It looks like the Prudential Center had a couple new food concessions for the new season. I usually try to eat somewhere before a game since arena food tends to be mediocre and expensive. I decided to try a couple new food items this night though.
The Handwich Shop serves up palm-sized sandwiches. Hmm, so the food is still fairly expensive and you’re making it smaller? I was skeptical, but gave it a shot.
They have 5 or 6 sandwiches to choose from and you have to order a minimum of two. Some of the sandwiches were not readily available since they were still preparing them. I didn’t feel like waiting and just ordered whatever was ready. They were The Gobbler and The Bavarian.
The Bavarian consisted of pastrami, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing on Rye bread. Not too bad.
The Gobbler is Thanksgiving on a bun. It had roasted turkey, stuffing, and cranberry mayo on a sweet bun. This was pretty good. The turkey could be more moist and the slightly tart cranberry mayo helped a bit. I only wished both of the sandwiches were served warmer, that would have made quite a difference.
I decided to try something else during the second intermission. It’s been awhile since I’ve had anything on the mezzanine. The concessions here are influenced by the Ironbound District – the area of Newark with a large Portuguese population.
The Sirloin Tri Tip Sandwich caught my eye.
It had grilled onions and a garlic parsley chimichurri sauce. The sirloin was kind of bland and the only flavor comes from the garlic in the chimichurri sauce. For $14, I’d skip it and maybe try something else.
I was craving something sweet and the Sea Freeze had fried oreos. I ordered some just to find out that they were sitting out for awhile. They are not made to order so they were cold and hard. They don’ compare to the freshly fried oreos down the shore. So disappointing.
The food at Prudential has slightly improved over the past few years. The typical arena food of fries and hot dogs is fine, but it’s nice to see a greater variety of items now. There’s still a number of foods I have not tried, but so far there isn’t a single item I would instantly buy again.
Prudential Center
25 Lafayette Street
Newark, NJ 07102
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