Six Great Sushi Places in Tuscaloosa
Originally a Japanese specialty, Sushi has made its way across the oceans and is now one of the most popular dishes all over the world! Because the one and only Tuscaloosa is always up with the times, it holds many amazing restaurants to enjoy the raw fish specialties. From seafood restaurants to authentic Japanese grills and actual sushi restaurants, you have the choice and you can’t really go wrong! Still, we would like to introduce the following restaurants as an inspiration for a destination the next time you’re craving some sushi (which could be at any moment)!
Chuck’s Fish
Located in the heart of downtown, this restaurant is the local expert when it comes to seafood in Tuscaloosa! For more than ten years, their dishes are all made with locally caught fish from the Gulf of Mexico! Their sushi is guaranteed to be fresh and delicious which makes them one of the best in town! The variety is striking and so is the taste: Fabulous creations a la carte or even individually made for you! If you take a seat at the sushi bar, you sit by the source and can even chat along with their sushi masters! The atmosphere in the main restaurant is worth a visit just as well because sushi also makes a perfect starter for your main dish!
Hokkaido Japanese Steak & Sushi Bar
On the edge of Tuscaloosa’s Midtown Village waits another sushi gem: The Hokkaido Steak and Sushi Bar. As a local single business, it puts its focus on the perfect overall dining experience. While their live cooking is definitely a highlight, we put the focus on their fabulous sushi: Fresh, creative and delicious. Choose from a large variety of sushi classics or the so-called chef’s selection that provides exciting creations with anyone’s favorite ingredients. Beautifully garnished, that sushi is perfect for having a nice dinner with friends or your partner. But they also have great offers for lunch!
This recently opened restaurant is already known for its unique theme: Rock ‘n Roll and sushi seem strange together, but turn out to be a great combination! Besides the obvious, the music, the theme also shows out in the interior: Industrial chic with decorations like KISS posters, guitars and a showy red bar! You surely have never enjoyed sushi in an ambiance like that. The dishes themselves are also included in the theme, as they can be found under names like Green Day Roll, Rolling Stones Roll or Bob Marley! There’s only one way to find out what’s hiding behind these names!
Surin of Thailand
While a name like “Thailand” is not screaming sushi at first, this restaurant does indeed have a fantastic sushi menu! Located at the edge of UA campus next to the strip, it is perfect for both lunch and dinner. The menu provides anything a sushi lover could ask for: Maki, Nigiri, Sashimi, classic rolls, special rolls, all with a focus on traditionally fresh or smoked fish. And you should definitely try out their wakame (seasoned seaweed) that is extraordinarily tasty! Surin also runs Midnight Sushi, where you can get your favorite rolls for just $1! Be prepared to wait though, as the line often wraps around the building for a seat!
A short drive across the river on the edge of Tuscaloosa, you can find the probably most unique sushi restaurant where classic or ordinary go out the window. If you are tired of the classics and are adventurous enough to try something really different, Maki Fresh is your place! To mention only some of their creations: You can go for their vegetarian Blazer rolls with sun-dried tomatoes, yellow bell pepper, asparagus and more. Or have you ever had a salmon roll with green apple and goat cheese before, or tried a California roll spiced with wasabi aioli? You see, it is adventurous but sure to be a hit if you love sushi!
Last but not least, this is a great pickup place we have to recommend. OEC Express is located at the Meadowbrook Shopping Center on McFarland and fairly inconspicuous from the outside. Inside is the real treat: terrific sushi for one of the best prices in Tuscaloosa! If you order your food in the shop, it will take ten minutes at most until you get it. You can also call in advance or order online, so you just have to step in and grab your sushi for lunch or dinner. No problem if you want to dine in as well since they also have a few tables to sit and eat inside!
Written By: Katharina Horvath – Intern