Built on football, this SEC stronghold is quickly becoming a culinary powerhouse.
But would that sentiment hold when push came to shove?
Humble Beginnings
It’s impossible to tell the story of Auburn food without David Bancroft.
Bancroft swears by the brunch at Lucy’s, a fresh and modern bistro.Credit: Robbie Caponetto
A little over a year later, he dove in completely and became the restaurant’s executive chef.
If she’s a fan of Bancroft, the admiration is mutual.
Now Lucy’s serves a house roast locally sourced fromMama Mocha’s Coffee Roastery.
Be sure to try the Peanut Butter Pie from Acre.Credit: Robbie Caponetto
Order the Pail-O-Pork Rinds or their famous meatloaf made with two types of bacon.
Hall’s wife is a first cousin to Whitley Dykes.
The Irritable Bao started as the food truck Dumps Like a Truck in 2017.
Lucy’s local sourced seasonal dishes like this Heirloom Tomato Watermelon Salad are always a hit.
The couple quickly realized that their pillow-like bao and tongue-in-cheek puns had much wider appeal.
“The fact that the lines went down the streetthat was mind-blowing,” Dykes says.
Then the Bancrofts came knocking.
Lucy’s head barkeep, Neil Cooper, was named Alabama Bartender of the Year in 2020.
The level of kindness and humility that took was pretty special."
His version is one of theAlabama Tourism Department’s “100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama.”
Now Ariccia Cucina Italiana is helmed by chef Marc Osier and continues to turn out fantastic Italian cuisine.
Seared ahi with shrimp could be featured on the changing weekly menu at Sword + Skillet.Credit: Robbie Caponetto
To complete the Auburn international restaurant tour, stop byPho Leefor Vietnamese cuisine.
Then visit chef Phounsavan Malavong atSavanh Thai Kitchento try her drunken noodles and Prik Pao.
“We saw excellence [everywhere] but only in one singular lane,” he explains.
David Bancroft’s menu at Bow & Arrow honors his two homes, Alabama and Texas.
The 142,000-square-foot complex now housesThe Laurel,a luxury boutique hotel with an open-to-the-public spa and rooftop bar.
A real game changer for students, the new center also serves the Auburn neighborhood at large.
Van der Reijden says culinary centers inherently accelerate restaurant scenes both by attracting talent and building excitement for food.
However, the real magic happens years later.
Choose from an array of bao and steamed buns at The Irritable Bao.Credit: Robbie Caponetto
Central Italian cooking takes center stage at Ariccia Cucina Italiana, which makes a rich Rigatoni Bolognese.Credit: Robbie Caponetto
Have your vermicelli rice noodles at Pho Lee with grilled pork, chicken, shrimp, tofu, or sautéed lemongrass beef.
Taste the flavors of Southeast Asia at Savanh Thai Kitchen.
The Tony & Libba Rane Culinary Science Center is set to open in fall 2022.
