This article is presented in partnership with Visit Columbia.

October Saturdays in Columbia, Missouri, are game days for Mizzou Tiger fans. Whether you’re celebrating in the lot at a home game or at home watching the Tigers on television, you’ve got to be ready to roar.

First things first, make sure you’re properly outfitted in black and gold from head to toe. The Mizzou Store, 901 Rollins St., and Tiger Team Store, 600 E. Stadium Blvd., at Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field are both open on game day. Show your team spirit with a game-specific shirt, like shirts for the Gold Rush and Black Out games, or grab some official Nike on-field merchandise and you, too, can look like a coach. Finish your look with a foam claw to wave in the stands and a tiger tail for your car to show everyone on the road you’re a Tiger.

At Tallulah’s, 812 E. Broadway, a kitchen specialty shop, the Mizzou fans that own it have a game day trick or two up their sleeves to make your tailgate a winner, whether it’s at the stadium or your kitchen counter. Deck your table with football field table runners and football field placemats, and for the spread, you can find an assortment of dip mixes, both savory and sweet. If you’re out and about on game day, stop in for “storegating.” They serve bloody Marys, beer and mimosas, plus an assortment of snacks, before the game.

Finding beverages for your tailgate can be done in one stop at Macadoodles, 455 E. Green Meadows Road, just south of the stadium off of Providence. The shop carries more than 650 craft and imported beer options, plus seasonal and domestic varieties in its Beer Cave. If wine’s your thing, it might be a tough choice between the 3,000 labels they have on hand. Good news is you can try some varieties before you buy at the Tasting Bar, and a convenient drive-thru window makes picking up your drinks before the game a breeze.

Wings from CJ’s Hot Wings, 704 E. Broadway, are a tradition for Mizzou fans, alumni and students. The local joint has been serving up wings for 30 years at the corner of 7th Street and Broadway. Wings are fresh, dipped in your choice of house sauces and sold by the pound. Bone-in or boneless, they are a perfect finger food for a tailgate at The Zou. The most popular order for tailgating is The Coop, which is 15 lbs. of wings with up to two sauces. Sideline note, the owner’s grandfather is a Mizzou Hall of Fame quarterback, so ties to great wings and Mizzou football run deep.


Established by Mizzou football lineman David Rowe, D. Rowe’s Restaurant and Bar, 1005 Club Village Dr., offers meat by the pound for those less inclined to bring the grill to the game but still want to have barbecue on hand. Options include smoked pulled pork, turkey breast, beef brisket, ribs and andouille sure to please the crowd. Or, if you’re the grilling type, they’ve got the sides to set you up: cole slaw; potato, pasta or tossed salad; or David’s favorite, baked beans. On game days, they don’t deliver though. (They’re watching the game, too!) You can pick it up on your way to cheer on the Tigers.