Here it is baseball and Mets fans, your astoundingly detailed, enticingly illustrated, and incredibly detailed guide to the Citi Field food menu (updated for 2023!). This post will help you find the best food at Citi Field for your taste at a Mets game, and try some inimitable NYC baseball cuisine. Don’t miss out on some of the best ballpark food in baseball.

Now this is what baseball is all about.

I’m going to cover a lot here, so I’m breaking this down for you; but don’t skip anything!

Citi Field Restaurants
Classic Tastes of NYC
Tastes Like Chicken
Big And Fancy Sides
NYC Pizza – Plus!
Underrated Stuff – Hot Dogs, Burgers, Sausages + Pastrami on Rye
Cookies, Waffles + Other Desserts
Keep It Healthy – Kosher, Vegetarian, Vegan + Gluten Free
Bring Your Own + Other Tips

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I’m glad they didn’t put the rest of the tables on the other side.

Citi Field Food, Part 1: Restaurants

I’m not going to go into the really fancy high end clubs; much of what is there is available around the ballpark anyway, but I will talk a bit about the more accessible restaurants at Citi Field.

The Caesars Sportsbook at the Metropolitan Grille restaurant (jeez, that’s a mouthful), in the left field corner on the mezzanine (Excelsior) level, is available to everyone except Promenade less than-Gold and Coca-Cola Corner non-season ticket holders. Your ticket will say if you have access.

Here’s a pro tip: if you’re searching for tickets from a third party, try to buy from a season ticket holder…even the cheapest season tix have access to the reasonably nice clubs.

Pizza should always be well-lit.

By most accounts, the food at Caesars—salads, soups, wood-fired pizzas, hardwood smoked pork ribs, etc. from a chef-prepared buffet—and the views of the field, marina, and city are all extraordinary.

It will cost a little bit, and more if you want a table with a view of the field. Even with a prime ticket, you will likely need a reservation for a spot with a view.

The Mets have a game day lunch menu, where you can fill your plate with a nice variety of food…there’s even an omelet bar for brunches…for a reasonable price by ballpark standards. The dinner menu is a few bucks more. Both are slightly cheaper for kids.

Sometimes it’s fun just to hold the stuff in your hand.
(photo courtesy of Maggie Wiggin)

The Piazza 31 Club lounge, on the Excelsior (mezzanine) level behind home plate and is named for one of the all-time great Mets. Like the Grille, it’s open to Promenade Gold ticket holders and anyone else that paid more for their tickets. It is on top of the front entrance rotunda, and offers fine views of Flushing landmarks like the Unisphere and the Citi Field parking lot, but there’s no view of the game.

Inside the Club are two food options that, to my knowledge, you can’t get anywhere else in the ballpark: the Whole Hog BBQ, with 16-hour smoked pork butt sandwiches slathered with Carolina BBQ sauce and braised pork belly burnt ends with pickled jalapenos. Easily worth the extra bucks for access.

There’s also extremely large Twist homemade soft pretzels that you can get with pepperoni and cheddar or cinnamon sugar. Much better than your typical ballpark soft pretzel, even if that’s a low bar.

Tables with a view of fermentation!

Ebbs Brewing Co. is technically a part the ballpark, but it’s got a separate entrance from being inside. They offer some fine brew selections, including lagers, stouts, IPAs, double IPAs, and several hard seltzers. The menu includes fancy items like house beer cheese soft pretzels, handmade dumplings, and multiple types of sausages.

The prices for beer especially are slightly lower than inside the ballpark, so it’s a place to have one or two better than Budweiser (another low bar) beers before the game. If you can wait until after the game to eat, it’s a good spot to wait out the often bad Citi Field exit traffic.

You’ll never “K” at the K Corner!

Near the center field corner of the ballpark (where McFadden’s used to be) is the K Corner Citi Field restaurant, named for the spot in Shea Stadium where fans would hang Ks for Dwight Gooden strikeouts. It’s a simple sit down eatery with a menu of bar food. You won’t be saving any money on food or beer, but it’s a spot to relax before or after the game.

You don’t need a game ticket to have a meal or drink at the K Corner, but you can enter the ballpark from there…obviously you’ll need a ticket for that. Makes for a good double secret entrance when lines are long.

When in doubt, Shake Shack.

Citi Field Food, Part 2: A Taste of New York City

If you want to really see the amazing culinary offerings that Citi Field has to offer…and there’s quite a bit…start at the Taste of The City food court in center field.

The Shake Shack has a Madison Square Park tradition dating back to 2004. The Shack serves the hugely popular fresh beef Shackburger on potato buns. They also have a very good veggie ‘shroom burger, and very thick milkshakes and frozen custard for dessert.

It’s the wax paper. Chicks dig the wax paper.

The Shackburger is adorned with lettuce, cheese, tomato and Shack Sauce, and an extra patty is available for a few extra bucks (it’s worth it). Incidentally, the fries here with or without cheese are excellent, crinkle cut and crispy.

Judging by the length of lines, Mets fans still consider the Shackburger to be the best food at Citi Field, even with all the great other selections. If you don’t want to wait long, try going as soon as the gates open. If you’re gonna wait, go all out and get a concrete too; you can walk it off.

If I could make one of these, I’d never leave the house.

The glowing Pat LaFrieda’s cart in the center field area is home to the gourmet NYC meat provider’s beef sandwich. LaFrieda’s sandwich is strips of filet mignon with Jack cheese and caramelized onions browned in balsamic vinegar, on a baguette with au jus. I’m told the onions make the sandwich. In 2023, the Mets added a Home Field Double burger, with onions, cheese and Pat’s steak sauce.

There is an additional stand on the Promenade level, where you can also get loaded fries…waffle fries with Pat’s bacon and Jack cheese sauce.

LaFrieda’s sandwiches command a hefty price tag even for a ballpark, but that doesn’t stop anyone; lines can get long here too.

It’s just a picture, but even looking at this it can’t be a bad cheesesteak.

The Home Plate Market is almost hidden (it’s near the Fan Assistance stand on the field level), which is a mystery to me, because it’s a grab and go with some seriously interesting food options at Citi Field.

You can find the Chiddy’s cheesesteak here…and it’s definitely Philly-style, with an ample amount of Cheez Whiz on it. Chiddy’s is a local joint with a location in Queens, and they’re popular with folks that don’t want to make a trip to Philly for an authentic sandwich.

“I’ll just take one of the trays please. Put it on the card.”

The Mets replaced Catch of The Day with the Lobster Shack in the right field corner. Lobster Shack is the Mets’ food guys’ handiwork, but they get it done with their delightfully photogenic fresh Maine lobster roll served with bayside chips. Try the East Shore edition, with lobster dipped in melted butter as nature intended.

They also have loaded chips, covered with lobster, lobster fondue, cilantro dressing and chives, and a creamy lobster bisque.

We have Boog Powell to thank for bringing BBQ to the ballpark.

Pig Beach BBQ exists in both Brooklyn and Queens. They describe their approach to que as “an alchemy of multiple cooking disciplines, with a strong focus on live wood fire.” Whatever that means, at Citi you can get a BBQ platter with pulled pork or beef brisket, which includes purple cole slaw (jalapeno and pineapple) and baked beans (with smoked meats).

But wait, there’s more…choose from a patty melt, the Chef Jeff brisket sandwich, or the pulled pork sandwich. And the patty melt is on marbled rye bread.

I can verify that the tacos are delicious.

In the Hudson Whiskey NY Club are a couple of unique outposts that make it worth the access (see the bit about tickets with club access). First there’s the nicely portioned chicken tinga or spicy tuna tacos from Takumi Taco, another NYC joint known for Japanese-inspired Mexican food.

The Hudson Club also features Empanada Mama’s (wait for it) cheeseburger or mac and cheese empanadas. Or you can find wings and healthier items from Emma’s Torch, a Carroll Gardens eatery whose mission is to empower refugees through culinary education. Who says baseball food can’t be philanthropic?

I’ve lost count of how many chefs are featured at Citi Field.

Finally (whew!), in the right field corner is chef Marc Murphy’s porcetta sandwich stand. Yes, that Marc Murphy, known for “Italian street food”. According to that website, it’s “prepared with sea salt, cracked pepper, minced garlic, fresh picked rosemary, and wild fennel seeds.” Expect a line for this as well, but it’s probably worth it.

It’s a great sandwich and a snicker-worthy name, making it a winner in NYC.

Citi Field Food, Part 3: Tastes Like Chicken

Fuku’s spicy chicken sandwich in the right field corner is the creation of chef David Chang. The Fuku sando is a chicken sandwich with something called “Ssam Korean chili sauce” – which has a hint of habanero – and is cooked just right to be crispy and juicy at the same time. It’s served on a Martin’s potato roll with “Fuku butter”, which is something like mayo.

Fuku is popular in NYC and its addition to Citi was applauded a lot. It’s a very spicy sandwich, so be prepared with a drink if you try it.

When you have not one but two condiments to choose from, that’s Amazin’. (Isn’t that a song lyric?)

The Amazin’ Chicken Co. isn’t a NYC chicken specialty shop…this one comes from the Mets own food preparing folks, who we can trust at this point. This is your spot for chicken tenders, chicken Caesar wraps, and “cheesy tater kegs”…a deep fried potato filled with a three cheese blend. There’s also General Tso’s chicken tenders, free range chicken with Tso’s sauce, sesame seeds and scallions.

They offer a good family meal deal, if your kids are into chicken tenders; a bucket of tenders covered with the tater kegs. The chicken pieces are very large, and you’ll have at least enough for two.

Check out the condiment and sauce station near Amazin’ Chicken; garlic aioli, house ranch, chipotle BBQ, and Buffalo sauce, great additions to already amazin’ poultry offerings.

You’re starting to get hungry for some baseball, aren’t you?
(photo courtesy of Maggie Wiggin)

Sweet Chick, behind the right field seats on the field level, is a chicken and waffles/comfort food joint with several locations in NYC and LA. Sweet Chick is popular around the city for their chicken, so there must be something right about the formula.

Sweet Chick offers chicken and waffles with boneless chicken, honey butter and maple syrup; they also have a spicy Buffalo chicken sandwich with bread and butter pickles, or a simple fried chicken sandwich with lettuce, tomato and herb mayo. Their loaded waffle fries are a big hit.

If you’re having donuts for dessert, this is a big time saver!

In that aforementioned Home Plate Market is this marvel from the Jacob’s Pickles folks: a fried chicken sandwich with honey barbecue sauce and glazed donuts as the rolls. Probably belongs in the dessert section, but there it is.

Yes, they cut an egg carton in half. That’s actually pretty genius.

Citi Field Food, Part 4: Big And Fancy Sides

The Arancini Bros. aren’t actually named “Arancini”; it was two music techs who met on tour and created their own version of deep fried risotto balls. They’re sold at the Essex Street Market, Whole Foods, and of course, Citi Field.

At the ballpark you can get any of six types of risotto balls stuffed with either meat sauce, basil pesto and mozzarella, taco meat with salsa, sour cream and cheddar, even a dessert edition with Nutella and rolled in cinnamon sugar. You can get the full experience and mix and match any of them.

Now you know what to look for to find fries.

The popular Box Frites stand has also been replaced; but if you like fancy French fries, you’ll be fine with the Metropolitan Fry Factory, also in center field. Again, these are the Mets’ guys, making hand-cut fries with four house made sauces: chipotle BBQ, classic Buffalo, house ranch and garlic aioli.

Even more popular than the fried potatoes though, are the deep fried foot long hot dogs; MFF has four offerings including the Steakhouse Ripper with short rib & bacon chili, beer cheese and chives. Or the Tex Mex Ripper, with pickled jalapeno guacamole, chipotle aioli and chili dusted corn tortilla chips.

Kudos to Sunny for going where no ballpark food has gone before!

If you’re looking for unusual sides, try Sunny’s All-American Kitchen, with offerings from celebrity chef Sunny Anderson. Some unusual but tasty stuff here…like nacho skins (!), classic baked mac and cheese, and campfire parfaits, which I’m guessing is a first at a ballpark.

I love cup-shaped pepperoni.

Citi Field Food, Part 5: NYC Pizza – Plus!

Unlike Yankee Stadium for years (Papa John’s…SMH), Citi Field has NYC pizza covered.

Patsy’s Pizzeria in center field (and the Piazza 31 Club) has existed since its beginnings in Harlem in 1933, so they’re arguably right to call themselves “New York’s Original and Preeminent Pizza Dynasty”. Even if I’m not sure exactly what that means, it has my respect.

At the ballpark you have a choice of regular, Margherita, or pepperoni slices, nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe that is on purpose, so that fans save room for a pizza cupcake.

Put candles in them for your birthday!

Did someone say Pizza Cupcakes? Yes, the Pizza Cupcake at the Home Plate Market is a New York delicacy in its own right; it’s a creation of chef Andrea Meggiato.

If you like pepperoni rolls, you’ll like the pizza cupcake…it’s just shaped differently. Or get the Margherita version. The best part? It’s easier to carry around and eat than a slice of pizza. No offense Patsy.

It doesn’t sound exciting, but hear me out.

Citi Field Food, Part 6: Underrated Stuff – Hot Dogs, Burgers, Sausages + Pastrami on Rye

If you like burgers, Citi Field has multiple offerings for you, beyond the aforementioned Shake Shack and Pat LaFrieda Home Field Double.

Sauerkraut and NYC red onion relish. For that food cart feel.

In keeping with Pat LaFrieda’s plan to take over the Mets world, his burgers are the Official Burger of the Mets, much to the delight of fans. The aptly named Burgers & Fries stands sell LaFrieda burgers, Nathan’s dogs, and veggie dogs, plus chicken tenders if you aren’t yet impressed.

Here’s a pro tip…there is no shame in eschewing the Shake Shack for this. Not only is it high-quality beef, but the Mets have some of the best condiment stands I’ve seen in a ballpark. Load up your burger with mushrooms, sauerkraut and/or NYC red onion relish. Works just fine.

Believe it or not, I actually had to do some digging to find hot dog pictures.

There are enough Nathan’s hot dog stands in the rest of the ballpark that you are never far from one. In addition to their famous all-beef regular, footlong dogs, and corn dogs, most Nathan’s stands serve their classic crinkle-cut fries as well. I probably don’t need to tell you that Nathan’s fries are great.

Again, remember the condiment stands…I’m a big fan of NYC onion relish.

Might be enough for me for one game at least.

A good sausage at a ballgame should never be considered underrated…and there are Premio sausage stands throughout the ballpark. Some Mets fans will tell you that the simple sausage and pepper sandwich is the best value at Citi Field. And again, condiment stands!

I’m not sure whether the key word is “classic”, “deli”, or “pastrami”.

The cryptically named Hot Pastrami on Rye stand in the left field corner has nice and hefty pastrami sandwiches and a pastrami dog (a hot dog covered in pastrami and Gold’s deli mustard). The pastrami sandwich is kind of an underrated item here; the stand isn’t in a big food court or anything, but it’s a popular New York thing and aren’t too high on the calories meter.

Any Cubs fan who gets a shirt like this is not going to halfway on his ballpark nachos.

The Mets don’t have a crazy variation of one of baseball’s greatest foods, but the aptly named Goya Nachos kiosks take care of supply; get a large plate of chicken or beef nachos, in a souvenir helmet if you like.

It’s a big enough (and calorie-laden enough) pile of chips with junk for two. But looking at the prices it looks like the helmet is something like $6 extra; if you get that, keep the helmet. Nachos stands also have burritos and burrito bowls…and the burrito is one of the ideal ballpark foods. Portability!

Oreos and like pretty much any dessert are made for each other.

Citi Field Food, Part 7: Cookies, Waffles + Other Desserts

You can go with basic ballpark ice cream and I’m not knocking that, but if you want to reach higher, get to that Hudson Whiskey Club and try one of these Sundae Donuts. Sundae is a Staten Island joint known for donut-infused ice cream. They have several amazing donuts at Citi, including the Oreo donut because they get it.

You can also get a milkshake topped with a glazed donut and Oreo crumbs. Like I said, reach higher.

Oh, the possibilities!

Wowfulls was a staple of food festivals for several years before opening up a store in Manhattan; it’s known for Hong Kong egg waffles, shaped into a cone and filled with ice cream and toppings.

Choose from multiple choices of fancy ice cream…like vanilla rainbow, chocolate brownie batter, or salted caramel cheesecake. Toppings include fruity pebbles, cookie dough bites or Oreo crumbles. All of the desserts have “pocky sticks” too…chocolate coated biscuit sticks. Well worth two hours on the treadmill.

When Citi Field first opened, people complained that there weren’t enough tributes to the Mets. We can now officially put that to bed.
(photo courtesy of Maggie Wiggin)

Cookie Crumz, also in the Home Plate Market, comes from two locations in Astoria and Long Island City. The idea for their cookies was “a simple craving one day for a super indulgent, mind blowing cookie”. Must have been some craving given the result.

Their offerings at Citi include the Fun-Met-I (sounds like confetti, see), with white chocolate chips and Mets-colored sprinkles.

With blue and orange sprinkles, for the Dodgers and Giants.

Mister Softee is the “Official Soft Serve Ice Cream of the Mets”. Mr. Softee cones and milkshakes are found in the concourse areas, and now you can get it in a Home Run Apple bowl…just when you thought simple ice cream at a ballgame wasn’t anything special!

“Strawberry vanilla whip? Strawberry vanilla whip? Three strawberry vanilla whips!”

But if you’d like a healthier sweet snack, try the Dole Whip (here’s the recipe!). It’s at Pig Beach and several other stands. A Dole Whip is something like soft serve ice cream, but it’s fruity and dairy free…at least the half that isn’t mixed with vanilla custard.

Pretzel rolls are one of mankind’s shining achievements.
(photo courtesy of Maggie Wiggin)

Citi Field Food, Part 8: Kosher, Vegan, and Gluten Free at Citi Field

Prime Kosher Sports has been around for a few years at Citi Field, and they have the full gamut of ballpark food, kosher-style: hot dogs, burgers, fries, chicken tenders, deli sandwiches, knishes, even a pulled brisket sandwich on a pretzel roll.

Prime Kosher Sports is close to the center field food court with all the greats.

No need to worry about going to a ballgame as a vegan…there are sausages and dogs.

Since the ability to eat at the ballgame is a stumbling block to veganism for many, the Mets covered that too…Vegan City in the right field corner makes it possible for vegans to eat Beyond Burgers, Beyond Sausage & Peppers, even vegan nachos with Jack Fruit chili, vegan cheese, roasted salsa and guacamole. You might be able to talk me into going vegan now.

Nothing speaks to the evolution of baseball like sushi at the ballpark. But hey, I’m not complaining.

The World’s Fare Market in the right field corner has grab and go stuff, like bags of pistachios and peanuts. There’s also BN (Beyond Nightlife) Sushi, where you can get the sushi, avocado rolls, and Asian salads that are offered in every ballpark these days (when I first wrote that years ago, it was sarcasm).

The World’s Fare in general is a good destination for vegetarians and healthy eaters, if a little pricey.

Making baseball safe for celiacs is a reason to be a Mets fan.

Citi Field also helps out celiac Mets fans, with a Gluten Free food stand in the World’s Fare Market area. They have gluten-free hot dogs and burgers (on gluten-free buns, obviously), turkey burgers, Nathan’s fries, and Glutenberg beer.

Finally, I mentioned Emma’s Torch in the Hudson Whiskey Club earlier; if you’re looking for something to help your digestion they have a black-eyed pea hummus wrap.

Some good and cheap takeout here, but not worth the train ride or walk just to save a few bucks.

Citi Field Food, Part 9: Bring Your Own Food + Other Money-Saving Tips

Yes, you can bring food into Citi Field and avoid the inflated Citi Field menu prices, but there are limits. You’re allowed a 16*16*8 soft bag, and no hard bottles or alcohol. The Mets don’t list food as a prohibited item, but you’re only allowed one plastic bottle of water or soda before the game.

There aren’t many takeout offerings a short walk from Citi Field, but there are places near 7 train stations everywhere. Main Street in Flushing (one stop away on the 7) has several great ethnic takeout joints, but this is a lot of trouble just to save a few bucks. Unless you’re coming from there anyway, I would just put water and peanuts in your bag.

There are four stands that offer smaller portions at smaller prices for kids. They are located behind Sections 114, 121, 408 and 421, including in the upper level food court. The hot dogs are skinny, but they won’t care. The Mr. Met Kitchen in center field has an inexpensive kids meal, with a dog, popcorn and a juice box with a prize included.

Citi cards…endorsed by Mr. Met!

It seems like a small thing, but bring your Citi credit card. Several generic stands offer a couple of bucks off an item with a Citi card. Incidentally, I’ve done pretty well saving money with my Citi MasterCard, especially finding ticket deals.

If you’re not drinking alcohol, you can become a designated driver at one of the pledge booths, and they’ll give you a coupon for a free soda. The booths are behind Section 119, 310, and 418.

There’s no such thing as too many pics of Shackburgers.

There you have it my friends…all of your food choices at the beautiful home of the New York Metropolitans. It’s fitting that a New York City ballpark stepped up its concession game; while the Yankees have their own impressive selections, they don’t come close to the offerings in Queens.

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If you are planning a trip to see the home of the Mets, or even if you’re a regular who would like to improve their view of the game, we’ve got your back. Here is your complete, user-friendly Citi Field seating guide – with everything you need to know to find the best seats at Citi Field, for whatever your budget size!

Citi is a great ballpark, but there are some seats to avoid, and some seats have great advantages, like club access for a lower price than you’d think. (BTW, be sure to check out my complete guide to Citi Field, and learn about the superb Citi Field food menu before your next trip.)

So here we go, broken down for some simplicity (it’s a lot, but for good reason, I promise!):

Citi Field Seating Chart + Layout
Really Cool + Pricey Club Seats
Group + Party Areas
Field Level Seating
Excelsior (Mezzanine) Level
Cheap Seats + Coca-Cola Corner
Promenade Level (+ More Cheap Seats)
Avoiding Obstructed Views
Standing Room at Citi Field

By the way, be sure to check out my complete guide to Citi Field, full of money-saving tips, and definitely know what’s on the superb Citi Field menu before you go!

Yes, there are lots of good ones here. Choose wisely!

There’s a lot to know here, so let’s get started after this quick word from TickPick…thank you for supporting our sponsors!

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Helpful section numbering in case you use a scalp…I mean buy your tickets here!

Citi Field Seating, Part 1: Citi Field Seating Chart + Layout

The Citi Field seating layout is simple enough. The one- and two-digit numbered sections are the low seats behind home plate—club seats that are triple digits in price. The rest of the ballpark’s sections are numbered in three-digits. The lowest level (100) is the Field Level, the mezzanine with the Piazza 31 Club and Box seats is called the Excelsior Level (300), and the upper deck is the Promenade Level (400 and 500).

The numbering starts with 101 and 301 in right field and increases clockwise around the ballpark. The Promenade level starts in the right field corner with 401 and 501. The numbering continues until the Big Apple Reserved seats in center field at 140-142. The Coca-Cola Corner in right field is Sections 301-305.

Seating so nice, they’re telling you twice!

Seat 1 in any row is closest to home plate, and in the Promenade level sections there are 17 rows to the top of the ballpark, where you can wave to pilots in the planes taking off from LaGuardia International. (Incidentally, if you want a better view of the planes, sit on the first base side of the field. It’s actually kind of cool.)

Short of the obstructed view seats (I’ll talk about that), generally most of the seats get high marks for the view of the field. If you’re just a foodie going to the game for the delicacies (and that’s definitely understandable here), you’d do well to sit down the line in right field or in the left field landing seats.

Depending on which types of seats you buy, you’ll have access to certain clubs; which ones will be listed on your ticket and the Mets have a chart on their website to help. It’s way too complicated to explain here – if this matters to you, check out the access chart.

So here is the breakdown, going from most to least expensive (I’m not bothering with the suites):

Cushioned and large seats for that “airplane” feel.

Citi Field Seating, Part 2: Really Cool But Pricey Club Seats

Delta Sky360 Club seats are nine sections of those padded, comfortable monsters directly behind home plate. They can cost as much as a half a grand and like in many sections, the first two Platinum rows of each section are costlier than the rest.

The Mets charge quite a bit for these tickets, and you can often find a better deal for them from TickPick or another third party seller. Delta Silver seats are directly behind the Delta Gold seats and cost about half the price; the markup probably isn’t worth “Lounge” access.

This is worth the price of the Citi Field tour.

These seats come with access to the Delta Sky360 Club directly behind home plate. Two full service bars and chef-prepared dining, since that’s what baseball is about. The low end items like hot dogs and coffee are complimentary, gourmet items are not.

The restaurant has no view of the field, but it does have a view of the Mets batting practice cages. Like in all of the clubs, there are TVs to watch the action. In-seat service is included.

Recently the Mets have turned the first eight rows behind home plate into the Clover Home Plate Club, which they deem as “a perfect fit for companies looking to entertain their current or prospective clients in the best seats at Citi Field.” How can I become a “prospective client”?

Interested in some baseball with your gourmet offerings?

Everything from Shackburgers to gourmet pizza and non-alcoholic beverages are all included in the Clover Club and can be ordered right from your seat. No small thing given typical Shake Shack lines. You can also use your ticket to get free food anywhere in the ballpark, which is pretty cool, but probably not worth the extra several hundred dollars.

Incidentally, the last rows of Delta sections have seats in front of aisles, making for an awful obstructed views with people walking in front of you. Avoid Row 20.

And you thought the Geek Squad cars were cool.

The Hyundai Club seats are the two lower level areas behind the Delta Club seats at first and third base. There’s a very cool-looking car decorated in Mets colors outside the club if you’re looking for it.

These seats are also usually triple digits in price, but you can get a reasonable deal on a midweek, non-Yankees game in April or May; it’s a better deal than the Deltas and worth it for the club access. Most of these go to season ticket holders, so you may find a better deal on TickPick or elsewhere, just be sure to compare the price to the Mets website.

Floating above the Delta folks even!

This was originally called the “Ebbets Club”; it was renamed in response to Mets fans complaining about the tributes to the Dodgers at Citi, and pictures and memorabilia of the 1969 and 1986 championship teams have been added here.

The Hyundai Club includes a high end buffet with a carvery and pasta bar, and a dessert cart that is rolled out during the 7th inning. All of this, with non-alcoholic drinks and in-seat service, are included with the ticket.

I love sitting in front of sports reporters.

The Piazza 31 Club Infield seats are on the Excelsior (Mezzanine) level between the bases. These tickets are now “Excelsior Gold” or “Excelsior Box”, and cost about half of what the Deltas cost.

Most of these seats are padded and covered by the upper tier, and there aren’t many rows, making getting in and out of your seat easy enough.

Kids and adults enjoy the view of the 7 train.

The Piazza lounge, on the Excelsior (second) level behind home plate, is open to Promenade Gold ticket holders and anyone else that paid more for their tickets. It is on top of the rotunda, and offers fine views of Flushing landmarks like the Unisphere and the Citi Field parking lot, but there is no view of the game. There are leather sofas though.

Inside the Club are food stands with high end grub, soft pretzels and cookies (check out Whole Hog BBQ), and there are a few stands where you can avoid lines. You have to pay for the food here, unfortunately, but there’s plenty of space to sit and eat.

Those are the seating areas for the well-to-do New Yorkers among us; before I tackle the rest of the seating areas, let’s go into the party areas for groups, which are numerous:

Wise Mets fans come to the game in groups…for the food!

Citi Field Seating, Part 3: Group + Party Areas

After moving the Citi Field fences in for 2012 to accommodate whiny sluggers, the Mets discovered they had more party space for groups. Here is a list of spots where you can reserve tickets for a group with some perks included:

Here, you’ll really know when a Met hits a home run.

Big Apple Reserved seats are the field level seats in straightaway center, right next to that Big Apple that pops up whenever a Mets player hits a home run. Directly behind the Big Apple seats are tables where people can stand and watch while eating a gourmet food item; these are the closest seats to the center field concourse with its fancy food and Mr. Met kids area.

These seats used to only be available for groups, but you can get a ticket for a single game these days. For some reason, they’re popular on weekend nights and priced accordingly; but for weeknights they’re among the cheapest tickets in the ballpark.

I’m not sure why, but I’ve always gotten an urge to get a Citibank card when I come here.

The Citi Pavilion at Shea Bridge was formerly the “Shea Bridge Terrace”; apparently the Mets needed a more unwieldy name to help fans with its location. The sets of tables and chairs in this landing are just in front of the Shea Bridge, over the bullpens in right center field.

The Mets have updated this space, and there are now drink rails and tables with comfortable seating and phone chargers. They’ve also added a bar with “light snacks” exclusively for this section.

The Citi Pavilion is a group area and is now a drinks-inclusive ticket, at least if you don’t mind drinking Bud Light throughout the game. The seats go for triple digits in price though, so you’ll need to find a lot of enthusiastic fans.

Yes, people sit there under the Honda sign. See the field the way relief pitchers do!

The Honda Clubhouse is underneath the right field reserved seats, for a true field-level view of both the field and the bullpen. There are windows that can be closed on cold nights. The seating is table seating with padded seats in front.

There aren’t a lot of seats here, so if someone invites you, get to the game early. It has been expanded to accommodate the fences being moved in, but that just means there will be more people at your outing.

The Clubhouse is also for groups only—it includes buffet service and hi-def TVs to watch the parts of the game you miss at the odd vantage point. The Mets actually mentioned as one of the group benefits “Scoreboard Greeting (not visible from area)”. Yes, I laughed too when I read that. This spot can be reasonable for a night out with your friends, and as a group leader you get four tickets to a future game.

Shouldn’t the Ms here be blue and orange? Just saying.

M&M’s Sweet Seats. The high left field wall is still here, but there’s a new and closer to home plate fence in front of it, so the Mets dedicated the space between the two fences to the iconic candy bits. Tickets include food and drinks served to your seat (or stool); before the game fans can chow on Nathan’s dogs among other food items. Nothing high end, unless you consider Nathan’s high end, which it is I suppose. They’ll even give you a cookie late in the game.

Again, tickets to a future game are included for the group leader.

As the Mets state, this is a prime spot to catch a batting practice home run ball in the newly hitter-friendly Citi Field, and it’s exclusive so you won’t have to push those pesky kids out of the way.

OK then, now on to seats for the rest of us, or some of us…again, from most to least expensive:

Work harder to get those closer seats at Mets games!

Citi Field Seating, Part 4: Field Level

The Metropolitan Box seats are on the lower level to the outside of the Delta Club seats. They come in four flavors, Gold, Silver, Bronze and good old Metropolitan Box, and the better ones have better club access that probably isn’t worth the markup of sometimes double the price.

If you’re looking at back row Field Level tickets (31 is the last row in most sections) and have a choice, try the Excelsior Box seats instead. The view is just as good, better even than top rows of field level seats that are covered and lose the scoreboards, club access is the same, and Excelsior seats are cheaper.

Almost close enough for heckling!

Field Level and Baseline Box seats are beyond the bases towards the foul pole. These seats are nicely angled towards the infield, making for less neck-twisting, and if you’re in Section 104, you’re facing directly towards home plate. Like just about everywhere else in the park, the first two rows of Field Box sections are more expensive, and not worth the significant markup in my opinion.

Lower level seats down the lines cost a bit more than even a team with the Mets’ recent success probably should, so this isn’t the place to look for bargains unless you’re using a third party seller, and look for low demand games.

Sounds royal and all that, but Excelsior just means “higher”.

Citi Field Seating, Part 5: Excelsior (Mezzanine) Level

The Excelsior is the Mezzanine (second) level; I’ve already talked about the Excelsior Gold and Box seats that are near to the Piazza 31 Club, but there are specialized outfield sections as well. Like the infield sections, the outfield sections are covered by the overhang of the upper deck, great for the shade, although in the upper rows you may lose some of the big scoreboards.

The rest of the Excelsior seats belong in the “cheap seats” section (including the Coca-Cola Corner):

Clearly designated to make your seats easy to find. If you’re an American, anyway.

Citi Field Seating, Part 6: Cheap Seats + Coca-Cola Corner

The Left Field and Right Field Reserved seats in the lower level have had their pricing lowered and are now the cheaper seats. Most of the seats are covered, especially in the Right Field area that is overlapped by the Coca-Cola Corner–nice on a hot or rainy day but it offers no view of either of the impressive big scoreboards.

These seats are close to both the center field concourse area and the World’s Fare Market, so you have plenty of very good grub choices just a few steps away, but I don’t know that it’s worth the very limited view.

Well, access to the Piazza Club, anyway.

Left Field Landing seats are on the Excelsior level in left field. Like the Piazza 31 Club seats, most of them are covered and there aren’t many rows. Out in left field here, you’re pretty far from home plate, so try to get the first couple of rows if you can.

These seats, like the Coca-Cola Corner seats, include access to the Piazza Club. This is important to know not only for club access (they are the cheapest tickets that include it), but also so that you don’t have to go up or down a floor to get from one side of the Excelsior level to the other. Good to know if you use a farther entrance.

Like with the Piazza Club, the Left Field Landing and Coca-Cola Corner are now available for group packages with food and beverage included.

Kind of cool being close to that Mets orange foul pole though.

Now about that big section under the Coca-Cola sign: The Coca-Cola Corner is that five sections of seats in the Excelsior level in right field, which hang over the Right Field Reserved seats.

These seats are sort of set aside from the rest of the park, and the Coca-Cola Corner has its own concourse area with sofas, cornhole games, a picnic area with Coke bottle top tables, and a landing to view lovely downtown Flushing. It’s a perfect view of Queens…blocks of muffler shops. Enjoy the urban renewal.

Coca-Cola Corner seats cost about the same as Left Field Landing, although they’re very different atmospheres. The Coca-Cola seats used to be about the same price as Promenade Infield, but they are more now, so apparently the Corner is becoming a popular place. Batting practice homers land here, for one. It’s also, with its extra entertainment, a decent spot for kids.

Lots of sunshine, even at dusk.

If you’re sensitive to the sun, though, this definitely isn’t the best choice, since you’ll bake during day games and it’s the last place to see shade for night games. Highly recommended to bring a hat, sunscreen and sunglasses here.

A significant difference between Box and Reserved…including with shade.

Citi Field Seating, Part 7: Promenade Level

The cheapest seats in Citi Field are in the Promenade (400-500 sections) level past the bases. The Promenade Reserved Infield seats are only slightly more expensive than the Promenade Reserved (500 sections past the bases)–nowadays the outfield sections of the Promenade Level are the cheapest seats in the ballpark (and rightly so). They are very far away, and can be downright frightening on a windy day.

The Promenade Gold and Box seats in the upper level (400 section) are considerably pricier–sometimes more than double – than those in the 500 section directly behind them. Twice as good seats? For the peace of mind of avoiding a glass landing being in front of you, maybe–but you can often find a deal with a third party.

The Jacob’s Pickles chicken and biscuit sandwich, a reason to splurge for Highball Club access. (photo courtesy of Maggie Wiggin)

The Jim Beam Highball Club on this level is available to just about everyone except for the Promenade Reserved ticket holders. It is behind home plate on the upper level, offers some amazing food choices and two full bars in an air-conditioned place to come in out of the rain or heat. That’s worth something. You can watch the game from there, but a lot of people do this, and the view isn’t quite optimal.

I’ve read that the ushers can be somewhat lax in checking your ticket there, in case you’re looking to crash a party.

Nah, I’m cool. I’ll just watch the outfielders.

Citi Field Seating, Part 8: Avoiding Promenade Obstructed Views

In many cases, obstructed views at Citi Field are a by-product of placing seats close to the field, something the Mets weren’t willing to compromise and is common in most ballparks. You shouldn’t miss much with those. But in some instances, especially in the Promenade level, glass partitions are placed in a manner that can block as much as a quarter of the field to people sitting in the wrong spot.

The Mets have started labeling such tickets as having a limited view, but you’d do well to know what to look for beforehand.

Anyone got any Windex?

The worst problems by far are in the Promenade Reserved seats past the bases, so pay attention buying seats there. Since Seat 1 is always closest to home plate, you should be okay with a higher-numbered seat in a low row. Otherwise, try to get a seat in Row 4 or higher.

If you do end up with an obstructed view seat, you can call Fan Assistance (646-438-5000) and nicely ask to be moved to a better seat. The Mets will probably accommodate you.

Lots of standing room in the Coca-Cola Corner, but it’s hot in the summer.

Citi Field Seating, Part 9: Standing Room

The Mets occasionally make standing room tickets available for popular contests like Opening Day, and they will announce availability in your newsletter or their other social media outlets. They also offer an “Amazin’ Mets Pass”; for a very reasonable monthly fee you can attend most all of the Mets home games that month, (Yankees and Opening Day games excluded). You need the MLB Ballpark app for this to get the barcode on your phone. A chance to sample all of the killer food options at Citi.

I read a great suggestion on Reddit about this…if you go on a couple of giveaway nights, you could sell your swag on eBay and recoup a good portion of the cost.

If you can’t find a spot near the Shea Bridge, at least you’ll be close to gourmet ballpark food.

Should you have gotten into the ballpark this way (or should you be otherwise unhappy with your seat), the open concourse throughout most of the field level creates plenty of standing space, and there are rails to lean on. You can also find spots for standing and tables for food in the center field food court, which is closer to the action than upper left field seats.

Lots of space in the Coca-Cola Corner too, if you like a good hangout spot. If you’re not picky, you could probably grab a seat in the lesser Promenade level seats.

Now you know what to do!

Feeling educated? I hope this extensive Citi Field seating guide has been helpful to you; being able to land a great seat makes a big difference at this ballpark. I speak from experience.

Plenty more Citi Field info on this site for you…check out my complete guide to Citi Field, including details on the best ways to get to the ballpark and some great photo-ops…or have a look at the delicious looking photos on this very detailed Citi Field food page.

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In recent years, the Mets changed the Citi Field dimensions, moving the fences in a few feet in response to complaints from hitters. They put in an 8-foot wall in front of the 16-foot wall in left field, and the right center field fence was moved in a full 25 feet. (They painted the fence Mets blue, however, which gets a thumbs up from me.)

When I first heard that the Mets would be changing the dimensions to make the ballpark more hitter-friendly, I groaned. My first thought was “Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?”

The humans are in the photo to provide perspective on wall height.

Of course, if Joe Di were playing in the age of free agency, where power hitters command figures in the hundreds of millions, he probably wouldn’t have stayed in Yankee Stadium–or the Yankees probably would have moved the fences in.

In DiMaggio’s era, the left center field fence at Yankee Stadium was 457 feet from home plate. That’s inconceivable today. Billy Martin said in his autobiography that Joe Di hit 30 or 40 450-foot outs every season, and that he would have broken every home run record ever set in another ballpark.

When Mike Hampton signed with the Rockies to pitch in Coors Field some years ago, he became a hero of mine. I love that he was willing to go where his ERA would surely double (and I believe it did). I love ballplayers that are willing to play in a ballpark where they’re going to have to step up to get their stats up. Unfortunately, if it costs them a couple of million dollars, it’s not likely to happen.

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The healthiest food item at Citi Field.

The Mets’ reasoning for giving in to this reality, I suspect, is that they would have trouble attracting a power hitter free agent to the Mets if he knows his production will suffer from playing in a ballpark that is pitcher-friendly. After Jeff Francoeur left the Mets for Kansas City, he was heard calling Citi Field “a damn joke”.

When the Tigers opened Comerica Park, the fences were so far from home plate that someone was quoted as saying “they don’t have outfielders, they have park rangers”. Power hitter Juan Gonzalez demanded the fences be moved in to resign him as a free agent. They didn’t at the time, but eventually the Tigers decided that they needed to draw power hitters and moved the fences in.

I understand baseball and economic realities, but I dislike this type of thinking. What happened to tailoring your team to your home ballpark? If Citi Field is so rough on hitters, wouldn’t that make it more attractive to pitchers…and fast, light hitting outfielders?

If you know that the deep dimensions of the ballpark are going to rob some home runs, why not build your team around pitching and speed? Why not go after defensive-minded outfielders with great range, proven base stealers and strong pitching, with high-average contact hitters in the middle of the lineup?

Seaver could have kept the ball in any ballpark.

You might not score as many runs without the big hulking power hitter in the cleanup spot, but you won’t be giving up as many, either. And best of all, you could put a competitive team on the field at a much lower cost. The Mets had an opportunity here, not a problem. It’s just my opinion, but I think they dropped the ball.

Earl Weaver once said that while he encouraged his hitters to swing for the fences, even in fairly large Memorial Stadium, he would strategize differently if his team’s home ballpark was Royals Stadium (now Kauffman Stadium). I know home runs sell, but a winning team sells more, as the Royals had been certainly proving.

This fan likes pitcher’s parks. There’s enough hitter-friendly ballparks out there. I like the idea of an opponent coming to Citi Field with a big bunch of power hitters who furiously slam their bats down on the ground after hitting a 400-foot out.

There aren’t as many canyon ballparks as there used to be, which is a shame. Sometimes the dimensions of a ballpark change the game itself, and that’s a good thing, and it would be great if there were more originality with it in baseball.

Oh, OK, in case you were wondering…as of 2017 the Citi Field dimensions are: Left Field foul pole, 335 ft.; Left-Center, 370 ft.; Center Field, 408 ft.; Right-Center Field, 370-380 ft.; and Right Field foul pole, 330 ft.

Interested in learning more about the home of the Mets? Check out my complete Citi Field Guide!

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