Posted this in the SEC Rant but thought some of you guys who don't venture over there may find this helpful also. Came up with this list last year and decided to post it again this year. Hope it helps any of you planning to make the trip to UA and Ttown this year. As always, feel free to ask me any questions and I will do my best to answer.

FINE DINING (all are great):
-Ephihany's
-Evangeline's
-Chuck's Fish
- Opus ( now closed and reopened as a Billy's Sports Grill - another Mtn. brook and Liberty Park staple new to Tuscaloosa)
-Desparadoes (Great steak)

TUSCALOOSA FAVORITES:
-Buffalo Phil's (right in the heart of the strip. Cheap beer and good food.)
-Nick's in the Sticks (excellent steak and get a Nicodemus!)
-5 (love this place)
-Cypress Inn (Salmon is great)
-Dreamland
-Archibald's (better than dreamland IMO)
-Moe's BBQ (located Downtown near the new Courthouse)
-Depalma's Italian (one of my favorites)
-The Bear Trap (rooftop restaurant that overlooks the Strip)
-City Cafe (great meat and three)
-El Rincon (typical mexican food but the margarita's are great AND CHEAP! - fun atmosphere)
-Iquana Grill (upper scale mexican restaurant with awesome decor and atmosphere)
-Hokkaido (Japanese steakhouse destroyed by the April 27th tornado but recently rebuilt on 15th street)
-Mugshots
-Little Italy

BREAKFAST:
-Waysider (get here early or plan on waiting a long time)
-Rama Jama's
-Another Broken Egg Cafe (Mtn. Brook staple that is opening in the new River Walk condo project on the Warrior River right off campus near Manderson Park)

BARS (there are two central locations for the bars in Tuscaloosa, downtown in Temmerson Square or on The Strip. This is just a rough list, there are others on the Strip and downtown that I am sure I am forgetting)

Downtown Bars:
-Catch 22
-Innisfree (probably my favorite bar downtown, great drinks and a TON of "scenery")
-The Booth (used to be a Strip favorite but moved to a new Downtown location near Innisfree and next door to the new Courthouse and Moes BBQ)
-4th and 23rd (always have a good band playing but can get really crowded)
-Carpe Vino (wine bar/upscale feel)
-Wilhagan's (good sports bar with lots of TV's. pool tables, etc)
-Rythym and Brews (older crowd but still a fun bar)

The Strip Bars (all within walking distance to UA campus):
-Gallettes (this is the Greek bar so there will be A LOT of "scenery" here both Friday and Saturday. be sure to get a Yellow Hammer!)
-The Houndstooth (voted the best college sports bar in the country, this is a fun place also. Probably a lot of LSU fans will be here)
-Egans (don't like this place. Always seemed to be the artsy, sketchy crowd)
-The Jupiter (the place for the big bands to play in Tuscaloosa. If there isn't a good band playing do not waste your time here)
-Rounders (the closest thing to a club you will find in Tuscaloosa)

SHOPPING:
University Mall (your typical indoor mall with all the name brand stores)
Midtown Village (brand new outdoor mall with a lot of new shops and restaurants)
The Tuscaloosa Galleria (upscale boutiques, fine dining, etc)
Downtown Tuscaloosa (upscale boutiques, etc)

THINGS TO SEE:
-Walk around the UA campus (Quad, President's Mansion, Sorority Row, The Walk of Champions, Gorgas House, etc. It is truly a beautiful campus with several buildings dating back to pre-cival war)
-Bryant Museum (great museum covering the history of Alabama football)
-Manderson Landing Park (great place besides campus to take in a good run. It is a beautiful park right on the Black Warrior River)
-Ride around the city and take in the massive damage done to the city by the April 27th tornado.

I know this has been long but hope this helps. For parking info, etc. check out www.uagameday.com. Feel free to ask me any questions and I will do my best to answer. HAVE A GREAT TIME!

This post was edited on 11/4/13 at 8:16 am