Moe's Original Bar B Que

Oh, y'all. I had a great lunch this week at Moe's and I can't wait to tell you all about it. If you don't know Moe's, it's a great spot in downtown Tuscaloosa, right there on University Boulevard.  Moe's Original Bar B Que also has locations all around the country. You can see the list of locations, more pictures of their food, and see more about the food at their website or check them out on facebook. Like I said, it's a nice spot for lunch and dinner. You walk up and order at the counter and then grab a seat. I went with a co-worker, Lee. We had a great lunch in downtown. It isn't quite like a normal BBQ place. I hear it is a great spot for live music. We have been for dinner but not while the music is happening.  And they have a bar with their specialty, Bushwackers.

Ok, so on with the food part. I ordered the smoked turkey, but they were already out of it that day. It is such a popular item and I know it is delicious because I have had it before. So, instead I got the half smoked chicken. It came out looking great. You can see in the picture you get plenty of chicken. And, they have white barbeque sauce on top. It was moist and juicy and really tasty. I ordered an extra side, just for you guys, so you could hear about it :). Moe's has some "all the time sides" like their slaw, baked beans, potato salad, and banana pudding. And then they have specials of the day. I went with three sides that were specials. I got the macaroni and cheese, which Lee and I deamed as possibly the best in town! It is so creamy and just perfect. I also had the peas and corn and the cucumber salad. I find it hard to mess up cucumber salad. This was simply great for the summer. A light, fresh side with cucumbers, tomatoes, onions in a vinegar dressing. I would order it again. And even though I don't always love peas, the pea and corn dish was suprisingly great. The flavor of this dish had a little kick but not much. And, let's don't forget the cornbread. There is something special about the cornbread. I wouldn't call it mexican cornbread, but there is a little kick in it but not too much and is just plain delicious. You can see the hunk you get too. I did not leave hungry!

I also tried a few things on Lee's plate so I will tell you a little about that too. He had the smoked chicken wings and these have a really crispy outside. I liked the smoked flavor they had and really didn't need anything for dipping. But, if you want to, they give you some of the tasty white barbeque sauce for the wings. I also tried the marinated slaw and it is a lighter version of slaw with more of a vinegar base. It is super flavorful and really good. The black eye pea dish looked great but I didn't try it. And, I am not a lima bean fan but Lee says they are as good as a grandma would make. Now if that doesn't say they are delicious I don't know what would.

So, as you can tell, Moe's Original Bar B Que is more than just pulled pork, even though they have some great pulled pork. It is almost a meat and three meets BBQ meets live music. If you have been, you know you will see business people having lunch, families having dinner, and friends and dates out having a fun night in T-town. It is a great mix of it all and you have to try it if you haven't. So, what better way to do that but buy a half price certificate from one of the stations Friday July 8th, or just click here.

Kozy's

What a wonderful date night Wes and I had at Kozy's. If you have never been, it's one of those must do dining experiences in Tuscaloosa. We went on a Thursday night when a jazz piano player is there to serenade. It made the experience so much better. If you didn't read the Opus post (one at the very beginning) you need to read it too. Kozy's and Opus are sister restaurants with many of the same great ideas, a nice dinner, served just perfectly, and a wonderful night on the town in Tuscaloosa or Northport. Kozy's is located on Loop Road in a quaint house with candles on the tables and a perfectly wonderful atmosphere. Here is a shot in the room where we were sitting. You can see more great photos and find out more on their website.

Of course we started with an appetizer. Rick and Mike were wonderful enough to suggest a sampler so that I could talk about a few of the options you will have when you visit. We tried the Roma Tomato with stuffing and cheese and baked to perfection. I think this one was my favorite. We also had the duck spring rolls. These had just enough spice and a sweet sauce on the top that made for a fantastic flavor combination. And, we also tried the bacon wrapped scallops. Oh my, they were so good. Wes and I love scallops and these did not disappoint. Maybe these were my favorite. I know they were Wes'.

Instead of a salad, I wanted to try the soup du'jour, gazpacho. It was a tomato based soup with a variety of vegetables purred, and served cold. I had a great taste with a little spice to it. I forgot to ask what was giving it the added kick. In the picture, you can see there is a balsamic vinegar drizzle and some special cream drizzle too. I hadn't had this before and it was really refreshing and not too heavy. Wes tried the ceaser salad and it was perfect too.

For dinner, we took two of the top suggestions from the waiters again. We had the lamb and tuna. We are both pretty well rounded eaters so when we go to a restaurant that serves these types of dishes we always try to get something we couldn't find just everywhere. They were both gorgeous when they came to the table and tasted just as great. The tuna was seared with a cracked pepper outside and a nice flavor. It was served with delicious Parmesan risotto, an Italian rice, that might have been the best thing I had all night. Wes' lamb had a wonderful herbed flavored crust, no breading, but a seasoning on the outside. And the smashed potatoes paired up very nicely. We cleaned both plates so I would say we were pleased!

You hate to miss dessert on a night like this. So, we didn't. We had the cheesecake of the day which had a strawberry compote on the top with just enough flavor to carry over to the whole dessert. What an unbelievable piece of cheesecake!

All in all it was a fabulous date night. We really enjoyed the jazz music, I enjoyed a $5 martini (you can't beat that) and we had delicious food throughout the meal. It is a great location for a special occasion and I know a lot of people who celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and graduations by having a special meal at Kozy's. You will have a chance to get $50 gift certificates for only $25 Friday July 1st. Just click here or go to the station websites at the bottom  of the page.

Walton's

This week I am talking about a great family option, Walton's. This one is perfect because there are two locations both in Northport and Tuscaloosa south of town. This makes it easy for most people to take advantage of this deal. And, $50 will go a long way. Wes and I invited one of some of our friends and their kids so that I could demonstrate how well it works for families. Here is Rainy enjoying her mac and cheese. Walton's has a several options for the kids too.

And we had lots of great food. Don't forget, Walton's would be an excellent spot to pick up a platter of food for a party or tailgate, too. Check out their website to see the full menu or visit them on facebook.

We just ordered a variety of things to split and try. We started with the corn nugget appetizer and they were delicious.  Its a tasty way to have a veggie. Think about creamed corn in a little fried bite. These would be the perfect pick me up in the afternoon or a nice start to a meal.

For the main course, we split a hamburger, Black & Bleu Salad, and wings. If you know anything about Walton's, you know they have awesome chicken fingers. If you are feeling like being good you can get the grilled tenders which are moist and a lighter option. However, I am sure the most popular item on the menu is the fried tenders, breaded perfectly, freshly cooked, and served with the delicious secret sauce. So, since I already knew I loved the tenders, I wanted to try several other items.

First, the burger. This burger was pretty big. Bill suggested a Jr. Burger if I was going to eat just that but since we were splitting we went with the regular with cheese, of course, and it comes with all the fixins. This burger was serious, just like a perfectly grilled burger you would make at home. It was great and not at all what I was thinking I would get from a chicken place. I would definitely recommend it.

We got a mixed chicken wing plate with honey mustard and mild. Both of these were really good. I forgot to take a picture of just the wings but you can see them in the above picture with all the food.

My favorite of the night was the Black and Bleu salad. There are two options and I went with the salad without jalapenos, with grilled chicken, and mild sauce.  It was fresh, a large portion, the chicken was great, and I could have eaten it without dressing (but I put some light ranch on there just for good measure). Here is a picture of the salad. It definitely would have been a full meal for me without all the other options.

What is a good dinner without some dessert. It was a tough choice, so I went with the chocolate and peach fried pies with ice cream.  Walton's has a big variety of soft serve ice cream flavors. But, I had heard the fried pies were great and I had to throw some vanilla on there too. Seriously, these are fresh fried pies. I love dessert and these were really good. The chocolate pie was kind of like a brownie inside the fried outside with ice cream. Yes, it was that good! And it is just plain hard to beat a fried peach pie. Bill suggested the key lime cake so the next stop I make will include that.

Walton's is a great lunch or dinner option and you don't want to miss the chance to get half price gift certificates. Check it out starting Friday June 24th at 10 a.m. on one of the station websites or click here.

The Pigg Shack

Ok, y'all. We know there are lots of places to get BBQ in the south. And, The Pigg Shack should be at the top of your list!  The Pigg Shack is on Hillcrest School Road off 69 South. It is a cute little building with some picnic tables where you can sit. Or, you can drive-thru and take it with you. I picked up food to take home since it's so hot outside right now. We had a wonderful dinner and we got the chance to try lots of the food so I can tell you all about it. You can check them out on facebook and see even more of the good looking food. Big Ed's going to make sure the food is fresh, delicious and some of the best you will have.

Let's start with a basic. Any good BBQ place needs some good sauce. The Piggsicle sauce has been talked about around the radio station for a few months.  It lives up to the hype.

Ok, so the sauce is just the beginning. We got to try a sampler of several meats. Big Ed suggested ribs, pulled pork, and chicken. And, I knew that Pigg Shack was supposed to have good smoked chicken wings, and those are Wes' favorite. So, we had to try some of those too.  Here is a picture of the chicken that must of had some kind of dry rub seasoning. It had a great amount of flavor and was so juicy. 

Now, lets talk about the other meats. I don't necessarily consider myself a connoisseur of barbecue. The main idea is that I like it. So, what about the pulled pork. It was tender and had good flavor. You can't go wrong with this one. I asked Wes his thoughts on the ribs because I have a hard time judging. He said they had a good amount of meat and they fell off the bone. That means these ribs are a winner. And, when I took a bite that's exactly what I thought too. It was so tender and really did fall off the bone. The dry rub on these ribs was delicious too. And then for the chicken wings. I specifically asked for chicken wings because Wes is a big fan of smoked wings. These were my favorite.  The meat literally fell off the bone and I never have that happen with chicken wings. The dry rub was on these too and they are just wonderful.

We piled the meat on our plate and then moved on to the sides.  Pigg Shack has a few of the traditional sides as well as a few different sides. They have a great broccoli salad with what looks like golden raisins, bacon bits, and some kind of tasty sauce. It was lighter than most sides you get at a BBQ place and was really good. I know this is freshly made and will be one of my go-to sides at Pigg Shack. The baked beans have barbecue in them. Good beans! We also tried the mac and cheese which was obviously homemade. But, the potato salad was the best thing I had out of the entire dinner. I do not know what is in this potato salad but it isn't like anything else. Wes said I could quote him that this was possibly the best potato salad he has ever had.  I can't even figure out how to explain it to you I just know that it is awesome. Here is a picture of the entire plate of food.

So, if you haven't figured it out by now, I am recommending that you try all of the above from Pigg Shack. This is the perfect place to get some 4th of July picnic food, tailgating platters, or just family dinner. Be sure to grab a half price certificate on Friday June 17th on one of the station websites or click here.

Kobe Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar

We had such a fun night at Kobe! This week's Discount Dish is about Kobe Japanese Steakhouse in Midtown Village. If you know anything about Japanese steakhouses, you know they give you great food, a lot of it, and have a fun entertaining chef for you. At Kobe, you can also sit in the front room and order without the cooking experience. You can look at their info on their website or like them on facebook.
Like I have said before, this type of restaurant seems like the perfect place to take a family for a fun night on the town. Last night, Wes and I were joined by friends, Jake and Whitney for a fun couples night out before the Kenny Chesney concert. We were all stuffed when we left and extremely happy with our dinner.

We started with a couple of sushi rolls. I had a friend recommend the Spicy Shrimp. If you aren't a sushi person it is probably because you aren't into the idea of eating raw fish and so you probably haven't ever tried any. Well, this roll is fried shrimp, crab, cucumber, avocado & the spicy sauce, so nothing raw in this one. It was really good. The sushi rolls here are a really good size and I could have easily made them my meal! In addition to the Spicy Shrimp, I asked our waitress for a tuna suggestion. The first suggestion was the Spicy Tuna, but since I was getting the Spicy Shrimp I asked for one more. Boy, am I glad I did. The Bama Crunchy Roll was her other suggestion and it was amazing. It's now one of my favorite rolls ever. This roll is topped with tuna, has just a little bit of tempura crunchy in it with crab.  Wes isn't usually ok with sushi that has raw ingredients and he really liked this one! I even had our friends try sushi for the first time. Their vote was with the Spicy Shrimp so it looks like either one is a good decision. In the picture below, the Spicy Shrimp is on top and the Bama Crunchy on bottom.

For the full meal, I ordered shrimp and Wes ordered scallops. Luckily, I got to try some of both! They take your order for the Teppanyaki dinners before the chef comes out to cook. You can choose from chicken, steak, shrimp, scallops, lobster or any combination of the above. Or, if you want to do a veggie plate you can do that too. You start with a small salad with Kobe's house dressing and a Japanese soup. Both are light but be careful not to spoil your appetite. You have a lot of food coming! When the chef comes to the grill to cook, the real fun starts. You get stir fry noodles, fried rice, stir fried vegetables, and the meat you ordered. I am always very impressed at the chefs. Not only do they entertain, but they always know exactly how to time the cooking of each item on the grill and can keep up with about 5 things at once. I don't know about you, but I find doing more than one thing in the kitchen can result in a messed up meal at home. Ok, so I know they get paid for it so of course they should be better than me, right? The picture shows my plate with all the goods. It is hard not to finish the rice before getting your veggies.



So, by now you know that this was way too much food. We had to fix a to go box. I am sure that Wes really enjoyed that today for lunch. The food we had was so good. I really enjoyed the new sushi I tried, and everything off the grill was cooked just perfectly and was delicious. It was such a fun night out and I can't wait to go back and visit Kobe again soon.

You can buy a $50 gift certificate for $25 starting June 3rd at 10:00. Be quick, there are a limited number. Check out one of our websites below or click here.

Wilhagan's

This week's trip was to Wilhagan's in downtown Tuscaloosa. This was a fun and casual night out for dinner and what turned into a night of trivia. Wilhagan's is a laid back fun restaurant with the best pool tables in Tuscaloosa, dart boards, good food, and TVs everywhere. Check them out on facebook.

Wes and I started with the sampler appetizer. I have had the chips and salsa and queso from Wilhagan's before and I know I love it. But, we decided to try something new. On the sampler we got onion rings, fried broccoli and cheddar bites, and wings. What a variety, right. I had some friends tell me the last time we were at Wilhagan's that the broccoli cheddar bites were the best thing on the list. And, I will be honest, I was doubtful. However, they were delicious. It might have been my favorite part of the meal. I dipped them in ranch and of course that makes them even better! The onion rings were done just perfectly too. As well as crispy, flavorful wings. We were very pleased with our appetizer decision.



I also decided to try a meal that was new. I always look at the prime rib biscuits but have never gotten them. Probably because half the time I go eat somewhere I am trying to make healthy decisions and choose chicken sandwiches. Which, by the way, Wilhagan's grilled chicken club is a really good choice. So, back to the biscuits. Any time you have the word biscuit in the name I am betting the food will be good. And, this time was no exception. The prime rib biscuits were really good. They came with horseradish sauce and au ju for dipping. I got the potato salad as the side and I feel certain they make this in the building. It was fresh and very tasty.

After dinner, we stayed and played trivia for the next couple hours. We lost and I left feeling much less smarter than when I walked in the building. I did see several plates of nachos come by our table and was tempted to order those too. They looked amazing. But, you will be glad to know I refrained. I thought a couple of fried foods, biscuits, and prime rib should fill a girl up. :)

I tried something different with my video this time. I wanted to be able to talk about the things we had tried so I took it in Wilhagan's after we ate. I can't get it uploaded here but its on our station websites when you type in the keyword dish. All the links are at the bottom of the page. I think it gives a good idea of the atmosphere. Like always, Wilhagan's will have $50 gift certificates for only $25 starting May 20th at 10am. You can click here to get to the purchase page.



Innisfree Irish Pub

If you know anything about Wes and me, you know we love to go to the patio at Innisfree. They have really great food, a fun atmosphere, and now we have made friends with the waitresses, bartenders, and managers. I know Innisfree is sometimes known as a bar, but the food is much more than just "bar food".  With all that said, this trip to Innisfree for the Discount Dish was all about trying new things and some of their specialties. You can find out more about what they serve, live music that is coming up soon, and more at their website or their facebook page.

We started by grabbing a table on the patio. This is the best patio in Tuscaloosa. It was really nice weather when we went so there were lots of people out on the patio. They also have a nice area inside with one room that has garage doors that open to the patio.

Ok, so let's get on with the food section. I am also going to tell you some of Wes and my favorites that we have gotten before at Innisfree. We started with the taquitos appetizer. We hadn't had this before, but we had seen it and thought it looked yummy. We were right. These aren't just any taquitos. These are made from scratch and fresh. It was similar to a philly cheese steak wrapped in a tortilla and fried. (Maybe that is exactly what it is) It had sour cream and salsa for dipping. We also really love the pub fries, waffle fries with cheese, sour cream, bacon bits, and more. They also have great onion dip, shrimp and crab dip, and wings (try the Irish Gold sauce). Here is a picture of the Taquitos. We almost forgot to take it so you can tell we had taken a small bite already. :)

Now for the main attraction. We have never had the Shepard's Pie. I have heard good things about it and boy, were people right. It was delicious. I don't think I was expecting to like it so much. It's a traditional Irish dish with beef, topped with mashed potatoes, sprinkled with cheese, and baked. It came with a side of melted butter for dipping and made from scratch soda bread. We also tried the corned beef club. We have had several of the sandwiches before and knew that it couldn't be bad. It was really tasty with bacon, tomato, and a garlic mayo. If you like corned beef I am sure you will love it. You can see in the picture, Innisfree also has delicious waffle fries!! They are awesome. I like to get the chicken sandwich as a wrap and add Irish gold sauce, on my normal visits, with sweet potato fries(in case you were wondering). We also really like the turkey burgers, blackened shrimp sandwich or wrap, and Wes loves the wings as a meal too. And, I don't know of anywhere else in town that has a bison burger on the menu. And, it's delicious. I promise that we really have tried almost everything on the menu and it's always great.

Another great thing about Innisfree are the drinks. It is a bar so you can enjoy an adult beverage, as well as the great food. They have a $4 pitcher special all day until 10pm. What a great deal! And, I really like a good bloody mary occasionally. They have a new Irish Mary that has great flavor, but isn't too hot, and can also be an appetizer with olives, pickled okra, spicy green beans, and even bacon on a stick. You have to see it to believe it. They even have a bloody mary bar on Sundays now where you can make your own. Here is Amber getting us one of the $4 pitchers.

Basically, Innisfree Irish Pub is a really great restaurant as well as a cool bar here in Tuscaloosa. The food is always good, interesting and affordable! And don't forget how great the patio is. Here is the video I took before going in to eat. 

If you want the chance to buy a $50 gift certificate for only $25 go here Friday April 29th at 10am.