Forget Wendy’s, Checkers and Taco Bell. Here are three homegrown favorites that are serving up some good eats late at night.
1. Big Daddy’s 514 Greensboro Ave Tuscaloosa, AL 35401 (205) 759-9925
Big Daddy’s Cafe is that other Mediterranean place in town. They specialize in gyros, burgers and Italian beef sandwiches. The hummus is excellent and the pita is warm and delicious. Big Daddy’s is also the only place in Tuscaloosa that offers hookahs with specialty tobaccos. There is not a ton of room inside, but the back porch has ample space to spread out. And if you don’t feel like heading downtown for late night, Big Daddy’s delivers. Hookahs are served every weekday after 5 p.m., and Friday and Saturday all day and night. Big Daddy’s is open Monday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Thursday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 a.m., and Sunday from noon to 9 p.m.
2. Big Bad Wolf The tent in front of Houndstooth
Big Bad Wolf is open only an agonizingly seven weekends out of the year. So when that happy time of year does roll around, you better take advantage of it. They serve barbecue sandwiches and burgers, but everyone flocks to this stand for their “famous” barbecue nachos. Heaps of moist and tender meat is piled on top of nachos and smothered with cheese and barbecue sauce. All that barbecue comes with a price tag. Prepare to shell out the big bucks at Big Bad Wolf, but with its limited availability, it’s worth the splurge. On Friday, they start taking orders at 11 a.m. and don’t shut down until 3 a.m. On Saturday, they open at 10 a.m. and close at midnight.
3. Little Italy 1130 University Blvd Tuscaloosa, AL 35401 (256) 345-4343
The pizza is cheap, greasy and quintessentially college. You can get a gigantic slice and a drink for under $4. The dough and sauce are homemade every day. Little Italy recently acquired their liquor license so they have some great beer specials to make up for lost time. The tables may not be the cleanest and the lighting is a little harsh for late night, but at 1:30 in the morning, as long as the pizza is good and comes out relatively quick, no complaints here. Little Italy is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Honorable Mentions: Surin midnight sushi, FIG downtown
