BURGERFI TUSCALOOSA // MAKING ITS MARK

BURGERFI TUSCALOOSA // MAKING ITS MARK

In a town like Tuscaloosa, it seems that one can find a burger joint every hundred yards. However, it takes much craft and effort to be a memorable burger that has folks wanting more. BurgerFi Tuscaloosa has joined the ranks of spotlighted burger eateries, debuting in the Shoppes at Legacy Park area this month. Though Auburn opened the first Alabama BurgerFi location last year, Tuscaloosa is more than happy to call BurgerFi Tuscaloosa its own.
The husband and I decided to try out BurgerFi for our Sunday night dinner. Sharing a parking lot with the other businesses and eateries in the area, it was hard to tell if the packed parking on a Sunday night belonged to our destination or another business. Walking into the restaurant we were welcomed by bright lights, vivid conversation, and happy-go-lucky hipster musical mashes playing through the speaker system. We fell in line to order our burgers at the front counter and I immediately noticed the significant number of folks making to-go orders. Walking closer to the ordering counter I was overwhelmed by the variety of options on the electronic menu board. Various burgers, dogs, and custard varieties were all calling my name but I knew I needed to focus and make a decision.
I opted for the VegiFi Burger, a concoction of crispy quinoa with a fresh cut veggie burger, white cheddar, lettuce, tomato, and BurgerFi sauce on a multigrain bun. I banked on getting to taste a bite of my husband’s choice, a BurgerFi cheeseburger boasting double meat and cheese along with the regular cheeseburger veggie adornments and sauce. Sides included hand-cut fries and onion rings, and for folks that want a bit of both worlds, the Cry+Fry option let me have both. I noted the variety of side toppings for the fries and onion rings, including chili and cheese, salt and vinegar, garlic aioli and anything else you can imagine.
Our cashier sent us off on our way with a GPS tracker buzzer, instructing us to have a seat wherever we wanted and our tracker would have a server bring our food right to us. While waiting on our food, I was pleasantly distracted by the rustic urban feel of the diner and learned from the staff that the seating and tables were made from recycled pallets, coke bottles, and milk jugs. Large pictures of Alabama football and memorabilia were clearly present around the restaurant, making BurgerFi’s mark as a Tuscaloosa tradition. Large 60-inch flatscreen televisions were amply placed all over the walls as well.
It wasn’t long before our food was brought to us. Larger than life onion rings and a generous amount of fresh cut fries almost camouflaged our veggie burger and cheese burger. The veggie burger was full of flavor, and extremely cheesy. Taking a bite of my hubby’s burger, the high quality beef sans antibiotics and hormones was obvious. Our sides did not disappoint and the fresh flavors of the onion ring made it clear that these were never frozen products.
If I had to pick my one disappointment, it would likely be that I didn’t’ save room in my tummy for a shake, malt, sundae or float. Until next time BurgerFi Tuscaloosa.
BurgerFi Tuscaloosa is located in Suite 510 in the Shoppes at Legacy Park and opens daily at 11:00 a.m. Tweet us @ThePlanetWeekly and let us know where you are eating!
Sheena Gregg, MS, RDN,LD is a registered dietitian and local “Filipino foodie.” Follow her on Twitter @AFilipinoFoodie