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The ballpark and its surrounding mixed-use development have welcomed new shops and eats for the 2019 season.

Despite a rocky beginning to the 2019 season, the Atlanta Braves are squarely back on top of the National League East standings at the moment, like it’s 2005 or something. 

With a multi-game lead and sweltering summer in full swing, there’s ample time for the Bravos to crack more homers, steal more bases, and make their bid for the fall’s World Series championship. (Bleacher Report says the team has 19-1 odds at winning the 2019 Fall Classic.)

Of course, that also means opportunities abound this year to scarf down hotdogs, cold beers, peanuts, and crackerjacks at the Braves’s still-new stomping grounds, the soon-to-be-renamed SunTrust Park. Tickets for upcoming weekday games this summer can be had for as little as $8—or even $6 through StubHub. 

Here’s what you need to know to best enjoy a baseball-filled summer in metro Atlanta.

How to get there

Sited near the intersection of Interstate 75 and the I-285 Perimeter in Cobb County’s Cumberland area, The Battery at SunTrust Park is easily accessible by car. Barring traffic, that is. 

You can pre-purchase parking passes online, and the Braves would prefer you don’t try to park in the surrounding residential neighborhoods. Paying for onsite parking the day of your visit can only be done via credit card.

Ride-hailing vehicles are also regularly stationed at the corner of Windy Ridge Parkway and Heritage Court, near the southwest part of the development.

But if you’re a transit user, you can hop aboard Bus 12 from the Midtown MARTA station all the way to Cumberland Mall. From there, take the Cumberland Circular Shuttle (blue or green route) to get to The Battery and SunTrust Park.

And remember that Smyrna recently banned dockless e-scooters and bikes, just in case you were planning to use one to get to Cumberland.

Where to eat and drink

There’s no shortage of places for stuffing your face and swigging a cold beer at the stadium or The Battery. A few options: 

• Concession stands, duh: The Atlanta Braves official food and beverage partner Delaware North this spring unveiled a new concessions menu with the likes of “The Best Darn Steak Sandwich in Baseball,” a chicken and waffle boat—yes, boat—and the “BLOOPER Burger,” a quadruple-stacked cheeseburger with a hotdog and chicken tenders.
• The Coors Light Chop House: Located in right-field and open to all guests of the stadium, the Chop House is a casual bar and restaurant with great views of the field. The Chop House opens two hours before the first pitch.
• Antico Pizza: A local favorite best known for its popular Westside Atlanta location, Antico offers high-end authentic Italian ’za. It’s located in The Battery, just south of the ballpark.
• Terrapin Taproom: Also on the outskirts of the stadium, on Battery Avenue, is the Athens-bred Terrapin Beer Company’s taproom, which also serves grub from Atlanta’s famed Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q.
• Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q: Speaking of, if you feel the need to be inside the ballpark when noshing on smoked meats, the Texas-style barbecue joint also has its own location at a field-level stand.
• Gio’s Chicken Siciliana: One of the newest attractions at SunTrust Park, Gio’s, where “chicken is the star,” can be found on Battery Avenue just southwest of the stadium.

How to get tickets

Of course, as with everything else in the 21st century, you can always score cheap seats tickets online—via the team’s website, a reputable online retailer, or somewhere more clandestine—but you can also do things old-school. 

The box office is located at the corner of Battery Avenue and the Main Plaza across from the Coca-Cola Roxy music venue. On game days, the ticket office opens at 10 a.m. and closes after the fifth inning.

On non-game days, tickets are sold onsite from 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m., except on Sundays, when the office is closed.

What’s new and upcoming?

The ever-evolving Battery at SunTrust Park welcomed some fresh additions this season, such as Terrapin Taproom’s new outside bar area.

The Battery also recently brought aboard Burn by Rocky Patel, “an evolution in cigar lounges,” that offers a wide range of cigar options, high-end cocktails, and live performances.

Guests can also check out the two new retail options that have opened since last season, vinyl record store Waterloo Sunset Records and sporting goods retailer Rock/Creek Atlanta.

And, as of June 15, The Battery even boasts its own boxing gym, the Nashville-established Pepper Boxing.

Fans of the fast-urbanizing Cobb County can also look forward to elevator giant Tyssenkrupp building its sky-high $240 million headquarters next door. That project will boast a 420-foot elevator testing tower, which will peer over The Battery.

Frequent patrons of SunTrust Park should also be prepared for a possible stadium name change. Banking giant BB&T is merging with SunTrust Banks, and namesake stadiums in Atlanta and afar will likely be christened anew once the consolidation is complete.