Favorites Around Tuscaloosa

One of the main things that attracted me to college in the South was the food—in particular Bar-B-Que and comfort food. I wanted to try (and still do try) anything and everything that is not found anywhere but here in the South. For example, an authentic, slow cooked, juicy, tangy Bar-B-Que meal or hearty plate of gooey mac n cheese. I am from Pittsburgh, so our idea of a bar-b-que is grilling hamburgers and hot-dogs on our back porch with all of the neighborhood kids and sadly most of the time mac and cheese is from the box. I was really excited to spend some of my hard-earned money from the community pool on the various joints Tuscaloosa has to offer.

Southern Cooking

The first place I tried was Blue Plate Diner during my initial campus visit. After a long day of walking around campus for the first time, my dad and I decided we needed to have some “southern cooking.” We asked our tour guide, Tucker, where the best place around was to get a feel of the south. He recommended Blue Plate, where the food is “authentic, fast, and friendly to a college students budget.” His recommendation was on point because it has become one of my go-to restaurants. It is located on McFarland Blvd in Northport so if you are willing to make the ten-minute drive away from campus it will not disappoint. I recommend the chicken and dumplings, they have yet to let me down and are on special most days.

Bar-B-Que

Another one of my favorites is Jim ‘N Nicks. I found this gem when I was cramming everything I needed to know about microeconomics into my brain. Deciding to take a study break, I ordered take out from the well know BBQ joint and I was pleasantly surprised with their wide variety of selections. I opted for the Carolina style pulled pork with extra BBQ sauce– traditional style, adding on sides of mac n cheese and corn bread. The BBQ I consumed from this restaurant was my first time I was properly introduced to BBQ (I think) and I cannot wait to make my way around to all of the other places Tuscaloosa has to offer over my four years here.

Wild Card

The surprise for me in the area was the great Italian restaurant, DePalma’s, located in Downtown Tuscaloosa. When I think of the South, Italian doesn’t come to mind very often. The dishes they serve are traditional with a spin, and I when I go there to eat I feel like I am back up North. You really can’t go wrong with any of the dishes they have to offer and the environment is very welcoming inside. They don’t take reservations so if you are looking to go there on a Friday or Saturday (or really any day of the week), you may be waiting for a little while.

There are hundreds of amazing restaurants in our quaint college town, so if you have one that you feel should be recognized please leave your suggestion below!