The typical tailgating experience requires grazing on a cornucopia of snacks for hours before going into the stadium to cheer on the Tide. It’s hard to beat spending time on the Quad among grills sizzling with hamburgers and sausages and tables blanketed in finger foods. One of the best parts is that everyone is willing to share their food with anyone who wears crimson and yells, “Roll Tide.”
The tailgating experience has gotten even better in recent years since food has been elevated to a whole new level. This is at least partially thanks to recipes that circulate on Pinterest, where bloggers put new spins on classic tailgating fare.
If the thought of navigating the Quad is too intimidating, tailgating at a house is also a good option. The food possibilities are endless in the low-stress environment of a house, where there is access to refrigeration, counter space and modern appliances. Recently, home tailgates have gotten the chance to get creative with rival-specific themes like cooking 40-pounds of alligator meat for the Florida game or roasting a whole hog when Arkansas is in town.
Despite feasting for hours before the game, standing and cheering for the entirety of a football game can cause appetites to return once “Rammer Jammer” resounds from the stadium at the end of the fourth quarter. While there’s certainly something special about having the classic hotdog and Coke combo in Bryant-Denny during a game, some would prefer to abstain from buying average food at inflated prices.
Save the $10 you would spend there and head to the Strip after the game to enjoy Big Bad Wolves’ barbecue nachos. The pop-up barbecue joint sets up at The Houndstooth during home football games and is the definition of a diamond in the rough. For $9 (cash only) they will load chips up with cheese and barbecue pork. Make sure to douse the nachos in their mustard-based barbecue sauce, and don’t be surprised when out-of-towners start asking where they can get barbecue nachos too.
