Here are five new Tuscaloosa restaurants to watch for in 2024
From the opening of new restaurants like Big Bad Breakfast, KPot and Asia Buffet to an expansion of local favorites like Chick-fil-A and Avenue Pub, big changes are coming to Tuscaloosa's restaurant scene this winter.
Here's a look at some buzzworthy restaurants that have opened or will be coming soon to the Tuscaloosa area.
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Big Bad Breakfast
This Oxford, Mississippi-based restaurant offers made-from-scratch breakfast and brunch meals, along with cocktails. The Tuscaloosa location will open soon at 520 19th Ave. near Mellow Mushroom.
Menu items include classics like biscuits and gravy, grits, eggs and coffee. There's also fried chicken, burgers and more.
According to its website, the concept of BBB was created by Chef John Currence who won the James Beard Award for Best Chef South in 2009. Currence wanted to recapture his childhood memories surrounding food growing up in New Orleans.
This location will be the sixth Big Bad Breakfast in Alabama. The website lists other locations in Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Chick-fil-A
The Chick-fil-A drive-thru-only restaurant on McFarland Boulevard near Midtown Village will relocate across the street and open this fall as a full-service restaurant.
Staff members say the Chick-fil-A team has outgrown its current location at 2014 McFarland Blvd. E, and they need more space to better serve the community and ease traffic concerns.
The new facility will be at least five times bigger than the current location and include an indoor dining area, drive-thru lanes and a parking lot. Customers can also expect a new design that's different from other Chick-fil-A restaurants in the Tuscaloosa area.
Chick-fil-A has five other restaurants in the Tuscaloosa area: a restaurant inside University Mall, one at 4900 Old Greensboro Road and one at 1620 McFarland Blvd. in Northport, along with two restaurants on the UA campus.
KPot Korean BBQ and Hot Pot
KPot opened its first Tuscaloosa this month. The restaurant is at 4373 Courtney Drive.
According to its website, KPOT is described as a unique, hands-on, all-you-can-eat experience that merges traditional Asian hot pot with Korean barbecue flavors.
The restaurant offers Korean barbecue and Hot Pot, which is an Asian cooking method prepared with a simmering pot of soup stock at the dining table containing various ingredients. The restaurant also features a full bar.
KPot allows guests to prepare the food themselves right at the table.
The chain of restaurants has more than 50 locations across the U.S. There are three KPOT locations in Alabama: Mobile, Opelika and Tuscaloosa.
Avenue Pub
This locally owned restaurant opened its second Tuscaloosa location this month. The new Avenue Pub is at 1491 Northbank Parkway.
The restaurant offers serving hand-crafted food, local beer and fresh cocktails. It is open for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch.
Hours are 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.- 10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday.
The restaurant first opened in downtown Tuscaloosa in 2014 and has since expanded to Orange Beach. The Northbank location marks the third Avenue Pub in Alabama.
Asia Buffet
Asia Buffet will be opening soon in the Shoppes at Legacy Park Plaza.
The restaurant will be at 1320 McFarland Blvd. East, in the site formerly occupied by Chuy's Tex Mex restaurant.
Asia Buffet will offer Korean barbecue and sushi, along with a bar.
Reach Jasmine Hollie at JHollie@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: New in 2024: Here are five restaurants coming to Tuscaloosa
