The Parking Lot Kitchen
Tailgating is cooking outdoors with 50,000 neighbors. Some people bring a portable grill and a pack of hot dogs. Others roll in with a full smoker rig, a generator, and a menu that would embarrass most restaurants. Both approaches work. The only rule is to match your food to the city you're in.
Nobody wants generic burgers in Kansas City when the whole parking lot smells like smoked brisket.
By Region
Kansas City: Arrowhead Stadium
This is the mountaintop. Kansas City tailgates revolve around BBQ, and the fans take it seriously. If you're bringing a portable grill, keep it simple and do it well.
- Cook: Burnt ends, pulled pork, smoked sausage links
- Easy version: Pre-smoked brisket from a local BBQ shop, reheated on the grill. Nobody will judge you
- Side: Baked beans, coleslaw, white bread
- Drink: Boulevard Wheat or any KC craft beer
Green Bay: Lambeau Field
Wisconsin tailgating is bratwurst, beer, and cheese. That's it. That's the menu. The beauty is in the simplicity.
- Cook: Johnsonville brats. Boil them in beer and onions first, then finish on the grill
- Side: Cheese curds (buy them at the grocery store the day of, when they're still squeaky), potato salad
- Essential: A bubbling pot of beer cheese dip with soft pretzels
- Drink: Spotted Cow. Good luck finding it outside of Wisconsin
Philadelphia: Lincoln Financial Field
Philly tailgates are loud, intense, and heavy on pork products. Bring something that can take a beating and feed a crowd.
- Cook: Roast pork with broccoli rabe on hoagie rolls. Or cheesesteaks on a flat-top griddle
- Easy version: Italian sausage and peppers. Hard to mess up, feeds a lot of people
- Side: Soft pretzels with mustard
- Drink: Yards Brawler or Yuengling
Chicago: Soldier Field
Chicago tailgating is a tour of the city's comfort food. Italian beef, Polish sausage, and hot dogs done the Chicago way.
- Cook: Italian sausage with peppers and giardiniera on Italian bread
- Essential: Chicago-style hot dogs. Vienna beef franks, sport peppers, neon relish, celery salt, mustard, onion, tomato. No ketchup. This is non-negotiable
- Side: Bags of Garrett's cheese and caramel popcorn mix
- Drink: Goose Island 312
Houston: NRG Stadium
Texas heat means hearty food that can handle sitting out. Houston adds Gulf Coast and Tex-Mex flavors to the BBQ base.
- Cook: Fajitas on a flat-top. Beef and chicken with onions and peppers
- Go bigger: Crawfish boil if you've got the setup. It's a production, but it draws a crowd
- Side: Elotes (Mexican street corn) and pico de gallo with chips
- Drink: Karbach Love Street or Shiner Bock
Nashville: Nissan Stadium
Nashville's food identity has gotten huge in the last decade. Bring the city's flavors to the lot.
- Cook: Hot chicken tenders. Fry them at home and reheat on the grill, or bring a propane fryer if you're committed
- Easy version: Smoked chicken wings with hot honey glaze
- Side: Pimento cheese on crackers, cornbread
- Drink: Yazoo Dos Perros or any local craft
Tampa: Raymond James Stadium
Florida tailgating benefits from year-round warm weather and Caribbean influences.
- Cook: Cuban sandwiches pressed on a flat-top. Ham, pork, Swiss, mustard
- Seafood option: Smoked fish dip made the day before. Serve with crackers and hot sauce
- Side: Black beans and rice, plantain chips
- Drink: Cigar City Jai Alai
Denver: Empower Field
Colorado means altitude cooking (things take a little longer), lots of sunshine, and craft beer culture.
- Cook: Green chile cheeseburgers. Use Hatch green chile if you can find it
- Adventure option: Elk brats from a local butcher
- Side: Tortilla chips with green chile queso
- Drink: Whatever looks good from the 400+ Colorado craft breweries
Gear That's Actually Worth Buying
You don't need much to tailgate well:
- Portable charcoal or propane grill. Weber Smokey Joe for charcoal. Coleman RoadTrip for propane. Both under $100
- Cooler. Doesn't need to be a $300 Yeti. Any hard cooler that holds ice for 6 hours is fine
- Folding table. For food prep and serving. The $30 one from Walmart works great
- Tongs and a spatula. That's it. You don't need a 47-piece grilling set
- Paper towels and trash bags. Clean up your spot. Leave it better than you found it
The Budget Play
Tailgating saves money. A full spread for four people (food, drinks, charcoal) costs $40 to $60 in groceries. That same group eating inside the stadium? $120 to $200. You eat better, spend less, and get the social experience of the parking lot.
Use the Game Day Cost Calculator to see how much you save by tailgating versus buying stadium food at your venue. Check each team's tailgating page on VisitYourTeam for lot policies, grill rules, and what you can bring.