There is something about Milwaukee that I can’t quite put my finger on. I love the old town America feel of the entire city and I always enjoy myself while there. Of course I have never been there in the winter. As the encased meat capital of the world I expected the dog at the Brewer’s game to be top notch, and I was not disappointed. As you see from the numbers below Miller Park has a tasty frank, but as Brewer fans know the real tale of the dog is in the parking lot. If you have never been to Miller Park, Brewer fans, unlike most baseball fan bases, do some serious tailgating. I mean tailgating of legendary proportions that will put the fans of any college football team to shame. At any given time there are more brats on the grill in the ballpark parking lot than there are hairs on my head. OK….that’s not a lot. More than hairs on my back….and that is a substantial amount.
Toss in great weather and a local radio special in which fans could get ticket for $6.20 for at 6:20 pm start (it was AM 620 night, get it?) and a great crowd helped me watch the Brew Crew down the Twins 6-2. This was one of the games I watched live and listened to on the radio simultaneously. I do that when I like the broadcasters, and Bob Uecker is one of my favorites. The ballpark is a nicely constructed two-toned brick structure with an engineering marvel of a retractable roof. One end of the stadium has a large section of glass and the curved roof meets to make a signature V shape that somehow reminds me of an ocean wave. While beautiful, its look and vibe can best be explained by a Brewer fan I met at a Mariner’s game in Seattle: it reminds him of a warehouse. And it does. Toss in the huge stainless air conditioning ductwork and vents with the rest of the design and it looks like one giant, high-tech warehouse. Still beautiful, but a warehouse nonetheless.
Dog:
Bun-fresh and steamed.
Taste-really good. It was a Hebrew National frank and they never disappoint. Add in the Secret Stadium Sauce that you can only get at Miller Park and the dog leaves you wanting another.
Toppings-excellent. Grilled onions and kraut are offered at ordering and there are more onions, brown mustard and most other toppings available.
Price-$5 for a dog of these proportions is a good deal at a MLB venue.
Portability-the paper wrapper keeps it all together until digging in.
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| Dog and Secret Stadium Sauce |
It Factor-the only thing keeping it from a perfect score is availability of a variety of speciality dogs. The newscasters told me when I was interviewed that there is a two-pound dog to be had at Miller Park, but I never saw it and the Brewer’s staff never bothered to contact me after my inquiry. As far as I am concerned this 2 pound dog is like Sasquatch. I need to see it myself to believe. What does bump up the score is the brats. Brats are legendary in Milwaukee and you will get one at the park after smelling them on the grill.
Ballpark:
Location-not downtown but at a confluence of highways. Great if you are driving. Not so great otherwise.
Location-not downtown but at a confluence of highways. Great if you are driving. Not so great otherwise.
Access-hard to get to the park without a car. I had to walk a mile or more to skirt pay parking. Might be a bus route to the ballpark but that would be it.
Cleanliness-neat as a pin.
GA Ticket Price-the Brewers luck out here. My reports are a snapshot of time. The normal cheapest ticket prices are in the high-teens which I would deem too expensive. On Mondays, the night I went, tickets are $9. Hey Milwaukee….the cheapest tickets at a Rockies games are $4...always.
Fans-real baseball fans live in Milwaukee. I met people from all corners of Wisconsin making their sojourn to see the Brew Crew. I love watching baseball with real hardball fans. Top score.
Ambiance-I explain the warehouse feel above. I wish it had a baseball vibe to it, I really do because it is a beautiful venue. It just doesn’t pull it off. Sorry Milwaukee. The famous sausage race gives it extra credit.
| Dog | Ballpark | Total Dog/Game | ||
| Bun | 5 | Location | 3 | |
| Taste | 5 | Access | 3 | |
| Toppings | 5 | Cleanliness | 5 | |
| Price | 5 | Ambiance | 3 | |
| Portability | 5 | GA Ticket Price | 4 | |
| It Factor | 4 | Fans | 5 | |
| 29 | 23 | 52 |
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| Famous Sausage Race |
Despite the score of 52, which is nothing to be ashamed of (note that the dog gets a near perfect score), I highly recommend hitting Miller Park for a game. Get there early and chat with the fans in the parking lot, eat a brat, have a beer, scream for the Brew Crew. And if you see Bob Uecker tell him he still owes me money.
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