<p>I will publicly eat my own words today. We stayed at the Capstone again recently just out of convenience to campus and had a very pleasant experience this time. The staff was all adults when we arrived and they were all very accommodating and made our stay pleasant enough that we will be staying there again this week.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>LOL…</p>
<p>Well, staying at the Capstone Hotel can be a mixed experience. We’ve had good experiences, but I’ve heard from people who haven’t. </p>
<p>Hopefully, they’ve taken some complaints to heart and have implemented improvements.</p>
<p>Things to Do</p>
<p>Visit Paul Bear Bryant Museum…southeast side of campus</p>
<p>Walk/visit/drive by The RiverWalk…which is on Jack Warner Hwy along the Black Warrior River…very pretty area to walk, jog, sit, drive by.</p>
<p>Walk thru or drive by “The Strip”…on University Blvd…immediately West of the Stadium…many student hangouts, restaurants, stores, cafes, a major grocery store (Publix), etc.</p>
<p>Visit the front of the Stadium (north end)…see the statues, and the floor plaques on the Walk of Champions. The south end of the stadium is new and has some restaurants and other new stuff there. </p>
<p>Downtown…an area that has been renovated (and still some reno going on) …on University Blvd…west of campus…west of Queen City Blvd…many shops, restaurants, civic center, etc. </p>
<p>Midtown Village…on McFarland and 15th St…It’s an “outdoor lifestyle mall” that has shops, restaurants, etc…there’s a Best Buy and Barnes and Noble there as well. There are two stores there that sell Bama spirit wear: Bama Fever…and…Alumni Hall.</p>
<p>The new Tuscaloosa Outdoor Amphitheater…located on the river by Lurleen Wallace Blvd.</p>
<p>The new Farmers Market along the RiverWalk.</p>
<p>A few weeks back we went to Ruan Thai for dinner (on the Strip in a cute house). It was very good.</p>
<p>That’s one of the options my D listed for our dinner tomorrow night. She calls it RollThai 
Also on the list - Surin, Mugshots & Tazikis Cafe.</p>
<p>^^
That is actually the website… </p>
<p>rollthai.com</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.rollthai.com/[/url]”>http://www.rollthai.com/</a></p>
<p>Oh my, that’s too cute! :)</p>
<p>Ahh, Taco Casa…what is there to say? Either you’ll love it, or hate it. I think I’ve said this before, but it seems you have to have been bred to like it. It’s like manna to locals (this local excepted, but that’s because I don’t like tex-mex cuisine at all).</p>
<p>^^^I guess you’re right. Although my sister and I both grew up in Tuscaloosa (she still lives there) she absolutely loves it and I…welll…that is one of many things upon which she and I must agree to disagree. I’ll have wings or ribs…thanks.</p>
<p>There is a mexican place called “Don Rafa’s” downtown in Temerson Square. I’ve heard very good things about it from a few friends but some online reviews seem to question the service. </p>
<p>I plan on trying it out for myself next time I’m down there.</p>
<p>My youngest child and husband will love to hear about your experience at the new mexican place. They love mexican food.</p>
<p>it better be a whole lot better than that awful Taco Casa! lol</p>
<p>My older son loved El Rincon on the Strip. I don’t know how authentic it is, but I like that during Happy Hour I can get a flavored margarita for cheap. lol</p>
<p>Count me in as one of those who LOVES Taco Casa!! Even after working there for two years way back in my college days. 
At that time they sold beer, but once the legal drinking age changed they discontinued the beer. They also didn’t have chicken dishes back then, just beef, beans and cheese. I still prefer the beef dishes and I love the sauce they use. Every time I come to town or pass through town, I make a Taco Casa run, and sometimes I go to the one in Birmingham. Sure wish we had one in Huntsville! I like Bandito Burrito in Hsv, but Taco Casa is still my favorite. I crave the sancho, the beef taco, and also the taco burgers. And they have the best homemade tortilla chips I’ve ever had. My D loves it too and is looking forward to many meals there when she gets to UA. I will probably go visit her just to go to Taco Casa! Ok, that ends my commercial for Taco Casa. :)</p>
<p>Is Mr. G’s in Northport still open? The original is in my hometown. It has been there since I was a kid and we all love it. The one in Northport is owned by the same family and opened while I was in grad school. I never thought it was quite as good as the one in Demopolis, but if it is still in business, it might be worth checking out their hot roast beef sandwich. Yummy!</p>
<p>solat, perhaps you should considering asking TC to award you a franchise for Huntsville. And Mr G’s is indeed still open!</p>
<p>You tell 'em solat!! Mom2ck is rumored to have stock in Taco Bell and is leading a smear campaign against our beloved Casa. We won’t let her win :-)</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure Mr G’s is still open. It was as of last year anyway.</p>
<p>Well like everyone says you either love it or hate it! I ate there for the first time when I was 15 while visiting my sister at UA so maybe that is why I still love it now. I wish I could afford to open a franchise in Huntsville! I still remember my training from back in the day. :)</p>
<p>I will have to give Mr.G’s in Northport a try next time I am in town. I haven’t eaten at that one since college, but I still go to the one in Demopolis every time I go home.</p>
<p>I am also looking forward to eating at City Cafe in Northport again. I loved that place in college. I worked downtown at the federal courthouse during the summers and we would go to City Cafe for lunch at least 2-3 times a week. </p>
<p>We also love Cypress Inn. We eat there often when in town. Another favorite from my college days.</p>
<p>Well, there must be a couple of entrees that are just awful at Taco Casa because when I went thru the Drive Thru, I took a bit, my kids took a bit, and as we passed a trash can we threw the food inside and crossed the road to McDonalds. </p>
<p>I questioned all justice when Taco Casa survived the Tornado, but McD’s didn’t. Happy to see that McD’s reopened a couple of weeks ago. </p>
<p>That said, since Solat mentioned some specific items, I will go get THOSE, and tell you the results. If anything, my H will eat the food…he’ll eat anything (his mom was a lousy cook!)</p>
<p>m2ck, let me know what you think if you give it another chance. Try some of their tortilla chips with the taco burger or sancho. If you don’t like lettuce, don’t get the sancho, try a beef burrito instead. My D likes the soft beef taco, and my SIL swears by the enchilada and the frijoles. My D and I love McD’s too. Glad it reopened. And we love Chik-fil-a. Can you tell we are fast food junkies?
I also love KK donuts. Glad they are planning to reopen as well.</p>
<p>solat, I am a total fast food junkie myself, so you’re in good company!</p>
<p>More blasphemy on my part: I don’t like KK donuts much anymore. I much prefer my doughnuts more, for the lack of a better word, “substantial”. During my trips to Houston, I’ve grown to love Shipley Doughnuts. Shipley’s doughnuts are so good that Krispy Kreme tried to enter the Houston market and simply failed and withdrew a couple of years ago. There’s a Shipley in Birmingham, and I will try and stop there if I’m ever nearby.</p>
<p>On the other hand, I’m not a fan of Dunkin’ Donuts. But I know many out-of-staters love them. There’s a truck stop in Cottondale that sells Dunkin’ Donuts, but I’ve never tried them.</p>
<p>There was no such thing as Taco Casa when I was in school in the early 1970s (but then, we had fast food dinosaur meat at the time!), but DD was familiar with it and was not impressed. Of course, she was used to the 49 Mexican restaurants we have here in Decatur. Seems that TC is an acquired taste. As feenotype and solat10 said, you either love it or hate it.
Feenotype, the best KKs are hot and pulled directly off the conveyor belt. All Southerners know that you get KK doughnuts when the “Hot Now” light is on!</p>
<p>RuanThai was an interior designer’s office for many, many years.</p>
<p>Krispy kreme donuts are a but airy but they are good. Glad DD is coming to lakeside. I will try those dishes st taco casa and report back.</p>