Mooyah- B+

Mooyah on the Strip is a newer addition to the ever-growing list of Tuscaloosa food options, having opened its doors last August. Since then it has been serving long lines of students craving burgers, fries and shakes.

After a sporadic decision to grab food with friends, I decided to finally give in and try the food I’ve heard so much about.

It was busy for a Sunday night. Most of the tables were full with students and the line was quite long as well. I am glad that I was not in a hurry.

I decided to try the meatless option and ordered the black bean burger. I substituted the pepper jack cheese for cheddar and felt pretty good about myself for ordering something healthy.

I then proceeded to ruin my healthy option by adding an order of small french fries, an order of queso and a mint chocolate chip milkshake.

The burger was bursting with more flavor than I have ever gotten from a regular burger. It was dressed with crisp lettuce, a thick sliced, juicy tomato and hearty avocado slices.

I had never tried a black bean burger and was pleasantly surprised at how well it held together and the fusion of many different flavors it offered.

While meatless is not normally my thing, I was excited to step out of my comfort zone, and I would definitely try it again. 

The fries were not crispy at all. They were thick and heavily salted, but very soggy and limp. I would not have eaten more than one had I not had the queso to go with them.

The queso was better than any queso I have ever had at any Mexican restaurant. It was the perfect mixture of creamy white cheese and spicy peppers. Everyone at my table said they wished they had ordered the queso after sampling mine.

The queso was a delicious addition to my black bean burger as well.

The best part of my meal was the mint chocolate chip milkshake. It was rich and creamy with giant chunks of chocolate chips mixed with the perfect amount of mint. Topped with whipped cream and a cherry, I suddenly found myself feeling like an eight year old sipping on a milkshake on a hot summer day with my friends in Nashville.

Overall, Mooyah offers great options and taste, but for a price. My meal came in at just under $20. However, with the location so close to campus and the delicious food, I can definitely see myself using Mooyah as a reason to splurge.