Mike & Ed’s Bar-B-Q

Apparently Mike & Ed’s is no longer in the Northport location mentioned in this review. As far as I can tell, they decided to let their lease on the Northport building expire and are still waiting for their new building at the 15th Street location to be built, so the Tuscaloosa area is temporarily without Mike and Ed’s. This review will be updated when I have more information.

Mike & Ed’s Bar*B*Q holds a sentimental spot in my creosote-blackened heart. It was the very first Tuscaloosa barbecue joint that I ate at. Heck, it was the first Tuscaloosa barbecue joint that I ever saw. I was born and raised in Kansas City, the barbecue capital of the world. Seeing Mike & Ed’s squat brick building, with its sunfaded sign and Formica tables and weird, rusting, cylindrical smoking room, made me all warm inside. It looked like how a barbecue joint should look like.

That charming building right by Forest Lake is no longer standing. It, like a majority of structures in the Forest Lake neighborhood, was irreparably damaged in the April 27^th tornado. I was very affected by this. I even wrote a short nonfiction piece about Mike & Ed’s and other Tuscaloosa barbecue joints for the charity anthology, Tuscaloosa Runs This (free download found at tuscaloosarunsthis.com).

Now, a little over three months later, Mike & Ed’s has re-opened in a temporary building in Northport. I am thrilled to report that while things look different, the food has stayed the same. This new location is in a small wooden shack (complete with a working drive-thru! Call ahead!), with tables and a mishmash of assorted chairs stuck in wherever they can fit. It’s counter-service now. Whereas before you’d get a perky waitress to take your order and refill your cup with sweet tea, now you order at the register, get a ticket number, and pour yourself some sweet tea out of a giant white industrial trash bin/paint bucket w/ a spigot attached to it. Don’t kid yourself about ordering anything but the sweet tea here. Resistance is futile.

Mike & Ed’s sells mostly pork, and you can order it one of three ways: chipped, sliced, or chopped. Avoid the chopped preparation; it isn’t so much chopped as it is deliberately cubed, and the cubes of pork tend to dry out quickly. The chipped is the most popular; moist, very finely pulled strands of pork shoulder tossed with Mike & Ed’s house mustard-based sauce (they have a few other sauces if mustard doesn’t suit your palate: a thin tomato-based sauce with some hickory smoke to it, and a full-on South Carolina yellow mustard sauce). I tend to opt for the sliced pork; thick slices, laced with flavorful fat, with lots of smoky bark left on them. Truth be told: none of the pork options are anything better than average, but average barbecue is plenty tasty.

Mike & Ed’s serves up other meats too. Their barbecued chicken isn’t particularly special, but (surprisingly) their fried chicken strips are. The most succulent, plump, juicy chicken strips in town. For me, Mike & Ed’s best meat is their turkey. Of all the meats at Mike & Ed’s, the turkey achieves the best balance of smoke and juiciness. It’s so good that I had Mike & Ed’s barbecue an entire turkey for me that I served for Thanksgiving dinner.

My favorite thing about Mike & Ed’s, the one thing that they do that is legitimately great, are their barbecued beans. So often, even at otherwise solid barbecue joints, the beans will be an afterthought, tasting like they came straight out of a can. Not here, no way. There’s a depth of flavor to Mike & Ed’s beans that is unmatched in Tuscaloosa (or at least I haven’t found their match yet). In Kansas City, they cook the beans underneath the meats being smoked so that beef brisket drippings will fall into the beans. Mike & Ed’s takes that general principle and applies to it pork shoulder. The smoky-sweet beans are flavored with the sizable chunks of pork shoulder that drip down into them. The beans are at their best in the evening, after a whole day’s worth of meat and juice and fat has had hours to cook down into them.

There are other barbecue joints in Tuscaloosa that easily outclass Mike & Ed’s. They don’t do much at all wrong, but they don’t excel at much beyond turkey and beans. Even still, it’s always an enjoyable meal. The service and atmosphere are top-notch. I never walk away disappointed.

Mike & Ed’s has plans to rebuild at the site of their former location. A sketch of the building was posted on their Facebook page (which seems to have disappeared). It looked like a sterile, big-box looking building that reminded me of the similarly safe Northport location of Dreamland. I will be glad to see it back at Forest Lake, but I will be sad to see its barbecue joint charm replaced by a boring, antiseptic chain store aesthetic. My advice? Go to the temporary Northport location and soak up the atmosphere while you still can.

[barry]

Mike & Ed’s, formerly (and soon to be) located at 101 15^th St, is currently located at 2910 5th Street, Northport, AL, next to Kentuck Park.

Monday-Saturday: 10:30am-3:00pm

Jalapeño’s Mexican Grill

In his review of Takamoz, my fellow reviewer Barry made the bold claim that Tuscaloosa’s “only great Mexican restaurant” was destroyed in the tornado. I’ll assume, Barry, that you aren’t counting North River as “Tuscaloosa” and that this oversight is why Jalapeño’s didn’t top your list of Mexican restaurants. It’s the best by far. What restaurant were you talking about anyway?

Jalapeño’s is a little out of the way for those who don’t live near North River or in Northport, but its combination of service, prices, margaritas, entrees, and desserts is well worth ten- or fifteen-minute drive.

The first thing you need to know about Jalapeño’s is that the parking lot is too small. This isn’t a huge problem, as you can easily park across the street along the side of the North River shopping center, but I mentioned it so that you won’t be scared away by the sometimes overflowing lot. I have arrived many times to the sight of SUVs hopping curbs and compact cars attempting to create spaces out of nothing and feared that the wait for a table would be way too long. I’ve never had to wait though. I’ve eaten there for Cinco de Mayo and for graduation, and while it was crowded both times, the restaurant’s three-dining-room setup almost guarantees that a table will be available.

The next thing to know is to order a margarita pitcher. Eight ounce glasses are $5, but a 32-ounce pitcher (for the mathematically challenged, that’s four glasses) are only $8!! Plus, their margaritas are my favorite in town—maybe my favorite anywhere, with the exception of Chuy’s Tex-Mex. I can’t speak for their frozen ones, but their ‘ritas on the rocks are a perfect balance of tequila and lime and don’t fall into the “this tastes like orange instead of lime” category that many lower-quality margaritas do (say, at El Rincon).

The chips and salsa are pretty standard. They’re solid but won’t blow you away. As for the entrees, I haven’t found one I didn’t like. I get the chimichanga dinner a lot (pictured above) and am always pleased with the plate full of chimichanga, lettuce, tomato, cheese sauce, rice, and refried beans. I’ve also had the Monterey chicken, which is more of a specialty dish and was WAY too much food for one sitting (although it was quite good and unlike what I’m used to getting at a Mexican restaurant). My new favorite dish is one that I didn’t notice on the menu for a while: fajita gumbo (pictured below).  It’s labeled as Jalepeno’s “signature dish,” but its special inset on the top left side of the menu makes it easy to miss (or it did for me, at least). This “gumbo” is a bowl full of chicken, steak, and shrimp (yes, that’s an “and” not an “or”), plus cheese sauce and pico de gallo. I usually eat it like a soup and occasionally munch on the tortillas that come with it, though I suppose a more involved process of actually making fajitas out of it would also work. This gumbo, on first glance, doesn’t look like it will be very filling, and it’s just a little more expensive than the standard entrees (I think most of the dishes run around $7-8; the gumbo and Monterey chicken might be $9). The three meats and cheese sauce, however, make this an excellent value and a lot more filling than it appears. I’m yet to finish a bowl.

Another thing you need to know about Jalapeño’s: order dessert. I usually skip the queso at the beginning of the meal to save room for dessert at the end. If you want the cheapest and simplest (but still delicious) dessert, get the sopapilla: a deep-fried tortilla is dusted in cinnamon and topped with whipped cream. If you want to step it up a notch (for only about a dollar more, making it $3), order the fried ice cream. You get the same whipped cream topped sopapilla but with a scoop of vanilla ice cream covered in crunchy, honey-covered flakes, all drizzled with chocolate sauce. Yum!

One of my favorite things about Jalapeño’s is their consistency. By the time we leave (the last thing you need to know, by the way, is that you pay your check up front), the margaritas, gumbo, and fried ice cream (along with the reasonable prices and friendly service) have combined to create a wonderful meal that I know will be just as good when I come back. And I always come back. I don’t know about Barry, but when I want Mexican food, I’m going to Jalapeño’s. No question.

[natalie]

Jalapeño’s is located at 1845 New Watermelon Road, just across the street from the Publix shopping center at North River.

Sunday-Thursday: 11am-9:30pm
Friday: 11am-10:30pm
Saturday: 11:30am-10:30pm

Flip Burger

Words that come to mind when I think of Flip Burger: Playful. Modern. Fried Lemon. Icanfinallyeataburgerthattasteslikeaburger. What, that last one wasn’t a word?

Flip Burger is a little out of the way for Tuscaloosans, but if you’re hanging around the airport or getting your Mac fixed at The Summit, it would be worth your while to stop in. The atmosphere is a sort of casual upscale funk—you don’t necessarily need to dress up, but the hostesses might make you feel underdressed by comparison. Don’t worry too much about people looking at you, though, because there is so much to look at inside Flip Burger. A graffiti design on the super high ceiling, a giant center table for sharing, and secluded leather booths will keep your eyes busy until your food gets there.

As the name might suggest, Flip Burger is based on the classic burger joint concept. The creative director of the restaurant’s three locations is Richard Blais, though—remember that guy from Top Chef who made everything out of foam? Yeah, that’s him. Accordingly, the menu boasts items like a country fried chicken burger (with curried pickles, shaved lettuce, and sriracha), a raw tuna tartare burger (with mango sphere, avocado puree, soy jellies, marinated vegetables, wasabi mayo, and sesame crispies), and a lamburger (pictured above–with coriander, tzaziki, goat cheese, arugula, tomato, red onion, and marinated vegetables). There is a separate section for beef burgers, with classic toppings alongside less traditional offerings like frisée, red wine jam, seared truffle aioli, and smoked mayo. For vegetarians and other denominations thereof, the fauxlafel and blackened shrimp burgers are both good options, along with a plethora of fried and not-fried sides.

The milkshakes deserve their own paragraph: nutella and burnt marshmallow (pictured above), apple pie, Krispy Kreme, key lime, strawberry shortcake (also pictured), and cap’n crunch with peanut butter foam. Yeah, you heard those right. According to a friend, the Krispy Kreme milkshake really tastes exactly like a glazed donut.

I went for the blackened shrimp burger, and I wasn’t disappointed. As a non-meat-eater, my burger options at restaurants are usually frozen, or mushy, or full of breadcrumbs, so it was wonderful to be able to eat a burger that actually acted like a burger. The patty was mostly shrimp, with hardly any extra filler, topped with a slice of deep-fried lemon. I wish that the bun had been a little bigger, or a little less flimsy, as it soaked up all the delicious juices from the burger and spent most of its time falling apart. I was initially suspicious of the fried lemon, but in the end it was one of my favorite parts of the meal. I also started with a strawberry shortcake milkshake, thinking that I would regret it and be unable to finish my dinner, but the milkshakes are of reasonable size, and I’m really glad that I got one. I’m not usually a milkshake fan, but this one was delicious, with a little pound cake and fresh strawberries.

Flip Burger also serves wine, beer, and mixed drinks, along with vintage sodas (made with cane sugar). Burgers range from $7 for the country fried chicken to $23 for the d+lux, with most burgers under $11. Milkshakes range from $4.50 to $5.50. You’ll have to order fries separately, at $3.50 per serving (and slightly over-salted). If you’re coming with a large group, as we did, be forewarned that Flip Burger doesn’t take reservations. They will, however, do their best to accommodate you—we arrived with a party of 20, and only had to wait 30 minutes, though we couldn’t all sit at the same table. So if you’re looking for food that’s upscale but not hugely overpriced, check out Flip Burger, and make sure to look up at that amazing ceiling.

[laura]

Flip Burger is located at The Summit shopping center in Birmingham, just off I-459 at the Mountain Brook/Hwy 280 exit. If you’re familiar with the layout of the Summit, Flip Burger is nestled in the left-most and front-most block of shops along with White House/Black Market, Anthropologie, and Chuy’s (delicious) Tex-Mex restaurant.

Sunday-Thursday: 11am-9:30pm
Friday-Saturday: 11am-10:30pm

Yakamoz Turkish Restaurant

Tuscaloosa, on the whole, is not a friendly town for the lover of ethnic cuisines. One Indian place, two Thai places, some Greek-ish spots. The Japanese is typical teppanyaki, and the Chinese is commonplace Cantonese. Our only great Mexican restaurant was destroyed in the tornado. Any new ethnic restaurant is a cause for celebration.

Yakamoz Turkish Restaurant opened in the final week of July 2011. It’s hard to notice it right now; a hand-written Pepsi sign simply reads “Yakamoz. Now open!” without any indication as to what a Yakamoz is. It sounded like an ethnic restaurant, so I went inside. I knew immediately that I had made a good decision. The décor is among my favorites in Tuscaloosa: the walls are painted mint green with deep red trim. Turkish rugs are hung from the walls. A Turkish seating area (sit on pillows, no chairs) is prominently featured. Lots of good vibes.

Service was amongst the friendliest in town, though a little bit frazzled. There was one waitress working the whole restaurant, so it took longer than desired for water to be refilled, etc. But she was too friendly and helpful to be upset about it. The owner was very chatty as well, asking the tables their true opinions on the food, telling jokes, etc. This friendliness made up for them being out of what I had ordered, and for the cooking times that went on too long (it was explained that they had an unexpected rush, and had to do a lot of new prep). The small staff seems determined to improve the dining experience as the restaurant goes on.

After orders are taken, a woven basket is brought to the table filled with warm bread. Bread this fresh is plenty good on its own, but even better with a dish of olive oil to dredge it through. We ordered an appetizer of dolma – stuffed grape leaves, in this case stuffed with rice, onions, currants, and mint, and dressed in a cold sauce of tomato and lemon. The sweetness of the currants played really well with the mint, and the dolma were cooked very well, though the tomato-based sauce was a bit too one-dimensional. Entrees sampled at our table included kebob Adana and something called a “Turkish pizza.” Yakamoz makes their pizza dough in-house, which is always a plus. This pie was fairly typically adorned with little slices of tomato, some parsley, and more cheese than expected. It was something of a mediocre pizza, though that could be partly due to it being ordered sans-lamb; the Turkish Pizza comes with ground lamb and “Turkish spices,” but it seems that ordering it without the meat causes you to miss out on those spices as well.

Much better was the kebob Adana – a long kebob of hand-minced lamb, roasted red peppers, and fresh herbs. It came with a small salad, some spiced onions, a garlic-yoghurt sauce, and a hefty portion of bulgur & tomato sauce. The lamb was tasty, spicy, and very authentically prepared. The coolness of the chilled garlic-yoghurt sauce was a delightful contrast to the near-sizzling kebob, and the onions provide the kind of sharpness and textural contrast here that makes them so invaluable to authentic Mexican tacos for the same reasons. My only complaint with the Adana is that I expected more lamb for the $11.95 pricetag. But with as much freshly-baked bread as we were given I was not walking out of Yakamoz with even a slight bit of hunger.

To help make up for our wait, our table was given orders of rice pudding on-the-house. This had a more chewy texture than I usually see in rice puddings, but it worked well because of that uniqueness. Well, that and the bit of vanilla ice cream it came with and the sprinkling of cinnamon. Far better is the Turkish coffee, traditionally served after the meal. It has a solid foundation of bitterness, but ultimately finishes strong and sweet. It has some wonderful floral notes as well. A must-order.

As I write this, the restaurant had been open for less than one week. The service problems should work themselves out in the coming weeks. The friendliness will suffice in the meantime. As we were presented with our checks, our server gave each of us a plastic “Evil Eye” token/fridge magnet. It is meant to ward off bad spirits and negative energy. And indeed I hope that bad spirits avoid Yakamoz. What I sampled from their menu was good enough to warrant future trips. I have a feeling that this kitchen is going to really specialize in a few particular dishes, and I want to figure out what those dishes are. Frankly, it is worth coming back for the bread and Turkish coffee alone.

[barry]

Yakamoz Turkish Restaurant is located at 501 Hargrove Road E., Ste. A., catty-corner from The Comic Strip.

Hours: Currently unknown

Bento Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar

You know that old saying “You can’t judge a book by its cover?” While true, it isn’t an expression that should be applied metaphorically. For instance: restaurants can oftentimes be judged accurately by the image that they present before you even walk in the door. I’ve been known to avoid certain restaurants because of their “cover.” A good example of this behavior is Bento. Despite passing this popular Japanese restaurant twice a day, nearly every day, I never gave serious consideration to stopping in. Part of this is their schedule; they close for three hours between lunch and dinner service. But I mostly avoided it because of the crowd that it tends to attract: fraternity brodogs and the Tempo shorts throng. Every time the door opened it seemed like Dave Matthews Band or Owl City or some musical dreck leaked out. I finally decided to eat at Bento a couple of times over the past week. The pertinent question then is does that old saying about books and covers hold metaphorical weight for Bento? The answer: no, the cover was entirely representative of the restaurant at large.

The interior of Bento is two cramped dining rooms, everything clean and white and sandalwood colored. I am reminded more of a dentist’s office than a Japanese restaurant, but that’s fine. Bento takes their small space and makes the most of it, with a surprisingly large amount of tables and flexibility. The wait staff, at least during the lunch hours in which I visited, was completely young twentysomethings. They are nice and efficient, if a little aloof and ill prepared to fully describe the menu.

A personal marker for quality that I have for Japanese-American restaurants is their execution of soup. Many Japanese soups are miracle balancing acts of texture and flavor. I walked into Bento craving ramen, but certainly not expecting to be able to order any. But the menu did have an Udon noodle soup, so I didn’t hesitate to order it. My waiter brought over a large bowl of steaming-hot clear broth. Inside were lots of thick udon and plenty of sliced scallions and carrots. A particularly unflavorful stick of tempura prawn (or something intended to resemble prawn) was jutting up out of the bowl, but I chose to eat around it. It was a pretty average bowl of udon, at best. The udon themselves were somewhat underdone, not chewy or toothsome but doughy and hard to negotiate. The broth was very light, which worked well on a summer’s day, but it was missing some complexity (read: flavor). While bland, this bowl of soup was too big to finish. It represents a pretty good value for $8, especially if you’re nursing a cold.

I noticed that most everyone in the dining room was opting for Bento’s namesake bento box lunch specials, so I opted for one of my own the next time I came in. The boxes range from $7-$9, and contain a hibachi-grilled meat, your choice of salad or soup, your choice of steamed or fried rice, a handful of edemame and some orange slices. I went with something called the “Bento chicken,” implying a house specialty. The little bites of chicken actually taste considerably like the chicken nuggets at Chick-Fil-A – an initial savory character losing the war of attrition to sweetness – only not fried. I opted for the fried rice, only because it seemed like a novelty (the Japanese don’t traditionally serve fried rice; it’s a Chinese thing). As far as fried rice goes, it might just be the best in Tuscaloosa. The edamame was the best part of the plate; I wish that I had two servings of the slightly briny soybeans to munch on. Bento misses again on the lunch soup; a flavorless broth with spongy sliced mushrooms, diced scallions, and what appears to be egg white somehow lending nothing to the broth apart from a nicely delicate aroma.

Bento has a nice array of sushi choices. The list favors maki (which makes sense, given the clientele), but has a respectable list of nigiri options as well. While there are maki specials for lunch, I did not opt for any sushi, and I didn’t notice any other patrons ordering sushi either. Based on my average-at-best meals at Bento thus far, I don’t think I’m going to shell out for their sushi anytime soon. It’s tough to come back from “meh.”

Bento is a fine-enough lunch option on the Strip, that is if you can tolerate the clientele and the annoying music playing in the dining room. It’s reasonably fast and well-portioned for the price. For me, the food is too uninspired to warrant eating there. Japanese food is subtle, but complex. Bento’s food is not complex, and is about as authentically Japanese as Pita Pit is authentically Greek. If you’re the kind of person who really enjoys Americanized Cantonese places, like Swen for instance, then you should probably check out Bento; I think you’ll enjoy the change-of-pace and find plenty of options agreeable to your palate.

[barry]

Bento is located at 1306 University Blvd, on The Strip, right above Tut’s.

Lunch: Monday-Friday 11am-2pm.
Dinner: Every night 5pm-9pm.

Tin Top Restaurant and Oyster Bar

Every time my family visits the Alabama Gulf Coast, we set aside a night to travel back inland a ways toward the city of Foley. We make this trip so we can eat seafood at the Tin Top Restaurant in the small town of Bon Secour. The prices are higher than I prefer, but the quantity and quality of the food has always been worth the money and drive. Much to my pleasure (and my family’s jealousy), the Tin Top has opened a second location in our very own Tuscaloosa.

The Tin Top is located in the same space that Milagros used to occupy (RIP my beloved Conquistador wrap and sweet potato fries), and for those who remember Milagros, the interior atmosphere is largely the same. The slightly modern furniture, black table cloths, and free-standing fireplace make the place feel sophisticated without being stuffy. In keeping with the tradition of the original restaurant, a giant blackboard featuring the entire menu hangs on one wall, but hard copies of the menu are provided as well.

The dinner menu is extensive—with a number of specialty drinks, appetizers, seafood dinners, and desserts. Some of the entrees run as high as $ 25.99, but the etouffee, shrimp and grits, chicken alfredo, and Carribean jerk chicken provide cheaper alternatives ranging from $10.99-16.99. Also, several of the appetizers and entrees are available in smaller (and cheaper) portions, which I recommend taking advantage of. I ordered a bowl of lobster bisque and the regular-sized seafood stuff mushrooms appetizer as my meal and was overwhelmed by the amount and the richness of the food put in front me. I could have easily been satisfied with a cup of soup and the small appetizer (4 mushrooms instead of 6). Another solution to the price issue to come at lunch or for their “Early Bird” menu, which offers cheaper (and I’m guessing smaller) alternatives to the main menu (offered Tuesday-Friday from 4-6pm and Saturday from 11am-6pm).

The bisque was a nice, coarse consistency and had a great balance of flavors. It wasn’t as hot as I’d have preferred, but bisques don’t tend to hold up well so super hot temperatures, so perhaps it was for the best. It was far from cold and still very enjoyable. The mushrooms I ordered were stuffed with some combination of crab, shrimp, and lobster and absolutely smothered in a thick and rich lobster sauce. There was actually more sauce than mushroom, but it was easy enough to push the excess to the side, and I was otherwise pleased with the dish.

My dining companion ordered the full-sized Tin Top seafood platter and was equally daunted by amount of food he wound up with: what had to be an entire fried fish, plenty of jumbo shrimp, a crab cake, two hushpuppies, and two sides (cheese grits and lima beans with andouille sausage in his case), all of which he compliment but very few of which he was able to finish off. I should note that the menu said the platter came with oysters, not hushpuppies, but we didn’t bother to inquire since we were already buried in food. It’d be worth asking the server when you order if you want to make sure you get your oysters with that platter.

I walked into the restaurant with the intent of saving room for dessert—they offer crème brulee and several varieties of bread pudding as well as a few pies, but by the time I’d finished my bisque and mushrooms, I couldn’t bring myself to ask for any more food. We already had enough leftover fish and mushrooms for one of us to take home and eat for lunch the next day. I’ll have to go in with a plan to order only drinks and dessert in order to save enough room for that crème brulee.

Legitimate seafood restaurants are hard to find in Tuscaloosa, but the Tin Top offers an authentic experience—the same experience that makes their Bon Secour location worth driving 20 miles for. Overall, Tin Top isn’t somewhere I can afford to eat all the time, but when I go, I know I’m going to get what I paid for.

[natalie]

The Tin Top Restaurant and Oyster Bar is located at 4851 Rice Mine Road NE Suite #460 in the Publix shopping center at North River.

From what I understand, the hours/menu operate according to this schedule:
Monday: Closed
Tuesday-Thursday: 4-9pm (early bird until 6 and dinner)
Friday: 4-10pm (early bird until 6 and dinner)
Saturday: 11am-10pm (early bird all day, lunch, and dinner)
Sun: 11am-2pm (lunch and brunch)

Moe’s Original BBQ

When  Moe’s Original BBQ opened in downtown Tuscaloosa in early 2010, I was skeptical. I avoided it for some time, as I’m fairly confident the saturation of barbecue restaurants in Tuscaloosa will weed out substandard joints. I decided I’d try it if it could pass the T-town test.  Over a year later, Moe’s was still going strong, and I was curious.

Driving by for that year and a half, I was always confused by its ever-shifting atmosphere. Moe’s has a bit of a split-personality: restaurant by day and bar by night. This division is also represented by the layout of the establishment: bar on the right side, restaurant on the left. The “About” page on Moe’s website advertizes “Alabama-style” barbecue and claims UA as its alma mater, but the first five Moe’s were opened in various parts of Colorado. The mountain atmosphere carries over into the Tuscaloosa location, as the wood interior and ski décor (a lift seat and black diamond signs, for example) are reminiscent of every ski lodge ever. Eleven HDTV’s are staggered throughout the restaurant and bar and are usually set to various sporting events. The bar also advertizes Colorado craft beers, but they’re only available in bottles. The only tap I’ve ever seen there is for Bud Light, and the liquor selection seems pretty standard. I’ve only ever been to Moe’s during meal time, but from what I can tell of the night scene, it looks too undergrad/frat-heavy for my taste. There’s a stage in the corner for live music Thursday-Saturday nights, and when the weather is nice, they open the giant garage-style windows on the front façade to give the place more of an outdoor-ish atmosphere. Of course, you can always sit on the patio.

The menu is fairly simple. Sandwiches (pulled pork, chicken, turkey, and catfish, I believe) come with 2 sides and a drink for $9. Platters (pulled pork, chicken, turkey, catfish, wings, ribs) come with 2 sides a drink for $10. I’ve only ever tried the chicken sandwich, but it’s so good, I can’t bring myself to order anything else. I’ve been told the pulled pork is worth coming back for as well. The chicken is tender and covered in a tangy almost orange-colored barbecue sauce. “Tangy” and “peppery” are what come to mind when I try to describe it. This chicken and thin-but-not-quite-vinegary sauce is then topped with Moe’s marinated slaw, which is unlike any slaw I’ve ever had. Since I’m not a fan of cole slaw, that’s a good thing. Instead of the chopped and creamy slaw I’m used to (hating), Moe’s uses larger pieces of cabbage and a vinegary sauce that compliments the rest of the sandwich exquisitely. The crunch of the cabbage and the combination of the barbecue and slaw sauces really add something to an already good sandwich. Finally, the slaw is topped with a few slivers of cooked bell pepper and a few slices of pickles. This layering of tastes and inclusion of little touches (such as the bell pepper) prove that Moe’s is about more than throwing sandwiches together. They’ve thought long and hard about what makes good barbecue and what best complements that barbecue—and the payoff for all that time and effort is well worth the $9 you’ll pay for it. And I haven’t even gotten to the sides!

Moe’s keeps several sides on the menu permanently: baked beans, marinated slaw, potato salad, chips, and banana pudding. I’ve not had any of these, however, because their “Special Sides of the Day” are always so enticing. The yams were delicious and just sweet enough to border on dessert. I get the macaroni and cheese every time I go there. It’s baked until it nearly dissolves in your mouth with at least two kinds of cheese and plenty of butter. The skillet corn is also fantastic with the same kind of flavor complexity (sausage and celery, namely) I described in the sandwich. I’ve also seen black-eyed peas, peas and corn, and greens on the “Special Sides” chalkboard. On my last visit, I tried the coconut pie, which (as you can tell by the picture) comes in a little cup. It tasted fine, but was easily the least impressive thing I’ve had at Moe’s so far. I imagine the banana pudding served the same way and is probably better, but I’m not a big banana pudding fan so I haven’t tried it.

Finally, the sweet tea is sweet—as tea in an Alabama barbecue joint should be. It’s not the sweetest in town, but it’s not far from it. You may want to half-and-half it with the unsweet if you you’re not a disciple of the “a little tea with my sugar” tradition like I am. Overall, Moe’s really knocked my socks off the first time I tried it and has continued to impress me in the three or four times I’ve eaten there since. You won’t catch me partying there on a Saturday night, but those yams and skillet corn make Moe’s a constant candidate for lunch or dinner every day of the week.

[natalie]

Moe’s Original BBQ is located at 2101 University Blvd in downtown Tuscaloosa, next to the new federal building.

Monday-Saturday: 11am-9pm
Bar open until 2am; 3am on Fridays