Where Pigs Fly

Official Review by Joshua Guiher, Stadium Journey Regional Correspondent

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are the class AAA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They have been playing in Coca-Cola Park since 2008, when the park was named ballpark of the year by Ballpark Digest. I highly recommend a visit as you will enjoy your time at one of the best minor league parks in the country.

Food & Beverage    5

The team has a couple of real nice unique food items; with the most popular being the Aw shucks corn on the cob, which comes covered in some sort of spice and parmesan cheese ($3.50). Another item was the three little pigs sandwich, which was grilled ham, pulled pork, bacon and BBQ sauce, a real tasty sandwich that I tried. They also had a gyro station, with an extensive selection of toppings and sandwich options, such as a traditional gyro, chicken gyro, veggie gyro, and falafel all for $7.50 each or "the Zeus" which is a double gyro for $14.50.

The food menu is huge and contains a large quantity of pork items. I could go on for a while, but it is best if you just walk around the park and check out the rest of the stands, such as the Philly Pretzel Factory stand or get yourself a giant turkey leg. If you get something there, be sure the try the buttercreme or cinnamon dips.

Soda products were Coca-Cola and cost $3.50 for a 20oz bottle, or you could get Vitamin water for $3.75 and regular bottled water was $3. Fountain soda was only at select stands and cost $2.75, $3.25 and $3.75 depending on size. They also offered a limited beer selection with bottles costing $5 and draft beers ($5.50).

I did save the best part of the food and beverage experience for last however. The park actually uses a smartphone app called "bypass lane" that you can download for free from the iPhone and Android markets. You can browse the different concession stand menus, and place your order and pay for it via credit card all from your seat. Then you receive a text when your food is ready and they have a special window you go to and pick up your food, "bypassing" the long lines.

The app is actually good for various venues around the country and was designed by Mark Cuban's company. It is well worth the $0.99 transaction fee and you can even have it store your credit card info for future visits to make ordering even faster.

Atmosphere    5

The team has won awards for their between innings entertainment, and it showed throughout the game. Every 1/2 inning the team has some sort of fan contest or other entertainment. Thankfully it isn't real intrusive with advertisements, just pure entertainment to keep everyone involved with the game.

They also have a "win-the-zones" game, where zones of the field are "controlled" by the team that most recently got a hit into that area of the field. The rules are a bit complicated so the team constantly announces who controls which zone on the scoreboard. Once you catch the hang of the game, you can follow along pretty easily since the zones are marked on the field much like the St. Louis Cardinals landscape the arch into their outfield grass.

Neighborhood    3

Lehigh Valley is a really fast growing part of Pennsylvania. In fact, it is the 64th most populous metro area in the United States according to data from the most recent census, so you will be able to find plenty to do.

A great place to grab a beer is the Bethlehem Brew Works. I would go with just the appetizer sampler, since it is different than most restaurants because it includes Bavarian pretzels and fried pierogies. Of course, be sure to try one of their many draft beer options, such as the Steelworkers' Oatmeal Stout.

If you want to just grab a bite to eat without alcohol, try Grumpy's Bar-B-Que Roadhouse. They have a huge six page menu with everything from traditional BBQ to a line of bisque soups.

Fans    4

The fans were really into the game, but the game ran long on a weeknight and not many stayed to the finish, my only real complaint. The team does a great job of selling out fairly often and even for the night I was there it was quite full. A real nice showing for a minor league team on a weeknight in my experiences. There appeared to be a good number of season ticket holders with lots of fans wearing the IronPigs apparel.

Access    5

Parking was $3 which seems to be standard at minor league parks, but Lehigh does offer shuttle rides right to the entrance or the ticket office which was really nice. The parking is all paved with plenty of spots.

The concourse was wide and you could walk the entire way around the park, something you can't do at most minor league parks. There is a lot of seating to eat near the right field seats where you can still see the game action.

Return on Investment    4

Tickets start at $6 for general admission and $9 gets you a nice chair back seat with a good view down either baseline. There is a $1 per ticket transaction fee if you order online, so just call the ticket office if you want to save a little.

With the great access, atmosphere and fan base, the experience is easily worth the price.

Extras    5

There is a reason why Sports Illustrated's Peter King loves to mention IronPigs games and why the park was voted as one of the best by Ballpark Digest. The entire package is there. Kids' zone, great food, involved fans, attentive staff all in a great ballpark. If you are anywhere between New York and Philadelphia, I highly recommend a stop at Coca-Cola Park.