Question: Questions about Softball Games

[SoftballVisitor2023]

My wife is a big Alabama Softball fan so we are coming down to catch Montana pitch in person this season. We have tickets in The Brickyard for both Friday 4/28 and Saturday 4/29 vs LSU and I had a couple questions I was hoping to get answered.

1) How early does The Brickyard usually start to fill up? We don't necessarily need to be first but we would like to get a decent spot.

2) We are flying from Michigan so bringing chairs isn't really an option. I'm assuming there isn't any sort of lawn chair rental option and I just hit Wal-Mart or Academy and grab some cheap chairs?

3) We are staying over by University Mall, is there any kind of public transit to get to Rhoads or should we just plan on grabbing an Uber/Lyft?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give us. We are really looking forward to coming down to Tuscaloosa and seeing some softball at Rhoads.

Bonus Question: Any reccomendations for dinner and drinks before or after the game on Friday

 

[81usaf92]

My wife is a big Alabama Softball fan so we are coming down to catch Montana pitch in person this season. We have tickets in The Brickyard for both Friday 4/28 and Saturday 4/29 vs LSU and I had a couple questions I was hoping to get answered.

1) How early does The Brickyard usually start to fill up? We don't necessarily need to be first but we would like to get a decent spot.

2) We are flying from Michigan so bringing chairs isn't really an option. I'm assuming there isn't any sort of lawn chair rental option and I just hit Wal-Mart or Academy and grab some cheap chairs?

3) We are staying over by University Mall, is there any kind of public transit to get to Rhoads or should we just plan on grabbing an Uber/Lyft?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give us. We are really looking forward to coming down to Tuscaloosa and seeing some softball at Rhoads.

Bonus Question: Any reccomendations for dinner and drinks before or after the game on Friday

1) brickyard is first come first serve. Be at the gate 1 hr before gates open with a lawn chair

2) Walmart is on sky land so that is a ways but you can buy them for cheap there

3) rhoads is one of the few athletic venues on campus with tons of near by parking. Honestly parking at the tennis courts or the parking down the hill on campus drive isnt bad. But no there isn’t any public transit from the mall there. The closest it will get you is Dch

Dinner… archibalds. Drinks… idk ask @4Q Basket Case. When I lived down there I only went to bad dive bars and student bars. Not my thing anymore.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

Dinner… archibalds. Drinks… idk ask @4Q Basket Case. When I lived down there I only went to bad dive bars and student bars. Not my thing anymore.

Dinner — depends on what you want.

Archibald’s is great BBQ. In a kind of obscure part of Northport, but you can get the location online.

If you‘re looking for something upper end, I think Evangeline’s is the best restaurant in town. River is a close second. Dillard’s has good steaks, though they are proud of them. There’s a good chance that weekend will be heavily desired, so make reservations now (I’m not kidding) for all of those.

DePalma’s downtown is an Italian institution, and stays packed out even when school isn’t in session. Expect a wait. They don’t take reservations.

Gazallions of mid-tier options.

If you’re into wine, Dillard’s has the best options, though they are heavily California. River probably second. Evangeline’s wine list is surprisingly generic — California Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay and not a lot else. Unfortunately, Tuscaloosa’s legal restrictions crimp your ability to bring your own wine into any restaurant.

Drinks….again, depends on what you’re after. Local beer and pool, or craft cocktails? My favorite dive is Druid City Brewing, in a former light industrial location off 15th Street across from Central High School’s football field. No pool there, though. For that, go to Jackie’s on the fringes of downtown.

Best craft cocktails, hands down, are at Session on University Blvd downtown. Can get crowded. Catch-22 isn’t bad, but isn’t what it used to be, and allows smoking — which, depending on your own proclivities, might be an attraction or might be a deterrent.

On The Strip, Houndstooth is probably the best option, though all of them will skew toward a younger crowd. For varying reasons, I’d recommend against 1225 and Rounders (young, significant non-student clientele, not always friendly) and Gallette’s (average age is 21 and a day).

Details are on the Gameday tab (right next to the Forums tab at the top of the page) and lesser included sub-tabs. Though things change fast, and it’s about 8 months old.

PM me with any questions.

 

[SoftballVisitor2023]

1) brickyard is first come first serve. Be at the gate 1 hr before gates open with a lawn chair

2) Walmart is on sky land so that is a ways but you can buy them for cheap there

3) rhoads is one of the few athletic venues on campus with tons of near by parking. Honestly parking at the tennis courts or the parking down the hill on campus drive isnt bad. But no there isn’t any public transit from the mall there. The closest it will get you is Dch

Dinner… archibalds. Drinks… idk ask @4Q Basket Case. When I lived down there I only went to bad dive bars and student bars. Not my thing anymore.

Dinner — depends on what you want.

Archibald’s is great BBQ. In a kind of obscure part of Northport, but you can get the location online.

If you‘re looking for something upper end, I think Evangeline’s is the best restaurant in town. River is a close second. Dillard’s has good steaks, though they are proud of them. There’s a good chance that weekend will be heavily desired, so make reservations now (I’m not kidding) for all of those.

DePalma’s downtown is an Italian institution, and stays packed out even when school isn’t in session. Expect a wait. They don’t take reservations.

Gazallions of mid-tier options.

If you’re into wine, Dillard’s has the best options, though they are heavily California. River probably second. Evangeline’s wine list is surprisingly generic — California Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay and not a lot else. Unfortunately, Tuscaloosa’s legal restrictions crimp your ability to bring your own wine into any restaurant.

Drinks….again, depends on what you’re after. Local beer and pool, or craft cocktails? My favorite dive is Druid City Brewing, in a former light industrial location off 15th Street across from Central High School’s football field. No pool there, though. For that, go to Jackie’s on the fringes of downtown.

Best craft cocktails, hands down, are at Session on University Blvd downtown. Can get crowded. Catch-22 isn’t bad, but isn’t what it used to be, and allows smoking — which, depending on your own proclivities, might be an attraction or might be a deterrent.

On The Strip, Houndstooth is probably the best option, though all of them will skew toward a younger crowd. For varying reasons, I’d recommend against 1225 and Rounders (young, significant non-student clientele, not always friendly) and Gallette’s (average age is 21 and a day).

Details are on the Gameday tab (right next to the Forums tab at the top of the page) and lesser included sub-tabs. Though things change fast, and it’s about 8 months old.

PM me with any questions.

Thank you both for the replies!! This helps immensely. We have a rental car so since parking isn't bad it sounds like grabbing some carryout BBQ from Archibald's and eating while we wait for gates to open seems like our best bet. I lived in Montgomery for a couple years and I just can't get BBQ that compares up here in MI so good local BBQ is appealing to us.

Definitely appreciate the tips on potential bars. The barely 21 crowd is something we would prefer to avoid as a general rule and I'm sure they would appreciate that too. Sounds like Session is probably the best bet for what we are after.

 

[81usaf92]

Thank you both for the replies!! This helps immensely. We have a rental car so since parking isn't bad it sounds like grabbing some carryout BBQ from Archibald's and eating while we wait for gates to open seems like our best bet. I lived in Montgomery for a couple years and I just can't get BBQ that compares up here in MI so good local BBQ is appealing to us.

Definitely appreciate the tips on potential bars. The barely 21 crowd is something we would prefer to avoid as a general rule and I'm sure they would appreciate that too. Sounds like Session is probably the best bet for what we are after.

Well I prefer Archibalds but the most known place is dreamland. They are both Tuscaloosa famous bbq joints but DL is the one every knows across the state. I just feel ever since the old man passed the quality went down a bit. So that’s why I say Archibalds.

If you want wings then baumhowers or Buffalo Phil’s

 

[ALA2262]

Well I prefer Archibalds but the most known place is dreamland. They are both Tuscaloosa famous bbq joints but DL is the one every knows across the state. I just feel ever since the old man passed the quality went down a bit. So that’s why I say Archibalds.

If you want wings then baumhowers or Buffalo Phil’s

So that's what happened to Dreamland. The worst ribs I have ever had was there the last time I was in Tuscaloosa.

 

[81usaf92]

So that's what happened to Dreamland. The worst ribs I have ever had was there the last time I was in Tuscaloosa.

Honestly I have had more bad Dreamland experiences than good ones. I think once they franchised they pretty much all their efforts in making the Northport one the only one with great quality. The one in Birmingham, Mobile, and the original I have never got any consistency. The one in Northport I have never had a bad trip. But I much prefer Archibalds on Skyland since their sauce and seasoning always has been better in my opinion.

 

[Comin2yourCity]

Honestly I have had more bad Dreamland experiences than good ones. I think once they franchised they pretty much all their efforts in making the Northport one the only one with great quality. The one in Birmingham, Mobile, and the original I have never got any consistency. The one in Northport I have never had a bad trip. But I much prefer Archibalds on Skyland since their sauce and seasoning always has been better in my opinion.

yes! Archibalds on Skyland! I'm not a fan of Dreamland... Honestly. I would choose Pottery Grill (Cottondale), Southern Ale, Evangeline's or Taco Casa.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

So that's what happened to Dreamland. The worst ribs I have ever had was there the last time I was in Tuscaloosa.

The Bishop family hasn’t owned Dreamland for some time — ran into problems with the IRS, including a truly unfortunate fire the day some field agents showed up on site (I’m not kidding about the fire).

Sold to an operator who franchises, and it’s lost some of the luster.

 

[BamaHoHo]

yes! Archibalds on Skyland! I'm not a fan of Dreamland... Honestly. I would choose Pottery Grill (Cottondale), Southern Ale, Evangeline's or Taco Casa.

Where is Archibald's on Skyland isn't it on Greensboro?

 

[TideATL70]

Wow- did not know that. I remember that fire. I had wondered about the lost luster off the reputation.