Citi Field Food: Best Eats at New York Mets Games

Here it is baseball and Mets fans, your astoundingly detailed, enticingly illustrated, and incredibly helpful guide to the Citi Field food menu! Don’t miss out on the Amazin’ eats at one of the best ballparks for food in baseball. This post will help you find the best food at Citi Field for your own taste, at a Mets game or any event, for that matter…and partake of some inimitable NYC baseball cuisine.

 

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

Yep, we’ve got a lot to review here, so let’s get started…after this quick word from our sponsor:

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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 while I’m thinking about it: if you’re searching for tickets from a third party like TickPick, try to get them from a season ticket holder…you’ll have access to all of the reasonably nice clubs.

 

By most accounts, the food here—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 so if you want a table with a view of the field and/or order some unusual mixed drinks from the full bar. 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.

 

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, is 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. Whole Hog also has Cuban sandwiches and sausages with caramelized peppers and onions.

There’s also 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.

 

Ebbs Brewing Co. is technically a part the ballpark, but it’s got a separate entrance from being inside, replacing what was Mikkeller’s craft brew restaurant. Mikkeller’s was popular, but Ebbs isn’t very different. They offer some fine brew selections, including lagers, stouts, IPAs, double IPAs, and several hard seltzers. It’s a place to have a sit down meal before or after the game in an area where there isn’t much of that; the menu includes fancy items like everything bagel soft pretzels, handmade dumplings, and multiple types of sausages.

The prices for beer especially are lower than inside the ballpark, so it’s a place to have one or two better than Budweiser 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.

 

I’m not sure what the story is with the McFadden’s once attached to the ballpark; currently I’m reading that it’s a spot to get vaccinated, which wouldn’t make it much of a fun place to have a brew. Their website is inactive which probably isn’t a good sign. I’ll update this if I hear any news.

 

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 up the hugely popular fresh beef Shackburger, and the new Smoke Shack with applewood-smoked bacon, cheese and cherry peppers, both on potato buns. They also have a very good veggie ‘shroom burger. Very thick milkshakes and frozen custard for dessert.

 

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 if not as thick as Nathan’s.

The Shake Shack is by far the most popular stand at Citi Field, so the lines get very long and the wait can be as long as a half an hour. I read that there were fans waiting for two hours during the 2015 World Series. The stand has been expanded and took over what was Blue Smoke BBQ, so hopefully that works better.

If you don’t want to wait long, try going as soon as the gates open or well after the game starts. If you’re gonna wait, go all out and get a concrete too; or a Strike Cone with vanilla custard blended with cookie dough. You can walk it off.

 

The glowing Pat LaFrieda’s cart with the grassy sign 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, served on a baguette with au jus. I’ve never tried it, but I’m told the onions make the sandwich.

There is an additional stand on the Promenade level, so people there may be paying more for a sandwich than for their ticket. You can also get Steak Frites…waffle fries with steak, caramelized onions and Jack cheese sauce.

LaFrieda’s sandwiches command a hefty price tag even for a ballpark, but that doesn’t stop anyone, and the lines can get long here. (If you want to save a couple of bucks, check my Tightwad Tips at the end of this.)

 

A lot of fans, myself included, were sad to hear of Mama’s of Corona’s departure (Leo’s Latticini does still exist in NYC, though), but Cento Percento (Italian for “100 percent”, as in the quality of the experience) fills the bill quite nicely. Cento Percento accurately calls itself “Italian street food”; you can find their food trucks in various locations in NYC. It’s long past time for some food truck items to be in a ballpark.

Cento Percento is in the World’s Fare Market, in the right field corner. Their offerings include Tuscan-style paninis on fluffy ciabatta rolls, with porchetta and pesto, or a vegetarian mozzarella sandwich called the Classico. There’s also meatball or fried eggplant cups with arrabbiata sauce here.

I was going to cheat a bit here and include a picture of the Mama’s cannoli out of respect, but Cento Percento has cannolis as well.

 

Jacob’s Pickles is an Upper West Side eatery that has planted its flag at Citi Field, in the Jim Beam Highball Club on the Promenade Level (get to know the Highball Club, trust me). Their specialty is Southern-accented comfort food, and pickles, obviously, which they place prominently on their popular fried chicken and biscuit sandwich. You can get your fried pickles here as well, a vegetarian option.

The chicken and biscuit sandwich gets great reviews, even if it’s on the messy side (that might be an understatement), so it’s probably a good idea to grab some napkins and sit down for it. Southern comfort food is actually pretty rare in ballparks in my experience.

 

Like with Mama’s, the Mets seemed to anticipate fan unhappiness with the departure of a food stand, so when the revered “Catch of The Day” parted ways with Citi Field, they replaced it with the Lobster Shack (it’s not in the same spot, but it’s close). 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 offer loaded chips, covered with lobster, lobster fondue, cilantro dressing and chives, and a creamy lobster bisque.

I hear lines can be pretty long at Lobster Shack, so try getting there when the gates open if you want to try it.

 

There’s Pig Beach BBQ outposts in both Brooklyn and Queens, two population centers known for producing Mets fans. Now the chef-inspired BBQ is doing their part to improve the grub at the Highball Club (see?). Pig Beach describes their approach to que as “an alchemy of multiple cooking disciplines, with a strong focus on live wood fire.”

I love when they choose bold words. Anyway, at Citi you can get a People’s Champion Burger, made with a beef brisket and short rib blend, “bacon onion magic”, American cheese, sweet and tangy pickles, and secret sauce on a Martin’s potato roll. If that isn’t championing the people, I don’t know what is.

But wait, there’s more…Bases Loaded Fries! Seasoned crispy fries with pulled pork, cheese sauce, pickled jalapenos and Pig Beach’s own vinegar BBQ sauce. Quite a bit for sharing, and all the major food groups represented except for candy corn.

 

People don’t say much about Tacocina in the Taste of The City food court…even the Mets just  list their taco options and casually mention that they serve “food inspired by Mexican flavors”. They can do better than that, especially since the Tacocina joint in Brooklyn is a product of the Union Square Hospitality Group, founded by Danny Meyer of Shake Shack fame.

So now that I’ve given you more confidence in the Mets’ taco stand…get your chicken, pork and pineapple, or vegetarian tacos here…it’s among the healthier available foods in the food court, and don’t forget about the condiment sauces! Chips with salsa or guacamole are available here too, and they’re better quality than typical ballpark nacho chips.

I’m still going with the fancy items, but I separated some of these for chicken lovers.

 

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 sandwich is simple but genius. It’s 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 roll with “Fuku butter”, which is something like mayo.

You used to be able to get “loaded fries” too, with spicy cheese sauce, ranch, bacon and scallions. I’ve read that the fries are amazeballs, but I don’t see them on the current Citi Field dining guide so I imagine you’ll have to look.

For families looking for a spicy meal, get a Mets helmet with two sandwiches, chicken fingers, potato wedges and sauce for a ballpark price. There’s also a “milk bar” that includes several different types of cookies, including a “compost” that includes ingredients like pretzels and coffee oats.

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 need be.

 

The Amazin’ Chicken Co. isn’t a NYC chicken specialty shop…this one comes from the Mets own food preparing folks, who are actually up to the task. This is the 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 also offer a good family meal deal, if your kids are into chicken tenders (which has been a given since the invention of the McNugget); a big bucket of tenders covered with the tater kegs. The chicken pieces are very large, and you’ll have at least enough for two here.

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.

 

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; it’s partly owned by Nas, if you’re interested in supporting your local hip-hop community.

Sweet Chick offers up 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. They’ve added loaded waffle fries that are a big hit at the ballpark. Sweet Chick is popular around the city, especially for their chicken, so there must be something right about the formula.

 

There’s also the aforementioned Jacob’s Pickles chicken sandwich…lots of well-done poultry here. Now for some stand-alone sides…after this quick word from our sponsor.

 

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, or a dessert edition with Nutella and rolled in cinnamon sugar. You can get the full experience and mix and match any of them.

Arancini Bros. is on the upper and lower level; you no longer need club access for this.

 

If you’ve got an itch for local grass fed dairy farm fresh oversized mozzarella sticks…and we all get that from time to time…the Brooklyn catering crew at Big Mozz has a Vendy Award-winning version and you can find it on the upper and lower levels.

The slightly larger-than-usual mozz sticks come with four seasonings and a choice of pesto, chipotle, or marinara dipping sauce. I’ve tried these with the pesto sauce and they’re definitely a high quality mozzarella stick, so I’m happy to see them back in Citi. An extra cup of sauce costs extra.

 

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 (I always picture people using karate chops to cut potatoes in half) fries with four house made sauces: chipotle BBQ, classic Buffalo, house ranch and garlic aioli. One of those has got to work for you.

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. Man, what are you talking about! Or the Tex Mex Ripper, with pickled jalapeno guacamole, chipotle aioli and chili dusted corn tortilla chips.

This is about the point where I think a Yankees fan might make a conversion.

 

If there’s anything that could only be in New York, it’s a guy named Murray making phenomenal mac and cheese. Murray’s Cheese got its start with a cheese shop in Greenwich Village, and today they’re featured in the Jim Beam Highball Club. It’s curly radiatore pasta with a three cheese blend…and it’s thick stuff, so you might want to hold off if you’re running a marathon afterward.

They have two types of mac and cheese, Classic or Buffalo, both with crispy breadcrumbs on the top. The Buffalo edition uses their signature blue cheese, with chicken, ranch, and Buffalo sauce. Comfort food at its best.

 

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

On pizza alone, Citi Field has been wiping up the floor with its NYC counterpart in the Bronx for years (Yankee Stadium actually featured Papa John’s…WTH), and they’ve got NYC pizza covered.

Patsy’s Pizzeria, in center field, the Piazza 31 Club, and the Promenade level, 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, and it sounds like a step above your typical ballpark pizza. I presume it’s coal-fired here as well.

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.

 

Did someone say Pizza Cupcakes? Yes, and the Pizza Cupcake is a New York delicacy in its own right; it’s a creation of chef Andrea Meggiato. The pizza cupcake is available in multiple places on all of the levels.

If you like pepperoni rolls, you’ll like the pizza cupcake…it’s just shaped differently when you think about it. Or you can get the Margherita version, another vegetarian option. This being a chef inspired thing, the sauce has the right zest, and the crust is properly flaky. The best part? It’s easier to carry around and eat than a slice of pizza. No offense Patsy.

The Pizza Cupcake was actually featured on Shark Tank, where Mark Cuban told them, “I hate you because I wanna eat these.” That’s a weird reason to hate someone unless you’re allergic.

 

Here’s one of my favorite things about the Citi Field food options…even the no frills ballpark fare is still pretty good.

 

Citi Field Food, Part 6: The 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. I have to give a mention to Alonso’s Arctic Grill (yes, named for that Pete Alonso) and their amazing and popular Polar Burger – a Pat LaFrieda beef burger with maple spiced caramelized onions, smoked gouda cheese, lettuce and tomato on a brioche bun.

 

In 2022 Alonso’s added the Polar Burger 2.0 – with special sauce, American cheese, cherry pepper bacon jam, and duck fat (!) on a toasted sesame brioche bun. Can’t wait for 2023! This is a caloric bomb, so Alonso’s also offers a Beyond Burger version.

As far as I know, this is the only stop at Citi where you can get onion rings, but I could be wrong about that.

 

Burgers & Fries 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 (which may help explain the lines at the Shake Shack). LaFrieda’s burgers are now sold at any stand that sells burgers. 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 for you…there is no shame in eschewing the Shake Shack line for this generic burger stand. Not only is it high-quality beef, but the Mets have some of the best condiment stands I’ve seen in a ballpark, and you can load up your burger with mushrooms, sauerkraut and/or NYC red onion relish. Works just fine for a great burger.

 

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, corn dogs and burgers, most Nathan’s stands have Carvel ice cream and most of them (but not all) serve crinkle-cut fries or Buffalo wings as well. I probably don’t need to tell you that Nathan’s fries are great.

The stands have packets of BBQ sauce or honey mustard, something a bit different. Take a dozen of them. (Citi Field has one of the most expensive hot dogs in baseball.) Again, remember the condiment stands…I’m a big fan of the NYC onion relish.

 

A good sausage at a ballgame should never be considered underrated…and there are Premio sausage stands throughout the concourse, and for all of the other options out there, some Mets fans will tell you that this simple sausage and pepper sandwich is the best deal for the money at Citi Field. Especially when you can pile on a nice variety of stuff from the condiment stands. (I promise that’s the last time I gush about the condiment stands, but just saying.)

 

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 the sandwiches aren’t too high on the calories meter.

They didn’t have them in my last visit, but in the past the star at this stand was pastrachos: chips covered with pastrami sandwich stuff like sauerkraut. If I hear of their return I’ll let you know.

 

The Mets get really excited about CitySteak, enthusiastically pointing out on their website that you can get…wait for it…a “classic cheesesteak sandwich” here. Not just a cheesesteak sandwich, but a classic one! Incidentally, they don’t look too bad and the lines are probably shorter than most, and I’m presuming the meat is from Pat LaFrieda’s, so this might be a quiet little steal.

 

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

No fancy cheese, just the Whiz glop, but it works. 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. (Are there any videos of a fan wearing one after finishing the nachos? Please let me know if you find one.)

The Nachos stands also have burritos and burrito bowls…and just saying, I consider the burrito to be one of the ideal ballpark foods. Portability!

 

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

What, you thought just the main courses were fancy? Keep your fork!

Wowfulls was a staple of food festivals in the area 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…vanilla rainbow, chocolate brownie batter, or salted caramel cheesecake…toppings include fruity pebbles, cookie dough bites or Oreo crumbles. All of the desserts something called “pocky sticks” on them…chocolate coated biscuit sticks. Well worth two hours on the treadmill.

 

The super popular Greenwich Village Cookie DO dessert shop’s cookie dough was added to the Citi Field food menu in 2017; shop owner Kristen Tomlan came up with a recipe that heat treats the flour and uses pasteurized egg product; in other words, you won’t get salmonella eating this cookie dough.

At the ballpark you can get chocolate chip cookie dough; with blue and orange sprinkles for Mets fans. I’ve read that Cookie DO makes a gluten free dough; no word on whether that is in the ballpark. It’s also not too high on the calorie meter as sugary desserts go.

Cookie DO is all over the ballpark these days, so no need to wait in line.

 

Cookie Crumz, also in the Highball Club (another reason to befriend a season ticket holder), comes from two locations in Astoria and Long Island City. The idea for their cookies, according to their website, 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). It’s got white chocolate chips and Mets-colored sprinkles. Or try their Chunky Dunk – packed with milk and dark chocolate chips. Subtle but profound differences in the classic dessert, and they’re thicker than you’re probably used to.

 

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!

 

But if you’d like a healthier sweet snack, try the Dole Whip (here’s the recipe!)…you can find these on the upper and lower level and in the Piazza 31 Club. For the uninitiated, a Dole Whip is something like softy serve ice cream, but it’s fruity and dairy free…at least the half that isn’t mixed with vanilla custard.

Choose from pineapple or strawberry, again with vanilla custard swirl if you’re okay with some dairy in your dessert. This, I think, is only available in the Piazza 31 Club.

 

Tipsy Scoop is an idea whose time has come, especially in the realm of ballpark delicacies. It’s various flavors of ice cream mixed with various flavors of mixed cocktails. Try a dark chocolate whiskey with salted caramel ice cream, or get a load of the Strawberry White Sangria Float: white Sangria sorbet with Prosecco, strawberry gummies, fresh lemon and a mini ice cream cone.

I perused Tipsy Scoop’s website a bit and on a couple of flavors of their boozy ice cream, they show it as being 5% alcohol. I don’t know how much hand-crafted, 10-proof ice cream you’d need to take the sting out of a tough Mets loss, but I’m sure it helps.

Tipsy Scoop is also in the Jim Beam Highball Club, which as you now know, is basically a one-stop destination for some of the best eats in baseball.

 

Citi Field Food, Part 8: Healthier Stuff at Citi Field – Kosher, Vegetarian, Vegan, and Gluten Free

Prime Kosher Sports has been around for a few years at Citi Field, and they offer 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. There are some decent snacks here too, like Bamba peanut butter puffs and fluff popcorn.

This is yet another style of French fries at Citi Field; I’m not sure what the total number of types of fries the Mets offer but I’m betting it’s close to a dozen. And that’s awesome. Prime Kosher Sports is in the center field food court with all the greats.

 

Since the ability to eat at the ballgame is a stumbling block to veganism for many, the Mets even 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 just might be able to talk me into going vegan now.

 

The World’s Fare Market in the right field corner has grab and go stuff, like bags of pistachios and peanuts and the like. The market houses a branch of Great Neck’s Daruma of Tokyo, 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). This spot and the World’s Fare in general is also a good destination for vegetarians and healthy eaters, if a little pricey.

 

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. The Mets on occasion have a Celiac Awareness Night, so keep an eye on your newsletter for that one.

 

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

Remember that you can bring a 16*16*8 soft bag in the ballpark with you, so long as it does not contain hard bottles or alcohol. The Mets don’t list food as a prohibited item, but you’re allowed one plastic bottle of water or soda before the game.

There aren’t many takeout restaurants or drugstores a short walk away from Citi Field, but there are places near 7 train stations. Main Street in Flushing (one stop away on the 7 or LIRR station) has several great Mexican and Chinese and other ethnic takeout joints, but this is a lot of trouble just to save a few bucks. Unless you’re coming from one of these places anyway, I would just put water and maybe some 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 Nathan’s dogs are skinny, but they won’t care. The Mr. Met Kitchen in center field has a kids meal with a dog, popcorn and a juice box with a prize included at a fair price.

 

It seems like a small thing, but bring your Citi credit card. Several stands, like the Pat LaFrieda steak sandwich stand, will offer a couple of bucks off an item for using your Citi card. Incidentally, I’ve done pretty well saving money with my Citi MasterCard here, especially finding ticket deals, and MasterCard can help you save some green at Yankees games too.

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

 

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.

If you’re planning a visit to Citi Field, don’t just bring an empty stomach…get to know the place and save some money doing it, with my full and complete guide to Citi Field! Learn how to save money on tickets, find a great seat, and get to the ballpark easily…we’ve got your back!

 

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