Five of the best SEC football towns to get great food in the southeast | Yelp

College football season is in full swing with plenty more to come. We are big football fans and definitely fans of great food, and wanted to highlight some of the great towns and their most tasty and iconic local restaurants.

Athens, Georgia

Fun fact: Athens, Georgia has launched several great bands over the years. Widespread Panic, REM, Drive By Truckers, and the B-52s all got their start in this amazing college town. They have more bars per capita than any other place in the country, and their food scene makes this a five-star college town.

Weaver D’s

Weaver D’s Delicious Fine Foods is a staple in the Athens community. The band REM even featured them in a song back in 1992. For the past 35 years, they have been cranking out some of the best soul food in the south, which is saying a lot! If you are in Athens, be sure and stop by and leave happy and full. 

Auburn, Alabama

The loveliest village on the plains lives up to its name during the enchanting fall months of college football. Before you get ready to roll Toomer’s Corner, be sure and check out one of the hottest restaurants in the southeast.

Acre

Acre is a relatively new spot in Auburn created by Chef David Bancroft. On game day weekends, this is one of the toughest spots to get in after Chef Bancroft was nominated for a James Beard Foundation Award. People from all over come throughout the year to enjoy this culinary treat.

Oxford, Mississippi

Well known for its tailgate scene on football Saturdays in The Grove, they are also known for their famous town square. The restaurant scene on the square has blown up over the last 30 years, and is now known as a culinary institution in this small Mississippi town.

City Grocery

Chef John Currence moved to Oxford from New Orleans in 1992 to open City Grocery. Chef Currence has been nominated for several James Beard Foundation awards over the years and has opened several restaurants, but City Grocery is what helped put the Oxford town square on the modern day map. Before you pack up to head to The Grove on Saturday morning, be sure you plot a trip here sometime during your football weekend.

Starkville, Mississippi

Starkville holds on to its southern roots and its proximity to the food mecca known as Louisiana. You are bound to discover a great combination of culinary treats throughout the quaint town.

Oby’s Cajun Restaurant

Oby’s was opened in 1976 by a Navy Veteran that got his degrees in Starkville after his service. He spent time learning the restaurant business and discovering recipes throughout the Mississippi Delta.. Although the ownership has changed, the quality of the food has not and is still loved by students, locals and people coming to watch their favorite team be surrounded by cowbells.

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

For the people that know college football, this town needs no introduction. Even if the number of national championships will be a conversation for the existence of time, there is no denying that Alabama has been a football juggernaut for decades. But one thing you don’t think of outside of those trophies is the great food that can be found in this central Alabama town.

River

Located on the banks of the Black Warrior River, River is appropriately named. This is one of the newer restaurants on our list, and they have quickly become a favorite for special occasions, delicious dinners or a game weekend treat. They boast the freshest ingredients with everything being made from scratch, which you can definitely taste in their food. When you get done figuring out how many trophies sit in the trophy case at Bryant Denny, stop by River to refuel in a delicious way.