The Grove on a sold-out Saturday — a sea of red-and-blue tents under hundred-year-old oaks, chandeliers glinting, late-afternoon light
Photo source: @olemissfb
Ole Miss Athletics
Ole Miss Rebels · Vaught-Hemingway Stadium at Hollingsworth Field
The Oxford Playbook
The Grove wrote the book on tailgating — and Oxford's kitchens, Currence's and otherwise, are worth the drive on their own.
64,038 fans. ~28,000 residents. The most imitated tailgate in America.
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Pro Tip
2026 is a storyline season in Oxford: Pete Golding takes over as head coach, and the seven-game home slate is built around two enormous Saturdays. LSU (Sept 19) is the ticket of the year — Lane Kiffin returns to Oxford as LSU's head coach in the SEC opener. Georgia (Nov 7) is the likely marquee night game and the other hard ticket. The season closes with the Egg Bowl vs. Mississippi State (Nov 28) — the Battle for the Golden Egg. Auburn lands on Halloween night (Oct 31), the home opener vs. Charlotte (Sept 12) is the easiest ticket, and Missouri (Oct 17) and the Wofford (Nov 21) tune-up round out the slate. Kickoff times and TV windows aren't set yet — the SEC releases the early windows later, so anchor your plans to the date, not the clock. Tickets are mobile; load them into the Ole Miss Athletics app and your phone's wallet before you reach the gate.
Hotels
Graduate by Hilton Oxford
On the Square$$$~1.1 mi to Vaught-Hemingway~20 min walk · 5 min Uber
On the Square, decked in Ole Miss nostalgia, with The Coop rooftop bar overlooking downtown. The walkable home base for a Grove weekend.
400 N Lamar Blvd, Oxford, MS 38655
Or book direct for loyalty points →
The Graduate Oxford on North Lamar at the edge of the Square, The Coop rooftop bar glowing over downtown at dusk
Photo source: @graduateoxford
The Oliver Hotel, Oxford
Downtown / S Lamar$$$~1 mi to Vaught-Hemingway~15 min walk · 5 min Uber
A 40-room design-forward boutique a block off the Square, with its own restaurant and bar. The former Chancellor's House, reborn in 2023 as The Oliver.
425 S Lamar Blvd, Oxford, MS 38655
Or book direct for loyalty points →
The Oliver Hotel's brick boutique exterior just off Courthouse Square on South Lamar, warm lamplight on a quiet evening
Photo source: @theoliveroxford
The Inn at Ole Miss
Ole Miss campus (University, MS)$$~0.3 mi to the Grove & Vaught-Hemingway~5-10 min walk to the Grove
University-run hotel inside campus — you can roll out of bed and walk to the Grove. The unbeatable proximity play, so it books out earliest on game weekends.
120 Alumni Drive, University, MS 38677
The Inn at Ole Miss on Alumni Drive, steps from the Grove's oaks, the campus quiet before a game-day morning
Photo source: @theinnatolemiss
Courtyard by Marriott Oxford
Jackson Avenue East, near the Square$$~1.3 mi to Vaught-Hemingway~10 min walk to the Square · 5 min Uber
Dependable Marriott a short walk from the Square, with a restaurant, terrace, and gym. The safe, points-friendly pick close to downtown.
305 Jackson Avenue East, Oxford, MS 38655
Or book direct for loyalty points →
Courtyard by Marriott Oxford on Jackson Avenue East, terrace lit at dusk a short walk from the Square
Home2 Suites by Hilton Oxford
South Lamar$$~1.3 mi to Vaught-Hemingway~5 min Uber
All-suite Hilton with a pool and free breakfast, just south of the Square. The space-and-value pick for families or a group splitting a room.
101 South Lamar Court, Oxford, MS 38655
Or book direct for loyalty points →
Home2 Suites by Hilton Oxford on South Lamar, all-suite exterior with the pool deck on a warm fall afternoon
Eat
City Grocery
City Grocery's exposed-brick dining room on the Square, shrimp and grits and a cocktail on a white-tablecloth table
John Currence opened City Grocery on the Square in 1992 and built a James Beard-winning career out of it — the restaurant that put Oxford on the national food map, Michelin-recommended in 2025. Exposed brick, heart-pine floors, white tablecloths, a menu that turns with the seasons. The upstairs bar is its own institution.
Reservations: OpenTable, 2+ weeks ahead for game weekends
Snackbar
Snackbar's brasserie-and-oyster-bar room on North Lamar, a raw-bar spread and a bespoke cocktail at the rail
Photo source: @snackbaroxford
A Southern brasserie meets oyster bar, opened in 2009 by John Currence and chef Vishwesh Bhatt — a James Beard 'Best Chef: South' winner who shaped it through 2025. Michelin-recommended in 2025; today the kitchen marries French technique with Mississippi soul and Bhatt's Gujarati roots.
Reservations: OpenTable, recommended for game weekends
Saint Leo
Saint Leo's wood-fired oven glowing in a bright Italian room on Jackson Avenue, a pizza and a Negroni on the table
Wood-fired Italian a few blocks off the Square and a 2017 James Beard 'Best New Restaurant' semifinalist. The cocktail program is a local point of pride — and it's the bar where Joe Stinchcomb and Ross Hester met before going on to open Bar Muse.
Reservations: Resy, recommended on weekends
Tarasque Cucina
Tarasque Cucina's converted-ranch-house dining room on Jackson Avenue West, a plate of handmade pasta and a glass of Italian wine
Photo source: @the_tarasque
A genuine mom-and-pop — John and Lauren Stokes run it out of a converted brick house, named for Saint Martha (the patron saint of cooks). Rotating small plates that lean hard on local seasonal sourcing.
Reservations: Walk-in for regular dining; tasting menus by phone for groups
Volta Taverna
Volta Taverna's converted-gas-station patio on North Lamar, a mezze spread and a glass of Greek wine in the afternoon light
Greek and eastern-Mediterranean cooking in a converted gas station on North Lamar — a genuinely different note in a town heavy on Southern and Italian, and consistently one of the highest-rated tables in Oxford.
Reservations: Walk-in friendly; call ahead for groups
The Oxford Grillehouse
The Oxford Grillehouse dining room on the Square, a Signature Ribeye and an Old Fashioned under warm light
Photo source: @oxfordgrillehouse
Oxford's own steakhouse, right on the Square — the locally owned room Oxonians defend against anyone who suggests driving to an out-of-town steak place. Signature Ribeye, a deep topping bar, fried green tomatoes, a good bar program, and a sushi side to the menu.
Reservations: No reservations — walk in (expect a wait on game weekends)
Ajax Diner
Ajax Diner's bright-yellow storefront on the west side of the Square, a meat-and-three plate lunch and sweet tea
The bright-yellow building on the west side of the Square, serving scratch-made Southern comfort since 1997 — Michelin-recommended in 2025, and a longtime Eli Manning favorite. Meat-and-three done right: pot roast, meatloaf, fried catfish, country-fried steak, po'boys.
Reservations: No reservations — walk in
Taylor Grocery
Taylor Grocery's weathered old-store exterior in tiny Taylor, a platter of whole fried catfish and names signed across the walls
'That catfish place' since 1977, in a weathered old store in tiny Taylor. Michelin-recommended in 2025. Generations have written their names on the walls; it's BYOB, cash-friendly, and worth every minute of the drive through the countryside.
Reservations: No reservations — walk in; expect a wait on game weekends
Mama Jo's Country Cookin'
Mama Jo's plate of fried chicken, black-eyed peas, and a slice of cake on a worn diner table, sweet tea alongside
Mama Jo herself runs it — always in her Sunday best — and serves an old-school meat-and-three as good as any in Mississippi. It's the spot John Currence himself sends people to, where everyone from line workers to the Ole Miss chancellor turns up for cake and sweet tea.
Reservations: Walk-in only — lunch, weekdays
Big Bad Breakfast
Big Bad Breakfast's original Oxford location on North Lamar, house-cured bacon and Grit Girl grits on the counter, a line forming outside
Photo source: @bigbadbreakfastoxford
This is the original — John Currence opened Big Bad Breakfast here in Oxford in 2008, and it's since grown into a dozen-plus Southern locations. House-cured meats, Grit Girl grits, and a line out the door by 6:45 on a Saturday for a reason.
Reservations: No reservations — walk in
Bottletree Bakery
Bottletree Bakery's rustic, art-filled counter near the Square, an oversized cinnamon roll and a mug of fresh coffee
A rustic, art-filled bakery that's been an Oxford morning ritual for 30-plus years — berry brioche, cinnamon rolls, bagels, biscuits, just off the Square. The line out front moves fast.
Reservations: Walk-in
Heartbreak Coffee
Heartbreak Coffee's tiny North Lamar shop with an in-house roaster, a hand-pulled latte and a scratch pastry on the counter
Photo source: @heartbreakcoffee
A tiny, locally owned specialty shop that roasts in-house and hand-pulls every shot — widely called the best coffee in Oxford, tucked into the North Lamar corridor.
Reservations: Walk-in
Drink
The Library Sports Bar
The Library Sports Bar packed on a game-day morning near campus, a wall of TVs and a crowded patio
Photo source: @librarysportsbarofficial
Oxford's biggest bar — patio bars, dance floors, a wall of TVs — and the default student game-day engine, billed as 'Oxford's location for everyone.'
Loud, packed, all ages on a game Saturday, fans of every team welcome. Peak college energy.
Reservations: No reservations; walk-in
Bouré
Bouré's balcony over Courthouse Square on a warm afternoon, a Pickle Martini on the rail above the crowd
Photo source: @boureoxford
A City Grocery Restaurant Group spot with a wood-paneled bar and a balcony over the courthouse square — one of the most popular bars in town, and a favorite of visiting parents.
Stylish but easy; the balcony is the move on a warm afternoon. Skews a touch older than the student bars.
Reservations: No reservations; walk-in
Funky's Pizza & Daiquiri Bar
Funky's wall of frozen daiquiri machines and a NY-style slice on the Jackson Avenue patio on a game weekend
Photo source: @funkys
A New Orleans-style daiquiri-and-pizza bar with a wall of frozen machines and a patio facing Jackson Avenue. The football-weekend energy is a thing, and the walls are covered in celebrity photos.
College bar with a great patio scene; loud and fun on a game weekend.
Reservations: No reservations; walk-in
City Grocery Bar
City Grocery Bar's upstairs room and balcony over the Square, a bartender-built cocktail on the worn wooden rail
If one bar is Oxford, it's this upstairs haunt above City Grocery — where professors, undergrads, chefs, and writers all end up at the same rail. A genuine come-as-you-are room with a balcony over the Square, and the bar where Anthony Bourdain drank when he came through town.
The literary, culinary, and college Venn diagram of Oxford, all in one room. Conversation-forward, not a meat market.
Reservations: No reservations; walk-in
Bar Muse
Bar Muse's two-dozen-seat craft cocktail room inside The Lyric, an amaro sour on the bar among regulars
Photo source: @barmuseoxford
Two dozen seats and an outsized influence on Oxford's drinking scene. Joe Stinchcomb (cocktails) and Ross Hester (wine) opened it after years at Saint Leo — a local bar meets serious craft cocktails, with locally sourced ingredients. When Oxford native and Southern-food authority John T. Edge gives a single cocktail recommendation, this is it.
Intimate, locals-heavy, the bar where you meet the whole town.
Reservations: Walk-in; it fills fast given the size
Miscellanea Spirit House
Miscellanea Spirit House's moody, clock-shop-themed speakeasy on South Lamar, a Sazerac under low light
Photo source: @miscellaneaoxford
Oxford's newest speakeasy, opened in September 2025 just off the Square — styled as Dr. Ebel's Clock Shop & Apothecary inside. Heavy on design and storytelling, with classics done right alongside whimsical house creations.
Moody, design-driven, date-night intimate.
Reservations: Resy, recommended on weekends
The Secret Grilled Cheese (The Downstairs Bar)
An unmarked black door down Faulkner Alley off the Square — the hidden entrance to the Secret Grilled Cheese speakeasy
Photo source: @secretgrilledcheese
Officially 'The Downstairs Bar,' universally known as the Secret Grilled Cheese. A black door down Faulkner Alley behind Venice Kitchen — no sign — leads to a dim speakeasy with silent films on the TVs, waiters in suits and flappers, and walls of local art. To get in you need the weekend password (posted Thursdays on Instagram) and you have to clear the dress code. No photos inside.
Theatrical, old-world, late-night ritual. The line is part of it.
Reservations: No reservations — password + dress code at the door
Circle and Square Brewing
Circle and Square Brewing's patio behind the historic Oxford Depot, a fresh pour and dogs on the lawn
Photo source: @circleandsquarebrewing
Oxford's own brewery and gathering spot, 'halfway between the Circle and the Square,' tucked behind the historic Depot. Craft beer plus a real food menu — the relaxed afternoon counterpoint to the cocktail and college scenes.
Easygoing, dog-and-family-friendly, patio energy.
Reservations: No reservations; walk-in
Proud Larry's
Proud Larry's small stage mid-show on South Lamar, a packed intimate room with beers raised
Photo source: @proudlarrys
A restaurant by day, a small-but-storied music room by night, on South Lamar since 1993. Big names have played the little stage — Elvis Costello, John Mayer — and Ole Miss jazz combos play regular sets. Check the calendar before you go.
Intimate live-music room with a full menu; the show makes the night.
Reservations: Walk-in for dinner; show tickets online
The Blind Pig Pub
The Blind Pig Pub's rustic pub-and-deli interior on North Lamar, a deep beer list and a band setting up
Photo source: @theblindpigoxford
A rustic local pub-and-deli with a strong beer selection and frequent live music — a laid-back, lower-key option a step off the college-bar circuit.
Rustic, friendly, neighborhood feel; good for live music on a weekend.
Reservations: No reservations; walk-in
Neighborhoods
The Square
~1 mile from Vaught-Hemingway
The center of gravity for this Playbook. Courthouse Square packs the marquee dinner (City Grocery, The Oxford Grillehouse), the most Oxford bars (City Grocery Bar upstairs, Bouré's balcony), the bright-yellow Ajax Diner, and Square Books — one of the great American independent bookstores — into one walkable block around the Lafayette County Courthouse. The Graduate sits at its north edge; the Faulkner Alley speakeasy hides off its southeast corner.
Areas
The courthouse block itself, plus the storefronts and alleys ringing it, with North and South Lamar running off it in both directions.
Best For
Night-before dinner, the literary-and-cocktail crawl, balcony people-watching, walking everywhere without a car.
Pro Tip
Park near the Square Friday afternoon and leave the car — dinner, the upstairs bar at City Grocery, and a nightcap are all within a couple of blocks, and the walk to campus on game day beats fighting for a spot.
North Lamar & Midtown
~1.5 miles from the stadium
The food corridor north of the Square. North Lamar strings together two Currence rooms a door apart — Snackbar and the original Big Bad Breakfast — plus Volta Taverna's Mediterranean cooking in a converted gas station, Heartbreak Coffee's in-house roaster, and, farther out, Mama Jo's weekday plate-lunch counter. It's a short drive or a long walk from downtown.
Areas
North Lamar Boulevard from the edge of the Square up past the Midtown shops.
Best For
A serious dinner at Snackbar, the game-day breakfast line, a slow coffee, a quieter base away from the Square crush.
Pro Tip
Stack a North Lamar morning — coffee at Heartbreak, then the bacon at Big Bad Breakfast — before you drift down to the Square or campus.
South Lamar & Jackson Avenue
~1 mile from the stadium
The off-Square pockets where some of the best independent rooms live. South Lamar carries Proud Larry's storied little music room, the Miscellanea speakeasy, and The Oliver hotel; Jackson Avenue, running west off the Square, holds Saint Leo's wood-fired Italian, the Tarasque mom-and-pop, and Funky's daiquiri patio. Not the student epicenter, but the connoisseur's Oxford.
Areas
South Lamar Boulevard heading toward campus, and Jackson Avenue East and West off the Square.
Best For
A craft cocktail, a live show, a destination dinner, a quieter Friday away from the college crowd.
Pro Tip
These rooms are small — Bar Muse, Miscellanea, Tarasque all seat a handful of people — so go early or late, and don't bank on a walk-in landing instantly on a marquee weekend.
Campus & The Grove
0.3-0.8 miles from the stadium
The student heart and the game-day stage. The Ole Miss campus runs from the Lyceum and the Circle — the most-photographed corner of Oxford — out to the Grove, the ten acres of oak-shaded grass that the whole weekend orbits. Vaught-Hemingway sits at its southeast edge; the Inn at Ole Miss is steps from the Grove; the Library Sports Bar and Greek Row are a short walk off. Rowan Oak, William Faulkner's home, is a ten-minute walk from the Square through the neighborhood between.
Areas
The Grove, the Lyceum and the Circle, Fraternity and Sorority Row, and the stadium on the campus's south side.
Best For
The tailgate, the Walk of Champions, the pre-game scene, a campus and Rowan Oak walk before kickoff.
Pro Tip
Walk through the Grove on Friday night — students stake and decorate their tents the evening before, and the scene filling up under the oaks is a show of its own.
Taylor
~10 miles / 15 minutes south
The only-here detour. South of town, a country two-lane runs out to tiny Taylor, where Taylor Grocery has fried catfish behind a screen door since 1977 and Wonderbird Spirits distills award-winning rice gin. It's a drive, not a walk — and that's the point.
Areas
Depot Street in Taylor village, ~15 minutes south of Oxford through the countryside.
Best For
A Friday-night catfish run, a low-key drive away from the crowds, a daytime distillery stop.
Pro Tip
Make Taylor a Friday move — bring cash and your own bottle for Taylor Grocery, and pair it with an early-evening tasting at Wonderbird if you've got the time.
Tailgate
The Grove — The Holy Grail of Tailgating
Location
The Grove is ten acres of oak-shaded grass in the center of the Ole Miss campus, a five-minute walk from Vaught-Hemingway. The neighboring Circle picks up the overflow. Everything game-day in Oxford orbits this one green.
Gates Open
Tents go up the night before, and the Grove opens for setup in the early morning — fans claim and decorate space the evening prior. Stadium gates open a couple hours before kickoff. Confirm the current Grove setup window and stadium gate times on the official Ole Miss Athletics gameday page for your kickoff.
What It Is
The most imitated tailgate in America, widely called the "Holy Grail" of college football tailgating. Upscale tented tailgating: chandeliers strung inside the tents, fine china, fans in their Sunday best — men in slacks, women in dresses. No vehicles, only tents.
How It Works
It's tents only — no cars or RVs in the Grove itself. Setups go in the night before, which is a tradition unto itself; Friday-night tent-staking fills the green under the oaks. Park off-campus and walk or ride in, because there's no driving into the heart of it.
What to Expect
Red and blue as far as you can see, the Hotty Toddy chant rolling through the crowd, the Pride of the South marching band leading the energy, and a migration toward the Walk of Champions a couple hours before kickoff.
Pro Tip
Even without a tent invite, the Grove is the event — wander it. Stake out the Walk of Champions route early to watch the team come through, and dress a notch up; Oxford leans elevated, not frat-house casual.
Notable Traditions
The Walk of Champions
About two hours before kickoff, the team walks through the heart of the Grove and under the Walk of Champions arch on its way to the stadium, fans packed along the path. The arch went up in 1998; the tradition dates to the mid-1980s. It's the signature pre-game moment.
Hotty Toddy
The call-and-response chant — "Are you ready? Hell yeah, damn right..." — that you'll hear in the Grove, in the bars, and across the stadium all day. Learn it before you go in; you'll be using it all afternoon.
Pride of the South & Tony the Landshark
The Pride of the South marching band drives the game-day energy, and Tony the Landshark — the mascot since 2018, tied to the "Fins Up" celebration — works the crowd. Retired numbers honor #18 Archie Manning and #38 Chucky Mullins.
Oxford After Dark
The Lyric Oxford
North Mississippi's premier live-music room (1006 Van Buren Avenue), and a building with a Faulkner story baked in — it was originally a livery stable owned by William Faulkner's family, became The Lyric Theatre in the 1920s, then Oxford's first movie theater, where Faulkner walked over from Rowan Oak in 1949 for the world premiere of MGM's Intruder in the Dust. Restored in the 1980s, it now hosts touring music and stand-up comedy. Full calendar at thelyricoxford.com.
Proud Larry's
On South Lamar since 1993, the small room that's hosted everyone from Elvis Costello to John Mayer, plus regular Ole Miss jazz nights. Live music most nights a week — the show makes the night. Calendar at proudlarrys.com.
Ford Center & the SJB Pavilion
The Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts (touring theater, concerts, and a performance series) and the Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss (the basketball arena, which draws bigger touring acts) both sit on campus. Check each venue's calendar for game-weekend events.
Friday Night Music & Comedy
On a typical game weekend, the live entertainment is spread across the bars and rooms downtown:
- Live music: Proud Larry's and The Blind Pig Pub both program live music; Rafters On The Water, on Sardis Lake about 20 minutes north, is a bigger live-music-and-party spot in season.
- Comedy & stand-up: touring comedy lands at The Lyric (check the calendar), with university improv and open-mic nights filling in around campus on game weekends.
- Something uniquely Oxford: the Thacker Mountain Radio Hour — a free, long-running live radio show blending live music with author readings, recorded in town during the fall season. A genuinely Oxford night out if the schedule lines up.
- A daytime detour: Wonderbird Spirits in nearby Taylor makes award-winning rice gin — a fun early-evening tasting if you're already driving out for catfish.
Sample Itinerary
Night Before the Game (Friday)
12:30 PM — Lunch (if you arrive early)
Drop your bags and walk to the Square for lunch at Ajax Diner — the bright-yellow meat-and-three that's been feeding Oxford since 1997. Get a plate lunch (pot roast or chicken and dumplings) and ease into the weekend. If it's a Friday and you can swing it before 2, Mama Jo's Country Cookin' is the other heritage plate-lunch move — just know it's weekday-lunch-only.
6:00 PM — Check in downtown
Check into the Graduate by Hilton Oxford right on the Square, and head up to The Coop rooftop for a sunset drink over downtown before dinner.
7:30 PM — Dinner
- The Play: Taylor Grocery — point the car 15 minutes south to tiny Taylor for whole fried catfish in a 1977 store where everyone signs the walls. Bring cash and your own bottle; the drive through the countryside is the opening act.
- Splurge: Snackbar — if you'd rather stay in town, John Currence and Vishwesh Bhatt's Southern brasserie-meets-oyster-bar is as good a meal as Mississippi serves. Sit at the bar for oysters if the room's booked.
- Easy Move: Saint Leo — wood-fired pizza and a Negroni off the Square, no production required.
9:30 PM — After Dinner
- Cocktails: City Grocery Bar — the upstairs room above City Grocery where the whole town ends up. Get a drink, find the balcony, stay a while.
- Craft: Bar Muse — two dozen seats and the best cocktails in town; the spot John T. Edge points people to.
- Beer: Circle and Square Brewing — Oxford's brewery, behind the Depot, if you want a relaxed pint away from the Square crush.
- Wild Card: Pick your disappearing act. Slide up to the polished rail at Bar Muse for an amaro sour among the professors and chefs — or find the unmarked black door down Faulkner Alley, give the weekend password, clear the dress code, and drop into The Secret Grilled Cheese, where waiters in suits and flapper dresses serve gourmet grilled cheese under silent films and absolutely no one is allowed to take a picture. One's the front room of Oxford's drinking scene; the other's the trapdoor underneath it.
Pro Tip
Friday night is when students race to stake their tents in the Grove — it's a whole scene of its own. Walk through campus on your way back to the hotel to see it filling up under the oaks.
Game Day (Saturday)
Everything Saturday anchors to kickoff. Times below are relative to kickoff — slide them earlier or later once the SEC sets the clock (usually later in the week). On game day in Oxford, the Grove is the event; the stadium is a five-minute walk from the middle of it.
7 hours before kickoff — Breakfast
- Iconic: Big Bad Breakfast — the original location of Currence's now-everywhere breakfast joint. House-cured bacon, Grit Girl grits. Get there before 8 or wait.
- Square-adjacent: Bottletree Bakery — cinnamon rolls and great coffee, lighter and faster, just off the Square.
5 hours before kickoff — Get to the Grove
Walk into campus and find your way into the Grove — ten acres of tents under hundred-year-old oaks. Even if you don't have a tent invite, the energy is the point. This is the tailgate every other school is imitating.
4 hours before kickoff — Explore
Wander the Grove and out toward Sorority and Fraternity Row to see the houses done up for game day, then loop past the Lyceum and the Circle — the most-photographed corner of campus.
2.5 hours before kickoff — Game Day Bar Stops
- The Library — Oxford's biggest bar and the student game-day engine; dance floors, patios, every TV.
- Bouré — claim the balcony over the Square for a Pickle Martini and people-watching.
- Funky's — a frozen daiquiri (the Octane) and a slice on the patio off Jackson Avenue.
2 hours before kickoff — Walk of Champions
Get back to the Grove for the Walk of Champions — the team walks through the crowd and under the arch on the way to the stadium, fans packed along the path. It's the signature pre-game moment.
30 minutes before kickoff — In the stadium
Head to Vaught-Hemingway and be in your seat for the Pride of the South and the pregame build. Learn the Hotty Toddy call-and-response before you go in — you'll be using it all afternoon.
Post-Game
If you have time for only ONE thing post-game
Win or lose, walk back through the Grove. On a win it's euphoric; on a loss everyone retreats to their tents, Solo cup in hand, and the party somehow keeps going anyway.
Immediate Post-Game (next 90 minutes)
- If Ole Miss won: the Square is a celebration — squeeze into City Grocery Bar or Bouré and ride it.
- If Ole Miss lost: the Grove and a quiet drink at Bar Muse are the cure. Oxford's good at this.
Dinner 2-3 hours post-game
- Splurge: City Grocery — the flagship on the Square, shrimp and grits, white tablecloths, the meal that earned Oxford its reputation. Reserve well ahead for a game weekend.
- The Play: The Oxford Grillehouse — if a win calls for a steak, this is the Square's own steakhouse. Signature Ribeye, a good bar, no reservations — so put your name in early.
- Easy Move: Volta Taverna — a brighter Mediterranean option if you've been eating fried-and-rich all day.
Late Night
Back to the Square. City Grocery Bar for a nightcap, or one more attempt at the password for The Secret Grilled Cheese.
Sunday — Send-Off
Down-shift before the drive home.
- Send-Off: Heartbreak Coffee — a hand-pulled latte from Oxford's best little roaster on North Lamar. Grab a pastry, sit for a minute, and point the car home.
Logistics
Getting to Oxford
- Memphis International (MEM): ~75 miles north, about 1 hour 15 minutes down I-55 and MS-6 — the closest major airport and the standard gateway for a game weekend.
- Jackson, MS (JAN): ~165 miles south, about 2.5 hours — the in-state option if the fares line up.
- Birmingham (BHM): ~200 miles east, about 3 hours — a wider hub if Memphis and Jackson are picked over.
Driving to Vaught-Hemingway
- From Memphis: I-55 south to MS-6 east straight into Oxford; campus and the stadium sit on the south side of town. The last stretch around campus is where game-day time goes — add a buffer.
Parking Strategy
Don't plan to drive into the heart of campus on game day — the Grove is tents only, with no vehicles. Instead:
- Park off-campus and walk or ride in — from a Square or downtown hotel it's a 15-20 minute walk through campus to the Grove and stadium.
- Free park-and-ride — the Jackson Avenue Center lot (1111 Jackson Ave W) runs a game-day shuttle toward campus; the South Oxford Campus lot on S Lamar is another public option. Confirm the current routes with Oxford-University Transit (OUT) for your kickoff.
- No vehicles in the Grove — tents only, set up the night before. Plan to leave the car and arrive on foot.
Stadium Entry
- Capacity: 64,038 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium at Hollingsworth Field — the largest stadium in Mississippi.
- Bag policy: clear-bag policy — confirm the current dimensions and clutch allowance on olemissports.com before you go.
- Mobile tickets: tickets are mobile — load them into the Ole Miss Athletics app and your phone's wallet before you reach the gate.
- The Walk of Champions: the team's pre-game walk through the Grove and under the arch comes about two hours before kickoff — stake your spot along the route early.
Traditions Worth Knowing
- Hotty Toddy: the call-and-response chant you'll hear all weekend — "Are you ready? Hell yeah, damn right..."
- The Walk of Champions & Pride of the South: the team's arrival walk through the Grove, and the marching band that drives the game-day energy.
- The Egg Bowl: the season-ending rivalry with Mississippi State for the Golden Egg — and "the Velvet Ditch," Oxford's affectionate name for a town so comfortable you can't leave.
Field Notes
- ✓ Weather by month — September in Oxford is hot and humid; November turns cold fast. Pack for warm early-season afternoons and cooler late-fall nights, layer, and bring a clear bag for the gate.
- ✓ Book the big rooms early — City Grocery, Snackbar, and Saint Leo all fill on game weekends; reserve before you arrive, and for the LSU and Georgia weekends reserve earlier still. The Oxford Grillehouse and Taylor Grocery are walk-in, so go at the edges of the rush.
- ✓ Dress a notch up for the Grove — many fans wear true Sunday best under the tents (sundresses, slacks, even ties). You won't be turned away in game-day casual, but Oxford leans elevated — the Grove's whole identity is chandeliers, not red Solo cups.
- ✓ Download the app — the Ole Miss Athletics app for mobile tickets, and learn the Hotty Toddy chant before you reach the gate.
- ✓ The signature food and drink to try — Taylor Grocery catfish (drive to Taylor and sign the wall), a cocktail upstairs at City Grocery Bar, and Big Bad Breakfast's house-cured bacon. Three orders, three Oxford institutions, no regrets.
- ✓ Pre-game timing — the Walk of Champions is roughly two hours before kickoff and the Grove fills all morning; stake your spot along the route early and plan to be on foot, because there's no driving into campus.
- ✓ Hidden gem — the 15-minute drive out to Taylor Grocery is the most only-here thing on this list. Do it Friday, through the countryside, with cash and your own bottle.
- ✓ Don't skip Rowan Oak and Square Books — William Faulkner's home is a ten-minute walk from the Square, and Square Books is one of the great American independent bookstores. Oxford is a book town as much as a football town.
- ✓ The one thing you'll regret skipping — walk the Grove even without a tent invite. It's the most imitated tailgate in America, and standing in it is the whole point of the trip.
- ✓ Overall encouragement — Oxford runs gracious and welcoming. Tip your bartender, leave your tailgate spot cleaner than you found it, and trade a Hotty Toddy with a stranger before you leave town.
FAQ
What's the best pre-game spot in Oxford?
The Grove, full stop — ten acres of tented tailgating in the center of campus, and the model every other school copies. For a bar, the upstairs room at City Grocery is the most Oxford choice you can make.
What's the one restaurant not to miss?
City Grocery on the Square — John Currence's flagship since 1992 and the place that made Oxford a national food town. Shrimp and grits, white tablecloths, Michelin-recognized. Reserve well ahead on a game weekend.
Where do I find late-night food?
Funky's does pizza-and-daiquiris late on Jackson Avenue. For a ritual, find the unmarked door down Faulkner Alley for the Secret Grilled Cheese speakeasy — you'll need the weekend password from their Instagram and a dress code.
What's the best way to get to the stadium?
Walk. From the Square or campus hotels it's roughly a 15-20 minute walk through campus, and the stadium sits right next to the Grove. On game day, walking beats fighting for parking — and the Grove is tents-only, so you're on foot from there anyway.
Where should I stay to walk everywhere?
The Graduate by Hilton, right on the Square — walkable to dinner, drinks, and the Grove, with a rooftop bar of its own. To literally walk out onto campus, the Inn at Ole Miss is on-campus (and books out first).
What if I can't get a ticket?
Plenty of fans watch the whole game from the Grove on TVs without ever entering the stadium — it's a real Oxford tradition. Otherwise grab a seat at The Library or any Square bar.
What's the food we have to try beyond catfish?
City Grocery's shrimp and grits is the signature splurge, and Snackbar's Gulf oysters are the move at the bar. Then drive to Taylor for whole fried catfish at Taylor Grocery — the catfish is worth the trip.
What's worth doing beyond the game?
Rowan Oak, William Faulkner's home, is a ten-minute walk from the Square. Square Books is one of the great American independent bookstores, and the Ole Miss campus — the Lyceum, the Circle — is genuinely beautiful.
What's the dress code situation in the Grove?
Dressier than you'd expect — many fans wear true Sunday best (sundresses, slacks, even ties) under the tents. You won't be turned away in game-day casual, but Oxford leans elevated, so pack one nicer outfit.
Got a Spot We Missed?
Oxford locals: if there's a place you'd send your visiting cousin that we didn't include, we want it. Send us your pick and we'll get on the ground to verify before the next edition.
Last updated: June 2026. Validated against 2025-2026 Ole Miss Athletics, Visit Oxford, the Michelin Guide (American South), The Oxford Eagle, and venue sources. Hours, menus, and ticket availability change — confirm before you go.
Hotty Toddy.