September means one thing around here besides the kids finally settling into their school routine — football's back. And in this house, that comes with a little bit of a complicated relationship, because we're Miami natives, which means we're Dolphins fans living deep in Georgia, which means we're surrounded by SEC country every single Saturday and rooting for a team that likes to keep things interesting every single Sunday. It's a lot. The one thing that makes it all easier is knowing there's a good spread waiting in the backyard no matter how the game goes.
We've never been the tailgate-in-the-parking-lot type. Our tailgate happens right here — Kettle going, Griddle hot, Laredo working in the background — and honestly, it's better than fighting stadium traffic. This month we're breaking down how we've turned our own backyard into game day headquarters, and how a couple of our go-to recipes have basically become the unofficial rotation for the season.
Saturday Is for the SEC, and It Starts Early
Living in Georgia means Saturdays revolve around SEC football whether you grew up on it or not, and honestly, we've come around on it. Noon kickoffs mean the smoker's usually going well before we've even had coffee. The Laredo is built for exactly this — low and slow, unattended, doing its thing for hours while we get the house ready for people to show up.
Our go-to for an SEC Saturday is a full rack of our Pellet Smoker Dry Rub Ribs. They practically demand a long game day — the timeline lines up perfectly with a full slate of noon and 3:30 kickoffs, and there's something about pulling a rack off the smoker right as the second game is starting that just feels right. Nobody's ever mad when ribs show up at halftime.
We didn't grow up on SEC football, but we've learned you don't have to pick a team to appreciate a good excuse to smoke a rack of ribs for six hours on a Saturday.
Sunday Is Dolphins Day, Whatever That Means This Week
Sunday's a different animal. This is personal. This is Dolphins football, which means the mood in the house can swing hard depending on how the first quarter goes. What doesn't change is what's cooking — Sunday is Griddle day. Fast, hands-on, easy to walk away from during a commercial and come right back to without missing a snap.
Our Flat-Top Griddle Taco Bowls have turned into the default Sunday cook. Everything hits the Weber Slate at once, it comes together in twenty minutes, and it's easy to scale up if people are coming over. And if we're being honest, there's something therapeutic about having something to flip and stir when a game's not going our way. The Griddle's good for the Dolphins fan's nerves as much as it is for feeding a crowd.
When You're Actually Hosting a Crowd
Some Sundays it's just us watching and yelling at the TV. Other Sundays the house is full — neighbors, family, whoever needs somewhere to watch the game. That's when the Griddle Birria Tacos (Quesabirria) come out. They're a bigger production, but they're built for exactly this — a spread people can build themselves, dip, and go back for seconds on without anybody needing to hover over the griddle the whole game.
Birria tacos also just hit different for a game day crowd than standard tailgate food. People expect wings and chips. Showing up with a consommé and a stack of griddled, cheese-crisped tacos changes the whole vibe of the watch party — in a good way. It's still backyard football food, it just happens to be really good backyard football food.
Setting Up Your Backyard Game Day HQ
- Get the smoker going before kickoff if the cook is longer than the pregame show — ribs need the head start.
- Keep the Griddle reserved for the fast stuff so you're not missing plays standing over a longer cook.
- Build a self-serve station for anything with toppings — tacos, bowls — so you're not playing waiter during the game.
- Prep sauces, slaw, and toppings the night before. Game day should be cook-and-serve, not chop-and-prep.
- Have a backup plan for a bad first half. A good plate of food has saved more than one rough Dolphins Sunday around here.
Gear That Earns Its Keep on Game Day
Pit Boss Laredo 1000
Set-and-forget smoking for ribs during long Saturday slates. Set it before kickoff and let it ride through the first two games.
Weber Slate 36" Griddle
Enough surface area to run taco bowls or a full birria spread for a crowd without a second shift on the grill.
Weber Kettle Original Premium
Our go-to when it's a smaller Sunday — quick sides, a few burgers, or backup cooking space when the Griddle's full.
Whatever Happens on the Scoreboard
We've made peace with the fact that being a Dolphins fan in the middle of SEC country means we're never really in the majority on a fall weekend. But that's fine — nobody's ever turned down a plate of ribs or a birria taco because of who they root for. Football season, for us, is really just an excuse to cook more, host more, and keep the smoker and griddle running back to back for four straight months.
We've got more game day recipes and quick-hit tailgate ideas coming as the season rolls on, so keep an eye on the socials for what's cooking each week. Win or lose on Sunday, there's always something good coming off the grates.
As always — C'mon back and Enjoy Y'all!