FIVE Tuscaloosa

Five is usually great but the chicken was extremely greasy tonight. We got the uptown chicken that was sitting in grease. I ordered the penned chicken which is what I get pretty much every time. It was also super greasy and made everything else greasy. We told the server and he said “yeah the kitchen sucks when we are busy” and that was it. This is one of the least busy times I have seen Five. They had no wait and multiple empty tables compared to the 30-45 minutes wait when we usually come that the food is perfect. This has been my first problem.

Across the street from Saban’s Alamite hotel. Tries to be hip, fancy... whatever. At first glance, it's that. After visiting a few times, not so much. The restaurant/bar is fine, and the "only five things on the menu" is confidence-inspiring (as in, how can they possibly screw up the order?). But the coffee shop routine could use some work. The coffee is overpriced for what you get, and the pastries are just a few seconds in the microwave away. Value? There is literally nothing special, here, other than a simplified menu. Not a bad place, but nothing stands out about it that would make me want to go here over anywhere else (i.e., Decades for Jumbo Pulled-Pork Tacos, Jack Browns for Double-Patty Wagyu Cowboy Burgers, or Big Bad Breakfast for any of their skillet dishes, etc.). People sometimes go to bars just to meet their affluent peers and hang out, and this place is great for that: It's a fancy bar that happens to sell food, not a fancy restaurant that happens to sell drinks. If food is the reason, any of the other mentioned places do it a little better. Lastly, the artwork may have sentimental meaning, but it’s really not that good, and they’ve opted to lean into it. So, you have that to look forward to. Lastly, the white chocolate bread pudding is neither bread nor pudding. They try to flame the top of a slab of custard (like crème brûlée), but it usually comes out burned like the part of an overly-roasted marshmallow you pull off and don’t eat. Ordered it a second time to see if the first time was just an off day. Nope. It was still non-food. But, that won’t stop the kids from trying to eat it.

The pork chop was one of the best I've had from any other place in Tuscaloosa. Very tender, moist & well seasoned - the added queso fresco on the salad was just perfect! Very fresh & great atmosphere! Definitely recommend getting the porkchop

Should expect 5 star food and service with how much they charge. Prices are close to what good restaurants in major city charge, not a college town.... Mid tier food, very poor service. Ordered coffee for brunch. Received one microwaved cup of coffee and never was asked for a refill. After the waiter took our order, we never saw him again. Never did his "table touches." Infact our whole party had to leave before the bill was ever brought to the table(almost 2 hours)... had to track down the waiter/ask another person to get our bill. I don't mind paying for quality and/or service this place had neither. There's not much of a selection of good food around Tuscaloosa was hopeing this place would be different, nope. Same menu as every where else, over salted fried chicken. We left hungry ..... Brunch menu was la burger, biscuits and gravy ($20 for a biscuit cut in half with some bland sausage gravy), burrito ($18 for mostly eggs and cheese with some bland salsa), chicken and waffles ($20 2 pieces of over salted, flavorless chicken), and one more item. Not one thing fresh on the menu, not one healthy option, not one thing locally sourced. I don't get it.