Ben S.
Yelp
Solid team artifacts
Standard beer and food
Good space to step away during games
Tucked behind the centerfield grandstand by Gate B, the Royal Rooters Club is new for season ticket holders in 2012. The added specialty area has a bar, typical American fare, and historical context from the team's storied past.
As you walk in and present your (separate) ticket, you see a wall of bats of Sox past, beyond which is the main bar. Lounge areas surround the bar, spaced to give wide swaths of standing/mingling space for patrons. Obviously, the game is on television within.
Walking further off to the side, seating at tables is available, and more history is presented (AL championship trophies, meaningful game-used balls, write-ups on The Splendid Splinter, Yaz, Fisk, Nomar, etc., and rolling video of the runs to the World Series titles, for example).
My first visit was during a temperate May night tilt vs. Cleveland (welcome back, Johnny Damon), but where this place will probably really shine is during the stretches of mid-summer heat beating down on fans game after game - to be able to wander into climate control intermittently will probably be a very solid option (you can leave and return with a "ROOT" hand-stamp).
The Club is open from two hours prior to first pitch until 45 minutes following last out, which is a decent way to avoid crowds at other local places offering some of the same food and beverage, while soaking up Fenway's aura further. Still, there may be something lacking here in vibe, if only because there's something to being out among the fan base living the moment, rather than watching on a monitor, even if you're just as close.
The Red Sox did well to add the Royal Rooters Club as an added season-ticket holder benefit option (and one they can recoup more income for). It's a worthwhile offering, but only as a complement to the game experience, and not as a replacement by any means. Recommended to try it out once if you're able to swing the chance, and experience it for yourself.