DePalma’s Italian Café brings the heart of the Mediterranean right into downtown Tuscaloosa. The cozy restaurant, with antique signs and furniture, is the perfect spot for a delicious meal.

Nestled on the corner of University Boulevard and 23rd Avenue, DePalma’s serves its authentic cuisine from the freshest ingredients daily, and the effort is paying off.

“The food really tasted freshly prepared and had a good amount of flavor,” Kara Feeney, a junior majoring in interior design, said. “The restaurant just adds so much to Tuscaloosa.”

After success near the University of Georgia campus in Athens, DePalma’s decided to make Tuscaloosa its next location in July 1994.

“The reason we came here is that, at the time, it was rated in the top 10 places to open a restaurant in the U.S.A.,” owner Greg King said. “It was also a college town and had many things in common with Athens.”

The restaurant officially opened in September 1995 in one of downtown’s most historic buildings, which was designed with some Italian architectural influences. Built in 1892 by the First National Bank in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, it was also a coupon center for World War II rations and a department store.

The menu at DePalma’s provides the complete Italian dining experience, from appetizer to dessert. Some of the appetizers include pesto- and beef-stuffed mushrooms, an appetizer-sized pizza, and their own breadsticks, along with your choice of either meatball or spinach.

For the main meal, calzones, fresh pasta dishes, pizza and specialty dishes are available and made to order. Sweet Italian treats are on the menu for dessert and include tiramisu as well as cannolis straight from a bakery in New York’s Little Italy.

“What sets us apart from other restaurants is being consistent in the food that we serve and in the service that we provide,” King said. “We make our pizza dough every morning and use fresh pasta, not dried or frozen, and prices on the menu range from $2 to $26, so we fit any budget.”

“I found the food to be delicious,” Dan Rozick, a senior majoring in philosophy, said. “It was very becoming of an authentic Italian restaurant, and the service was some of the best in town.”

The café look of the restaurant makes it a distinctive eatery in Tuscaloosa. As they eat, diners can also watch the crew toss pizza dough and fire up the oven through the open kitchen.

“As an interior design major, I thought the atmosphere was very enjoyable,” Feeney said. “The dimmed lighting made my experience elegant, yet casual.”

The restaurant does not take reservations and its popularity can mean there will be a wait for a weekend dinner, but the bar is open for seating and available to customers while they wait. DePalma’s offers a take-out menu Monday through Saturday and is available for catering special events. The restaurant is closed on Sundays.

“I can say if you have never been here, give DePalma’s a try,” King said. “I know you will be back.”