August has arrived, the whole country is sweltering in the heat, and that means College Football is just around the corner. Another year passes, and a whole new set of students are going to get to experience game day in Tuscaloosa for the first time. On top of that, a good 100,000+ more people all flood into the overcrowded town every Saturday until the whole place is busting at the seams.<\/p>\n
So if you\u2019re coming for the first time, things can feel a bit overwhelming. For the game itself, there\u2019s the few really important logistics: where to park, what to eat, and how to get there.<\/p>\n
For the most part, you can try to aim somewhere near campus and just look for parking lots (near the rec center often has some good options if you\u2019re early), or maybe closer to downtown, or even south of campus, near the railroad tracks, where you can often find people opening up their driveways for some paid parking.<\/p>\n
Worst case, you can always park at the University Mall on Skyland and take a shuttle.<\/p>\n
Once you\u2019re on campus, the first stop should always be the Quad. If you\u2019re into pregame stuff, the team will have a walk and the band will have their thing before the game. Otherwise, the Quad is going to be full of tailgating, if that\u2019s your scene. You can also hit the Bryant Museum if you want to see a fun building full of exhibits of championship-winning Alabama squads.<\/p>\n
With all of that, though, something I found to be the most fun during my years in Tuscaloosa were the places off-campus that became my favorite places to eat some excellent food.<\/p>\n
For breakfast, there are really only two options\u2026 And let\u2019s be honest, you better get there early on a gameday. City Cafe in downtown Northport has been around forever and makes a great breakfast. It\u2019s a favorite of students for getting early morning coffee. The other is the Waysider off of Greensboro. It\u2019s buried behind some train tracks and can be a bit cramped inside, but it\u2019s covered in Alabama football memorabilia, and is famous for being the oldest restaurant in the city and was a routine favorite of the legendary coach Paul Bryant.<\/p>\n
Now, if you\u2019re in town a little later and want a great lunch, we have a few options. I credit Tuscaloosa for being the first city to teach me about Greek food, and that honor goes to Hooligans. They\u2019ve changed buildings a few times, but the food is always way better than it seems like it should be. The gyro pitas, pita plates, and french fries are still in my dreams, and if you\u2019re feeling a burger, they\u2019re hard to beat as well.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a couple of other Greek restaurants as well: first, there\u2019s Glory Bound. They\u2019re a more American take on gyros, and have some really creative flavors. They\u2019re right on the Strip on University Blvd., so expect it to be crowded. Second, a favorite of mine from Mobile recently moved up to Tuscaloosa – the Mediterranean Sandwich Company. They\u2019ve also now built a location on the Strip, and the Redneck Gyro is one of the best amalgamations to ever exist.<\/p>\n
Now, if you\u2019re willing to get out of town a little, the Brown Bag is way out in the sticks north of the city, halfway to Lake Tuscaloosa, and is about the most authentic deep southern food you\u2019ll ever find.<\/p>\n
Finally, for dinner, there\u2019s nothing like a good sports bar and grill. A personal favorite is the Avenue Pub in downtown Tuscaloosa – they make one excellent burger. However, expect the crowds. If you get out of downtown, two other great options are Billy\u2019s in Northport or the Southern Ale House off of McFarland.<\/p>\n
The game itself, of course, is the real attraction. But if you\u2019re looking for good food in your pilgrimage to the homeland this year, I hope this gives you a good inspiration if you never tried any of these places. Happy eating, and Roll Tide!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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