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Axe Throwing
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Catch a Movie
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Educate Yourself!
The museum scene in Tuscaloosa is evergrowing. While it’s rainy outside, you can visit exhibits from art to natural history! The Alabama Museum of Natural History has shown its beauty through exhibitions, collections, and quality programs of teaching, research, and service for over 150 years. The Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center has served as a hub for the arts in Tuscaloosa. You can currently observe the newest exhibition, “Eye Music” by Elizabeth Rand Photography. New exhibitions are opening every month so there is no absence of great talent to enjoy!
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Coffee Shops
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Breweries
Growing up, we all ordered chicken fingers off the kid’s menu- this is probably where our adult obsession with the meal still resides. Fear not, there’s nothing to be ashamed of! Fried chicken fingers are more than a childhood staple, they are a pick-me-up food, a “remind me of home” food, and of course a good option for some after drinks food with your buddies! Have you ever wondered about which chicken fingers in Tuscaloosa hold the ultra-exclusive title of being the best? Well look no further my friends, we have three options here that will make you wonder: Which is worth it?
Guthrie’s – $5.76
Alabama loves Guthrie’s. Like, I mean LOVES Guthrie’s to an unhealthy obsession. Fast-food chicken fingers can be iffy, but Guthrie’s does it right every single time and for only around $5. The golden fried chicken fingers are incredibly tender and have the perfect amount of fried crispiness on the outside. Plus, they have their “secret sauce” which sounds mysterious as always but is sheer perfection. It is not too sweet or too salty and tastes like a mixture of mayo, ketchup, and garlic- which initially doesn’t sound prize-winning, but obviously, they are doing something right if people rant and rave about it! Being around for over 50 years has gained Guthrie’s a notable presence in the whole state of Alabama. Pro tip: The workers in the back make sure you are getting the fried tenders straight out of the fryer, so be extremely careful before biting into one of these, or else you might accidentally hurt yourself. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!
Hoos Q – $7
Yes, Hoos Q is known for its barbeque but they also have some seriously delicious chicken fingers! The Chicken Finger Plate is served with five hand-breaded tenders and served with their version of a “special sauce”. With 5 large chicken tenders, you will probably have enough to take home! The breaded tenders are juicy and perfectly cooked with a soft, easily tearable inside. Not too greasy, not too dry and the sauce is the perfect additive. This option is slightly more than Guthries, but you do get five big and flakey tenders. Any place with a “special sauce” seems to be a breadwinner so it’s no question why Hoos Q is a contender!
Southern Ale House – $8
Weighing in only slightly more than the other two is Southern Ale House’s chicken tenders. Of course, we are keeping up the theme with hand-breaded yumminess in our blog but there is a twist on these. Southern Ale House buttermilk brines their tenders before frying to add that extra punch of tenderness to the average chicken tender. Can you guess what else these are served with? If you thought of a special sauce, you’re a winner! The “Slap ‘Yo Mamma” sauce is a light tangy take on the average condiment choices. These tenders are perfectly fried, but definitely not dry. If you’re looking for a good crunch to chicken ratio, Southern Ale House might be in your cards!
Quite honestly, we all love chicken and would probably eat chicken fingers on Thanksgiving if it were socially acceptable! All of these restaurants are well known for their takes on classic chicken tenders. Guthrie’s is a long-time classic in the state of Alabama and has a history of serving up good meals and deals. Hoos Q shows us that it’s not all about barbeque and that they can serve up a mean chicken tender basket. Southern Ale House serves up a marinated, crunchy chicken tender that seems to be a fan favorite as well. We know there cannot simply be one “best” of anything in this town, but we are thankful to have so many options within our community!
Agree with any of our three? Let us know! Have a rebuttal? Share with us your top chicken tender spot in Tuscaloosa!
Worth It: Tuscaloosa Edition
Have you ever heard the saying “we go together like burgers and fries”? The two are a match made in heaven, but a dilemma remains; which burger is the absolute best in town? Welcome to a new little segment we like to call “Worth It: Tuscaloosa Edition”! Today, we will be diving into different price points and qualities of local hamburgers to determine the best bang for your buck. Life is too short to eat a salad, treat yourself to an incredible burger!
Hooligans Burger – $5.23
First up to bat is a cult favorite from the renowned Hooligans. This classic hamburger comes dressed with all of the necessary basics- mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato, and pickle all perfectly placed inside a sesame seed bun. Weighing in at only a whopping $5.23, this is a great deal for a pretty dang good mouthwatering burger. I can’t forget to mention that the $5.23 includes a drink AND fries! If you’re looking for an unbelievable price and an iconic flavor, Hooligans is right up your alley. You can never go wrong with a juicy, classic burger!
Local Roots Burger – $9
Next up, we have the Local Roots Burger from a hidden gem in town, Local Roots. You might have seen the food truck driving around Tuscaloosa, but a brick-and-mortar restaurant has also opened on McFarland! Local Roots means business when it comes to their southern-inspired creations and their burger is no exception. For $9 you can enjoy a tender ground brisket and chuck burger dressed in cheese, bacon jam, pickles, lettuce, and “special sauce”. Fear not, the special sauce will never disappoint. The brioche bun on this burger brilliantly enhances the flavor of that special sauce. For a full-flavored burger that won’t break the bank, Local Roots is a hot contender!
Avenue Pub Burger – $14
Avenue Pub has made quite the impression on the locals here, thanks to its Bacon Burger. Let’s be real, if you add bacon to just about anything, it’s bound to be a crowd-pleaser! For $14 you get a hand-pattied fresh ground beef topped with provolone, mayo, and bacon and a choice of greens, onion, and pickles on the side. Now, this burger can get pretty large and you will need both hands on deck for this one! Avenue Pub’s burger is a juicy, flavor-packed take on the traditional hamburger that puts both Mcdonalds and Burger King to shame. One bite of this bad boy and you’ll understand the hype!
All of these hamburgers earn strong remarks in the flavor, value, and satisfaction categories. Let’s review, shall we? Local Roots serves up a super-flavorful take on the hamburger with its deliciously unique sauce. Hooligans is a local staple with their bacon cheeseburgers as the claim to fame. Avenue Pub is the master of the perfect meat to toppings ratio. Now we want to hear from your point of view. What is your favorite burger in Tuscaloosa? Share with us your favorite hamburger hideaways here in Tuscaloosa! And remember, the only bad burger is the one you didn’t eat!
For the Foodies
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Day Starter
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The most important meal of the day plus a build your own Bloody Mary sounds like the perfect way to start your Valentine’s Day festivities! Brick & Spoon offers a uniquely southern approach to your traditional boozy brunch meals.
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Pasta for the Soul
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Looking for a meal that will make your heart and stomach happy? Depalma’s Italian Cafe gets it right every time! They offer a huge menu featuring food and drink specialties that will excite even the pickiest eaters. Better get there early! Depalma’s operates on a first come first serve basis.
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Wine It Down
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Need a little pick me up after dinner? Head over to The Wine Market for an impressive list of international wines and cheese plates. Not into wine? The Wine Market offers a variety of craft beers that will make everyone glad!
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We Found Love in a Hopeless Place
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The lights are low. You’re getting all comfy cozy with your partner when a fat stack of waffles is set down in front of you. Could this be a dream? No, you’re at Waffle House! What better way to end a long Valentine’s Day with a hot stack of your favorite waffles! Check out which location works best for you, here.
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For the Adventurers
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Take a Hike
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Lake Nicol is home to several miles of trails that line the banks and cliffs of the lake. Strap on your good shoes and enjoy your partner’s company while basking in the scenery of Lake Nicol!
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Picnic
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Grab your favorite finger foods and head to the River Walk for an ultra-romantic picnic! Worried about finding the right spot to plant your blanket? The River Walk has many flat areas that are perfect for you to relax and enjoy the banks of the Black Warrior River!
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Bowling with Bae
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Looking for excitement indoors? Bowlero has reinvented the old traditional bowling experience. The neon lights and music will surely make up for the fact that you have to wear bowling shoes! Go ahead and snag your lane while you can!
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T-Shirt Printing
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Swag Tuscaloosa offers a unique t-shirt printing experience that is bound to make your Valentine’s Day one to recall forever! I mean come on, who doesn’t want a t-shirt to remember a great day!
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For the Singles
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Specialty Wine
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Grab your favorite bottle of wine at Craving’s Specialty Grocery. From reds to rosé, Craving’s has a variety that will fit any connoisseur’s tastebuds.
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Spa Night
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Nothing screams “treat yourself” as a good face mask. But what about a face mask AND an amazing bottle of wine from Cravings? Now you’re really talking my kinda talk!
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Something Sweet
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Fall in love all over again with Peterbrooke and its vast array of fine chocolates. Head over to their store to snag yourself a delicious gift that you won’t have to share with anyone but yourself! But really, who wants to share chocolate anyways?
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Netflix and Chill
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To wind up your night, what could be more perfect than a good movie? Grab your wine and chocolates and get comfy while watching some of the hottest new flicks out to date. Want something seriously romantic? Try A Walk to Remember. Looking for something along the lines of a Rom-Com? Someone Great has been receiving rave reviews!
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Now that it is wintertime and the blistering Alabama heat is on vacation, it can be tough to find ways to stay warm! Finding a way to stay active and social while staying warm and staying safely distanced is a monumental task, so we decided to help out! Below, we have compiled a list of activities for staying warm around Tuscaloosa while still being safe. While visiting the following locations and businesses, be sure to wear a mask and practice safe social distancing while you keep warm!
No Snow, Just a Cup of Joe
A classic way to get warm throughout wintertime is a nice, warm cup of delicious coffee! A coffee shop is versatile in what you are able to order, from black house coffee for the seasoned veteran to hot chocolate for the kids! A new coffee spot in town that has just recently opened up is Just Love Coffee.
Just Love Coffee’s grand opening is this weekend! After a very successful soft opening, Just Love is ready to open its doors for all of Tuscaloosa to enjoy and is ready to brew up some hot (and cold) coffee. In addition to coffee, Just Love also offers a number of different food items ranging from avocado toast, to sandwiches, to delectable waffle creations! Stop by the coffee shop in Downtown Tuscaloosa to warm up with a delicious cup of coffee!
Get Comfy Between the Book Covers
A perfect activity for sitting around and enjoying the heat of the indoors is curling up and enjoying a good book. In addition to staying warm, a book is a great way to travel to new worlds and exciting places while staying safely within your own home! To find your new favorite book or to rediscover an old favorite, stop by Ernest & Hadley’s near Downtown Tuscaloosa!
Ernest & Hadley’s is Tuscaloosa’s premier local bookstore that is based on sharing the wonderful activity of reading with all its visitors! In addition to providing new and old favorites, this bookstore does Tuscaloosa and West Alabama proud by featuring books written by local and statewide authors and books centered around Alabama culture! Stop by the bookstore this weekend to pick up a set of books to enjoy by the fire or under a cozy blanket!
No Brrrrr’s, Just Brews
An activity that applies well to summertime and wintertime is visiting the incredible breweries around town. The breweries of Tuscaloosa are a great way to enjoy company with friends indoors while staying distanced and safe. Two of the best locations in Tuscaloosa to visit for beer and other drinks are Black Warrior Brewing Company and Druid City Brewing Company!
Black Warrior Brewing Company is a local Tuscaloosa brewery with a wide variety of evergreen and seasonal beers for all to enjoy. There is plenty of space indoors to enjoy a brew with friends and stay out of the harsh winter cold! Druid City Brewing Company is Tuscaloosa’s first brewery and serves up one of the greatest porters in the Southeast. If you’re hoping to stay downtown, Cravings is home to a massive variety of beers, wine, and other beverages (including hot beverages) where almost anyone can find something they will love!
When it comes to cuisine, the Southern States are known for many things, but vegetarian food is probably not one of them. The focus in food is surely set on the amazing barbecue, burgers, and chicken – justifiably. But as living vegetarian becomes more and more popular, it’s worth looking for options around town that accommodate that! Yet there is no dedicated vegetarian restaurant in Tuscaloosa, but there are some pretty amazing dishes in town that are live-saving for all vegetarians and also a delicious culinary experiment for anybody else. Go out and try these five terrific veggie dishes in Tuscaloosa:
Hummus at Glory Bound
Hummus has not only become a trendy dish throughout the last few years, it is also literally the perfect meal for your lunch – healthy, tasty and filling! At the cultish Glory Bound in downtown Tuscaloosa, hummus is one of the flagship dishes and definitely their specialty! The variety is striking: Choose your favorite hummus out of ten variants, for example, chipotle-lime, Mediterranean olive or spinach-pesto! Or take the hummus-trio and get any three tastes of your choice! Every hummus dish is served with unlimited delicious warm pita bread. The portions look overwhelming, but you won’t have a choice but eat it all in the end – it is simply too good.
Pasta at DePalma’s
Although their pizza and antipasti are pretty amazing as well, the most striking dishes at Tuscaloosa’s favorite Italian restaurant is their pasta! Many of them are also delicious vegetarian options! Dedicated meat free is, for example, the portabello mushroom ravioli, Mediterranean penne with olives, spinach angel hair, their very own DePalma’s pasta with artichoke hearts and much more! All these are so delicious, you don’t even realize or think about missing meat in them. One of the best parts is also the fresh garlic bread that comes with the pasta. So, drive downtown and spend an amazing and not-so-obviously-vegetarian dinner at DePalma’s!
Panini at Sweet Home Food Bar
The one and only Sweet Home Food Bar is always a good choice, no matter if you want to grab lunch, dinner or a leisure brunch on Sundays. You can also find a meatless dish at any time of the day there, but our focus lies on a dish that can be found in their afternoon menu: The Vegetable Panini. These Italian-inspired grilled sandwiches can’t be found at any corner – they should be, though! Sweet Home has a wonderful vegetarian Panini that is made with eggplant, roasted peppers, plenty of cheese and a balsamic dressing. One more delicious dish not only for full-time vegetarians. Be adventurous and try veggie!
Founded in Tuscaloosa, and expanding beyond our city limits, its not hard to see why. Shark’s fried chicken, ranging from tenders to liver and gizzards, you’re bound to have some of the best fried chicken in town. Accompanying the chicken, the sides share the same range of usual suspects to oysters and hush puppies thanks to their seafood faire. They are spreading their fried love in Birmingham, and soon beyond that.
A collegiate classic, this staple of the university atmosphere in town is the proud home of some of the best wings of West Alabama. Served under memorabilia and any sauce you choose, their chicken is hard to beat. No wing could be complete without proper sides, and Buffalo Phil’s certainly delivers. From curly fries to beer battered onion rings, you’re bound to find good company for these iconic wings
Five Bar is known for its simplicity in a decadent environment. This mantra finds its way into their Sunday brunch special of fried chicken and waffles. The crispy, fall off the bone chicken meets the sweet and ample waffle with its golden syrup in a union so pure and star crossed its clear why it’s a favorite. The savory chicken skin with its crispy breading could be a meal all on its own. Bold and well seasoned, it’s the perfect yin to the yang of the sweet and heavenly waffles.
This small industrial style space packs a big game when it comes to our food scene and it’s easy to see why. Their brunch special of fried chicken over oven fresh biscuits, or chicken bites battered in Black Warrior Brewing Company’s Brown Ale proves The Avenue Pub knows southern food. The chicken bites make a great introduction to the explosive flavor found in the pub, with the fried chicken and biscuits being at a level that could pose questioning of your love for your Grandmother’s kitchen.
Best places to Take Dad on Father’s Day
Grill Master Dad
Every Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day, your father is smoking, grilling, and mastering the BBQ Pit while everyone else waits patiently for his works of well seasoned art. He works hard to provide everyone with a savory, well smoked treat in the summer, so why not give him one in return. You may not be as good as he is on the grill, so trust the expert instead. Treat your father to the one and only Dreamland BBQ. Its trusted recipe for ribs, smoked meat, and banana pudding are a great way to treat the master. It may not be as great as his, but he knows he’s hard to beat. Dreamland is a close second to Dad.
Lumberjack Dad
Your dad is never home, because he’s out somewhere in the woods. Your dad made your bed frame, wardrobe, and first house. Your dads honeymoon idea was home depot. Your dad is short with words, and big on hugs. Your burly father doesn’t like frills and neither does the one and only Buffalo Phil’s. Located on the Strip, inside is a classic college burger bar. It doesn’t serve you small tapas underneath visit France posters. Its just good ole American food served under Alabama posters. Its no ritz, but your dad will like it that way.
Professor Dad
Your dad is the smartest guy you know. He tries to get you to use educational apps, build your stock portfolio, and learn mandarin. He gave you summer reading, well before school did. Most dads boast about their garage, your dad is more than proud of his library. His career is like chandlers, you don’t know what its called for the life of you, but you know its not for the weak minded. Your dad knows everything there is about the world, so why not bring some of it to him. Treat your father to something beyond the southern palate by taking him to the one and only Ruan Thai. Impress him by pre searching the correct pronunciation of their wonderful Eastern dishes, and the exotic flavors to be found in this little house on a hill. Your dad will love the break from burgers and BBQ and be delighted to see his child try something off the beaten path.
Stay at Home Dad
Your dad doesn’t commute to work, unless you count the walk from the bedroom to the living room. He saves money on gas, by only needing to the leave the house for groceries and supplies. He knows how to rewire the AC, and make enough cookies for Christmas. He can decorate a living room as well as he can grill a steak. Your dad has the role of two parents, but only gets one holiday. Your dad deserves something special he deserves the one and only Five Bar. Your dad will enjoy the fine style of this one and only eatery, and the delicious but short menu. let someone else cook for your dad, and trust it will match his cooking skills.