They don’t call it Title Town Only for football.
Tuscaloosa has a long history of championship success thanks to the Crimson Tide, but T-Town also has some advantages when it comes to the restaurant scene.
This week on the new podcast Beat Everyone, Ben Flanagan was joined by Alabama football reporters Matt Stahl and Nick Kelly of AL.com to talk about the team’s fall training camp, but perhaps more importantly, they were put to the test on a quick sampling of the city’s best dining options.
The rules were simple. In a snake draft format, the guys were asked to choose one place each for breakfast, lunch and dinner (in any order) to create the perfect day of meals in the Druid City. Here’s how it went…
ROUND 1
Selection 1, Nick Kelly: Southern Beer HouseLunch. “I ate way too much there. Their cookies are amazing. The cookie sandwiches are really good. It could be a lunch or dinner place. I probably kept them in business.”
Selection 2, Ben Flanagan: The historic Waysider RestaurantBreakfast. “I’m going to stick with local products here. This is local. This is tried and true Tuscaloosa. One of the best breakfasts you’ll ever have. Probably the best cookies I’ve ever had.”
Choice 3, Matt Steel: Druid BreweryDinner. “They do barbecue, which is spectacular. I think anything with their Al Pastor Chicken is worth it. Of course, the beer is great. They have a watermelon wheat on tap that I think is pretty special. In general, all of their specialties are great.”
ROUND 2
Selection 1, Matt Steel: DePalma’s Italian CafeLunch. “Downtown Tuscaloosa. Really, really good Italian food, probably as good as anything you can find in the southern United States. There’s a lot to choose from. I had ravioli in butter sauce there that was really good. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever had a bad dish there.”
Selection 2, Ben Flanagan: City CaféLunch. “I think it’s Tuscaloosa. Others will say, no, it’s Northport. You can’t go wrong there. One of the greatest meat-and-threes in Alabama history.”
Selection 3, Nick Kelly: Pizza HutDinner. “Great place. Fantastic pizza. Good location. I’ve enjoyed many evenings there. A slightly newer choice, but one of my favorite places in T-Town.”
ROUND 3
Selection 1, Nick Kelly: Historic houseBreakfast. “Buddy’s Rib & Steak is a place I used to go to for breakfast with friends. Solid breakfast spot in T-Town. Unfortunately it closed recently. I’ll be looking for something newer. One of my favorite places to go to work. Breakfast is great.”
Selection 2, Ben Flanagan: Photo by: Archibald’s BBQDinner. “Probably the best barbecue in America. It was on the board this late. Shame on you both. The ribs. The thinner, watery, vinegar-based sauce is out of this world. It’s one of a kind. If I’m going to finish off a perfect design that no one else has ever done before, I’m going to have to go with Archibald’s. I mean, come on.”
Choice 3, Matt Steel: Big, bad breakfastBreakfast. “I’m going to the transfer portal now to pick out my breakfast. It’s a smaller chain that’s almost exclusive to the SEC area. Absolutely amazing. I think everything on the menu is good.”
According to Nick Kelly’s own X/Twitter poll, the people have spoken.
“Beat Everyone” is available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe today to automatically receive new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday. Beat Everyone is brought to you by Broadway Joe’s Fantasy Sports.