This football season has been a little bit of up and a little bit of down for the University of South Carolina Gamecocks. After a season-opening win over Virginia Tech in Atlanta, followed by a win over SC State, USC lost two games in a row. One to Vanderbilt at home and another to Missouri on the road. The Gamecocks rebounded with a win over Kentucky on Sept. 27. The team is 3-2 headed to Baton Rouge this Saturday for a 7:45 kickoff against LSU.

Tailgating, and tailgating food, are as big a part of college football as the game itself. Tailgating is the gathering of fans, around the vehicle in the stadium parking lot, to eat, drink, and socialize before and after the game. Gamecock fans prefer perfection for their tailgate. And in West Columbia you can get some of the top food choices for tailgaters. Be it fried chicken, wings, burgers, tacos or quesadillas, you can get it here. And it’s the best. 

Gamecock Head Football Coach Shane Beamer was asked by “The Local Palate” to name his favorite tailgate food and he chose fried chicken. He was then given a box of Zesto of West Columbia fried chicken that he dove into.  Click here for the video

Then there are wings!
During any USC game, it means it’s going to be busy at D’s Wings at 415 Meeting Street, West Columbia. D’s Wings has 16 TVs in the restaurant. Diners can come in and watch the big game and dine in at the same time. In 2023, D’s Wings was ranked as the Best Place for wings in South Carolina by mashed.com. Mashed came up with the best wings by “weighing reviews, tracking down awards, talking to locals, and reading countless articles,” to find the best wings in all 50 states of this country.

Scott Thurber is part owner of D’s with Billy Rentz.  He said good crowds come to Ds to watch the game and the restaurant sells a lot of takeout orders for tailgaters and home football game viewing parties.”

Wings are the most-popular menu item for football fans.  “We’ll have a lot of our customers come in and pick up orders and take them home to watch the game with their family and friends.”
Teriyaki wings and lemon pepper wings are the biggest sellers on Gameday. D’s dry rub, the medium Buffalo, and hot Cajun wings are other varieties.

Savage Craft Ale Works at 430 Center Street unveiled a new large-screen TV in its Beer Garden for this football season. General Manager Victoria Porter said the TV is drawing fans for USC football games. She said some additions to the food menu have also attracted attention.

“Since we started grinding our own meat for the burger patties, the mushroom Swiss and the Plain Ole Joe Burger,” she said. “It’s surprising people who order it with how big and delicious it is.

“We also have two tacos on the menu that rock it. The Elote and the Smash. Elote is chopped chicken tenders with fresh grilled Elote salad and smoked Gouda cheese,” Victoria said. “The smash taco is a burger patty with green ancho chilies and cheese grilled together, Think birria tacos, but with beef and cheese. Add homemade salsa and chips on the side with a beer or margarita, and we have happy football fans at Savage Craft.” 

Calloways Sports Bar and Grill at 2410 Augusta Road, in the Danwood Shopping Center, draws lots of sports fans. The venue has 11 television screens and there is almost always a sports event on the screen. The fans pile in to watch the games.

On the menu at Calloways: 100% all beef patty hamburgers, grilled chicken tenders or fried chicken tenders. wings, homemade pizza and sandwiches. 

To tailgate, you have to have the right food. In West Columbia, there is every kind of cuisine to fit your taste. Make sure you get to one of the great West Columbia restaurants on Gameday.   

List of West Columbia restaurants:

• Zesto – 504 12th Street, Triangle City – (803) 794-4652
• Greedy Rascals – 1125 Meeting Street – 803-977-3356
• Calloways Sports Bar & Grill – 2410 Augusta Hwy. – 803-926-1199
• Grecian Gardens Restaurant – 2312 Sunset Blvd – 803-794-7552
• Café Strudel – 300 State St. – 803 – 926-5255
• Savage Craft Ale Works – 430 Center St. – (803) 888-6005
• WECO Bottle and Biergarten – Meeting Street – (803) 851-1279
• The Hideout in WECO – State Street
• La Cienega Mexican Grill & Seafood – (803) 888-7471
• Breads and Such – 1220 C Ave. – (803) 851- 0566
• Encore – 743 Meeting St. 803-638-4129
• Buttercream Dreams – 1230 C Ave. – (803) 708-4485
• Hite’s BBQ – 240 Dreher Rd. – (803) 794-4120
• Jimmy’s Mini Mart/Citgo – 812 Meeting St. – (803) 794-0090
• Maurice’s Piggie Park – 1600 Charleston Highway – 803-796-0220
• Nick’s House of Pizza Restaurant- 1082 A Sunset Blvd – 803-794-9240
• DeLuccas 1720 Sunset Blvd. – 803- 926-5255
• Breakfast at Ruiz – 116 State Street – (803) 550-9681
• Ariana’s Greek Restaurant – 1720 Sunset Blvd. – (803) 796-4430
• Lizard’s Thicket – 2234 Sunset Blvd. 803 – 794-0923
• True BBQ – 1237 D Ave – (803) 791-9950
• Chick-fil-A -2299 Augusta Rd. – (803) 939-1600
• Rush’s 2332 Sunset Blvd. – (803) 796-5034
• Another Broken Egg – 101 State St. – (803) 829-0223