Dim lighting, leather couches and a bar adorned with drinking glasses are all in sight upon entry to one of Tuscaloosa’s most up-and-coming bars, Roxy’s.
Nestled in the middle of downtown Tuscaloosa’s vibrant bar scene, Roxy’s is making a name for itself as an upscale nightspot offering everything from live music to craft cocktails. Cliff Clark, who has also owned 1831 Tavern in downtown Tuscaloosa for almost two years, opened Roxy’s in September 2015.
“We enjoyed the bar business, and when the property became available, we liked the location,” Clark said. “We wanted to create a different atmosphere that isn’t really here in Tuscaloosa, and we saw an opportunity to do so.”
Clark said that Roxy’s seeks to offer an upscale environment that will appeal to all types of people.
“At Roxy’s we try to create more of a craft cocktail bar but also try to bring a little night club and night life there,” Clark said. “The atmosphere is unique. We try to create a more upscale environment for everyone who wants that type of environment, and I think whether it’s the locals or the college crowd, everyone is looking for something different and something nicer.”
Morgan Clark, a bartender at 1831 Tavern and part-time manager at Roxy’s, said that Roxy’s stands out among the numerous bars in Tuscaloosa.
“It has a completely different vibe than all the other places downtown,” Morgan said. “You can go there during Happy Hour and hang out and have a drink, and then late at night it’s more of a club and everyone can have a good time and party. A lot of the other bars in Tuscaloosa are college bars, and Roxy’s is more of a place where anyone of any age can come and have a good time.”
Roxy’s attracts its nightly crowd by offering a nightclub atmosphere and a menu complete with a selection of craft cocktails and specialty drinks. Roxy’s bartender Andy Townsend said that while all the drinks are good, he has a personal favorite to mix.
“I like making [all the drinks], but the most unique drink I make would be the Whiskey Sour,” Townsend said. “It looks really pretty, and we garnish it with bitters. It’s an awesome unique drink I like to make and one of my favorites.”
While mixing drinks is a big part of the job, Townsend, who also works at FIVE Bar, said that he enjoys many aspects of working in the bar business.
“I like it because I’m on my feet, I get to enjoy the customers, and I like making the drinks,” Townsend said. “People do get highly intoxicated and aren’t fun to deal with, but that’s few and far between. So there’s not much I dislike about working at a bar. It’s a challenge.”
Tuscaloosa is home to a large number of bars, catering to both the University of Alabama student and local populations. However, Townsend said there’s room to thrive.
“Since our bars are mostly all together, great bars attract more people that will go into every single bar,” Townsend said. “Each bar has its own entertainment that attracts different people and different tastes. They all feed off each other. The Strip attracts mainly the younger crowd, but downtown is great because it has a mixture of both.”
Both downtown Tuscaloosa and The Strip offer their own environment, Townsend said, and Roxy’s stands bold and bright as a place where all types of people can come together.
“It sticks out amongst all the other bars because we offer hand-crafted style cocktails and timeless cocktails in a nightclub environment that surpasses any other type of bar with just the normal everyday drinks,” Townsend said. “We have fresh ingredients, and an awesome venue, and it surpasses any other cocktail style bar in town.”
