We get it. We do too.

So some of our food (and football) fanatics got together with creative artist Derek Aguilar for a one-of-a-kind totally-Whataburger food stadium, complete with all of your menu favorites.

Check it out. Get hungry. Watch football. Repeat.

After all, it’s the place they became friends.

“It’s Whataburger – when I see the orange and white stripes, it makes me so happy,” Peyton Hammond, one of the group, says.

Fateful Day

When the first Whataburger in Tuscaloosa, Ala., opened in February 2018, the line to get inside circled around the building and down the block.

The #Whatafriends group – University of Alabama freshmen Alex Brehm and Leah Brasington, sophomore Peyton Hammond, and junior Blake Hudson and Jake Anderson – were part of the crowd.

But not all together. Not yet.

They had all arrived early hoping to get a silver University of Alabama table tent, a special commemorative item Whataburger was giving out to the first 100 people in line. Not all of them scored that special swag. (“I even tried to buy one!” Brasington says.) But, they managed to start a conversation that is still going strong.

Friends Hudson and Anderson were waiting in line together when they struck up a conversation with the others, all of them sharing stories about their love of Whataburger.

“It just started from there,” Hudson says. “We all sat together – that just might be because Leah still wanted our silver tents – but we respect that,” he laughs. They chatted for more than two hours – and then came back later that night for Honey Butter Chicken Biscuits.

Now, three months later, they meet at Whataburger once or twice a week, sometimes more.

Comfort Food

At the opening and even now, Brehm – who moved from San Antonio – sends photos of himself at Whataburger to his family.

“They messaged me back, ‘We know you are mostly a happy person, but this is the happiest we’ve seen you in a long time,’” he says.

Like Brehm, Anderson, Brasington and Hammond hailed from Texas, Whataburger’s home state. So even though they’re full of ’Bama pride, Whataburger helps them get that much-missed taste of home.

Anderson, who comes from Tyler, Texas, puts it simply: “It’s nostalgia,” he says. “I guess I go four or five times a week. And when all of us get together, it’s great because Whataburger is open 24/7. We never feel rude about sitting here a while – everyone here is so nice. It’s like a family.”

Tuscaloosa: Mmmm, Honey Butter Chicken Biscuits! Roll Tide!

Want to be an instant local in Tuscaloosa? Throw on some casual crimson and toss out a “Roll Tide!” Kick back for starry nights and sunsets and get (really) serious about football. That’s how Tuscaloosa rolls.

Whataburger's first Tuscaloosa restaurant opened in February 2018. Learn more here, or check out related coverage below.

Located at Highway 359 and Skyland Boulevard, Whataburger offers fresh, 100 percent beef burgers, as well as other popular menu items including french fries, onion rings, chicken strips, shakes and more. Fans also enjoy the breakfast menu, available from 11 p.m. to 11 a.m., which includes Whataburger’s popular Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit and warm Taquitos, perfect to kick-start an early morning or cure late-night cravings.

Whataburger is a proud sponsor of University of Alabama athletics including football, men’s and women’s basketball, gymnastics, softball and baseball. During basketball season, lucky fans even have the chance to win an ultimate condiment prize pack. To show Whataburger’s support for the university, there is a Crimson Tide logo on the exterior of the restaurant and a mural showcasing iconic photos of the University of Alabama on display in the dining room.

“We’ve been working hard to get this restaurant up and running, and are eager to begin serving fans right here in Tuscaloosa,” said John Attra, Whataburger Director of Operations. “Whether customers are stopping by to fuel up for a big exam or to celebrate a Crimson Tide win, we’re proud to bring our Orange Spirit to this legendary community.”

Back in January 2013, Michael Reeves decided to conduct a little experiment.

He wanted Whataburger to open a location in Tuscaloosa, Ala., but wasn’t sure how to get the attention of the company’s decision-makers.

So he started a Facebook page: Whataburger 4 Tuscaloosa AL.

Its mission? “To bring the quality and tradition of Whataburger to Tuscaloosa, Alabama.”

Now, more than five years later, Reeves’ dreams will be coming true – in duplicate.

A Whataburger will be opening at 820 Skyland Blvd. on Feb. 28th – and a second location will open at 1301 McFarland Blvd. later in the year.

Whataburger 4 Tuscaloosa!

Since moving to Tuscaloosa in 2006, Reeves has been driving an hour each way to get his Whataburger fix at a 

Birmingham location. The Family Members at that store take the time to package the condiments, meat, and bread separately so that it’s still fresh when Reeves assembles and devours it after driving home.

That attention to guest service is just one reason Reeves was missing Whataburger so much.

“I’ve never met anyone who didn’t like Whataburger,” says Reeves, a computer lab instructor for Easter Seals of West Alabama. “I grew up in southeast Alabama and northwest Florida, and we would get Whataburger and head to the beach … oh man, it tasted great.”Those memories drove him to foundthe Whataburger 4 Tuscaloosa group, which quickly swelled to more than 200 members – including a local media personality, who started her own petition.

The Facebook group has taken on a life of its own. For years, members shared rumors about a potential store, as well as memories of their own Whataburger experiences.

And since Whataburger officially broke ground of a restaurant in Tuscaloosa last year, members have been posting photos as the walls go up, speculating about opening dates, and even sharing tips on how to get a job at the soon-to-open restaurant.

Getting Fan Support

Another member of the group, radio personality Kimberly Madison of the Madison & Shepherd morning radio show on 92.1 The Possum, is a relatively new fan … but a passionate one.

Her sister-in-law had been urging her to try Whataburger if she had the chance, so when she and a friend (another hardcore Whataburger fan) were in nearby Pelham, Ala., they stopped in for a Whataburger with cheese.

“I was so excited about trying my first Whataburger that my friend grew nervous that she’d oversold the experience,” Madison remembers.

Not to worry, she says. “She didn’t.”

Like Reeves, Madison was inspired to connect with fellow fans in the area. She created an online petition (complete with video of her eating her very first Whataburger) to bring Whataburger to Tuscaloosa. It drew 1,712 signatures from folks who were ready to order up a Patty Melt or Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit.

“Eating Whataburger never gets old,” she says. “We are beyond excited.”

A Taste of Home

Meanwhile, University of Alabama students who hail from Whataburger states are getting ready for late-night runs for onion rings, apple pies, and (of course) a Whataburger.

Native Texan Madison Bush is already celebrating, in fact.

She and her friends painted the door of her room in the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority house with the familiar orange-and-white stripes of her favorite brand.

“My parents grew up in Corpus Christi, and Whataburger has always been a part of my life,” she says.

Now? She’s looking forward to a chance to pick up her favorite order: Whataburger, fries and a chocolate milkshake 24/7.

After she graduates in May, Bush is slated to attend graduate school at UA as well. Which means she plans to be a regular at both locations for years to come. “Oh yes, Whataburger is built into my schedule,” she says. “I’m ready.”

The couple heard about Whataburger’s new Chorizo Burger, and decided to try it out for lunch one day. The catch? The closest restaurant was in Jacksonville, Fla.

Which is 380 miles away.

Fortunately, they own a plane.

The couple decided to go for it.

Two hours later, Christina got exactly what she wanted.

And then -- wish fulfilled -- Christina and Rick jumped back into their plane to head for home.

"There is a thing in aviation called the $100 hamburger," she says. "They get in a plane and fly to another airport to get a burger, and it usually costs about $100 in gas. My husband and I had never made this run before! But Whataburger hasn't let us down in the past, so we knew it was going to be worth the flight!"

Mission complete!

“The manager was shocked when she found out we literally just flew in to eat Whataburger. I think we were only in town for 30 minutes before making our way back home," Christina says. “It was definitely worth the trip. As a native Texan, sometimes you just want chorizo! I saw all of my friends back in Texas flock to Whataburger to try the burger, and they loved it. I knew I needed to get my hands on it!"

Check out the work of local architects – who just happen to have been inspired by their favorite restaurant – at the 2017 Canstruction: