THE DIAMOND CLUB
Buffet Restaurant at Rangers Ballpark on Rangers Gamedays
Rangers Ballpark
1000 Ballpark Way
(817) 795-9006, ext 2034
During every Rangers game, the Diamond Club offers the best food inside Rangers Ballpark. Located just beyond the left field wall, the restaurant has four-tiers of seating so that patrons enjoy a tremendous view of the field in air-conditioned comfort. It’s an all-you-can-eat buffet for a price of $24.95 for adults, $7.95 for kids, and free for children 6 and under.
The Diamond Club opens two hours prior to the game and closes one hour after the game starts. You must have a ticket to the game to enter the Diamond Club. But you don’t have to make reservations; walk-ups are welcome. However, it’s best to call and make a reservation (817 795-9006 ext 2034) if you’re coming on a day when the ballpark is going to be really crowded. So if it’s Mother’s Day or Father’s Day or 4th of July….or if it’s a big game versus the Yankees or Red Sox, I would call first to reserve a table.
I attended a weekday game versus the Indians and there was plenty of space in the Diamond Club; we just walked-in.
As for the food…it was good! The buffet does change each game, so the selection will be a little different each time you come. There are waiters who bring your drinks, so expect to leave a little bit of a gratuity for the waitstaff. This is a nice place with Rangers-logo table cloths and cloth napkins and real silverware…it’s not eating at a picnic table next to a concession stand.
One item that’s always available: prime rib at the carving station with either an au jus or horseradish on the side. The meat brand is Nolan Ryan Prime Rib (not surprising since the owner of the meat company is also president of the Texas Rangers). Not to suck up to the Hall of Fame pitcher/team president, but the prime rib was the best thing on the buffet.
Other items available during my visit: poached salmon, chicken alla cacciatore, fusilli pasta with sun-dried tomatoes, roasted rosemary potatoes, and a vegetable medley of steamed asparagus/tomatoes/squash.
Yes, there is salad, too. On our day, there was even a shrimp salad (you know, the kind with the teeny-tiny shrimps in a mayonnaise type of salad). Honestly, the shrimp salad looked better than it tasted.
And on the day we were there: sushi! Our waiter said it’s the first time he had ever seen sushi on the buffet, so it must not be available every day. No big loss, however. I love sushi, and this wasn’t very good.
What’s very good is the amount of fresh fruits and cheeses.
And it costs extra ($6.95), but there is a dessert buffet, too. You can build-your-own ice cream sundae. And the warm bread pudding….wow, smelled so good. There was also an excellent selection of cakes/pie including: cheesecake, strawberry shortcake, lemon crème cake, and some sort of bourbon-something cake.
For the kids (or the grown-up kids who prefer ballpark fare to poached salmon or vegetables), there are mini-burgers and hot dogs.
This was my first time to eat inside the Diamond Club. I think it’s an excellent price for kids (only $7.95 which is less than what you would spend at the concession stand for nachos and a soft drink). And kids under 6 are free! I think this is a good deal for families because the prices are cheap for the kids.
In fact, I’m thinking that this would be a nice treat for a family member or friend celebrating a birthday or special occasion…who also happens to love baseball and the Rangers!
The Diamond Club opens two hours before the game, but the Rangers are usually finished with batting practice before the restaurant opens. Mostly you’ll see the grounds crew prepping the field. But as the game gets closer, more players will finally emerge for final warm-ups before the game.
Here’s a money-saving hint: there is a 2-for1 coupon for The Diamond Club inside the Entertainment Passbook for Ft. Worth (not the Dallas version, I already checked). I bought an Entertainment Passbook (order at entertainment.com), Ft Worth version, for $15.00 and it paid for itself because I saved $24.95 on this buffet.
The Diamond Club is only open for Rangers games. But it can also be rented for private events year-round. Anyone looking to book it should call this number and extension: (817) 795-9006, ext 2032.
Arlington Insider 