Worth It: Tuscaloosa Edition

 

Have you ever heard the saying “we go together like burgers and fries”? The two are a match made in heaven, but a dilemma remains; which burger is the absolute best in town? Welcome to a new little segment we like to call “Worth It: Tuscaloosa Edition”! Today, we will be diving into different price points and qualities of local hamburgers to determine the best bang for your buck. Life is too short to eat a salad, treat yourself to an incredible burger!

 

Hooligans Burger – $5.23

 

First up to bat is a cult favorite from the renowned Hooligans. This classic hamburger comes dressed with all of the necessary basics- mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato, and pickle all perfectly placed inside a sesame seed bun. Weighing in at only a whopping $5.23, this is a great deal for a pretty dang good mouthwatering burger. I can’t forget to mention that the $5.23 includes a drink AND fries! If you’re looking for an unbelievable price and an iconic flavor, Hooligans is right up your alley. You can never go wrong with a juicy, classic burger!

 

Local Roots Burger – $9

 

Next up, we have the Local Roots Burger from a hidden gem in town, Local Roots. You might have seen the food truck driving around Tuscaloosa, but a brick-and-mortar restaurant has also opened on McFarland! Local Roots means business when it comes to their southern-inspired creations and their burger is no exception. For $9 you can enjoy a tender ground brisket and chuck burger dressed in cheese, bacon jam, pickles, lettuce, and “special sauce”. Fear not, the special sauce will never disappoint.  The brioche bun on this burger brilliantly enhances the flavor of that special sauce. For a full-flavored burger that won’t break the bank, Local Roots is a hot contender!

 

Avenue Pub Burger – $14

 

Avenue Pub has made quite the impression on the locals here, thanks to its Bacon Burger. Let’s be real, if you add bacon to just about anything, it’s bound to be a crowd-pleaser! For $14 you get a hand-pattied fresh ground beef topped with provolone, mayo, and bacon and a choice of greens, onion, and pickles on the side. Now, this burger can get pretty large and you will need both hands on deck for this one! Avenue Pub’s burger is a juicy, flavor-packed take on the traditional hamburger that puts both Mcdonalds and Burger King to shame. One bite of this bad boy and you’ll understand the hype!

 

All of these hamburgers earn strong remarks in the flavor, value, and satisfaction categories. Let’s review, shall we? Local Roots serves up a super-flavorful take on the hamburger with its deliciously unique sauce. Hooligans is a local staple with their bacon cheeseburgers as the claim to fame. Avenue Pub is the master of the perfect meat to toppings ratio. Now we want to hear from your point of view. What is your favorite burger in Tuscaloosa? Share with us your favorite hamburger hideaways here in Tuscaloosa! And remember, the only bad burger is the one you didn’t eat!

Rama Jama’s

Every college town has that place that everyone has to eat before they graduate. Luckily for the University of Alabama, that list is nearly never ending with all of the incredible local restaurants surrounding Tuscaloosa. Even with so many options, there’s always been one that stands above the rest and it sits in the shadow of Bryant Denny Stadium. I’ve heard numerous different suggestions on what to try, including their “National Champ Burger” which boasts 16oz of bacon, one ounce for each Alabama Football national title! Regardless, it’s national hot dog month and I’m on a mission. Before you even walk in you can tell the place is special. This is no cookie cutter, brick and mortar restaurant. The white brick building is designed like no other location in town and you would be hard pressed to find similar architecture within 500 miles!

Stepping into Rama Jama’s is like stepping into a museum that just happens to serve incredible food. There is so much Alabama memorabilia packed into the diner, the owner has had to start hanging it from the ceiling! During my 30 minutes there I saw no less than 7 people taking pictures of the awesome things they found on the walls that reminded them of a piece of Alabama history!

I walked up to the counter to read the menu, which is written on three large chalk boards hung from the ceiling behind the register. I knew what I came for, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask the lady, “What are you famous for?” Without skipping a beat, I got back an excited, “What AREN’T we famous for?!” before she dove into her spiel about the National Champ Burger, their milkshakes, and of course their memorabilia! What really caught my attention was the fact that they’ve printed the names of famous visitors to the diner on the table right where they sat!

The place was pretty busy, but I took my order ticket and went to find a table. I wanted a table with a name of one of their famous patrons printed on it; I found just that with the table that Paul Finebaum had his name on! Within minutes my two hotdogs and a fry was sitting in front of me. A man who looked eerily similar to Nick Saban himself brought it out, but I’m not sure if that was real, or just the magic surrounding the café. My food was absolutely incredible and the experience was exactly how I anticipated as I daydreamed leading up to my pilgrimage! As National Hotdog Month rolls on, I highly recommend you put this place on your list! If dogs aren’t your thing, they serve their full menu all day so there’s something for everybody! Now that I’ve experienced Rama Jama’s I understand why it’s part of the Tuscaloosa bucket list and they definitely haven’t seen the last of me.

Wrriten By: Barrett Elder, TTS Public Relations Intern