The 'Pen Feedback Thread
by Jeff Sullivan on Jun 25, 2011 1:20 PM PDT
in Safeco Field
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PrintI'd been thinking about posting something on this for a while, but wanted to wait until it was deep enough into the season for all the kinks to be worked out. If you have gone to The 'Pen at Safeco, what has been your experience? If you haven't, why haven't you? Are there parts of it you wish were different?
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Food
The hot dog nachos were pretty damn good, and I’ve always loved sitting in that little left field bar to watch a few innings. Unfortunately with “The Pen” now bringing way more people down there it’s more crowded than it used to be. The burgers over at Hamburg+Frites suck royally. I mean it’s your standard cardboard patty sans any seasoning whatsoever, but the fries and the sauce they come with are decent.
Compared to what it used to be, The 'Pen is incredible.
Great environment. Only problem is, since it’s so awesome it tends to be very crowded.
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If you want to enjoy the 'Pen get there early.
They open 30 minutes before any other gate and it’s REALLY easy and the lines are all short. During the game it gets crowded especially with all of the people getting beer. We generally go early and grab a bite and go to our seats and watch visitor BP and get some autographs from the relievers after they get done warming up. I very rarely venture there during the game.
Unless they mention the $2 off coupon – then I’ll make a trip!
by ambrosia2112 on Jun 25, 2011 2:13 PM PDT up reply actions
The food is great...
It’s overpriced but i guess that’s to be expected. Also,for some games the scoreboard will show an offer that says $2 off hamburg+frites if you use the codeword Vargas or Pineda or something like that. Then you go there and it’s only two dollars off the burger, no discount on the frites. Argh!
For the calibre of food, the prices are fairly reasonable compared to some other parks.
I went to Angels and Dodger stadium last year and was joking with people around us about the high prices of food at Safeco and after a few excursions I discovered that I was VERY wrong. Our prices seem comparatively high but the food tastes (in my opinion) MUCH better than comparable food at some other parks.
by ambrosia2112 on Jun 25, 2011 2:17 PM PDT up reply actions
Overpriced?
The pizza is the best value in the stadium ($5 for a HUGE slice), and the Tortas are packed full of tasty goodness for a reasonable amount compared to lesser food around the stadium (similar price to the “cheesesteak”, and far, far, far better).
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You should go down and get the Pizza,
It’s amazing and huge, for only 5 bucks! Hell you probably get more pizza in the pen than you in the regular concession stands.
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by Neil Vincent Roberts on Jun 26, 2011 9:10 AM PDT up reply actions
I really like the unobstructed view (no more fences) into the bullpens.
And quite honestly, I’m shocked some asshole hasn’t ruined it. Yet.
by truemsfan on Jun 25, 2011 2:14 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
This was my first thought
“How long until some drunk douche throws a beer at a reliever/coach?”
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by appleshampoo on Jun 25, 2011 2:43 PM PDT up reply actions
I am STUNNED that hasn't happened yet.
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The lack of fence on the bullpen is awesome.
I think the fact there is an SPD officer standing there deters must stupid activity.
by Eric Wedge's Mustache on Jun 25, 2011 4:05 PM PDT up reply actions
D-Baggery Magnet
During a weekday afternoon game in May, I walked over the The Pen to check it out. It’s a great idea, well executed. It’s cool to stand so close to the bullpen pitchers and see them warm up right in front of you. Major drawback: The deck where people sit/stand and eat near the outfield fence is full of 20-something D-bags.
It's okay
I tried the veggie crepe, it was okay but not really anything like a real crepe (considering how much I know about them). Haven’t tried any of the other food.
The main thing I don’t like is how they play stuff other than the game on TVs during the game. The one game I spent a decent amount of time down there, I looked up at one of the TVs while I was in line for food to see what was happening on the field, and the TV was showing MMA. I mean, do we really need more things at Safeco distracting the “fans” from the actual baseball game?
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by appleshampoo on Jun 25, 2011 2:45 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Really? All the games I've been to this year they've only had the Mariners game on.
by Patrick Stites on Jun 25, 2011 5:04 PM PDT up reply actions
Same here Mr. Stites.
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by Neil Vincent Roberts on Jun 26, 2011 9:11 AM PDT up reply actions
The Tortas from the Flying Tortuga
are AWESOME. Ask for extra jalepenos.
Other than that, another commentor above got it right: D-bag central. Get your food and get out of there.
Every Sunday, Section 336's loudest fan.
For the first hour-and-a-half, it's a decent place to be.
Good food, slightly less expensive drinks, great view of BP. Trick is to get there early, though.
An hour before the game it’s completely packed and you’re probably better served just wandering the park until first pitch.
The pen is pretty lame in my opinion..
The food isn’t very good, I got a burger down there and ate it on the way back to my seat, and that’s how it tasted, like a burger you grab and eat quickly just cause you’re hungry. Other than that The Pen just made it more difficult to watch the pitcher’s warm up because of all the idiots getting beer and crowding the place up. The one positive is that it has seemed to make the lines for garlic fries smaller.
by TommyFarrow on Jun 25, 2011 4:04 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
The Pen is a great atmoshpere for 20-somethings.
It’s like going to a bar in pioneer square. If that’s not your scene, then move on to other parts of the park, no one is forcing you to go there. I think the major drawback of the “beer-garden” area is that it’s really tough to see the field if you’re not near one of the precious spots up against a fence. Most people there though don’t seem to be paying attention to the game though, they’re there to socialize.
by Eric Wedge's Mustache on Jun 25, 2011 4:09 PM PDT reply actions
I don't buy that
Unless it comes with a separate admission, it’s part of the ballpark and shouldn’t be made in effect off limits to little kids and people who don’t want some drunk screaming in their ear.
So every spot in the stadium should be exactly like every other spot?
Boo homogeneity. I like it when little mini cultures develop, it’s organic and natural, and it sure beats having the people’s soviet of fans dictate that ALL MUST BE SAME. Everyone has different standards of what’s considered acceptable behavior. If we used the least offensive possible standard universal, then all fans at all times would be restricted to drinking Ovaltine and sitting quietly in their seats and clapping politely. Maybe your personal standard isn’t quite so restrictive, but why is your personal standard — whatever it is — the one to which all other stadium-goers, even those in a unique area like the Pen, must adhere at all times?
Besides, what about the notion that making an essentially no-kid zone makes the rest of the park better for kids? And aren’t there already family sections where they enforce rules about alcohol consumption and cursing, etc? Should we get rid of the King’s Court because they tend to stand up more, blocking the view of fans who would prefer to sit? Should we kick all the Japanese tourists out of the seats near right field in order to ensure a more evenly spread racial distribution?
If you don’t want to behave “kid-friendly,” don’t sit in the family section. If you don’t like Japanese tourists, don’t sit in Ichi-land. If you don’t like having to stand up a lot, don’t sit in the King’s Court. And if you don’t like 20-somethings drinking beer, don’t take your 6-year-old to the beer garden area.
by nucleard on Jun 25, 2011 4:28 PM PDT up reply actions 7 recs
A tad over the top, don't you think?
You distorted what I said and ignored what I was replying to, which was the poster expressly saying that the place was “like going to a bar in Pioneer Square” (which, under our state’s liquor laws, kids can’t even get in if they want to) and “if that’s not your scene, then move on to other parts of the park.” If you can’t tell the difference between my comment on that and your rhetorical response, I can’t help you.
I haven't seen any drunks in The Pen. Safeco has an alcohol enforcement security force in the park, and my experience has shown that they do a good job.
To the commenters above me, I do agree that having diverse areas of the park is a good idea, but I think we can all agree that NOBODY should be DRUNK in a public area, especially an area where there WILL BE children, even though the area is not specifically made for them. But like I said, I haven’t seen any drunk people in The Pen.
I'm drunk in public areas all the time
Amazingly I manage to not be an asshole
by Aaron Campeau on Jun 26, 2011 6:10 PM PDT up reply actions
The Frites are some of the best fries I've had
And if you get there early and get a spot by the bullpen, it can be really nice. I also got a Seattle Dog from the same place(Hamburg and Frites) and thought it was delicious. I’ll have to try a crepe Sunday.
The crepes were pretty good.
I had the strawberry/nutella ones, and it was awesome. Really messy and kind of difficult to eat while walking, but still pretty great. I like that they have liquor now, too. Overall I like the people that are there early, not necessarily the frat guys there to pick up chicks. I’m basically just echoing what everyone else has said, though.
Well I'm here now. The view is nice.
Atmosphere is only okay. Energy lever is inadequate for the crowd.
...and now I'm here
by CapSea on Jun 25, 2011 7:36 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
Went down there yesterday for a bit. We didn't try any of the food, but yeah it was pretty packed. We only hung around for about 15 minutes before going elsewhere.
Was nice to see an unobstructed of the pen though.
RIP Dave Niehaus.
I like it, especially the $5 happy hour up until 1 hour before first pitch
I used to come early and have a couple beers at Pyramid’s beer garden. Now I can have cheaper, better beer on the porch while I watch batting practice. Win.
The beer variety has declined quite a bit over last year, though. Seemed there were close to 20 varieties on tap. Now there are about half that many. I didn’t find a single IPA, either. Grr. Manny’s and Mac and Jack’s at $5 on happy hour is reasonable, but if I’m going to pay $9.75 for a 20 oz beer I’d like to be able to get something a little more interesting.
For watching the game, it’s what you’d expect. Not the greatest sight lines unless you arrive early for a coveted spot up front. Not a lot of paying attention to the game for that reason, which does make it feel more like an overpriced sports bar. Since people aren’t watching, they’re not terribly invested. Makes it hard to get the energy levels up.
What I’ve always liked about the Pen, including in its past iteration, is that it’s GA seating. Perfect for organizing a group of friends to come out and not having to buy all the tickets together. I can put out a call via text or on Facebook that I’m going to the game, and all anyone has to do to join me is get a ticket, any ticket.
I’m probably in the minority, but I’d like to see the Mariners turn it into its own, ticketed, standing room only section. Prices around the same as the CF bleacher cheap seats, maybe a dollar or two less. It would create a clear, distinct section for 21+ fans, which comments above suggest there’s a thirst for. And since most of the people I see in The Pen seem to want to spend most, if not all, of the game there anyway, it feels like it would have some appeal.
Rooting for lovable losers since 1984.
Not a bad idea.
It already seems like the price of a center field bleacher seat is just a cover charge for the ’Pen anyway.
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