SEC college towns ...

When in Baton Rouge go to Louie's, the Chimes or Ruffino's. Louie's is a greasy spoon right by campus and it has amazing hash browns. The Chimes is a college bar with a gazillion different beers on tap. Of course, it's PACKED on football weekends. Ruffino's is an Italian/Cajun joint, run by a former LSU lineman (it used to be Gerry DiNardo's restaurant) -- but it's way far from campus.

 

The chimes has Fat Tire, on tap if I'm not mistaken.

 

The best places in Gainesville are chains (Chili's, Applebee's, etc.) which speaks volumes about how crappy the food is there. And is it just me, or has every Applebee's I've gone into, no matter what the location, has sucked out loud for the last five years or so.
Obviously, Baton Rogue benefits from being close to New Orleans. More variety than other SEC towns (Starkeville, Tuscaloosa, etc.) which seem to specialize only in BBQ.

 

Toomer's Corners in Auburn, just for the lemonade.

 

The Gainesville burrito place is Burrito Brothers.
There's Leonardo's on University, which is the pizza staple of the college crowd. But I've heard Satchel's is the best pizza in town.
There's the swamp, the uber-Greek hang out. Gator's Dockside a couple miles west of campus is pretty much the same as a BW3. It might even be a chain. I know there's also one in Jacksonville, so that might not even be on your radar. Same with Calico Jacks, which is quite popular.
There's a good, hole-in-the-wall patio-only Mexican place on 13th Street north of University called El Indio.
Downtown there's a Cuban place called Emiliano's.
43rd Street Deli is said to be good. As is Hogan's Heroes on 13th.

For BBQ: David's on 39th. The best, though, is Backyard BBQ in Newberry, 15 miles west of Gainesville.

That's a start for Gainesville. But Tallahassee, it ain't.

 

I second (or third) The Chimes on the edge of LSU's campus. Much better food than one would think from what on the surface looks mostly like a place to drink a wide variety of beers.

 

http://www.sectalk.com/boards/showthread.php?t=2480

Wish I could add a few of my own suggestions, however, in the SEC towns I've been in - I've either eaten at chain places or the local ones I've dined in - I wouldn't recommend.

 

When Chili's is your best restaurant, that says a lot...

 

There is little finer pleasure in life than eating anything cooked from that joint. It is fantastic.

In Tuscaloosa, it's hard to look past the 15th Street Diner. Second the nod on Ruffino's in Baton Rouge, too.

 

i know our boy ledbetter said he's got athens covered... but other may not

my favorite (now that i hear caliente cab has closed) is 5 star day. it's right across from the arch on broad street. i so miss the stuffed meatloaf, or whatever the special of the day is

 

Last time I was in Oxford I couldn't make it to Ajax. I considered that a tragedy.

 

Don't most bars have it on tap now?