Buffalo, N.Y. is the birthplace of wings, and Bills fans eat their share, though "beef on weck"—a steak sandwich on a kummelweck (Kaiser) roll—is also popular. For more than 20 years, superfan "Pinto Ken" has cooked with improvised grills on and around his 1980 Pinto (he bakes pizzas in a converted file cabinet). He recently faced scrutiny from officials for serving shots of liquor to other fans via the thumbhole of a bowling ball.
Courtesy Matthew D. Britt.
Pittsburgh Steelers, Heinz Field
Some intense Pittsburgh fans operate the Mobile Tailgating Unit, a repurposed, Steelers-yellow ambulance. The big draw: an onboard restroom. Pittsburgh's Polish influence shows in tailgate offerings of kielbasa and pierogies.
There are numerous stories of how tailgating came to be, but assistant public relations director Aaron Popkey says there's some evidence that it was invented by Packers fans in the 1920s. Today, the team's enthusiastic tailgaters eat beer brats, a Midwestern staple of store-bought bratwurst cooked with beer and onions. "Most people prepare them at home and bring them in, but I have seen big kettles of boiling beer here," says Popkey.
Courtesy Tracy Ziemer.
Oakland Raiders, O.co Coliseum
Raiders fans are famous for one thing: intensity. They've been known to roast whole pigs outside O.co Coliseum.
Ole Miss Rebels, Vaught-Hemingway Stadium at Hollingsworth Field
University of Mississippi fans congregate at the Grove, a 10-acre plot dedicated solely to tailgating on game days. "It's a place everyone should experience before they die," says law-school alum Joshua Kyle. Mississippi tailgaters consider themselves a different breed of reveler, and they're right. Fans serve fried chicken on silver platters, and it's not uncommon to see students tailgating in their Sunday best: dresses and high heels, suits and ties. "It's like something out of a Southern novel," says Kyle, "and when I tell my New York City friends about it, they don’t believe me.
Courtesy Tina Harry.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Notre Dame Stadium
Notre Dame's tailgaters cheer as they ride through the lots in buses after Sunday morning mass. Before the game begins, the team makes its way to the appropriately nicknamed "Touchdown Jesus"—a mural overlooking the stadium that depicts Jesus with his arms raised like a referee declaring a touchdown.
Courtesy the University of Notre Dame.
North Carolina Tar Heels, Kenan Memorial Stadium
"I have a vintage 1950s recipe book called Carolina Cooking," says Rick Davis of the school's alumni association. "It was written as a tailgate guide in 1953 by the Junior Service League of Chapel Hill." Classic southern recipes, like egg salad and baked fish, are still popular here. Flanked by pine trees, this team's 1920s-era stadium regularly ranks as one of the most beautiful in the country.
See the full gallery of America’s Best Tailgating Cities here.
The term refers to partying in a parking lot, but college and NFL football fans across the country treat tailgating as over-the-top celebrations with enviable food.
"We want to dispel the notion that it's a college kegger party," says Paula Dillon, a Chicago Bears season-ticket holder who, with her husband, John, has been tailgating outside of Soldier Field for close to two decades. Despite their allegiance to the Bears, the Dillons plan menus that reference the visiting team, like barbecue when the Kansas City Chiefs come to town.
Cooking food influenced by the opposition is common practice, but stadium-goers also prepare their own regional tailgate foods among the ubiquitous hot dogs, burgers, and grilled steaks. Patriots fans take pride in bringing New England seafood; Mexican food dominates at Chargers games in San Diego; and Southern tailgaters, like those on Duke University's campus in Durham, N.C. favor fried chicken, deviled eggs, and hush puppies.
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The recurring theme across tailgating scenes nationwide: devotion—not just to football teams, but also to the pregame tradition. Loyal fans like to make the case that their city pioneered tailgating: "We have some unscientific evidence that it was invented here," says Aaron Popkey, a Green Bay Packers spokesman.
Perhaps the strongest arguments come from the students of the University of Mississippi. Ole Miss calls its dedicated tailgating grounds the Grove; fans serve fried chicken on silver platters, and it's not uncommon to see students tailgating in their Sunday best: dresses and high heels, suits and ties. Alumni even talk about the venue in spiritual terms: "You've probably heard it called 'the holy grail of tailgating' or 'the Mecca of tailgating' or some other religious metaphor that, in truth, is not overblown," says alum Matt Eichelberger.
