The Ultimate UGA Tailgate Food Guide: What to Serve on Game Day in Athens
Football Saturdays in Athens are about more than what happens between the hedges.
They’re about tents going up early, coolers getting packed, friends coming into town and tables that somehow end up holding enough food for twice as many people as you originally invited.
And whether you’re tailgating near campus, hosting everyone at home or feeding a crowd before kickoff, there’s one question every host eventually has to answer:
How much food do we actually need?
That’s where we come in.
At Redstone Market & Butcher, we know our way around both good meat and a Georgia game day. Here’s our guide to building a UGA tailgate spread—from brisket and wings to sides, serving quantities and everything you don’t want to realize you forgot once the party has started.
Start with the Main Event: Smoked Meat
If you want to feed a crowd without standing over a grill all day, smoked meat is hard to beat.
Brisket
Brisket makes an easy centerpiece for a tailgate because you can serve it several ways. Keep it simple and serve sliced brisket with barbecue sauce, pickles and sides, or add buns and let everyone make sandwiches.
Redstone’s Smokehouse Kitchen prepares house-smoked brisket, so you can leave the smoker at home and focus on everything else that needs to make it to the tailgate.
Wings
No football spread feels quite complete without wings.
They’re easy to grab, don’t require utensils and work just as well as a snack as they do as part of the main meal. Redstone offers smoked party wings that make an easy addition when you want plenty of options on the table.
Ribs
Want to go all-in on barbecue?
Add ribs.
They’re messy, they require plenty of napkins, and they’re exactly the kind of thing we want to eat at a tailgate. Serve them alongside brisket and wings when you’re feeding a bigger group or make them the star of a smaller spread.
Sausage
Don’t underestimate sausage when you’re building a tailgate menu.
Redstone makes a variety of fresh sausages in-house, with flavors ranging from classic to a little more adventurous. Grill them whole and serve on buns or slice them into smaller pieces and turn them into an easy appetizer.
How Much Meat Do You Need Per Person?
Running out of food before kickoff is no one's game plan.
For smoked meats such as brisket, pork and sausage, plan on approximately 6 ounces per person as a starting point.
For wings, Redstone recommends approximately six wings per person when estimating quantities.
Of course, your crowd matters. If you’re serving several meats and plenty of sides, people will likely take a little of everything. If brisket is the only main dish—or your friends take football food particularly seriously—you may want a little extra.
And leftovers from a tailgate are rarely a bad problem to have.
Don’t Sleep on the Sides
Meat may be the star, but sides turn a pile of barbecue into a spread.
For a classic Southern game day lineup, add a few crowd favorites like:
Mac and cheese
Baked beans
Cole slaw
Collard greens
Green beans
Rolls or cornbread
Pickles
Plenty of barbecue sauce
When choosing sides, think about variety. Something creamy, something fresh or tangy and something you can pile right next to the barbecue usually makes for a happy plate.
How to Reheat Your Tailgate Food
If you’re picking up food ahead of time, the goal when reheating is to get everything hot without drying out the meat.
For brisket and other smoked meats, gentle reheating is your friend. Keep the meat covered so it retains moisture and heat it until it is thoroughly warmed through. If possible, save any juices or sauce that come with the meat and add them while reheating.
For ribs, keep them covered during most of the reheating process, then uncover them toward the end if you want to refresh the exterior.
Sides like mac and cheese and baked beans can also be reheated covered, stirring as needed so they warm evenly.
If you’re transporting hot food to your tailgate, use insulated carriers and appropriate warming equipment to keep everything at a safe serving temperature.
Build a Tailgate Menu That Works for Your Crowd
You don't need twelve different dishes to have a great tailgate.
For a smaller group, try:
Brisket + mac and cheese + baked beans + rolls
For a crowd that likes to graze:
Wings + sliced sausage + ribs + a few easy sides
For a bigger party:
Brisket + pulled pork + sausage + two or three sides + buns, pickles and sauces
And if you have people coming and going throughout the day, foods that are easy to portion and serve will make your life considerably easier.
Your UGA Tailgate Checklist
Before you head toward Athens, give the tailgate one final check:
The food
Brisket, wings, ribs, sausage or your main dish; sides; buns or rolls; pickles; sauces; snacks; dessert.
Serving supplies
Plates, bowls, napkins, cups, forks, knives, serving utensils and plenty of wet wipes.
Keeping everything ready
Coolers, ice, food-storage containers, insulated carriers and any warming equipment you need.
Drinks
Water, soft drinks, tea and plenty of ice.
The things everyone forgets
Trash bags, paper towels, bottle openers, aluminum foil and containers for leftovers.
And, of course, whatever you need to cheer on the Dawgs.
Let Redstone Handle the Food
A great tailgate should involve a lot of eating and very little stressing.
If you’d rather skip the cooking altogether, Redstone offers catering and party-ready options for groups. Our catering menu includes smoked meats, homemade sausages, market-fresh sides, buns, sauces and more, making it easy to build a complete game day meal without spending Friday night cooking for Saturday.
We can also help you figure out quantities based on the size of your group, because guessing how many pounds of brisket 25 hungry football fans will eat isn't how anyone should spend game week.
Pick Up Your UGA Tailgate Food in Athens
Whether you’re cooking everything yourself, picking up a few sides or letting us handle the whole spread, stop by Redstone Market & Butcher before your next Georgia game day.
We’re located at 2531 Brock Road in Athens, GA, just off Highway 129.
Come see us at the butcher counter, grab something from the Smokehouse Kitchen or talk to our team about catering your next tailgate.
You bring the people. We’ll help with the food.
Go Dawgs!