The Blue Board

Dreamland sold out when they franchised.

Enjoy your stay at our vacation home.

Archibalds>>>>>>>>>>>dreamlands

Dreamlands sauce is amazing but the BBQ isn't what it used to be.

15th Street Diner used to be a solid meat & 3 spot back when my buddies were living there. Not sure of its status now.

It's still there but City Cafe is better, IMO.

Maggie's better than both

Didn't know if he would be able to handle that one. Also Catfish Heaven if he thinks he's up to it!

I may stop there

At Tuscaloosa, go to Dreamland BBQ, visit the Paul Bear Bryant Museum on campus, drive to Bham(about 50 minutes east on I-59) and go to Good People Brewery and Avondale Brewery, maybe check out the civil rights museum? Auburn is 1 hr and 45 min southeast of Bham down hwy 280.

I would get a reservation quickly. Most rooms at decent places are going to be $250-$300 per night with a 2-night minimum. If you are going to be there for 3 nights, as you said you were coming in on Thursday, you might get in a little cheaper than that.

If you stay at the Hilton Garden Inn on Skyland, just off the Interstate, it will be about $300 per night, but you'll get free beer, wine, and food (pretty good food as well) on Friday from about 5pm-8pm.

The Ramada Inn is not great, but it isn't offensive and will serve the purpose. I've stayed at worse.

Yeah, if you don't mind the 50 minute drive, it is much cheaper and it's a pretty nice hotel. Make sure you leave early on gameday, as traffic can be pretty bad on Saturday.

Places to eat in Tuscaloosa..

-Catfish Heaven for lunch. Go there and get catfish with an order of fries. Stock up on hot sauce as they give you bread to make a sandwich. The place is in a sketch spot but don't worry, the owner is a cop.

-Nick's Filet House. It's actually right off the interstate at exit 68 before you get to Tuscaloosa coming from Texas. I can give you simple directions if you'll get at me that week or closer to when you leave. Get there between 5 PM and 6 PM if you ever want a table. Go there and order a large filet. Their house dressing is the tits too. It looks lumpy and nasty, but it's good. Also, for a drink order the house drink. It's a rum punch with a shot of 151 on top. Be aware though, those things will sneak up on you and put you on your ass.

-Buddy's Rib & Steak for breakfast on Saturday. Ignore the Waysider suggestions, that joint is overrated because Bryant used to eat there. As a local, I've always eaten Buddy's. It's not far from downtown and is actually in Northport. Get there early as it's that's typical Saturday morning talk about the Tuscaloosa County High game the night before place.

-Tacogi is a new fast food type place that's opened and they have the best shrimp tacos in the south. It's downtown and I think it's a dinner only place. I've been there twice for dinner and the shrimp is fantastic. They also have asian burritos which I hear are pretty good. I stick with the shrimp taco, no lettuce or tomato, extra tacogi sauce.

-Archibald's BBQ. Go to the real one in Northport. Hole in the wall place with seating for 5 total people. But it's seriously the best BBQ outside of North Carolina. If the decision is between here and Catfish Heaven on Friday for lunch, go here. It blows Dreamland out of the water.

-Innsifree. Best bar in Tuscaloosa since Cheap Shots closed. Great beer selection and a wide variety of shots. Get an Irish Car Bomb and then get Sweetwater Blue or 420 the rest of the night. If you want to try another bar on Friday night for shits and giggles, then go to the Strip and go to the Bear Trap rooftop. Get a big ass beer, or whatever they call them, and enjoy the scenery on the strip from above.

As for other stuff to do, tour campus. Cross hwy 82 leaving campus and go into Alberta and you can see the tornado path. Same thing if you drive down 15th street. If you're looking for a cigar or some quality liquor, go to the North River area and check out the spirits store next to Publix. They also have a great selection of microbrews. If you enjoy hunting and fishing, go to Woods & Water on the hill. It's a locally owned Bass Pro Shops kind of place. It's huge and overlooks the city. If you want to see the best athlete in the 2014 class, Northridge High in Tuscaloosa will likely be hosting a 1st round playoff game that night.

If you go to Birmingham, go to Avondale Brewing Company. Also, go to Good People Brewing so you can see where they're building a ridiculous AA park downtown for White Sox affiliate, the Barons. The Children's Hospital downtown is also one of the nicest in the country.

It was on the strip. A leasing office replaced it.