Restaurants we miss in Tuscaloosa
Updated 9:00 AM;
What we wouldn’t give for some fried chicken and biscuits from The Cotton Patch, or smoked chicken and white barbecue sauce from Cypress Inn. There mere mention of dishes like that trigger the taste-buds of Tuscaloosa natives pining for those places whose food meant so much to the culture and community but were lost for one reason or another.
And when the COVID-19 pandemic hit Alabama in March 2020, the state’s restaurant industry took a hit, with bar and restaurant owners navigating the twists and turns of mandatory dining room and taproom shutdowns, reduced capacity, and curfews, all while incurring extra expenses to make their businesses safe for patrons during the public health crisis. Sadly, COVID forced several to close.
Here s a look at some recent restaurant openings and closings in Tuscaloosa:
Ruan Thai: Ruan Thai, a restaurant spun off from the earlier Siam House, which was for many Tuscaloosans their first taste of Thai cuisine, closed Feb. 20. Siam House, in a different location, opened in 1991, but closed in 2002. Owner Alp Yeager moved to the location, at 1407 University Blvd. in 2006, re-opening as Ruan Thai (which means Thai house). No public reason was given for the closing.
Hooligan s: Hooligan s moved from its original 1998 location on University Blvd to 515 15th St., a building formerly housing Pizza Hut, next to Checker s, the week of Feb. 22. According to owners, the new location adds interior space, more parking, and a drive-through window. The Mediterranean-American amalgam also has a location north of the river, at 1351 McFarland Blvd NE, in Tuscaloosa. www.sharethehummus.com.