The $61 takeaway lunch that just proves lobster is overrated

1 week ago 3

Opinion

September 6, 2025 — 9.30am

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New York: The late, great Christopher Hitchens once named champagne, picnics and lobster among the most over-rated pleasures in life. On the latter, I’d have to concur.

Especially when you’re paying $US40 ($61) for the privilege. That’s how much the Maine-style lobster roll from Red Hook Lobster Pound will set you back at the US Open in New York.

the $US40 ($61) Maine lobster roll at Flushing Meadows.

The price tag didn’t seem to deter the punters, though, who were lined up to splash their cash at lunchtime on Tuesday between two big matches at the adjacent Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Food and drink prices at sporting events are always a talking point, although here in New York, one of the most expensive cities in the world, people seemed resigned to the inevitable – and are even surprised that some items didn’t cost more.

The long-serving signature cocktail of the US Open is the “honey deuce”, a ubiquitous concoction combining Grey Goose vodka, Chambord (a raspberry liqueur) and lemonade, with three honeydew melon balls resting on top as a garnish.

That will set you back $US23 – or $35 at current exchange rates. Add the requisite 15 per cent tip as I did, and you’re looking at $40 a drink. But there are plenty of these pretty potions to be seen at Flushing Meadows, from lunchtime to late at night.

The honey deuce – the US Open’s signature cocktail – contains vodka, lemonade and Chambord, and is topped with three honeydew melon balls.

So, how does the honey deuce stack up?

I bought mine at the official Grey Goose stand outside Arthur Ashe Stadium, but you can find it everywhere. The vodka lemonade came out of a tap, with the attendant adding a splash of Chambord and placing a garnish stick on top. Premium mixology it ain’t.

The drink is on the sweet side – an unavoidable hazard in the US – but overall, very drinkable. It doesn’t taste too strong, which is probably for the best, though some may object. The honeydew melon balls – resembling tennis balls, obviously – are a fun touch and perhaps the only fruit available in all of Flushing Meadows.

Would I pay $US23 for this anywhere else? I’d like to think not. But at the tennis? Well, why not? After all, I’d forked out $US16 for a Heineken the night before.

Heather and Ferris, mum and daughter tennis fans from Atlanta, Georgia, with a honey deuce cocktail at the US Open.

“When in Rome, you have to do it,” said Heather, who was drinking a glass of wine on Monday afternoon while her daughter Ferris tried the honey deuce. The pair from Atlanta, Georgia have attended every grand slam this year, including the Australian Open in Melbourne, which Heather rated the best of the four.

Kudzai Chinyadza, a tennis fan from Texas, was tasting the frozen version of the honey deuce. “Honestly, I was surprised because at a lot of events, prices are higher,” she said. “But I think it’s fair. And it’s pretty big too.”

You also get to take the highball glass home. It comes with US Open branding and a list of all the men’s and women’s champions from the tournament’s history.

The honey deuce is far from the only pricey item on the menu. You’ll pay $US22 for a glass of Napa Valley sauvignon blanc at the Eataly stall, or $US26 for six chicken nuggets at one vendor in the food village – though it does come with three sauces and pickled radish.

As for the $US40 lobster roll, I want my money back. Full disclosure: I used up the entire daily allowance on my media pass – $US25 – and paid the rest myself. And $US15 seems about right for what you get.

We’re not talking a foot-long sandwich here. This is a small bread roll, with a reasonable amount of lobster filling and some cheap lettuce. It comes with a small packet of crisps, not fries or anything fancy.

I was left feeling hungry, stupid and grateful for half of a friend’s hamburger – which, for the record, was also pretty grim.

And once again, Christopher Hitchens was right.

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