Give a shout if you’re excited to watch the upcoming Big Game! Whether your favorite team is still in the running or not, it’s always fun to get together with fellow football lovers, wear your team’s colors, and choose a side to root for (or against).
The other great thing about hosting a football watch party is all of the delicious game day food you get to enjoy! From burgers and hot dogs, to subs, sliders, and seafood, there’s always something for everyone. This year, consider choosing a “Hometown Recipes” theme and picking a selection of food inspired by your favorite team’s (or your own) hometown!
Looking for inspiration? Check out this extensive list of recipes inspired by each U.S. Pro Football Team’s hometown:
Atlanta, GA – Pimento Cheese Burger
Pimento cheese, a spread made with shredded cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, and chopped pimento peppers, is hugely popular in Atlanta, GA and other areas of the Southern United States. If you’re from this area of the country, you may consider celebrating Game Day with this loaded burger topped with pimento cheese, bacon, and all the fixin’s on a Martin’s Big Marty’s Roll.
Baltimore, MD – Pit Beef Sandwich
Baltimore, MD is known for a style of barbecue called “Pit Beef” which is smoked over an open fire, sliced thinly, and served with a horseradish sauce and slivered onions. If barbecue is on the menu at your Game Day watch party, try our recipe using a sesame-seeded Big Marty’s Roll.
Buffalo, NY – Buffalo Chicken Sliders
You don’t have to be from upstate New York to enjoy anything doused in Buffalo hot sauce…but it does help. This quintessential game day condiment is perfect served with crispy fried chicken sliders and ranch or blue cheese dressing, along with some celery sticks to cool things down.
Charlotte, NC – Carolina Slaw Dogs
“Slaw Dogs” are a popular cookout item in the Southern U.S.—the delectable pairing of grilled hot dogs with creamy coleslaw is a favorite among foodies. In the Carolinas, this combo gets taken one step further with the addition of spiced chili and occasionally mustard. We suggest you give them a try!
Chicago, IL – Chicago Dog
In the Windy City, you’ll find hot dogs being served in restaurants and street stands, piled high with interesting toppings like sliced tomatoes, a pickle spear, bright green relish, sport peppers, and yellow mustard (but never ketchup!), and served on a poppy-seed-speckled bun.
Cincinnati, OH – Cincinnati Coney Dog
Cincinnati is famous for its unique chili recipe—a Mediterranean-spiced meat sauce that is served over hot dogs and spaghetti, often with the addition of shredded cheese. Prepare these loaded hot dogs on Martin’s Long Potato Rolls to get both your hot dog and chili fix in one go!
Cleveland, OH – Polish Boy Sandwich
Meanwhile, in the other corner of the state, Clevelanders are busy preparing something called a “Polish Boy Sandwich”—a grilled kielbasa sausage served on a soft bun and topped with French fries, BBQ sauce, and coleslaw. Have your pick, but we think both recipes sound fantastic!
Dallas, TX – BBQ Lover’s Burger
If there’s two things Texas is BIG on, it’s barbecue and beef. Whether or not your favorite team hails from the Lone Star State, we think you’ll enjoy this double-stacked burger topped with pulled pork, sweet BBQ sauce, bacon bits, crispy onion straws, and fresh pickle relish, all loaded onto a Martin’s BIG Marty’s Roll!
Denver, CO – Green Chile Queso Burgers
Green chilies are an immensely popular ingredient in Colorado, as in most of the other Southwestern states. This Tex-Mex inspired burger, topped with two smashed patties, melty pepper-jack cheese, caramelized onions and green chilies, and sriracha-mayo, is perfect for Game Day! Try this superb recipe from Jess Pryles, AKA “Hardcore Carnivore!”
Detroit, MI – Detroit-Style Coney Dog
Order a hot dog in Detroit and you’re likely to see a Coney Dog—an all-beef hot dog on a steamed bun, topped with meat sauce, diced onion, and a squiggle of mustard. Pay homage to this iconic city by whipping up a batch for the Big Game!
Foxborough, MA – New England Lobster Roll
If you’re from New England, particularly Massachusetts, chances are you’ve had your fair share of Lobster Rolls. They are traditionally served cold—a buttered and toasted bun topped with lobster meat dressed in mayo, lemon juice, and fresh herbs—but certain areas of the region also serve them warm, topped simply with melted butter.
Green Bay, WI – Brown Butter Burgers
Wisconsin is widely known for being one of the nation’s leading dairy producers, which makes this burger the perfect representation for the state. Made with hand-formed patties infused with homemade brown butter and topped with melty cheddar cheese plus all the toppings, these burgers are a touchdown any time of year.
Houston, TX – Texas Dog
Mexican-inspired food has long been a key feature of Texas cuisine (hence the popular abbreviation, “Tex-Mex”). Throughout the region, you’ll find many foods garnished with an extra source of heat—as is the case with these salsa, cheese, and jalapeno topped hot dogs!
Indianapolis, IN – Pork Tenderloin Sandwich
The breaded pork tenderloin sandwich is an icon in the state of Indiana. Check out this twist on the classic using smokehouse-seasoned pork tenderloin, topped with Monterey jack cheese, BBQ sauce and onion rings, all on a Martin’s Sandwich Potato Roll!
Jacksonville, FL – Mini Fish Taco Boats
Nestled along the coastline, this beachy town is paradise to surfers and seafood lovers alike. Throw a pseudo summer bash with these toasted bread boats filled with crispy fish tenders, seasoned mayo, and chipotle-lime slaw.
Kansas City, MO – KC Burnt Ends
Kansas City is famous for the style of barbecue known as “burnt ends.” A brisket point is seasoned and smoked low and slow, then cubed and tossed in a sweet and sticky BBQ sauce. Try it as a sandwich on Martin’s Sandwich Potato Rolls, topped with pickled red onions, in this recipe from Hey Grill Hey.
Las Vegas, NV – Beef Teriyaki Crostini with Wasabi Mayo
Las Vegas is known for its busy nightlife, live entertainment, and fine dining scene. A few of its stand-out categories of dining include high-end steakhouses and Asian cuisine. Combine the two into one fancy party appetizer: beef teriyaki crostini topped with wasabi mayonnaise.
Los Angeles, CA – Double Smash Burger
Los Angeles has become popular locale for restaurant pop-ups, food trucks, and up-and-coming burger joints. The current trending style is known as the “smash burger”—a thin burger patty, cooked on a flat-top griddle, that is smashed flat to allow for maximum caramelization and crispy lacing around the edges. Give it a try!
Bonus Recipe: California Chicken Flatbread
Miami, FL – Cubano Sandwich
The Cuban sandwich, or Cubano, is hugely popular in Miami due to its large Cuban population and cultural influence. This recipe sandwiches ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese, dill pickles, and yellow mustard, between two halves of a Martin’s Hoagie Roll, then presses it flat as it cooks on a buttered grill pan over medium heat.
Minneapolis, MN – Jucy Lucy Cheeseburger
The famous cheeseburger known as the Jucy Lucy originates in the hometown of Minneapolis, MN. It is made by stuffing a cube of cheese inside of a burger patty prior to grilling. The resulting burger produces a molten center of melty, cheesy goodness.
Nashville, TN – Nashville Hot Chicken Sliders
You don’t have to be from Tennessee to have heard of “Nashville Hot Chicken.” This famously spicy style of fried chicken is twice-seasoned with both hot sauce and cayenne pepper seasoning. Our version includes the addition of “hot honey” to add a hint of sweetness, and is served on a Sweet Dinner Potato Roll with some pickle chips.
New Orleans, LA – Muffaletta Sliders
There’s nothing that says “New Orleans” like a Muffuletta—a Sicilian style sandwich filled with a variety of deli meat, cheese, pickled veggies, and a marinated olive salad. Celebrate The Big Easy with these miniature slider versions of the iconic sandwich.
New York City, NY – Italian Subs
New York City is well known for a lot of things—a few of them being the proliferation of Jewish delis and bagel shops, Italian-influenced pizza places, and hot dog street vendors. Enjoy Game Day with a nice classic Italian-style sub (sometimes called a “hero” or “hoagie”), loaded with ham, capicola, salami, provolone cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and oil-and-vinegar dressing.
Bonus Recipe: Pepperoni Pizza Sliders
Philadelphia, PA – Philly Cheesesteak
If you’re rooting for a football team from southeastern Pennsylvania, you can celebrate by searing up some classic steak-and-cheese sandwiches (lovingly called Philly Cheesesteaks). Serve them on Martin’s Hoagie Rolls for another PA-centric tie-in!
Phoenix, AZ– Sonoran Hot Dog
Arizona’s favorite regional hot dog is the Sonoran Dog, named after neighboring state of Sonora, Mexico. To prepare it, a bacon-wrapped hot dog is grilled and loaded into a bun, then topped with the following: diced avocado, ranch style beans, pico de gallo, and a drizzle of mayonnaise.
Pittsburgh, PA – Pittsburgh-Style Sandwich
Over in western PA, a famous restaurant chain called Primanti Bros. popularized the “Pittsburgh-style sandwich” which is a tall stacked sandwich packed with a choice of deli meat, provolone cheese, vinegar-based coleslaw, and thick cut French fries.
San Francisco, CA – Warm Crab Dip
The Pacific Northwest, along with Northern California, is a prime location to find Dungeness crab—a beloved seafood delicacy in this region of the country. Whether or not you live on the West Coast, you can still enjoy a taste by recreating this delicious warm crab dip made with mayo, sour cream, Old Bay seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, cheddar cheese, and lump crab meat.
Seattle, WA – Seattle Dog
Here we have a popular street food offering, originating out of Seattle, Washington: a split-cut hot dog or polish sausage topped with cream cheese, griddled onions, and a choice of other toppings like sliced jalapenos, sriracha, or brown mustard!
Tampa Bay, FL – Surf ‘N’ Turf Burger
Just like other areas of the Sunshine State, Tampa is big on all things seafood. Brighten up your Game Day spread with these Surf-N-Turf Sliders: mini quarter-pound burgers served on Martin’s Sweet Dinner Potato Rolls, topped with lump crab meat, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and fresh chives, and garnished with a shrimp skewer.
Washington, DC – D.C. Half Smokes
Take a visit to the nation’s capital and you’ll see plenty of street vendors serving up “half-smoke” sausages—a half-pork, half-beef sausage that’s equal parts smoky and spicy. It’s typically served with either chili and cheese or onions and spicy mustard.
Martin’s Hometown MVP
Now that we’ve shown you a number of game day food favorites from around the country, head on over to MyHometownMVP.com and submit an original photo of YOUR “Hometown MVP” recipe for the chance to win a PlayStation 5 and a custom Martin’s jersey!
Our latest content, delivered straight to your inbox.
Be the first to hear about our newest recipes, tips, and company updates!
