Hey Sox fans, Joe Binder here with a quick read for you about our recent White Sox gameday experience. If you follow us on Twitter, you may have seen the last week in May was a busy one for the Sox On 35th crew. On Friday, May 31st, we had our first tailgate of the season out in Lot B. At one point, our Matty Ice counted around 50 people at one point, so it was an awesome turnout. With it also being my first time to Chicago, it was even better to finally get out there and meet all the fine folks I’ve been able to interact with since I started our Twitter a few years ago. I’d like to extend a huge thank you to all who joined us for making it a fun time!
Shortly after the festivities ended, things only got better as I had the chance to check out a game from the Guaranteed Rate Club with Brandon Anderson, Jordan Lazowski, and my dad, Ernie. If you want to talk about having a top-notch White Sox gameday experience, this is it right here. As you can see, our Brandon Anderson was loving it from the moment we walked in.
Before I jump into the details, let me start off by guiding you to where the Guaranteed Rate Club is located. If you look directly behind home plate, the club is right underneath Jason Benetti and Stone Pony in the 200 level of the ballpark. The arrows from the Guaranteed Rate logos literally point down to the seats, making it hard to miss. Here’s a picture for reference:
In order to get to the Guaranteed Rate Club, all you have to do is walk in through Gate 4 and take the elevator straight up. Don’t worry, there’s plenty of friendly staff to guide you so you won’t get lost. Once you arrive and walk in, there’s a ton of things you can do right off the bat. The food immediately caught my attention, as it normally does wherever I go, but even more so this time since any ticket to the Guaranteed Rate Club means you get access to unlimited food AND drink. Yes, you read that correctly!
The buffet-style dining area had it all from wedge salads to a smoked turkey that was carved on the spot by a chef. For my first round of action, I kept it simple and humble with a hot dog. I know it’s seems boring given all the options in front of me, but a good dog is always a must at any game. Round two was when it was time to kick it into full gear and really dig in. I joined Jordan and Bson in trying an assortment of things including some smoked chicken, Barramundi (the Catch of the Day), shrimp, and vegetables (because you have to eat healthy every now and then). All of these tasted just as good as it looks in the pictures and went nicely with that beer sitting off to the side.
Since I brought up the brewski, let’s talk about it some more. Directly behind the seats and in the center of the Guaranteed Rate Club is the bar area. Here, they offered a wide variety of beverages, making it easy to find something suitable for every member of your family. I personally decided to go with Goose Island’s Green Line Pale Ale, which turned out to be a perfect pairing with the food and White Sox baseball.
Believe it or not, there was baseball that was played, which brings me to one of the best parts of the whole experience. From the club seats, you get an incredible panoramic view of the entire stadium. As you can see in the picture below, the fourth row of seating offers an extended table where you can enjoy your food. Then below, there’s an additional three rows of extremely comfortable, padded seats. It’s like watching a game from your couch, especially since there’s plenty of room to spread out and not feel crammed. There were even TVs placed not only inside this seating area, but all across the club so you’re always able to follow the action.
Just in case you end up feeling too relaxed once you’re in your seats, kind of like we did, you really don’t have to leave much during the game thanks to the in-seat food and beverage service. I really can’t say enough great things about how hospitable the entire staff was to us, and I mean the ENTIRE staff. From the second we walked in, we felt right at home and I credit a large part of their great service towards making this experience an unforgettable one.
Before we round third base and come home, I would be foolish not to mention the food one more time. After dinner, the dining area underwent a complete transformation into every kid’s dream: an unlimited desert area. The options were endless so we did our best and try to cover anything and everything we could find. There were chocolate dipped rice krispies treats, cupcakes, pudding, ice cream, cookies, and basically anything else that you could possibly think of. If you asked our Jordan Lazowski, he could probably tell you it was the equivalent of walking into Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory and having everything at your fingertips.
As I wrap things up, here’s a brief summary of what you can expect when you go to watch a game at the Guaranteed Rate Club:
- All-inclusive gourmet dinner and dessert buffet
- Premium open bar
- In-seat food and beverage service
- Four rows of sheltered, open-air seating directly behind home plate
- TVs scattered all over the entire club
- Private bathrooms WITH the radio broadcast playing, making it impossible to miss any bit of the action
Overall, the experience was unlike any other I’ve had at a ballpark before and we had an incredible time. On behalf of the Sox On 35th crew, I would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to Guaranteed Rate for this outstanding opportunity. We also cannot thank the staff working at the Guaranteed Rate Club enough for how welcoming they were from the minute we walked through the doors. I am convinced that an experience like this is hard to beat not only on the South Side, but at any other ballpark across the nation. We highly recommend catching a game from the Guaranteed Rate Club as soon as you can. I know I’m looking forward to doing it again next time I’m in Chicago!
For more information on the Guaranteed Rate Club and how you can purchase tickets, click here or call the White Sox at 312-674-1000.
