<p>heading down today- son got a speeding ticket and has a defensive driving class at comfort suites right at exit 73- niece is at Alabama but may not be available for dinner- what is in McFarland Mall and what restaurants-not fast food -are nearby- is Taco casa back open?</p>
<p>I would head up McFarland towards Midtown Village (where Barnes and Noble is) and eat at one of the places there…like Tazikis, Iguana Grill, Five Guys, or Wings U. Personally, I dislike Taco Casa so I don’t know if it has reopened…lol</p>
<p>McFarland Mall (is that where Books a Million is) is not a great area of T-town…I avoid that area. (If this is where I think it is, this is south of the interstate…I prefer the area that is north of the interstate. I think the McFarland Mall is the area that Feeno was saying that some investors are coming in and re-doing the area since it’s in decline.)</p>
<p>Yes. It’s the “mall” right next to the interstate that used to be home to Gayfer’s(many moons ago) then Dillard’s before it closed.</p>
<p>There’s a Chili’s at McFarland Mall, and that’s about it on Skyland & McFarland. I second m2ck’s suggestion to head north on McFarland towards Midtown.</p>
<p>Ok- is Midtown village on right?</p>
<p>When you’re heading north on McFarland (towards the university), then Midtown Village will be on your LEFT. You’ll see Barnes and Noble and Best Buy as two larger stores in the front. Lots of places to eat there…it’s an “outdoor lifestyle mall”. You may be thinking of the indoor mall across the street where Belk is. </p>
<p>So, just head north on McFarland, and Midtown will be on your LEFT…before you get to 15th St.</p>
<p>Thanks M2CK…</p>
<p>i vote tazikis. get the grilled pork with veggies rice and asparagus — comes with YUMMY sauce!</p>
<p>^^^^ Yes…that is good! Also the Grilled Beef Tenderloin …or the Mediterranean Salad topped with Beef Tenderloin…are both very good there.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.tazikiscafe.com/sites/tazikiscafe.com/files/Tazikis_Menu_Tuscaloosa.pdf[/url]”>http://www.tazikiscafe.com/sites/tazikiscafe.com/files/Tazikis_Menu_Tuscaloosa.pdf</a></p>
<p>Scroll down to page 2 ^^^^</p>
<p>To find Tazikis…it’s in the back of Midtown Village. If you get to Barnes and Noble and then head towards the stores in the back area, you’ll find Taziki’s.</p>
<p>I ended up at chipotle grill- friend told me that she liked it and I had never been- we have a taziki’s here… chipotle was packed with students… guess they don’t really eat on campus… walked around midtown then went across street to mall where Belk was then headed back to hotel around 8ish- students and parents were checking in- i guess for tours today… we got home at 10:30 and i woke up at 5am…</p>
<p>chipotle was packed with students… guess they don’t really eat on campus… </p>
<p>=============</p>
<p>Yes…kids tire of campus food after awhile…so they often go off-campus for dinner. Many upperclassmen don’t buy a meal-plan…or only buy a small one for lunches.</p>
<p>D loves Chipotle both in Tuscaloosa & at home 
The T-Town location knows her well enough that they start making her burrito bowl when she walks in the door. </p>
<p>Big food news on campus is that they are starting to rebuild the McDonalds. D said even though she doesn’t have it very often, the fact that it’s starting to rise again is a big emotional boost to the campus.</p>
<p>I kinda figured after freshman year most don’t have a meal plan… how much does it take to feed your kids monthly- My son is planning on attending starting in 2013…</p>
<p>Hlsess…</p>
<p>It depends. This is what my younger son does…</p>
<p>Breakfast in his apt …cereal, bagel or yogurt smoothie (he’s in an apt now, but when he was in a super suite, he did the same)</p>
<p>Lunch in a dining hall…he has a small meal plan.</p>
<p>Dinners are a mixed bag…on late afternoons that he’s tutoring, then he’ll eat dinner in a dining hall just to save time…this is about twice a week.</p>
<p>Other school night dinners he’ll either eat at his apt…or grab fast food.</p>
<p>On weekends it can be anything goes…eat in the apt, out to a restaurant with his GF, or fast food…He does tend to eat in the dining hall on Sunday nights on his way to or from the library studying.</p>
<p>Many kids do keep a small meal plan once they’re sophomores because it can be too hard to eat off-campus between classes. But, some eat “retail” on campus…like at Subway, or other “pay as you go” retail venues on campus.</p>
<p>Kids do have a $300 per semester Dining Dollar req’t…so that also pays for “retail dining” (if you don’t use all of the Dining Dollars, you get a refund at the end of the school year.)</p>
<p>As for a budget…hmmm… When you consider the $600 Dining Dollars…and not buying a full meal plan…I think the overall cost can be either cheaper or the same. But, it all depends on how thrifty (or not thrifty) your child is.</p>
<p>My d went with no dining plan her sophomore year. I put $300 in her checking account on the first of the month and it’s worked out perfectly. She also used all $300 of her dining dollars first semester. The fact that the publix is practically right on campus is a godsend. Caveats: she isn’t Greek so her eating off campus is limited to once or twice a week and she enjoys cooking and makes liberal use if the full kitchen on the 2nd floor of ridge crest south.</p>
<p>hlsess…</p>
<p>How much does your son eat? Boys tend to eat a lot more than girls. My son says that he eats many times between meals as well. lol And, he’s skinny.</p>
<p>thanks for the info- he is pretty picky - eats mostly junk… I wasn’t sure how the meal plans worked down there…</p>
<p>Freshman year…</p>
<p>Frosh are required to buy at least the Silver plan.</p>
<p><em>Meal Plan…Price…Guest Meals… *Meals Per Week
*Bama Unlimited-Unlimited
all you care to eat meals…$1,757…10…</em>Unlimited</p>
<p>*Bama Gold- 220
meals/semester …$1,634 …10 *…14</p>
<p><em>Bama Silver- 160
meals/semester …</em>$1,350…10…10</p>
<p>then, once you’re a soph, you don’t have to do a meal plan…</p>
<p>but some choose the Bronze which is about 90 meals a semester…</p>
<p>Or the 50 meals a semester.</p>
<p>Meals are “all you can eat” in the Dining halls.</p>
<p>There are also “pay as you go” retail dining…like at Subway or Starbucks or the Food court …you can use Dining Dollar or regular money.</p>
<p>thanks- BSC requires the same sort of deal…</p>