Gameday
So… it’s Yankee Stadium, the most famous ballpark with the most famous team. So you’re probably expecting the most famous area surrounding the ballpark – better than Wrigley, better than Fenway, better than newcomers like The Battery in Atlanta or Ballpark Village in St. Louis.
Well… not quite.
Yankee Stadium, for all of its fame and glory, is located in The Bronx, and the Bronx as a neighborhood is not Wrigleyville or Kenmore Square. The area surrounding the ballpark has a very limited array of pregame options, and even fewer for dining or entertainment.
But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do. There are a couple of bars to check out before the game, but the real can’t-miss things are inside the ballpark. In this chapter we’ll make sure you know everything you need to do when visiting Yankee Stadium.
Where to eat/drink outside the ballpark
If you want to start your day early with some adult beverages, there are a handful of bars right outside of the stadium that are worth checking out.
Stan’s
Stan’s is located on River Avenue just a block away from the ballpark and is pretty much the most iconic Yankees sports bar. It’s now well into its fifth decade as a local watering hole, and it’s worth checking out, even if just for one drink. On weekends or for big games it will be absolutely packed, so you’ll need to be ok with being elbow to elbow if you’re there at one of those times. There aren’t any gameday drink specials, but they do have a small menu with some bar food, including wings which are topped with a sweet and spicy sauce made in-house.
But heads up: just because you’re outside of the park doesn’t mean that drinks are cheap. $9 for a domestic and $10 for an imported isn’t exactly a bargain. But it’s still better than prices in the ballpark, so if you’re going for quantity, you might as well load up here before heading inside.
Billy’s Sports Bar
Billy’s is a cavernous club-like bar, with dark lighting, flashing strobe lights, and electronic dance music blaring over the speakers. If you didn’t like any of the words in that first sentence, then you can skip ahead to the next section.
But if that sounded appealing to you, here’s what else you need to know.
- Humongous bars span the downstairs floor so you won’t have a problem getting a drink.
- Upstairs is a compact outdoor patio that crowds quickly, but offers a view of the subway trains arriving at the station.
- It will often be busy before Friday, Saturday, and Sunday games, and even during the week for bigger opponents like the Mets, Red Sox, and Dodgers.
- Billy’s also has a restaurant around the corner via the entrance on 161st Street. The club and restaurant are separate, but you will still hear the music. On game days people will stand at the much smaller bar inside of the restaurant to chat and casually drink before the game.
Dugout BX
Dugout BX is right on River Avenue outside of Gate 8. They have some seating outside on the closed street. From the outside it looks like a small bar, but inside there are 3 separate rooms with bars in each. There is also a drab outdoor area in the very back of the bar that might remind you of a prison rec yard. Similar to Billy’s, the music is loud, but it’s mostly people sitting around tables or standing at bar tops. We’d consider this a more low-key spot to grab some drinks before the game.
Yankee Twin Eatery and Bar
Sandwiched between Billy’s and Ballpark Sports Shop on River Avenue is Yankee Twin Eatery. Rooted in Greek heritage they offer traditional dishes such as gyros, alongside American favorites. Before day games they also offer breakfast sandwiches. Burgers will cost anywhere from $8.50-$12.50, whereas you’ll be paying at least $14.99 inside for Lobel’s Signature Burger and $19.99 for the 99 Burger in the stadium.
Despite its modest size, the twin bar often has a DJ playing before and after games and impresses with their signature frozen drinks which you won’t be able to find at Billy’s or Stan’s. On game days you won’t be able to sit and eat, but it’s another lively environment to grab a drink before the game.
Vega Alta Sports Bar / Yankee Tavern / Bronx Draft House
These are all smaller bars on Gerard Avenue where you can grab some drinks and/or a quick bite before the game. Typically for tourists we would suggest staying closer to 161st Street where all of the foot traffic is (along with the significant police presence). But if you want to wander around the corner to these spots during the day, you certainly can.
Where to get some quick pizza
Yankees $1.50 Pizza
So you’re thinking to yourself “I don’t want to spend $475 on ballpark food at Yankee Stadium today,” huh? Well, do we have a hack for you – how about $1.50 slices of pizza!!??
Less than a block away from the main gates of the stadium is the $1.50 pizza place (technically $1.64 after tax). And even though we weren’t expecting much heading in, we have to admit: we think it’s pretty good. So if you’re looking for an outrageous money-saving hack, this could be it. A family of four could chow down for less than $15 if everyone is having two slices, and let’s be honest – $15 will barely buy you an order of fries inside the ballpark.
But heads up: the reviews online are very mixed, and there are repeated claims of customers being shortchanged when paying in cash, and there are also very mixed reviews about cleanliness, service, and food quality. All we can tell you is that our experience was positive and that we would eat here if we were trying to save money (or if we just wanted a little cheap pre-game pizza appetizer before doing our in-stadium eating).
Justin’s Pizza
There’s another slice place around the corner – Justin’s – located between Stan’s and Ballpark Sports Shop. We thought their pizza was completely fine as well, but the price is much higher: $4-$7 per slice. Justin’s does offer outdoor covered tables and seating. And, similarly, the reviews online are mixed.
TSI TIP: Want our advice? Everyone knows there’s a certain eye test for New York pizza. You can look at it and pretty much tell if it’s going to be decent. If you’re at either $1.49 Pizza or Justin’s, take a look at the slices. If they look like they’ve been out for a while, or just don’t look that appetizing, then walk out and go to the other one. Oh, one more tip: buy one slice and give it a try before buying slices 2-8. If the worst case scenario is that you’re out $1.64-$4.50, you can chalk it up to a good story about bad NY pizza.
Where to buy water
Bullpen Deli
On 161st Street, past the entrance of the restaurant portion of Billy’s Sports Bar, is Bullpen Deli. It’s a classic New York bodega, where you can get a ton of sandwiches, salads, and other choices, and if you want to bring food into the stadium with you, this is a great choice because it can be neatly packaged up.
But the specific reason I’m sending you here is to purchase your pregame water. You can buy a one-liter bottle (the max allowed into the stadium) for $2.50 here, versus $5.79 inside the ballpark for one half as big. If you’ve got a family of four, that’s $36 you’re saving on four liters of water before you’ve even started your day (and that pays for a couple of your food items).
Where to shop outside the stadium
Ballpark Sports Shop
Although Yankees apparel is everywhere, try shopping outside the ballpark for a better deal. Ballpark Sports Shop’s inventory rivals what’s available inside the stadium shop but at cheaper prices. Their authentic replica jerseys are priced at $145 for adults, $90 for kids jerseys, and $65 for children aged 8 and younger. That’s a significant markdown from the $200 you’d typically find inside the ballpark. Keep an eye out for steals on jerseys from former players, often tucked away on the sales rack.
Where to dine inside the stadium
Hard Rock Cafe
Adjacent to Gate 6 is the Hard Rock Cafe – yes, the same one that you can find all over the world. So why do it? Well, they’ve got a huge menu, and the prices for a gigantic burger or sandwich are not much more expensive than you’ll find for less impressive concessions inside the park. It’s also a cool place to hang out, full of Yankees memorabilia on the walls. And, if you’d like to do a sit-down meal, there aren’t tons of other choices around, so this is a decent one.
But if you try to book a reservation, you won’t be able to. Sure, they have a link to OpenTable on their website, but it will never give you an open time slot. Why? Because all gameday seating is walk-in only! So if you want to do this, your best bet is to show up early. For weekday evening games they open at 4pm. For weekend games, they open at 9:30am for higher-demand games, and 10am for lesser games (it’s at their discretion – you’ll have to call to find out which your game might be: 646-977-8888).
BUT… if you’d like to do this with more certainty, there is an option: they sell a meal and ticket combo on the Yankees website. For $110 per ticket, you get a choice of an entree, some chocolate chip cookies, and a soft drink, plus a lower level seat. We found two tickets for a Sunday 1:35pm game against the White Sox in Section 129, Row 17. On Ticketmaster these seats were listed for $155 each (no food included), and on Stuhbub/Seatgeek comparable seats were about $90. So $110, including the food, is actually a really great deal!
Here’s the menu →
This deal is only available for select games, but if you think it’s something you’d like to do, we think it’s worth taking a look at. Here’s the link.
The one thing to consider: eating at the Hard Rock Cafe might be a little generic (depending on if you have one in your hometown, or have eaten at one during your other travels). You’re at Yankee Stadium, so maybe you’d prefer to try out some Yankees concessions? That’s totally fine – you do you. We’re just saying – depending on how much tickets are selling for, this can actually be a pretty solid deal, and you can always go to HRC early, eat up, and then have a snack later in the game inside the ballpark.
NYY Steakhouse
Located directly above the Hard Rock Cafe is the NYY Steakhouse. And yes … it’s an actual full-blown steakhouse in the ballpark, with the white linen tablecloths, a seafood bar, nearly 100 different wines, and 21-day aged steaks. So if you’re looking to celebrate some sort of occasion, or just feel like going fancy before watching some baseball, you’ve got a high-end option.
But, of course, with real steakhouses come real steakhouse prices; our bill for two people was $160 (including gratuity) for two entrees, two sides, and no alcohol. And in terms of ambiance, it’s incredibly loud, and the seating can be pretty snug. If you’re at a table for two you might be seated uncomfortably close to another group of two. It gives you the chance to make new friends, but not much privacy.
There’s also no view of the field from the restaurant, so we would suggest that you only dine before the game – you didn’t come to the Bronx to eat expensive steak and not watch baseball. So make sure to grab a reservation for no later than 5:30-6:00 for a 7:05pm game.
TSI TIP: If you’re wondering, yes… they do book up, and they only accept reservations two weeks in advance. So if you’re serious about this, you’ll need to jump online and make a reservation as soon as the booking window opens up for your game.
Our opinion: we thought the meal and the service were really good. But ask yourself: do you want to scarf down a heavy meal like this before a baseball game? If yes, then go right ahead. But you’ll also be missing out on the concessions in the ballpark, and you’ll be paying a fairly decent premium. This is really a personal judgment call about whether this is the experience you’re looking for.
TSI TIP — Meal and ticket combo: The steakhouse offers a similar ticket package option as the Hard Rock Cafe: a game ticket plus a three-course prix fixe meal. You can choose from tickets in the 100s in sections 104-105, 107, 110-111 and 129-131 for $168 or the 200s level in sections 205-211 and 228-231 for $140. On Ticketmaster the same seats in the 100s will cost you anywhere from $127-$150 and $97 in the 200s.
The pre-fixe meal package is $85/person (but remember – this is without alcohol, and before gratuity). And, as far as we can tell, it’s also available even if you don’t purchase the meal/ticket combo. In order to figure out if the ticket/meal combo is a good deal, you should look on resale sites to see what the actual price of comparable tickets are to the ones that are included with this package. You may find that the tickets cost much less than they are being valued at by the Yankees/NYY Steakhouse. If the meal is available for $85, and they want to charge you $83 more for the ticket, but that ticket is available on a resale site for $50, then you can skip the combo and just buy the meal and ticket separately.
TSI TIP: potentially the biggest benefit to the combo is that you’ll have an automatic reservation for the steakhouse. If individual reservations are already booked, this may be your only way to get into the steakhouse on the date you’re looking for.
What to do/see inside the ballpark
Monument Park
Monument Park is the one thing that every visitor must check out (except, perhaps, if you’re a Red Sox fan). It’s a garden area in center field with plaques dedicated to all of the Yankee greats, and is a fantastic tribute to the team’s history.
But be warned: this is an incredibly popular exhibit, and it’s only open for 45 minutes after the main gates open. If you don’t hustle over there right away, there’s a very good chance that you won’t get to see it. So if you’re only going to be at Yankee Stadium for one game, you need to decide if this is a priority, and if it is, then this should be your only pregame focus. Head to Gate 8, which is the closest gate to Monument Park, and get in line early. If you go directly there to get in line when the main gates open, you should be fine.
If you’ve got multiple days at the park, then you can hit up Monument Park on one day, and then check out other pregame stuff on your next day. But just to be safe, do Monument Park on your first day, just in case you get shut out.
TSI Tip: if you want to guarantee yourself access to Monument Park, consider signing up for one of the tours (outlined below). They’ll cost you money, but will also relieve the stress of trying to get into Monument Park before it closes.
Yankees Museum
Whether you bleed pinstripes or not, a visit to the Yankees museum is worth a peak. Encased behind the glass walls lies a treasure trove of history that not only celebrates and pays tribute to the illustrious past of the Yankees, but also showcases artifacts from some of baseball’s most legendary athletes. No need to arrive early, since the museum opens with the main gates and stays open until the end of the 8th inning. You can either catch it before the game, or consider popping in between innings when the crowds are lighter.
TSI TIP: if you don’t think you’ll get to this during the pregame, consider buying tickets in the outfield or right field, which will be closer to the museum, so you can get there faster and won’t miss as much game time.
Kids Clubhouse
If the kids need a break from baseball, bring them to the Kids Clubhouse outside of section 310 in right field. It’s nothing that special, but the kids can run around and tire themselves out, and there are TVs around as well so you won’t miss the game.
Batting Practice & Autographs
Catching batting practice can be hit or miss. Sometimes teams will elect not to have batting practice, and there usually isn’t any BP before day games. But even if they do, timing is an issue, since BP for both teams will often end more than 90 minutes before game time, which is when the gates open. Getting in right at gates open might get you a few minutes of the visiting team wrapping up their BP, but you won’t catch much.
You can go as close as they will let you up until 45 before the game starts. To get the chance for an autograph go to section 111, where the netting ends and you might have a chance of players coming over to you during warm ups.
TSI Tip: If you really want to see BP, sign up for either the full Pregame Tour or the Glimpse of Greatness Pregame tour (mentioned below). Those are the best ways to get a chance to catch BP for evening games.
Points of interest / photo spots (including Judge’s Chambers)
You are allowed to go to any section (besides the low level suites) up until 45 minutes before the game. If you’d like to get a picture close to the field, do so early before the stadium starts to get crowded.
Two particularly good spots for pictures are the MasterCard Batter’s Eye Deck, which will give you the whole field in the background of your picture. Meanwhile, the Judge’s Chambers in Section 104 is also a great spot for a photo op. If you get there when gates open it should be empty.
In the left field bleachers are also the numbers of all retired Yankee numbers. It is behind a handicap section but if you get there early you will be able to get a picture.
Finally, the Great Hall is another good spot for both pictures and selfies. It’s hard to miss, as it runs along the entire length of 161st Street inside the gates (but on the outside of the concourse). It’s also where you’ll find the team store.
First game certificate
Sadly, the Yankees no longer print out first game certificates in the stadium. That’s the bad news. The good news – they have one on their website that you can download, fill in, and print out (and you don’t have to carry it around with you at the stadium all day, and it won’t get mangled in transit). Sure, it feels a little less “official” coming off of your printer on generic paper, but if you want it to be a little nicer feeling, you could always buy some heavier stock paper.
Gameday Tours
This is important, so pay attention – the pregame tours are a way to make sure that you not only get a chance to see Monument Park, but it’s also your best chance to potentially see batting practice (but there are no guarantees).
The Yankees offer four different types of public tours:
Tour Days offered Price What's covered What's not covered Why do it Other
Classic Tour Select days, including some game days Tour only:
$38 Adult,
$28 Seniors 65+, kids <14, discounts for military/first responders
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Ticket + Hard Rock Cafe lunch combo:
Adult: $63-72
Kids/Seniors: $40 60 Minute Tour including Monument Park, Yankees Museum, home or away dugout Judge’s Chambers (but you can ask for a quick picture as you’re walking by) Most extensive tour, get to see a dugout, guaranteed access to Monument Park without waiting in line $24 Hard Rock Cafe lunch add-on available
Pregame Glimpse of Greatness Tour Most gamedays (must be holding a game ticket to take this tour) $38 for all Monument Park, Judge’s Chambers, batting practice from Sec 105 No tour guide, self-guided. Does not include Yankees Museum or Great Hall, but you can see those before/during the game. Self-guided, but guarantees access to Monument Park without waiting in line, plus BP (no BP before day games)
Pregame Tour All gamedays (must be holding a game ticket to take this tour) Price varies from $65-$125 depending on day/opponent Monument Park, Yankees Museum, Judge’s Chambers, BP from Sec 105 Choose the earliest tour so you have the most time watching BP (no BP before day games)
Hands on History A handful of gamedays. It’s a very infrequent tour $133.50 Hold and take photos with historic Yankees artifacts Tour is often led by the curator of the Yankees museum
Which tour should you pick? It’s a difficult question. The Classic Tour gives you the full tour of the stadium, including a visit to the dugout, but no game day batting practice. And we find it odd that they don’t actually stop at the Judge’s Chambers for photos (the Yankees say that you can ask your tour guide to take a quick picture, but if they can do that, then why not just stop there for five minutes and let everyone do it?). But if you’re someone who really wants to see the full stadium, the Classic tour is the way to do that. But it also means heading to the Bronx super early, and then not having a lot to do once the tour is over if you’re there on a gameday. You can certainly go get some lunch and a few drinks, but it’s still a lot of time to kill in the Bronx.
The Pregame Tour gives you (almost) everything: Monument Park, the Yankees Museum, Judge’s Chambers, batting practice (but no dugouts because it’s gameday). But it’s expensive. On days where it’s $65, that’s not so bad. But $125? Wow… That seems insane.
The Pregame Glimpse of Greatness may be the sweet spot in all of this. You’re guaranteed access to Monument Park without waiting in line, you get to take your pictures at the Judge’s Chambers, and you get to watch batting practice. For the other stuff, you can do the Yankees Museum on your own (it’s free and open until the 8th inning), and you can go see the Great Hall on your own. And the tour is “only” $38. That’s not cheap, but it’s not completely unreasonable.
The Hands on History tour is a novelty that they don’t run very often. If you happen to be in town when they’re running it, and it really appeals to you, that’s great. But it’s $140, so be sure it’s what you’re looking for.
Bottom Line
Like we said, there’s less to see at Yankee Stadium than you might expect. But there’s still plenty to do, from the pregame bars outside, to Monument Park (a must), to the Yankees Museum, to just wandering around and taking it all in. If you’re not the pregame bar type, the truth is that you can do all of this in one game. Just make sure to get into the ballpark right when the gates open to get in line for Monument Park if it’s on your list. Too many people miss out on it because they don’t realize it has such limited hours. If you want to guarantee that you can do it, opt for the Pregame Glimpse of Greatness tour.
