The Twins sell tickets with all-you-can-eat classic concession fare. Are they worth it?
Long the ire of sports fans, concession prices can be made easier to swallow at Target Field this Twins season.
As in: zero out-of-pocket dollars.
Food and drink in the newly branded Legends Landing area are not free, but when it comes to selecting your favorite stadium treats, the options are an unlimited free-for-all.
Admission tickets for sections S, T, U and V, located on the Club Level down the left-field line, adjacent to the cushy Legends Club, come with access to an all-you-can-eat selection of classic ballpark fare.
The same QR code you use to get into Target Field is your key to a roped-off concession area (formerly a Hennepin Grille spot) with four portals stuffed to serve. Large stand-up coolers house bottled water and five flavors of canned Pepsi products. You'll find hot dogs (basic steamed franks), cheeseburgers (bigger and meatier than a Golden Arches variety), chicken tenders (crispy!) and warm nacho cheese to go with cups of jalapeños and bags of tortilla chips. There are also mountains of shelled peanuts, bagged popcorn and vending-machine variety potato chips begging to be picked up on the way out of the concession area.
Go back as often as you like, and if you saved any room there are four varieties of frozen desserts.
(Side note: For those who enjoy a beer or cocktail with their balls and strikes, the Town Ball Tavern is the closest option, located mere steps away from the Legends Landing buffet.)
"Wear stretchy pants!" an editor suggested. Veteran advice. Multiple trips to the Pepsi cooler accompanied a main course of a burger, dog and popcorn. No baseball game is complete without nachos, and a second hot dog was only appropriate during "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." Vendors piled up what was left of the food in the top of the ninth inning before closing shop. Who knew a chicken tender was a perfect companion for the walk back to Ramp C?
The best stretch, it turns out, is in the wallet.
There is no set face value; prices for Legends Landing access vary between day games (more) and midweek night games (less), holidays and opponents. Most games are listed between $40 and $55. A ticket for the July 20 afternoon game vs. the Milwaukee Brewers is a staggering $87 before fees (hello, surge pricing).
But a visit to Legends Landing on a Tuesday night during the recent L.A. Dodgers series ran $58 after taxes and fees. Tuesdays are also $1 hot dog nights at Target Field, so deals were available throughout the concourse.
The all-you-can-eat Legends Landing, however, remains a remarkable deal.
Consider: Comparable admission tickets in the Diamond Box section one escalator ride below were listed for $38-$56 before fees for the same game. At the family-friendly value concession stand behind Section 120 (and two other locations around the stadium) servers hawk regularly-priced hot dogs ($3.99), popcorn ($2.99), peanuts ($2.99), fountain Pepsi ($1.99), bottled water ($3.99) and ice cream treats ($3.49).
Want a cheeseburger? That will set you back $16.49 (with fries) at various stands around the park.
Factor in the time spent waiting in line and a cashless Target Field requiring you to swipe, swipe, swipe for the home team at each concession visit, and the Legends Landing is a welcome addition to the park during this age of inflation.
You won't find Target Field's Instagram-worthy culinary delights. But what lacks in innovation and whimsy is made up in convenience and lack of sticker shock.