After four weeks of polling and over 150,000 votes cast, only two contenders remain standing in the 2019 Munch Madness bracket challenge to find the best restaurant in the Tuscaloosa area.

Voting is now open in this year's championship, where things are a little different -- voting will be allowed from noon on Friday, April 5th until 5 p.m. Monday, April 8th, but for the first time in this competition, vote totals will be hidden until after the polls close and we announce this year's champion on the Steve Shannon Morning Show Tuesday morning.

Let's meet our two contestants.

In one corner is Pastor's Kitchen, our 2018 Munch Madness Champion trying to claim back-to-back titles. Pastor's opened in 2014 in an off-the-beaten-path spot down 5th Street in Northport and became quickly became known for their authentic Mexican dishes and legendary customer service. Since then, they've relocated to a more prominent location on McFarland Boulevard in Northport and also launched a taco truck that brings their favorite flavors to events all over Tuscaloosa County. Whether you try their Chorizo con Queso dip, some authentic Tacos al Pastor or this author's personal favorite dish, Arroz con Pollo, it won't take long to figure out why this restaurant is so beloved in Northport and beyond.

Vying to dethrone Pastor's and claim its first ever Munch Madness Championship is DePalma's Italian Cafe, a Tuscaloosa institution on University Boulevard in the heart of downtown. Since they opened in 1995, DePalma's has been synonymous with Tuscaloosa's fine dining scene, and beyond the food and atmosphere they offer, the cafe has long served as an unchanging anchor for the revitalization and renewal of the downtown district. You can't go wrong with one of their hand-made calzones, the Pasta DePalma or any of their specialty dishes, and their White Chocolate Bread Pudding has come to be known as one of the best desserts in the city. Restaurants don't survive for almost 25 years in the Druid City without doing something right, and DePalma's exemplifies this perfectly.

 

 

Cast your vote now to pick the best restaurant in the Tuscaloosa area, and remember that voting is unlimited, so cast as many as you'd like! We'll be back Tuesday morning after Steve announces the winner on air to follow up on this site.

See you then!

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