When Bunny and I went to Star Wars Night at Busch Stadium, we had tickets for the Champions Club. This was definitely a one-time splurge event (much like the Commissioner’s Box), because, being exclusive, all-inclusive seats, the tickets were costly. It was a lot of fun to check it out, though, and see what it was like!
If you’re unfamiliar with the Champions Club, here’s how it works. It’s located on the second level, and you have to get your ticket scanned a second time to get in, so don’t lose it after you get through the gates! After your ticket is scanned, you’re given a wristband, so you can come and go from the Club without having to keep showing your ticket. You then have access to an indoor area, somewhat like the Redbird Club, with bar seating, tables, and couches and easy chairs. There are also flat screen TVs all around, some showing the Cards game, and some showing other games around the league.
Unlike the party suites, you are also guaranteed a dedicated seat outside, in one of about nine sections, which contain rows A-D. All of these seats are under an overhang, so sun and rain are never really an issue.
The decor is what you would expect out of a place called the Champions Club…there are World Series trophies scattered all around (we do have a lot of them in St. Louis, after all!), as well as some other trophies (including a Stan trophy!), and pictures of notable moments in Cards history.
Inside, there are also two full service bars, where you can get soft drinks and the standard lineup of A-B beers, as well as cocktails ( I had a whiskey sour!). There is also a limited wait staff that walks around, both inside and out, taking drink orders. I don’t know how often they go through…we were asked if we needed anything twice, but we were also walking around a lot of the time, so I don’t know what the standard is.
In addition to the bars, there is a buffet area, with lots of food options.
The night Bunny and I were there, there was a hot dog/brat table, with grilled onions, sauerkraut, and condiments from which to choose, as well as a nacho bar, so the baseball basics were covered as far as we were concerned!
There was also a chilaquiles station (it was fun to watch the chef making them right there!):
And a carving station that was serving some awesome roast beef:
There was also what I would label a “fancy food” option…salad choices (including my favorite, Caesar), sautéed swiss chard, roasted potatoes, risotto, and an amazing breaded chicken in a white wine sauce topped with mushrooms and bacon. There were actually two buffet tables with these options, so this was clearly the main event, food-wise!
Oh, and there was a dessert table (Bunny’s favorite!), with different kinds of cookies and brownies:
Seriously, all of the food was amazing. The chicken was my favorite offering (for purposes of research, I did try a little of everything), but it was all great. I don’t know what kind of rotation the foods they offer are on, but I have to assume that no matter when you went, the food would be great.
The staff working there was exemplary, as is the norm at Busch Stadium. The gentleman scanning tickets and giving out wristbands was very helpful, and showed us where everything was, including the private bathrooms (another nice perk). The bartenders were nice, and very accommodating to Bunny when she wanted to have a lime or a cherry in one of her sodas. The chefs working at the buffet were great, especially the gentleman at the carving station, who very kindly posed for a picture for me…he had a lot of personality!
Like I said, this is huge splurge ticket, but if you ever have the chance, I highly recommend getting seats in the Champions Club just once…it’s totally worth the price of admission!
