Bleeding Green Nation, a Philadelphia Eagles community
By TheNoid on Sep 19, 2017, 12:13pm EDT 40
[Editor’s note: Promoted from the FanPosts.] — Updated for the 2021 season! Hopefully this is beneficial whether it’s your first time ever going to Lincoln Financial Field (aka “The Linc”), your first time going in a long time, or even if you’re a regular that’s looking to find new ways to maximize your game day experience.
Getting To The Game
There are 4 main ways to get to the stadium:
Public Transportation – The SEPTA Broad Street Line’s last southbound stop is the NRG Station, right in the thick of the sports complex. On game days there is usually an express service on the line, with limited stops. For the past few seasons, the Broad Street line to and from the game is free for the Eagles’ first home game.
Shuttles – Chickie’s and Pete’s offers the “Taxi Crab” from their Packer Avenue location. For $25 you get valet parking and can catch the shuttle to/from the game. If you want to live dangerously, you can self-park there (or somewhere close) and catch the Taxi Crab for free, but take note if you’re in the shopping center lot and not in the restaurant or patronizing another business, you could get towed. Rally Bus helps organize meeting points around the area where Eagles fans can avoid the stress of getting in and out of the sports complex by crowd-funding the rental of a shuttle bus. The buses have TVs, restrooms and WiFi. Cheerleaders (and other gentleman’s clubs) have also offered a free shuttle in the past and have food, drink, or cover specials with your ticket after the game, or so I’ve heard…
Taxi/Uber/Lyft – If you’re using one of these services to get to the game, the usual drop-off/pick-up spots are next to Xfinity Live, on Pattison Avenue, or on Broad Street, near the NRG subway station.
Park – Unlike some cities, the South Philadelphia sports complex provides a ton of parking reasonably close to the stadiums. Of course, it comes at the cost of $40 in cash and potentially long stretches of sitting in your car trying to get in or out of the lot you are in. However, there are ways to make your experience more smooth, if you have a plan going in (Tip: arrive at least 2 hours before kickoff if you want to ensure you’ll have enough time to get into a lot, find parking, and get through the security lines.) Here are your parking options:
Pre-Game
What you do before the game is an experience just as important as the game itself. Going to an Eagles game offers so many pre-game options that you should have no trouble finding something to enjoy as you count down the minutes to kickoff.
Tailgating – Who doesn’t love the experience of getting up early, beating the traffic and hanging in the parking lot eating, drinking and getting hyped up with hundreds of other fans? In Philly, it’s an event in itself and it’s common to have the Eagles Pep Band, Drum Line or Cheerleaders come through the lots to help rev up the crowd. Eagles staff like team president Don Smolenski, and former players, also roam around regularly to interact with fans. Here are the many ways you can tailgate:
Xfinity Live – On the site of the old Spectrum, this restaurant and entertainment complex is an easy way to kill time before a game (although sometimes it requires a cover charge to enter.) For the rare 4pm games, it’s a great place to catch the 1pm game action, too. It can definitely get crowded and the wait for a table at the restaurants can be very long, but if you’re there early or don’t mind standing, it’s not too bad. Tip: you can reserve a table at the main NBC Sports Arena restaurant inside (and some of the others) as early as the Monday before a Sunday game. The catch is there’s a table minimum you have to spend on food and drink and you have to pay that amount upfront when you place the reservation.
Live! Casino – Behind Citizen’s Bank Park, toward Packard Avenue, is one of Philly’s newest casinos. With a sports book and plenty of dining options including pep rally’s on game days, it’s an option if you’re looking to pass the time before heading into the stadium.
Pepsi Plaza – Usually 3 hours before kickoff (and 90 minutes before the inner gates to the stadium open), the Pepsi Plaza area opens as a fun spot to spend your pre-game time. In addition to the Eagles Pro Shop, there’s usually a variety of food trucks, sponsor tents with giveaways/contests, photo/autograph opportunities with Eagles Alumni, Cheerleaders & Swoop, games, face painting, live music and other entertainment. There’s also a huge video board to watch pre-game shows (or NFL RedZone, if the Eagles are playing at 4pm) and the 94.1 WIP pre-game radio show broadcasts live from a big tent.
For photo ops, there’s the “Philly Philly” statue. There’s also oversized Eagles helmet displays to take pictures with. There are 4: current design, kelly green with silver wings from the 80’s, white with green wings from the 70’s and blue and yellow from the 30’s. And there are big B-I-R-D-S with the letter “I” missing, for fans to stand there and represent it and pose for pictures.
Watching The Game
You’ve done all the pre-game activities and now you’re ready for some football. Unless you’re already in the Pepsi Plaza and through the outer gates, you’ll have to get through the security lines. You can enter through the gate closest to your section, but wait times can get very long, so leave enough time to make it in and to your seat before kickoff (Tip: for the Lifebrand Gate, formerly known as the Northeast Gate, most people use the security lines that are straight in front of the entrance, along the “Road To Victory” bricks. But there’s also lines to the left (on the Tork Club side) and to the right (along the front of Pepsi Plaza) that lead up to this gate and have much shorter waits.)
You’ll hear fireworks/flares at 1 hour before the game and another set at 45 minutes prior to the game, as a reminder to start heading in, if you’re still in the parking lots. If you are in right when the inner gates open, 90 minutes before kickoff, you can watch the pre-game warm-ups by both teams. If you’re in the lower level, the ushers will usually let you get close to the front rows to watch, before most of the people start coming in to take their seats. And, about seating, here’s an overview, using this seating diagram as a guide:
Lower Level (Sections 101-138): You can enjoy a game at Lincoln Financial Field from any seat, which is something not all stadiums can boast (like, say, Fed Ex Field and the numerous, entire rows with obstructed views.) But the lower level is usually a desirable destination for fans looking to get close to the action.
Upper Level (Sections 201-244): Up here it’s a matter of whether you like the “Madden” view (end zones) or the “Tecmo” view (sidelines), when watching a game. But the upper level at The Linc doesn’t ever feel like it’s a mile away from the action, which is nice. Things to note:
Club Level (Sections C1-C40): Located mostly around the middle of the stadium, on both sidelines, these seats are wider and offer more legroom than regular seats. You also have access to the indoor lounge (Tork Club on the visitor’s side, Hyundai Club on the home side) where it’s climate controlled, casual seating, flat-screen TVs, and premium food options not available at the lower or upper level concessions. There’s also usually one or two Eagles alumni that do autograph signings before the game, in each club lounge.
Mid-Level (Sections M7-M14): These seats are at the same level as the Club seats, but with regular sized seats and without access to the Club lounges (although, if you’re in M14 it’s very possible to “accidentally” wander up the stairs on the C15 side, and into the lounge.) These are mostly tickets the visiting team is allocated for their friends and families as well as the group or hospitality sales tickets, including these premium options:
Northeast Terrace (NET1-NET3): These three tiers of seating levels were part of the renovations completed in 2014 that added 1,600 new seats. This was formerly an open deck with standing room views and the Pepsi Zone seating section. It’s a semi-secluded section in the corner of the stadium with a nice view of the field, multiple “aisle” seats because of the spacing, an overhang from the elements, and each level has its own men’s and women’s restroom. NET1 has a small, mobile vendor stand of drinks, but it’s also a quick walk down the steps or from the access ramp, to the lower level concourse for food and drink options.
Southwest Terrace (SWT): Directly diagonal from the Northeast Terrace, this one-level section was also part of the renovations completed in 2014. This was formerly an open deck with standing room views and the Miller Lite Phlite Deck seating section. This is only one tier because sections 107 & 108 in front of it were extended by adding rows to the back (and in front of SWT), and the Mid-Level sections were extended to add M7 – M9, above it (that create an overhang from the elements if you’re in SWT.)
Miller Lite Phlite Deck: These seats are above sections M7-M9 and Miller Lite gives tickets away to this section as part of their promotions during the season.
Bud Light Eagles Nest: This circular deck with table seating and standing room seating is in the northwest corner of the stadium, next to section 237. Bud Light gives tickets away to this section as part of their promotions during the season.
Standing Room Only (SRO or GA): About 600 standing-room only tickets are made available for each game. It’s exactly what it sounds like; you don’t have a seat but you can watch from anywhere you can stand that is not in someone’s way. You CAN’T stand in any entry ways, aisles, handicap/wheelchair areas, against the walls behind a section/row of seats or any ramps on the 100 level. So where are the common places to stand during the game?
Axalta Tunnel Club: Originally a row of 58 seats behind the south end zone, on the field, about 16 additional seats were added for 2019 along the sideline, near the Eagle’s tunnel. They have extra-wide, padded seats, a Microsoft Surface tablet (for every pair of seats to share), USB charging stations, food/drink service and access to the “Tunnel Club” which is a lounge inside the Eagles tunnel where you can hang before/during/after the game and often get high-fives from the players, as they pass by. Mike Trout’s season tickets are here.
52 Club: Added for the 2018 season, and named in honor of the Super Bowl 52 victory, this originally was a row of 52 seats behind the north end zone, on the field, that offer all the same benefits as the Axalta Club seats, without the access to the Tunnel Club. For 2019, about 50 additional seats were added along the sidelines.
Party Decks: At the top of some of the lower level sections are these newly added (2021) open-air decks with capacity for 14 people and barstool seating and tables, flat screen TVs to watch replays, snacks, soda, and beer. These are essentially mini open-air suites that you can purchase by the game.
Luxury Suites: There are 5 types of luxury suites, seating 10-25 people, all with differing levels of amenities, throughout the stadium.
Fox Bet Lounge: While not a “seating” section, this lounge was built in 2020 but debuted in 2021 and is a membership-based lounge that any season ticket holder can join in either 1-year or 3-year commitments. The lounge offers a view of the player parking lot and entrance tunnel to watch as the players arrive on game day. There’s also all-inclusive premium food and alcoholic beverages. The lounge is available pre-game, during the game, at halftime, and post-game. There’s also views into the press conference room to watch the coach and players do their post-game media interviews. Membership also includes a private entrance, VIP parking for the season and access to special VIP events throughout the year. And if you want to upgrade your membership, there’s an upper-level VIP section of the club that offers reserved booths and wait service.
Food
There’s no shortage of options at The Linc, if you’re hungry; it’s just a matter of knowing what you’re looking for and where to get it. The prices aren’t as fan-friendly as in Atlanta, but reasonably in-line with most other stadiums. Here’s a comprehensive list, with locations, followed by some specifics and highlights:
100 LEVEL
101 – Philip’s Steaks
102 – Chickie’s & Pete’s (Crabfries, chicken cutlets, buffalo cutlets)
103 – Philadelphia Cocktail Company
104 – Liberty Bell Tap/Dietz & Watson Classics
104 – Dunkin Donuts Coffee
105 – Spirit Bar
106 – Penn Pizza
106 – Rita’s Water Ice
107 – Eagles Pro Shop
108 – Love and Honey Fried Chicken
109 – Dunkin Donuts Coffee
109 – Treats (Stuffed pretzels, cookies, candy)
110 – Zac’s Hamburgers
110 – Leinenkugel’s Bar
111 – Penn Pizza (including Hot Chocolate)
112 – Tony Lukes
113 – Philly Fry
114 – Fuku
114 – Wing Zone
115 – Chickie’s & Pete’s
116 – Penn Pizza
116 – Rita’s Water Ice
116 – Bud Lite-a-ritas
117 – Liberty Bell Tap/Dietz & Watson Classics/Kosher Stand
117 – Dunkin Donuts Coffee
119 – Pizza from America’s Pie
119 – Chickie’s & Pete’s
120 – Penn Pizza (including Hot Chocolate)
120 – Gluten Free & Vegetarian Options
121 – Philly Favorites (including Crabfries)
123 – Liberty Bell Tap/Dietz & Watson Classics
123 – Eagles Grill (made to order cheesesteaks)
124 – Eagles Pro Shop
124 – Treats (Stuffed pretzels, cookies, candy)
124 – Shock Top
124 – Leinenkugel’s
125 – The Pierogie Place
126 – Chickie’s & Pete’s
128 – Liberty Bell Tap Treats (including Hot Chocolate)
129 – Philly Favorites/Liberty Bell Tap (including Crabfries)
129 – Budweiser Bar
132 – Two Locals Brewing Company
133 – Eagles Pro Shop
133 – Chickie’s & Pete’s (Crabfries only)
134 – Quick and Carmichael
136 – Dunkin Donuts Coffee
136 – Liberty Bell Tap/Dietz & Watson Classics
137 – On The Rocks Bar
138 – Philly Favorites (including Crabfries)
200 LEVEL
201 – Philly Favorites (including Crabfries)
203 – Dietz & Watson Classics (including Dunkin Donuts coffee)
204 – Lincoln Grill
205 – Philly Favorites (including Crabfries)
205 – Goose Island
211 – Dietz & Watson Classics
212 – Philly Favorites (including Crabfries)
213 – Chickie’s & Pete’s (Crabfries only)
216 – Rita’s Water Ice
217 – Shock Top Bar
219 – Penn Pizza
219 – Spiked Seltzer
221 – Philly Favorites (including Crabfries)
223 – Treats (Stuffed pretzels, cookies, candy)
224 – Dietz & Watson Classics
225 – Lincoln Grill
226 – Eagles Pro Shop
227 – Dietz & Watson Classics
227 – Eagles Grill (made to order cheesesteaks, hot dogs, sausages)
229 – Chickie’s & Pete’s
230 – Grill (hot dogs and sausages only)
234 – Dietz & Watson Classics
236 – Penn Pizza
236 – Philly Favorites (including Crabfries)
239 – Penn Pizza
240 – Dietz & Watson Classics (including Dunkin Donuts coffee)
241 – Chickie’s & Pete’s
243 – Eagles Pro Shop
CLUB LEVEL
C3 – Lincoln Grill
C4 – Penn Pizza
C5 – Philly Favorites (including Crabfries)
C5 – Eagles Pro Shop
C17 – Philly Favorites (including Crabfries)
C17 – Eagles Grill (made to order cheesesteaks)
C19 – Quick and Carmichael (sandwiches only)
C20 – Penn Pizza & Dunkin Donuts
C21 – Goose Island
C23 – Lincoln Grill
C24 – Tork Cafe
C26 – Philly Favorites (including Crabfries)
C36 – Philly Favorites (including Crabfries)
C37 – The Market
C37 – Eagles Grill (made to order cheesesteaks)
C38 – Quick and Carmichael (sandwiches only)
MID LEVEL
M11 – Dietz & Watson Classics
M11 – Shock Top Bar
M12 – Philly Favorites (including Crabfries)
M14 – Penn Pizza
Drinks
Everything else: