Road Trip #2: Tuscaloosa Food Review

Sometimes you make reservations, sometimes you take good recommendations, and then other times you just stumble upon a great restaurant. The last is what happened to Charlie and me in Tuscaloosa. We were hungry and started walking towards an area approximately a mile or less east of The Strip (central bar and pre-game area near the stadium) that I remembered going to 2 years ago when I came to the Ole Miss-Alabama game '10. Anyway, like Tucan Sam we followed our noses, instincts and growling stomachs to 5 Bar.

First: if you are ever in Tuscaloosa and want a Snack Bar-esque place to eat, go to 5 Bar. Second: if you are ever driving through Tuscaloosa and want yummy, classy take on bar food classics, go to 5 Bar. Third: if you have nothing else to do, are hungry, and like unique coctails and fun flavors, go to 5 Bar. I know, I haven't even mentioned what we had, and I'm already pushing the place pretty hard.

Let me set the scene. Picture a shot-gun size room with 20' high ceilings covered in chandeliers--not 2 looked alike. A large dark hardwood bar with intricate carvings and a large mirror. On the side of the room a massive chalkboard with their limited but precise menu artfully displayed. Then, a collection of booths, pub tables, and bar stools scattered about the room filled with Southern, football loving patrons munching on appetizers and sipping on cocktails.

We sat at the bar because of the crowded tables and it's availability. For a drink I had the strawberry lemonade cocktail, it was fruitili-delicious. I watched the bartender "salt" the rims of several glasses with what I later found out was Tony ChaChere's seasoning. For an appetizer we had the baked avocado.

 

 

This picture does not do it justice. Warm, smooth avocado with shrimp topped with crispy breadcrumbs and bacon bits drizzled with a mildly spicy, slightly sweet sauce. (Ahhh, give me a moment)

 

After we devoured this tastey treat we ordered an entree, the cheeseburger! Charlie asked if I wanted to take a picture, I declined because I said 'it is just a cheeseburger and fries' (and I was starving and just wanted to dive into it). I was so wrong. It was so much more thatn just a cheeseburger and fries. First the french fries: super thin, hand sliced pieces of potato fried until perfectly crispy . . . we ate every single one, and there were a lot. The burger: two beef patties topped with American cheese, I've never had American taste so good, with "5 Spread" which came in 2 parts: a thin comeback sauce and a tomatoe onion chutney . . . we quickly ate every single bite. Neither dish had a scrap left to send to the trash.

 

The atmosphere was fun but casual, and the food was nothing fancy but perfect. Someone knows what they're doing at this restaurant. It wasn't until I looked up their website to link to the first paragraph that I found out that this is only 1 of 3 locations. There is another one in Athens, GA. I'm not making any promises but there is a good chance that we'll stop in there for a least a snack.

Link to 5 Bar website.