Nick’s Original Filet House, or
Nick’s in the Sticks as it is affectionately known to local’s and
out-of-towners alike, lives up to its name.
You have to drive down 15th street and out to the sticks to
get to the small restaurant. Before this
journey I had never ever ventured as far as Stillman College in this direction,
and at least as far as many university students and GPS’ are concerned, this is
where Tuscaloosa ends. Once I past Stillman my GPS started pointing my car in
the other direction, subtly hinting that I am entering the sticks, a place I am
not known for inhabiting well. However, if you travel about seven more miles
and ignore the protests of your GPS, you will find Nick’s in the Sticks.
The
restaurant looks like a little shanty on the right side of the road. It could
be easily ignored except for the cars pilled into the gravel area on the side
of the building. The waiting area is a porch and the inside is about as big as
my living room and crammed full of tables, barely leaving room for the waiters
to pass though. The ceiling is covered with decorated dollar bills giving the
restaurant a personable feel as soon as you walk in. Unfortunately, because of
the size wait times can be long. Our party of six had to wait almost an hour
for a table during early dinner hours on a Thursday. I can only imagine what
wait times would be during dinner rush on the weekends, or even worse, on game
day.
From
the décor to the service, the place exudes a rustic charm. The tables are
simple black tables with black cushion chairs seen in many a restaurant started
on a budget. The waiters are sweet and smiling, but even they speak to the
simplicity of this country hide-away. Our attentive server was carried the
humble moniker Spoon. The food is served on unadorned metal plates. The drinks
are served in plastic cups akin to those used at your family, summer
bar-b-ques. Even the alcoholic beverages
are served in Styrofoam cups famous in Tuscaloosa for being carried by the
hosts of house parties in big stacks while yelling “Put it in a cup!” My first
impression on Nick’s reminds me of my first impression of Tuscaloosa: a little
dirty, a little sticky, but something about its charm is just irresistible.
As
the official name would suggest, Nick’s is known for its filets. You will find
no weights for the steak dishes on this menu – just the simple designations of
small and large. If I had to guess the small is about 6 oz. and the large is 9
oz. The filet is served at your chosen
temperature wrapped in a strip of bacon skewed with a stick to hold the piece
together during the cooking process. I order my steaks medium rare and am
particular about them being over cooked. Nick’s filet is thick so it holds
little chance of over cooking. The meat is juicy and tender enough that the
slightest pressure applied with the steak knife sends a piece cascading away
from the rest of the meat. The meat is perfectly seasoned with subtle spices so
that patrons are truly able to enjoy the exquisitely cooked meat. Each dish is
served with a side, a large basket of dinner rolls, and a salad. The salads are
brought with all three dressings on the side allowing for ultimate
customization for those who are picky about overdressing salads.
Another
delicacy that I highly recommend at Nick’s is the onion ring appetizer. Nick’s
onion rings are crispy fried, but they have a slightly unique taste to the
batter. It is sweeter than most onion ring batters that I have experienced in
the past. It reminds me of being at the infamous Café de Monde in New Orleans.
Their beignets are made with a batter about as sweet and the same consistency.
However, coupled with the onion instead of powdered sugar it is not enough
sweetness to overpower the rest of the meal. Instead, it just charges up your
taste buds just enough to anticipate the forth-coming meal.
Nick’s
in the sticks is also famous for its Nickademas, which is their house alcoholic
specialty. Remember when I mentioned the Styrofoam cups reminding me of house
parties? Well, the picture is easily completed with a Nickadema, which taste a
lot like infamous Tuscaloosa hunch punch. It is even served out of a orange
cooler behind the bar. However, a lemon wedge on the cup rim and two cherries
dropped into the drink classes the drink up a bit from house party standards.
The drink is a red punch concoction mixed with either rum or vodka. My alcohol
taste buds want to say rum, but I would not quote me on that. The Nickadema is
a drink where you get what you pay for. You should either order it early in
your meal, be prepared to wait around a few minutes after you finish, or have a
designated driver on call. After you finish this house recipe, you will
definitely know it. Some say since they have started making the drink in large
batches to keep up with demand, it is not as strong, but I say that it is still
plenty strong enough. I mean after all patrons do still have to drive home from
the sticks.
Nick’s
in the Stick’s offers a truly southern, Tuscaloosa-style dinning experience.
The restaurant’s character matches that of the city it outskirts. Eating at
Nick’s is a little like having a backyard summer cook out or having a classy
tailgate before a football game, so it fits perfectly into the memories of
Tuscaloosa that many of its current and former residents hold dear. The unique
dinning experience is one that is definitely memorable if not unforgettable.
While it isn’t the first road-side restaurant to cook a steak, it is one of the
few who do it well.
No comments:
Post a Comment