If you’re a student at UGA, you know that Saturdays in Athens are practically a holiday when it comes to football season. No one does game days or tailgates quite like the Georgia Bulldogs.
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While many students love cheering on the Dawgs in Sanford Stadium, not everyone gets a ticket. For this reason, many other spots around Athens have become popular for UGA students to sport red and black! Whether you’re looking to grab a drink, stay out of the sun, or just find a fun spot to watch the game with friends, there are great venues all around Athens!
To help find your next game day scene, we’ve compiled a list of the ten best places for a UGA tailgate in Athens, GA.
10 Best Places for University of Georgia Tailgates
1. Saucehouse Barbeque
Address: 830 W Broad St, Athens, GA 30601
Distance from Rambler: 5-minute walk
Location: Downtown
Saucehouse is a popular location on the outskirts of downtown for a UGA tailgate, both indoors or outdoors! Saucehouse has cornhole to play and offers special drink deals on game days. Whether you’re looking for a spot to meet up with friends before the game, or if you want to cheer on the Dawgs by grabbing some great barbeque, Saucehouse is the place for you!
2. Paloma Park
Address: 235 W Washington St, Athens, GA 30601
Distance from Rambler: 7-minute walk
Neighborhood: Downtown
Paloma Park is a top choice for UGA tailgating on game days. It has a brunch menu with a lot of indoor and outdoor seating. It is a popular place for students to watch UGA football games if they don’t have tickets, and a fun spot to grab a bite or a drink before the game. Paloma Park is known for their yummy appetizers and photo-ops!
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3. Pauley’s Crêpe Bar
Photo Courtesy of Pauley’s Crêpe Bar.
Address: 134 E Clayton St, Athens, GA 30601
Distance from Rambler: 9-minute walk
Neighborhood: Downtown
Pauley’s is a crêpe bar that is located downtown, a 15-minute walk from Sanford Stadium. Pauley’s is a hot spot known for their delicious cocktails, appetizers and crêpes. It is typically crowded on game days and they usually don’t take reservations, so if you want to get a table at Pauley’s, you need to get there early.
4. Marker 7
Photo Courtesy of Marker Seven Coastal Grill.
Address: 1195 S Milledge Ave, Athens, GA 30605
Distance from Rambler: 5-minute uber
Neighborhood: S. Milledge Ave.
Marker 7 is a restaurant on Milledge that is known for their cocktails and brunch menu. It is a popular place for Greek life to get food or drinks before football games, since it is located on Milledge Ave. It’s a 20-minute walk to the stadium, so after grabbing a cocktail or a bite with your friends before the game, you can head on over.
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5. Cali N Tito’s
Address: 1427 S Lumpkin St, Athens, GA 30605
Distance from Rambler: 5-minute Uber
Neighborhood: S. Lumpkin St.
Cali N Tito’s, located on South Lumpkin St. near Sanford Stadium, is a popular place for UGA tailgating with lots of outdoor seating. It is BYOB, but they also have drinks available for purchase. With many photo-ops, Cali N Tito’s is the perfect place to go with your friends before or during football games!
6. Sandbar
Photo Courtesy of sandbarathens Instagram
Address: 220 College Ave, Athens, GA 30601
Distance from Rambler: 10-minute walk
Neighborhood: Downtown
Sandbar is a popular bar among upperclassmen to watch football games if they don’t get tickets. Sandbar has gameday deals on drink buckets and with three different bar levels, it is a great place for you and your friends to go cheer on the Dawgs!
7. El Barrio
Address: 1331 S Milledge Ave, Athens, GA 30605
Distance from Rambler: 5-minute Uber
Neighborhood: S. Milledge Ave.
El Barrio is located in the Five Points area on Milledge. They have great tacos and popular Margarita pitchers that students like to go and share on game days. El Barrio has indoor and outdoor seating, so you are sure to find your perfect spot regardless of the weather! It is a hotspot among Greek life, since it is walking distance from the houses on Milledge.
8. Bar South
Address: 104 E Washington St, Athens, GA 30601
Distance from Rambler: 10-minute walk
Neighborhood: Downtown
Bar South is located downtown and is a popular spot on game days. It offers games such as pool and darts for you to play with your friends on commercial breaks. Bar South has a wide beer and drink selection that pairs well with a competitive atmosphere, making cheering on the Dawgs an easy thing to do on a Saturday!
9. Boar’s Head
Photo Courtesy of Bipper Media.
Address: 260 E Washington St, Athens, GA 30601
Distance from Rambler: 12-minute walk
Neighborhood: Downtown
Boar’s Head is located downtown and has upstairs, downstairs, balcony and patio seating where you and your friends can get drinks and relax while catching the game. There are also pool tables and other fun activities you can participate in downstairs at Boar’s Head.
10. Magnolias
Photo Courtesy of Magnolias.
Address: 312 E Broad St, Athens, GA 30601
Distance from Rambler: 11-minute walk
Neighborhood: Downtown
Magnolias is a quick walk from campus and is located downtown. With four projectors and eight TVs, Magnolias is a popular UGA tailgate bar spot on game days for enthusiastic Dawg fans. Magnolias offers free games of pool everyday, a fun activity for you and your friends during commercial breaks!
We hope that this list of our favorite spots for UGA tailgating gets you excited for the next game day! If you have any other questions, contact the Rambler team, who is happy to help.
