301 Bistro, Bar, and Beer Garden

We had a wonderful Valentine’s dinner. The Sazerac was as good if not better than the ones made at the Sazerac Bar in the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans. The lobster bisque was divine. I could have eaten a bucket of it! We had the scallops with the risotto for our main course and it was so delicious. The scallops were cooked perfectly and the risotto was probably the best I’ve ever had. We got one of each of the desserts which were Red Velvet Cheesecake and Chocolate-​covered Cherry Crème Brulee. So scrumptious and decadent! The décor and atmosphere are great as is the service. The staff is so friendly and helpful. 301 is just the perfect addition to the downtown Tuscaloosa dining scene!

301 gets five stars because I would officially consider this the best place to eat in Tuscaloosa. The restaurant itself has character. As other reviewers have mentioned, it’s in a beautifully renovated train depot with many of the original elements (such as the tiled floor) still in tact. My two dining companions and I ordered several things from the menu and shared them all.
As far as appetizers go, the shrimp brie was pretty good. It was a bit decadent for my taste, but a creative dish and I think most people would really like it. I fell head over heels for the Reuben Spring Rolls, though.
The bourbon duck, molassas salmon, and that night’s special (lamb) all graced our table. All were absolutely delicious and expertly prepared.
I wish that 301 took reservations, but the fact that they have a great bar area and *real* craft cocktails made by a *real* bartender softens that blow big time. We ordered an array of cocktails and beer. Great selection and several drinks I haven’t seen anywhere else. I noticed they have a good happy hour every day of the week.
I can’t wait to visit 301 the spring to enjoy the beer garden! What a cool way to add even more flair! So glad that 301 is here!

At least 4 stars… would have given 5 but just not quite there yet… the place is awesome, great renovation… our waiter was very good and attentive but not too much. Food, my steak, and wife’s fish were excellent. Definitely a go to place in Ttown…

Visited for the first time last night for a drink and appetizer. Terrific atmosphere and excellent cheese plate. Looking forward to visiting for dinner.

They get stars for having really beautiful décor but fail in execution. I went in about 7:40 pm with 2 girlfriends and first off we noticed the lack of diversity in the diners but whatever I guess it’s Tuscaloosa. We were told 40 mins to an hour wait. We had to wait 1 hr 45 min! We were certainly not the last ones to walk in there but were def the last ones to be seated (which was very curious). If not for my friends who voted to stay I would have been long gone. I never waited so long for food, even when I lived in NYC. When I asked the hosts an hour into our wait how much longer it would be she couldn’t really say because from looking at her chart she was skipping lots of people on the list for «special guests».
They do not take reservations so if you are looking to eat here I suggest you bring a snack while you wait. In the end the food was mediocre, our waiter very unbothered and their menu selection is limited (they had only one dessert option). If you’re vegan they have a black eyed bean burger you can order and leave out the dairy trims.

Ambience was great. Food was OK. I started with gumbo. Not a traditional New Orleans or Cajun style, a bit thick. But plenty of anduille sausage. Didn’t find much crawfish or shrimp as advertised. Taste was average.
Wife ordered pork chop with crawfish topping. The chop was fantastic but hard pressed to find a crawfish. Perfectly cooked, tender and great flavor. The maque choux was a bit overdone for my taste, almost burned and not Cajun sweet. Not my favorite. The grits were alright.
I had grilled Caesar salad. Different. I liked it. Wife wasn’t that thrilled with it. For my meal I ordered the bacon wrapped scallops, an appetizer, as a meal. Very underwhelmed. Scallops were the size of quarters, or maybe nickels, with a tiny sliver of bacon. 4 or 5 of them, maybe. Not only were they way overdone, they were tasteless. Shouldn’t have even bothered eating them. How do you mess up bacon?
Finally, had blueberry bread pudding. I liked it but too much sugar glaze, didn’t taste any whiskey sauce. I wouldn’t call that a New Orleans style bread pudding. Maybe call it a blueberry fritter.
The price was fine. Service was quick and attentive. Just not one of my top Tuscaloosa places. Another average place to add to the list. Too bad, I had such high hopes.
Roll Tide.

So happy to have this great restaurant in Tuscaloosa. The place looks fantastic, the menu is varied (both in content and price options) the cocktails are delicious, and the service was prompt. Looking forward to going back to enjoy the beer garden when the weather gets a little warmer. Don’t miss this wonderful new option.

I can’t find any reason to give this place less than a 4. The bacon-​wrapped scallops were excellent and inspired my SO and I to make them at home the following day. They’re worth their value and the chunks were soft and delightful.
The waitress even asked me how I wanted my salmon cooked. I never heard of that so of course I had to have this medium rare. The texture was soft and feathery. The grits beneath my salmon were buttery and tasty. My boyfriend’s prime rub was fantastic. I hate reusing adjectives but his prime rib was soft and full of flavorful textures that made helping him finish his meal an easy task.
The interior is gorgeous, perfect for impressing a date or having a quiet evening, and felt expensive. I wished I could say I wanted my meal to be cheaper but I enjoyed every bite of it.

Went to 301 last night with a party of 3 and must say we were all beyond pleased! We started with the bacon wrapped scallops and one of the party had the house salad… both excellent! On to the entrees… I had the ribeye. very large portion and perfectly prepared, another had the Wiener schnitzel and raved about it… excited to see this offered in Ttown. and the other diner had the chop… it was incredible, very thick, but perfectly cooked… not overdone which often happens with a chop this size. All of us were so excited to have a new dining choice of this caliber open downtown. The new owners have done a great job with the décor as well. They kept the integrity of the old train station intact while making it feel warm and inviting. it has felt cavernous with some of the previous businesses that were there in the past. The lovely general manager Sarah came by at the end of our meal to make sure everything was perfect. we insured her that it was indeed. On our way out, we encountered several groups of our friends. all as pleased with the new place as we were. I have to say with no advertising to speak of… the place was full… which surprised us at first… but after our dining experience, I understand why the place already has a crowd. We will certainly return soon and look forward to our next meal @ 301!

Great décor. I was told it used to be a railroad depot originally. Very clean. We had salmon, pork chops, and a rack of lamb. The food was delicious. Chris was our waiter. He was very efficient and personable. All in all, a great dining experience.

Bottom line: classiest ambiance in town. Terrific assortment of gourmet food and drinks. Best place in T-​town for a date AND they have a beer garden! A bit pricey, but you get what you pay for.
Food: An interesting mix of cuisine mostly from Europe (especially Germany), though some dishes were Asian inspired. You can’t quite pin down the type of food they have, which I like (for variety’s sake). Expect high-​quality meats and vegetables, inventive, unique dishes, great presentation, and decent portion size (not too big, not too small). We had a sausage board to start and I had delicious, savory duck for dinner, accompanied by cocktails and glasses of wine. The lack of vegetarian options was a bit disappointing (only one entrée without meat; hopefully, this will change soon).
Ambiance: For me, this is the big draw of this place. It’s in an old train depot. The décor is art deco, lots of old, framed posters from what looks to be the early 20^th century, gorgeous lighting, tile-​work, antique cabinets, large windows. There’s a classy bar area adjacent to the dining area with only one TV — go here to have a drink and good conversation, not to watch TV. You wouldn’t feel out of place if you didn’t dress up, but it is pretty classy. It’s too cold to use the beer garden right now, but the strings of lights and the fact that it’s set back from the road make it look inviting. I’ve been waiting for a place like to come to Tuscaloosa — some place that feels classic without feeling pretentiously hip, stuffily old-​fashioned, or overly formal.
Service: Great, prompt, not overly familiar but friendly enough. It’s just starting out, so you’d expect there to be kinks that they haven’t worked out, but we didn’t experience any issues, and the owners were kind enough to check on us and converse for a bit.
This is the type of place that I assumed you had to travel to Birmingham to experience, except it’s right in the heart of Tuscaloosa. You almost get a bit of a New Orleans vibe from it. Definitely worth a try.

301 is a beautiful restaurant. We did 4 courses we started with the cheese, then moved on to soup and salads. My boyfriend had the pork chop, it was HUGE, and perfectly cooked. I had the Veal, delicious! Then we had the white chocolate bread pudding, one word, heavenly. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for this place!

I’ve been to 301 Bistro 4 times now and
each time has been more enjoyable than the next. The drinks are superb. They are made with obvious care by a talented and knowledgable bar staff headed by a New Orleans native who is probably (no exaggeration and in my opinion) the best bartender in Tuscaloosa right now. Tonight I experienced my first meal at 301. Started off with their sausage board-​a truly delicious assortment of cured meaty goodness. Then the burger. Tuscaloosa is plentiful in their selection of great burgers and 301’s will prove to be high on that list. Besides the meat being wonderfully flavorful and masterfully cooked, the toppings (bacon, Caramelized onions, cheese you know the drill) blended beautifully with the meat and bun to make a truly delicious sandwich. I will be returning to 301 hungry and thirsty for more… Besides, it’s the best Sazerac in town and God knows we needed somewhere that serves a good one. Reason enough to go. so go!