A relatively mild late fall evening set the stage for the fourth edition of The Tailgate, CultureMap’s all-out party devoted to everyone’s favorite way to get in the gameday spirit.

For the second year in a row, the (mostly) outdoor event took place at 8th Wonder in EaDo. More than 500 attendees enjoyed a stroll through the venue’s expansive backyard, which was loaded with vendors serving a wide array of food and drinks. Many attendees embraced the gameday atmosphere by sporting jerseys from their favorite college and pro teams.

VIP attendees enjoyed a special meet-and-greet with two Houston sports legends. Former Astro Ryan Pressly, a member of the club’s World Series-winning 2022 squad, and former Texan Owen Daniels, a fan favorite tight end who won a Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos, posed for pictures, chatted with fans, and signed autographs. For those who are curious, Daniels affirmed to this reporter that he’s optimistic about the Texans' chances to bounce back on Monday Night Football after losing their week one matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.

Of course, no tailgate is complete without delicious food. Attendees were spoiled for choice from so many participating restaurants:

• Assorted sandwiches from Antone's Famous Po' Boys
  
• A Bad Chx food truck serving chicken tenders and cheesy chicken sandwich sliders
• Dry-aged beef kielbasa-stuffed pierogis with honey jalapeño sour cream from Bayou Butchers
  
• BB's Tex-Orleans brought smoked boudin links, fresh from The Best Stop and served with Creole mustard and saltines, and Maw Maw's chicken and sausage gumbo
• Pork and chicken sliders from Christian's Tailgate
  
• Classic Chubbies and Sweethearts (buttermilk-fried chicken tossed in bacon jam and Chubbie sauce) from Chubbies Sliders
  
• Motherland pizza from Coastline Pizza
  
• Common Bond's shrimp & grits: blackened Gulf shrimp, cheese grits, Creole sauce, applewood-smoked bacon, cherry tomatoes, and herb salad
• Wood-grilled chicken and steak tacos with grilled onions, pico de gallo, and a salsa bar from Little Rey
• Gulf shrimp and Texas peach ceviche from Local Foods
  
• Loro's pulled pork sliders with pineapple adobo
• Phat Eatery's Malaysian chicken curry
• Smash burgers from Pincho Burgers + Kebabs
  
• Cheese and pepperoni pizza from Pizaro's Pizza
  
• Russo's New York Pizzeria served Sicilian arancini and cup char pepperoni al vodka
• Pickled green tomato crawfish salad on a roll from Saint Arnold Brewing Company
  
• Savoy brought: lollipop lamb chops, mini lamb and mini seafood empanadas, chicken sliders, and both buffalo and barbecue wings
• TASTE Kitchen + Bar also served lamb chops
• Nashville Hot chicken sliders on Hawaiian rolls with Thunder Fries (seasoned waffle fries with spicy mayo and ancho chile honey butter) from The Waffle Bus
  
• American Roadside sliders and peri peri "pulled" chicken sliders from Traveler's Cart

Fans had a number of choices for refreshments, including THC seltzers, beer from our sponsor FLIGHT by Yuengling, and other fun beverages, featuring spirits from our sponsors: Patrón Tequila, Teeling Whiskey, and St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur.

After four rounds of voting, modern Mexican restaurant Mayahuel emerged as the winner in our Top Taco Tournament. At the event, attendees selected the jerk lamb chops from TASTE Kitchen + Bar as their favorite of the night.

Local sports teams also kept fans entertained. The Texans had cheerleaders on hand to sign autographs, along with a game to complete a NFL-style passing drill. The Astros showed off the 2017 and 2022 World Series Trophies. And Houston soccer stars the Dynamo and Dash were on hand to tout their upcoming seasons.

One of the night’s unexpected surprises was how challenging it was to pilot the Yuengling drone. Much laughter could be heard as people ran over obstacles instead of avoiding them.

At the end of the night, there was only one complaint to be made for The Tailgate: It had to come to an end for another season.

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The Tailgate was sponsored by FLIGHT by Yuengling, Puttshack, Mizzen+Main, Sysco To Go, Antone's Famous Po' Boys, NXT LVL Events, Patrón Tequila, Teeling Whiskey, St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur.

Photo by Daniel Ortiz

Caroline Barton, Emily Cary, Samantha Holsomback, Braden Navarre, and Orbit.