatever they want with their own money, but what a waste. Cheers to the Brewers for raking in all the cash they can off of them though.

 

 

I shake my head at anyone that cares what someone else does with their money. Literally, I'm shaking my head right now looking at your post.

[homer]

The craft beer bar on the Loge Level was enough of an upgrade by itself to warrant an award.

I'm a big fan of all the food upgrades in general, but the beer upgrades are really the stars of the show.

 

So you guys are the ones paying $12 for a craft beer? I can't justify paying that when I could get one for $5 at almost any bar, or by a 12 pack for $15. It's Friday's long island or bust as far as alcohol goes at miller park.

 

I drink the $10 ones. My friend owns one of the breweries. Supporting local, small business by drinking a single craft brew is not the end of the world.

[trwi7]

Johnsonville, Klements, whatever. Brats are over-rated.

 

[bani1717]

When I was in high school and college, I thought people who bought beer or much more than a hot dog or baked potato at a game were crazy. Now that I have a permanent job with decent pay, I value convenience, enjoyment, and eating/drinking when I want to more than I value an extra $20. It all depends on your perspective.

 

I'm terms of beers, I can't speak to the craft beer bars, but buying from vendors it is a no brainer in my mind to go with a Blue Moon or Leinie’s. It's either close to $8 for a 16-ounce Miller Lite, or about a dollar more for a higher quality beer.

[MrTPlush]

Klements brats are trash and the ones at Miller Park are extra trash. If you want a real good brat go get the ones at one of the Chicago parks. Those literally put the leftover tasting trash at Miller Park to shame. The ones I have had at Wrigley are so good I want to go spend $6 again and again even though I am not hungry anymore. Suddenly it is like I am in my backyard eating an entire pack alone.

[Outlander]

When I was in high school and college, I thought people who bought beer or much more than a hot dog or baked potato at a game were crazy. Now that I have a permanent job with decent pay, I value convenience, enjoyment, and eating/drinking when I want to more than I value an extra $20. It all depends on your perspective.

 

I'm terms of beers, I can't speak to the craft beer bars, but buying from vendors it is a no brainer in my mind to go with a Blue Moon or Leinie’s. It's either close to $8 for a 16-ounce Miller Lite, or about a dollar more for a higher quality beer.

I'm with you, I think it added to the experience of the game to try a beer or two when I went to the game this year. I really enjoy having a beer at the game on a nice summer night, more so than getting one at a restaurant or drinking one at home.

[MillerParkSouth]

As an out of towner, I don't get to drink a lot of the local brews so it's a fun treat to try something new whenever I get up to Miller Park. Plus, as someone else said, $12 is just the cost of doing business at a game. It'd be cheaper just to stay at home, watch on TV, eat your own food and drink your own beer, but that's missing the point, right? When I go to a game, I'm going to get a couple of beers and a couple of sausages because that's what I enjoy and $100 at the park a few times a year isn't going to kill me.

[pacopete4]

I look at it as a treat for my wife and I. We don't get to many games a year so when we do, having a drink or two at the ball game is a nice thing to have. I get that the prices are pretty ridiculous but it's more so for the experience of the game. If I went to 20-30 games a year I would probably have a different opinion on it.

[Baldkin]

 

My bad, Usingers/Klements, both the same in my mind. Johnsonville guy all the way.

 

I mean, you may like Johnsonville, but saying Usingers and Klements are the same thing is like saying Red Dog and a really good craft beer are the same thing.

 

Usingers has much higher quality ingredients and simply makes a much better sausage than Klements.

[AJOHNSON104]

I usually liked AJ Bombers in past seasons, but this year it was mediocre. I tried burgers about 6 or 7 times. None were great. At least 3 were wrongly made and / or cold. The tenders were OK, but were a much better deal. Tacos and other items also seemed to slip. I tend to stay away from sausages unless they are made in front of me as the quality is often a crap shoot. Both times I had them this year they were cold and dry with hard buns. We did mostly carry-in food. I did like the look of everything, though.

[colbyjack]

At first I thought the concept was very cool. However, as a result AJ Bombers, which was arguably the best (or at least one of the best) burgers in the city became painfully mediocre. For as great as I like the idea, that idea can't be forced to become fast food, otherwise it will (and it did).

 

(You used to be able to get AJ's burgers in the one outdoor yet still-covered location down the first base line and at that point in time they were still good. Putting them in every other concession stand made them not so good.)

 

The craft beer bar had a great selection, but the prices were far too high, the bar itself on bigger game days created too much of a traffic logjam and it forced really good beers, like Lakefront's Riverwest Stein, to suddenly be found in only one location as opposed to several. I'm guessing Miller had something to do with that, as all of the bars that previously had Stein among a few other local (and non-local) favorites all of the sudden were pouring Miller-based products, the ones they claim are craft brews, which unfortunately includes Leinenkugel's (decent beer, but far from a craft brew).

 

And if I had to guess the Brewers and the ownership group that owns AJ Bombers, Zaffiros pizza the Smoke Shack and the taco joint, not to mention MillerCoors, are pretty happy with what they came up with. Unfortunately it monopolized originality by trying to be original, if that makes sense. All in my humble opinion of course, and while a very clever idea and overall execution, I was pretty disappointed with the results based on my previous ballpark experiences and have even considered changing my season ticket package as a result.

[jli27]

People who complain that they can get better food at a restaurant or cheaper beer at a bar - well, duh. Obviously. That's all those places do. If you just want a beer, then go to a bar. If you just want a nice meal, then go to a restaurant. The food at Miller Park is, comparatively with other ballparks, very reasonably priced, and average to slightly-above-average quality and above-average selection, IMO. The best place to eat in a city will never be at its ballpark. But if you're going to eat while you're AT the ballpark, Miller Park is pretty good.

[bork]

We went during the Miami "road" series. At least the prices were discounted. That's really the only good thing I can say.

 

But my son can't have dairy and they couldn't make him a hamburger, they only had cheeseburgers. Really? Is it typical that they don't do special orders or was it just for this series?

 

By the way, the worst ballpark brat I ever had was at Jacobs Field in Cleveland. It was terrible.

[KeithStone53151]

My biggest concession related issue was their decision to not let people leave TGI Friday's with long islands. That's my drink of choice whenever I go to the game, and it used to always be packed down there because their long islands are far better than the crap served at the bars. They enacted the rule this year that people who buy a long island(I assume any drink) at TGI Fridays must drink it down there and can't go back to their seats. I sent some very nasty related comments in my post season SSH ticket package survey, because this clearly to me is a money grab. They were losing out on liquor sales and made a stupid rule to help themselves corner the market. Apparently it was far easier(and cheaper) to do that than try and make a better/comparable long island.

[TURBO]

...they couldn't make him a hamburger, they only had cheeseburgers.

 

 

Oh man, if you are not familiar with the 70's SNL skit with Akroyd and Belushi working at the restaurant that only served cheeseburgers, no hamburgers, you need to youtube it...