Local mom Kristina Hernandez shares the best local restaurants that cater tailgating parties! For more suggestions and reviews of places to eat, see our Greenville Eats page.
While the Fall season brings pumpkin patches, awesome festivals, and apple picking, it’s also the return of football season. And that means tailgating parties. Tailgating is such a fun way to spend time with family and friends. But you need good food and if you don’t want to pull out all the stops yourself, check out these places that will kick your tailgating party up a few notches.
Plan the perfect tailgate
Big Dave’s BBQ
Big Dave’s BBQ has a great catering menu of BBQ, chicken wings, and hot dogs. Yum. Big Dave also boasts of feeding the Dallas Cowboys, Carolina Panthers, and Clemson Tigers so you know it’s going to be good.
864.973.3899
http://bigdavesbarbeque.com/1/
Bucky’s BBQ
I love Bucky’s BBQ so much that I used them to cater my daughter’s baptism. But they also do a great job with tailgating parties.
They have three locations in Greenville and one in Fountain Inn.
http://buckysbbq.com/menu/catering/
Charlie’s Bar-B-Que
Located close to 85, Charlie’s Bar-B-Que actually has what they call a “tailgate kit”. They include baked beans, cole slaw, chips, bread, tea and plates along with the entrée of your choice of BBQ, BBQ & Turkey, or BBQ & Chicken.
800-123-4567
https://www.charliesbarbque.com/
Fatz
With pounds of Calabash chicken, jumbo wings, baked potatoes, and sweet tea, Fatz will make your tailgate one for the records.
They have locations in Greer, Easley, Seneca, Anderson, and Spartanburg.
https://fatz.com/catering/
Grill Marks
Known for their burgers and milkshakes, Grill Marks also does catering for tailgating parties. I will follow those milkshakes anywhere.
864.233.5825
http://www.grillmarks.com/catering
Henry’s Smokehouse
A BBQ staple in Greenville, Henry’s Smokehouse offers their award-winning food for tailgating. They have lots of options plus offers of setting up and taking down if you need.
Two locations in Greenville and one in Simpsonville.
https://www.henryssmokehouse.com/
Mike & Jeff’s BBQ
A true hole-in-the-wall gem of Greenville barbeque, Mike & Jeff’s offers fantastic options to make your tailgating party a memorable one.
864.271.5225
https://www.mikeandjeffsbbq.com/catering
Nard’s Backyard BBQ
Not only does Nard’s Backyard BBQ cater but they are also a full-fledged BBQ competition team. They will work to cater any size event and keep it within your budget.
864.230.1357
https://nardsbackyardbbq.com/
Pickwick Pharmacy
Tired of driving across town early in the morning to pick up Duke Sandwiches for your football tailgaiting party? Pickwick Pharmacy can help. Place bulk orders at least 48 hours in advance, and they will have your sandwiches bagged, chilled, boxed, and waiting to be placed in your cooler. They also provide ice free of charge if you need to stock your cooler.
864.277.4180
http://www.thepickwick.net/sodafountain_parties.php
The Chopping Block
Looking at this catering menu will have you putting this place on speed dial. The Chopping Block has a Raw Pack which consists of burgers, hot dogs, shrimp, and baby back ribs. The Italian Pack comes with lasagna, ziti with sausage, blackened chicken alfredo and a loaf of garlic bread. There’s more but I’m getting hungry.
864.220.5724
http://www.thechoppingblockonline.com/Catering
The Smoking Pigs Restaurant
Catering mostly for Clemson games, the The Smoking Pigs Restaurant has four packages to choose from, ranging in price from $65.99 up to $344.99. All of them sound super tasty.
864.553.6092 or 864.787.7827
http://thesmokinpigsc.com/Tailgate_Packages.html
Tom’s BBQ
With 30 years of experience, Tom’s BBQ obviously knows what they are doing. They have lots of great BBQ options (plus desserts) available for tailgating parties.
864.288.2652
https://www.tomsbbq.info/
What’s your favorite place for catering a tailgate?
Kristina Hernandez is a mom of two girls, freelance writer and photographer and New Jersey native who is thrilled to call the Upstate her new home. She loves cooking, trying new foods, and checking out all that Greenville has to offer. 
These are all wonderful places that serve up traditional tailgate BBQ foods, which people absolutely love! I would, however, like to recommend to those that are looking to change things up a bit, look into catering with a local Mediterranean restaurant. With delicious, healthy, and specialty diet menu items that will suit everyone’s needs, a place like Cafesano (should you live in the Dulles, VA area) is a perfect spot to get all of your tailgate’s food items just in time for the big game. Thanks again for sharing!