Oxford is known for its elevated Southern cuisine and legendary college football weekends. As the excitement of another football season descends upon the town, Tex-Mex restaurant Sleepy Cactus is offering something special for residents and visitors alike: Football Friday Sleepy Suppers.  

Though football weekends are thrilling, the large number of people concentrated in Oxford presents its own set of problems. Football Friday Sleepy Suppers is Sleepy Cactus’ antidote for the stress of booking dinner reservations while providing a relaxing, neighborly atmosphere. 

“We wanted to set it up to be a casual, calm event with upscale football food. It’s BYOB, so if you want to bring drinks, you can,” owner and chef Alexandra Santiago said.  

The ticketed event offers customers a four-course meal at Sleepy Cactus on Friday nights during college football season.  

“It’s our idea of what a fun, Friday night football dinner would be. You can come, sit, it’s relaxing, you get to be with friends and new people because it is community-oriented,” Kakky Brown, Sleepy Cactus partner, said.  

The suppers begin at 6 p.m., and customers are welcome to linger at Sleepy Cactus for as long as they would like. The goal of the dinners is simple: provide quality food amidst a lovely atmosphere. 

“We love to do a dinner. We love to put on an event. We get to set the tables, use McCarty (pottery) and get the flowers, and the energy and positioning of the building itself lends itself really well to early evening. It’s really magic at golden hour,” Brown said. 

Sleepy Cactus, located on North Lamar Boulevard across from Midtown Shopping Center, hopes to unite the Oxford community through its Friday dinner series.  

“It creates a space for the Oxford community to experience what the Oxford community actually is. This idea of slow living, small town, community, friends, good food, culture. It’s just rich. The Friday night suppers are rich with all of that,” Brown said.  

Brown continued, discussing the overarching vision for the special series. 

“That is at the foundation of the Friday night dinners and Alex’s whole vision for Sleepy Cactus. Going against the grain of hustle and bustle and ‘we have to do it this way.’ We aim to offer something that is simple but quality, good and enjoyable,” Brown said. 

Prices currently stand at $100; a $70 student discount is available. 

“With this, you have your tickets and people live down the street, and they can just walk up with their bottle of wine and have a nice evening,” Santiago said.