Session Bar is THE BEST spot for a cocktail in TTown! We used to live in Tuscaloosa and remember…read morewhen it opened. It has impressed us for years and never wavered. They are passionate mixologists who are obviously well trained and spot on! We loved our drinks and conversation with the gorgeous and delightful Jessica. A must stop if you are in the city. Nice, casual, chill atmosphere with a youthful-masculine slant. Surpasses some popular haunts in New Orleans, where we live now. Just go!

Sessions is an awesome cocktail bar. The drinks are always spot on and very good. They have added…read moresome more contemporary cocktails to the menu which is fun! The staff are evidently all friends who seemingly love being there and being with each other. The atmosphere is positive and fun while also being relaxed but nice enough for a date. If you do not love your drink you can swap it for a different one.

Came highly recommended and it didn't miss particularly for their infused drinks. Tried the peach…read morebourbon and it was good. Plenty of options to pick from and a great for the price as well.

Best bar in Tuscaloosa!!! Amazing drinks and servers! I love catch sooooo much! Everyone should goread more

The best service!! Bria is a sweet and amazing server and Arianna is by far the best bartender I've…read moremet. Thank you ladies for your kindness and service.

While visiting my stepson at the U of Alabama, my wife and I heard that the Sanctuary was a cool…read moreplace. It definitely is! This former church has been turned into a great restaurant with live music. There's plenty of tables and a bar with a huge screen for sports. The band sets up in the corner up front. The food here is all small plates. Since there were 4 of us, we ordered quite a few. Some favorites were the Pork Belly Tacos, Steak Tacos, Chicken Salad Sliders, and the Steak A La Plancha. Together, with nice glasses of wine, this was an excellent dinner! The restaurant is off the beaten path from downtown and parking on the street is easy. If you're looking for something different, check out The Sanctuary!

Great beer list. Friendly locals. Nice quiet ambience. Very chill compared to most of Tuscaloosa.read more

There's no food - so don't arrive expecting to eat and drink. That is the only drawback…read more The actual bar experience is a welcomed relief from the college kids - just very chill and laid back. The bartenders are super attentive and the drink variety is exceptional. One half is a quiet restaurant type area and the other half has pinball and video games. I tell anyone coming to town who wants a break from students but a chill place to drink that this is the spot.

Went in tonight for drinks at 11pm and got basically cussed out by a worker off the clock or…read moresomething. A couple of friends and i walked in around 11pm, and i don't know if i was a worker off the clock or something but there was this woman sitting at the bar with her feet on another barstool, on her laptop, halfway through a cocktail and clearly drunk. As soon as we came up the steps, she yells, "How the f*ck do people keep getting in this is the third group!" Mind you, the door was unlocked and wide open. Then, she finally acknowledges us and says "sorry we're closed." I work at a very busy bar here in Tuscaloosa, and I can understand being annoyed, but saying something like that in front of customers coming into your establishment is so incredibly gross. I had an offer to work here and this completely turned me off I will not be coming back.

A must-visit when staying in or passing through Tuscaloosa! This place is an absolute gem,…read moreespecially if you're a fan of speakeasies. The hidden entrance, disguised as a street-side Pepsi machine with a discrete handle, opens up to an evening of fun. The staff is super friendly and attentive. With two full bars offering a great selection of drinks at fair prices, there's something for everyone. The DJ was spinning great beats while we were there. For sports fans, there are nice TVs and plenty of options for outdoor drinking and dining. I've been to several speakeasies across the globe, and this upstairs gem is one not to miss!

If you're looking for great food, a fun atmosphere, and a place full of character, The Avenue Pub…read moreis a must-visit! The food was absolutely amazing -- fresh, flavorful, and worth every bite. From the moment you walk in, the rustic vibe and welcoming atmosphere make you feel right at home. Great service, great people, and even better food. Get the Salty Dog and Blackberry Smash! Definitely a spot we'll be coming back to. Roll Tide, Alabama!

The service was awesome Brittany was great…read more The Thai nachos was good! The steak sandwich was way salty.

Love this place located on the Tuscaloosa Riverwalk. Great for a an after-work wine down or a group…read moreget-together. I went on a Wednesday and surprisingly, it was busy. There was a birthday party/dinner and a company wine-down all so there's plenty of room for large groups. Although it took a while to get someone to my table; the service ended up being pleasant. The crab cakes were a little salty but very good and the brussels paired well with them although my meal consisted of an appetizer and a side. Overall it was a chill atmosphere with great views. I recommend going during sunset.

The Lookout is one of the best rooftop spots in Tuscaloosa if you're looking for a great view, good…read morevibes, and a relaxed night out. Sitting right above Hotel Indigo, the atmosphere alone makes it worth it the sunset over the Black Warrior River is absolutely beautiful and gives the whole place a perfect backdrop for a night out with friends or a date. Anna and Jackson provided excellent customer service

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.

Best dive bar in America! The oldest bar in Tuscaloosa, Harry's walls are covered in rich history…read more Joe Namath was a regular in his college years, and several of his scenes from East Rider were filmed there decades later. Harry Hammond, the bar's founder, has pictures of him serving drinks at Harry's to many noteworthy patrons, such as the trombone player from The Lost Boys, Tonya Harding, and Emilio Estevez. Pro tip: order a Swirley Worley (extra swirley) shot off the secret menu. If you like Englebert Humperdink tunes, then come on a Tuesday to enjoy Rubio sing some "Harryoke." If humor is your thing, the main door guy (calls himself the sheriff of Harry's) is a regular George Lopez. The manager Ben is a super neat guy as well. He tans his own leather and has several freezers full of delicious meats. The midget wrestling event in February is a must see. Talk about little guns, big message... These folks are sturdy and ornery! Long story short, Harry's rules.

Recently remodeled but still has the original vibe; management changed over in 2019- has only gone…read moreup hill from there. Cheapest drinks in town, safe environment and welcoming crowd. There's a reason it's been open since 1972. Great place to watch the game, play pool, or just grab a beer.