Tuscaloosa folks fight more about Dreamland versus Archibald’s than they’ll ever wrangle over city spending, school funding, or even Crimson Tide sports.

And choosing the best of the best of local dining for the 2024 USA TODAY Restaurants of the Year list proved a long and involved challenge. In the end, Urban Bar and Kitchen got the nod over those two beloved favorites.

The two barbecue joints regularly land on best lists, including Southern Living’s, where Dreamland was No. 3 for 2023, and Archibald’s No. 14. Tongue-taste disputes wrestle over the sauces, of course, the meatiness of ribs, and the charm of the original locations. Dreamland began in and still operates in the modest Jersualem Heights neighborhood, in the extended yard of founders John “Big Daddy” (a Barbecue Hall of Fame member) and Lillie Bishop, though it’s franchised into three states and 11 locations. Archibald’s likewise still has its original homespun operation, just across the river in Northport. Which wins? The only way to know is to go.

Some additional eateries Tuscaloosans and other west Alabamians thrive on and brag about:

• Chuck’s Fish is the outgrowth of a small, Southern, progressive chain of fine-casual dining; along with its sister, small Five Restaurant. Born out of Destin, Fla’s Harbor Docks, it specializes in varieties of seafood but widens its range to include steaks, pizzas, and more.
• DePalma’s Italian Cafe helped restart downtown Tuscaloosa when it opened in an otherwise moribund area back in 1995. Now downtown’s thriving, with restaurants, bars, residential spots and specialty stores, and DePalma’s is still going to take a wait, especially on a game weekend, or anytime nostalgic University of Alabama grads return.
• Evangeline’s, across the river but still in the city, a white-tablecloth experience with New American cuisines, paired with a rich wine selection, in Tuscaloosa’s Galleria.
• River, which naturally enough sits beside the Black Warrior River, flows with the seasons and locally available sources. and partners for exotic mushrooms from Tuscaloosa’s Underground Forest.

• Side by Side Kitchen and Cocktails, inside the Embassy Suites Hilton, was designed in 2015 by Chef Chris Hastings, winner of the 2012 James Bead Award, and chef and co-owner of the renowned Hot and Hot Fish Club in Birmingham. It blends French and Californian styles with the best of Southern cooking, locally sourced.
• Nick’s in the Sticks isn’t really that far from the center of town, but Nick’s Original Filet House acquired that stick-name when it opened in 1953, just inside the county line after Tuscaloosa voted wet. The city’s grown considerably since, but the original hasn’t. It’s the same cozy diner-style place that somehow offers amazing steaks at reasonable costs, and signature drink The Nicodemus, named for its concocter and restaurant found Nick Del Gatto, a New York transplant. Another place that’ll fill up on game weekends despite its modest size and off-the-beaten-path location.
• A variety of other comfort-food homegrowns that UA grads return to as if on pilgrimage: The fast-food Mexican chain Taco Casa, originated in Tuscaloosa; breakfast-oriented The Waysider; and downtown Northport’s likewise-unchanging City Cafe.

Review:This Tuscaloosa restaurant is one of the best in the US. Everything you have to try