Went here for lunch while passing through town. The restaurant is clean, the staff is friendly and…read morethe space had an inviting atmosphere. The food was very fresh and delicious. My husband and I each got the Pick Two with sandwiches and soup and salad. Everything was delicious. Portion sizes were perfect for lunch. The staff was helpful and knowledgeable with a dairy allergy. I would definitely eat here again.

First time at this spot, and my initial impression was positive. I would say, I love, love, love…read morethat they use Big Green Egg's inside the restaurant on the line. If you've never had meat (or VEGGIES!) cooked on a BGE, it will change your life. This fact alone will bring me back to try other things. Before I get into the meal, my only real complaint was that they only had a soda machine and tea. I had brought my mother along, and she already had lunch and wanted just to sit and chat. As it was a very cold day she was gonna order a coffee and they don't offer anything hot! It's definitely an opportunity to expand here even if it was just so simple as putting a Keurig machine in the back. I had the Buffalo Chicken Wrap. It is served with grilled chicken in a grilled wrap and cheddar cheese. If there was a buffalo sauce, I didn't taste any. I was a little disappointed in the wrap. The flavor didn't really stand out as being cooked on the Big Green Egg. The cheese wasn't really melted, which can be a common problem with shredded cheddar cheese, but it also didn't really have the buffalo flavor that I was looking for in a buffalo chicken wrap (maybe it was a Toledo Ohio wrap I don't know just not spicy. ) It served with a side of ranch which I juiced up with some Cholula and that helped. I i'm not knocking the quality of the food because it was good. It just didn't live up to the expectations I had in my head based on the menu description. It also came with a side, which I chose the broccoli salad. This was nicely done with bacon, I believe some quinoa and the broccoli was chopped up nicely so you didn't have huge chunks. Also, it wasn't overly sauced so that would make it runny. Overall I give the property four out five stars. Also, the flavor of the whole meal was fine. Good size portion and good value for your money.

While we were making the move from Texas to North Carolina we stopped in Tuscaloosa for the night…read more I wanted to try a restaurant downtown since it was our first time in this town and the Avenue pub came highly rated. Parking is manageable, but you'll need to find parking either in front or to the side of the restaurant. When you walk in it has the feel of a polished, upscale pub. We were seated and immediately ordered the bacon burger (which comes with a 1/2 a pound of ground beef with provolone and bacon). I also would recommend adding grilled onions to the burger and upgrading the fries to pub fries (seasoned fries topped with shaven Parmesan, mozzarella, and chopped bacon). The peppercorn ranch that is especially good and tied everything together. If you are looking for a craft burger spot in the heart of Tuscaloosa, I can't say enough good things about this place and it's absolutely worth checking out.

Me and wife came here for lunch after seeing reviews…read more I'll start with staff. They were very friendly and we were seated right away. For food I ordered the chicken club and wife got the fish and chips. The club was good not amazing. Both the sandwich and fries were a little too salt heavy. The fish and chips were ok. Not the best but not bad. Again fries little to salt heavy. I'd go back if someone really wanted to eat there but wouldn't choose this place.

Great foot! Barry was our server and he was awesome. The place is clean with a nice bar area as…read morewell!

We decided to celebrate my birthday a little differently this year and skip the downtown crowds,…read moreopting instead for Milano's Italian Grill, and that turned out to be a great call. With a 20 mile hike ahead of me tomorrow, I figured loading up on carbs was not just justified, it was necessary. We have been here several times, and it truly never disappoints. Tonight was no exception. I did what I tend to do and over ordered. I went with a kids portion of spaghetti and meatballs along with my usual grilled salmon, and both were excellent. The portions were generous enough that I ended up taking about two thirds of the salmon home, which will make for a perfect Sunday lunch. My wife ordered the lasagna. While it was a bit on the soupy side, the flavor more than made up for it. It was still very enjoyable overall. The complimentary bread remains a highlight as always and is perfect for soaking up every last bit on the plate. Service was fast, friendly, and efficient, and the total bill came in under 50 dollars. In today's world, with gas pushing 4 dollars a gallon, that is hard to beat. We are leaving once again completely satisfied. Great food, a relaxed and quiet atmosphere, and none of the chaos from downtown. It makes you wonder if the crowds have figured out how good this place is yet or if they are all still on the other side of the river.

We were in town for the Southern Regional Tennis tournament at Bama and came here for lunch because…read morewe always love to try Mediterranean restaurants in new cities. We were able to park easily and make our way into the restaurant with ease. There is ample outside and inside seating, however, know that the TVs are going to be on full blast, especially during football games! We ordered a chicken shawarma gyro with a side of roasted vegetablesThe Gyro (beef-lamb) with Mediterranean fries. My husband enjoyed The Gyro and would get it again. My chicken shawarma was just meh because it lacked any real seasoning/spice. The ingredients are quality but the flavor was not there for me. I enjoyed the roasted veggies which were interestingly well seasoned. Service was friendly and prompt. The ambience is college town vibes (7 tvs each blaringly loud). Decor was nice with plenty of windows with natural light, wood tables and comfortable chairs (no arms on any of them) and bar stools. 1 star deduction for lack of flavor in sandwich 1 star deduction for WAY too loud TVs (excessive) exacerbated by Kitchen sounds

A really great taste I was hesitant to try after the bad reviews but it was deliciousread more

This was my first time here. It was 5 pm and my friend and I were the only ones there. We both…read moreordered the hamburger combo. A hamburger and one side with a drink. We both had the fries. These are real hamburgers and big, not like the standard size at fast food places. They come with whatever you want on it. The crinkle fries are seasoned perfectly and are hot and very fresh. Mine remained hot the entire

I recently stopped by Hoolie's Grill, formerly known as Hooligan's, and I have to admit -- I'm not…read morequite sure where the "Hooligan's" ran off to, but the menu sure didn't go with it. It's been a good while since my last visit, back when they were holding court on University Boulevard. In those days, this was a dependable lunch stop -- good, tasty, and worth the drive. Today? Well... bless its heart. I ordered the turkey club wrap with cheese fries. The wrap was fine -- not bad, not memorable -- just kind of sitting there in the middle of the road like it didn't want to pick a lane. Now the cheese fries... that cheese sauce deserves its own investigation. I'm not sure where it originated, but based on the color alone, somebody might want to trace its family tree. It wasn't offensive, just puzzling -- the kind of neon hue that makes you squint a little and ask questions you weren't planning to ask. My wife went with the cheeseburger and fries. Let's just say if Wendy's was filming the old Where's the Beef? commercial again, this burger might have earned a casting call. It was modest. Petite. Economical with its beef. You get the idea. To be fair, the staff was friendly and the service was quick -- no complaints there at all. They were as pleasant as Sunday afternoon sweet tea. But flavor-wise, the meal was average and nothing to write home about. Hooligan's -- or Hoolie's -- I'm not mad at you. I'm just... disappointed. It feels like an old friendship that's drifted apart. Maybe we'll cross paths again and rekindle what once was. But after today's visit, I'm not sure we're running in the same circles anymore.

Good food and fast service Large salads and bowls of soup…read moreTuscaloosa is place I usually go to

Is an "adult grilled cheese" a reference to when we're older and in a hurry and making actual…read moregrilled cheese sandwiches take too much time? The adult grilled cheese is more along the lines of a toasted sub sandwich with melted cheese. Just call it a cheese sandwich. I actually forgot what kind of bisque I was having because there was barely any substance in it (besides the green onions that I asked to have removed). Even without much crab nor lobster, the base was very salty and unfortunately couldn't be saved by its flavor either.

a wonderful experience ! id never tried it before and i work nearby so i decided to order some on…read moremy lunch break. the food has so much flavor in it and the mac and cheese was the best mac and cheese ive ever gotten from a restaurant. the man behind the counter was so nice and the service was wonderful.

I must preface this by saying that I love spicy food, but have never been a huge fan of Nashville…read moreHot Chicken. A lot of times it seems it is made to be hot for hot sake, not necessary for great taste. With that out of the way, we came in for an early Sunday lunch. The staff was friendly but clearly still learning the ropes on the new place. I'm sure they will get better with time. Had the mild 5-piece tenders. The tenders were cooked well, juicy and had the right amount of heat and flavor. The beans were really good, but thought the slaw was a little too sour for my liking. Overall I thought the tenders and sides were a little small for the price. There is a bar which is unusual for a chicken place like this so that may appeal to some customers. It's an order at the counter place with a handful of high top tables. My biggest pet peeve about restaurants is when the floor is slippery from mopping with greasy water. Unfortunately that was the case here. It's a unique restaurant for downtown so I'm sure I'll try it again.

Best Tazikis around! I have eaten at Trussvile, Vestavia,…read moreMcCalla, Tuscallosa and others around Alabama. Tuscaloosa is always fresh, the salad is crisp, the meat is well seasoned and always warm when it arrives. I have had brown salad at other stores when I get it to go. Not Tuscaloosa. The portions are always larger on the to go orders. The quality is always great. The people always smile and are fun to be around. This is a well run store.

I love Taziki's! The food is always good and fresh! I'm never disappointed when I eat there.read more

I had been meaning to try this bar for some time. Ran out of the house while some work was…read morehappening at home and I needed a great afternoon stop to kill some time. Made the decision to turn in and try Sanctuary; how fortuitous! First, this isn't just a music venue! It's a classic bar with real cocktails (mocktails, as well), but also a great reincarnation of an old church. And they serve awesome food!! Second, the drinks and food are top notch! Try a Paper Plane! It's my new favorite way to drink bourbon, TBH. You will absolutely feel distinguished while you do. I overheard many professionals around me, too, so it's definitely a place to run elbows with University types. Finally, I love music. This place has different musicians all the time. But my favorite is Dr. Warren Ertle's Corpse Revivers, an old fashioned Jazz band! They play two shows a night, almost every Tuesday! I say "almost" because, well, ...just check the Sanctuary's facebook page before you invite friends to a show. (Ask me how I know!) Overall, it's a great time, try the tacos!!

After another big Alabama Crimson Tide baseball win--bringing out the brooms and finishing the…read moresweep on Sunday--my wife and I met up with some friends at The Sanctuary on 25th to celebrate. We've eaten here before and have been wanting to make it back, but between their popularity and our schedules, it's felt like trying to line up a dentist appointment during tax season. Tonight, though, everything finally clicked. We got there early and were greeted by two cheerful hostesses who promptly sat us in the corner... felt a little like we were back in kindergarten for talking too much, but we made it work. Oh--and if you're into live music during dinner, this place delivers. There's something about enjoying a good meal with live music in the background that just elevates the whole experience. It's also the kind of setting where local artists get their start, and you never know--you might be listening to someone on their way up. Once our waiter came over, we held off ordering while waiting on our "fashionably late" friends--who, for the record, treat arrival times more like loose suggestions. Eventually, the crew assembled and it was game on. I kept it simple to start: water, no lemon. Let's not contaminate perfectly good H2O--I want it 100 proof. For appetizers, we ordered the Fried Cauliflower and Fried Okra to share. And by "share," I mean I ordered them and then immediately abandoned that concept. Only child tendencies die hard. Both dishes were excellent. The fried okra, paired with their Creole ranch, absolutely stole the show--seriously, that sauce deserves its own fan club. The cauliflower was also very good, and the homemade remoulade held its own... just not quite on the Creole ranch level. Our friends ordered the Street Corn Dip, and while I didn't personally get any (again... sharing isn't my spiritual gift), I can confirm it was outstanding based on the fact that the dish came back cleaner than a whistle. One of the coolest parts of this place is the atmosphere. The building still carries that old church feel--you can almost picture folks sitting in pews listening to a sermon. These days, though, the only preaching happening is coming from the kitchen, and there's a "sinful" bar running along one wall that probably wouldn't have made the original blueprints. For the main course, my wife went with the Lobster Mac and Cheese, and I ordered the Chili Lime Shrimp. The mac and cheese was a solid choice--rich and flavorful--but just a touch on the dry side. A little more cream would take it to the next level... perfect, but not Jesus-walking-on-water perfect. The shrimp, on the other hand, was good but didn't quite live up to expectations. It started strong but didn't finish the game, and I ended up handing off the last few bites like a reliever coming out of the bullpen. All in all, The Sanctuary on 25th is a great addition to the Tuscaloosa food scene. Between the unique setting, strong appetizers, live music, and overall experience, it's definitely worth a visit. Just be prepared--it stays busy, and if you plan on sharing food, make sure you're sitting with better people than I am.

Had to grab a pesto pepperjack gyro while we were in town. It was just as good as I remembered!read more

I stopped in tonight for dinner for myself and my husband. The staff was friendly and made great…read moresuggestions. I ordered the Pepperjack Shrimp but they were out of shrimp. My order came out fast but I was missing my extra sauce. The restaurant is usually packed with students during Fall/Spring semesters.