Georgia grocery store selling whole, skinned alligators for 'Gator-haters' ahead of Florida rivalry game
BOGART, Ga. - It's rivalry weekend in Jacksonville, and as Georgia fans gear up to face off against the Florida Gators, a general store in the Bulldogs' home state is offering fans a unique way to make their allegiance known – while turning heads and filling up stomachs in the process.
Striplings General Store in Bogart, Georgia, is selling whole, skinned alligators to Bulldogs fans looking for the ultimate "Gator-hater" experience. These gators can be grilled at the "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" at TIAA Bank Field on Saturday, or in Athens – and the specialty grocery store is here to help you prepare it.
JACKSONVILLE, FL - OCTOBER 29: Fans tailgating and lining up to come into TIAA Bank Field prior to the college football game between the Florida Gators and Georgia Bulldogs on October 29, 2022, at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by J
Bogart is located about 14 miles west of Athens, the home of the University of Georgia.
"Hey Bulldogs and Gator-haters! Get ready for the ultimate feast for the GA/FL game! Reserve your whole gator today or grab some GATOR MEAT!" Striplings wrote on social media earlier this month. "That's right, folks! While the Gators might be fierce on the field, they're no match for our taste buds! So, why not celebrate our inevitable victory by sinking your teeth into some delicious gator meat?"
Photo: Striplings General Store - Bogart
Striplings also issued a hilarious, but very, very serious disclaimer on their site: "Just remember, this delicacy is strictly reserved for the true Dawg fans who bleed red and black!"
The gators – caught in Louisiana this year – come skinned and frozen.
"Everybody jokes around and says it tastes like chicken," a store employee said in a video on social media. "It actually does, little gamey chicken. Good piece of meat when you grill or smoke it."
Striplings recommends cooking these gators "low and slow." That means on a grill at a low temperature – about six to eight hours at 225 degrees.
And yes, Striplings names the gators. One is named Spurrier, and the other Urban – a nod to former Florida coaches Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer.
The store told FOX 35 News that there are two gators left as of Tuesday evening. If you're unable to snag a whole gator, Striplings is also selling gator meat and gator "cakes," too.
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Florida (5-2) and Georgia (7-0) are scheduled to face off at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday at Jacksonville's TIAA Bank Field. Last year, the Bulldogs walloped Florida 42-20, bringing their series total to 55-44-2.