Preface
When I began this project at the beginning of the semester, I had planned to write about a small restaurant I have been to several times: Nick’s Original Filet House. I thought readers would enjoy learning about Nick’s because of its unique location and atmosphere. My knowledge about the place came from first-hand experience and by word of mouth of friends. I assumed that even though the building and atmosphere of the place were unique, its history would be similar to most restaurants; I was wrong. Upon doing research throughout the semester, I learned that the restaurant has a history rooted deeply in the conflict of Alabama’s struggle with prohibition. My superficial beliefs about what the restaurant represented in the community were replaced with the understanding of the importance of such an establishment and why after so many years the physicality of the place had hardly changed. This project became much more than an advertisement for a local diner; it turned into a history lesson highlighting the values of Southern communities, past and present. My goals are to present a factual history of prohibition in Alabama, to enlighten readers of a struggle with prohibition plagued by racist values and criticized by religious morals, to describe the role Nick’s played in one Alabama town’s fight against prohibition, and to provide a vivid description of this restaurant as it exists today and what it means to the community. It is my assumption now that the audience of this project can be classified into two types of people: those who have never heard of or been to this restaurant, in which all of the descriptions and history will be new to you, and those who have been to this restaurant, but like myself had no idea of what it meant when you walked through those doors. I forewarn all readers the history presented bluntly reveals feelings of intense racism and religiosity. At moments I found myself shocked at the material I was reading, but the truth of the matter is this is our history; we cannot erase it, we can only hope to grow from it and learn to never repeat it.
When I began this project at the beginning of the semester, I had planned to write about a small restaurant I have been to several times: Nick’s Original Filet House. I thought readers would enjoy learning about Nick’s because of its unique location and atmosphere. My knowledge about the place came from first-hand experience and by word of mouth of friends. I assumed that even though the building and atmosphere of the place were unique, its history would be similar to most restaurants; I was wrong. Upon doing research throughout the semester, I learned that the restaurant has a history rooted deeply in the conflict of Alabama’s struggle with prohibition. My superficial beliefs about what the restaurant represented in the community were replaced with the understanding of the importance of such an establishment and why after so many years the physicality of the place had hardly changed. This project became much more than an advertisement for a local diner; it turned into a history lesson highlighting the values of Southern communities, past and present. My goals are to present a factual history of prohibition in Alabama, to enlighten readers of a struggle with prohibition plagued by racist values and criticized by religious morals, to describe the role Nick’s played in one Alabama town’s fight against prohibition, and to provide a vivid description of this restaurant as it exists today and what it means to the community. It is my assumption now that the audience of this project can be classified into two types of people: those who have never heard of or been to this restaurant, in which all of the descriptions and history will be new to you, and those who have been to this restaurant, but like myself had no idea of what it meant when you walked through those doors. I forewarn all readers the history presented bluntly reveals feelings of intense racism and religiosity. At moments I found myself shocked at the material I was reading, but the truth of the matter is this is our history; we cannot erase it, we can only hope to grow from it and learn to never repeat it.
The Struggle with Prohibition
The issue of prohibition arose long before the 18th Amendment banned the nation from manufacturing, selling, and transporting alcohol in 1920. Stemming from many religious debates on the morality of alcohol, in 1851 Maine became the first state to enact the prohibition of alcohol; after two years the state repealed it and began the “see-sawing” back and forth between legal alcohol sales and illegal alcohol sales (Crompton 10). Maine’s attempt at prohibition sums up the struggle that Alabama faced with the same issue. In fact Maine’s pioneering of prohibition is directly related to Alabama’s initial interest in prohibition, and it can be traced back to one man, Reverend Washington Bryan Crompton. He understands the role he played in Alabama’s prohibition, and in 1925 Rev. Crompton published a short book titled How Alabama Became Dry. The following history comes from his book.
The issue of prohibition arose long before the 18th Amendment banned the nation from manufacturing, selling, and transporting alcohol in 1920. Stemming from many religious debates on the morality of alcohol, in 1851 Maine became the first state to enact the prohibition of alcohol; after two years the state repealed it and began the “see-sawing” back and forth between legal alcohol sales and illegal alcohol sales (Crompton 10). Maine’s attempt at prohibition sums up the struggle that Alabama faced with the same issue. In fact Maine’s pioneering of prohibition is directly related to Alabama’s initial interest in prohibition, and it can be traced back to one man, Reverend Washington Bryan Crompton. He understands the role he played in Alabama’s prohibition, and in 1925 Rev. Crompton published a short book titled How Alabama Became Dry. The following history comes from his book.
Reverend Crompton was an Alabama native who moved to Mississippi and became a minister in Meridian. One Sunday after reading about Maine’s new prohibition laws Rev. Crompton preached a sermon on prohibition; there was not much of reaction to the sermon. Shortly after this Mississippi sermon he moved back to Alabama where he gave the same sermon in Old Providence. Unlike Meridian, the sermon quickly spread throughout the county, not because people believed that prohibition was right, but because the “unusualness of the subject called attention to it.” (11). Crompton believes that two events were the catalyst for prohibition in Alabama: his sermon and a Jewish man who was found guilty of breaking the law by selling alcohol within 5 miles of a specific church—in accordance with the wishes of the late pastor the town had passed an ordinance that forbade the sell of alcohol within 5 miles of the building (11). Soon after these two events there was an increased interest in prohibition throughout the state. In the early 1880’s Rev. Crompton was approached by a group of men from Dallas County (located about thirty minutes east of Montgomery) who wanted him to go to the state capitol in Montgomery on their behalf and ask the Senate to pass an ordinance forbidding alcohol in the county. He accepted their plea and was successful in persuading Senate; in 1882 Dallas County became the first dry county of Alabama—“dry” means alcohol sales prohibited every day of the week in all locations (12). After Dallas County, many counties across the Black Belt joined in and wanted laws preventing alcohol sales (13). The Black Belt is a region spreading across the southeastern United States, mostly in northeast Mississippi and central 
Alabama, originally named for its dark soil, but commonly characterized by its majority African American population. Communities throughout the Black Belt face poverty, inadequate education, poor health care, substandard housing, and high levels of crime and unemployment (Black Belt U.S.). The map is of the Black Belt counties in Alabama.
Alabama, originally named for its dark soil, but commonly characterized by its majority African American population. Communities throughout the Black Belt face poverty, inadequate education, poor health care, substandard housing, and high levels of crime and unemployment (Black Belt U.S.). The map is of the Black Belt counties in Alabama.In 1907 Alabama Legislature passed a law that gave each county the option to vote on liquor laws. By July of 1907 twenty-one of the sixty-seven counties passed prohibition laws, and by the end of the year, forty-five counties were dry (Sellers 114). On September 30, 1907 Tuscaloosa became a dry county (Sellers 114). In January 1909 there was a proposal for statewide prohibition, but in November 1909 the proposal was vetoed (Crompton 17). Prohibition continued to spread widely throughout the state, and by the end of 1911, there were sixty-one prohibition counties. During this time there were 85 saloons—legal places to drink—running in three counties: Mobile and Montgomery each had 42 saloons, and Colbert County had 1 saloon (Sellers 172). Essentially all of the state’s liquor was provided by Mobile and Montgomery residents. Since the state capitol was located in one of the three counties still distributing alcohol, people who opposed being dry would attempt to stop the spread of prohibition by getting important legislative members so drunk that they couldn’t show up at the time of voting (Crompton 20). Rev. Crompton recalled several similar incidents about people attempting to stop voting and he said, “The dark and devilish things that were done by liquor advocates are disgraceful” (19).
Finally on July 1, 1915 “Legislature passed a more stringent prohibition law than we (Alabama) had ever had” and the production, sale, and consumption of alcohol were prohibited throughout the whole state (Crompton 17). The bill passed by a vote of 73 for to 27 against. Governor Henderson vetoed the bill because he believed Local Option—which gave each county the right to vote on the issue—was the most fair, but Legislature disregarded the veto (Sellers 184). Alabama passed its prohibition law 4 years before the entire nation would be under strict prohibition. During the first year of the state prohibition 386 illegal stills were discovered and shut down; the number of stills decreased until 1920 (Sellers 189). On January 16, 1919 the Federal Constitution ratified the Eighteenth Amendment which stated “the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.” (Sellers 189) Adding to the Eighteenth Amendment, Alabama was the only state to pass a law prohibiting the “sale of any drink ‘that looks like, smells like, or tastes like beer.’” (Crompton 29). One year after the ratification of the Eighteenth Amendment 1,380 illegal stills were found throughout Alabama (Sellers 189).
During the thirteen years that the Eighteenth Amendment prohibited alcohol, laws were often violated. Although there was a decrease in arrests for possession and illegal stills after 1920, there was a spike in crime in 1927. By the end of 1927 a little over 1000 stills were discovered and 6,192 people had been arrested for breaking the law (Sellers 211-12). Ironically, in 1932—the year before the nationwide repeal of prohibition—1,716 illegal stills were found in Alabama
; this year marked the worst in law violations (Sellers 212). Finally on February 16, 1933 Congress passed the Twenty-First Amendment which stated “The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.” (Sellers 225) Alabama’s Representatives voted 8 in favor and 1 against; both Senators voted in favor of the amendment (Sellers, 225). There were several attempts to keep statewide prohibition, but on July 18, 1933 the bill passed to repeal the Eighteenth Amendment in Alabama. The state reenacted the local option, and on February 26, 1935 the state voted and fifty-two counties remained dry (Sellers 231). Today in the year 2009 Alabama still abides by the local option law and twenty-seven counties are legally dry (Brown). The yellow counties are dry counties in Alabama in 2009.
; this year marked the worst in law violations (Sellers 212). Finally on February 16, 1933 Congress passed the Twenty-First Amendment which stated “The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.” (Sellers 225) Alabama’s Representatives voted 8 in favor and 1 against; both Senators voted in favor of the amendment (Sellers, 225). There were several attempts to keep statewide prohibition, but on July 18, 1933 the bill passed to repeal the Eighteenth Amendment in Alabama. The state reenacted the local option, and on February 26, 1935 the state voted and fifty-two counties remained dry (Sellers 231). Today in the year 2009 Alabama still abides by the local option law and twenty-seven counties are legally dry (Brown). The yellow counties are dry counties in Alabama in 2009. Alabama’s Reasons for Prohibition
For the nation as a whole, the debate for prohibition stemmed from the religious and moral concerns of Christian groups—predominantly Baptist and Methodist—believing that alcohol consumption was a sin. Christians pointed out many instances in the Bible where God condemned getting drunk or where alcohol was the root of the evil in the story (Crompton 16). A speech by Henry Grady captures the intensity of religious apprehension towards alcohol:
For the nation as a whole, the debate for prohibition stemmed from the religious and moral concerns of Christian groups—predominantly Baptist and Methodist—believing that alcohol consumption was a sin. Christians pointed out many instances in the Bible where God condemned getting drunk or where alcohol was the root of the evil in the story (Crompton 16). A speech by Henry Grady captures the intensity of religious apprehension towards alcohol:
The liquor traffic is the mortal enemy of peace and order, the despoiler of men and terror of women, the cloud that shadows the faces of children, the demon that has dug more graves and sent more souls unshrived to judgment than all the pestilences that have wasted life since God sent the plagues of Egypt, and all the wars since Joshua stood beyond Jericho. (Harris 14)
The South was full of similar overly, zealous religious groups advocating prohibition, which aided in the success of prohibition, but there were additional motivations for keeping liquor off the shelves. Like many of the conflicts littering Alabama’s history, race was an influential factor. Besides fearing for their mortal soul, alcohol also led Southerners to fear African Americans. Rev. Crompton writes about why prohibition spread throughout the Black Belt:
Another thing that brought the Black Belt across (in favor of prohibition) was the influence of liquor on the negro. It interfered with him as a laborer and made him dangerous in the community. White women were afraid to go to town on Saturdays. Then, as now, the negroes flocked to the towns on that day and the roads were dangerous for any one in the afternoons, especially women. The most faithful and dependable servant when sober, the negro became dangerous when crazed with drink. The fine women of the Black Belt and their gallant, brave husbands breathed more freely when prohibition came, because of the change for the better with the negro (13).
Many white southerners generalized that the source of the problem was black people drinking alcohol and not just the drinking of alcohol. Southern prohibitionists believed that prohibition would benefit all people, no matter their race, but the benefits were different for each person. The African Americans “benefited” from prohibition because they did not become crazy and violent; white people benefited because they no longer had to fear the African Americans. Using race as a reason for prohibition fueled the fire of white supremacy groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, who believed African Americans were the cause of all problems in the South. Alcoholism was just another way to classify blacks as inferior to whites because most whites turned a blind eye to their fellow Caucasian drunks (Crompton 18).
Besides race and religion, health and safety were other issues encouraging prohibition. Dr. Seale Harris, a renowned, private practitioner in Birmingham, Alabama, published an “Open Letter to Sheriffs, Solicitors, Judges, Probate Judges, and City Official in Alabama” in which he voices his opinion as to why prohibition is necessary for keeping America healthy. During his years as a doctor his research found that drinking alcohol significantly shortens the length of life due to damage of the liver and stomach, causes suicide, causes violent behavior and murders, and is responsible for the majority of automobile accidents and deaths in the state (2-6). Although claiming alcohol “causes” all of those tragedies is a bit strong, perhaps there is truth in his belief that eliminating alcohol could significantly reduce the number of suicides, murders, and automobile accidents. He also advocates prohibition because during the “10 years (he practiced medicine) in Mobile before prohibition was established in Alabama [he] saw more alcoholic cases than in the 20 years of prohibition since [he] has lived in Birmingham” (11) and had “seen many families practically wiped out by whiskey” (14). Alcoholism affected too many good men and women, and it all started with just a social drink (Harris, 11). Unlike fervent religious and racist groups, his beliefs are not rooted in morality, or spurned by hatred; his concern comes from scientific study and a desire to keep people healthy. In the end of his letter he pled to public officials to “MAKE ALABAMA A BETTER PLACE IN WHICH TO LIVE” (14).
Taking a Stand against Prohibition
Although the majority felt like Dr. Harris in that in order to make Alabama a better place prohibition was necessary, there were still many people who felt everyone had a right to consume alcohol. Tuscaloosa, Alabama was just such a place where people held those beliefs. The pastor of the University Lutheran Church in Tuscaloosa, Reverend R. W. Hahn took his stand against prohibition when he said:
There is nothing immoral in any alcoholic beverage; the morality depends upon the use or abuse to which the beverage is put; he who declares the sale and use of alcoholic beverages constitutes sin against the moral law of God, perverts the law; he makes a sin of that which is no sin, and he usurps the authority of God in making laws for man (Sellers 239).
He reversed the religious beliefs that drinking is immoral and instead says it is immoral to take away a person’s right to alcohol. Rev. Hahn made this statement in 1935 before the state voted in each county, and his home county, Tuscaloosa County voted to remain dry (Sellers 239). It would be more than a decade before Tuscaloosa County would pass a vote repealing prohibition. While public figures such as Rev. Hahn were making overt stands against prohibition, they were not the only ones; deep in the back woods of Tuscaloosa, one man decided to take his own quiet stand against prohibition—not by running an illegal still—but by running a restaurant.
Although the majority felt like Dr. Harris in that in order to make Alabama a better place prohibition was necessary, there were still many people who felt everyone had a right to consume alcohol. Tuscaloosa, Alabama was just such a place where people held those beliefs. The pastor of the University Lutheran Church in Tuscaloosa, Reverend R. W. Hahn took his stand against prohibition when he said:
There is nothing immoral in any alcoholic beverage; the morality depends upon the use or abuse to which the beverage is put; he who declares the sale and use of alcoholic beverages constitutes sin against the moral law of God, perverts the law; he makes a sin of that which is no sin, and he usurps the authority of God in making laws for man (Sellers 239).
He reversed the religious beliefs that drinking is immoral and instead says it is immoral to take away a person’s right to alcohol. Rev. Hahn made this statement in 1935 before the state voted in each county, and his home county, Tuscaloosa County voted to remain dry (Sellers 239). It would be more than a decade before Tuscaloosa County would pass a vote repealing prohibition. While public figures such as Rev. Hahn were making overt stands against prohibition, they were not the only ones; deep in the back woods of Tuscaloosa, one man decided to take his own quiet stand against prohibition—not by running an illegal still—but by running a restaurant.
In 1939 Nick DelGado wanted to open a restaurant where he could sell steaks and beer, but because of county laws he couldn’t do it in Tuscaloosa. Rather than backing down from the prohibition fight, Nick decided to drive just over the county line into Greene County (where it was not a dry county) and opened up his restaurant: Nick’s Original Filet House. The restaurant became more than just a food establishment; it became an escape for the many Tuscaloosa citizens who protested prohibition. It was as if Nick had created a loop hole in the state law, providing a service to the residents of Tuscaloosa County by opening a place up in Greene County. Although Nick’s was a completely legal business, it served as a type of “speak easy” for its patrons. It provided a place for people to go and drink alcohol, when in their own town it was forbidden. It represented a safe haven for people not willing to break the law in their own county, but wanting a good time nonetheless. Nick took a financial risk opening a restaurant in a different county than his intended costumers, but he soon found out how thirsty Tuscaloosa really was. Nick’s business ran very successfully as people continually drove across the county line to indulge in the guilty pleasure of a beer or drink among friends and family. People ranging from working class men to students at the University of Alabama to families were welcomed in the restaurant, and as long as you were 18 you were free to drink. The restaurant stayed at its location in Greene County for almost 15 years because it was not until 1949 that Tuscaloosa County finally voted to allow its residents to legally sell and consume alcohol, excluding on Sundays. True to Nick’s original intentions of fighting prohibition when he opened the restaurant, the place is closed on Sundays in protest of the “blue laws” that forbid the sell of alcohol in Tuscaloosa County on Sundays (TuscaloosaRestaurantReviews.com). In 1955 Nick’s made the move into Tuscaloosa County becoming more accessible to its loyal Tuscaloosa costumers.
From Nick’s Original Filet House to Nick’s in the Sticks
Although Nick’s Original Filet House is more accessible because of its location in Tuscaloosa County, it is by no means located in the heart of the city. To those who frequent t
his Alabama steakhouse, the place is often referred to as Nick’s in the Sticks; a name the restaurant truly deserves. The only way to get to Nick’s is to take the two-lane paved road 15th Street about 5 miles past the campus of the University of Alabama and civilization. Although no sign will announce the existence of Nick’s due to a storm nearly a decade ago (tuscaloosanews.com), once the street lights and gas stations fade into the distance in the rearview mirror, the diner will soon appear off to the right amidst the open field of scattered trees and shrubbery. But even without a sign, the sudden appearance of a small cinderblock building and a small gravel parking lot allows hungry patrons to find the place with ease. And while this rustic location gives off the feeling of an old-time speak easy, for patrons today the diner now just has a reputation for great food and a fun atmosphere located outside the hustle and bustle of Tuscaloosa; the rebellious role the restaurant once played has been domesticated into a down-home diner. The meaning behind the restaurant has changed, but the physicality of the building has not. 
The size and style of the building make Nick’s in the Sticks feel more like a home than a restaurant. The restaurant has only thirteen tables, and four stools for the few who sit at the bar. The tables are all close to each other, and when the place is full of chatty customers—as it most often is—the place has the feel of a big family dinner. Generations of family and friends have gathered at Nick’s to feel a sense of home and nostalgia; the setup and atmosphere of Nick’s have not changed throughout the decades. The tables are still rearranged as they were almost sixty years ago, and the bar stools are the original ones bought to decorate the place in 1955. The signed and decorated dollar bills stapled to the ceiling and in between Alabama memorabilia and pictures on the walls attest to the years of satisfied customers, and happy customers are something that Nick’s rarely lacks. The restaurant is typically filled to capacity by 5:30 p.m. (its doors open at 5p.m.) and there is almost always a wait, but the wait is worth it. While waiting, the fun atmosphere of the outside patio can be enjoyed sitting on old wooden benches underneath a faded red and white awning, catching up with old friends, and even sipping on a tasty beverage from the bar. But the relaxing and familiar atmosphere is not the only thing that brings hundreds of customers to Nick’s each day; the diner has a reputation for having the friendliest service and some of the best steaks in Tuscaloosa.
Not only does Nick’s know how to grill a steak to the perfection of the customer’s order, but they add a Southern twist to the dish by wrapping bacon around the filet and a few secret spices. Each steak is adorned with two freshly buttermilk-battered onion rings, a baked potato with the fixings, and a side garden salad served with the house dressing—a delicious combination of ranch and bleu cheese. While the menu is only one page, and Nick’s is known for its steaks, the restaurant offers a small variety of dishes including: grilled cheese sandwich, fried chicken wings, fried gizzards, and home-style burgers with a Nick twist—grilled onions added to the meat before it is flattened into a patty, then topped with bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and pickles. Besides the steaks, everything on the menu comes with a side salad and choice of beer-battered French fries or onion rings. The food is one very important reason to travel out to the sticks, but another major attraction that draws customers over the age of twenty-one out to the country is the Nicodemus. The Nicodemus is the house specialty drink that is a Tuscaloosa spin off of a New Orleans classic, the hurricane. Although the ingredients of the Nicodemus are a secret kept only by Lloyd Hegenbarth (current owner) and the bartender most people guess that the drink contains a stirred mixture of Hawaiian punch, vodka, rum, and tequila, topped with a shot of Bacardi 151 and garnished with a cherry and lemon slice. The drink goes down smooth and helps wash away any negative feelings created after a bad day or week. And if hard liquor isn’t your drink of choice, Nick’s also offers a variety of cold beers.
As in its early days of business, Nick’s still has a clientele ranging from families with small children to college students, football players, and business men, but now there are also the regulars who have been coming for over twenty years. Today, Nick’s in the Sticks is thought of as a place in Tuscaloosa that must be visited by anyone who lives close enough, and the full experience of all Tuscaloosa has to offer will not be complete until you have tried a filet wrapped in bacon or a classic Nicodemus served in a Styrofoam cup. People continue talking about and thinking about their meals and their experience at Nick’s long after their food has digested; one woman writes that she is still thinking about the great atmosphere and her perfectly cooked steak ten years after she ate at Nick’s (tuscaloosarestaraunt.com). The “regulars” also write about their wonderful experiences with Nick’s, some who have been frequenting the sticks since the 1970’s. These dedicated Nick’s fans have tried all that the menu has to offer and keep coming back for more; they bring their friends, children, and grandchildren. And although it started as one man’s fight against prohibition, the years of great service, delectable food, and loyal patrons has allowed the restaurant to become a landmark of hospitality, tastiness, and camaraderie.
Then and Now: Different Faces, Same Atmosphere
The responsibility for the success of this landmark lies in the hands of the owner of the business. Nick DelGado opened the restaurant with certain ideals in mind, and throughout the course of time the owners have stuck to those ideals. Nick’s in the Sticks has seen a few different owners
, and the current owner is Lloyd Hegenbarth. I had the pleasure of interviewing Lloyd and finding out more about him and the way he runs the restaurant. Lloyd is in his late fifties and keeps his gray hair neat under a baseball cap with a beard to accompany it. He has a gentle, fatherly voice rich in Southern accent, and he tells everything like it is. Lloyd grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, but moved to Tuscaloosa to get an education at the University of Alabama. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education and completed student teaching when he, “pretty much realized it was a little bit more than [he] wanted to do as far as the school teaching was concerned.” He began to search for jobs around Tuscaloosa and became manager of Nick’s around “73, 74 right in there somewhere.” I asked Lloyd if he had been manager of Nick’s ever since then and he admitted:
I ran the place for another gentleman for three years. I did that for a good little while and then had a couple of opportunities to do some other things, and went and did those things, but still had a fairly close relationship with the people down there. And one gentleman, who leased the place, when he got to a point he just didn’t feel like he could deal with it anymore asked if I wanted to take over. And I did then, that was almost 25 years ago.
I quickly realized that I was dealing with a veteran, and I was sure that he had seen whatever changes had taken place over the years. Not much to my surprise, I learned that since the original restaurant had opened in 1939 not much had changed besides the owners twice and a few minor details on the menu—at one point in time shrimp was served, but now its simply steaks, chicken, and burgers. We continued discussing changes at the restaurant, and it became evident that change, or rather lack of change, was something that Nick’s in the Sticks valued highly, that Lloyd valued highly. Perhaps this value is the key ingredient to its years of success: the restaurant’s devotion to the same atmosphere, food, and service that Nick DelGado had envisioned for his prohibition protest.
Then and Now: Different Faces, Same Atmosphere
The responsibility for the success of this landmark lies in the hands of the owner of the business. Nick DelGado opened the restaurant with certain ideals in mind, and throughout the course of time the owners have stuck to those ideals. Nick’s in the Sticks has seen a few different owners
, and the current owner is Lloyd Hegenbarth. I had the pleasure of interviewing Lloyd and finding out more about him and the way he runs the restaurant. Lloyd is in his late fifties and keeps his gray hair neat under a baseball cap with a beard to accompany it. He has a gentle, fatherly voice rich in Southern accent, and he tells everything like it is. Lloyd grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, but moved to Tuscaloosa to get an education at the University of Alabama. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education and completed student teaching when he, “pretty much realized it was a little bit more than [he] wanted to do as far as the school teaching was concerned.” He began to search for jobs around Tuscaloosa and became manager of Nick’s around “73, 74 right in there somewhere.” I asked Lloyd if he had been manager of Nick’s ever since then and he admitted:I ran the place for another gentleman for three years. I did that for a good little while and then had a couple of opportunities to do some other things, and went and did those things, but still had a fairly close relationship with the people down there. And one gentleman, who leased the place, when he got to a point he just didn’t feel like he could deal with it anymore asked if I wanted to take over. And I did then, that was almost 25 years ago.
I quickly realized that I was dealing with a veteran, and I was sure that he had seen whatever changes had taken place over the years. Not much to my surprise, I learned that since the original restaurant had opened in 1939 not much had changed besides the owners twice and a few minor details on the menu—at one point in time shrimp was served, but now its simply steaks, chicken, and burgers. We continued discussing changes at the restaurant, and it became evident that change, or rather lack of change, was something that Nick’s in the Sticks valued highly, that Lloyd valued highly. Perhaps this value is the key ingredient to its years of success: the restaurant’s devotion to the same atmosphere, food, and service that Nick DelGado had envisioned for his prohibition protest.
As manager and owner of such a diner, Lloyd’s job becomes more than just making sure the restaurant is stocked with enough food, clean enough for a good health inspection score, filled with competent workers, and crowded with content customers; in fact while these are all important aspects of his job, Lloyd says the most important part of his job is making sure the restaurant doesn’t change. He describes the situation at Nick’s:
When something’s been going on as long as it has, it opened its doors somewhere around 1939, give or take a year, and it has always been a fairly successful little “mom and pop” place here in town. It’s a situation that my job more than anything else is making [sure] that I didn’t change things too much; I kept it going pretty much the same as it’s always been as far as the menu is concerned, being reasonably priced, and all of that. I learned a long time ago, if it’s not broke you don’t try to fix it. [Nick’s] has been kind of a main stay of Tuscaloosa for a long, long time and people that come back into town, well they recognize the name, and if we do too much they won’t recognize the place.
Not only does Lloyd keep the place looking the same, but the food and the way it’s prepared doesn’t change. He describes the food as “more than consistent, it’s pretty much the same” as when the place opened for business. He still uses the same company to get the filets as Nick’s has for decades and the cooks continue to clean them and hand cut them right there in the kitchen. He won’t give into the fads of buying food already prepared and then frozen; Lloyd understands the importance of knowing what kind of food he is putting on the plate.
I thought that Lloyd’s attention to detail and sense for changeless came from his desire to run a successful business, but after talking with him I learned it stemmed from his respect for dear friend and original owner Nick DelGado. Lloyd admits that working with Nick is one of the things he has enjoyed most during his 25 years. He describes Nick:
He was a rather unique gentleman. He was a lot of fun to work with, and there are still many people [who] come in there (Nick’s in the Sticks) [and] talk about the days when Nick was down there all the time. And for probably about the first 15 years that I had it Nick continued working with me. We lost Nick about 7 or 8 years ago. He was certainly an interesting character, and he definitely broke the mold when they made the man. He was something else. He loved children and he used to tease them all the time, and he had a real good relationship with a whole lot of people. He was a really good man who had the personality for doing something like this and was quite successful at it.
He was a rather unique gentleman. He was a lot of fun to work with, and there are still many people [who] come in there (Nick’s in the Sticks) [and] talk about the days when Nick was down there all the time. And for probably about the first 15 years that I had it Nick continued working with me. We lost Nick about 7 or 8 years ago. He was certainly an interesting character, and he definitely broke the mold when they made the man. He was something else. He loved children and he used to tease them all the time, and he had a real good relationship with a whole lot of people. He was a really good man who had the personality for doing something like this and was quite successful at it.
After hearing Lloyd give a brief description of the man who brought Nick’s in the Sticks into existence I realized that perhaps the reason why it is so important to keep the restaurant the exact same is because the restaurant that exists today is something of a legacy and tribute to Nick DelGado, and not just in name. The physical location and appearance of the building are rather unique, just like the man who opened his diner’s doors to hungry, and more importantly, thirsty customers. Like Nick, the restaurant broke the mold for Tuscaloosa when it started up just over the county line. This little “hole in the wall” diner is different from the commercial eateries that surround Tuscaloosa, and most cities throughout the world. This restaurant is a unique little landmark in a town shadowed under its enormous football stadium—Bryant Denny Stadium. Nick was a kind, generous man, and what he wanted for himself, he also wanted for his community. Nick had desired a place where he could enjoy a cold beer, and he provided just such a place for his neighbors. When Tuscaloosa was in need of safe haven from decades of struggling with prohibition, Nick DelGado took on the responsibility. Now his restaurant has turned into decades of friendly service and food. There are no plans to open another Nick’s in the Sticks because there isn’t a need for one: the struggle with prohibition has come to an end in Tuscaloosa. It is rare to think that a restaurant opens its doors out of the need of its patrons, but Nick’s did. One Tuscaloosa resident realized he and his community had the right to drink alcohol, despite what county laws said, and decided he would do what was necessary. He did not break the rules, he just found a way to bend them slightly; it was a matter of location. Today the name Nick’s in the Sticks reveals that it is still just a matter of location. The restaurant has a short menu, but a long history. Its doors are opened to anyone with a hunger or thirst for a good time, and that has never changed. In 1939, Nick DelGado offered the Tuscaloosa community a place to gather together and indulge a little; in 2009, his restaurant is still a place for neighbors to come together and enjoy life a little.
References
Brown, Cullen. "Bama and Beer: A Brief History." 18 October 2005 www.Tuscaloosanews.com
Crompton, Reverend Washington Bryan. How Alabama Became Dry. 1925
Harris, Dr. Seale. "An Open Letter to Sherriffs, Solicitors, Judges, Probate Judges, and City Officials in Alabama."
Sellers, Dr. James. The Prohibition Movement in Alabama. University of North Carolina Press: Chapel Hill 1943
Restaurant Reviews for Nick’s in the Sticks, Tuscaloosa, Alabama. “Best Steaks in town for the past 32 years!” “Who needs a sign?” “My Nick’s Review.” 7 Septebember 2009 http://www.tuscaloosarestaraunt.com/
