Five New Restaurants in Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa is growing rapidly and we couldn’t be more excited about the new businesses in town. From fruit to cheesesteaks to gourmet doughnuts and more, the options are becoming endless. Here are a few of our favorite new must-try restaurants in town this summer!
Babe’s Doughnut Co. is a family-owned breakfast, brunch and coffee business that recently opened its doors in downtown Tuscaloosa! “Babe’s” sells gourmet and specialty doughnuts that will satisfy all of your sweet tooth cravings. The modern interior makes for a very welcoming environment great for hanging out, studying and of course, eating. Babe’s offers sandwiches and biscuits such as honey butter chicken and bacon avocado. You can also choose from items like muffins, pastries, croissants and a variety of coffee drinks. The specialty doughnuts come in flavors from s’mores to bacon maple all the way to captain crunch and so much more! As strange as some of the combinations sounds, we can promise you they taste absolutely delicious. You won’t regret stopping by on your way into the office for some breakfast and coffee, and your co-workers will surely love you if you throw in a box of doughnuts to take with you!
Frutta Bowls is all about health foods! The franchise began in New Jersey and Tuscaloosa was proud to become the first out-of-state location for the company. Frutta Bowls has a great atmosphere and offers both indoor and outdoor seating and activities. Outside you can grab a table and enjoy the weather, or engage in a little friendly competition of cornhole. Inside you can relax on some couches in the corner and watch some TV, or set up at a table fully stocked with USB outlets for charging your phone and other electronic devices. The food is as good as the atmosphere. You can order fruit bowls made up of acai, pitaya and all the freshest fruit you can imagine. If you want a little more flavor or sweetness in your bowl, you can add coconut flakes, peanut butter, honey or Nutella drizzle on top! The menu also offers delicious smoothies made up of fresh fruits and vegetables. In just a few weeks of being open, the business has already had to adjust its hours due to the high demand of its customers. You don’t want to miss out on the craze!
Philly Boyz is bringing the Philly Cheesesteak to Alabama! The owner is from Philadelphia and is an expert on all things cheesesteaks. He opened the restaurant from scratch in the spring and so far, it has been a hit among locals! The restaurant specializes in authentic cheesesteaks, pizzas, and fries. The ribeye meat is cut in-house and the bread is baked fresh daily to ensure freshness. Philly Boyz is a fast and casual dining spot, but there is no shortage of flavor. The restaurant stays open until 4 a.m. on weekends and with its prime location on the strip, it is the perfect place to go after a night out!
Urban Cookhouse is one of the most popular restaurants in Birmingham and luckily for Tuscaloosa, the owner recently decided to open a location in town! The restaurant relies heavily on serving fresh produce that is locally grown. So much so that the interior is actually decorated with message boards showing where each vegetable in the restaurant came from. The menu is altered throughout the year to ensure quality freshness of foods. Even with the alterations, you can pretty much guarantee year-round that the menu will include steaks, salads, sandwiches, wraps and much more! The Tuscaloosa location is the first of seven to offer a drive-through for pick-up orders. Urban Cookhouse is perfect for an easy, fast, casual and delicious dinner any night of the week, and we are loving having it in Tuscaloosa!
Central Mesa is Tuscaloosa’s newest Mexican restaurant, and so far, we are loving it! The owner is a familiar face in Tuscaloosa as the man behind the one and only Avenue Pub. After three years and immense success with the Avenue Pub, the owner decided to branch out and open a second restaurant downtown. He chose the name of this new restaurant to honor the history of its building that used to be known as Central Shoe Store. While there are tons of Mexican restaurants in Tuscaloosa already, Central Mesa sets itself apart by preparing and cooking everything from scratch, in house. Central Mesa offers traditional Mexican cuisine such as tacos and enchiladas, but adds a little bit of variety with menu items such as the Cuban Sandwich and Brisket and Grits. The restaurant also features a vast variety of tequilas and other liquors for drinks such as margaritas, mojitos and other specialty cocktails. With a unique menu, great atmosphere, ultimate location and experienced Tuscaloosa owner Central Mesa is already shaping up to be one of our favorite new “One and Only” restaurants!