Top 93 Game-Day Foods Football Fans Love Most [2025 Survey]

Every weekend, stadium parking lots become the nation’s biggest outdoor food court – and our survey of 3,045 fans revealed more than just who can flip a burger. 

Tailgate menus are cultural snapshots, showing how local identity, regional flavor, and even conference rivalries play out on the plate. 

From smoked chicken in Tuscaloosa to salmon sliders in Seattle, America’s fans aren’t just showing up hungry – they’re showing up proud.

Here are the full rankings.

Key Findings

Southern Cuisine Rules

The South generally leads when it comes to tailgate traditions. And this also applies to food served at football games. 

From the top 20 dishes, more than half came from SEC country – proof that slow-cooked meats and homemade sauces are as central to football as the fight song. 

Coastal Freshness

On the coasts, seafood and freshness feature highly. For example, Baja fish tacos at Chargers games, and smoked salmon (Oregon Ducks), West Coast fans favor lighter, grill-to-hand options – the kind that pair well with sunshine and craft beer.

Fans of East Coast teams stay loyal to their regional specialties: lobster rolls and crab cakes made the list, proving that if it swims, it’s fair game for pre-kickoff snacking.

Midwestern Comfort Food

The Midwest showed its comfort-food credentials loud and clear. Chicago-style Italian beef, Wisconsin brats, and Michigan pasties all point to a colder-weather crowd that takes “stick-to-your-ribs” literally. 

Even Iowa’s “pork on a stick” and Ohio’s Buckeye candies prove the region knows how to blend tradition with creativity – equal parts hearty and homegrown.

Kansas City’s double appearance (burnt ends and ribs) also underlines what locals already know: nobody out-barbecues the barbecue capital.

University Trends

College campuses are increasingly bringing gourmet flair to the tailgate table. Stanford fans pair wine and cheese, Cal opts for veggie wraps and grain bowls, and UCLA’s avocado burgers nod to LA’s wellness-meets-indulgence lifestyle. 

The rise of “West Coast clean eating” is showing up even where the grills once ruled.

In contrast, Big Ten schools keep things rustic: chili at Purdue, tenderloins in Indiana, and hearty sliders across Nebraska and Illinois. 

The through-line? Midwestern tailgates are less about presentation, more about portion.

State Pride Served Hot

Florida might just be the most daring tailgate state – with gator nuggets, mullet dip, and smoked turkey legs all on the list. 

Every dish feels like a postcard from the Sunshine State: a little wild, a little weird, but completely local.

Final Thoughts

The takeaway? America’s tailgate menus are just as diverse as its playbooks. Each parking lot meal tells a story – of region, rivalry, and hometown taste. 

From white-sauce chicken to salmon chowder, fans have built a culinary map that mirrors the game itself: fiercely competitive, proudly regional, and impossible to pick just one winner.

Or as one fan in the survey put it, “You can judge a team by their record, but you judge their fans by their barbecue.”