The arrival of SunTrust Park represents more than the opening of a new ballpark. Based on the offerings the Atlanta Braves are planning to serve, the ballpark’s debut will mark the introduction of one of the more unique menus in baseball.
When wandering SunTrust Park this season, fans will find a few staples from outside the ballpark. Waffle House has a stand at section 311, where it will serve hash browns, Texas Philly and, naturally, waffles. A carryover from Turner Field, the Waffle House is strategically located next to one of the ballpark’s leading social spaces.
Chick-fil-A also has a presence at the ballpark, and the Braves have also shifted the Chop House from Turner Field to SunTrust Park. The Coors Light Chop House has a prominent location in right field that includes Coors Light Below the Chop, which runs along the right-field warning track.
Another unique offering at SunTrust Park is Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q. Barbecue will be served in The Taproom, a restaurant operated by Delaware North that will also feature beer from Terrapin Brewing Company. The flagship sandwich is shown above. Also new at the ballpark: Doc Popcorn, opening its first location in a Major League Baseball ballpark, just inside the main entrance from The Battery Atlanta.
The Battery Atlanta is also slated to include several offerings, giving fans some different food options before or after the game. Among the restaurants that will be available include Antico Pizza; First & Third Hot Dog and Sausage Shack (launched by Hugh Acheson), which is accessible from both in and outside of the ballpark; Sports & Social; Todd English Tavern; and Yard House. More options are expected to become available in the months following the ballpark’s opening. And there are some pretty big foodie names represented in the offerings: Acheson is one of the founders of Punch Bowl Social (opening in September), Linton Hopkins is reprising his H&F Burger in the ballpark and launching a new steakhouse in The Battery, and Mark Wahlberg is bringing the Wahlburgers chain to the mix.
As for what is available inside the ballpark, the Braves and Delaware North have already unveiled some locally inspired menu options. To introduce some Southern cuisine to SunTrust Park, the two sides have presented a series of menu items that will be representative of Braves Country.
Featuring food items that reflect six different states, the Braves Country selections will comprise of several dishes. North Carolina a smoked whole hog BBQ sandwich served on white bread, and features chopped southern slaw and vinegar BBQ sauce. The menu option for South Carolina is a pimento cheese patty melt (shown above), which includes caramelized onions and smoked paprika on rye. Georgia will comprise of several different options, among which are the aforementioned Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q, the hot dog and sausage shack, Waffle House, and Chick-fil-A.
The other three states in the mix are Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi. Tennessee will feature Nashville hot chicken with bread and butter pickles, while Mississippi’s offering is a blackened catfish po’ boy taco that includes slaw and comeback sauce. Alabama, meanwhile, is a fried tomahawk pork chop. That item will be served on a extra-large potato roll, with collared green slaw and white BBQ sauce.
Delaware North is also bringing its Farm to Fan initiative to SunTrust Park. As part of this plan, the concessionaire will work with more than 40 farms, urban and college gardens, and other local sources to introduce local produce to the ballpark. This will allow fans to try locally-sourced menu items.
With these options and many more in place, fans should have no problem finding a meal at SunTrust Park. That, combined with SunTrust Park’s notable drink options, should help produce a unique hospitality experience at the ballpark.