Highest-rated restaurants with outdoor seating in Tuscaloosa by diners

The average person spends over 74 minutes eating and drinking on any given weekday. On weekends and holidays, that goes up to over 81 minutes. Where is a better place to spend that time than a restaurant?

Consumers agree. The National Restaurant Association states that 9 in 10 adults enjoy eating out at restaurants, which give people access to a world of great-tasting food that's often difficult to reproduce at home.

People choose restaurants to scope out the latest food trends, including deeper dives into Southeast Asian cuisines from Korea, Vietnam, and the Philippines, without trying to master these complex dishes at home. Chefs also have the resources to experiment with ingredients and bring new favorites like hot honey, spicy maple, matcha, and pickled foods to the table.

Dining out also offers unique, hyperlocal experiences featuring local farmers, food producers, brewers, winemakers, and distillers in a way that connects diners to the area.

When the weather's nice, diners flock to al fresco seating. At least 2 in 5 diners like eating outdoors and look for great ambience like skyline views, rooftop settings, and waterfront seating to enhance their dining experience.

Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants in the Tuscaloosa area using data from Yelp. Data is as of Aug. 4, 2025. Only businesses marked as having outdoor seating on the Yelp website were included. Yelp's ranking system calculates an adjusted rating value that considers the number of ratings and the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 20 reviews within a 10-kilometer radius of Tuscaloosa were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than 10 locations nationally, based on our Yelp data, were not included. Read on to see if your favorite spot made the list.

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Sitar of India

1 / 30

#30. Sitar of India

- Rating: 4.0/5 (110 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 220 15th St. East Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Categories: Indian
- Read more on Yelp

Made In Mexico Tacos and Tequila

2 / 30

#29. Made In Mexico Tacos and Tequila

- Rating: 4.0/5 (22 reviews)
- Address: 1241 McFarland Blvd. East Ste 1 Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Ajian

3 / 30

#28. Ajian

- Rating: 4.1/5 (93 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1914 University Blvd. Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Categories: Sushi Bars, Asian Fusion
- Read more on Yelp

Half Shell Oyster House

4 / 30

#27. Half Shell Oyster House

- Rating: 4.1/5 (329 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2325 University Blvd. Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Categories: Seafood, Southern, Cajun/Creole
- Read more on Yelp

Pearl Garden Chinese Restaurant

5 / 30

#26. Pearl Garden Chinese Restaurant

- Rating: 4.1/5 (49 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2719 Lurleen B Wallace Blvd. Northport, Alabama
- Categories: Chinese
- Read more on Yelp

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Mellow Mushroom Tuscaloosa

6 / 30

#25. Mellow Mushroom Tuscaloosa

- Rating: 4.1/5 (90 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 557 20th Ave. Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Categories: Desserts, Salad, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

Central Mesa

7 / 30

#24. Central Mesa

- Rating: 4.1/5 (202 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 519 Greensboro Ave. Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Categories: American, Latin American, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

Southern Ale House

8 / 30

#23. Southern Ale House

- Rating: 4.2/5 (178 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1530 Mcfarland Blvd. North Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Categories: Southern
- Read more on Yelp

Catfish Heaven

9 / 30

#22. Catfish Heaven

- Rating: 4.2/5 (69 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2502 21st St. Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Categories: Soul Food, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

Evangeline's

10 / 30

#21. Evangeline's

- Rating: 4.2/5 (104 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1653 McFarland Blvd. North Ste G4-A Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Categories: New American
- Read more on Yelp

Just Love Coffee Cafe - Tuscaloosa

11 / 30

#20. Just Love Coffee Cafe - Tuscaloosa

- Rating: 4.2/5 (79 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2531 University Blvd. Ste 100 Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

TuscNY Pizza

12 / 30

#19. TuscNY Pizza

- Rating: 4.3/5 (44 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 229 Mcfarland Cir North Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Categories: Pizza, Desserts, Salad
- Read more on Yelp

Lee Palace

13 / 30

#18. Lee Palace

- Rating: 4.3/5 (34 reviews)
- Address: 9770 Highway 69 South Ste G Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Categories: Chinese, Noodles, Soup
- Read more on Yelp

Ichiban Japanese Grill

14 / 30

#17. Ichiban Japanese Grill

- Rating: 4.3/5 (98 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2128 Univeristy Blvd. Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese, Bubble Tea
- Read more on Yelp

Hoo's Q and Brew

15 / 30

#16. Hoo's Q and Brew

- Rating: 4.3/5 (26 reviews)
- Address: 1825 McFarland Blvd. North Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Categories: Barbecue, Beer, Wine & Spirits
- Read more on Yelp

Chicken Salad Chick

16 / 30

#15. Chicken Salad Chick

- Rating: 4.3/5 (39 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1800 McFarland Blvd. Unit 308 Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Categories: Sandwiches, Chicken Shop, Southern
- Read more on Yelp

The Sanctuary on 25th

17 / 30

#14. The Sanctuary on 25th

- Rating: 4.3/5 (69 reviews)
- Address: 1710 25th Ave. Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Categories: Speakeasies, Music Venues, Restaurants
- Read more on Yelp

River

18 / 30

#13. River

- Rating: 4.3/5 (304 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1650 Jack Warner Pkwy Northeast Unit 1005 Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Categories: Southern, Bars, Venues & Event Spaces
- Read more on Yelp

Cravings

19 / 30

#12. Cravings

- Rating: 4.3/5 (123 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2320 University Blvd. Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Categories: Beer, Wine & Spirits, Bagels, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

City Cafe

20 / 30

#11. City Cafe

- Rating: 4.3/5 (170 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 408 Main Ave. Northport, Alabama
- Categories: American, Southern
- Read more on Yelp

Brick & Spoon - Tuscaloosa

21 / 30

#10. Brick & Spoon - Tuscaloosa

- Rating: 4.4/5 (252 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2318 4th St. Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Archibald's BBQ

22 / 30

#9. Archibald's BBQ

- Rating: 4.4/5 (187 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1211 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. Northport, Alabama
- Categories: Barbecue
- Read more on Yelp

El Gran Patron Mexican Grill

23 / 30

#8. El Gran Patron Mexican Grill

- Rating: 4.4/5 (21 reviews)
- Address: 62 McFarland Blvd. Northport, Alabama
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Heritage House Coffee & Tea

24 / 30

#7. Heritage House Coffee & Tea

- Rating: 4.5/5 (96 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 700 Towncenter Blvd. Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Urban Cookhouse

25 / 30

#6. Urban Cookhouse

- Rating: 4.5/5 (122 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1490 Northbank Pkwy Ste 110 Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Categories: Southern, American, Wraps
- Read more on Yelp

Avenue Pub - Tuscaloosa

26 / 30

#5. Avenue Pub - Tuscaloosa

- Rating: 4.5/5 (597 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2230 University Blvd. Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Categories: Salad, Cocktail Bars, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

Decades Pub And Grub

27 / 30

#4. Decades Pub And Grub

- Rating: 4.6/5 (21 reviews)
- Address: 2314 4th St. Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Categories: Pubs, Pizza, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Rolf's Deli & Sausages

28 / 30

#3. Rolf's Deli & Sausages

- Rating: 4.6/5 (48 reviews)
- Address: 2324 4th St. Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Categories: German, Modern European, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp

Red Mountain Crawfish

29 / 30

#2. Red Mountain Crawfish

- Rating: 4.8/5 (80 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 195 Vulcan Road Birmingham, Alabama
- Categories: Seafood, Food Trucks, Cajun/Creole
- Read more on Yelp

Antojitos Izcalli

30 / 30

#1. Antojitos Izcalli

- Rating: 4.8/5 (208 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 623 Hargrove Road East Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 327 metros.