In the shadows of the towering steel of MetLife Stadium, where the air is thick with city grit and fall anticipation, you’ll find one of the most iconic tailgates in the NFL—the TailgateJoe experience. Part culinary playground, part fan club, and entirely fueled by passion, TailgateJoe is what happens when one man’s obsession with football, food, and fandom spills out of a Coleman grill and into a full-blown cultural phenomenon. Founded by Joe himself—a proud cancer survivor and lifelong New York Jets fanatic—this gathering of green-and-white diehards has grown from a handful of friends sharing beers in the parking lot to a can’t-miss, stadium-side institution that feeds hundreds and welcomes all.

The roots of TailgateJoe trace back to the early 2000s, when Joe and a few friends would huddle around a small portable grill, swigging beers and dreaming of Jets glory. Each season, the group grew. By 2008, their gatherings had swelled to dozens, and it was clear that something special was happening. Joe made the call to open up the experience to others who, for whatever reason, weren’t able to tailgate on their own—maybe they lacked the gear, the group, or the time to pull it all together. The solution was simple: build something big, open it to everyone, and do it with serious heart. TailgateJoe.com was launched, and by the 2009 season—the final year of the old Giants Stadium—the modern TailgateJoe was born.

Fast forward to today, and TailgateJoe is the largest and most celebrated Jets tailgate party in existence, routinely hosting 300 to 600 fans per game. Part of the appeal is Joe himself, who brings chef-level creativity and a high-energy spirit to everything he does. This isn’t a commercial operation or a cookie-cutter catering gig—it’s a labor of love. Joe’s mom fills the cannoli by hand. The brisket gets the kind of treatment you’d expect in a competitive BBQ circuit. From gourmet burgers to smoked wings, Italian sausages to loaded hot dogs, the food is next-level and the beer is always cold. And if you want in? Just show up. Hang out. Say hi. The party is open to everyone, with optional donations helping offset the cost of the epic food and drink spread.

On gameday, the TailgateJoe crew arrives when the lots open—usually five hours before kickoff—and sets up shop with TVs broadcasting the league’s early games, a curated music playlist, and enough tailgating tech to make your head spin. Frozen drink machines, draft systems, and all the outdoor kitchen gear you could imagine—it’s a fan’s dream come to life in Lot L of MetLife. There’s no velvet rope, no exclusivity—just an open invitation to enjoy a slice of football life the way it was meant to be: surrounded by passionate fans, killer food, and that unmistakable electric hum of anticipation before a Jets kickoff.

TailgateJoe’s impact hasn’t gone unnoticed. It’s been featured in Food & Wine’s “Best Tailgating Cities” list, the book 100 Things Jets Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die, and even on Japan’s NHK Network and TLC’s American Chopper. Joe’s appeared on cooking shows, competed in food contests (including multiple wins at the Great Hot Dog Cook Off), and even studied under barbecue royalty Myron Mixon to hone his pitmaster chops. But ask him about it, and he’ll tell you it’s not about the fame—it’s about the flame. The flame of the grill, the flame of fandom, and the fire that brings people together, one plate at a time.

Whether you’re a New Yorker by birth or a visiting fan just looking to experience tailgating done right, TailgateJoe is a bucket-list stop. The party is loud, proud, and always welcoming. And while the Jets have had their ups and downs over the years, there’s never a shortage of energy, optimism, or community when you roll into Joe’s corner of the lot. So grab a beer, slap on some green, and come hungry—because when the smoke rises over the blacktop and the chants start to build, you’ll know you’ve found the heart of Jets Nation.