| 18 May 2010
For some silly reason, we were really excited about the most recent Yankees money-grab, also known as the Malibu Rum Terrace Deck. It wasn't ever going to enhance the in-game experience being tacked on to the outside of the stadium, but we envisioned a rooftop bar with stadium-priced drinks and a boisterous atmosphere. Sadly, the Yankees have taken a bad idea and turned it into the biggest ripoff in a stadium full of them.
Tucked into an inauspicious doorway across from section 310 in the upper deck of Yankee Stadium, The Malibu Rum Terrace Deck takes you where you've never been before:
We'll readily admit that this was the first time we had ever seen the South Bronx from this vantage point, and on a muggy late-Spring evening, it was actually pretty charming. Unfortunately, the charm ended as soon as we saw the prices:
That's right. $18 for alcoholic beverages. And these aren't those ridiculously oversized margaritas that they're selling in the Field Level Food Court for $15, these are 12 ounce cocktail cups that you'll finish in 3 sips:
But what about the food? We figured that there had to be a hidden gem somewhere up here. Once again, we came away disappointed. We were smart enough not to waste our money on anything, but the $12 Yankee burger looked like the type of frozen burger that is sold in packs of 40 for $9.99 at WalMart. The only hope for this place would have been if Malibu's sponsorship had somehow subsidized prices for the fan, but that is CLEARLY not the case. Everything at the Malibu Rum Terrace Deck is actually MORE expensive than in the rest of the stadium.
Here at NYYSI, we pride ourselves on being fan advocates and love to help fans get the best out of their Yankee Stadium experience. Simply put, The Malibu Rum Terrace Deck is a place to visit once to see the "view" and never go back. If you spend your money here, you are a sucker. There's no two ways about it.
The site of The Malibu Rum Terrace Deck (top-right area of the photo, above Gate 6)
UPDATE (5-26-10): Commenter Tom points out that there are "microbrews" at other spots in the stadium. This is really leading up to a dedicated beer post:
I don't mean to burst your bubble, but you're actually wrong about it being the only spot for microbrews. There's a beer section on the field level, right near gate 6 (I think section is 110 or so). They have both Goose Island AND McSorley's on draft, the 24 oz cup for $11. It was there as recently as the Baltimore series, and I certainly assume they haven't changed it since. Though since I have a package in grandstand I welcome some microbrews in the upper deck! Also, the new "mobile" beers of the world has chezchvar, which has been a welcome addition.
UPDATE (5-21-10): Commenter Ed added some more Malibu Rum Terrace Deck insight in the comments section. Aside from enjoying the view like we do, he dropped the bombshell that this is the ONLY place in Yankee Stadium to get a microbrew beer on tap:
As the previous poster mentioned, "regular" mixed drinks were $11 and came in what looked like 14 oz cups. Seemed not bad at all but none of us got that. What got my eye was that they actually have an American Micro Brew on tap. This is the only public area of the Stadium (and I walked the whole place last homestand) where you can get a microbrew on draft. It's a huge thing in America and New York that the Yankees have been missing out on. They had Goose Island IPA on tap, 24 oz for $11 (same price as the draughts at the uninspired "Beers of the World" around the Stadium).
Now things are getting interested. We're not big fans of Goose Island IPA, but the fact that they'll have microbrews on tap up there is a step in the right direction, and definitely a reason to go back if you have seats in the Terrace or Grandstand. We'd like to point out how ridiculous it is that we're HAPPY about an $11 microbrew, but everyone needs to understand that its Yankee Stadium we're talking about so there is a completely different price paradigm.
UPDATE (5-19-10): Commenter Michael pointed out that we neglected to provide the prices of non-specialty drinks. Here's what he has to say:
Actually, the prices are very reasonable. Mixed drinks are only $10 bucks, served in a big cup, compared to $12 in the food court on the field level, in a smaller cup. You took pictures of the specialty drinks that nobody ever buys, all bars throughout the city offer the same crappy drinks on those cards, but i have never seen anyone order on of those things. I paid 10 bucks for a strong ketel one and seltzer, which i think is better than 9 bucks for a bud light. in fact, i was drinking at the dug out bar, across the street from the stadium and an absolute and seltzer was also $10, so the prices are average.
$10 for a strong drink actually isn't terrible. We'll have to try this out, assuming they let you leave the terrace with said drink.
