By: Cassidy Caukin
Auburn, AL
Enrollment: 25,078
Local Dives
If you’re headed to Auburn to watch some Tiger football, don’t miss your chance to get your fix for some good ole southern meals as well. Now, I am normally not a breakfast person, but Price’s Barbecue House located on College Street is a must have for breakfast. It’s cheap and the food is to die for. I recommend getting the breakfast platter that consists of scrambled eggs with cheese, bacon, biscuits and gravy and a hash brown- though you can choose whatever items you’d like to be on your platter. Trust me; you will be starting your day off right by eating a meal at the Barbecue House!
As far as lunch goes, the possibilities are endless, but I’m going to have to recommend one of my favorite places in Auburn, because it is so delicious and it is an Auburn staple. You cannot leave Auburn without eating at Momma Goldberg’s Deli. The original “Momma G’s” is located right behind the stadium, but due to Momma G’s increasing popularity, there are now several other locations around town. It’s a hole in the wall kind of place, but you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. I highly recommend getting a “Momma’s Love” sub, along with the best thing that Momma G’s has to offer- the nachos. The nachos are made with nacho cheese Doritos and they are placed in a steamer with pepper jack cheese and jalapenos on top, until they are melted to perfection. Top of this meal off with a signature sweet tea, and you’re good to go.
If you’re hungry when dinner time rolls around, there is one last food stop that you have to make. Niffers, located on Opelika Road, has a very fun atmosphere with an extensive menu, so everyone leaves full and happy. Niffers is another place where you can’t go wrong no matter what you order, but I highly recommend getting a burger. They have the best burgers in town, and they have so many different kinds, you are bound to find one that you like. I can’t seem to stay away from the mushroom and swiss burger, but I always try to switch it up a little bit and try some of the other burgers- let me tell you, I have never even been close to disappointed.
If you get thirsty during the day while tailgating and you need some cool and refreshing. you cannot miss out on Toomer’s lemonade. Located on Toomer’s Corner, this place has the best lemonade in the south and it is another Auburn staple. The lemonade is made squeezed fresh daily, and it is the perfect mix between sweet and sour. A must have while you are in Auburn.
Tailgating and Pregame atmosphere
Game days at Auburn are a very unique experience, and I can’t think of anything better than tailgating all day before watching the Auburn Tigers play. No matter where you tailgate in Auburn, you are bound to have a good time- but I’d have to say that the Ampitheatre is the best place to be on a game day afternoon. The Ampitheatre is located between The Hill (dorms) and the baseball field and parking garage next to the stadium. The Ampitheatre is know for being the “place to be” on game days, so even the Auburn marching band comes out to play the fight song in the middle of the day. If you tailgate at the Ampitheatre, you will most likely become best friends with the people around you, and you will most likely get offered several meals or tailgating snacks from the people surrounding you. One of the best things about tailgating for Auburn football is how nice all of the fans are, so be prepared to say War Eagle and make new friends, where ever you decide to reside before the game.
One of the time-honored traditions of Auburn football is the Tiger Walk, which takes place about an hour and a half to two hours before game time each Saturday. Fans gather all around the stadium (mostly on Donahue between the stadium and the coliseum), forming a path with a walkway down the middle. The marching band plays, and the entire Auburn football team and coaching staff walk down the path, right through the middle of the fans. Everyone cheers so loud, and the players and coaches high five the fans and sing along to the Auburn cheers as they head down the walkway toward the stadium. The Tiger Walk is a great way to hype up both the fans and the players before a football game.
Postgame Celebration
Remember when you were a kid, and you and your friends would sneakily go toilet paper another friend’s house in the neighborhood? Well, at Auburn, fans toilet paper a tree together after a win, and there’s nothing sneaky about it. It may sound a little crazy- but trust me; it’s a blast and something that everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime. If Auburn wins a game, the fans pour out of the stadium and head over the Toomer’s corner, singing and chanting the entire way and then the mayhem begins. Forgot to bring toilet paper with you to the game? No worries- toilet paper is sold in AU wrapping paper inside Jordan Hare stadium, so you can pick some up on your way out. Toomer’s corner goes from an ordinary street corner with a very large tree, to what almost looks like a winter wonderland. Toomer’s corner gets completely covered with toilet paper while fans rejoice the recent win and bond with the rest of the Auburn family.
Listen In
Can’t make it to the game but want to listen in? Not a problem. Kicker FM (97.7) has live play-by-play coverage during Auburn football games. If you want to interact with other Auburn football fans, be sure to check out AuburnTigers.com, which offers an Auburn all-access sports pass. Many Auburn fans visit this site during games to participate in live chats to discuss what’s going on in the game and argue opinions, etc.
Auburn becomes packed with over 87,000 people on game days, and the town is not structured for such a dense population. As far as traffic goes, you will definitely want to plan ahead of time for lots of traffic. The earlier you can get to campus the better, as traffic gets worse and worse later on in the day. If you plan on flying instead of driving into Auburn, the easiest places to fly into are Atlanta and Montgomery. Atlanta is very convenient because a company called, Express 85, offers a shuttle several times a day that drives you directly to your gate at the airport and vice-versa.
Sunday Morning
If you decide to make a trip out of your weekend and stay for the day on Sunday, be sure to check out Chewacla State Park. Located at 124 Shell Toomer Parkway, this place is by far, one of Auburn’s best kept secrets. You can go spend the day relaxing by beautiful water falls, hiking, biking down scenic trails, swimming or hanging out lakeside if you choose to spend the day at Chewacla. The best part about all of this is that it only costs you $2 to get into Chewacla. Pack a picnic, bring the family and go explore all that this beautiful place has to offer.
So, if you’re packing your bags and heading to Auburn for a football game, try to experience some of the wonderful things that Auburn has to offer- you will not be disappointed. Safe travels and war eagle!
Leave a Reply
Auburn may very well be my favorite place in the SEC to watch a game
[...] of the tailgating experience for the Auburn vs. Clemson game last week. Let’s start with holyturf.com: No matter where you tailgate in Auburn, you are bound to have a good time- but I’d have to say [...]
Auburn may very well be my favorite place in the SEC to watch a game
Mamma G’s almost worth standing in line for 55 mins. Almost