Essential Ingredients for the Perfect Tailgate Party

Football season has arrived, and that means TAILGATE PARTIES!At Rich’s, we take tailgating seriously – you can find everything you need for your tailgate party at one of our five Puget Sound stores. Here are some suggestions for items you’ll want to add to your shopping list.

Food & Beverages

Obviously, eats and drinks are the most essential ingredients for your party. You’ll want to bring some pre-made food, such as potato salad, buns, desserts, and beverages. But part of the fun of a tailgate party is sending the aromas of grilled burgers, chicken, hot dogs, and salmon wafting across the parking lot (makes non-tailgaters jealous!).

Tailgating is your opportunity to showcase your grilling skills – and your über-cool grill.  Here are some grills designed especially for tailgating:  

Weber Go-Anywhere® Charcoal Grill or Gas Grill

The heavy-duty legs double as lid locks. The grill comes with sturdy, plated steel cooking grates and has a cooking area of  160 square inches.

Traeger Junior Pellet Grill

The Junior features 292 square inches of cooking surface, along with our Auto-start and E-Z drain grease

 Mini EGG® from Big Green Egg

This baby will attract a crowd because of its unique egg shape. With 64 square inches of cooking space, the Mini can cook:

• 2 chicken breasts
• 3 pork chops
• 1 steak

The Football Grill

This little charcoal grill is not only a fun conversation piece, it does a great job grilling, too. It has a porcelain coating inside and out and 170 square inches of grilling space.

Charcoal & Smoke Pellets

If you bring a charcoal grill, you’ll want to purchase a big bag of natural lump charcoal, which burns hotter and cleaner than briquettes and has a distinct, natural flavor. Rich’s also carries a wide variety of flavored grilling pellets, including Jack Daniel’s Whiskey, Apple, and Orange.

You’ll want gourmet sauces, rubs, and seasonings for your meat, too. We’ve got a huge selection of specialty grilling spices to choose from.

Grilling Apron & Mitts

No fru-fru aprons for you! Rich’s carries a good selection “manly” grilling aprons for around $21. We also stock silicone grill mitts.

Table & Chairs

Now is the optimum time to purchase patio furniture, because much of it is on sale at Clearance prices. Consider buying a lightweight aluminum patio set from Tropitone – you can load it into the back of your SUV or pickup for tailgating, and use it next summer on your patio.

Of course, you’ll need plates and cups for your table. Instead of bringing disposables, class it up with our acrylic “cut glass-style” wine glasses, pitchers, and plates (pictured below).

Cleanup

Why use an entire roll of paper towels to clean your grill when you can bring along our disposable grill wipes? Don’t forget to bring along some trash bags, and to cart away all your stuff when you leave.

What to wear

It goes without saying that you’ll be wearing either Seahawks, Huskies, or Cougar team gear. And bring along team flags, pennants, and big foam fingers.

When to arrive

Early. Most tailgaters arrive two-to-three hours before gametime. Find out when the stadium allows vehicles to enter the parking lot and get there in plenty of time to grab a good spot.

Here’s an article that lists the best places to tailgate before Seattle Seahawks games: http://hubpages.com/hub/Tailgating-Quest-Field-Seattle-Seahawks