Downtown’s New Sandlot Aims to Be Tuscaloosa’s Top Sports Bar
A new sports bar is taking over a large downtown Tuscaloosa restaurant space just months after the last concept there closed, promising a seat to watch every game and a menu built around elevated classics.
The Sandlot will open at 2310 University Boulevard, the space long occupied by SoCal Cantina before its closure earlier this summer.
General Manager Kate Haughton said the concept fills a gap she's noticed during her nearly 15 years in the Tuscaloosa service industry, including a long stint at Rounders and ongoing management of the nearby Wine Market.
"There just is no top-quality sports bar in Tuscaloosa," Haughton said. "There are plenty of places that show the games at their businesses, but they don't cater to you sitting and watching sports collectively. You can watch the Alabama game anywhere, but outside of going to Buffalo Wild Wings, which is cross-town and not centralized to anybody, students or otherwise, there's nowhere to just sit down and genuinely watch whatever sport you want."
The bar has installed roughly 32 televisions throughout the space, with sightlines designed so no seat requires craning a neck or turning around.
"There's not a bad seat in the house," Haughton said. "Every seat, every game, every time, we'll make sure you're on the front row for it."
Several booths come equipped with individual televisions that tables can control with their own remotes, without having to ask staff for help or quibbling with other guests.
In the kitchen, Chef Karlo Guzman has built a menu of what Haughton calls elevated bar food, taking classics like burgers, hot dogs, and chicken wings and refining them with quality ingredients.
It's an offering of scratch-made game day food, starting with shareables like a giant beer cheese pretzel, pimento cheese rangoons, and a loaded fries platter called Bases Loaded.
Wings come in six flavors, sold by the pound, and the handheld section centers on smash burgers served on Japanese milk bread, including a pimento burger topped with fried jalapeños and hot honey.
Hot dog fans get two standout options: the Hercules, a foot-long all-beef dog loaded with beer cheese, chili and bacon, and the Home Run Flight, a trio of mini dogs with distinct toppings named for outfield positions.
Beyond the handhelds, the menu includes heartier plates like Southern fish and chips and a build-your-own Stadium Box combining tenders, wings and catfish, plus lighter options like a Caesar or Southwest salad that can be made as a wrap.
And Haughton said their bar manager, Devin, has built a cocktail menu with names geared toward football and golf, including the Blitz Banana Blitz, the Tied-Up and the Red Shirt, alongside options for beer buckets for groups.
Because this is a new concept from the same ownership team behind SoCal, they'll be able to transfer most relevant permits and serve alcohol upon opening Friday afternoon.
The bar also partnered with Alabama Vintage for wall décor and Good Works, a local fabrication company, to build its booths and handmade outdoor signs.
The Sandlot is opening Friday afternoon and will be open daily: Sunday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to midnight.
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Gallery Credit: (Stephen Dethrage | Tuscaloosa Thread)
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