Everything was great!! The food and the service were Top…read moreNotch!!! The Boudin Balls are a Must Have. We get them every time we go.

This was my second visit to the Tuscaloosa location of Half Shell. My first was just drinks, but…read moreI'm glad I came back for a light dinner. Started with the yellowfin dip which was pretty good. I do wish they served it with something other than crackers in plastic packages (bread, cut veggies, anything) but I guess there is something classic about the fish house feel to it. Oysters Rockefeller were also good. Well seasoned, well grilled, and we had a dozen. Too much spinach and not enough cheese and shallots for my taste, but still a nice light meal for two. Service was, as in the first visit, fine but not super attentive. I received a refill on my water but wasn't really asked if I wanted to order more food until well into the meal. I'll chock that up to being left alone (which I like), but I still think this place is a little expensive for how little attention you get from servers. Overall, a pleasant early supper. Will most likely come back again and try some of the other grilled oyster dishes.

The atmosphere was very nice! Customer service 10/10! The food!!!!!!! We sampled everything and it…read morewas GREAT!!!! I will be driving back again to eat here.

I'm a weekly regular, If not bi weekly. I've tried the catfish, wings, hamburger steak, mashed…read morepotatoes, yams, Mac and cheese, fried okra and fried green tomatoes. I haven't tried anything that I didn't like. The customer service has always been good. There is usually a long wait, but you are getting your food fresh.. especially when ordering catfish, etc. So you can't really complain. If you don't want to wait a good 30 mins or so, I'd recommend calling ahead and paying over the phone or placing an uber pickup order.

I am a sucker when it comes to catfish. They are fun to catch during the summertime and can be…read moreprepared in different ways. While searching for this delicacy, I found this location and had to make a mandatory stop. I have to say that if you like catfish as much as I do, this place is a must. The focus here is catfish, and they do an excellent job at this. The title of the restaurant is fitting as you feel as if you're in heaven with every bite you take of their delicious fried catfish.

Terrible service, food is not worth the long wait times. Employees spend more time gossiping than…read moreproviding service, openly and LOUDLY being rude and insulting to each other in front of customers. Place needs a good scrubbing, just grimy everywhere you look.

I was told to visit Chuck's Fish. I'm glad I did. I travel for work and was by myself. I wanted to…read moresit at the bar, but it was full. The hostess told me that a group at the bar was waiting for a table so I waited them out. I can't remember the bartender's name, tall, red haired fellow, but by the end of my meal we felt like friends. I don't like overly loaded sushi, I prefer to keep it on the simple side. I had a spider roll and some salmon nigiri. Both were excellent and a couple local beers and I was on my way. It would be a great place to eat with family if they were in town for a college visit.

I must admit, I was a little disappointed. This place was highly recommended and was packed with…read morepeople; in fact, my wife and I came at around 5:30 pm the night before a big event (assume it would be the same around a game) and we had an hour wait to be seated. Filled with what I'd describe as a trendy crowd; casual but on the high end. The service was good; our waitress was charming and attentive but for whatever strange reason, they kept taking our utensils and when a different staffer would bring the next course, they'd neglect to bring utensils... this happened twice! Pure torture looking at bread pudding without the means to eat it! Which brings me to the food... it was just decent for the price, I would have expected more. I had the ribeye which was perfectly cooked but still just meh; kinda thin and not very flavorful. The wife had the sushi and it was good, but again, for the prices in this place, I would have expected a little better food. Definitely recommend the bread pudding though... bring your own spoons if you're the impatient type!

great service , great food, great view! deserves much more than 4.3 stars. It can get busy but it's…read moreworth the wait.

Second trip to River Restaurant starts off on a bad note. We arrived at 10:35 a.m. and the inside…read moredining room was only about half full with several empty tables, and the outdoor seating area, which we specifically requested, also had open tables. Still, we were told there would be a 15-20 minute wait. We waited about 35 minutes before seating. Make it make sense. That said, the restaurant sits right along the Black Warrior River, which offers a really pleasant view, especially from the patio. On a cool spring day like today, it's hard to beat outdoor seating here. Tuscaloosa is buzzing with football fans for the annual A-Day spring game, which adds to the energy around town. My better half ordered the shrimp and grits, and I went with the steak fajita bowl, minus the sunny-side-up egg. Even at my age, I can't do the runny yolk situation, I always ask for my eggs over hard. With that change, I'll say the fajita bowl jumped up to one of my top breakfast/brunch go-to dishes in town. Yes, I know it's technically brunch, but it was before 11 a.m., so I'm calling it breakfast. The shrimp and grits were solid, though the tails were still on the shrimp, which meant a bit of extra peeling at the table, my wife wasn't a fan of that part, but she still finished the dish and enjoyed it overall. Only minor gripe on the food side: ice seems to be a rare commodity here, I'd love a few more cubes in the water. But overall, the food was very good, the patio seating is absolutely the way to go, and the river view is fantastic.

Excellent experience, plan on walking, parking is terrible! The food was good,must try.Be prepared…read moreto walk and wait for a table.

If you know downtown Tuscaloosa, you know getting into Urban Bar & Kitchen usually requires…read morepatience--and a willingness to stand around waiting for the doors to open. But spring break week flipped the script in the best way possible. Tonight, my wife and I met up with some good friends for a pre-retirement dinner, and with the college crowd scattered to the beaches, downtown felt like it belonged to us "seasoned locals" again. No lines, no crowds--just a quick call ahead and we were seated within minutes. That alone felt like a win. We started things off with the fried green tomatoes--a true Southern delicacy and, let's be honest, acid reflux's favorite dance partner. Worth it? Absolutely. These were hot, crispy, and full of flavor. The kind of dish that would make Grandma nod in approval. No shortcuts, just done right. For the entrée, I went with the UBK Pasta--blackened chicken, sausage, and shrimp tossed with corkscrew pasta probably crafted in a cast iron skillet. It came out hot and packed with flavor, carrying just the right amount of spice to keep things interesting without overwhelming the dish. Exactly how I like it. My wife stuck with a proven winner: the shrimp & grits. She's had it before, and once again, it delivered. Consistency matters, and this dish continues to hit the mark every time. Now, not everything was quite as smooth. Our waitress wasn't exactly channeling that warm Southern hospitality you hope for. Let's just say she wasn't "Miss Dolly" serving smiles with a side of charm. The service leaned a bit on the impatient side--subtle (and not-so-subtle) hints that our time at the table was up, including clearing drinks before we were even finished. At one point I joked about going to the restroom but worried I might come back to find my chair gone. Still, when the food is this good, it carries the experience. Urban Bar & Kitchen continues to deliver where it matters most--on the plate. The atmosphere was relaxed thanks to spring break timing, the food was as strong as ever, and the company made it even better. As for the service... maybe she was just ready for her own spring break reunion. Happens to the best of us. Final takeaway: Go for the food--it's consistently excellent. And if you can catch a quieter night like this one, even better.

Great food! Awesome service!…read moreFriendly and comforting atmosphere. You can tell the owner cares about his people as well as his customers!

Our family took us out to eat for dinner and this was one of our options. When my husband's aunt…read moresaid prime steak house. I was worries it was going to be a more upscale place. As we weren't dressed to the nines. We had jeans and tshirts. This place was laid back. Almost like texas roadhouse vibes but still different. They have oysters for apps and they have other shareables. We went with the fried green tomatoes. They were good. The breading was thin yet crispy. Top off with some ranch. They have a menu with some cocktails, beer, and wine. His aunt and i both had one glass of wine. I did the mascato and she did the cabernet. His uncle ordered the shrimp n grits as thats his usual. The shrimp he just had them grilled and less seasoning. They will accommodate for you. Both his aunt and i ordered the big blue burger. We both went bunless. The burger itself to me with the blue cheese did not need additional sauce. I ordered mine medium, which was fine. I almost wish i said medium rare. The baked potato was good. i tried some of the okra and that was tasty too. We were orig told it would be about a 30 min wait. Which didnt take but 15-20 to be seated. It just took a tad for our food to come out. Otherwise we were all pleased. The girl that waited on us was very kind and attentive. I figured it would be kind to help them get updates photos. Since the latest menu pics on here are 5 years old!!! Yikes

Despite a prior bad experience with a large party, this was the only restaurant that could…read moreaccommodate us. Throughout the night, the service was absolutely horrible-- waiters spilled drinks on us, forgot to put our birthday cake in the refrigerator, forgot to bring out sauces that we requested, etc. The menu also wasn't updated online, and some items were not clearly identified. We had a few non-pork eaters that accidentally ordered dishes made with bacon because the menu did not specify. I think the worst part was the handling of a birthday cake that we brought in. First, we asked the staff to refrigerate the cake-- they never did. Second, they tipped the box over, so the cake was smudged all over the side. Third, they threw away the box so we couldn't box up the leftovers and had to roughly fit the remainder takeout boxes. Although I hated being that table that stayed after close, we simply had no choice. Our food, checks, etc. took a long time, even for a larger party.

Service was good but the food was not. Chicken was old and the hot honey chicken biscuit is just…read morehoney with chili flakes

A super cool ambiance- one of the best in Tuscaloosa! It's warm, vibey, and small enough to feel…read moreexclusive. We come for Sunday brunch on occasion as we love to hear the saxophone player in the background. I got the brunch tacos, but modified due to food allergies, which they accommodated wonderfully. Be aware the menu is limited (hence the name), but overall a very cool spot for downtown Tuscaloosa.

Tuscaloosa is in desperate need of a good restaurant outside of Chuck's. This place was packed,…read moreand I'm not sure why because the food was terrible and the drinks were just as bad. We had the steak and the fish special and they were both way too salty. The fish portion was tiny for $40 and the steak was way overcooked and I think that was close to $50. The pineapple jalapeño margarita was just gross! Between five of us it cost almost $350 with only one drink each. It was an expensive lesson to learn to not come back.

The most delicious meal I've in a long time. I literally watched them hand bread the chicken for my…read moresandwich which and hand cut my fries. So fresh and tasty

Our waitress Cameron was awesome you but vibrant and eager to serve . Manager Hunter was well…read moreversed in high quality managerial skills and was well versed in hospitality are . What a great experience, I came to restaurant 20 minutes after the family and they made my families food and was going to serve us one time , like a good restaurant does. But I husk them to serve my family first and they were happy to do so . The food came out well temperatured , and was cook to perfection, delicious , compliments to da chef ‍. If you want a overall great experience food , hospitality, and a great place to , side by side cafe at the Hilton is where it's at leeettttsss Ggggooo Mahalo for your time and hospitality Sincerely Alex amina