Leinenkugel’s Craft Lodge
333 W. 35th StreetMy favorite thing about going to White Sox games at Rate Field, besides hanging with my group of guys that I don’t get see nearly often enough, is the pre-gaming we do.
We typically get to the ballpark when the parking lots open and do a little tailgating. It’s not a full on Bears tailgate though. We usually pick up wings from somewhere, have a few beers, then go in and watch the game.
This year we picked up wings from BadaBing Wings Zone and BBQ from Smoque BBQ. We did our usual hanging out in the parking lot and catching up then headed in for the game about an hour before first pitch.
We entered the stadium at Gate 2 because we were parked in the lots south of the stadium. As soon as we got through the MAGS, we ran right in to one of my favorite spots in the ballpark.
The Leinenkugel’s Craft Lodge is one of the coolest features of Rate Field. It’s at field level in the right field corner and open to anyone 21+. You don’t have to have a special ticket to get in to the lodge. You can access it either from the ramps by going down to field level if you come in a different gate or you can through the stands and walk down bleachers right in front of the foul pole. The space originally opened in 2017 as the Craft Kave. It was then rebranded to the Goose Island Craft Kave and then the Leinenkugel’s Craft Lodge in 2022. Before that it was the Bullpen Sports Bar. The space opened up in the 1996 season. Before that, it was part of the field which had deeper dimensions and part of the original bullpens.
We were right at the entrance to it so we just went through the field level entrance right next to the gate. This kind of gives you a sneak peak at the behind the scenes workings of a baseball stadium too if you’ve never seen it before. You’re a long way from the clubhouses but there is still a lot that goes on underneath the seating bowl of a stadium.
The space is really just a big bar. The craft name comes from the large coolers with a pretty large selection of craft beer. It’s broken down by style. I was looking for an IPA so I headed to that cooler. Turns out, I was the only one in our group who wanted a can. It’s self service and you pay at a kiosk. There is a lady by the check out kiosks to check ID if necessary and to open the can. You can’t leave the payment area with an unopened can.
I usually grab two beers but I wasn’t really feeling it. I was pretty stuffed from the food and I didn’t want to hang on to a beer and let it get warm. I’d come back for another if I wanted it.
The one I picked was Ninja vs. Unicorn from Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago. It’s one of my favorite Chicago beers and I think I grab at least one every year at this game. I’ve picked up four packs before Binny’s in the area but it’s kind of become a staple for me at White Sox games.
The rest of the space is a pretty wide open bar area. There is an actual bar that takes up a big portion of the space. My dad and friend went there to get some Miller Lite drafts. The bar is a very large U-Shaped bar with TV’s that run the length. They were all tuned in to some sort of baseball including the in-house feed which was broadcasting the Ozzie Guillen jersey retirement that was happening out on the field while we were in the Lodge.
The rest of the room is taken up by tables. The decor underneath the bleachers is pretty minimal. The floors are concrete, the walls are cinder block, and the ceiling is literally the cement for the bleachers above you. The tables are all pub style with some of the most uncomfortable pub chairs I’ve ever sat in. My dad and buddy grabbed a couple of seats at a rail that separates the bar and the seating area. There was a third chair but I just stood so I could talk to them and because the chairs were so uncomfortable.
The best part about the Leinenkugel’s Craft Lodge is the view of the field. It’s obviously better pre-game because there is a window that looks right in to the visitors bullpen. There used to be a rail to sit at but they’ve replaced that with some Adirondack chairs so you can sit there and make faces at the opposing team’s starting pitcher. This is the reason we started coming down to the Craft Kave many years ago….not to make faces at pitchers but just to watch them warm up. It’s a little behind the scenes type of thing and it’s totally free with your ticket.
The Leinenkugel’s Craft Lodge is one of the really cool things about Rate Field. It’s always a stop for us as soon as we get in the park. You could sit there the whole game if you really wanted to. They apparently do have food and table service but we’ve never done either. We always just grab a couple of beers, watch a pitcher warm up, then head up the stands to our seats. It’s really the best way to kick off a night at the ballpark.
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