How to roll with the Tide: A guide to game day activities in Tuscaloosa

More than 100,000 fans will turn Tuscaloosa into a sea of crimson and white and purple and gold as the Alabama football and LSU play Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

One question on the minds of some of those fans is sure to be “What’s there to do in Tuscaloosa?” Here’s a guide for before, during and after the game, which kicks off at 6:45 p.m.:

Food and drink

The Tuscaloosa area has dozens of restaurants worth checking out, but here are a few that will be of special interest to football fans.

• Rama Jama’s: The diner at 1000 Paul W. Bryant Drive in the shadow of Bryant-Denny Stadium specializes in stadium food, such as burgers, hot dogs with chili, shakes and fries. The menu includes a BLT sandwich with 18 strips of bacon, one for each UA football national championship. The interior features enough Crimson Tide mementoes to fill a library.

• Dreamland: If you’ve watched a game televised from Bryant-Denny Stadium, you might have heard the announcers singing the praises of Dreamland’s hickory-smoked ribs. Opened in 1958 by John “Big Daddy” Bishop, Dreamland was first known for its minimalist menu of ribs, a bag of chips and white bread, but the current-day restaurant has expanded to serve pulled pork, smoked chicken and side dishes. For dessert, be sure to have some banana pudding. The original Dreamland is 5535 15^th Ave. E and there’s a Northport location at 101 Bridge Ave.

• The Historic Waysider Restaurant: The small red house at 1512 Greensboro Ave. serves breakfast and lunch like grandma used to make. The breakfast menu features biscuits with redeye gravy, steak and eggs, pancakes, cheese grits and more. Fans can even eat like coach Paul W. “Bear” Bryant, who enjoyed the Waysider’s country ham. The Waysider has been open for more than 70 years and, like Rama Jama’s, is decorated with Crimson Tide memorabilia.

• Forté Cuts and Cocktails: A French-inspired steakhouse, Forte‘ opened in 2022 inside The Alamite Tuscaloosa, an estimated $30 million, 112-room hotel on the southwestern corner of Sixth Street and 23rd Avenue, featuring  a group of owners that includes Alabama football coach Nick Saban. Forté’s menu includes steak au poivre, bouillabaisse, coq a vin, frisse au lardon and beef bourguignon, as well as steakhouse signature cuts such as dry-aged ribeye and filet mignon.

Pregame activities

Some of UA's most popular pre-game rituals take place within walking distance of Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Champions Lane, a pregame entertainment area, will open at noon Saturday at the northwest corner of Bryant-Denny Stadium on the lawn behind the Tuska statue. The area includes a sound stage for concerts, food trucks from World of Beer and Texas Roadhouse, a lounge with casual seating, LED videoboards for fans to watch other college football games in progress, an autograph tent and more.

Fans can cheer the UA football players, Saban and coaching staff members at 4:45 p.m. as they arrive by bus along the Walk of Champions on the north side of the stadium. That's the side of the stadium that also includes statues of Alabama national championship coaches — Paul W. "Bear" Bryant, Saban, Gene Stallings Frank Thomas and Wallace Wade — along with Tuska, the 24-foot tall, 7-ton elephant statue.

The Elephant Stomp, a pregame pep rally featuring elephant mascot Big Al, the Million Dollar Band and UA cheerleaders, will begin at 5:45 p.m. at the Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library on the Quad. The band will play the school fight song, "Yea Alabama," and then march down Colonial Drive, leading Crimson Tide fans into the stadium.

The Quad will also feature hundreds of tailgating tents with fans enjoying a wide variety of food. Fans can check out these food trucks on the west side of the Quad: La Mexicana, Full Moon BBQ, Jim ‘N Nick’s BBQ, Slice Pizzeria and A Little Something Extra ice cream.

Fans visiting the Quad will also want to stop by Denny Chimes, a 115-foot bell tower named after former UA president George Denny. Around Denny Chimes is the Walk of Fame, which has cement blocks with the names, handprints and cleat marks of UA football captains dating back to the 1940s.

Family fun

The Paul W. Bryant Museum, 300 Paul W. Bryant Drive, will be open on game day, featuring memorabilia and exhibits from all eras of Alabama football from Wallace Wade to Nick Saban. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children. For more information, go to https://bryantmuseum.com.

Fans can find plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and other goods produced by local farmers at the Tuscaloosa River Market, 1900 Jack Warner Parkway. The market will be open from 7 a.m. until noon Saturday.

For families with young children, the Children’s Hands-on Museum has a variety of exhibits, such as Capt. Tim Parker’s riverboat, Lil’ Sprouts Farmers Market and a Choctaw Native American village. The museum is at 2213 University Blvd and is open 9:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.  Admission is $12. For more information, visit www.chomonline.org.

Families can go for a pregame or postgame stroll on the Tuscaloosa Riverwalk along the southern bank of the Black Warrior River off Jack Warner Parkway. The 4-mile, bike-friendly trail includes benches and a playground. The Riverwalk begins at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater and ends at the gazebo on the east side of Manderson Landing. Also at Manderson Landing is Minerva, a 30-foot, 9,500-pound sculpture of the Roman goddess of wisdom, who is also part of UA’s official seal. On the sidewalk at the foot of the Minerva statue is a display that recounts Tuscaloosa’s more than 200-year history.

A good place for a picnic with a view of the Black Warrior River is River District Park at 180 Greensboro Ave. or the Randall Family Park and Trailhead at the Northern Riverwalk at 201 Rice Mine Road Loop.

Shopping

The Supe Store, UA's official supply store, has three locations with a variety of Alabama merchandise. The Corner Supe Store, 807 Paul W. Bryant Drive, is a short walk from Bryant-Denny Stadium, as is the Town Center Supe Store at 1130 University Blvd. The UA Student Center, 751 Campus Drive West, also has a Supe Store.

Three shopping centers are within a short drive of the stadium:

• University Mall, 1701 McFarland Blvd. E, is anchored by JCPenney and Belk and includes a food court.

• Midtown Village, 1800 McFarland Blvd. E, is anchored by Barnes & Noble, Best Buy and Old Navy. Midtown features several restaurants, including Metro Diner, Chipotle and Blaze Pizza.

• The Shoppes at Legacy Park, 1320 McFarland Blvd. E, is anchored by the Fresh Market, PetSmart and Dick’s Sporting Goods.

Reach Ken Roberts at ken.roberts@tuscaloosanews.com.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Where to find food, fun and more on football game day in Tuscaloosa