by Raleigh Magazine | Sep 20, 2023 | Do, September 2023
Football fans, rejoice! Football season is finally upon us! Looking for the best spot to find your fellow fans and catch your team? We’ve done the hard work for you. Whether you’re a Pack fan looking for an away game party with your pack (or find yourself without tix in coming weeks) or you cheer for one of these other teams, game day is at a bar near you. Here’s where to go on *The Big Day* this season—so you can join the huddle with your home team to get blitzed (get it?) with your peeps. Time to put your game face on. Punt, intended.
NC State
They say the strength of the wolf is the Pack. … If you can’t make it to Carter-Finley—or State is away—and want the fan feel, find your fellow wolves around Raleigh at such go-to game-day hot spots as Brickhouse (home of the Dave Doeren Radio Show), Carolina Ale House, TheMixx, Amedeo’s, Players Retreat (s/o to the OG) or Village Draft House for a howling good game day with your pack. #WITH amedeosrestaurant.com; carolinaalehouse.com; bottlemixx.com; brickhouse-nc.com; playersretreat.com; villagedrafthouse.com
UNC & Duke
If you must watch the Heels or the Blue Devils—we don’t hide our Wolfpack pride at Raleigh Mag—there’s a handful of spots around the Triangle to catch the game. Cheer on UNC while sipping from the signature blue cups at He’s Not Here in Chapel Hill, or, if Duke is who you choose, go “crazie” at Mavericks in the Bull City with a milkshake and BBQ. NTM, word on the street is Brier Creek’s Carolina Ale House is always a good game-watching spot for fans in blue. maverickssmokehouse.com; hesnotherenc.com; carolinaalehouse.com
ECU
This is arrrrgh state?! You can’t spell parties without pirates. Hey, #PirateNation! The Pirates are back in action this year at Highpark Bar & Grill, so don your best purple and gold and get that Pirate pride on with fellow fans. #PiratesTogetherPiratesForever! Wake County, NC Chapter, ECU Alumni Association, piratealumni.com; highparkbarandgrill.com
Ohio State
O-H! I-O! Bond over bacon (AKA that ol’ pigskin) and $5 Buckeye bombs—plus $3 Miller Lite 16 oz. drafts, $5 Lunazul tequila shots, and plenty of grub—over at Brickhouse. Ohio’s alum club is bringing those Horseshoe home-game vibes to you via the fighting song playing on every score and DJs on deck for the big games. Go Buckeyes! The Ohio State University Alumni Club of the Triangle, triangle nc.alumni.osu.edu; brickhouse-nc.com
Alabama
Wild Wing Cafe is the place for Bama fans, friends, food and brews to unite, complete with Bama music, cheers, shakers and more (like, I don’t know, making a drinking game out of the gazillion scores). Roll Tide! Roll Tide Raleigh, rolltideraleigh.com; wildwingcafe.com
Georgia
If you can’t be between the hedges swaying to the “Battle Hymn,” travel to Tobacco Road Sports Cafe in Raleigh. Catch the dawg fights all season and keep sniffin’ for some post-season play. Sic ’em, UGA. Good dawg. UGA Alumni Association – Raleigh Chapter, alumni.uga.edu, tobaccoroadsportscafe.com
Michigan
Share your OSU distaste and shout “Go Blue” with fellow fans at Wild Wing Cafe in Brier Creek. With a fight song dubbed “The Victors,” solo watching is just not an option. Specials will keep you satisfied (plus, Wild Wing donates 10% of food sales to MTAC!) while you bop to beats and let the fight song to transport you to The Big House. And keeping Blue benevolent, be on the lookout for Wild Wing’s MTAC charity nights. Michigan Triangle Alumni Club, alumni.umich.edu; wildwingcafe.com
LSU
In Louisiana, the 12th man is food—and Sharky’s isn’t here to disappoint. … Down some drinks and grub on some gumbo and po’boys all football season long. NTM co-owner Simone was born and bred in the Big Easy! So, “hot boudin, cold coush-coush, come on Tigers, push push poosh.” Geaux Tigers! sharkysnc.com
University of Mississippi
Hotty toddy, gosh almighty! Cheer on those Ole Miss Rebels right down the road at Moe’s Original BBQ in Durham, where the owner just happens to be an Ole Miss alum (!). While Moe’s is no Vaught Hemingway Stadium, there’ll be plenty of barbecue and beer to go around for your whole squad. Game on. Ole Miss Alumni Association, olemissalumni.com; moesoriginalbbq.com
Clemson
While it isn’t Death Valley, you’re gonna wanna get your roar on with fellow alumni and fans at Lynnwood Brewing Concern at Dock 1053, where, if nothing else, the “Tiger Rag” will never get old. So scoot on in and “hold that tiger” (and find out if QB DJ Uiagalelei can meet those lofty expectations). C-L-E-M-S-O…N! lynnwoodgrill.com
Notre Dame
The luck of the Irish can be found at Trali Irish Pub—natch. “We are Irish. We’ve got Guinness. We’ve got TVs.” Pop a squat at the bar to watch the Fighting Irish “play like a champion today.” traliirishpub.com
by Cameron Rhinehardt | Sep 19, 2022 | Do, September 2022
Score points with your tailgating crew with tips from Sam Jones BBQ co-owner and operator Michael Letchworth.
Football season is in full swing, and you know what that means… tailgates! While all you really need for a good old-fashioned tailgate is friends, food and drinks, Sam Jones BBQ co-owner and operator Michael Letchworth has some tips to take your football pre-game party next-level.
The No. 1 thing you’ll need to keep your crew on the offense (aka keep everyone satiated during a morning drinking sesh…) is good food. And while Bojangle’s and Chick-fil-A are solid ops, nothing beats a homemade dish.
If you’ve ever hosted a tailgate party, you know you’ll need something equal in quantity & quality departments. Letchworth’s go-to to meet both criteria? A low-country boil. “People love it; it’s easy to prep ahead of time; and it’s super-easy to clean up,” he says.
The tailgating guru is also a huge fan of anything with cheese (who isn’t?!), especially his signature mac ’n cheese fritters (see recipe below!), which he maintains make a great appetizer or side—and we have to agree because fried mac ’n cheese = heaven.
Prep
With all great food comes great responsibility, so accommodating plenty of prep time is crucial—esp for those noon games!
“I would plan for an hour or so for shopping, another hour for prep and an hour for loading up,” says Letchworth. “Set up will depend on how much you plan to do but will usually take around 20 minutes.”
Planning Ahead
And preparing more food/drinks than you anticipate people will be beneficial in the long run. … As we all have that one friend who drops in at the last-minute—NTM leftovers! “I try to treat everyone as family; what’s mine is theirs,” says Letchworth.
With all that said, don’t forget to take time to sit back, relax and enjoy a cold one with your buds. “I enjoy tailgating as a reunion with people I have met over the years from the tailgate, but mostly as a reunion with old friends from college,” says Letchworth. “There’s a feeling of going back in time, and you get to relive that experience.” IYKYK—and there’s truly no better feeling in the world.
Mac ’N Cheese Fritters
Ingredients
Leftover mac ’n cheese that has been cooled overnight
Buttermilk
Housemade chicken breader (any breader will work)
Directions
- Use a small cookie scoop to scoop out balls of the mac ’n cheese.
- Toss in buttermilk
- Toss in breader
- Fry at 350 degrees for three minutes or until golden brown
by Anna Beth Adcock | Sep 1, 2022 | Do, September 2022
Football fans, rejoice! Football season is finally upon us! Looking for the best spot to find your fellow fans and catch your team? We’ve done the hard work for you. Whether you’re a Pack fan looking for an away game party with your pack (or find yourself without tix in coming weeks to CF) or you cheer for one of these other teams (but why—jk), game day is at a bar near you. Here’s where to go on *The Big Day* this weekend—and this season—so you can join the huddle with your home team to get blitzed (get it?) with your peeps. Time to put your game face on. Punt, intended.
NC State
They say the strength of the wolf is the Pack… and with its highest preseason ranking ever at No. 13, all eyes are on NC State. So if you can’t make it to Carter-Finley—or State is away—and want the fan feel, find your fellow wolves around Raleigh at such go-to game-day hot spots as Brickhouse (home of the Dave Doeren Radio Show), Carolina Ale House, Amedeo’s (swing by this Saturday for drink specials, a celebrity bartender and a halftime raffle!), Players Retreat (s/o to the OG) or Village Draft House for a howling good game day with your pack. #WITH amedeosrestaurant.com; carolinaalehouse.com; brickhouse-nc.com; playersretreat.com; villagedrafthouse.com
Game one, Saturday, Sept. 3: Pack sniffs out the Pirates in Greenville, noon, ESPN
UNC & Duke
If you must watch the Heels or the Blue Devils—we don’t hide our Wolfpack pride at Raleigh Mag—there’s a handful of spots around the Triangle to catch the game. Cheer on UNC while sipping from the signature blue cups at He’s Not Here in Chapel Hill, or, if Duke is who you choose, go “crazie” at Mavericks in the Bull City with a milkshake and BBQ. NTM, word on the street is Brier Creek’s Carolina Ale House is always a good game-watching spot for fans in blue. maverickssmokehouse.com; hesnotherenc.com; carolinaalehouse.com
Game one, Friday, Sept. 2: Duke takes on Temple at home, 7:30pm, ACC Network
Game two, Saturday, Sept. 3: Tarheels head to Boone to battle App State, noon, ESPN
ECU
This is arrrrgh state?! You can’t spell parties without pirates. Hey, #PirateNation! The Pirates are back in action this year at Highpark Bar & Grill, so don your best purple and gold and get that Pirate pride on with fellow fans. #PiratesTogetherPiratesForever! Wake County, NC Chapter, ECU Alumni Association, piratealumni.com; highparkbarandgrill.com
Game two, Saturday, Sept. 10: ECU faces Old Dominion on its territory, 6:00pm, ESPN+
Ohio State
O-H! I-O! Bond over bacon (AKA that ol’ pigskin) and $5 Buckeye bombs—plus $3 Miller Lite 16 oz. drafts, $5 Lunazul tequila shots, and plenty of grub—over at Brickhouse. Ohio’s alum club is bringing those Horseshoe home-game vibes to you via the fighting song playing on every score and DJs on deck for the big games. Go Buckeyes! The Ohio State University Alumni Club of the Triangle, triangle nc.alumni.osu.edu; brickhouse-nc.com
Game one, Saturday, Sept. 3: Buckeyes host the Fighting Irish, 7:30pm, ABC
Alabama
Sammy’s Tap & Grill is the place for Bama fans, friends, food and brews to unite, complete with Bama music, cheers, shakers and more (like, I don’t know, making a drinking game out of the gazillion scores). Don’t miss the weekly raffle (we love some Bama swag!) to benefit the local chapter. Roll Tide! Roll Tide Raleigh, rolltideraleigh.com; sammystapgrill.com
Game one, Saturday, Sept. 3: Bama rolls over Utah State, 7:30pm, SEC Network
Georgia
If you can’t be between the hedges swaying to the “Battle Hymn,” travel to Tobacco Road Sports Cafe in Raleigh. Catch the dawg fights all season and keep sniffin’ for some post-season play. Sic ’em, UGA. Good dawg. UGA Alumni Association – Raleigh Chapter, alumni.uga.edu, tobaccoroadsportscafe.com
Game one, Saturday, Sept. 3: The Dawgs meet the Oregon Ducks in the Peach Bowl, 3:30pm, ABC
Michigan
Share your OSU distaste and shout “Go Blue” with fellow fans at Wild Wing Cafe in Brier Creek. With a fight song dubbed “The Victors,” solo watching is just not an option. Specials will keep you satisfied (plus, Wild Wing donates 10% of food sales to MTAC!) while you bop to beats and let the fight song to transport you to The Big House. And keeping Blue benevolent, be on the lookout for Wild Wing’s MTAC charity nights. Michigan Triangle Alumni Club, alumni.umich.edu; wildwingcafe.com
Game one, Saturday, Sept. 3: Wolverines takes on CAM the Ram (aka Colorado State) in Ann Arbor, noon, ABC
LSU
In Louisiana, the 12th man is food—and Sharky’s isn’t here to disappoint. … Down some drinks (stay tuned for drink specials) and grub on some gumbo and po’boys all football season long. NTM co-owner Simone was born and bred in the Big Easy! So, “hot boudin, cold coush-coush, come on Tigers, push push poosh.” Geaux Tigers! sharkysnc.com
Game one, Sunday Sept. 4: Tigers take on the FSU Noles in Nawlins, 7:30pm EST, ABC
University of Mississippi
Hotty toddy, gosh almighty! Cheer on those Ole Miss Rebels right down the road at Moe’s Original BBQ in Durham, where the owner just happens to be an Ole Miss alum (!). While Moe’s is no Vaught Hemingway Stadium, there’ll be plenty of barbecue and beer to go around for your whole squad. Game on. Ole Miss Alumni Association, olemissalumni.com; moesoriginalbbq.com
Game one, Saturday, Sept. 3: Rebels host Troy in Oxford, 4pm EST, ESPN
Clemson
While it isn’t Death Valley, you’re gonna wanna get your roar on with fellow alumni and fans at Lynnwood Brewing Concern at Dock 1053, where, if nothing else, the “Tiger Rag” will never get old. So scoot on in and “hold that tiger” (and find out if QB DJ Uiagalelei can meet those lofty expectations). C-L-E-M-S-O…N! carolinaalehouse.com
Game one, Monday, Sept. 5: Tigers prowl to Atlanta to play Georgia Tech at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game (!), 8pm, ESPN
Notre Dame
The luck of the Irish can be found at Trali Irish Pub—natch. “We are Irish. We’ve got Guinness. We’ve got TVs.” Pop a squat at the bar to watch the Fighting Irish “play like a champion today.” traliirishpub.com
Game one, Saturday, Sept. 3: Notre Dames heads to the “O-H-I-O” to take on Ohio State, 7:30pm, ABC
